The Ghosts of Brackwell Manor Chapter 3

2025

‘What is the fascination with that guy?’

‘What?’ Ava turned back to Elsie who was staring at her across the table with a curious smile on her face.

‘Since you came back from the bar, you’ve been looking over at that, admittedly very handsome, man every few seconds.

Ava chanced another glance in the man in question’s direction. He was certainly good looking with his wavey dark blonde hair and prominent cheekbones. While she’d been at the bar she’d also noticed his stunning green eyes. His attractiveness was enhanced by the tailored blue suit he wore, and his confident stance as he chatted with another man, probably a colleague.

‘I think I know him,’ she said in response to Elsie’s question. ‘But I can’t place where from.’

‘Why don’t you go and ask him?’

‘I’m not going to walk up to a strange man in a bar and ask him who he is.’

‘He may not be a strange man. You may know him. Come on, you were saying just now that you were going to take more risks. You’re only 23! After three years with boring Brian, you really need to shake things up a bit.’

‘Don’t be cruel about Brian. He’s a nice guy.’

‘Nice just about sums him up. Who calls their son Brian? It’s like his parents knew how dull he was going to be.’ Elsie tossed her long, blonde fringe from her eyes and gave the man at the bar a blatant perusal.

‘Elsie! Don’t stare like that.’

Elsie grinned. ‘It’s working.’

Ava gasped as the man looked in their direction. He’d no doubt felt Elsie’s gaze burning into the side of his head. He continued to talk to his companion as he looked first at Elsie and then at Ava. He turned back to his friend, but a few seconds later, his gaze returned to Ava whose face was now burning as she tried not to return his look.

‘He’s coming over!’ Elsie said in a stage whisper.

Ava stared at the tabletop, willing the ground to swallow her.

‘Hi.’ The man was standing next to their table. Ava had no choice but to look up.

Elsie was already holding out her hand. ‘Hello. I’m Elsie and this is Ava.’

‘Ava. That’s a lovely name.’

‘Yes,’ said Elsie. ‘Her mother was a fan of the old film star. I was named after some woman who used to be in Coronation Street.’

‘Ava,’ he said again gazing at Ava’s face so that she felt even hotter.

‘And you are?’ prompted Elsie.

‘Oh, sorry, I’m William, William Brackwell.’

Ava felt something click in her mind. A distant memory of a boy with brilliant green eyes. ‘William.’ She mulled the name over in her head and then it came to her.

‘You stayed next door to me years ago. You and your mum.’

William looked quizzical. ‘I did?’

‘Yes, you stayed with Mrs Willis for a night or two, and then someone came and took you away.’

Realisation seemed to dawn for William. ‘Oh yes, of course. I forgot the old woman’s name. It was like ten years ago.’

Suddenly Ava was remined of how arrogant that boy from ten years ago could be.

‘Well, do you remember me? I was the girl who took you for a drink over the park and showed you how to use a public phone box — basically you owe me for getting you back to your father.’

William looked at her blankly, Ava could almost hear the cogs and wheels whirring in his head.

‘

‘Yes, of course, you’re that girl — the girl from next door, right?’

‘I just said that, didn’t I?’

‘Ava!’ Elsie kicked her under the table.

‘Sorry,’ Ava smiled up at William. ‘Yes, that’s me, the girl from next door.’

William glanced over at his friend, who was still at the bar. ‘I just need to finish a conversation with my colleague and then I can come and join you for a bit. Give me ten minutes.’

‘We didn’t ask you to join us,’ said Ava, but not loud enough for him to hear.

***

‘So, your dad found you?’

Ava and William had been chatting for around an hour. Elsie had made an excuse to leave and William’s colleague had also headed off after downing his whisky.

‘Yes. Whoever I spoke to managed to get a message to him. Employees of his came for me in the early hours, banging on the door until my mother couldn’t ignore it. I was dressed and in the driveway within seconds. I didn’t know what my mum was playing at but I knew I wanted to be home with my father.’

‘Did you find out why your mum was running from him?’

William took a deep breath. “By the time I got back home, my father was dead.”

‘What? How?”

“He’d been ill for a while but never spoken about it. Some kind of heart defect. I never did get all the details, At the age of fourteen, I didn’t really want to know, I was just devastated.

“And what about your mum?”

William shrugged. ‘She had problems. She came home for a while, but after six months or so she had a breakdown of some kind and ended up in a hospital. She was never right again. Luckily my father had a sister who came to Brackwell Manor and took on the role of my guardian, otherwise I’ve no idea where I would have ended up. Even Willow disappeared after father died.’

‘Who was Willow?’

“Willow was dad’s personal assistant — I mean she helped organise his personal life and managed stuff around the house. Strange woman. Quite young. Maybe thirty. Looked a bit of a hippy. Anyway, she packed her bags and buggered off within about two days of dad dying. My mother said we were better off without her. She didn’t go far. I still see her around sometimes. She’s looking a bit ropey these days.”

‘And do you still live in the old family house— Brackwell Manor?”

‘That’s what we called it. No idea what it was called before my father bought it. And yes, I still live there.’

‘I remember you boasting about it.’

‘You should come and see it.’

‘What?’

‘Why not come with me now? My car is parked around the corner.’

Ava laughed. ‘After all those beers?’

‘All alcohol-free.’ William held up the bottle for her to inspect.

‘So, fancy a cocktail at my place?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘It’s Friday. You don’t have work tomorrow do you?’

‘No, but I sometimes do work on Saturdays, I’m an estate agent, plus I hardly know you and how do you know I’m not married or in a serious relationship?’

‘Are you?’

‘No, but I could be.’

‘Well, the offers there.’

‘I’m not driving to some country pile with a guy I hardly know.’

“Country pile,’ laughed William. ‘I live in Hampstead.’

Ava frowned. ‘Brackwell Manor is in London?’

‘William laughed again. ‘It’s not actually a manor house, but it’s a lovely, detached property in Hamstead, so probably worth more than some near derelict pile in Devon, or wherever.’

‘You should do my job,’ said Ava.

‘So, are you coming. If you don’t want to stay over — in one of the many spare bedrooms, of course – I can drive you home to…?’

‘Harrow,’ said Ava.

William frowned. ‘Harrow?’

‘Yes. It’s just outside London.’

‘I know where it is. I just can’t imagine why anyone would live there.’

William had definitely not lost his former arrogance.

‘Because it’s cheaper than central London and I wasn’t left a multi-million-pound house by my parents. Anyway, you don’t need to worry about how far out it is, because I’m not coming back to your place.’

‘Well, at least call me and let me take you out to dinner.’ William pushed a card across the table.

‘I might,’ said Ava, already thinking she would.