The Fourth Mistress

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At night, everyone was silent during dinner while having their meal except for the occasional sounds from the cutlery. During the meal, Henry spoke, 

"There is something Alison and I wanted to speak about. Mostly I," his words gained everyone's attention who were at the table, stopped and looked up from their plates. "With everything going on here, I have been thinking about taking Alison and Molly with me to stay in my parents house for a month."

"Why?" came the first question from Lady Viola. Her face held a grim expression as she said this. "Nobody lives in the house and there's no servants who can take care."

Henry nodded his head and said, "I am aware of it, but I have already asked someone to make the necessary arrangements. I thought it would give Alison some time away and even for Molly." 

"If you have already decided and made the arrangements, there is nothing left to speak about. Do what you want. It isn't like people in this manor don't do what they want," Lady Viola's words held the passive-aggressive tone, and she went back to having her food. 

A frown appeared on Alison's face, and she turned to look at her husband as if she had already told him that this would happen and not to bring it up while eating. She then turned to look at her mother.

"Mother," began Alison. "It is going to be just for a month and if you don't want us to go, we won't."

Louise noticed Lady Viola, who sat in front of her, refused to speak on the subject. Since Senior Mr. Reed had passed away, Graham had filled his father's position as the Head of Reed's family, responsible for handling the concerned matter in the manor as well as at the work. He had taken his seat at the place where his father was found dead. 

Lady Agatha calmly said, "Things like these should be discussed with the family or have you forgotten about it? It looks like you have been affected by others actions." 

Louise, whose mouth was full with the food, sensed the taunt in Lady Agatha's words which was passed at her. Usually, her mouth was quick to respond, but knowing the family was going through a difficult time, she didn't want to add unnecessary words. She decided to be the bigger person at the table.

"And about whose actions are you speaking here, auntie?" questioned Graham. 

"Do I even need to mention it, Graham?" Lady Agatha had a deep frown on her face. "Robert had made it clear that we would discuss before deciding anything that concerned the family, but what did you do after his death? You brought all the paintings from the older manor, while not noticing that your mother is unhappy with their presence that now decorates the walls of this manor." 

The woman's words made Louise curious, and she asked, "Those paintings were of people who were part of the family and whom the family members cared about. They might be deceased now but that doesn't mean we forget their existence and memories."

"There are some things that make some people uncomfortable," replied Lady Agatha. Louise looked at the two older women of the family who had lost their husbands. One's husband committed suicide, and the other whose throat had been slit with his hands pierced with knives. 

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"But that doesn't answer the question of why?" replied Louise, her eyebrows drawing in close. 

Lady Agatha, who had a serious expression, looked away from Louise. 

Graham intervened by saying, "If it bothers you so much, we'll have it taken down right away." He raised his hand for Gilbert to take it down from the corridors of the hall.

Gilbert and two other servants named Jonas and Philip went to bring down the paintings that had been newly placed on the wall, which was brought from the previous manor in Warlington. 

"Does it matter anymore now?" asked Lady Viola, breaking her silence. "Your father was not happy after seeing those portraits, and neither was I. Since the portraits have been moved and brought to light, something bad has been happening.

Did that mean Lady Viola somewhere believed that there was something strange in the paintings? That something was trying to hurt them? But after seeing the writing on the wall, which was now clean without a trace of blood, anyone would have got the doubt and was scared. 

Lady Viola continued to say, "I don't know what is going to happen. I am lost," she shook her head. She then looked at her daughter and son-in-law, "If it helps, okay. You can leave for Henry's parents house so that you don't get involved in what is happening here."

It was apparent that the two recent deaths had scared the family members as well as the servants of the manor. For many years, the Reeds were living together as one close-knitted family. Even the servants had been working for the family for a very long time.

After the meal, Graham had gone straight to the study room, while Louise stayed back speaking to Alison. Graham had turned busier because of his new responsibilities that had fallen on his shoulders. Once Louise finished speaking, she went to the study room and knocked on the door. 

"Come in," said Graham from the other side of the door. 

Louise pushed the door to open and stepped inside the warm room because of the log of woods burning in the fireplace. Seeing her, he said, "I may need an hour more to finish this."

"That is alright. I can wait," replied Louise, and she came around his table to take a look at the papers that he was working on. 

Knowing how stressful things had turned around him, Louise tried her best to not burden him with more things to worry about. Graham turned his seat, holding her wrist with his and pulled her towards him to sit on his lap. 

Her hands reached his face, pushing the hair away from his forehead that had been left slightly ruffled right now. 

"You can speak to Alison and Henry, if you don't want them to leave from here," said Louise, because earlier at the dining table, she had noticed the frown on his face when Henry had mentioned it. Though the couple had said it would be only for a month, it seemed like they wanted to stay away from here more than the mentioned time. 

"It is fine," Graham interlocked his fingers with hers. "I am sure they need some time away from all that's happening. Actually, I wanted to ask you to stay at your uncle and aunt's place for the time being."

"I won't," stated Louise, looking into his olive-green eyes. 

"I know," a faint smile appeared on Graham's lips. "That is why I didn't ask you. More than my mother, Alison has been affected by my father's death. I worry that if she continues to stay here, it will only deteriorate her health." 

"But what about the ghost?" asked Louise. It was something that had plagued her mind. 

So far, it was only the men who had been targeted. And though nothing had happened to Graham nor Henry, she was worried that the ghost would strike in the least expected time. 

"I was hoping that it wouldn't follow them. If they are away from this manor and us, maybe they will be safe," he exhaled the air through his lips. "I don't know when everything started. If it was during the time I was with Lisa, or before I was married to any of my past wives. Or what happened three years ago. I just cannot remember."

"It is fine," Louise ran her fingers through his hair. "We'll figure this out together," she assured him. 

"Hm," Graham gave her a nod. "It might take three more weeks before Mr. Burton comes with any information about who was found in the casket. How was your day?" he asked, switching the conversation to something lighter. 

"It was good, I think," added Louise, her hand settled on his shoulder. "From tomorrow until my exam, I won't need to go to work."

"How is your preparation for the exam going on?" he asked her. 

"It is going alright. I just need to revise some of the things before attending the exam," she replied. 

"You will pass the exam with a high score. I have full faith in you," Graham offered his encouraging words. 

"Thank you, Graham," leaning forward. She kissed his lips to have him kiss her back. She felt his hand move towards her bottom and bring her close. She felt her toes curl while they hung in the air as she was sitting in his lap. His other hand went to place on her back. Both of them didn't leave any opportunity to cherish each other when they were alone and away from people's gazes. 

"How was your day? How is the construction work going on in Hungate?" she inquired about his day. 

"Mr. Perrot has been sending me reports about the construction work. It might take a minimum of another three months before for the walls and the roofs to come. While I was going through my father's things, I came across something."

Graham leaned forward, pulling the drawer of the desk, and he picked up a file. 

"What is it?" asked Louise, her eyes curiously looking at the file, and she took it from him. 

Louise opened the file to readSaltonstall's family. She saw the name mentioned on the first page with Mr. Dariel Saltonstall and Marlow Saltonstall. 

"Why was your father looking into the family?" asked Louise in confusion. Until now, she had believed that there had been no dealings between the Reed and the Saltonstall's family. 

"I found it when I was sorting out the things in his cupboards and drawers of his private room. I found it at the bottom and by the looks of it, it must have not been picked up recently," replied Graham with a serious expression. "I asked my mother if she knew anything about it, and she said she doesn't know. I don't remember him mentioning anything about that family to me, even once."

Louise turned the pages, reading what was in there while trying to find the children's names, but it wasn't in there. 

"Do you think your father, he…" Louise's words trailed.

"I don't think he had an affair with Marlow Saltonstall," Graham cleared the possible doubts. The thought arose because, according to Saltonstall's neighbour, Mr. Saltonstall had accused his wife of having many affairs. "My father was a disciplined man. I don't think he would be having a file about the family if he knew her personally." 

"That is true," agreed Louise. "I am sorry," she apologized. 

"Did you find anything?" Graham asked her, knowing Louise had been trying to figure out what was going on just like the investigators. 

Louise nodded her head, "I went to visit the house of the painter George Steward."

"You said the last time you spoke to him he didn't have any information," stated Graham. 

"I couldn't stop thinking about the paintings. Your parents found it uncomfortable to see them, and your mother still feels the same about them. I cannot help but wonder what it is," said Louise. She stared at the file that was in her hand and said, "There was something, someone in the latest painting made. Like a shadow in the background," and she explained the other things that George said to her during her visit to his house. 

The entire time, Graham stayed quiet while Louise explained. 

He then said, "That is strange. I don't think we ever had any acquaintances, female one, being invited when the portrait was being made. And considering his age and the time he had started to paint and drink, I cannot think of anyone."

"But when I asked him, he told me he met her during one of your family paintings. Frankly… it was strange to see the portrait of a person without a face," she responded thoughtfully. "Whoever that woman was, she must have broken his heart that turned him to drinking. I checked the other portraits, but they don't have any strangeness to them." 

Two days later, Henry, Alison and their daughter Molly got into their carriage to leave for Henry's parent's house for a vacation. Even though  Lady Viola wasn't happy about part of her family leaving the manor for a month, she had come near the carriage to see them off. 

And this reduced the number of people in Reed's manor with just Louise, Graham, Lady Viola and Lady Agatha, along with the servants who diligently continued to serve the family. 

During the same week, on one of the nights, Louise was asleep. She felt Graham's soft breath against her right. Just when she was about to fall back into her sleep, something felt odd. Her sleep-filled eyes fluttered open to see Graham sleeping on her left. 

She felt the breath again, and her body turned rigid. She slowly turned her head to the right. 

When she saw a shadow of a woman lying next to her right side, her eyes went wide. In shock, a scream escaped her mouth, and Graham woke up from his sleep. Louise sat up on the bed, sweating and blinking, while looking at the right side of the bed, where the shadow had disappeared now. 

"What happened? Louise?!" Graham looked around the room. Lighting up the candles quickly, he came back to her side. He put his arms around her to comfort her. 

Louise brought her hand up to place it on her forehead and let her head rest. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she let it come back to normal. Staring at the room, she wondered for how long the ghost had been lying on the bed next to her. That night, Louise and Graham lit candles all around the room to keep the room bright and it took a lot of time before she fell back asleep.

The next day, Louise went up to the location where the investigators office was along with the signed copy of Mr. Winkle permission. Stepping inside the building, she went to reception, where one of the officers sat behind the desk. 

"Good afternoon. How can I help you, Ms?" asked the officer. 

"Good afternoon," Louise offered the man a polite smile and asked, "I am here to meet officer Adam Cooper."