I was a terrible wife. I’d failed Danny and now I was failing Rory too. How could I possibly go along with what he wanted, knowing what I’d done. If Rory had the faintest idea who I really was he wouldn’t care about making me happy. And that would have been fairer.
Because the truth was, I didn’t have any right to be happy. I’d forfeited that a long time ago.
8
BROOKE
The ghosts were all agreed on one thing. Despite Millie’s pleas, the song they’d be performing for Brodie and Callie wouldn’t be by The Beatles.
‘Too many oohs and yeah yeahs,’ said Percy disapprovingly, having recently listened to a handful of Lennon and McCartney penned songs so he could find out what all the fuss was about. ‘Hardly suitable.’
Lucy, who was Millie’s niece and worked at the record shop on the Swinging Sixties Street, had kindly joined them in The Magic Lantern. She’d brought along her mobile phone so that she could play them a selection of potential songs.
The trouble was no one could agree which song to choose. As Lucy couldn’t see any of the other ghosts, being only related by blood to Millie, the ghosts had to trust the teenager to be honest and tell Lucy the truth about their feelings. Unfortunately, Millie was being a bit stubborn.
‘Everyone thinks we should sing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”,’ she told her niece, totally ignoring the shouts of protest from the others. Brooke had to give her credit for trying. She was nothing if not persistent.
‘Really?’ Lucy clearly wasn’t as daft as Millie hoped. ‘I can’t see it somehow.’
‘Honestly, it’s true. We took a vote and that was the winner.’
‘Hmm. I thought a Beatles song would win the day,’ Lucy said knowingly.
‘Ithasn’twon the day!’ cried Bill.
‘The very idea!’ wailed Walter.
‘Millie, tell her the truth at once!’ Agnes demanded.
‘What we need,’ said Lucy thoughtfully, ‘is someone who can talk to both me and the ghosts. Hmm. Let me see.’
‘You can’t tell Callie,’ said Millie, clearly panicked. ‘It’s a surprise for her!’
‘Of course it is. But there’s always Lawrie, or Immi.’
‘I’m sure they’re very busy,’ Millie said.
‘Go and get Lawrie!’ Agnes shouted in vain.
‘Luckily,’ said Lucy, ‘I foresaw just this problem and I invited someone along.’ She beckoned to the side of the stage, and the ghosts gave a sigh of relief as Immi walked on to join her.
‘Now we’ll get somewhere,’ said Aubrey, smiling.
‘But can we trust Immi not to tell her mum?’ Isaac mused.
Florrie aimed a sharp kick at his shins. ‘Don’t you go accusing my pal of being a snitch,’ she said. ‘Immi won’t tell no one and that’s a fact.’
‘Florence! If you behave like that again I shall send you straight home and you won’t be able to take part in the song at all,’ Agnes warned her.
‘Quite right,’ Aubrey agreed. ‘Now apologise to Mr Grace immediately.’
Florrie pouted and muttered a sulky, ‘Sorry, Mr Grace.’
Isaac rubbed his shin and nodded. ‘Fair enough, young ’un. I’m sure we can rely on young Immi, as you say.’
‘I won’t tell Mum or Brodie,’ Immi promised solemnly. ‘I think it’s a smashing idea. Can I take part, too?’
‘Well…’ The ghosts shuffled uncertainly.
