The Ghost's Diary 👻 ✓

23. Second Memory

As we walk behind Henry and Isabelle, the former stops at a door of a room and traces his fingers around it. There is also a name written on a shiny metal plate at this wooden door.

I take a step closer to look at the name imprinted.

"Matthew Wulfric Knightley."

Knightley?

Isabelle also stops to look at her brother. She looks at the name plate and sighs deeply,
"I miss him a lot these days."

"Likewise." Henry shakes his head and continues to walk.

We all stand behind and look at the door.

"I wonder who this other Knightley is. We haven't seen anyone except Henry, Isabelle, their mum and of course, Meredith," Ethan says.

"Maybe, Matthew Knightley is their dad?" Allison suggests.

"Possible," I say and move forward.

When we reach the Main Entrance, it is being heavily cleansed with even more maids and butlers than the ball room. Henry, Isabelle and Meredith are standing near the front door and from the little view from the ajar door, I see their mother in the gardens.

After a minute or two, the whole front door opens and two figures come in.

Mr and Mrs Knightley step into the house.

"Ah, Isabelle! There you are, lass!" Mr Knightley says and embraces Isabelle tightly.

"Welcome home, Father." She smiles at her father and he procedes to his son.

"Henry, do not tell me what I have heard is true! I hear you have not been taking care of your health!"
Mr Knightley pats Henry on the back.

"As you can see Father, I am perfectly fine." Henry shoots a look at his sibling and she just shrugs. Mr Knightley laughs and shakes Meredith's hand vigorously after she greets him.

With all the greetings done, they all walk towards the parlour room.

"How was Italy, Father?" Henry asks as all of them settle down in the parlour room.

"Absolutely fantastic, son. The vineyards are in better condition than I could have imagined. Our Italian representative is not to be taken as an amateur." He pauses and says,
"But one would prefer his homeland."

A maid serves all of them tea and some baked items.

Mr Knightley takes a cup of tea and says,
"And I have also heard that my local representative was doing quite good." He smiles at his son and takes a sip.

The way Mr Knightley talks about Henry, I can see visible pride in his eyes and also a touch of sadness.

Henry makes no comment but I think I see a speck of pink in his cheeks before he takes a sip from his cup.

"Now, you are only embarrassing our boy, Percival," Mrs Knightley says to her husband.

Percival? Well, there goes the hypothesis that Matthew Wulfric Knightley is Henry's father.

Mrs Knightley turns to Meredith and says, "I do so wish that I could have met your mother when I went to Italy, Meredith. She was such a good friend of mine before she decided to permanently reside there after the marriage."

"They are in Russia at the moment, am I correct?" Mr Knightley asks.

"Yes, Father has been expanding his business there, sir," Meredith says a little too quickly.