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her eyes.  Despite how good I ’ ve been to her she ’ s still edgy in this house.
    “ I had the radio on but I ’ ve turned it off now, ” Kate replies, pouring out four glasses of wine.
    Sally visibly relaxes.  “ Oh good.  So, what do you think of Nick? ”
    “ Not much.  I ’ ve only just met him. ”
    “ Don ’ t you think he ’ s good looking? ”
    “ He ’ s alright. ”
    “ Oh come on, he ’ s gorgeous. ”
    “ I hadn ’ t really noticed. ”
    “ How can you not notice?  Don ’ t tell me Michael has put you off men for life. ”
    “ No but I ’ m fine as I am. ”
    “ Aren ’ t you lonely? ”
    Kate glances in my direction.  “ Not at all.  In fact I ’ m very happy. ”
    I smile back at her.
    “ You need to get back out there before you lose your confidence, ” urges Sally.
    “ Honestly, I ’ m fine. ”
    “ All I ’ m asking is that you talk to him.  That ’ s not too much, surely? ”
    There ’ s a brief pause, during which I urge Kate with every fibre of my being to say it is and send them on their way.
    “ I suppose not, ” she sighs.
    I watch, horrified as they take the drinks into the sitting room.  The wink Kate gives me does nothing to assuage the biting jealousy.
    Back in the parlour Sally takes the spare armchair, leaving Kate no choice but to sit on the couch next to Nick.  It ’ s clear he likes her and why shouldn ’ t he?  She ’ s beautiful and astonishing. 
    I stand sentinel in the corner of the room, a sullen and hostile presence while they chat about this and that.  When Kate throws her head back and laughs at one of Nick ’ s pathetic jokes my jealousy reaches breaking point.  I come up behind him and pull his hair.
    “ Ow, what the hell was that? ” frowns Nick, putting a hand to his head and turning in his seat.  “ Something pulled my hair. ”
    Kate ’ s the only one who can see me and flashes me a warning look.  “ You must have caught it in the zip of the cushion covers, ” she says.
    This explanation seems to satisfy the oaf and he continues talking.  So I tug his hair again.
    “ Ow, what is that? ” Nick demands, getting to his feet and looking around the room.
    Stop it, Kate mouths at me.
    I can see Sally is starting to get nervous and I smile maliciously.  It ’ s her fault Nick ’ s here.  She ’ s the one trying to force him on Kate.  I move behind her and sensing my presence she looks around nervously but of course sees nothing.
    In the meantime Nick has retaken his seat and launches into another longwinded anecdote.  Kate can hardly concentrate on his words because she ’ s too busy trying to keep a subtle eye on me.
    When I generate a cold spot around Sally she squeals and leaps to her feet.
    “ What ’ s wrong? ” frowns Simon.
    Kate ’ s eyes harden when she looks at me but I don ’ t care.  I ’ m too angry.
    “ Something ’ s here, I can feel it, ” she says, clutching her arms tightly about herself.
    Simon laughs.  “ She thinks this house is haunted by the spirit of the man who built this place, ” he tells Nick, amusement dancing in his eyes.
    Recalling the hair pulling, Nick doesn ’ t think it ’ s so much of a joke.  “ Is it haunted Kate? ”
    “ I ’ ve never seen anything, ” she replies, her eyes fixed on me.
    This denial enrages me so I kick the back of Sally ’ s chair, causing her to leap into the air with fright.
    “ What is it now? ” says Simon.
    “ Something kicked my chair, I felt it. ”
    “ Darling you ’ re being ridiculous … hey. ”
    He leaps up too when I kick his chair.  Kate looks positively murderous and I know she will make me pay for this later but I can ’ t help myself, I ’ m so damn mad.  I yank the back of Simon ’ s jacket, pulling him back down into his chair.  Sally screams and runs for the door, abandoning her husband to his fate but I reach it before she does and lock it.  She yanks at it frantically, screaming and shaking but it wont