Restless Echoes
hand, he could ask his vicar’s advice.”
Despite her refusal to intercede, Polly was intrigued.
She could not resist asking why Dave’s son and his wife
were convinced their house was haunted and with little
encouragement, Gavin explained. As soon as they moved
into their newly built home, Dave’s son, Pete and
daughter-in-law, Peggy, fancied they heard movements
in parts of the house where they were sure the rooms
were empty. They attributed the noises to settlement or
new timber flooring, or just about anything normal, not
discussing even the remote possibility that they were
supernatural.
Only when the children, talking to each other,
referred to things ‘the lady’ had said or done, did they
begin to take more notice. The children had few adult
friends, and all were known to their parents – so who,
they wondered were Toby, Annie and Babs? Their own
children, Andy, Amy and Holly, had never had a problem
playing together although at seven years old Andy
always assumed the role of leader, dictating what game
they would play.
One day, Peggy heard Andy asking the baby of the
family to choose. Holly, was only four, and refused. “You
must,” said Andy. “The Kitchen Lady says it’s not fair if
you never have a turn.” Only then did the young couple
begin to worry, when their children spoke of the strange
woman and other things, in complete acceptance of their
existence.
Holly cried one day when she couldn’t find her
favourite doll. Her sister, a year older, reminded her that
the Kitchen Lady took it from her because it had fallen
6