Lucy cheered along with everyone else as William rejoined her, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. Linking her arm through his, she smiled at Callan standing next to them. Thanks to her, William now knew he had a brother.
“To new friends and new traditions,” William declared, lifting his cup in salute.
Together, they watched the blaze, faces glowing with warmth and camaraderie.
His knights gathered on benches facing the bonfire, eager to eat and tell ghost stories. Callan sat amongst them, looking relaxed and in good spirits, while Lucy jumped at every shadow, worried Agnes would return.
Ale and wine flowed as servants brought out heaping trenchers of beef and cheese and other foods.
They also brought out the special food, and dessert Lucy prepared, to mixed reactions. Everyone tried a small bite of what she called stir-fry. ’Twas beef and vegetables in sauce along with something called rice that was small and white, and chewy. Not to mention ghastly expensive.
“I like the stir-fry,” Albin declared, stuffing his mouth.
A few of the men eyed the rice suspiciously but tried the food, chewing thoughtfully.
“’Tis unlike anything I have tasted.” Wymund looked at the white grains, shook his head, and took another bite.
When it was time for her newest dessert, everyone crowded around.
“What is it?” Clara asked, eyes wide.
“I call them Ghost Treats.”
There were oohs and ah’s from everyone as the servants passed around the tiny bites.
Lucy made the Rice Krispy treats by toasting the rice and then making marshmallow from the roots of the mallow plants. He thought it had been a lot of work, but she told him she was pleased with how they came out.
The children enjoyed the treats, pulling the bites apart and popping them in their mouths, while some of the adults made a face when they tasted the concoction.
“Did you like them?” Lucy looked up at him.
He chewed and swallowed. “The stir-fry was delicious.” Then William pressed his fingers together, making a face. “I do not care for the sticky treat.”
Callan held out his hand. “Give the rest to me, ’tis quite tasty. I like how it pops in my mouth.” He chewed andswallowed, a look of delight on his face. “The rice looks so different in the meal and in the dessert.”
With a shake of his head, William gave him the rest of his treat.
As the children bobbed for apples, one of the villagers told a spooky tale of a restless spirit who would steal into your home at night and sit on your chest while you slept so you could not breathe.
The new priest, Father John, looked on indulgently, as his sister, Isabelle, saw to a scraped knee.
Wymund stood, proclaiming, “join me in making noise to scare away any monsters and evil spirits lurking within the walls.”
People jumped up, screaming and banging sticks of wood together as they ran back and forth to scare away the spirits.
One villager took a turn telling a story.“My uncle used to run the old inn by the crossroads in Swinton. One dark night, a stranger came knocking at the inn’s door seeking lodgings. He was a tall, thin man dressed in dusty traveling clothes, with a pale face half-hidden underneath a cloak as black as night. My uncle welcomed him in and showed him to a room.”
The villager paused, making sure he had everyone’s attention before continuing.
“Later that night, my uncle awoke to the sound of someone crying softly. He lit a candle and made his way down the hall to check on the guest. Approaching the stranger’s room, the crying grew louder until it became wailing sobs. But when my uncle opened the door, the room was empty. There was no sign of the traveler, only an open window with the curtains blowing in the cold night breeze.The next morning, there was no trace of the man. But a week later, my uncle learned that a blacksmith from a nearby village had died that very night, struckdown by a fright while on his way home. My uncle knew at once it had been the blacksmith’s ghost who stayed at the inn that night, crying mournfully before passing on. Now whenever the autumn winds blow, my uncle claims he can still hear the traveler’s anguished sobs echoing down the inn’s empty halls.”
Everyone clapped,and the next tale was told, but Lucy was only half-listening, her gaze continuously scanning the shadows beyond the bonfire.
There. She could have sworn she saw a flash of long auburn hair peeking out from under a black cloak and mask.
“Where are you going?” William asked as she stood abruptly.
“I should check on the children,” Lucy replied, nerves stretched thin. She hurried across the courtyard, making her way into the great hall and up the stairs. There was no sign of the woman with auburn hair.
