The Girl in the Scrapbook

of himself and turned up at the cottage on a regular basis. She was sure he was just being friendly and his heart was in the right place but he seemed to feel she needed guidance on all things connected to the cottage and her new business. As a strong, independent woman, she resented his unwanted advice but found it impossible, for some reason she had yet to fathom, to say so bluntly. Possibly, it was because she was a conciliatory person herself and preferred to remain distantly polite. Certainly, he seemed to have the hide of a rhinoceros and, despite the negative vibes she sent his way, he continued to proffer his opinions. The worst of it was that his ideas were generally sound and useful. When she started tackling the overgrown garden, he offered her the use of his rotavator and brought over some old bricks to create some raised beds.

‘They’ll give the garden a more cottagey feel and also save you a lot of backache,’ he advised.

Of course, David just had to be something of a plant expert. It was he who had informed her that most of the perennials in the garden had just needed cutting back when discovered her about to pull them all up, having mistaken them for weeds. Brilliant!

‘What would I do without you here telling me how to do it properly?’ she retorted acidly but he just grinned, obviously missing her sarcasm.

‘I know. Glad you appreciate it.’

Now the garden, although not finished, was beginning to take shape. She had pruned, tidied and planted lots of bulbs in her new beds. At least, it was looking tidy for the winter and she could look forward to seeing what emerged in the spring.

There was just one other problem with the cottage though and it was one which Jennifer had no idea how to solve. It had first happened on her second morning in the cottage. She had been unloading the dishwasher when she became aware of another presence in the kitchen. It was like a prickling of the hairs on her neck and a sense that the air in the room had somehow shifted. She looked up to see a shadowy dark figure with long auburn hair and startling green eyes. There was a feeling of overwhelming sadness- and then the figure was gone.

Had she just seen a ghost? Jennifer had rubbed her eyes in disbelief and shaken her head. She was far too old and sensible for such supernatural nonsense! The girl had seemed incredibly real, though and she pondered the encounter at different times over the next few days. In the end, however, she could come up with no rational explanation and decided to dismiss it from her mind … until it happened again.

A few weeks later, she was looking out of her kitchen window when she saw the figure, dressed in black, once more. This time, she seemed to be looking for something in the garden, frantically pacing back and forth, staring wildly and wringing her hands. Jennifer was just opening the window to call out to her when she disappeared – simply vanished. One moment she was there and the next she was gone. Jennifer stood for a long time, watching and waiting, but she did not return.

It was at that point she allowed herself to contemplate the possibility of a ghost, for surely that was what she was. Perhaps she was someone who had lived, and maybe died, in the cottage many years before. Her dress looked early twentieth century so she was probably from that era. Even as the thoughts crossed her mind, she berated herself for her fancifulness. How ridiculous! A ghost! There was no such thing! And yet …

Since then, she had seen the woman several times and had come to the reluctant conclusion that either her cottage was haunted or she was losing her mind. This was a very uncomfortable thought and not one, she felt, she could possibly discuss with anyone else. They would think, probably quite correctly, that the trauma of that terrible incident earlier in the year had sent her over the edge. Maybe it had …

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Chapter 5

Emily -  November 2016

Emily was upstairs with Alex reading him the Gruffalo, currently his favourite bedtime story, when she heard Adam return home.

‘Daddy’s back,’ she announced and smiled at the instant joy on his face.

‘Daddy!’ he squealed, scrummaging to get out of bed.

‘Stay there, darling. Daddy will come up and see you.’ She went to the bedroom door and called down the stairs. ‘We’re up here.’

Adam was hanging up his coat and grinned up at her. ‘Hi sweetheart. Sorry I’m late. I’ll be right up.’

Emily turned back to her blond haired, blue eyed son, so like his father. ‘Quick. Back under the covers. He’s on his way.’

Giggling, Alex scrambled under his duvet so he was completely hidden as his dad appeared in the doorway.

‘Where’s Alex?’ he asked in mock confusion.

‘I’m here!’ Alex burst out of the covers and launched himself into his father’s arms. Adam hugged him tightly. His eyes met Emily’s and his loving smile, as always, made her catch her breath. After five years of marriage, the spark between them was as strong as ever and she still could not quite believe her luck in having him as a husband. She reached across to join in the hug and to kiss him lightly on the lips, inhaling the musky scent of him. That smell and the deep, velvet tone of his voice, were the first things she had noticed about him.

It had been seven years ago and she had been at a friend’s birthday party, talking with a group of girlfriends whom she had not seen recently when she became aware of a man’s voice, politely greeting someone behind her. He was close enough for her to smell his after shave. It was an instant reaction. She felt a tingling down her spine and she found herself switching off from