Read Online Mistletoe and Murder by Carola Dunn - Free Book Online Page A

realized that one could miss a person physically as well as emotionally, and after just a couple of days apart.
    She was glad they had a double bed. No modern nonsense about separate singles in this old-fashioned house, she was thinking drowsily, when she heard Belinda scream.
    â€œDaddy!”
    Alec stirred. Daisy sprang out of bed. Not wasting time hunting for her abandoned nightie, she grabbed her dressing-gown, pulling it on as she felt her way through the pitch-darkness, barefooted on the chilly polished floorboards. Where was the door? Oh for the flip of a switch!
    A narrow line of light from a lamp left burning in the passage showed her the way. Flinging open the door, she stumbled up the awkward stairs to Belinda’s room. The child’s voice was a wail now: “Daddy!”

    â€œDarling, I’m here. Everything’s all right. Did you have a bad dream?” As she spoke, Daisy gathered the sobbing girl in her arms and glanced around the dimly lit room.
    A paler rectangle—the door to the clergyman’s bedroom was open. Daisy’s upbringing had not been so sheltered that she hadn’t heard tales of clergymen who …
    â€œA ghost! It was a ghost, Mummy, all white, moaning and rattling its chains.”
    â€œDid it touch you, darling?” Even as she spoke, Daisy became aware of voices in the next room. “Wait here, Belinda, I’m going to see just what’s going on.”
    Mr. Calloway, fully dressed, had the ghost by its thoroughly corporeal wrist. It had on an ankle-length white garment, with a lacy white shawl completely covering its head.
    â€œ … dabbling in the occult,” the clergyman was saying sternly, “a highly dangerous pastime. You put your immortal soul in danger for the sake of a silly prank.”
    â€œLet me go! It was just in fun.”
    â€œJemima,” whispered Belinda, slipping her hand into Daisy’s. “She doesn’t like Derek and me.”
    â€œThe supernatural is not ‘fun.’ From playing the ghost, you may easily come to the deadly sin of attempting to raise ghosts and spirits.”
    â€œI hardly think so,” said Daisy, walking in. “A stupid bit of mischief, that’s all, isn’t it, Jemima? I have a word to say to you, young lady, but we don’t want to keep Mr. Calloway from his devotions.” She had noticed a pillow on the floor by the bed, indented by two knees.
    â€œI am sorry to hear you make light of this, Mrs. Fletcher. However, this is not the time for serious remonstrances. I shall speak to her parents in the morning and ask their
permission to see if I cannot make her see the evil of her tricks. This is a troubled house. I shall pray for all within its walls.”
    Daisy was tempted to say, “Not for me, thank you,” but that would be a very bad example for the girls; and anyway, she was far too well brought up. “Good night,” she said instead, and beckoned imperiously to the ghost. She was her mother’s daughter in that, she thought ruefully. Even with bare feet and no night-dress under her dressing-gown, she could make a gesture imperious enough to bring Jemima slouching after her into Belinda’s room.
    Shutting the door, she moved to stand on the bedside rug, saying, “Belinda, get back into bed before you catch cold. Jemima, take your grandmother’s shawl off your head, if you please. Now tell me, why did you play such an unkind trick on a younger child who is a guest in your house? Why did you want to frighten Belinda?”
    â€œI didn’t care about frightening Belinda,” Jemima said sulkily. “I just wanted to make Mr. Calloway go away.”
    â€œMr. Calloway? Why on earth … ?”
    â€œHe’s upset everyone. He’s going to absolutely ruin Christmas! I suppose you’ll tell everyone what I did,” she snarled at Belinda.
    â€œNo, I shan’t. I don’t carry tales.”
    â€œMr.