The Mistresses of Wistmere: A Neo-Gothic Novel

by Rachel Secor

  “Alex,” she whispered, his plea tearing at her heart. She wanted to tell him it was all right, yet she wasn’t ready to betray her feelings for him, even to herself. “Oh, Alex, could it be possible that you would change?”

  “If only you’ll accept my apology. I mean to rededicate my life to you and…”

  Weakening, May-Jewel didn’t want to listen. She didn’t want to love him. She felt abused and betrayed by him. Seeking to clear her head, and not wanting to forgive him too quickly, she left him standing there and hurried down the stairs and out of the manor.

  Hanging his head in defeat, Alex retreated to his room.

  * * *

  Having made a previous arrangement to meet Garth for breakfast, Katherine dressed quickly and hurried down stairs.

  “Good morning,” she said, as she entered the breakfast room.

  “Good morning,” Garth answered, pulling a chair out for her. “I hope you slept well.”

  “Yes, thank you.” She smiled at him as he served her from the sideboard.

  “I thought we might go riding today. Oh, you do ride, don’t you?” He brought his own plate to the table and sat down across from her.

  “Of course, but not very well,” she admitted.

  “Then we’ll have to make sure Brice saddles a gentle mare for you.”

  Their conversion was light and polite, nothing of the previous evening was mentioned, although each felt it keenly. When they had finished eating, Katherine finally told him of Selina and the cottage fire.

  He surprised her by saying, “I know about the cottage fire because I was there. But at the time, I didn’t know that the fire wasn’t real. I saw some smoke and then heard someone scream. You were very near unconscious when I pulled you from the building. It was only later when I returned to examine the place that I found that the whole thing had been staged, that there really wasn’t a fire. I later assumed it was Alex’s doing in an attempt to scare you away from here.”

  “You pulled me out?” She frowned, confused. “How long have you been here at Wistmere? Why didn’t you make your presence known then?” Was he lying to her? Could she not trust him after all? She could feel the anger rising. “If you had stepped forward then with what you knew, I wouldn’t have had to suffer Alex’s insults for he questioned my sanity. And what of Selina?” she asked, her eyes blazing. “Do you know about her too?”

  Nodding, Garth reached to take her hands in his. “Katherine, trust me. I had my reasons for staying hidden. I had to know a few things before I showed myself. You, yourself heard the gossip about Charles. Do you think it escaped me? No. It was easier to investigate if no one knew I was here. And as for Selina, yes, I know a woman of that name. She-”

  Katherine pulled away as if his hands were afire. “You know Selina?”

  “Yes, I know a woman by that name, but she couldn’t possibly be here.”

  “You know Selina?” She repeated, unable to believe what she had heard. A gasp tore from Katherine’s throat and she cried, “You’re no better than your father!” Rising, she ran from the room.

  “Katherine wait, let me explain! It’s not what you think!” Garth pulled the chair out from beneath him to go after her. But by the time he got to the hall, she was gone.

  With Garth’s last words echoing in her ears, she sought refuge in a field of tall grass by the cottage. The sting of the betrayal bore deep into her heart. He was here at the cottage! He knows Selina? What a fool I was to believe in him. What a fool I am to have believed all his lies! All that he told me was said only to get me to weaken and to believe in him, to defend him. What an idiot I am! Tears flowed freely but none of them could wash away the feeling of being used yet once again. She had wanted to believe him to be a genuine, honest man who would erase all the memories of the abuse that she had suffered at the hands of men, starting with Sir Robert. The tears ended and the anger came.

  Rising, Katherine dusted off her dress, wiped her face, and headed down toward the manse. She believed, no, she knew that there was but one man whom she could rely upon, maybe the last decent man in Scotland, Vicar Hawes.

  * * *

  “I be off now,” the old vicar called to David as he opened the door. Spying Katherine heading down the walk, he greeted her, tipping his hat as he called over his shoulder through the open door. “Ye have company.” Then he smiled at her and added, “I be sorrowful but canna stop ta chat. Mrs. Cabe be needn’ comfort and prayer.”

  “Oh, yes… well,” she started to retreat. But then saw David in the hall.

  “Katherine,” he said in greeting as he rolled down his sleeves and straightened his tie.

  Her eyes were drawn to a kitchen towel draped over his shoulder.

  Quickly removing the cloth and tossing it onto a nearby table, he motioned her to enter. “Please come in.”

  “Are you sure that I’m not intruding?” She lingered indecisively near the door.

  “Absolutely sure. You’re just saving me from helping with the breakfast dishes.” He directed her into the drawing room. “Please have a seat,” he motioned to the settee.

  Smiling shyly, Katherine crossed the room and sat down.

  At first the silence wasn’t awkward, just refreshing. But then David became acutely aware of the ticking of the clock upon the mantle. He cleared his throat and then inquired after her health.

  “I’m… I’m fine,” she replied casting her eyes upon the floor.

  Frowning, David rose and went to the door. “Mrs. Hoode, can you come here please?”

  Katherine looked up. The woman’s presence surprised her. She wasn’t aware that the manse had a housekeeper. But, of course, it would with two bachelors living there. David spoke to her and Mrs. Hoode disappeared back down the hallway.

  Reclaiming his seat, the vicar stated, “I’ve asked Mrs. Hoode to make us some tea. Tea always clears one’s thoughts.”

  “I didn’t know you had a housekeeper, but then I don’t know why I should be surprised.”

  “Yes, she’s housekeeper, cook, sometimes surrogate mother, and thank God that we have her, at least three times a week. It’s up to Earnan and me other times, although in order to encourage her to keep coming, I help out whenever I can.”

  Katherine recalled the dish cloth upon his shoulder. She smiled at his humbleness, his willingness to lend a hand.

  “It can’t be easy to be a vicar here,” she began. “There are so many families spread out across the valley.”

  “Indeed, but Earnan and I like the challenge. He’s headed up to the crag just now. Mrs. Cabe is grieving. She lost her husband.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear it. Had she been married long?”

  “I don’t know. They moved here from Stirling about two years ago. Her husband had been a cobbler. I don’t think they remained in one place for very long. I assume the misses thought they might settle down here.”

  “How is that little foreign girl found on the moor doing?” Katherine asked abruptly.

  “She’s improving nicely and, with the Bishop’s connections, we’ve found a position for her in Glasgow. I know the family there very well, and I think she’ll do fine.” He frowned slightly. “She’s a strange child. Although she’s friendly enough, she’s been abused. And she refuses to say how she got here.”

  “Possibly she would rather not think on it.”

  “Perhaps not. Still one can’t help wondering if…” Gazing at Katherine and seeing that she wasn’t really paying attention, he let his words trail off.

  The silence returned. David, who was used to waiting for his troubled parishioners to voice what it was that brought them to his door, sat back and wondered what it was that had brought Katherine. He noted her rather disheveled appearance, not that she was in disarray, he decided, but she had gone off without a hat and gloves. A rather sudden decision had prompted her visit, and he wondered what it could be. But he would wait until she was ready to tell him.

  Five minutes passed before Katherine, whose mi
nd had been going over all the events at Wistmere and how she could muster the courage to talk about them, finally realized that David had stopped speaking. Her gaze flew from the carpet to his face, and she blushed deeply.

  “Oh, I… I am sorry,” she stammered. “Please forgive me for being so rude. I was trying to collect my thoughts and…”

  But David saved her from having to continue. “Don’t think another thing about it. I often find that my visitors seem hesitant at first in telling me of their troubles. It goes with the territory.”

  His smile reassured her.

  “Here ye be,” interrupted Mrs. Hoode, entering with a tray. “I hope ye like scones for that be what I’ve baked.”

  Taking the tray from her arms and placing it on the table, the vicar reassured her that scones would be delightful. “You may leave, Mrs. Hoode. I’ll pour.” Bobbing a curtsey, she left, closing the door softly behind her.

  “Tea?” He asked, offering Katherine a cup.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “I hope that you’ll feel more comfortable after we’ve ‘broken bread’, so to speak, to tell me what it is that brought you here. Scone?”

  Declining, Katherine sipped from her cup hoping to gain some more time. But after David had buttered himself a piece of the quick bread, she realized that she would have to say something or appear very foolish. Putting her cup down, she began, “I needed to… that is… I had hoped you would let me tell you about a few things that have transpired since I arrived here.”

  “You mean aside from finding yourself locked in a tomb?”

  His manner put her at ease, and she laughed lightly. “Yes, aside from that. I’ve… I find myself in somewhat of a strange position. I think someone is trying to kill me.”

  His cup rattled on the saucer, and his demeanor instantly changed from lightheartedness to one of great concern. “What do you mean, someone is trying to kill you? I thought the occurrence in the cemetery was an accident?”

  Taking a deep breath, Katherine told David all that had happened since she returned to Wistmere. Halfway between the telling, he rose and paced before her, a frown permanently creasing his brow. When she finished, he came and knelt beside her.

  “And Garth says that he knew about the fire and about this woman?”

  “Yes.”

  “And what does Mr. Fleming say?”

  “I haven’t told him.”

  “Oh, why not?”

  She hurriedly added, “Because I think he might have something to do with it all.”

  “And you have no idea where this Selina is keeping herself? Or who could be aiding her?”

  Katherine shook her head. “No. May-Jewel and I have been through most of the manor and have found no trace of her.”

  “And Garth, did he seem surprised that she should be here and threatening you?”

  “No… not actually.”

  “Well, did he offer any assistance in locating her?”

  “I–I didn’t give him a chance. I didn’t stay. I was too upset.”

  “Yes, that’s quite understandable.” He took both her hands in his and looked into her now paling face. “I grieve for your suffering. The law must be called upon and, in the meantime, you and Mistress Belwood must stay here at the manse until this awful business is cleared up. You’ll be safer here.”

  “Oh, no,” she slid her hands free. “We couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be proper, staying where there are two men. I mean, even though you’re the vicar, it’s not proper.”

  “But we could get Mrs. Hoode’s oldest to stay here as well. She’s almost seventeen, and I’m sure her mother would approve.”

  Katherine shook her head. “No, I couldn’t just run away. I can’t let fear control me and rob me of everything.”

  “But you could be harmed. It seems that this Selina has stepped up her intentions since the cottage incident. Your sister didn’t know what was in the glass?”

  “No. Could it have been poison?” Tears appeared, making her eyes glisten.

  Pulling Katherine to her feet, David held her hands tightly in his against his chest. “I really wish you’d reconsider my offer. I couldn’t live with myself if you were harmed in any way. These events have caused me to admit something to you that I might otherwise have taken some time to reveal.” His eyes looked deeply into hers. “I must tell you how much you mean to me, how much I have come to respect you. To admire you.”

  Sliding her hands free again, she turned from him. His soft words had done more to disarm her than any of the fear she had suffered from, and her tears flowed silently down her face. She knew that, in her present state of mind, if she looked at him, she would lose what little composure she had. “You’ve been so kind, and you’ve been more than a friend,” she admitted quietly. “I appreciate your words more than I can ever say.”

  Still sensing the wall that she had forced up between them, he took her by the shoulders and turned her gently around. “Katherine, I know what kind of life you’ve had up until now.” Her questioning look made him admit the truth. “I asked Earnan to tell me what he knew about your childhood and your mother. No,” he raised her chin so that her eyes would meet his, “you have nothing to be ashamed of. It was all Robert Craig. I hope he was shriven before he met the Lord for he had much to atone for. I know you’re upset about being here and remembering how things were between your mother and your father. But don’t let the darkness of your father’s actions color your perception of what a relationship… a marriage… can be really like. It’s a wonderful thing between those who love each other.”

  His tender smile broke through the granite that had encased her heart for so long. Could there really be such love, she wondered. Dare she hope so? Yes, she decided as she took in the warmth of his touch and the sincerity of his words. Taking his pro-offered handkerchief, she dried her eyes and wondered if she could really be loved and, in return, could love another.

  Chapter Twelve

  It seemed strange for May-Jewel to be alone though she welcomed the solitude. Being at Wistmere had brought so much of the past to the surface of her mind. Most were pleasant remembrances divulged during lighter moments with Katherine. But lately sifting through the fog of time came bits and pieces of the memory of her mother’s death. Suddenly while strolling alone, she felt she could finally face the long suppressed reality of that event. There lay in her heart deeply buried guilt alongside her sorrow, guilt of youthful decisions, advice not taken, orders not complied with.

  As May-Jewel wandered on toward the garden, her heart begged her mind to take some blame in dealing with the tragedy of Angelique’s demise. For if May-Jewel had been there, if she had left Boston and joined her mother and aunt, perhaps her being there would have changed the frightful events. A simple summons to come to Florida for the Easter week was ignored as the annual spring ball in Boston couldn’t be missed. It was the beginning of the social season. Finally being of the age to attend such an affair, May-Jewel was determined not to miss it, and she thought Angelique’s anger over such a “disobedient daughter” would pass by summer and all would be right between them.

  Remorse fully enveloped May-Jewel as her gaze lowered from the sky to the crushed grass beneath her feet. The letter from her Aunt Constance loomed before her mind. She had memorized every word written half in tears, half in ink. The words still burned in her heart. It started:

  My Dear Little Jewel,

  It grieves me to tell you that a fire has ravaged my home and has taken from this world your dear Mother, my sweetest sister. I can’t tell you in this communication how deeply saddened I am. We must bury your Mother before you can arrive, but please hurry down to me as I suffer greatly from this loss.

  I send on to you your great-grandmother’s gold necklace that your Mother meant for you to have. Write me of your arrangements concerning your travel here.

  Affectionately,

  Aunt Constance

  Angelique’s gold necklace lay cold around May-Jewel’s neck
. She ran her fingers over its delicate surface. She had made a bad decision, but wasn’t that what youth was for? And now she realized that there wasn’t anything she could have done even if she had been there. Aunt Constance’s description of the tragedy left little for May-Jewel to contend with because even the men on the estate hadn’t been able to save her mother. What could a young girl have done? May-Jewel let a healing flood of tears begin to free her from the feelings of guilt. The release was long overdue. She knew that she might never get over the death of her mother, but at least now she could remember her without such deep self-condemnation.

  The afternoon sun smothered the countryside with warmth. May-Jewel was drawn to the shade of the gazebo’s tilted vine-covered roof. With Alex staying out of her sight, it was easy for her thoughts now to dwell on Jeremy. She wondered what he was doing. Did he miss her? Did he even think of her? May-Jewel looked up and was surprised to see Katherine moving toward her.

  “So this is where you’ve been hiding,” her sister said as she entered the gazebo and sat down next to her. “I have so much to tell you.”

  May-Jewel listened with great interest as Katherine related all that had transpired between her and Garth, and her run to the manse. Katherine withheld, however, the intimate conversation with the vicar.

  “But,” May-Jewel questioned, “didn’t Garth ever get around to telling you who Selina is?”

  “Well, it’s obvious who she is and what she means to him.”

  “It’s not obvious to me! Oh, Katherine, I fear you’ve made too hasty a judgment about Garth.”

  Katherine frowned. Had she made a mistake? Had she misjudged Garth? She sighed. “I don’t know what to think now. It was just the intimate way he said her name, as if she were a natural part of his life. I accused him of being just like his father in his deceit.”

  “Oh, Katherine, you didn’t!” May-Jewel shook her head. “You don’t know anything about men, do you?”

  “You make it sound as if men were a subject to be learned at school.”