What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I read this book around 2004-2006 multiple times - I was the only one checking it out of the library for a while. I can't remember the names of characters but I can remember the plot in detail!

It was a YA, ghost story/romance novel, a paperback, written in the first person. It was about a 16 year old girl who moves up north with her artist mother into a tiny cottage in the countryside of the north of England. She gets work at the local castle/manor and slowly rejuvenates the dilapidated castle into a place that might make a profit.

The castle is owned by a father and son - the father is dour and proud and only interested in looking after the estate while the son (18 I think) loves the house but isn't interested in inheriting it - he is rebellious, plays the saxophone and goes away to university. He and his father don't get on. The mother died in a riding accident a long time ago.

The girl becomes fascinated by a painting of one of the former owners of the house (the owners' ancestor) who looks just like the current son. This man in the portrait was said to have fallen in love with a local seamstress who lived in the cottage that the main character lives in and worked at the castle. The man in the portrait married someone else who resented him and when she died haunted him and all the ancestors afterwards.

When the son comes home from uni, he and the main character immediately become fascinated with each other but the ghost resents her for it and attacks her several times. Meanwhile the castle is improved with the main character's hard work and they begin to get tourists, the main character's best friend from London moves up to live with her and falls in love with a local boy and the son has a best friend who is gay and who the main character assumes is the son's boyfriend for a while.

I don't want to write the end because I don't want to spoil it for anyone but I hope this is enough to go on? I remember that son had red hair and was very beautiful and that the main character was supposed to be very pretty but was completely unaware of it...? (of course!)

I'd love to be able to find it again if possible. Thanks!

Was the book fairly new at the time or had it been published for a while? Go ahead and spoil the ending - sometimes that really helps. Just use the spoiler tags. < spoiler>...< /spoiler> (remove the spaces)

Do you remember anything about the cover?

I'm not sure what it is, but it sounds interesting! :] How new do you think the book was when you read it?

I don't know how new the book was :/ I don't think it could be earlier than the 90s? I think the author was called Anne something and she also wrote children's books.

The cover... I know it was all in sepia tones but I don't remember more than that? Oh dear I'm not being helpful.

OK so the ending: (view spoiler)[ The house is prospering and they're preparing to show it to the public. Somewhere along the way the main character has become a good business woman. The son (who I think is called Simon???) is happy and involved but he and his father get into a huge row and he leaves suddenly.

Time passes and the main character tries to get on with life. She goes back to London for a weekend to see old school friends and realises how much she has changed. She's out dancing when she sees Simon playing the saxophone at a gig. They make eye contact and hug in the middle of the dance floor but he doesn't come home after that.

She keeps working hard at the house and it's on the verge of a grand opening. She's sitting on a bench looking over the lawns when she sees Simon walking up a bend in the road. She runs to him and they hug in the middle of the road when suddenly the ghost appears. At the same time Simon's father drives fast round the bend in the road.

He swerves and goes over the side of the road and down a sleep hill. The impact kills him.

Simon stays with him while the main character runs back even though it's too late.

After the funeral, the main character goes back to the cottage feeling overwhelmed and when she steps into her room the ghost of the seamstress is waiting for her. She embraces her and the main character falls asleep for a long time (more than 24 hours). When she wakes it's like a cloud or curse has been lifted. Her and Simon agree that they don't believe in ghosts any more. (hide spoiler)]

Ring any bells?

Margie, does the heroine and her mother inherit this castle/manor?

Is her mother divorced or widowed?

Where did they move from - U.S., somewhere in England, etc.?

Simon inherits the castle/manor from his father.

They moved from London up north and the heroine's father left her mother before she was born (or just after?) to go to Australia. Her mother is English.

Oh I hope someone solves this!

Could this be a short story in a collection of YA ghost or paranormal romance stories?

Why do the daughter and mother move north?

What's the daughter's job title - what does she do at the castle/manor/estate?

It's a novel not a short story. The daughter is one of the only employees at the castle - there's a middle aged man who is a manager of some kind who is very sweet and reminds the heroine of a spaniel.

I don't remember a job title and I'm not sure that she had one - she was just going to fix the place up a bit so she starts off cleaning and sorting but because she got into it her role becomes more and more prominent until she's kind of managing the house as a business.

Unquiet Spirits by K.M. Peyton

Anna dressed in blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - Noah's suggestion

Unquiet Spirits definitely sounds like it to me. Margie??

Unquiet Spirits that's it!!!! Oh my gosh thank you very much ❤️❤️

Sorry to double post but thanks to everyone for their help!

Yay! Always great when another book is found!

Can you move this thread to solved or do you need an admin to help?

So I take it this has been moved already?

Yes, all is good. Glad you found your book, Margie.