A Ghost of a Chance Read online

  A GHOST OF A CHANCE

  Kate Pearce

  Table of Contents

  Note to Readers

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  About Kate

  Other Books by Kate

  Copyright Page

  Note to Readers

  Dear Reader,

  This novella A Ghost Of A Chance was originally part of The Haunting Of Castle Keyvnor collection, book 2 Bedeviled. If you want to get the full fun of 12 interconnected stories, then you might enjoy checking them out.

  Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this ghostly tale, which seems quite appropriate for the season of Halloween!

  If you’d like to keep up with my new releases and other author news, please feel free to join my newsletter.

  Best wishes,

  Kate Pearce

  Introduction

  Violet DeLisle is secretly delighted to have the opportunity to meet up with some of the more obscure branches of her family tree. She’s been in love with her stepmother’s second cousin, Charlie, since she was a child. But her beautiful half-sister has clearly set her sights on Charlie and he is obviously dazzled. Forced to hide from the lovebirds, she huddles under the stairs and meets a kindred spirit who not only turns out to be a rather feisty ghost, but a master of courtship.

  Note: A Ghost of a Chance was published previously as part of the collection Bedeviled: A Haunting Of Castle Keyvnor book 2.

  Chapter 1

  Castle Keyvnor in deepest Cornwall was the perfect place to avoid being seen. The many nooks and crannies, spiral staircases, crenellated walls, and forbidding fortifications meant it was also a marvelous place for a game of hide and seek. Unfortunately, due to the somber nature of the gathering to sort out the Earl of Banfield’s successor, such a frivolous pastime would have to wait.

  Violet DeLisle shivered, and wrapped her shawl more closely around her shoulders. Current fashion that required high-waisted, bosom-exposing gowns left all ladies prone to catching a chill. She was sitting in the drawing room with her stepmother, half-sister, and various members of the Banfield clan. There was a fire in the huge fireplace, but the heat barely penetrated the soaring stone walls covered with tapestries.

  As usual, the women were waiting on the men of the family to make all the noteworthy decisions about the future of the unentailed parts of the Banfield estate. The gentlemen were currently attending a meeting with the family solicitor, Mr. Hunt. Her father’s interest in the matter was fairly peripheral, as the deceased dowager countess, Evelyn DeLisle was his aunt. Violet had no doubt that he would make his voice heard. He certainly liked the sound of it enough.

  Violet focused on her darning. She needed her woolen stockings more than she had anticipated in the draughty hallways, where the wind echoed with a keening sound that set her nerves jangling. And she was never one to fly into alt. She left that to her beautiful, fragile half-sister.

  A delicate sigh brought her attention from her work to the half-sister in question.

  “This is so dull, Violet. Why did Papa make us leave home for this? He could have come alone.”

  “We were expected to attend, Letty. And you must remember that you look very dashing in black.”

  “That is true… and I do have my new hat to show off.” Letty sat up, her blonde curls bobbing. “Mama said the Suttons might be coming. Their father is distantly related to the Hambly family. Have you heard from them?”

  “Me?” Violet tried to look uninterested.

  “You still write to Kitty, don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do.” Violet wrinkled her brow as if searching for the answer; she had already underlined the date in her diary in red ink, and mayhap adorned it with a flowery heart or two. “I think they might be arriving today, but I cannot be certain.”

  “All of them?” Letty clasped her hands to her bosom. “Dear Charles, too?”

  “Possibly.” She’d forgotten that Letty had met all three of the Sutton brothers in London during her first Season. “Charles? Don’t you mean Edwin? He is the oldest son.”

  “And the eldest son inherits everything. I am well aware of that, Violet, and I know my duty to my family.” Letty smoothed her skirts. “But Charlie is so amusing.”

  Violet almost stabbed her finger with her needle. Charlie? That was her special name for him! When had Letty decided she had the right to use it?

  The door to the morning room opened and the butler came in, bringing a fresh tray of tea. A footman with another tray containing glass decanters followed behind him.

  All the ladies sat forward expectantly as the hum of male voices drew closer and then overflowed into the room. Violet saw her father, and then the far more friendly face of her stepmother’s second cousin, Edwin. He made his way to her side.

  “Miss DeLisle. Violet, how very good it is to see you again. I missed you in Town this year.”

  He bowed over her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. His hair was brown, as were his eyes, and he was dressed with the neatness and propriety of a country squire. He had a quiet manner about him, which was very different to his far more handsome and high-spirited brother.

  “It is very nice to see you, Edwin. Is Kitty with you?”

  “I am sorry to say that she was unable to accompany us, being laid up in bed with a bout of, what I suspect, was imaginary influenza. She said to send you her love, and that you are very welcome to come and visit us in the spring.” He smiled. “In truth, we all enjoy your visits, so do come.”

  “I will certainly consider it if my stepmother permits,” Violet answered. The thing was, she could never accurately predict her stepmother’s desires. They seemed to swing wildly to and fro like a weathervane in a storm. “I always enjoy Kitty’s company.”

  After her father had met and married Mary Sutton, his second wife, straight out of the schoolroom, Violet had spent her summers at the Suttons’ country house with a variety of her stepmother’s extended family. She had practically grown up with Kitty, and regularly met her brothers when they returned from school. For the past two years, her stepmother had been focused solely on Letty’s upcoming debut, and had remained in London or at the DeLisle country estate. She’d loudly declared that Violet’s chances of catching a husband were exceedingly remote, and that she was tired of chaperoning a lost cause.

  In truth, compared to the agonies of enduring yet another Season under her stepmother’s disapproving and critical eye, staying at home in the company of her younger half siblings was a pleasure. Her oldest half-sister, Letty was eighteen now, and Mary, her stepmother, was six and thirty—only ten years older than Violet.

  “I didn’t realize your father was related by marriage to the Earl of Banfield,” Edwin remarked.

  Violet lowered her voice. “It is not a connection he tends to advertise, seeing as his aunt, the Countess of Banfield, became rather peculiar after the death of her only son and had to be locked away.”

  “Ah, yes. I’d forgotten about that.”

  “My father is all too conscious of it because his own sister, my cousin Claire’s mother, was committed to Bedlam. He’s always been terrified that one of us will exhibit the same traits, and was distraught when my mother provided him with three daughters and no heir.” Violet sighed. “When he heard there was some discussion about the next Banfield heir, and the distribution of the unentailed estate, he suddenly became very interested in attending the reading of the will.”

  “An astute man.” Edwin glanced around the crowded room. “It seems that everyone wants a piece of this particular pie. My family is also related to the Banfield clan, which is why
my father is here. I’m not sure why he had to drag us along with him, though.”

  “That’s exactly what Letty said to me earlier.”

  Violet peered around Edwin and discovered Charlie chatting away to Letty and one of the Priske family. He looked nothing like his older brother, having black hair, blue eyes, and the dashing manners of a pirate. He had been an engaging scamp as a child, and hadn’t changed much. She knew from Kitty’s letters that he drove his older brother and father to despair with his inability to settle down or find some meaningful occupation.

  “As you can see, Charlie is in fine fettle for a man attending such a formal occasion,” Edwin remarked.

  Violet jumped and felt herself blush. “I do apologize. It was very rude of me to gawk at your brother while I was speaking with you.”

  His smile was wry. “It’s all right; I’m used to it. Charlie draws everyone to him like a moth to the flame.”

  He never sounded at all bitter, rather resigned and full of admiration for his charming brother.

  “I know how that feels,” she confessed. “Letty has the same effect on men.”

  “Indeed. She is rather beautiful.” He looked wistfully at her half-sister.

  “Are you one of her court?” Violet asked lightly. To her surprise, the idea of him at Letty’s feet somehow disappointed her.

  “She has no idea that I exist. I’m far too old for her,” Edwin chuckled. “I’d be surprised if she can remember my name.”

  “You are only two and thirty, and you are the heir to a viscount. Trust me. In their quest for a suitable husband, Letty and my stepmother have made a study of every unmarried peer of the realm—and their heirs. They have even written detailed lists.”

  “With a face like that, she could marry as high as she wishes.”

  “And she has an excellent dowry,” Violet added. “As you know, my stepmother brought considerable wealth into our family.”

  She hoped no one around them could hear their frank discussion. Over the years they’d gotten into the habit of treating each other as best friends rather than distant relatives. She hadn’t realized that he’d developed a tendre for her half-sister… Charlie was grinning away at Letty, who had raised her perfect chin to look deeply into his eyes.

  “Do you want to go and speak to him?” Edwin asked.

  “To Charlie?” Violet remembered her manners. “Not at all. I’d much rather talk to you.”

  Edwin doubted that, but he was accustomed to being used as a means to secure an introduction to his brother. He had hoped that Violet’s childhood infatuation for Charlie might perhaps have dimmed by now—seeing as she’d watched him charm his way through several London Seasons, leaving a trail of devastated femininity in his wake. But she still seemed enamored, which left him in a somewhat difficult position.

  “Is everything settled about the estate and the will now?” Violet asked.

  “You jest. That was just the preliminary skirmish as all the gentlemen present took stock of one another and jostled for position.”

  “I’ll wager my father was busy, then.”

  He placed her hand on his sleeve and they promenaded around the large room.

  “He… had some opinions, and was quite willing to express them.”

  “You should go into the diplomatic service, Edwin. You would be such an asset.”

  He sighed. “I’d quite like to be allowed to do something. I hate sitting around, waiting for my father to die.”

  “Especially when he is hale and hearty and might live to a hundred.”

  “And I care very deeply for him. What am I supposed to do?”

  “Learn about the estate?”

  “I spend a considerable amount of my time attending to the various holdings. It is very interesting but, as my father has the final say on all matters, I am only allowed to offer an opinion.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m thinking of running for Parliament.”

  “That is an admirable idea. You would do splendidly!”

  “Thank you.” His smile was wry. “Although I don’t think my father would approve of my choice of party, he would still support my candidacy.”

  She patted his sleeve. “Perhaps if you became a Member of Parliament, you could manage one of the minor properties in the constituency you represent. Then you would have a home and a purpose.”

  “Something far away…” Edwin mused, and then paused to look down at her. “What an excellent notion!”

  She blushed, her porcelain skin touched with color.

  “When the young Dawn with fingertips of rose lit up the world,” he murmured.

  She blinked at him. “I beg your pardon?”

  “From Homer’s Odyssey,” he hastened to explain. “Merely a classical observation.”

  “As opposed to a silly compliment. You are terribly sweet to me.”

  Sweet… Edwin found an answering smile somewhere. He didn’t want to be sweet. He wanted to be tall, and dashing, and handsome like Charlie. He wanted Violet to look at him as if he was the only man in the world. But she loved his brother. Of course she did. Charlie was infinitely lovable.

  The Earl of Banfield entered the room, surrounded by his family. At least two of his daughters spotted Edwin and started purposefully toward him. Luckily, just at that moment, the butler appeared and announced dinner. Seeing as Violet was still beside him, he ignored the approaching horde, defied protocol, and smiled down at her.

  “Shall we go in to dinner together? We haven’t had the opportunity to discuss Lord Byron’s latest epic poem yet.”

  Chapter 2

  Violet watched in despair as her half-sister sidled up to Charlie and whispered something in his ear. Earlier, they’d all sat down to a lengthy dinner in the stately dining room. Some of the older gentlemen, including her father, had remained at the table, drinking port and discussing whatever it was that men believed was important, leaving the younger generations to mingle in the drawing room.

  Not that it had made any difference to Violet’s attempts to speak to Charlie alone. He was either avoiding her, or even worse, hadn’t even noticed she was present. Seeing as his attention was fixed permanently on Letty’s beautiful face, she suspected it was the latter. She felt like stomping her foot. This was supposed to be her year to be married, and Charlie wasn’t an oldest son, so Letty shouldn’t even be considering him.

  She wondered whether she should drop a hint in her stepmother’s ear, but couldn’t quite bring herself to do so. Letty had been ordered to pursue the company of Lord St. Giles, the Duke of Margate’s son, who had unexpectedly arrived at the castle, and Letty was miserable because of it. But her half-sister deserved to be happy, and if she was currently enjoying Charlie’s sunny company, there was no harm in it. Violet sipped her cooling tea. She might as well don a lace cap and call herself what she was, an aging spinster on the shelf. Her stepmother clearly believed Violet’s future was that of a maiden aunt doomed to wait on her, and raise her much younger siblings. Perhaps she was right…

  Even Edwin had deserted her, and stayed at the table drinking port with his father and the other men. He at least treated her with respect and affection. She always felt at ease with him, able to display her sharp wit and intelligence without fear of being considered a bluestocking. He never made her feel ashamed of having an opinion.

  Needing something to do, she rose to her feet and went over to the tea tray to pour herself another cup of tea. A flurry of movement at the door made her look up, to see the dark blue ribbons of Letty’s sash disappearing into the hallway. There was no sign of Charlie either, and her stepmother was too deeply involved in her conversation with Lady Halesworth to notice that her charge had disappeared.

  Violet considered her choices. It really was none of her business if Letty wished to behave badly, but as the oldest sister, perhaps she ought to go after her sibling and chaperone her. And if Edwin was truly interested in courting Letty, she could do him a favor and keep his brother away.

  Reach
ing a decision she stepped into the hall, looked both ways, and caught the echo of Letty’s infectious giggle to her right. Picking up her skirts, she started down a particularly narrow spiral staircase, placing one hand on the stone wall to maintain her balance. There were many such stairways within the towering bulk of the castle and its many interweaving floors.

  She reached the bottom, where Charlie and Letty strolled arm in arm along the corridor ahead of her. Just as she decided to catch up with them, they turned. Startled, she ducked under the stairway and slid down the wall onto the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees.

  “Dearest Charlie, you are so sweet.”

  Letty was speaking in her softest voice. Violet held her breath.

  “I am not sweet. I am a bounder and a cad, Letty; everyone knows that.”

  In the darkness, Violet wanted to nod. But she would look after him. She would save him from himself.

  “You are always lovely to me.”

  “That’s because you are a beautiful angel come down from heaven to save me from my sins.”

  Under the stairs, Violet frowned. He used that particular phrase on every woman he met. Didn’t Letty know that?

  “Oh, Charlie. You say the nicest things.”

  Obviously not.

  There was a long pause and then an odd sucking sound, which made Violet feel vaguely nauseated. She had to suspect they were… kissing.

  “We should not!” Letty cried. “My mother will never permit me to marry a younger son!”

  “Well, I can hardly kill Edwin off, can I?” Charlie said reasonably. “He’s the best brother in the world—always pulling me out of scrapes, paying my debts, and never saying a word to Father.”

  Edwin did that? Violet blinked, and then realized she wasn’t terribly surprised by the revelation. He was just the kind of man anyone would turn to in a crisis.

  “Then we are doomed to be forever parted!”

  Violet tried not to roll her eyes at Letty’s dramatics.

  “Then marry my brother. He’s a much better catch.”