The Cook’s Story

This story was told by a cook who worked in a large Victorian mansion near the city. It was near Christmas and she was decorating a Christmas tree in the kitchen. She waited until the rest of the staff had gone home before starting, because she wanted to surprise them when they arrived the next morning.

It was quiet once they had gone but that suited her, she was used to the big house and rather liked the solitude. She opened the large walk-in cupboard where she had hidden the tree and the decorations. She brought the tree out first and noticed that the lights had dimmed.

As she gathered the box of decorations in her arms she felt something brush past her. When she closed the door to the cupboard she dropped the box in shock. There was a man standing a few feet away, watching her. She felt as if she was paralysed, unable to scream or move. He was dressed in rough workman tweeds and wore a soft brown felt hat. To her eyes he looked like a gardener. He made no move towards her, just continued to watch her until he turned with a slow movement and disappeared through the wall.

She began to shiver and shake and left the kitchen. She ran home from the house in a terrible state. The next morning when she recounted what had happened to her she did not experience the disbelief that she expected. It seemed that she was not the first person who had had a similar experience.