I’m not shocked or scared, why should I be?’
‘I thought you’d be surprised at least,’ said Dan.
‘You have seen someone like me before, haven’t you?’ said Tess.
‘You are very perceptive, dear,’ smiled Susan, ‘Yes I have, my husband. He came back to me; in fact it was he who persuaded me to come here and came with me to settle me in.’
There was an announcement from back at the cross.
‘All those booked on the tour…thank you…if you come over to me we’ll get started.’
A dark haired young women in the tour guides uniform was stood by the cross and had raised her hand to attract attention. The tour group was assembling around her.
‘I think you’re booked on that, aren’t you Dan?’ said Susan.
‘Yes, but…’ he began.
‘You go,’ interrupted Susan, ‘I’ll look after Tess.’
‘But…’ Dan started to protest.
‘Please,’ said Susan, her voice still kindly but firm.
Tess was looking puzzled but then she said, ‘Yes Dan, please go. For me. I’ll see you in a little while.’
Dan stood for a moment, ready to argue, but then realised that when faced with not one but two determined women, his chances of winning were slim.
‘Well, OK. See you both later.’
He leant forward but Tess stepped away.
‘Don’t kiss me you muppet!’ she giggled, ‘Off you go!’
When he had gone Susan turned to Tess.
‘Let’s walk my dear,’ she said.
She led them around the back of the Abbey in the direction of the beach.
‘Dan seems to be a really nice young man.’
‘He is – very.’
‘You were married to him?’
‘No.’
‘Then he was your boyfriend?’
Tess shook her head.
‘Actually no, I’d never met him before…well you know.’
Susan looked surprised.
‘That really is most amazing, How did you meet him then?’
‘He came to do a survey on my flat. He’s a valuer. I didn’t know it at the time but I had been gone quite a long time by then, at least 6 months.’
‘And from the beginning he could see and hear you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Interesting, most interesting. Shall we sit and talk? My legs are not what they were I’m afraid.’
They had reached a bench that looked out over the water. On warmer day’s this area would probably have been full of picnickers but the chill breeze had seemed to keep people moving.
‘So can you communicate with anyone else?’
‘No. It just seems to be him. And you now.’
‘And yet despite this, and the fact he has only ever known you this way, he has fallen in love with you?’
Tess nodded, her face grim.
‘Apparently so. I tried to stop him, I tell him he's crazy but yes, I think he does love me.’
Susan smiled.
‘Love is such a rare thing it should be celebrated wherever it is found, don’t you think?’ she said.
Tess pulled a face.
‘I used to think so. I’m not so sure now,’ she said.
‘But you love him too, don’t you?’
Tess shook her head firmly, ‘No. I can’t.’
‘But you do. It’s obvious. You just think that you shouldn’t.’
‘Well of course I shouldn’t! How can I? How can he? It’s just not right is it?’
Susan held her hands open. ‘Who is to say what is right? That you shouldn’t be in love? I know I can’t.’
‘But I’m a…I’m a…ghost,’ said Tess.
‘Is that what you think you are?’ said Susan.
‘Well, yes of course, what else?’
‘Do you believe in ghosts Tess?’
‘Well no, of course…’
Tess stopped, realising the difficulty she was getting into with the argument.
‘No,’ she said firmly at last.
Susan nodded. ‘Do you believe in God then?’ she asked.
Tess frowned slightly.
‘I’m not sure,’ she said, ‘I went to church as a child and was confirmed and everything but by the time I went to uni I was a real sceptic. But later though – before I was attacked – I started to think about things a lot more, whether I actually did believe or not. I started to go to church again, not every Sunday, just from time to time. I never told anyone; I guess I was a little embarrassed but I found such, well, peace there, I think that’s the best way of putting it. So yes, I think I do believe, yes.’
Susan smiled again.
‘It’s good that you are exploring and questioning your faith. It is better to be seek than to be blind, and that applies to both sides of the belief line,’ she said. ‘I have faith, I believe. I believe that God guides me and helps me, and also that He has a purpose for me, though I’m never quite sure what that is. I believe that it is He that has