Ghostly Echoes
3 – Shades
After Maud’s departure, while Clarrie settled in, Sarah put the
final touches to the evening meal. She had tied an apron over her
pale-green linen dress. She should really have changed but Sarah
wanted to demonstrate that everything was ready even though
Clarinda had been unusually early. Anyway, she was looking
forward to discussing the events of the day and didn’t want to
waste time.
Over coffee later, she sympathised. The false start must have
been extremely irritating but, privately, she had strong doubts
about such an icy draught being possible on a hot day and was
oddly disquieted about the boat arriving unnoticed. She pictured
it, deserted, swaying at the end of its tether, and pondered;
Clarinda’s discomfort was due either to a physical threat that she
sensed intuitively, or to something spiritually unusual. If caused
by psychic disturbance, Sarah knew Clarinda might not accept it
as such – she laughingly maintained that one eccentric in the
family was enough and always dismissed her own sensitivity and
possible clairvoyance.
Sarah roused herself to clear the table and Clarrie began to
help, but they almost collided as Clarrie suddenly halted, to stare
into the darkening garden. The eerie unease she’d perceived
during the morning returned. She felt vulnerable. Was someone
out there spying on them?
***
13