could easily discern the dead, as shades lacked the colourful light-body at the core of every living thing.
‘Shades’ is a term I came to use later in life when referring to the majority of ghosts, as they are merely shadows of their former souls—the unwanted and unneeded rubbish left behind by the spirit after it has ascended to higher places. Shades is indeed the more appropriate name for these forms.
During my formative years I learned how to more accurately read the colours people emitted via their light-body, but certain assumptions came naturally while I was still a youngster; like, stay away from people sporting big muddy patches! And only approach Father when his light-body is expanded, as this meant he was in a good mood.
When an individual was generating ample amounts of energy from the light centres of their subtle form, the light-body would grow in size, it would become less dense and more light filled. The light-body would reach out to feed, nurture and exchange energy with any living thing that it came into contact with via its expanded form. But when an individual had been sucked dry of life energy, the light-body would retract close to the body to form a kind of shield, until the energy levels were replenished and it could again contribute to the world around it.
It had not escaped my parents’ notice that I had an uncanny knack for finding lost items, and that I could predict events such as the weather, unexpected guests and so forth. This aspect of my nature was widely accepted by everyone at the house and it was praised by my parents, as it seemed harmless—until the summer of 1825, which was just prior to my eighth birthday.
PART 1
ASHLEE
19TH CENTURY
ENGLAND
LESSON 1
CHILDHOOD
FROM THE CHILDHOOD JOURNALS OF MISS ASHLEE GRANVILLE
The visiting Earl of Derby, Lord Cavandish, who had attended Oxford University with my father, was staying at our estate en route home to Derby from Europe. His wife, Lady Cavandish the Countess of Derby, accompanied him.
They had arrived in the afternoon and yet, come evening, our guests had not relaxed. Lord Cavandish had lost, from his pocket, his father’s dying gift to him—a fob watch. The lord was beside himself trying to figure where the watch could have gone, or if and when it could have been stolen.
Silently annoyed to have his important Nationalist discussions constantly derailed by his associate’s concerns, Father sent up to the nursery for me.
‘It’s like a sixth sense with her,’ I heard Father say as I approached down the hall, and the jovial tone in which he spoke made me proud; it was rare he spoke of me at all, let alone to boast about my unusual talents. ‘As this…additional sense of my daughter’s is rather extraordinary, we do try to keep it to ourselves, you understand? Still, as it seems to be the only course of action that might ease your mind, I trust you will keep the details of anything that occurs under your hat.’
‘My dear Lord Suffolk, that goes without saying,’ Lord Cavandish assured my father.
As our house in Suffolk was the estate to which the Granville peerage of baron was attached, my father was referred to in conversation as Lord Suffolk, my mother as Lady Suffolk. This was also true of Lord Cavandish, who would be referred to in conversation as Lord Derby, as it was to his estate in Derby that his title of earl was attached. Only in a letter or a written invitation would the Lord and Lady Cavandish be referred to as the Earl and Countess of Derby. Likewise a baron and his wife were never spoken of or addressed as ‘Baron and Baroness’ by their peers or superiors, but were always referred to as ‘Lord and Lady’ of whatever county their highest family peerage and estate was located within. One could be an earl in one county and a baron in another, whereby the lower title and estate could be passed on to the eldest son, until such time as he inherited the higher title of earl and passed the lesser title of baron on to his eldest son.
‘Do you really think your daughter shall be able to locate my treasure?’ The earl sounded desperately hopeful, and quite intrigued.
‘I’d place money on it,’ my father warranted, ‘and you know that I am not a gambling man.’
Nanny Beat knocked on the door of my father’s private library and when he responded with an ‘Enter’, Nanny gave me the