"Shana's really done herself proud this time."
Elizabeth Santiago ran her hands reverently over the fine fabric of the dress, casting a look at her companions. "Don't you think so? I know they're going to be just perfect on our UK tour, they're so beautiful!"
"Delicate, too." Sylvina Martescu observed. "Ooh, I can't wait! It always rocks to go to the UK and this tour is going to be a whole lot of fun! I know our tour got put off because of the fire, but I'm glad we're going now! This whole Hallowe'en tour deal is so-o-o cool, and I love the idea of staying in some old castle for charity. Don't you?"
"That depends on whether or not the castle is haunted, doesn't it?" A pretty, oriental girl cast them a playful grin. "I'm glad you like the outfits, by the way. And even more glad I'm not coming with you! I've no idea to be meeting any ghosts, English or otherwise!"
"There are no such things as ghosts, Gaynor." The final member of the group, Nancy Pelligrini shook her head firmly. "It's just a publicity stunt that Mom and Aunt Phyl arranged -and heaven knows we need publicity. The fire delayed everything, and though we won that award over here, it's been a long time since we were in England, really."
"Not more than nine months." Sylva objected. "We were there in January."
"Yes, but Topaz wasn't, and Sadie got accused of murder." Nancy returned. "It's not the best tour I ever remember. This time we have to make a big deal of it. Our second tour was a blast, and what was left of January's tour was not so very bad, but we need a tour which is all positive, not negative. That's why we're staying at Bainbrook Castle. I'm not worried about ghosts, and it's great publicity for Jewel to be doing a charity stunt over Hallowe'en. Like I said, we need the good press over there."
"Right now, we're supposed to be collecting the outfits for out concert at the castle." Elizabeth, or "Copper" said, amused. "Thanks for helping us, Gaynor. You know your way around this place better than we do, and if we're going to get all of our dresses safely home we'll need the help. Topaz had to take Hollie to the hospital for her check-up, and Sadie's still recovering from making a fool of herself coming off stage yesterday. It's kinda left us short-handed."
"I don't mind." Gaynor grinned. "In fact, I hoped I'd be able to help. I wanted to see your reactions about the dresses for myself." A pink tint touched her cheeks. "I helped with them, you see. Shana wasn't sure about letting me help out on such a big deal contract to begin with, seeing as I only began here at the end of August, but they were short-handed and I wanted to, so she let me. I even got to help Regine with the final sketches, so I wanted to be sure you liked them. We spent ages at the library looking for pictures of mediaeval dress just so that you guys would look the part."
"They're fab." Sylva hugged the young designer. "And you should've told us you were involved from the start. You're good luck for Jewel, you know that - you rescued us before the reunion show when those Stingers split our costume seams, after all."
"Well, I'm glad you're glad." Gaynor dimpled. "How is Sadie, by the way? She's going to be all right for the tour, I hope?"
"Yes. The silly idiot just tripped over her own heels and banged her head." Nancy grinned. "It was quite dramatic, actually. She sent her guitar flying, one shoe flew into the wings and the other one skidded across the floor. She ended up in a heap and the amp just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The only positive part about it is that not many of the fans saw it. We were all too busy laughing at her to really be of much help to begin with - but she wasn't badly hurt. She wasn't knocked out and the only reason she's sleeping it off today is because the doctor advised her to, just in case she developed delayed concussion. Since Mom and Aunt Phyl don't want to send us across the seas in a few days with her ill, they gave her today and tomorrow off. But Mom on the subject was amusing. Not repeatable, but amusing."
Gaynor laughed.
"Poor Sadie." She observed. "Oh well. It could have been worse, after all."
"So where exactly is this Bainbrook castle, then?" Gaynor asked, as she helped the girls to carry the precious costumes out to Copper's car. "I'm not real familiar with England - historically or geographically - and I've never heard of it before. I thought most of the castles were real old and falling apart - isn't this one?"
"From what I read about it online, this one's been somewhat restored." Copper replied. "The downstairs is a museum during the day, with a lot of artefacts and stuff from when it was a working defence castle against invasion. It's near the welsh border - apparently there were a lot of battles between the English and the Welsh. It was all very interesting. But the bit we're staying in is above the museum. They've recently restored the upstairs of one tower, with the idea of setting up an extension to the museum, and that's where we're going to spend the night. It is only one night, and the rules are that we have to stay there - within the castle - between twilight on the thirty-first and dawn on the first of November. One of the stories is that it's one of the castles Edward II hid in if he escaped from Berkley Castle and wasn't murdered at all. But more specifically to the local area - there are lots of reports that a mediaeval damsel threw herself from this tower because her true love was killed in some battle nearby. But...it is only a rumour."
"More likely people were slaughtered there when people attacked it." Nancy said bluntly. "Castles got burnt down a lot, after all. If all the people that got murdered when someone invaded it aren't haunting it, I don't see why some sappy idiot of a girl is. It's all a lot of nonsense, but it if helps out with Jewel's publicity and we do some good for various charities, why not spend a night there? It'll highlight our tour, and we're set to throw a big concert in the castle grounds on the evening of the First of November. All in all our timing couldn't be better. The money's been put up by various of the national press, and it's being split - half will go towards historical causes like Bainbrook itself, and the rest is going towards a new cancer ward in one of the hospitals not far from the Welsh border."
"I don't see what's so dumb about there being a ghost." Sylva reflected. "It might be kinda neat to meet someone who died lots and lots of years ago. Don't you think so?"
"If I was dead, Syl, I wouldn't want to waste my death coming back from the grave to talk to you." Nancy rolled her eyes. "Likely thing is we won't see or hear anything."
"Well, you'll have to tell me everything when you get back." Gaynor instructed. "I've never been to the UK, and I'm insanely jealous that you're going to! I'd love to travel a lot more than I have! I know my Dad went there - I think the desire to travel must be in my blood."
"I thought you were adopted." Sylva looked confused, carefully smoothing down the dress covers and closing the boot of the car. "Weren't you?"
"Yes, but I meant my real father." Gaynor's eyes twinkled. "He died when I was two, but he was a pilot and he died in an air crash. He travelled all over the world - somewhere back home with my adoptive family I've a box of his stuff and he brought something back from everywhere he visited. Maps, badges, flags - things like that. Of course, the place I most want to visit is China, because I know he spoke Chinese and that his family came from there. But there are lots of places he visited...I'd really like to do the same."
"It must be weird, if you can't go and ask him things." Copper reflected. Gaynor nodded.
"Yes. I don't really remember him - only very vaguely - so I can't really miss him. But I am curious about some things. My adoptive family aren't asian, and though I love them more than anything, they can't answer questions about China. But, you know, I'm luckier than a lot of orphaned kids end up. I'm not complaining."
She grinned.
"And now I better get back inside before I'm in trouble. I have any amount of things to stitch before I go home tonight."
"Okay." Sylva dimpled. "Thanks again for your help, Gaynor. This is going to be one hell of a tour, I can tell it!"