I was partnered with the moray eel in the next afternoon's croquet game.
"I hear there is a ghost taking my side at Heavenly Abode." he chuckled.
I admitted that there was some sort of problem and that Angela was quite alarmed.
"Well, personally I don't believe in ghosts," he said, "--but if one helps me win my desire to buy the old mansion I would not mind it too much--though I would not like to worry Angela, of course. It is your turn to strike the ball, Constable."
I took my shot.
"Nicely placed, partner.". Morris said and we discussed the ghost no more.
After the game I suggested to Angela that Charles should perhaps stay near or in her bedroom in case the ghost should try any haunting in the night.
"I have already asked him to stay with me." she said. "He is really quite brave for an archaeologist and I will feel much safer with his company."
"Starry and I will again take turns patrolling the house and I would like you to announce that fact to everyone since it seems that this ghost does not like to have watchful people about when it is active."
"Good." Angela said. "I was scared half to death last night when that doorknob turned but now in the light of day the whole thing seems so silly. I seem to be an awful scardy-cat."
"No one blames you for being frightened, Angela. Something very odd is going on, but we are going to stop this ghost business now if we can." I said.
....
I was awakened in the middle of the night by a shriek--Angela's voice I was sure--followed by a crash of furniture.
I leaped from my bed, raced out of my room and down to her room at the end of the atrium where I knocked on the door.
"Angela, are you all right?" I cried.
Angela, pale and trembling, opened it.
"The ghost." she said. "The ghost woke me, weeping outside my door. It turned the doorknob--locked, of course--but when the knob turned I was so frightened I screamed and upset my night table."
By this time the commotion had aroused the entire household, Starry, Charles, Clarence, Hettie and several other servants were gathered about.
I immediately asked if anyone had seen anything--person or ghost--as they came from different parts of the house--but no one had seen a thing.
"Then Starry and I will take turns patrolling the house for the rest of the night." I said. "You can all return to your rooms--there is nothing to fear. You can sleep peacefully, Angela. We will allow no weeping or wailing on our watch!"
As they left, whispering among themselves, Starry asked how we should go about our task.
"I will take the first watch and will call you in a couple of hours." I said. "I am pretty sure our ghost has done his haunting for this evening, but we might as well keep awake and alert--just in case."
...
The dinner was nothing short of wonderful--a sort of Japanese-style melange of carefully prepared foods--a large variety of flavors and textures beautifully presented and served. We left the table perfectly satisfied.
After the meal those who wished to met in the conservatory for a short program of chamber music performed very capably by members of the household staff.
Angela, complying with requests from friendly guests, sang two folk-songs in a lovely clear soprano voice with the accompaniment of a solo viola d'amore played by Charles--certainly very becoming entertainment.
It had been a very full day for us.
The guests who had arrived from other nearby homes said their good-nights and left in twos and threes and the Heavenly Abode became darkened and silent for the night.
Starry and I met for a brief conversation in the upstairs hallway near our bedrooms.
"A pleasant evening, wasn't it, Constable?" Starry remarked.
"Awfully nice." I replied, "but keep alert my friend. Ghosts love to do their haunting late at night, you know." as I entered my bedroom and gently closed the door behind me.
...
Morris the eel had been invited for dinner and I asked Angelica to seat me beside him. There were a couple of things I hoped he would discuss with me.
When all were seated and it was appropriate for a little small talk with our dining neighbor, I turned to him and asked if he enjoyed music.
"Music, Constable? Well, I certainly DO enjoy music!
Unfortunately my business concerns keep me so occupied I scarcely have time to practice, but in my youth I was quite a performer. I especially loved to play the harp and I still have a go at it whenever I can--not for an audience, you understand, but just for my own pleasure. By the way--did you know there is a lovely antique harp in one of the guest bedrooms upstairs?"
I told him I had seen the harp and it WAS a beauty. Then--to cut right to the point--I asked him about his interest in purchasing Heavenly abode.
"Aha! I see you have been talking about me with Angelica! Well it is certainly no secret that I would like to buy this old house. It's a beautiful place, no doubt of THAT--but so impractical. Cold in the winter as you have probably noticed, ruinously expensive to maintain and the TAXES... !
I hate to see Angelica stuck in a past age, you know, just by the accident of birth.
I have made her a most generous offer, you understand, since I can realize a good profit by developing the parcel of land into multiple private homes after removing this structure--and nice modern houses too--but, of course, she won't HEAR of it!
Not yet!
But I don't intend to give up!
Time is on my side, as they say--some day I expect her to agree that MY plan would be best for all concerned."
...
It was my turn. I concentrated on my stroke but continued to question Angelica: "Does Clarence also play the harp?"
"Yes. In fact most of our staff are musical and since we had the harp on hand, many have learned to play. We support the arts and encourage participation by everyone--in fact one of our forester's children is attending the Great Barrier Reef Conservatory in Australia right now on an Angelfish Family Scholarship."
"That is quite wonderful." I said--and made my shot.
"THAT was very good too." Angelica complimented me.
...
"I am also responsible for providing the livelihood of a large number of people." Angela continued, "If I sold Heavenly Abode to Morris, the staff would be unemployed with no place to live. Many of the staff here have literally worked for the Angelfish family for generations."
"Really?" I replied. "That is amazing."
"Oh, I know. In this day and age it is practically unheard of--but a few--like Hettie and Clarence, for example--have been servants of my family for years.
Clarence's great, great, ever so great grandfather was the friend and partner of my great, great, ever so great grandfather when this country estate was built, and Hettie and her family worked for my old Aunt Minerva at her country home until Aunt Minerva died and her home was sold to a developer and destroyed--then Hettie came here to work for me."
"Then Hettie would be familiar with the harp? Aunt Minerva's harp in your guest bedroom, I mean?"
"Of course. In fact I believe she took some music lessons using that very harp when she was a child--since we Angelfish always treat our servants more like family than like mere employees. That's probably why they stay with us for generations!"
...
The afternoon weather was perfect for a game of croquet so Angelica invited us all down to the lawn to play.
As the game progressed we enjoyed the usual enthusiastic but not very skillful action and the wry banter expected from amateur players.
When Starry and Charles were having a friendly argument about one disputed shot, I took the opportunity to ask Angelica about something her friend Morris the eel had said to her when we first arrived.
"Angelica, WHAT was Morris referring to when he suggested you think about the conversation you had with him last week?"
"Oh Morris!" Angelica replied, "Morris has been interested in buying Heavenly Abode from we Angelfish for years. Uncle Egbert told him we were not interested in selling--but I guess since Uncle Egbert passed away and since I am alone, Morris thinks this might be an opportune time for him to ask again. I told him last week that I am NOT interested in selling, but he continues to plead with me."
"Then Morris wants Heavenly Abode as a residence for himself?" I asked.
"If that was his only reason, I might consider it since this big old home IS a bit much for ONE angelfish! But Morris only wants to tear the place down and develop the grounds into a swarm of one-family mansions---you know the kind I am sure--where the developer builds hundreds of junky but expensive luxury residences and then retires while the buyers pay off their lifetime mortgages."
"I know what you are talking about only too well." I said sadly.
"Besides, I may not be alone forever." Angelica said, glancing over at Charles. "And there may be future generations of Angelfish which need a good place to live..."
"That too." I said with a smile.
...
