Harriett Read Online Free PDF Page B

and held on to the
handle, clearly prepared to wait for as long as need be for the
circle to begin.
    Everybody turned to stare at Harriett, as though seeking her
approval, although it wasn’t entirely her decision. While house
actually belonged to Harriett; she shared it with her Aunt Babette
and Uncle Charles, who had taken over the family business and moved
in to raise Harriett when her parents had died.
    “ Let’s carry on for a little while, if you feel strong enough
to continue Miss Hepplethwaite?” Babette sighed. She moved a chair
away from the table and placed it beside the hearth near to Mrs
Bobbington. “If we don’t get anything sensible within half an hour
then I think that we shall stop and call it a night.”
    “ Excellent,” Mr Bentwhistle announced and drew a chair for
Miss Haversham,
    With
varying degrees of enthusiasm, the assembled group arranged chairs
in a circle around the parlour and took their seats in the same
order in which they had sat at the table. The large table was
pushed back against the wall to allow them more room. Eventually
they were all arranged in a way that Madame Humphries was happy
with and silence settled around them.
    “ Does anyone want their glasses replenishing before we start?”
Mr Bentwhistle asked in the process of topping up his own
sherry.
    A chorus
of replies saw the decanter emptied. Harriett shared a rueful look
with Babette, who smiled and shook her head.
    When we had arranged a meeting to get in touch with the
spirits, I hadn’t for one moment considered that it would be the
bottled variety , Harriett mused wryly and
watched the last quart of the brandy disappear too. Her smile
vanished at Madame Humphries’ next words. Dread settled over her
and she fought to quell the surge of nerves that the woman’s demand
created.
    “ Turn the lamps off,” Madame instructed briskly. She smoothed
her skirts and tugged her sleeves down almost officiously as she
readied herself for the psychic demonstration.
    “ But I cannot see you then,” Harriett protested. She hated to
admit that she was scared.
    Madame
flicked an arrogant gesture at Miss Hepplethwaite, who nervously
fluttered off to retrieve several candles out of a large carpet
bag, which she then placed at Madame’s feet.
    The
candles were placed on the mantle and lit before the gas lamps were
extinguished. Harriett began to wish that she had never started
this in the first place, and took a tiny sip of her sherry in an
attempt to steady herself. The warmth of the amber liquid as it hit
her stomach did little to soothe her frayed nerves and a heavy
sense of trepidation swept through her at the thought of what might
lie ahead.
    At least you are sitting with your back to the wall, Harriett mused. She gave the darkened doorway
behind Madame Humphries a longing glance. At any other time she
would have relished the possibility of being able to sidle off to
bed and leave them all to it but, after the strange episode of the
stool that had topped all by itself, she wasn’t all that sure she
wanted to go to bed tonight at all.
    “ Now then, I demand absolute silence for this part of the
proceedings. Please now all link hands and close your eyes. We will
get the energy flowing again and I will ask spirit to step forward.
Don’t be alarmed if you feel someone move to stand behind you. It
is perfectly normal and only your loved ones coming forward to be
amongst us. Now, before we begin, does anyone have any
questions?”
    “ Loved ones?” Mr Bentwhistle queried. He looked a little
concerned. “You mean my wife may come forward?”
    “ Your wife, your mother, anyone who was close to you, yes,
why, is that a problem?”
    “ Erm, I am not sure, my dear,” he replied hesitantly. “What do
I say to them if they appear?” He glanced uncomfortably around the
room for a moment as though he expected someone to pop out from
behind the curtains.
    “ People in the spirit world are essentially the same as they
are on the