Chapter 6

After fierce discussion, the Doctor finally agreed to ride with the Brigadier in one of his jeeps to Brightley Manor. The Brigadier argued that as far as impressing the Duke with their mode of transportation, Bessie wouldn't be "appropriate."

The Doctor sat huffily in the passenger seat staring out the window. The Brigadier tried and failed to not pull a satisfied smirk. Jo diplomatically ignored both proud men and introduced herself to the young sergeant sitting next to her.

"—Josephine Grant."

The young man took her hand and smiled.

"Sgt. John Benton." He released her hand but kept his eyes focused on hers. "So you're the Doc's new assistant, then?"

"Yes. Have you worked for UNIT for long?"

"Oh, yes. Quite a long time. I was doing surveillance work for them back then…"

The two chatted pleasantly as the Brigadier drove them through the manor grounds. Fields gave way to pastures, which gave way to woods and then neatly trimmed gardens. Finally they pulled up the gravel drive and parked in front of the manor itself.

It was quite foreboding, even in the daylight. Stone steps led up to large double doors, each with a huge brass knocker. Dozens of windows peered out at the country like squinting eyes. Carved figures of devils and angels decorated the masonry. Towers rose above the shingled roof and cast long shadows on the manicured lawn. The occupants of the car disembarked and stared at the house with calculating wonder.

One of the large doors creaked open and out stepped a butler dressed in full suit and tie. He tripped down the steps and approached the Brigadier, his hands behind his back. He had a sly expression and his greasy hair was combed over his bald spot.

"I presume you're here to see the master?"

"We are."

"He's waiting for you in the lounge. I will lead you through." He stretched one lurid hand toward the manor and began to walk away. The Brigadier took a sharp breath and followed suit.

The small party walked up the stairs and entered the manor. The interior was a forest of dark wood and intricate tapestries. A large staircase in front of the double doors led to a banister which branched off to form the bedroom hallways. On the first floor, the front hall was connected to two rooms on the right and left. The butler led them to the lounge on the right.

There sat the Duke of Essex himself in a light blue loveseat. His fingers were perched together and he was concentrating intently on the tips of his fingers. He was a handsome man with thinning brown hair. His face was thin but warm. He wore an expensive business suit that was unfortunately crumpled. His eyes were a dark blue. They rose slowly as his guests entered the room.

The butler thrust an arm out as the group entered. "Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and his associates, sir."

The Duke stood. "There's no need for such formalities, Wesley." He extended a hand to the Brigadier. "Call me Geoffrey, please. And who are these?"

The Brigadier took his hand and shook. "Please to meet you sir. This is Sgt. Benton, UNIT's scientific advisor, Dr. Smith, and his assistant Ms. Jo Grant."

Geoffrey smiled and shook each of their hands in turn. "Pleased to meet you, Sergeant, Doctor, Ms. Grant."

The Doctor rubbed his lip and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, well this all very nice but I do think it would be good to get down to business."

"Of course, Doctor. Come, everyone. Sit down." He motioned to the various chairs situated throughout the room.

Once everyone was settled, the Doctor began the attack. "So tell us, sir, from the beginning, exactly what has been going on."

The Duke nodded and took a deep breath. "Right, of course. It all began a few weeks ago, just after I moved in. It was late at night – probably around midnight, I suppose. I was walking down the landing when this…thing suddenly appeared in front of me."

"Can you describe it – exactly?"

"Yes. It was bright white. Almost blue. And transparent. It was obviously a man but it was far too fuzzy to make out features or clothing. It seemed to crackle with…almost as if it were electric. As you can imagine, I was frightened out of my wits."

"Yes, yes. Did it have any sort of physical presence?"

"I should say it did! It flew at me and knocked me down. Its arms – if you can call them arms – were going for my throat. And then it just…disappeared."

"Disappeared?" asked the Brigadier.

"Yes. It just seemed to flash out of existence." The Duke emphasized his point by motioning with his open palms.

"Does it appear at any specific time?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes. It's always at night. I've seen it a few times since that first night, but – call me a coward – I run at the sight of it."

"Always at night," the Doctor murmured, rubbing his chin.

Sgt. Benton leaned forward. "Any idea what it is, Doc?"

"I have a few theories."

The Duke's eyes shifted. "I think it is relevant to mention that a previous owner of Brightley, Lord Braxley, was murdered here by one of his political enemies. And on that very landing, too."

"Surely it can't be a real ghost. Right, Doctor?" asked Jo.

"I don't know. I can't say anything for certain without closely examining it."

"And how do you plan to do that?" asked the Duke.

"Simple. I suggest we all spend the night in Brightley Manor." And he smiled.

The plot thickens!