Read Online The Haunting of Blackwood House by Darcy Coates - Free Book Online
Authors: Darcy Coates
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repainting and repairing cosmetic flaws—over the next six months.”
“Six months isn’t too bad.”
“Not at all. Of course, we’ll need to get electricity run through here, too. That’s going to be a large job, and it’s not something I can do. I’ll ask around my contacts and see if any of them will give us a friend’s discount.”
The smell of cooking meat permeated the room as Neil flipped the steaks, and Mara inhaled deeply. “You’re the best, Neil.”
“I am, aren’t I?” His mischievous grin made Mara laugh, and he scooted backwards to sit next to her. “I can’t promise to be here every day, but Joel should be okay with me taking the afternoon off work for the next few weeks. I can swing by around three and stay into the evening.”
Mara rested her head against his shoulder. “I’d really like that, but your mother still needs to see you occasionally, too.”
He gave a small nod. His mother hadn’t been coping well since losing her husband eight months before, and Neil had moved back into his childhood home to look after her. He said Pam often floated about the house aimlessly and skipped meals unless he was there to watch her.
It worried Mara. She’d heard stories about couples dying within a year of each other—either from grief or because the change in their life was too great to reconcile—and dearly hoped Neil wouldn’t have to lose his mother prematurely, too.
It put him in a difficult situation, though. He was an only child, so the responsibility of caring for his mother fell to him alone. He was already juggling his work and home life, and Mara’s new house would place additional strain on him. Even just staying with her for the night was a huge sacrifice. As far as Mara knew, he hadn’t spent such a long stretch of time away from home since his father had passed.
Neil moved back to the cooker to scoop the steaks off. An idea had been hovering around the back of Mara’s mind during the two weeks between buying Blackwood and moving into it. She licked her lips before asking, “How are things at home?”
He didn’t look at her, but his voice was cheerful. “Not too bad. The doctor’s talking about weaning Mum off the sleeping pills. She still seems lost sometimes, but she hasn’t had any more major lapses in memory. She knows what year it is and things like that.”
Mara stared at her folded hands. “Tell me if I’m being horribly rude here, but have you thought that your mother might do better in a new environment?”
“Yeah, I have.” Neil sighed as he settled next to her and handed her a plate. It was loaded with not just the steak but also potato salad, precooked beans, and a handful of the leaves Mara had found in the icebox. “I suggested it to her the other week, but it upset her too much to pursue it. She’d probably do better if she were somewhere that didn’t constantly remind her of Dad, but at the same time, she’s not ready to let him go. And I don’t think a simple change of house would be enough. She’d need a new purpose in life, too. Right now, she doesn’t have anything to fill her hours.”
Mara’s mouth was dry. “You know, Blackwood’s got plenty of room. Once there aren’t any holes in the roof, you and your mother could stay here. I—I dunno—she might like to help with making it a proper home, or something—”
Neil was silent for a very long time. Mara was frightened to look at him. She dreaded seeing signs of reluctance, but when she glanced up, his shining eyes only reflected surprise and deep gratitude. “You’d be okay with that?”
“I think I would.” She shrugged awkwardly. “I mean, I’d ask that she didn’t bring any of the religious stuff into the house—or, at least, keep it in her room—but, well, I don’t think I’d mind living with her if it’s my home. That makes a difference, y’know?”
“Mara—” Neil’s voice was thick. He pressed a warm kiss to her forehead then gave her a broad smile.
“Six months isn’t too bad.”
“Not at all. Of course, we’ll need to get electricity run through here, too. That’s going to be a large job, and it’s not something I can do. I’ll ask around my contacts and see if any of them will give us a friend’s discount.”
The smell of cooking meat permeated the room as Neil flipped the steaks, and Mara inhaled deeply. “You’re the best, Neil.”
“I am, aren’t I?” His mischievous grin made Mara laugh, and he scooted backwards to sit next to her. “I can’t promise to be here every day, but Joel should be okay with me taking the afternoon off work for the next few weeks. I can swing by around three and stay into the evening.”
Mara rested her head against his shoulder. “I’d really like that, but your mother still needs to see you occasionally, too.”
He gave a small nod. His mother hadn’t been coping well since losing her husband eight months before, and Neil had moved back into his childhood home to look after her. He said Pam often floated about the house aimlessly and skipped meals unless he was there to watch her.
It worried Mara. She’d heard stories about couples dying within a year of each other—either from grief or because the change in their life was too great to reconcile—and dearly hoped Neil wouldn’t have to lose his mother prematurely, too.
It put him in a difficult situation, though. He was an only child, so the responsibility of caring for his mother fell to him alone. He was already juggling his work and home life, and Mara’s new house would place additional strain on him. Even just staying with her for the night was a huge sacrifice. As far as Mara knew, he hadn’t spent such a long stretch of time away from home since his father had passed.
Neil moved back to the cooker to scoop the steaks off. An idea had been hovering around the back of Mara’s mind during the two weeks between buying Blackwood and moving into it. She licked her lips before asking, “How are things at home?”
He didn’t look at her, but his voice was cheerful. “Not too bad. The doctor’s talking about weaning Mum off the sleeping pills. She still seems lost sometimes, but she hasn’t had any more major lapses in memory. She knows what year it is and things like that.”
Mara stared at her folded hands. “Tell me if I’m being horribly rude here, but have you thought that your mother might do better in a new environment?”
“Yeah, I have.” Neil sighed as he settled next to her and handed her a plate. It was loaded with not just the steak but also potato salad, precooked beans, and a handful of the leaves Mara had found in the icebox. “I suggested it to her the other week, but it upset her too much to pursue it. She’d probably do better if she were somewhere that didn’t constantly remind her of Dad, but at the same time, she’s not ready to let him go. And I don’t think a simple change of house would be enough. She’d need a new purpose in life, too. Right now, she doesn’t have anything to fill her hours.”
Mara’s mouth was dry. “You know, Blackwood’s got plenty of room. Once there aren’t any holes in the roof, you and your mother could stay here. I—I dunno—she might like to help with making it a proper home, or something—”
Neil was silent for a very long time. Mara was frightened to look at him. She dreaded seeing signs of reluctance, but when she glanced up, his shining eyes only reflected surprise and deep gratitude. “You’d be okay with that?”
“I think I would.” She shrugged awkwardly. “I mean, I’d ask that she didn’t bring any of the religious stuff into the house—or, at least, keep it in her room—but, well, I don’t think I’d mind living with her if it’s my home. That makes a difference, y’know?”
“Mara—” Neil’s voice was thick. He pressed a warm kiss to her forehead then gave her a broad smile.
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