Ethne is a room steward. She was working in the Breakfast Room last summer when a visitor appeared at the door. She told me her story a couple of weeks ago. I asked her to write it down for me which she did, and she gave it to me last week. She said, "A gentleman stood in the doorway and he did not seem to want to enter the Breakfast Room. The room was empty at the time. I went over to speak to him and he told me that he could smell cigar or pipe smoke in the room. Surprised by his statement I explained with reference to the smoke alarms that there could not be any smoke in the room. He reply was, "Oh, I don't mean now, but in the past!" He said he could see or sense three gentlemen sitting around the table holding a "convivial" conversation. I explained that the Breakfast Room was used as the family dining room when not entertaining. (If the family was entertaining guests they usually used the Dining Room). I asked the man again whether he would like to come into the room to see the paintings, including the Rembrandt, but he declined. I asked whether he was a spiritualist and he said that he was. He seemed genuine. He refused to come into the room and I was left there alone feeling very spooked!" The Breakfast Room is where the last Lord Penrhyn died at the breakfast table. This is the first ghostly story I have been told about it. I wonder whether anyone else has ever seen or sensed the ghostly smokers?
