Love, Life, and Death at The Grange

As all those seated around the table nodded in agreement, Molly's temper flew into a rage. A tempest racked through the room, throwing papers, glasses, and jugs of water flying. Curtains billowed and lights swung as people rose to their feet to find an explanation for the commotion.

Molly flew out of the room, but rather than drifting invisibly through a wall or door, she flung the door open in front of her, to slam it closed, nearly tearing it off its hinges once in the entrance hall.

The memory fast-forwarded through a multitude of doors being slammed shut and anything not fragile or breakable thrown to the floor. A scene of devastation followed in Molly's wake around the Grange. Tracy could hear a wailing echoing around the halls and rooms, that couldn't be anyone other than Molly.

Tracy felt Molly's angst as the memory sped forward for them to return to Debbie's office in the daylight once more. They found Debbie sitting behind her desk with a worried look on her face, talking to Marie, who sat there oblivious to the news Molly and Tracy now knew.

Debbie seemed to have lost something. As they calmly chatted, Marie fumbled in her handbag to produce Tracy's CV and photograph, which improved Debbie's manner immensely. Once more, the memory faded into interference, as Marie left the office.

Out of the jumbled interference, a dark shape appeared. As the scene became more defined, the single shape became two humanoid shapes in the gatehouse's kitchen. It surprised Tracy to find herself looking at both Marie and herself kissing the previous evening. Molly's glee was apparent, and Tracy could feel her almost dancing for joy as Marie pulled Tracy out of the kitchen and upstairs.

As the image fade once more, Tracy tried to recall the questions on the tip of her tongue she'd wanted to ask Molly, but felt herself waking up and the opportunity lost. As her eyes blinked back into reality, there was a hint of daylight behind the closed curtains and Tracy's body clock told her it was still too early, even for her.

Still lead across her was the naked, sleeping Marie, with her head resting face down on Tracy's shoulder. A light duvet half covered them both and Tracy pondered on her choices. She softly ran her fingers over Marie's back, up and down her spine and buttocks as she tried to decide whether to wake and confess her dream to Marie, or just wait until a more godly hour.

Tracy felt aroused, as despite being squashed against her, Marie's breast grew as she breathed in, coming around from her sleep. Tracy's hands drifted over her wonderfully curved tight buttock cheeks and the small of her back, enjoying the closeness of their two bodies as a sleepy moan came from Marie.

"Mmm, nice."

A pair of dry lips kissed the inside of her bicep.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Marie's knee tucked between her thighs and her arms around her. Tracy felt Marie's pelvis press against her, with her short pubic hairs prickling against her leg. Marie's knee stopped short of Tracy's pussy as she tightened her hold on Tracy.

"That was lovely. I've not slept like that in years." Marie sleepily whispered as she lifted her head to peck a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm more than happy to help you sleep anytime, lovely... Marie, have you ever wondered who put my CV inside your handbag?"

"No, it could have only been Debbie, as she reviewed all the applications and had many opportunities."

"She didn't, Molly did." Then another penny dropped for Tracy. "I've just realised she's been playing matchmaker between us. Molly's just showed me in my dream. She put my CV in your handbag, not Debbie."

"What?"

"She saw how unhappy you were at the breakup of your marriage and losing your grandmother. Seeing all the applications, she must have seen me as the most likely candidate to befriend you."

Marie rolled off Tracy onto her side to look at her. "Or be my lover?" She giggled, running her hand over the curves of Tracy's naked body beneath the duvet, pecking a sleepy kiss on Tracy's lips.

Tracy explained the sequence of that night's dream, focussed on Marie's involvement, but forgot to explain about the board meeting and subsequent announcement to sell the Grange.

As she finished, Tracy felt she had to ask, "But what reason did Debbie give for throwing my application away and then hunting for it?"

"I'm not sure. She made some lame excuse that her first choices declined. I was positive she'd orchestrated it for me to carry the blame if you weren't suitable, despite you being head and shoulders above any of the other candidates I saw."

Marie's hand rested on Tracy's one breast, her thumb stroking it, as she thought out loud.

"What conceivable motive could Molly have to act as a matchmaker between us? I'm not the first spinster or person with personal issues to grace these walls."

"I think we need to check that deed."

Tracy slipped out from under the duvet to hunt for her clothes from last night.

"Awe, I was hoping for a little lie-in."

Tracy collected her discarded polo shirt and tiny panties, whilst Marie enjoyed watching her pull her tiny date night thong up her athletic tanned legs.

"You'll have to wear those more often, especially when going out for a casual drink with work colleagues."

Tracy blushed, "Tee hee, not unless you're planning to have your wicked way with me?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was just exhausted."

"That's okay, you were worse for wear after those shorts you drank."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"There's no need, but you're welcome anytime, lovely."

As Tracy pulled her shirt over her head, Marie got up and reached for a dressing gown hung behind the door. As she pulled the gown on, she caught Tracy ogling her body and smiled.

"You may have to be careful with looking at me like that. People may get the right idea!"

Tracy followed Marie out into the lounge to examine the large framed deed. Unfortunately, it wasn't an easy read. It seemed to be written in old English legalese, but worse still, it was a handwritten mixture of what seemed to be copperplate and italic fonts in the deed .

"You start at the top and I'll start at the bottom," Tracy suggested.

It took them a while to agree on what was an 'f' and what was an 'S', then they slowly deciphered short portions of the text, but they couldn't find any references to Lord Bartholomew.

"That's got to be 'Squire Samuels'?" Marie suggested, pointing to a short portion of the text.

"Yeah, but why would the squire bequeath the gatehouse to the head of another household?"

"Maybe that supports the gambling debt theories?"

"This word has to be 'gatehouse'."

"It's disappointing not to find any mention of 'ye old' anything!"

"Or knights of any sort of table, let alone a round one!"

"Luckily, I don't think we're going back that far."

Tracy dodged back to the bedroom and returned with her phone, tutting as Marie wolf-whistled as she eyed her bouncing chest beneath her top. She positioned herself to take a photo of the framed deed as Marie looked in horror and dodged out of the way.

"Aw." Tracy laughed.

Tracy took a few pictures of the deed and then checked them on the phone's screen.

"Is it worth talking to the solicitor who holds the deed and asking him for a translation?"

"Oh no, you're joking. I can almost hear the pound signs draining out of my bank and the ringing of his till."

"I wonder if there is an app that could translate the text and maybe get a little more accurate than our best guess."

"O-oh, yes. Although, our librarian, Angie, would love a little project like that. She'll be back at the start of the new term in September."

As Tracy gave Marie an incredulous look, Marie realised what she'd said and sadly followed up with, "Ah, but you'll be gone by then."

She mocked a pouty face, trying to put on a brave face by turning it into a joke.

It didn't work, but Tracy didn't want to linger on the thought, although now she wanted to hang around beyond summer. She raised her phone again, pointing it at Marie.

"Come on then, strut your funky stuff and let's see some flesh."

"N-o-o-o," Marie laughed as she scampered back into the bedroom.

Tracy took a few more photographs and examined the results. The room was already lighter, and a quick peek through the window confirmed what her body clock was telling her. She walked back into the bedroom to find Marie's eyes peering back at her from under the duvet, pulled up over her, with her dressing gown discarded on the floor.

Tracy dropped her phone on the bed to lean on it, at Marie's feet, to crawl up along her length, straddling her body and trapping her under the duvet. Once nose to nose with her, they rubbed noses. Marie pulled the top edge of the duvet down and Tracy kissed her on the lips, lowering herself down onto Marie, squirming her barely clothed body on the naked Marie beneath the duvet.

"You've given me a tough choice here."

"Mmm, I like this one. What other choices are there?"

Marie lifted her head up and responded by kissing Tracy back and sucking on her lower lip, before dropping her head back down onto the pillow.

"Ah, well, the obvious one is to remain here and let you ravage me. The other will avoid me being crabby and miserable, like yesterday."

"Eh?"

"Because Molly kept me in her dream world. I missed my morning run yesterday, and I took it out on Gracie and Penny."

"Ah, but being selfish, I want you for myself now."

Marie pouted, dropping her lower lip.

Tracy kissed her passionately and sucked on her pouted lip, pulling her head up whilst rubbing noses.

"As tempting as it is, knowing I'll be here tonight and for a little while longer, I'm off for a run."

"Mmm, promise?"

"I promise."

Tracy repeated to kiss her a little more passionately.

Marie pulled her arms free from the duvet and wrapped them around Tracy, pulling her in for another tight embrace. After a short round of more kisses, Marie released her hold on Tracy, allowing her to peel off to hunt for her bra and jeans.

"Would you mind company? The work they're doing over the summer includes the Grange's gym, so I'll not been able to use it."

As she spoke, Tracy bent over, and Marie couldn't resist slapping her exposed buttock cheek as her thong rode up between her cheeks.

"Yeah, it would be nice to have company, cheek. If you can keep up."

Tracy pulled her jeans on and put her bra into one pocket, and her pop socks into another as she slipped her shoes on.

"I'll go and change into my running gear; I'll be back in ten."

"Okay."

Tracy left Marie to return to the Grange, hoping no one was watching, although she felt as if Molly was. She entered her room to find it immaculate. Not that she'd left it in a terrible mess. Molly had even made her bed and had already laid out her running gear. As she changed, she spoke to the empty room, as if she were conversing with a friend in a locker room.

"Thanks for tidying my room, you are such a dear. Molly, whilst I love seeing your life in my dreams. I also love my early morning runs. In future please don't keep me in my slumbers. I think I know why you did it, but it was naughty nonetheless."

Tracy felt a warm breeze run through the room. Whilst she'd loved to have imagined it to be Molly acknowledging her, the window was open and more likely to be the source.

"Tonight, can you tell me what happened to you after you had the baby?"

An icy chill ran over Tracy, which couldn't be just a breeze from the window. At the same time, she heard a double knock on the bedside table.

"Well, if you're not going to tell me that, why would you leave Thomas, the father of the baby?"

A second icy chill ran over Tracy, accompanied by another double knock on the table.

"Well, if you won't tell me that, then did you really take the squire's silver?"

The temperature of the room plummeted, and a series of double knocks struck the table again.

"Okay, so you don't want to tell me, but Molly, I thought we were friends. After the memories you've already kindly shared with me, you can't leave all these questions unanswered."

Tracy felt the room warm back up again as she bent down to pull her trainer laces into tight, neat bows. She hoped that this confirmed that Molly was happier with that comment, just as a cool breeze came through the window. Tracy stood, ready to leave, but wanted to leave Molly with something positive to keep her friendship with her intact. Before she opened the door, she turned back to the empty room.

"Molly, thanks for tidying my room again, but above all, thanks for being a friend and hiding my application in Marie's handbag."

Tracy blushed slightly, then thought the other end of the room looked darker than before, as she looked harder at it, a humanoid shadowy shape emerged, sitting on the bed next to the table, morphing into Molly, exactly as she'd seen her in her dreams. The apparition smiled and gave her a nod, then vanished.

Tracy paused for a while, hand on the doorknob, hoping for any further sighting of Molly. As she peered around her bedroom, her mind drifted to her dream earlier in the day and focussed on Marie's name tag on her pigeon hole.

'Duckfield'.

The name rang around inside her head like a bell. She knew she'd heard it somewhere before, but couldn't place it. Her memory span back to the dream of Molly outside the church, talking to her mother after the service. As people drifted passed, tipping their hats to Molly and her mother, but now she could remember hearing them,

"Good day Mrs Duckfield, Molly."

Unable to contain herself, Tracy left her room and ran down to tell Marie. She sprinted to the gatehouse, arriving as Marie came out onto the gravel patio.

Tracy blurted out, almost shouting in her excitement. "Your maiden name is Duckfield?"

Marie looked surprised at the question. "Yes, why?"

"I just remembered back up in my room. It's Molly's mother's name. I remember people bidding her to have a good day when Molly was talking with her outside the church. But it was also one of the words I was struggling with when we looked at the deed earlier this morning. Look."

Tracy pulled her phone free from its elasticated arm pocket, thumbed it into life and, after a brief search, zoomed into one portion of the one deed photograph. Tracy moved alongside Marie to show her the screen.

"That must be a 'D' and what I assumed to be an 'S' must be an 'F', therefore it's 'Duckfield.' The word is so odd. I didn't realise it was your name, so I was positive I translated it wrong and ignored it."

"Thanks a bunch." Marie laughed, elbowing Tracy, "but you're right, that is definitely 'Duckfield', I've never noticed it, but then I'd never tried to read it before. So I must be related to Molly."

"If we'd have swapped our start points of reading the deed, you'd have seen it. But it does explain Molly's interest in you."

"And you, with her matchmaking skills."

Tracy blushed, "Oh, I nearly forgot, something just as important. You'll never guess?"

Marie rolled her eyes. "What?" And began stretching, preparing for the run.

"I've just seen Molly!"

"Where?"

Marie stopped stretching to listen to Tracy.

"I found my room spic and span, so I thanked her but asked her not to keep me asleep again. As far as I could tell, the room was empty, so I felt brave and asked her about her baby, the father and if she stole the squire's silver, but she didn't like it. The room ran cold, and she rapped double taps in answer to each question."

"Eh?'

"You know, knock once for yes and twice for no. She obviously didn't like or didn't want to answer my questions."

"Oh, but you say you saw her?"

"Yeah, not wanting to leave her upset, I thanked her for putting my application in your handbag. The room warmed back up, and she appeared sat at the head of my bed."

"Wow, what did she say?"

"Nothing, well not yet, as I think she only appears when she wants and to whom she wants."

"O-o-o, then she does like you."

Marie blushed and gave Tracy a nervous look, as if she were holding back, and then blurted out, "As do I."

"Naturally... And I, you."

"You're glad you came here now?"

"Of course. Come on, we need to warm up or you'll never keep up."

Marie shot a look that contained daggers and a smile that warmed her. The two women giggled as they bent and stretched, whilst chatting about the latest discovery. Both admired each other's athletic bodies beneath their tight running wear. Tracy was wearing plain leggings and top, whilst Marie wore jazzier colours, more at home in the gym. After a few minutes of stretching, jumps and twists, they set off, with Tracy leading the way.

The hill climb up to the village made them appreciate the warm-up. Once running, both focussed on finding a joint pace that worked for them both, rather than one competing against the other. Passing the pub, Marie suggested a cross-country link, to save them from pounding on the tarmac.

They zigzagged across Tracy's original route using bridleways and footpaths, making it far more scenic. They ran alongside woodland streams, around fields of maize, up and down little valleys tucked inside the folds of the Cotswold hills.

They ran for so long, even Tracy was thinking of asking Marie to turn back towards the Grange as they emerged out of a narrow track just a hundred yards from the gatehouse.

"Wow, I'd have never found this route."

"No, you wouldn't have, haha. Cup of tea before breakfast?"

"Please. Although I normally join Julie in the cafeteria."

"Ah, that may be a better idea. Her tea will probably be better than mine.

I think my milk is past the 'best by date'."

The two returned to a walking pace as they passed under the archway. Once more, the car park was full of vans displaying a whole variety of building trades. They met Julie in good spirits and invited her to join them in a mug of tea before she got busy. Afterwards, they separated to get showered and changed, both feeling a little anxious about their pending meeting with Debbie.

Tracy was already sitting eating with Penny and Gracie when Marie returned to the cafeteria. The morning's conversation centred on the previous evening, Marie's singing and that morning's late delivery of branded clothing for staff.

With the impending student arrivals the following day and knowing Marie and Tracy were to meet with Debbie at nine, Penny and Gracie finished their breakfasts and took their leave to start work. Both Marie and Tracy tried to remain outwardly calm, but inside were nervous that the meeting could have a major impact on their new relationship.

Whilst seated opposite each other, they both longed to hold hands to comfort each other, but both still wanted to keep their relationship private. Tracy slipped one foot out of its shoe and teased it over Marie's ankles as they talked. Marie's eyes locked on hers and winked, both wanting the intimacy they had earlier in the day.

Now on their own again, they quietly discussed that morning's revelations and the new light it shone on Marie's link to the Grange. With the clock reaching nine, the two tidied up their table, took their trays into the kitchen, thanked Julie, and made their way to Debbie's office. As they walked the empty corridors, Marie slipped her hand into Tracy's, giving it a squeeze before she relaxed and broke the contact as they emerged into the entrance hall.

The entrance hall was a hive of activity, with a large delivery van outside and staff press-ganged into emptying its cargo of heavy cardboard boxes. Various people passed boxes along a human chain to stack them along the one blank wall.

Penny entered through the open main door, carrying one of the larger boxes, seeing the two friends, she asked, "Hi, can you two help? It looks as if Debbie's bought ten years' worth of clothing. We'll need help to check inventory against the invoice and disseminate everything to staff before the students arrive."