‘It looks like it, doesn’t it?’ he said. ‘But no. There’s no cellar. I don’t know why that ring was put there. Maybe one of my kinky ancestors liked to chain his women to it. Hm, there’s an idea.’
The look he gave Jenna was equal parts lust and menace.
She looked around, nervously. Not that she’d be able to see the police cars coming.
‘Or her men,’ she suggested.
‘Yes, I suppose so. Why, are you that way inclined?’
‘Not really. But are you sure there’s nothing underneath? It’s such an odd thing to put there.’
‘Like I said.’ Lawrence sounded surly now. ‘And I’m glad you’re not a Miss Whiplash type. I don’t like pain.’
‘So, about the ghosts you were talking about,’ she said, keen to keep matters away from his expected seduction of her. ‘Do any of them have names, or stories?’
‘Oh, yes, our dear Harville ghosts? Yes. I grew up with little Fay.’
‘Fay?’
‘Fairy Fay. That’s what we called her. I think her name was actually Frances and she was the wife of my great-great-great-grandfather.’
‘What happened to her?’
‘She disappeared. She was there one day, and gone the next. Never found. Never explained. I thought you’d have heard of the case. It was a favourite scary story round here.’
‘Somehow it passed me by. Perhaps it was only known to the circles you moved in.’
‘That’s probably it. Too good a story for the riff-raff.’
‘Thanks. That would be me, would it?’
‘Oh, come on, Jenna, don’t take offence. We both know what we are. I’m old money, you’re new money. I think we should get together and make middle-aged money.’
‘Except you ran out of old money,’ Jenna pointed out. ‘Or you wouldn’t have had to sell up.’
‘Well, I took a few hits,’ said Lawrence. ‘Had a run of bad luck. But I’ve made it all back now, and more.’
‘By selling drugs.’
He scowled and grabbed her upper arm in a painful grip.
‘Don’t start all that again, Jenna. It won’t get you anywhere. Now where’s that good time I was promised?’
She tried to fight him off but he was stronger and managed to get her into a tight lock. His mouth was almost on hers, and she sensed there would be teeth, when an almighty bang on the door caused both of them to freeze.
‘Who is it? Who are you expecting?’
‘Nobody,’ whispered Jenna. ‘Let me answer it.’
The door banged again.
‘Police,’ bellowed a loud male voice.
‘You bitch, what have you done? Set me up?’
‘No, it’s probably for me, perhaps they’ve charged me with something else. Let me get it.’
‘I don’t trust you.’