Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories – #5
The fifth ghost story in the the first volume of the Valancourt series is quite charming; the anonymous author’s tone is straightforward and friendly. The characters are treated sympathetically, and the main players are nicely fleshed out. This is more than a ghost story – it’s a cozy read about the Christmas festivities of a family blessed with abundance in material things, natural gifts, and love for each other.
Sir Gilbert Ilderton, Lady Ilderton, their young adult children and other relatives and neighbors celebrate Christmas at Huntingfield Hall. We join the players in their feasts, breakfasts, dancing, and ghost stories – especially the story told by the clever Miss Jane Otterburn, niece of Lady Ilderton.
Does Old Hooker’s Ghost, raised by Jane’s story, walk the halls of Huntingfield Hall in truth? Maybe. You’ll need to read the story to find out. “Old Hooker’s Ghost” begs to be read aloud, with its meandering, conversational narrative style.
I can’t find the story in any of my usual sources for public domain literature, nor could I find a reading of it on YouTube. You can read it in The Valancourt Book of Victorian Christmas Ghost Stories on Scribd (you can read free for 30 days by subscribing) or you can buy the book on Amazon – either Kindle or paperback. At the time of this writing I am not an affiliate for Scribd or Amazon.