“Some must have Lucian. Modern electrics and plumbing were fitted. And toilets installed,” Maggie pointed out.
“Those were the contractors who were difficult to frighten or startle. Although the electrics and plumbing, I gave permission to be put in. They let me have warm baths and lights. With the latrines, those builders were incredibly stubborn mules. But I succeeded,” Lucian replied, looking proud.
“You won’t drive me away, Lucian. I want this as my home,” Maggie said.
“And I can’t permit you to stay and be swayed by Margery’s evil.”
“Then we’re back to war tomorrow?” Maggie asked, and Lucian nodded. Maggie rose to her feet. “You’ve one problem, Lucian. Now I know you’re a good man who risked everything to stop evil. I won’t be as frightened of you as I once was!” Maggie announced and lay down in her sleeping bag and closed her eyes. Lucian missed her giggling as he cursed aloud and stomped away.
Chapter Five.
“I’m going to kill you! Strangle your stupid ghost into the netherworld. Put sage all round the inn!” Maggie roared, stumbling from a toilet. She’d been scrubbing them, although she’d no idea why. The taps startled her, turning on and spewing terrible green-brown water out. But knowing what Lucian was attempting, Maggie ignored him and continued cleaning. It had been two days since Maggie witnessed Margery, and she’d been waiting, noticing Lucian was biding his time.
She was alarmed when a gurgling noise came from the toilets and had been backing away when they exploded sludge everywhere. Maggie had been disgustingly caught in the midst of it. Luckily, from the smell, it wasn’t human waste, but she smelt like pond scum. Her hair was plastered to her head, and rivets of disgusting slime ran down her face.
“I’ll hang, draw, and quarter you! Catch you in a net and shove you in a washing machine; you thought the hoover was bad, you miscreant!” Maggie yelled, stumbling into the bar.
“Leave!” Lucian roared from somewhere.
“Show yourself, you damned coward!” Maggie spluttered.
“Get out!” Lucian shouted.
“Get your skinny ass here so I can kick it into hell. I’m going to place hoovers everywhere and suck you up repeatedly. I’ll play annoying music all day long!” Maggie had a sudden thought and dashed for the staircase. Lucian was too busy laughing at her as she slurped across the floor. Her feet produced sucking noises as she climbed the stairs and disappeared.
When Maggie had returned to the inn the following day after the revelations, Lucian’s room had appeared in her corridor. Out of respect, she’d stayed away. But now, Lucian had upped the game. Now it was her turn! She made her way there as his laugh rang throughout the inn. Maggie slung open his door and opened his wardrobe before grabbing every item of clothing she could. Slinging them into a blanket on his bed, she hauled her bundle of stolen goods downstairs. Lucian’s laughter stopped as he wondered what she had planned. Maggie loosened the throw, and he saw his clothes.
“No!” Lucian yelled as Maggie launched herself forward and began rolling around on them. The slime and muck transferred from her to them, and she picked his underwear up and wiped her face and arms clean. Then she threw them back into the pile.
“You damnable wench!”
“You rotten bleeder!”
“Insolent chit!”
“Arrogant ass!”
“Aggravating hen-pecking peahen!”
“Stuck up, rude, nincompoop!”
“Dear God, they’re worse than we were,” a man commented, and they stopped shouting at each other and spun to see an invasion of strangers. Six men and six women glared at them, most looking amused apart from two men who stared dourly at them.
“What the ever-loving hell?” Lucian yelled, borrowing one of Maggie’s favourite curses.
“Yeah, not so happy to see you either, Lucifer!” The younger, dour-faced man replied.
“Maggie, am I seeing things?” Lucian asked, his anger forgotten.
“I recognise Melisandre,” Maggie waved at her, “and eleven people I don’t know.”
“Get the hell out of my inn! This is my place to haunt!” Lucian exploded.
“Oh, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it, Harcourt?” a man responded.
“Shut it, Harrington,” the guy the comment aimed at said.
“You’re all dead!” Lucian cried, pointing at them. He narrowed his eyes and approached Maggie, who began moving back.