‘But,’ I prompt.
‘But there’s an earlier version. The one you quoted outside, Verity.’
‘How much earlier?’
‘Do you know any other lines?’ Jayne asks in lieu of answering my question.
‘Er, let me see. One for sorrow, two for mirth, three for a funeral, four for birth. Umm, five for Heaven, six for Hell, seven for the Devil, his own self.’
‘If seven’s for the Devil, what’s a whole flock of them for?’ Lara asks.
‘Parliament,’ I correct. They ignore me.
‘Well,’ Jayne says. ‘There are a couple of older versions as well, but that one ... That one, according to Wikipedia ...’ she tails off.
‘Just say it, Jayne.’ I think I know what she’s going to say and feel almost resigned to it.
‘The one you just recited was published in a book of proverbs and popular sayings—’
‘When?’
‘1846.’
‘When Harry and Martha lived,’ I say.
‘Hmm.’
‘It means nothing,’ Lara says, hugging a tearful Hannah. ‘It’s coincidence, that’s all. It’s a common verse and there are all sorts of versions.’
‘Yes, well said, Lara,’ Jayne says. ‘We’re letting fear and imagination take over. Enough of that. Lara, will you get the champagne? It’s time to celebrate Verity’s homecoming, not worry about creepy old nursery rhymes.’
7.
‘Off to bed now, Hans,’ Lara says. ‘They’ll be here soon.’
‘Aw, can’t I stay up a bit longer, Mummy? Say goodnight to Mo and Vikram too?’
Lara rests her hands on her hips and regards her daughter with pursed lips. ‘All right. But just half an hour.’
Jayne and I exchange a glance at the theatre of Hannah’s bedtime routine.
‘An hour.’
‘Half.’
‘Half an hour, then TV.’ Hannah grins, knowing she’s won when the knock at the door interrupts negotiations and her mother winks at her.
‘I’ll get it,’ Jayne motions at me to stay on my chair. She’s been warning me all day not to overdo it. And whilst frustrating, I’m beginning to appreciate her concern. We’ve been preparing for tonight all day, and every muscle in my body hurts. I’m looking forward to a fun, relaxing evening with my friends.
‘Evening,’ I say, greeting Vikram and Mo with a smile.
Mo crosses the room to Lara to give her a quick kiss, then crouches in front of Hannah.
I crane my neck to look behind Vikram, but no one else is with them. I’m not surprised at his absence, only at the sense of loss I feel.
I glance back at Mo as Hannah erupts into giggles, and my smile becomes genuine once again as I catch the glance that passes between Mo and Lara. I haven’t seen Lara look so happy for a very long time.
I turn my attention back to Jayne as she asks Vikram, ‘No William?’
He shrugs. ‘We invited him, and he may turn up.’
‘Or he may not,’ Mo butts in.
Vikram pushes his lower lip up in a scowl. ‘Aye. It’s hard to know with him at the moment. But if he don’t turn up, he’ll be missing out by the smell of it.’
‘A proper roast,’ I say, trying to ignore the subject of William. ‘Roast Yorkshire lamb, veg and potatoes, homemade mint sauce, the works. What would you like to drink?’
‘Don’t you dare wait on them, Verity. They know where the kitchen is, they can help themselves.’
‘Should do, we built it,’ Vikram jokes and points Mo toward the kitchen door.
‘You’re not the boss tonight, Vik, it’s your turn to get the drinks in,’ Mo retorts. The uneasy formality collapses and the atmosphere lightens.
Jayne goes with him to choose a bottle of wine for us and I wonder if they’re trying to hide something from me. I give myself a mental shake – being stuck inside for so long is playing with my head, they probably just want a moment alone.
‘I’ve basted the lamb,’ Jayne says when they emerge laden with glasses and bottles. ‘It’s nearly there so I’ve taken it out to rest while the veg and spuds finish off.’
‘Thanks, Jayne,’ I say as I accept a glass of red.
‘How are you feeling, Verity?’ Vikram asks. ‘I can’t see any crutches, are you getting about easier?’
‘Yes, thank goodness! I still need crutches on the stairs, but I can walk on the flat now without too much pain. I just need a stick by afternoon, and I’m getting stronger every day.’
‘You’ll be back to normal in no time,’ Lara says.
‘Yes, it’s scary, though, just how quickly muscles deteriorate, and how hard it is to get back into condition.’
‘You’ll be fine once you’re open,’ Mo says. ‘Running up and down all those stairs all day will get and keep you fit.’
I laugh. ‘You can say that again!’
‘Have you had any more thoughts about when to open?’ Vikram asks. ‘You were hoping to be up and running soon.’ He flinches at Jayne’s elbow jab then realises what he’s said and gives me an embarrassed smile with gritted teeth. ‘So to speak.’
I laugh again. ‘Very true – in all sorts of ways! I’m taking up Lara’s offer of help, and am planning on a soft opening just after Easter, no fuss. Hopefully if I start slowly and build, I’ll be able to manage.’
‘That sounds sensible. Shame though, I was looking forward to a big opening party.’
‘We can always have one of those later in the year – midsummer or something,’ Lara says.
‘Has anything else ... odd ... happened?’ Mo asks.
‘No, thank goodness. All quiet.’
‘That’s good,’ Vikram says. ‘Maybe it’s over.’
‘Maybe,’ I say. ‘Hope so.’
‘I’m going up to my room now, Mum. ’Night, everyone,’ Hannah says.
‘Of course, Hans. Just remember, half an hour of TV, then lights out.’
Hannah nods, wends her way around the room to bestow goodnight kisses, then disappears up the staircase.
‘Is she all right?’ Vikram asks.
Lara sighs. ‘Not really. She was scared when Verity and William were in the hospital, but she’s dealing with it. I’ll go up and check on her in a few minutes.’
No one knows what to say, and we all jump at a knock on the door.
Vikram shoots to his feet. ‘I’ll get it.’
‘Mate, you made it!’ he exclaims, then stands aside to allow William access.
He moves a few steps forwards, then stops, looking unnerved at being the centre of attention. ‘Hi,’ he says. ‘I-I thought it was time ... and with the lads being here too ...’ he tails off again after glancing at Vikram and Mo.
‘Welcome, William,’ I say and get to my feet. ‘It’s good to see you. What would you like to drink?’
‘Black Sheep if you’ve got it, please.’
‘I’ll get it,’ Jayne says. ‘I need to check on the veg anyway.’
‘Come and sit down, mate,’ Vikram says. ‘What’s that?’
‘Oh, I thought, well ...’ William stops, then looks at me. ‘It’s a housewarming present. I started working on it months ago, before ... well, you know. Before you even bought this place. I-I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it before, but, well, you know ...’
He turns the large picture frame and I gasp, then stare at the painting. I’m standing at the top of a stone flight of steps. Steps I recognise. Steps that are no longer there, but once rose up the wall to my back to the weaver’s gallery. The last image Harry would have seen.
8.
‘That was delicious,’ Vikram says as he pushes his chair away from the table to give his belly a bit more room. ‘Can’t beat a proper homemade apple pie.’
I catch the glance between Jayne and Lara and hide my smile. I wonder which supermarket it came from, whichever one it was would be seeing a sharp rise in apple pie sales.
‘Would anyone like coffee or are you happy on wine?’
I catch ano
ther glance between my two best friends and my heart sinks. Now what are they planning?
‘Let’s stick to alcohol,’ Lara says. ‘At least till we show you this.’
‘Show me what?’
‘You remember the CCTV Sparkly had such fun and games installing?’ Vikram asks.
I nod, though in truth had forgotten all about it until now.
‘While you were in the hospital we—’
‘We watched it,’ Lara cuts Vikram off. ‘We needed to find any clues at all about what happened, why both of you fell unconscious that night.’
‘And you found something?’
‘I’ll say we did,’ Mo butts in.
‘It’s all set up behind reception to play back,’ Jayne adds. ‘Do you want to see it?’
I glance at William as he flicks his gaze to me, and as one we push our chairs back and move towards Reception.
‘I think that’s a yes,’ Vikram says, smiling at Jayne.
Our friends gather around us, and I take hold of the mouse.
‘You just need to click there.’ Vikram points to the arrow icon.
***
Lara leads the way out of my living area into camera shot, Jayne hot on her heels, Vikram doing his best to protect them with the chair.
‘Where’s Verity?’
‘And William?’
The three look at each other in terror, then Vikram draws a deep breath, warns Lara and Jayne to stay back and opens the door a crack.
Squinting, peering into the dim room, he steps back in surprise and the door swings open, presenting a view of the living and dining area.
The birds have all found a perch, covering almost every surface – except for one area around the table, an area they all seem to be watching; maybe guarding.
William and I are in a heap on the floor, clutching each other, neither moving, with two orbs spinning and dancing above us.
‘Will? Will, mate, can you hear me?’ Vikram edges into the room, but the birds hold their perches.
Jayne and Lara follow, calling my name.
I don’t answer, and the birds don’t take flight.
***
‘Rewind that, will you?’ William says, leaning forward on his seat. ‘What just happened there?’
‘Did you see it too, Verity?’ Lara asks.
Shocked into silence by what I saw, I nod.
Jayne rewinds the footage, saying, ‘Lara saw it straight away, I had to rewatch it a couple of times before I could see.’
She clicks on Play, and we lean forward as far as we can to get the best view of the screen.
***
The orbs whirling and dancing above us part, then disappear. One zooms into William’s chest, and the other into my forehead. They do not reappear.
Vikram reaches our prone bodies and shakes William’s shoulder.
No reaction.
He places two fingers on William’s neck.
‘There’s a pulse. Verity too, but they’re not responding. I think you’d better call for an ambulance.’
9.
‘Well that was less than subtle,’ William says as the two couples make their excuses and go upstairs.
‘Not really.’ I laugh.
‘No,’ he agrees. ‘Well, at least things are starting to make sense now, kind of.’
‘Yes, that footage is pretty unequivocal. Those orbs were Harry and Martha.’
‘Must have been. But why would they do this to us?’
I have no answer for that, and we sit in awkward silence while we both scrabble for something to say.
‘She did finish Wuthering Heights, you know. Martha,’ I say, at last.
‘Did she?’
‘She knew she got it wrong, jumped to false conclusions. That you, that Harry, wasn’t Heathcliff.’
‘Hmm.’
‘She never forgave herself.’
‘Good.’
‘She was terrified of losing Harry; of what might be. Life was so fragile back then.’
‘Still is.’
I pause, wondering how to draw William out and get him talking. ‘Who do you think it was?’
‘What?’
‘That Emily loved so fiercely.’
William smiled. ‘Emily did everything fiercely, why not love too?’
‘But who?’ I persist.
‘I reckon it wasn’t a who at all, she certainly didn’t love Harry like that. I reckon it was a what, a where.’
Confused, I pull a face. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘I mean, that’s how she loved the moors: intensely, passionately, with deep abandon, even when the weather closed in, and when they turned on her and nearly killed her. Remember the bog burst?’
I nod.
‘It never stopped her going back up there. The animals she helped – saved from the moors – they hurt her sometimes, bit or clawed her, but she never minded.’
‘And when she was away from the moors, she got ill,’ I say, remembering.
‘Aye, she used to say that if she was ever forced to live anywhere else, she would die.’
‘No wonder she never married.’
‘She was only thirty when she died, she had time yet.’
‘Not in those days,’ I remind him. ‘People married young ’cause they died young too, especially in Haworth.’
‘Aye, you’ve a point there.’
‘Heath,’ I say. ‘It’s another word for moor.’
‘Aye, and there are a few cliffs up there too.’ William grins. ‘She did things her own way, did Emily. One of a kind, that girl, always was.’
We lapse into silence.
I regard him for a few moments, but he doesn’t meet my gaze. I decide to tackle this head on.
‘You’re scared to be alone with me, aren’t you?’
‘No. Well, yes, a little bit. I look at you and can see Martha, standing at the top of those stairs, staring after me. It’s ... bewildering, and frightening. History has a habit of repeating itself.’
‘It’s already tried, and failed,’ I admit. ‘It’s done, history is history.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Antony.’ I reply, then heave a breath to bolster my resolve. ‘When I found out about what he was up to ...’ I falter, and William reaches out to take my hand. He meets my eyes, and I decide to believe in the encouragement and reassurance I see there.
‘When I found out about the other women, the catfishing.’ I pause again, then sigh. I have to do this or it will never go away. ‘I was so hurt, so angry. I felt so betrayed, so humiliated, I wanted to kill him. No!’ I reach out to keep hold of William’s suddenly withdrawn hand. ‘Hear me out.’
I take another deep breath, then caress the back of William’s hand with my thumb.
‘I didn’t. He was right there, at the top of the stairs, just like Harry and Martha.’
‘But you didn’t push?’ William interrupts.
I meet his eyes again. ‘Not only that, but I used every ounce of willpower I possessed to not push him.’
‘Is that supposed to reassure me?’
‘Yes. Don’t you see? I’m not Martha. I haven’t lived her life. I fought against the hurt and betrayal. I fought the instinct to push. I am not a killer.’
William gazes into my face, unnerving me with his close scrutiny. ‘But you were scared you could be.’
My features crumple and tears spill. ‘Terrified,’ I confess. ‘For an instant, for one terrible instant, I really considered doing it. I could have said he’d tripped and no one would have known I had it in me to kill. He’s a clumsy bastard, I could have got away with it.’ My voice had reduced to a whisper.
‘But you didn’t, did you?’
No. Not said, just a shape formed by my lips.
‘Then you’re not a killer.’
I can’t speak or meet his eyes any longer.
He grasps my hand now. Hard.
‘Don’t you see, Verity?’
‘What?’
‘That�
��s what this is all about. We know from your father’s name that you’re related to Martha somehow.’
‘So I have a murder gene, is that what you’re saying?’
‘No, dammit!’ William takes a calming breath, sits back down after his explosive words, and places his hands on his knees after I pull away from him.
‘You were given the same test, don’t you see? And you passed. Where Martha didn’t. You’ve just not accepted that because the “could have” is so strong in your conscience; it stopped you accepting that the important thing is that you didn’t push.’
‘What?’ I’m thoroughly confused now.
‘You didn’t kill Antony, despite what he did and how much you wanted to,’ William explains. ‘You didn’t kill him, Verity, you are not a killer.’
‘But I came so close!’
‘And didn’t do it. And Martha came back to make you understand that.’
I stare at him, starting to accept what he’s saying.
‘You’re not a killer, Verity,’ he repeats.
‘No. No, I’m not am I?’ I laugh – a strange, strangled sound, but a laugh of relief all the same. ‘I didn’t kill him. I really, really wanted to, but – I didn’t,’ I add quickly, seeing the alarm in William’s eyes. ‘I didn’t push.’
William smiles at me, and I sit back, my body feeling weak, as if I would crumple.
The fear and self-loathing that has been keeping me upright since that morning suddenly drains away. ‘I’m not a killer, I’m not that person.’
William moves closer, tentatively it has to be said, but forward propulsion all the same. He pulls his chair along, until he’s as close as he can be without sitting on my lap, and wraps his arms around me.
I pull back.
‘I understand now why Martha came, why she’s been here, but what about Harry? He’s been with you – there were definitely two orbs – why? And why did they push Jayne and attack Antony?’
‘My guess is it was Martha who did both of those – she was the one who let anger get the better of her, who lashed out.’ William takes my hand as he speaks and rubs his thumb over my skin.
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