‘Yessss!’ Millie punched the air in excitement.
‘You’re joking, right?’ asked Danny. ‘I mean, don’t get me wrong, The Beatles were fantastic, and their music is right up there with the best, but it doesn’t strike me as much of a present to bring a deck into the pub and spin a bit of vinyl.’
Several of the longer established ghosts frowned and shook their heads, clearly not understanding a word of what he was talking about.
‘I’m not thinking of playing them a Beatles song,’ Harmony said. ‘I’m thinking ofsingingthem a song!’
‘A Beatles song?’ asked Millie eagerly.
Harmony gave her an affectionate smile. ‘Well, maybe, kid. We’ll see. That would have to be put to the vote, right? But look, what about us finding a song we all like and singing it to the happy couple at their engagement party?’
Everyone considered her suggestion.
‘I suppose it’s an idea,’ said Agnes cautiously.
‘But, Mother, you can’t sing for toffee!’ Florrie cried.
‘Manners, Florence,’ Aubrey chided her gently.
‘I’m afraid she’s quite right,’ Agnes agreed, ‘but Aubrey certainlycansing, and if anyone should perform for Callie and Brodie at the party it should be him.’
She beamed proudly at her husband, who looked rather bashful.
‘I don’t think that’s fair,’ Bill protested. ‘I can sing an’ all.’
‘As can I,’ Isaac added. ‘Why, many’s the time I’ve led my customers in a rousing chorus of “A Messe of good Fellows” or “The Three Merry Coblers”.’
‘We’d have to do auditions,’ Harmony said. ‘We can hold them here or at The Magic Lantern. We’d need music, though, that’s the thing. And a song. We’d have to decide on a song.’
‘Are you seriously suggesting that singing Callie and Brodie a song is the best thing we can come up with?’ Bill asked incredulously.
‘Got any better suggestions?’ Harmony said, her eyes daring him to go for it.
Bill sank back in his chair, his nervous gaze fixed on Quintus Severus, who watched him silently from the door. ‘Nope.’
‘Thought not.’
‘The problem is,’ said Polly, ‘that Brodie won’t hear it.’
‘But whatever we do, Brodie won’t see or hear it,’ Ray pointed out. ‘And it’s not like we can give them an actual gift, is it? I think Harmony’s on to something here.’
‘I suppose at least this way we can express our congratulations and admiration to Callie,’ Percy acknowledged.
There were nods of agreement. It seemed that peace had finally broken out at The Quicken Tree.
‘Ooh, and if we sing a romantic song that means something to them then Callie can play it for Brodie later, and it will becometheirsong, and they’ll always know we ghosts were thinking of them,’ Brooke said with a sigh.
Danny had been about to ask her sarcastically if she was sure she didn’t want them to give the happy couple chocolates instead, but the wistful look on her face stopped him. There was something in her expression that touched him suddenly, catching him by surprise.
She caught his eye and he gave her a tentative smile. Brooke stared at him as if in shock, and he realised with some shame that he rarely smiled at her. In fact, he rarely looked at her at all. Well, not when he could help it anyway.
But right now, there was something so sweet and vulnerable about her that he found it hard to look away.
Until he remembered what she’d done and the spell was broken.
‘We just need to think what song we can sing,’ he said loudly, addressing Harmony. ‘Any ideas?’
There was a moment’s silence then…
