October 2012
Moraig Frazer's Grandmother was believed to have the second sight, so perhaps that accounted for Moraig's interest in the supernatural. She was writing a book about ghosts and hauntings and Campney Towers was her last port of call in her tour of haunted places. Built in the eighteenth Century it was now run as a Guest House. She had already discussed her mission with the owner, Sir Oswald Greer, and he now greeted her in what had been the Baronial Hall, a room dominated by a portrait of a man with a pointed red beard and wearing a broad brimmed hat.
'This is a portrait of my ancestor,' Sir Oswald said. 'The first Sir Oswald; not a nice man. Seduced the housemaids, the village daughters, anyone who caught his eye, but he picked the wrong one, a kitchen maid, who seized a cooks knife and stabbed him to death and it is he who haunts this house, so they say, usually he seen in his old bedroom, but I've never seen him.'
'Perhaps I could sleep in his bedroom, in the interest of research, Moraig said.' She thought Sir Oswald looked a bit like his ancestor; he had certainly inherited his red hair and his beaky nose, but no beard.
'We don't use it much, but if you really want to.'
The bedroom was very large, dominated by a huge bed and a huge wardrobe which was locked. She wondered if this was really Sir Oswald's bed, and hoped they'd changed the sheets.
After a good dinner and half a bottle of wine she went to her room and prepared to ghost watch, but soon got into the great bed, which was surprisingly comfortable, and was sleeping soundly when she was wakened by a noise which seemed to come from the wardrobe. Switching on her bedside lamp she saw the great doors of the wardrobe open wide and Sir Oswald stepped into the room and advanced on the bed. His intentions were obvious; he was up to his old tricks. Moraig did not intend to be raped by a ghost. She flung back the bedclothes and delivered a strategically aimed kick then pulled off his beard and head-butted him. Sir Oswald retreated through the wardrobe groaning loudly.
At breakfast Moraig asked the waitress how was Sir Oswald.
'He's walking very strangely and he has a black eye,' she replied.