by Amy Cross
“Be very careful,” Benjamin replied, stepping toward him. “I won't let you talk about her like that.”
Smiling, Joshua stepped toward the drawer, before Benjamin moved to block him.
“What is in there?” Joshua asked.
“Are you so bored,” Benjamin replied, “that you have time to come to my room and bug me?”
“Like I said, father's looking for you. I suppose he wants his favorite son to help him in the workshop. I offered to step in, but apparently I'm not good enough.” He paused for a moment. “You've seen what happens to people who mix with the Le Comptes. Estella Graves is marrying one of them, and her family have virtually disowned her. Our parents are proud, they won't take kindly to having our name dragged through the mud. Nora Graves has lost her mind. Do you want our mother to suffer the same fate?”
“I want you to leave this room,” Benjamin told him. “Now!”
“So you can find a new hiding place for whatever's in that drawer?” Joshua smiled, before heading back to the door. “Fine. Keep your little secret. I think I might head down to the post office and see if I can strike up a conversation with lovely Evangeline. After all, if she can't have you, maybe she'll give me a try. I'm tired of whores.”
As soon as Joshua had left the room, Benjamin opened the drawer and removed the ring-box. He opened the lid and stared for a moment at the ring, and he watched as the diamond glinted in the low light. Closing the box again, he turned and began to look for somewhere new to keep it hidden.
VI
“I will call the police if this doesn't stop at once!” Father Gregory shouted, marching along the aisle until he reached the altar. “Whoever you are, I am ordering you to leave at once!”
He waited, and after a moment he heard more whispering. Turning to look back toward the door, he listened as the whispering grew more intense, until it seemed to slip past him and move around the altar.
“This is beyond a joke!” he shouted, turning to look around once again. “What possible enjoyment could you gain from tormenting an old man like this? You've spent the best part of a whole day taunting me!”
He paused for a moment, before realizing that the situation was hopeless.
“Disgraceful behavior,” he muttered, turning to head back toward his office. “I don't know what -”
Stopping suddenly, he found himself staring straight into two burning red eyes.
***
Hearing the sound of Nixon singing to himself in the distance, Estella stopped for a moment. She wanted only to go to her room and avoid all contact, but as she stepped back into the shadows and listened to Nixon getting closer, she realized that she'd have to make conversation.
“What are you up to?” he asked, spotting her as he wandered past with a glass of gin in one hand.
“I'm fine,” she replied.
“I hope my singing didn't annoy you,” he continued, with a faint smile. “I'm afraid it's something I do when I think I'm alone, but I can understand how it might be very irritating to others, especially with the way sounds echo through these tall corridors.”
“Not at all,” she said, stepping out of the shadows and trying to go past him, only for him to reach out and put a hand on her arm.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “You look -”
“I'm fine,” she said again, pushing his hand away. “I do wish you wouldn't fuss!”
“You've been crying.”
She shook her head.
“You know you can talk to me, don't you?” he continued. “Edgar's my friend, the only one I have, but I know he can be difficult. Frankly, I think you're something of a saint for putting up with him.”
“It's none of your concern,” she told him, heading along the corridor before stopping and glancing back at him. “Please don't tell anyone you saw me in this state. I'm quite alright, and I don't want anyone to worry.”
“But if -”
“Lady troubles,” she added. “You wouldn't understand.”
“Oh.” He paused. “Well, I suppose... Yes, that would...” Clearly uncomfortable, he took a sip from his glass before smiling awkwardly and then hurrying away, muttering some excuse under his breath.
Two minutes later, once she'd made her way up the spiral staircase and reached her dressing room at the far end of the corridor, Estella pushed the door shut and leaned back, taking several deep breaths as she finally allowed the tears to flow. Crouching down on the floor, she began to sob, before suddenly getting up and hurrying to the small table by the window. Setting her bag down and removing her gloves, she took out the bible her parents had forced her to take, and she opened the cover so she could read the name written in neat pencil lines.
“Nathaniel Graves,” she whispered, smiling through her tears. “Grandfather, what would you say if you could see me now? Would you tell me to stick to my guns and marry the man I love, or would you tell me I'm a fool and I should run away from it all?”
With tears running down her cheeks, she flicked through the bible for a moment. She remembered her grandfather's tired, swollen old hands holding the book all those years ago while he read to her. He always told her that the pages eased his arthritis.
“I wish I could speak to you one final time,” she continued. “Oh, you have no idea how much I need your counsel. What am I supposed to do? Should I marry this man or should I leave the mansion forever? Should I go back to town and live with my parents and try to marry a nice, boring man?”
She closed her eyes.
“Tell me what to do,” she whispered. “Grandfather, it's too hard. I don't -”
Feeling a sudden hot sensation in her hands, she opened her eyes and saw to her shock that the bible was starting to burn. She stared for a moment, horrified by the sight of flames seemingly bursting from the book, and it was only after several seconds that she registered the pain in her hands. Dropping the book, she turned her hands over and saw that her palms were somehow undamaged. She looked back down at the bible, which burned furiously for a few more seconds before the fire seemed to end as fast as it had begun.
All that was left of the book was a small pile of black ash.
***
“She was only gone for a few minutes,” Kate explained as she stood in the kitchen with Jennifer, “and I swear, she was never in any danger.”
“Calm down,” Jennifer replied, smiling as she took a pot of water off the stove and poured it into a cup. “It's not like anything could happen to her. She knows not to go out of town. She's a smart girl.”
“This is why I could never have children of my own,” Kate continued. “I'm just not good at looking after other people.”
“I think you did just fine,” Jennifer said, peering out the window and watching as Anna played with the chickens in the yard. “She seems happy.”
“When I brought her back,” Kate explained, “I taught her a new game. It's one I used to play with my sister Amanda when I was younger.”
“I think you'd make a great mother,” Jennifer replied. “Have you never thought about finding a man and settling down?”
Opening her mouth to reply, Kate was relieved to hear the bell ringing in the shop, indicating the arrival of a customer.
“Saved by the bell,” Jennifer said with a smile, making her way to the door. “Seriously, though, thank you for looking after Anna, and don't worry about her wandering off for a few minutes. No-one on Thaxos would ever hurt anyone, not down here in the town. Can't children go out alone where you come from?”
“In London?” Kate replied as Jennifer left the room. “No, not really...”
Once she was alone, Kate headed over to the window and watched Anna for a moment. The little girl was playing happily with the chickens, and for a moment Kate couldn't help thinking about Ephram in that same yard a century later, fussing over Gertrude. She wanted so much to talk to Ephram, to get his advice, but she knew that he wouldn't even be born for many decades. The same was true of so many other people: Lazare, Suzanne, plus
-
Suddenly she froze as she realized she could feel something rumbling in her mind, as if there was a kind of extra presence. She watched Anna still playing with the chickens, but she could tell that someone else was looking at the same scene through her eyes, listening as she thought about the people she missed. Turning away from the window, she felt a shudder pass through her body as she realized that she recognized the extra presence. Closing her eyes, she listened to her own thoughts and finally she felt Edgar loitering at the back of her mind.
“Get out of my head,” she whispered.
“Tell me who you are,” he replied, his voice as clear as if he was in the room with her.
“Get out of my head!” she said again, more firmly this time.
“Show me the future,” he continued. “I saw glimpses just now. Relax your thoughts and just think about everything you left behind. Let me see it.”
She tried to focus on blocking him out.
“Let me see everything,” he whispered. “Let me peel your every thought away and -”
“Get out of my head!” she shouted, turning back to the window.
She paused.
Edgar was gone.
Staying completely still, she waited for some sign that he was still lurking in her mind, but finally she realized that he seemed to have left her alone, at least for now. After a moment, she saw that Anna had stopped playing and was staring at her, having evidently heard her crying out, but finally the little girl offered a smile before turning back to the chickens. Kate tried to smile back at her, but a deep sense of unease was creeping through her body and she worried that in some way Edgar might have remained in her mind.
“You've got mail,” Jennifer said suddenly, returning to the kitchen and passing an envelope to her. “I just found it in the box.”
“Who would write to me here?” she asked, tearing the envelope open and taking out a note. She read the words, and then she read them again, and then a third time as she tried to work out whether there had been some kind of misunderstanding. “What the hell?” she whispered.
“What is it?” Jennifer asked. “Looks pretty posh.”
“It's an invitation,” Kate replied, turning to her. “I've been invited to dinner at Edgar's mansion tomorrow night.”
***
“I delivered the letter as you requested, Sir,” Jacob said as he carried a glass of whiskey out onto the patio. “There has been no reply, as yet.”
“I doubt there will be,” Edgar replied, taking the whiskey. “She'll come, though. She won't be able to help herself. Make all the necessary arrangements.”
“Absolutely, Sir. Will there be anything else?”
“Where are the others?” he continued, glancing back into his study. “It's rare for them to leave me alone for more than five minutes.”
“Ms. Graves is in her dressing room, I believe. Should I send for her to come down?”
“No, leave her up there.”
“Mr. Nixon, I believe, is in the library,” Jacob continued, “and Lady Madeleine is in her bedroom.”
“I'm glad of a moment's peace,” Edgar replied, taking a sip of whiskey. “To be honest, Jacob, I -”
Before he could finish, he heard the bell ringing inside.
“Who the hell is that?” he asked. “I'm not expecting anyone until tomorrow night.”
“I shall go and see, Sir,” Jacob replied, turning and heading inside.
Sighing, Edgar made his way across the patio until he reached the fountain. He looked down at the water for a moment, before taking another sip of whiskey. For a moment, he considered trying to get into Kate's mind again, but he told himself that he would have to be patient. Unlike so many other people, she seemed unusually aware of his tricks, and he felt he should respect her request to be left alone. Taking another sip, he reminded himself that he would see her soon enough, and that dinner would be the perfect trap.
After a moment, he reached up and felt the bite mark on the side of his neck.
“There is a gentleman to see you, Sir,” Jacob announced suddenly from the door. “A Mr. Wood, from the town. Should I tell him to leave?”
“Who?” Edgar asked, turning to him with a frown. “I've never heard of the fellow.” He sighed. “Fine. I'll see him, but this had better be important.”
A moment later, he watched as Jacob ushered a scruffy-looking, unshaven man out onto the patio. Edgar couldn't help but smile as he saw the fear in the man's eyes, and even from a distance of several meters he could sense the poor soul's heart pounding in his chest.
“You're either very brave,” Edgar said finally, “or very, very stupid. Whatever possessed you to come up here and seek an audience with me?”
“Begging your pardon,” the man replied, “but we've never met before. I just... I came on a matter of business.”
“What business of yours could possibly interest me?” Edgar asked dismissively.
“My name is Joshua Wood,” the man continued, stepping forward. “I happen to have some information that I think you should know and, well, I was thinking that we might be able to come to an understanding.”
“You want money?” Edgar replied, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Why the hell should I give you money in exchange for some idiotic gossip?”
“It's not gossip, Sir,” Joshua said, with a faint smile. “Actually, it's about your sister.”
Part Twenty-Nine
I
“Good morning!” Estella said, beaming from ear to ear as she burst into the shop. “Kate! Drop everything you're doing and come with me at once!”
Startled, Kate turned to her. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “It's barely even eight o'clock!”
“I need your help,” Estella continued, hurrying over and grabbing her hand. “Whatever you're doing here, it can wait.”
“Actually, I'm helping Jennifer to restock the -”
“How utterly boring,” Estella continued, pulling Kate toward the door. “Come on, I really need your input on the most important decision of my life. That's what friends do for one another, isn't it?”
“Yes, but -”
“So come on then, you silly goose!”
Stopping, Kate looked over at Jennifer, who was watching the entire scene with an expression of obvious amusement.
“Go on,” Jennifer said wryly. “Who am I to stand in the way of a blossoming friendship?”
“Are you sure?” Kate asked, hoping against hope that she might change her mind. “I mean, are you really sure?”
Jennifer paused, as if she was thinking about it for a moment. “Yeah,” he said finally, with a smile. “I'm sure. You ladies have fun.”
“Where are we going?” Kate asked, turning back to Estella. “Can you at least tell me that?”
“Where do you think we're going?” Estella asked, still grinning. “We're going to see the most wonderfully exciting thing in the whole world!”
***
“Well?” Estella said a short while later, having calmed down a little now that she was admiring herself in the full-length mirror. “What do you think of my wedding dress?”
“It's beautiful,” Kate replied, watching as Estella turned several times.
“It used to belong to my great-grandmother,” Estella continued, stopping to allow the tailor to make a few adjustments to the hem. “This dress is more than one hundred years old, but it's in perfect condition. I know people in the fashion world are against such things at the moment, but I absolutely adore Chantilly lace. I think it sets off my skin rather wonderfully, don't you? Obviously I don't want to seem big-headed, but I think my skin-tone is one of my finest features.” She let out a yelp of delight. “Oh Kate, don't you think I'm going to look fabulous when I walk down the aisle on my wedding day?”
“You sure are,” Kate said, trying not to feel drained by Estella's boundless excitement.
“And Edgar's going to be so proud!”
“I'll tuck it in just another half-inch,” the tailo
r explained, getting to her feet, “but don't worry, that won't take too long. I'm not sure about those gloves, though. Would you like to try it without them?”
“No, I'd like to keep them on.”
“But if -”
“I'm keeping the gloves on,” Estella said firmly. “That decision is final.”
“And would you like to come back in a few days' time and try the dress again?”
“Try to stop me!” Estella squealed, turning her back to the woman. “Would you mind?”
As the tailor began to carefully unhook the back of the dress, Kate realized that the morning's adventure might finally be coming to an end. She didn't begrudge Estella any of her excitement, but she felt that something seemed to have changed overnight. Whereas Estella had been cautious and nervous the day before, now she was bubbly and full of life, almost as if she was trying to compensate for something. Although she hated to be cynical, Kate couldn't shake the feeling that anyone who was so massively enthusiastic must, deep down, be feeling much less certain.
“I still have to pick some shoes,” Estella continued, slipping out of the dress, “and I haven't finalized my hair yet. Oh, there's so much to do! I'm so glad I've got you to help me! I'd die without you, Kate, I'd absolutely die!”
“I'm not sure I -”
“You'll have to come to the hairdresser with me after we're done here,” Estella added, heading over to start putting on her everyday dress. “Oh, and we must stop by the church and speak to Father Gregory, I need to tell him about a few minor changes to the service. I was terribly worried about how I'd make all these decisions without a friend, it's so serendipitous that you showed up when you did. In fact, I'm minded to wonder whether God sent you to help me. Is that silly?”