Oxford Shadows

by Croslydon, Marion

  Fear propelled Madison across the study in a panic. “Are you okay?” It wasn’t the twenty-fifth yet.

  A contented smile spread across Camilla’s face. “I’m fine. The baby moved, that’s all. She’s kicking like crazy since I fell. I guess it’s a good sign.”

  “Yes.” If anything happened to this child, it would be on Madison’s head.

  “Give me your hand. You can feel it too.”

  Camilla didn’t wait for Madison to decline the offer. She took hold of her hand and placed it gently on her stomach. The rumbling and tumbling brushing underneath her hand was unlike anything Madison had felt before. She was about to give in to the natural cooing when the baby girl gave one more kick, and Madison’s world turned to the darkness of Liliana’s.

  Death was a new beginning. Indeed.

  What I failed to have with Henry in my native Florence has now been given to me. Four centuries later. In a different lifetime, a different country. His own: England. My patience has been rewarded and fate has given me another chance. This time I will know how to keep Henry.

  “I can feel the baby moving. Give me your hand.” Happiness gives a bounce to my words. A child at last. His child.

  “This boy is going to be a first-class rugby player.”

  “What makes you think it’s going to be a boy? I’ve always dreamed of having a little girl.”

  We have been teasing each other since the moment I told him I was expecting. I hear myself giggling. I could never have hoped for my expectations to be exceeded as they have been in this lifetime. I did not try and get pregnant, but this miracle happened. He proposed and now we are about to be married.

  I tilt my head backward to let the rays of the sun warm my face. We are sitting at the edge of the fountain, in the center of the quad. Mercury is looking down at me.

  Henry smiles.

  18

  IT’S SO KIND OF YOU to walk me back to my car,” Camilla said. She hadn’t noticed how Madison had freaked out when she touched Camilla’s pregnant belly.

  They stepped out into Tom Quad and Camilla appeared to revel in its beauty. She remained immobile, her face turned upwards.

  “This place is so grand and so full of history.” Her eyes settled on Madison. “I always feel somewhat inadequate because I didn’t study here, while … while Hugo’s first wife did. They met while they were students here, did you know that?”

  Madison nodded.

  “Anyway, that’s all in the past. Maybe the little one will fulfill my dreams and follow in her father’s footsteps.” Camilla patted her belly and started to walk.

  Together they passed under Great Tom and reached St. Aldate’s.

  “Where’s your car?” Madison asked, looking for the chauffeur-driven Bentley she had seen Camilla in before.

  Camilla frowned, scanning the street for a sign of her oh-so-not-discreet car.

  “There, it’s coming. The chauffeur couldn’t park legally so he’s been driving around while I’ve been with you.”

  Madison escorted Camilla to the zebra crossing so the woman could get to the other side of the street where the Bentley awaited her. The chauffeur had already stepped out and was running around it so the door would be open when Lady Camilla arrived.

  “It was lovely to see you, Madison. I’ll count on you and Rupert this Saturday.” And, out of the blue, Camilla gave Madison a double-warm girlfriend kiss on each cheek.

  Pregnancy had definitely humanized the woman.

  Camilla started crossing the road, her walk closer to a normal pregnant waddling than the cat-like walk she had displayed until now. Madison smiled at the sight. Maybe the stilettos would have to go until after the birth. She was about to step back onto the sidewalk when the noise of wheels screeching on the tarmac pulled her attention away. It came from her right. A black sedan had veered into the middle of the road. The screeching amplified as the driver pressed down hard on the accelerator, propelling the car forward.

  Madison’s gaze swung back to Camilla, who stood frozen in the middle of the street, her eyes glued in terror to the rapidly approaching car.

  “Move!” Madison shouted. “Get out of the way.”

  But the woman was rooted to the goddamned road, and the car wasn’t slowing down. In a flash Madison threw herself toward Camilla and grabbed her shoulders. She forced the pregnant woman to the other side of the street. Madison felt the air rushing behind her where the crazy car drove by … without slowing down … without stopping to check on them.

  “Oh my God. Oh my God,” Camilla kept panting. “I can’t believe it.”

  Madison’s attention left the rear of the sedan and landed on Camilla. “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” The whole street must have been able to hear her own heartbeat. Camilla straightened up at the same time as the chauffeur reached them.

  “I think I’m fine.” Her hands probed her stomach. “I can’t believe what just happened. It’s as if he wanted to kill me.” Madison heard the tears in Camilla’s voice. “You saved me. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t pushed me out of his way.”

  Madison’s stomach dropped. She knew. Camilla and the baby would be dead. The threat was real. Henry had some “hired” help in the twenty-first century. An accomplice? Or maybe Henry lived again.

  “Are you sure it wasn’t an accident?” Ollie asked again.

  “Duh, the car sped up the closer it came to us. It didn’t even stop after almost running us over. No, the guy driving it wanted Camilla and the baby real dead.” Madison quickened her pace as they turned the corner of Tom Quad and hurried toward the Cathedral.

  “Still, shouldn’t we wait for nighttime to do our little magic trick?” Ollie kept scanning their surroundings, expecting to be overheard or spied on.

  “They lock the cathedral down at night and I need to be where I saw Henry the first time. There might be some lingering energy there.”

  When they entered the cathedral the place was empty and almost dark as the late afternoon light filtered through the stained-glass windows. Silence filled the building and tempered Madison’s agitation. She clenched Mamie’s little book to her chest and shut her eyes.

  Breathe in. Breathe out.

  “Plus the vision I had earlier today, when I touched Camilla … It took place here in Christ Church. I recognized the statue of Mercury in Tom Quad. I saw their clothing and I heard Liliana’s thoughts. Henry and Liliana also lived in the twentieth century, or even the twenty-first, and their fate was linked to this college.”

  Ollie came and stood by her side. “Well, it would make sense since Christ Church was founded by no other than Henry VIII.”

  Madison nodded. She waved toward a darker corner of the cathedral. “Let’s go over there. Hopefully no one will notice our chanting and humming.”

  Ollie grimaced and again looked around. “Let’s hope not. The year’s almost done and I’d like not to be kicked out of this venerable institution.”

  “We won’t be.”

  Madison assessed the few square feet around her. It would do. She sat down Indian-style on the cold stone and laid the book in front of her, then extracted the items she had packed in her satchel: Mamie’s gris-gris, a rosary and a delicate handkerchief. She unfolded the handkerchief, and unveiled the delicate stem and petals of a white lily.

  Ollie nodded toward the flower. “You’re lucky they’re in season.”

  “Yes. They don’t come cheap, though.” Madison laid the lily next to the book and settled her palms flat on her thighs. “But I hope it’ll attract Liliana and make her feel welcome.”

  “So we’re going to bypass Henry?”

  “Yes. I’ve seen all my visions until now through Liliana’s eyes.” Madison shuffled as the cold sensation from the stone underneath her butt distracted her. “She’s trying to tell a story. Hopefully she can give me a clue as to how Henry intends to hurt Camilla. Or whoever he might be nowadays.”

  Madison didn’t want to talk more about her intentions.
They weren’t even completely clear to her, and were more of a spur-of-the-moment decision. The thought of what could have been if she hadn’t pushed Camilla out of the car’s way made her heartbeat break into a sprint.

  Ollie kept standing by her side, not joining her on the ground.

  “You don’t have to stay, you know. I can’t promise you it’s safe. Actually, it’s most likely not.”

  “You dummy,” he said and landed next to her. “We’re in this together. Anyway, I can’t stand the idea of how dull my life would be now without all this drama.”

  “Thank you,” Madison said in a whisper.

  She grabbed the rosary and played with a small bead between her fingers. The contact comforted her. “So we’re going to start with a few Hail Marys. You’ll just have to follow my lead.” She opened Mamie’s book to the page she had marked earlier in her bedroom. “Then we’ll read this prayer. It’s intended to call up spirits.”

  “I take it you’ve never tried this before.”

  “Not yet. But the last time I called a spirit, it worked, and I learned some valuable lessons.”

  It had been with Jackson when she had invoked the spirit of the Cavalier. She had to believe in herself, in her powers. Madison closed her eyes and emptied her mind, her senses tuned toward the silence of the holy place. And she began:

  Hail Mary, full of grace.

  Our Lord is with thee.

  With Ollie as a backing singer, Madison went through ten Hail Marys. By the time she was finished, a quietness had settled inside her, her muscles were relaxed, her breathing steady. She seized the lily, stood and signaled for Ollie to do the same. Now came the moment of truth. She cleared her throat and checked the words of the prayer one last time.

  Our beloved Liliana,

  We bring you gifts from life …

  She extended her arm, with her palm facing upward, the lily resting on top of it.

  … into death.

  Commune with us and move among us.

  The space ahead of her, no more than ten yards away, split in two. Broad shoulders emerged from the void, then the full width of a body. A man.

  “Oh shit! Henry …” Madison stepped back. That so wasn’t supposed to happen.

  Fear froze her thoughts for a couple of seconds, while Henry—the young Henry she had seen at the concert and in the portrait at Hampton Court—slowly moved toward her. His eyes didn’t free her from their grip.

  His voice echoed, “You’re wrong. You’re wrong.”

  “Do something, Madison,” Ollie begged. “I don’t know what’s going on, but freaking do something.”

  Henry was there, in flesh and blood … almost. It was now or never.

  Staring back at her open hands, she called upon the energy stored inside her and directed it downward. A small ball of fire nestled in her palms, swirling and revolving, gradually growing larger and larger.

  When the ball reached its full size, she bent both her arms and hurled the twin weapons of fire toward Henry. They lashed at his torso and rebounded back at her, their speed doubling on their return journey.

  They knocked her backward into the hard stone wall of the cathedral. She was winded and gasped for breath; through her blurred vision she could see only the hazy image of the vaulted ceiling of the cathedral.

  “Maddie! Maddie!” Ollie had knelt by her side. “Is he gone?”

  “He escaped.” She felt the tears run down her cheeks. “I totally screwed up.”

  19

  THERE HAD BEEN some improvements since the last time Madison pedaled to Jackson’s place. Today she wasn’t panting when she knocked at his door; her fitness regime was starting to pay off.

  As soon as she had come back to her room from the cathedral, Madison had called her tutor. He didn’t answer, but she wasn’t going to wait until their scheduled meeting the next day. What she had learned was too disturbing, too confusing. Only Jackson could help her figure out how to interpret her vision. She had suffered through an entire class at the Faculty of History, then rushed straight to Jackson’s.

  This time he was dressed when he opened the door, a variation on her last visit. With some luck, his girlfriend wouldn’t be around.

  “Madison.” Flat tone. Pinched lips.

  Hmm, maybe the Lady Elizabeth is around after all. In the afternoon? Seriously, they were at it all the freaking time.

  “I tried to call. I need to talk to you. You’re busy?” Her speech was choppy.

  Jackson stared at her. His features were tense. But she hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet.

  “Come in.” His heart wasn’t in the invitation. He had already retreated down the corridor that led to the living room.

  She followed, curiosity quickening her steps. Jackson looked back at her, then walked sideways, gradually revealing someone else standing in the center of the room.

  Louise.

  “What are you doing here?” Madison didn’t bother with any greeting. She had never introduced Louise to Jackson; she hadn’t even mentioned where he lived.

  Her question was met by a charged silence. Glances ping-ponged between her aunt and her tutor. What the hell? Madison moved further into the living room. Her face turned back and forth between them.

  “Can one of you answer?” She didn’t add “please.”

  “Your aunt is concerned about the influence I have on you.” Jackson looked directly at Madison.

  Louise let out a breath that rattled her lips. “So should I be,” she said to Jackson. “You’re using your position to indulge the crush you have on my niece.”

  Anger tingled up the back of Madison’s neck and swept across her face. She managed to control her rushed breathing before opening her mouth. “That’s not true. Jackson never …” She was twenty-two, for crying out loud. “Even if it were, it’s none of your business.”

  Louise’s posture stiffened, but it was Jackson who charged on. “The truth is that your aunt is worried about what I might say about the plans she has for you.”

  Madison’s eyes shot back to Jackson. “How do you know about that?”

  “Your teacher is very well informed. Don’t you find that a bit suspicious?” Louise’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

  “Suspicious? I wonder what your bishop would say if he were aware of your involvement in a sect.” Jackson’s head tilted forward, his eyes drilling into Louise’s frail silhouette.

  Madison took two steps to stand midway between the two of them. She extended her arms forward, palms facing upward. “The two of you, stop it. What I do wonder is how you both know so much about each other.”

  They didn’t provide an answer, but a truce seemed to descend on the scene. Sort of. The opponents circled around in their respective halves of the room as if they were recharging their ammunition. One thing Madison was certain of: she couldn’t deal with more drama in her life. Camilla’s rounded belly shot back into her mind. Camilla was her priority. Rupert’s unborn baby sister was her priority. The clock was ticking and, God was her witness, Madison wouldn’t let anyone or anything stand in her way.

  “I can’t deal with this right now.” She buried her face in her hands, rubbed her itchy eyes and let out a groan of frustration. “I need help. From both of you. I can’t let anyone else die like Pippa.” Tears welled up in her eyes. Whether it was PMS or she was turning into a wimp, she didn’t know. Crying with an audience was so not her, but it was the second time in two days she had performed the same show. Pathetic.

  Jackson gently took hold of her shoulders. The pressure of his fingers softened the turmoil inside her. He bent down so that their eyes met. “That wasn’t your fault.”

  No matter how many times she heard the same words, she would never believe them. She shook her head.

  Her aunt butted in. “You can’t trust him, Madison.”

  The warning startled Madison, but only managed to stir her blood. “Jackson has been there for me every step of the way. You’ll have to get used to him because he’s staying
in my life.”

  Normally Madison would never have dreamed of talking back to her aunt. Her mom yes, all the time, but her aunt no. Bernadette would take it with a shrug and give it straight back, but Louise was the sole figure of authority in Madison’s life. Shoving it in her face was a big deal.

  A muffled vibration echoed throughout the room and sliced through the tension. Jackson pulled his cell out of the front pocket of his jeans and checked the caller ID. A crease appeared between his eyebrows. “I’m sorry, I have to take this call.”

  When he left the room, Madison marched straight to her aunt. “Why are you doing this to me? I have a life here, people who love me. You want me to end up totally alone again. Sam, Rupert, now Jackson … you’re on a mission.”

  Louise winced and fingered the cross hanging from her neck. “That’s not true.” Her voice broke. “I’m only trying to protect you.”

  “Protect me? By vacuuming my friends out of my life?”

  “By discouraging those who have ulterior motives.”

  “That’s insane.”

  “If you don’t believe me, then check his desk drawer.” Louise nodded toward the solid desk that stood in the opposite corner.

  “I’m not going to invade his privacy.”

  “He has no concern for yours.”

  Madison felt a furrow wrinkling her own forehead.

  “Go on. Check what he keeps inside. You’ll thank me afterwards.”

  Louise’s confidence unsettled Madison, whose gaze was now on the piece of furniture she hadn’t paid much attention to until then. She shouldn’t, she really shouldn’t. Foraging in Jackson’s papers had misled her once before.

  Shame wrapped around her heart when she headed toward the desk anyway. She hated herself for giving more weight to her aunt’s word than to Jackson’s. Her shaking fingers pulled the central drawer open to reveal a stack of black-and-white photographs. She took them out. One of her hands flew to cover her mouth while her eyes were glued to the picture on top of the pile. Quickly she flicked through the dozen or so shots taken with a long lens. They were surveillance pictures.