Mr Scarletti's Ghost (3 page)

Mina was not thinking of herself at all, but was taking advantage of the quiet time to compose a new story about an incubus, which preyed on virtuous widows, and which in her mind's eye looked very like Mr Bradley. Could her mother not see that this man's presence in their house was an insult? Where were Mr Bradley and his pretensions when her father was dying? Where was his healing power when Marianne had lost her fragile hold on life at the age of twelve? It was she for whom Mina had first started writing stories of magic and adventure, stories in which her sister was the golden-haired heroine.

Marianne lived on in print, for unexpectedly, Henry's business partner Mr Greville had offered to publish the stories for a new venture, the Scarletti Children's Library. Mina was invited to visit the office and saw packets of little books piled high on shelves, some of them books that her father had never dared bring home, with stories of brigands and murderers and haunted castles, all illustrated by woodcuts. These appealed to Mina's taste and spirit rather better than pious tales in which the worst sin that anyone might commit was vanity. When Mr Greville suggested that she might like to write him a story about a child who gave her last penny to a ragged boy, Mina was already eagerly perusing
The Goblin's Curse
, and was lost forever to the world of morally improving literature.

The peace of the little circle was broken only by the gurgling of Mrs Bettinson's stomach and the gentle snores of a Mrs Phipps, an elderly lady who was a regular attendee at gatherings of every kind, and slept through all of them, although she always succeeded in being awake when refreshments were served. Mr Bradley then proceeded to what he announced was ‘a special healing', which amounted to no more than his going about the circle again, taking each lady briefly by the hand, and placing his fingertips on the forehead of each gentleman. He then led the company in a final prayer, and suggested that they all needed more tea.

One of the company, a Miss Whinstone, was a lady of Louisa's age, but less well favoured by the hand of time. Since emerging from the period of mourning appropriate to the loss of her beloved brother, she had invariably dressed in the same unflattering shade of bronze, which was reflected in her skin and gave her cheeks a sickly yellow cast. Her face was drawn into a permanent frown of anxiety, and she always appeared to be flinching from something. Miss Whinstone had arrived with trembling fingers clutching a copy of the
Brighton
Gazette
, which was open at the page of town news, but she did not refer to it until the meeting was drawing to a close.

‘Mr Bradley,' she whispered, confidentially, ‘if I might seek your advice …'

‘But of course!' he exclaimed. ‘How might I assist you?'

She hesitated, then pushed the paper towards him. ‘I have read— I have seen—'

‘Ah,' said Mrs Bettinson, whose steely gaze missed nothing, ‘yes, a most extraordinary thing, but ungodly, I fear.'

‘And yet there is the involvement of Professor Gaskin, who I understand is a scientific gentleman of some note,' said Miss Whinstone, meekly.

‘He is said to be one of the most scientific men in the world,' Mr Bradley assured her, ‘and I am confident that he would not lend his name to anything ungodly.'

Mrs Bettinson looked unconvinced.

‘Science,' announced a Mr Conroy, a portly gentleman with a red face, ‘is a very remarkable thing.' He hooked his thumbs into his waistcoat pockets, thrust out his lower lip, and stared about the room in case anyone chose to contradict him.

The assembled company agreed to a man and woman that science was indeed remarkable.

Louisa, who did not read newspapers in case they affected her nerves, and had not had one in the house for some years, tried her best to look as though she knew what everyone was talking about, without success. Mina could see the early signs that her mother might be obliged to plead faintness to avoid embarrassment, so she quickly but politely borrowed Miss Whinstone's newspaper, and read the article aloud. The company fell silent. Mina had a sweet, clear reading voice, and no one felt inclined to do other than listen to her.

I
MPORTANT
ANNOUNCEMENT
FROM
W
ILLIAM
G
ASKIN
, FRS, P
ROFESSOR
OF
C
HEMISTRY
AND
P
HYSICS

Professor Gaskin is honoured to make it known that the noted spirit medium Miss Hilarie Eustace will shortly be visiting Brighton where she will be pleased to offer demonstrations of her powers entirely
gratis
. Professor Gaskin, a founder member of the famous Ghost Club once patronised by the late Mr Charles Dickens, has devoted many years to the study of ghostly phenomena, and his experience enables him to state with considerable authority that Miss Eustace is entirely genuine. She has been subjected to numerous rigorous tests, all of which prove without a doubt that she is a medium of unusually consistent and convincing ability. Miss Eustace has demonstrated on very many occasions the production of spirit rappings and moving lights, all of which occur while she is in a trance. The agent of these manifestations is her spirit guide, Phoebe, a creature of the most extraordinary and angelic beauty who, when conditions are favourable, appears before astonished onlookers clad in glowing raiment. Professor Gaskin has himself seen this spirit rise from the ground, float through the air, and then melt slowly into nothingness, a sight which can only create the most profound amazement in anyone privileged to witness it. Next week's
Gazette
will announce details of where Miss Eustace will be conducting her séances, and how the public might apply for tickets.

‘It seems,' said Mr Conroy, with a throaty laugh, ‘that you have a rival, Mr Bradley.'

‘Not at all,' said Mr Bradley, cheerfully. ‘If you imagine that I am jealous of this lady's powers or her ability to command the attention of the public then you very much mistake me. If she can indeed perform all that she claims to do, and it appears that Professor Gaskin has proved that she can, then I will gladly add myself to the number of her devoted admirers.'

‘Then you have not seen her demonstrations?' asked Mina, and there was a general clamour in the room to the effect that Mr Bradley, if he had not already seen the miraculous Miss Eustace, ought to do so as soon as was practically possible.

He raised a hand to speak and the room at once fell silent again. ‘I have not seen the lady, and it might be advisable if I was not to. Imagine, if you will, the consequences that would follow if two persons, both of whom are able to act as receptacles of supernatural power, were in the same room and one of them was to enter the trance state, which is a most perilous condition.' He paused dramatically to allow his listeners to consider the dreadful results that might stem from that situation. ‘Of course I would do nothing to deliberately harm Miss Eustace, but suppose that by my very presence, I was to quite unintentionally attract forces that were drawn to her in her receptive state, and were more than the delicate frame of a lady could endure.'

‘Why, it could kill her!' exclaimed Miss Whinstone, the tea in her cup vibrating like a choppy sea.

‘Or at the very least induce catatonia. She might never waken again. Such things have been known.' Bradley shook his head, regretfully. ‘No, much as I would wish to witness one of her demonstrations, I dare not, but I can see no objection to anyone else attending. I understand that she created a very great sensation when exhibiting in London only last week. I spoke to a lady who was present on that occasion who was so overcome by powerful emotions when she tried to tell me what she had seen that she was quite unable to find words to describe her experience. You are very fortunate that Miss Eustace comes here now, for if she was here in the autumn season you would not be able to get near her for dukes and earls and countesses.'

‘Oh,' said Miss Whinstone, ‘but my doctor says that I have a weak heart and a rheumatic stomach – from eating too much, or possibly from eating too little, I forget which – and I think if I was to see Miss Eustace I would catch the most terrible fright. And perhaps it might kill me, so I had really better not go.'

‘She wouldn't frighten
me
,' said Mrs Bettinson, and the other ladies suggested that they felt the same, apart from Mrs Phipps who, having finished her tea, had fallen asleep again.

‘But isn't it all poppycock and playacting?' said a Mr Jordan, grunting and looking at his watch, something he liked to do every few minutes for no reason that anyone could discern. He was a smartly turned-out gentleman of about thirty who had said very little throughout the afternoon, contenting himself with an expression of deep scepticism.

‘If it is, the lady gains no advantage by it,' said Mr Bradley, reasonably. ‘Of course there are persons who pretend to be mediums and attempt to play tricks on the public, but there is one sure way of knowing them. It is really very simple, they will do nothing without first being paid.'

Mina's mother had expressed no opinion about Miss Eustace, and after the meeting only commented that she had to wonder if such a person could be wholly respectable. Nevertheless, she told Mina to arrange for a regular delivery of all the popular Brighton newspapers and was later seen perusing them with interest. In a matter of days the dreadful Miss Eustace passed through a process of metamorphosis in which she became by stages the dangerous Miss Eustace, the alarming Miss Eustace, the uncommon Miss Eustace, the fascinating Miss Eustace and finally the astonishing Miss Eustace. One evening at nine o'clock on the hour, a hired carriage arrived in Montpelier Road and Louisa Scarletti and Mrs Bettinson boarded it in a state of very considerable excitement.

‘I do not know why this should be,' said Mina's mother, ‘but it has been my observation that men who are very clever and whose words repay the most earnest attention are often very ugly, whereas those who have been favoured with a handsome countenance have nothing in their heads worth speaking of.'

‘Perhaps,' said Mina, ‘men with attractive faces see no reason to cultivate their minds, and men with good minds exercise them so often they have no time to make themselves handsome. But do you speak of Mr Bradley? He seems to me to have neither good features nor a mind that is out of the ordinary.'

Her mother looked displeased, but Mina did not mind that. It was the morning after the visit to Miss Eustace, and Louisa, in command of the breakfast table, already looked plumper and rosier as if, like Brighton, she had been painted for the summer season. Mina wondered if her mother's year of melancholy widowhood that had followed her husband's death had in recent months been less a genuine affliction than a craving for the solicitude of friends. Now, with other things on her mind, she had turned her natural vitality to other projects.

Simmons sat forlornly by, her manner expressing anxiety either that her mistress was about to be enlivened to the point of a brainstorm, or that she would be so restored to glowing health that the services of a nurse and companion might no longer be required.

‘I do
not
speak of Mr Bradley, who although not a scholarly gentleman has a reasonably good mind and is not displeasing to look at,' said Louisa severely. ‘It is Professor Gaskin, who has been instrumental in introducing Miss Eustace to both London and Brighton society. He is a man with a very powerful brain, and a mind that constantly seeks the truth. But he has a bad posture and very large ears. His wife is a respectable sort of person but she is dreadfully plain, poor creature, and does not dress at all well.' Louisa could not help preening herself.

The previous night's séance had taken place in the parlour of Professor Gaskin's lodgings, and had been attended by eight ladies and gentlemen who were considered to be the very best of the resident Brighton society. Mina's mother said that she felt sure there was a solicitor amongst their number, as well as Dr Hamid who she thought was a very interesting and intelligent sort of person. The company was comfortably seated in front of a curtain that had been drawn across one corner of the room. The professor had then addressed them on the subject of Miss Eustace's wonderful sensitivity; how he had encountered her first with the attitude of a sceptic, thinking to expose deception. On witnessing her demonstrations, however, not only had he become convinced of her genuineness, but he had also realised that she was worthy of serious scientific study. Miss Eustace, he had told the company, was possessed of powers that the most learned men could not as yet explain.

The professor had reassured everyone present not to be afraid of what they were about to experience, and for greater confidence, he had then led them in a short prayer followed by a rousing hymn. ‘I think,' Louisa told Mina, ‘that that
fully
answers Reverend Vaughan's objections. There was nothing irreligious in the proceedings, in fact quite the contrary. Professor Gaskin says that the spirits are gladdened by our devotion, since they are pure Christian spirits sent by God to guide those who are receptive to His teachings.'