Christmas Eve
- When the book opens, Arthur Kipps is sharing some fascinating thoughts about how he's always been affected by the weather.
- He describes how he came to live at Monk's Piece and stumbled across it while out on a ride with his employer, Mr. Bentley.
- Arthur is a solicitor (that's a lawyer, for you Americans) and has worked with Mr. Bentley for many years.
- Now he's married to a woman named Esmé and lives in Monk's Piece with her four children from a previous marriage; they have been happily settled for fourteen years.
- No, not that Esmé.
- It's Christmas Eve and Arthur is at home with Esmé and her children when the boys begin telling ghost stories.
- Brain snack: telling ghost stories is actually a Christmas tradition. Remember A Christmas Carol? If you ask us, Santa is a spooky dude.
- Anyway, Arthur tries to be cool with it, but he's uneasy. When Edmund asks him to join in, he pretty much leaves in a huff and goes to walk outside.
- Eventually he rejoins the party, but not before deciding to write down the story of what happened to him when he went to Crythin Gifford so many years ago.
- And now the real story begins.