The days since Bethany passed away continued as they did during her life, proving to Charlotte and her family that life went on. The more days and nights that came and went, the less time Charlotte found herself wiping away the tears of loss and sorrow.

Charlotte sat in her room, as she had since Bethany's passing. Seated on an old chaise lounge in the corner of the room, a soft feather cushion below her back and her feet rested on the seat. She held her favourite novel in her hands as she turned the page to start another chapter. She paused for a moment and took a sip of dark fruit juice.

Two taps sounded against the bedroom door. Charlotte placed her drink back on the table along with her book. She felt as if she was finally getting to a good part, and was annoyed that someone had interrupted her reading. She crossed the dark rose carpet and carefully opened the door.

Her father stood in the corridor, two cups of tea in his hand. As Charlotte inhaled she caught the scent of sweet lemony Earl Grey tea, the only one she drank. Hers was lighter, and milkier, whereas Dad was dark and strong, with hardly any milk, and not a grain of sugar.

"I've made you a nice cup of tea," he said, "I thought we could have a chat."

Charlotte stepped aside and Dad placed her cup of tea on the mantelpiece. He took a seat on his daughter's bed and cleared his throat.

"Your mum and I have been talking," he started, and he took a sip of his tea.

Charlotte sat down next to him, but something didn't seem quite right. She couldn't help but notice that Dad looked a little paler than he usually did, and a clammy sheen seemed to cling to his forehead.

"Mum isn't coping with what's happened to Bethany. She wanted me to talk to you first, how would you feel about moving back to Cambridgeshire?"

Charlotte's heart sank. After all the family had been through, she struggled to understand why they wanted to move back.

"Dad, no! Bethany died here! She's everywhere here. Please no. We can't move back. What does Bella think about this?"

"Bella's decided to go to Edinburgh for uni, so she's going to get a room with some friends of hers." Dad took another sip of his tea and sighed. "I thought this move was going to work, Mum and I were going to do the castle up and hold events and things. But she can't possibly do this now. Not after everything that's happened."

"Dad, please you can't. I don't want to move. I'll help you. I'll do anything. Please don't let us move."

"Charlotte, listen, you'll be at school during the day next term, and you'll need time with all the new friends you'll make. You don't want to be tied to this old place."

Charlotte thought for a moment. The more her father spoke about potentially moving away from the castle, the more she wanted to scream. Castle Stone felt like home now, and she felt as if it was a part of her, a part of her family.

"This place is a part of me, it's a part of you too. I don't care about school. I'll go to a day school, instead of boarding, and I'll help out at weekends, holidays and in the evenings. Come on Dad, this is our ancestral home. We lost it once, we can't lose it again!"

Dad finished off his tea and placed the empty cup on the top of one of the chests of drawers.
"Look, I can't promise Mum will agree to this, but I'll see what she says. Leave it with me." He stood and turned to leave, but paused for a moment. Dad reached into the back pocket of his smart black trousers and pulled out an envelope. "Ahh," he said, "I knew there was another reason I needed to come up here. This came for you today. It's got a Cambridgeshire postal stamp."

Carefully, Charlotte took the letter from her father's hand. She waited for a moment. Her heart rate quickened, and she could feel her breakfast rising in her stomach. The handwritten address on the reverse read Miss C Greyson, and the address of the Post Office Box in the town as Dad didn't like everyone knowing their address. Could this finally be it?

The sound of the envelope tore loudly as Charlotte slid her finger under the opening. The paper was pretty, with delicate little flowers blooming in each corner. Carefully she began to read it slowly to herself.

Dearest Charlotte, how lovely it is to hear from you after such a long time. We hope you and your family are well and have settled into your new life.

Albert and I are heartbroken at the news of poor Bethany's passing. Such a beautiful long life taken too soon. We can only imagine the sorrow you and your family must be going through now, which is why we struggle to understand why you are asking these questions when she has only just died. I can assure you that Albert and I are not Bethany's biological parents and are saddened that you would think we were.

I'm not sure if you remember me ever mentioning our daughter Louise. She was a wonderful girl and would have been a strong mother if given a chance. She must have been no older than you are now when she fell pregnant, but mentally she was a lot younger. No way was she going to be able to cope with a newborn baby, so when the girl was born we decided the best thing to do would be to have her adopted. Your mum was desperate to give Bella a brother or a sister, and she was struggling to do so. I believe she'd had a miscarriage and was worried about becoming pregnant again. So we agreed your parents would adopt Louise's baby.

Sadly, during that awful pandemic, Louise took her own life. She struggled with the lockdowns and with her mental health. Albert and I would like to know if it would be possible to show our respect to Bethany and to see her final resting place.

Please let us know when this would be convenient.

Mrs N and Mr A Richardson

Oh poo. It worked. With so many questions flying around Charlotte's mind the night she discovered the family secret, she decided to do something about it. She pulled a pen and paper out of her chest of drawers and quickly began writing a letter to the couple. The last thing she expected was to receive a reply.

Now what?

The hands of Charlotte's alarm clock, ticked by, as she sat and read the letter again. She read each word and scanned each sentence. But hearing the details about her mum, about her vulnerabilities and her miscarriage, something didn't feel quite right. The Richardsons now knew the truth, Charlotte now knew the truth, and Mum and Dad, however, did not. She knew it was time to tell the truth. But how...

Charlotte stood from her bed and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She picked up the letter and placed it into the back pocket of her tight denim jeans. She inhaled deeply, as she struggled to know how to do the right thing. She found herself thinking back to the last time she'd been involved in a complicated situation and soon recalled the time she spent with her best friend's boyfriend, Chad. Charlotte didn't have time to dwell on the past, and the Chad/Emily drama was in the past. She pushed those thoughts where they belonged, at the back of her mind as she'd tried to do since it happened. She felt a strong sense of urgency and knew she needed to focus on the here and now, and how to get herself out of the deep hole she'd dug.

For a few minutes, she began to loiter outside Bella's bedroom door. Her clenched fist hovered on the door. To knock, or not to knock, that was the question. Charlotte could hear her sister moving around in the room. Most likely packing for uni. Charlotte took a deep breath and knocked twice on the door.

"Who's there?" Bella's voice echoed from inside the room.

"It's me," Charlotte replied.

Bella's footsteps creaked closer, and the door opened wide.

Charlotte entered her sister's room and took a seat on a chair. Bella's bedroom was slightly bigger than Charlotte's. It was a spacious size with paintings, mostly created by Bella herself, hanging on the walls. A heavy suitcase lay on the bed, several items of clothes piled by the side ready to be folded and placed inside.

"So it's true then?" Charlotte started, as she looked at the ever-growing pile.

Bella nodded, "I'd rather be at uni than here. I mean Bethany's gone, Mum's not coping, Dad practically lives in his office now and you're either hanging around with Clem or you're in your room. I need a life, sis, and I'm not gonna get one of those here, am I?"

"You could if you wanted."

Bella sighed, as she began to fold her clothes neatly. She carefully placed them into the suitcase, making sure to smooth them down before adding another.

"I don't want to be here, to be honest. I've never really wanted to move. But now I'm here, I may as well make the most of it, and I know a couple of my friends from home are going to Edinburgh."

An eerie sense of calmness entered the room. It felt like a storm had passed and now the seas were no longer strong and irate. Charlotte couldn't help but wonder what else Bella might know. She was older than both Bethany and Charlotte, surely she'd remember something?

"Bell's..." Charlotte began to speak, but as she spoke her voice sounded like a squeaky mouse, or a younger sister, not sure whether or not to ask a question that ate away at her every single night.

Bella placed her drink down on the cream wooden chest of drawers, and perched on the end of the bed.

"Spit it out, sis. What's playing on your mind? I know somethings up."

Charlotte felt as if she was backed into a corner, there was no way out. She knew she could walk out of the room and avoid Bella's questions, but her sister would get the answers out of her one way or another.

She took a deep breath as she struggled to find the right question to ask, "I found something out about Bethany," she started "Did you know she was adopted?"

Bella's chest expanded and fell as she let out a lengthy sigh. Time ticked by, and although only a few seconds had gone by, it began to feel like hours had passed before she finally spoke. But the silence spoke loudly, and it didn't take Charlotte long to work out the truth.

"Well?" Said Charlotte, her voice became louder as it broke the eerie silence, "you knew, didn't you? Really?"

Bella reached forward and placed her hand on Charlotte's knee.
"I'm older than both of you. How could I not know? Mum wasn't pregnant and then one day there was a newborn baby who they said was my sister. To be honest, sis, I'm surprised no one told you."

"So you know she's Mr and Mrs Richardson's granddaughter?"

Bella's forehead gradually knitted into a tight frown, and she looked at Charlotte through narrowed eyes.
"What makes you think that?"

Wow! She didn't know, did she? Charlotte reached into the back of her jeans and pulled out the letter written by Mrs Richardson.

"This," she said, as she passed it across to her sister. Charlotte watched for a moment as Bella sat in complete silence as she read the letter quietly to herself.

"Okay... Well, this makes sense. All those weird presents they brought her, and I swear they liked her a hell of a lot more than the both of us put together." Bella paused, and then sighed again, "but this is private. Between our parents and the Richardson's. You shouldn't go messing around with something you don't know and don't understand. If I were you I'd get rid of this before Dad sees it."

The hinges of Bella's bedroom door squealed, as it opened. Dad stood in the doorway.
"Before Dad sees what?" He said, as his dark blue eyes stared directly at the letter in Bella's hand. His voice dropped deeper, "Come on, spit it out."

Charlotte sat as if glued to the bed. She dared not even breathe as she pleaded in her head for Bella to keep the letter to herself and not hand it over to their dad.

Don't tell him. Don't tell him

But Bella wasn't telepathic

Charlotte's eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open. Bella didn't even look at her, as handed the letter over to their father. Not a hint of emotion hinted in Charles Greyson's face as he took it from her grasp with little resistance, as water welled inside Charlotte's eyes.

Slowly and carefully Dad began to read the letter. The girls waited, and Charlotte's heart rate quickened as they awaited his response.

"So?" Charlotte questioned after a minute or so, "is it true?"

Dad's jaws clenched tighter, lines burdened his forehead as his face contorted with rage. "Of course it's true!" He snapped, "But this has nothing to do with you at all! How dare you communicate with these people! How dare you give them our address and how dare you invite them here!"

"They're Bethany's grandparents, her real family. They have a right to know she's dead!" Charlotte retorted, "Why are you so against them?"

"Charlotte, it's best if you just leave it well alone. It's not something I can discuss with you anyway. Now if you please excuse me, you've made a jolly great mess that I've got to sort out! Seriously Charlotte, I can't believe you've been so stupid."

Charlotte stood from the bed and pulled open the door. Paintings of relatives passed like a blur as she flew down the stairs through the hallway and out into the fresh air. She paused for a moment as the cold wind caressed her skin, as she planned what to do next. She knew she couldn't go back to Castle Stone, not just yet. She needed to sort something out and finally, she'd found nearly all of the answers she craved. Charlotte tried to prioritise and pushed any unanswered questions to the back of her mind. However much she tried, something still didn't make sense. Why was her father so full of hatred towards a couple that just seemed like any other retired man and woman? They seemed harmless, and rather sweet. Charlotte knew her father, she knew his temper and knew that he wouldn't get so angry over anything. She felt as if she'd answered as many questions as she could, maybe now Bethany would be able to rest in peace.

Charlotte knew where she had to go. It was like a strong magnetic force that pulled her in that direction. Her feet pounded the soft grass, as she sprinted around the side of the castle. She kept running and turned down a small tree-covered pathway. A wooden plaque gave the direction to the Greyson family burial plot. Bethany's final resting place.

A sudden surge of adrenaline coursed through her body as she turned another corner. Her heart slammed within the walls of her chest, so fast, so powerful. She knew she had to keep going. The repeating rhythm of her fast footsteps echoed through her mind. And then she saw it, a small wooden gate in a fenced-off area. Her pace slowed to a slow jog and then to a walk, as she headed further down the pathway towards the gate.

Charlotte rested her hand on the wooden gate and stood for a moment.

The autumn leaves fell from the stoic trees that stood around the graveyard. Cool gusts of wind blew their fallen leaves around her, coating the pathway with a carpet of amber, gold, and rust. Charlotte inhaled the brilliantly fresh air as she carefully opened the gate. She cast her gaze across the sizable plot of land. Rows of gravestones poked out amongst the short-cut grass.

Under a young apple tree stood a plain wooden cross no taller than two feet high, set deep into the ground. A dark mound of soil piled high on the terrain. A few cut roses and large blooming bouquets sat on top.

Charlotte headed towards it and knelt on the soft grass. She reached forward and brushed her fingers against the brass plaque that was nailed to the cross.

Bethany Greyson

She took another deep breath and tried to think back to something Clem said a while ago. She closed her eyes and tried to focus.

Bethany Greyson, I summon you.

Charlotte shivered, as a freezing blast of air blew down the intricate bones of her spine. The wind quickened and the fallen leaves danced across her path.

A ghostly voice whispered, so faint she struggled to hear it. Then it became louder, only slightly at first, raising a few decibels, until finally it was audible. It just wasn't any voice. Charlotte felt sick, as if a long winding snake had wrapped itself around her insides, compressing her stomach and causing a deep ache from within. She could feel the beads of sweat that stuck to her hair and seeped through the palms of her hands. It came from behind, and as she turned, her heartbeat quickened.

Then she saw a pale, almost transparent figure hovering just a few feet away. Charlotte's hands began to tremble like falling leaves, and her heart beat quicker and faster inside her chest. The apparition's dark blue eyes stared blankly towards her as if they could see through her very soul. Charlotte looked forward and pushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ears. She inhaled deeply, as she took a step closer. Her eyes narrowed as she absorbed the vision in front of her.

"Bethany?"

Bethany looked like a vision from a strange film, all cold and pale as a damp sheen clung to her skin. Her eyes which were once blue and full of life, had dulled, and heavy bags burdened her lower lids. Her auburn hair was styled as it was before she died, with her length ponytail hanging down her left side. She wore a long white gown that hovered just above her bare feet. Her skin was pale, almost white with a strange transparency effect that seemed to burden every spirit Charlotte met.

"Charlotte..." her voice was like a whisper in the wind, barely auditable.

Charlotte strained her hearing as she struggled to hear everything her sister said.
"You're here?" She said, "It worked."

"Thank you, Charlotte. My real family came and they left a bouquet on my grave. They know my life has ended and now I can move on."

If this was the last time the two would ever see each other, Charlotte wished more than anything to share a last hug with Bethany, and knowing it was completely impossible brought a tear to her eye.

"Please stay."

Bethany shook her head, "I can't. Not that I have a say in the matter. My final wish was to say goodbye to you, and then I'll get my summons."

Tears mixed with murky black mascara streaked down Charlotte's face and onto the collar of her new white t-shirt. Taking her eyeliner and a bit of her foundation with them. Her chin wobbled slightly, and her bottom lip quivered. This was the end.

"I wish you could stay. Just a little longer." She said, her voice trembling with emotion, as she sniffed back the droplets of snot that hovered underneath her nose.

"You know I can't."

The clouds were thick like painted cotton wool soaked in a watery grey. They hovered in the sky, becoming heavier with every passing minute until the surroundings shifted closer to black than to grey. In amazement Charlotte watched, her mouth and eyes opened. The clouds slowly began to separate as a bright blinding light cascaded from the sky.

Bethany slowed. And as if pulled by a strong magnetic force, she headed towards the light. She walked with an air of calmness to her steps, her attention focused on the light.

"Bethany, no. No please."

Bethany's voice fell to a barely audible whisper as the words "I must" escaped her breath.

Deep inside Charlotte's heart, she knew this would be the final time she would see her sister, and it broke her heart to admit it. She watched in silence, as slowly Bethany walked towards the light. As it cast its warm glow around her, her sister's image slowly began to fade as if someone turned down her transparency until she was no more.

Sadness clung to Charlotte's breath. It forced a stream of salty tears to run uncontrollably down her face, and it weakened her body. Her body and legs trembled, like fallen leaves. The colour of her once healthy complexion drained to that of a sickly pale sheen.

Deep inside her heart shattered knowing that was the last time they'd see each other. That was something Charlotte and her family knew they would come to terms with in time.

Charlotte sat on the bench feet away from Bethany's final resting place as she watched the sun slowly set behind the trees. The warm glow of the reddish tones illuminated the darkening sky.

Everything had changed since the family arrived at Castle Stone, and nothing had for the best. Charlotte had never felt so alone. She'd lost her home, she'd lost hobbies, her sister, and part of her felt as if she'd lost her mind. She struggled to recall the last time she felt content or happy with her life and wished more than anything that they hadn't left Cambridgeshire. Charlotte missed her friends, but more than anything she missed the girl she used to be.

She knew she couldn't achieve it overnight, no one could. It would take time to get back to that person. To the girl who had it all, friends, family and fun. The girl who had drive and ambition, to be an Olympic rider and win medals for her country.

Charlotte had a new focus and a new ambition.

To become Charlotte Greyson...

Again.

The End
I'm pleased to say Castle Stone is now finished. This is the final chapter, let me know what you think. I'm yet to decide whether or not I will write a sequel or if this will just be a stand-alone.