A Phantom Whisper

Chapter Three

1.

Lulah awoke to the sound of keys turning in the lock of the front door. She looked over at the antique, wall clock which hung above the ornamental fireplace, it's large, black Roman numerals and slender black hands reading 12:35 am. At some point while she was reading her mother's diary she must have drifted off.

She had left the boxes of books in her room after she had tucked Libby back into bed, taking only the first one down to the living room with her.

The front door slammed, then the uneven, click-clack foot falls made their way along the small hallway, towards the living room and within a few seconds Lulah saw Aunt Rebecca stumble into view through the living room doorway.

"So, how have they been tonight?" the woman slurred as she kicked off her high heels and flopped down into one of the heavy padded, black leather arm chairs.

"They were really good," replied Lulah. "Libby took a little while to go down but she soon settled."

"Good," smiled the woman as she leaned back into the chair and rubbed her eyes with her fingertips. "That little scamp will try to get away with anything if you let her."

"Yeah, don't I just know it?" Lulah smiled back, sliding the A4 sized notepad under the cushion next to her just before her aunt opened her eyes again.

She watched the woman as she picked up the handbag she had dropped down by the side of the arm chair and started routing through it. Moments later she pulled out a small, silver compact and opened it. The younger woman watched the round disk of reflected light dance across Aunt Rebecca's soft features.

"Oh, lord, the very state of me," she muttered as she smoothed down a few stray hairs of her otherwise immaculate, almost blood red bob. She was very beautiful. As soon as Lulah had set eyes on her aunt she was in awe. She had always been in love with the style and fashions of the 1920's and 30's and her aunt looked like she had stepped right out of that period in time, right down to the perfect, pencil thin eyebrows and pretty red lips.

"I think you look wonderful." Lulah wasn't sure what had made her say that and she felt her face warm up in a blush.

"Thanks so much dear, but you really don't have tell lies to keep me sweet you know," Aunt Rebecca laughed as she snapped the compact closed and tossed it back into her bag. "I do believe you're all flushed, sweetie."

"Really?" Lulah felt her skin prickle and she moved her eyes to the blank television screen as if willing it to switch its self on. "Sorry, I hadn't noticed."

"There's no need to be sorry dear," Rebecca soothed. "I think it's quite charming if I'm going to be honest. You really are a pretty little thing, aren't you?"

"I don't know about that?" Lulah giggled shyly at her aunt's words.

"Nonsense. I'll bet you get your pick of all those hunky Australian boys back home."

Just when she thought she couldn't be anymore embarrassed she felt herself knocked to yet a deeper level.

"No, not really."

"Oh, you do amaze me," Rebecca's smile widened. "Well, we'll just have to see what we can do about that, won't we?"

The woman staggered over to the sofa, threw herself down, almost on top of Lulah and a waft of wonderful perfume descended on her.

"Would you like me to set up an appointment for you to see my stylist?"

"Really!" Lulah realised how excited she sounded and tried to reign it back a couple of notches before she continued. "I'd love that, auntie, but only if it's no trouble."