Lady Arabella

by W. H. Cann

The storm intensified during the night, the lightning was spectacular and the thunder was deafening. William thought it was the worst storm he had ever heard, and to him, it sounded as if the earth was being rent apart. Few people slept well that night, including the two archaeologists, who passed away the time reading or chatting about the abbey.

  The storm finally eased at about three o’clock in the morning, but it was eerily quiet despite the wind. William looked out of the window. The clouds were thinning quickly, a few stars appeared in the breaks, and he swore he saw an owl flying toward the abbey. He shivered, realising how cold it was in the bedroom, so he returned to bed.

  Despite the disturbed night, the few hours’ sleep they managed to get was beneficial. William felt quite fresh and rested when he awoke in the morning, and was ready for a good day of walking and exploring. He opened the window and breathed deeply. The air smelt fresh, unlike in the city where they lived, which always seemed to be stale. The sky was clear of clouds, and the sun was just appearing above the horizon; the promise of a dry and sunny day ahead.

  Eloise appeared at his side, put her arm around him and shuddered as the crisp cool air blew over her bare flesh. She kissed him on the neck, and then rested her head on his shoulder. “It seems as if it’s going to be a lovely day, so we might get something worthwhile done after all.”

  “It is indeed, and we might just do that.” William turned around, put his arm around her shoulders and held her tightly. She shivered again. “However much I love holding you tight when you’re wearing so little, don’t you think you’d better get dressed before you catch a chill?”

  She pulled away and thumped her husband playfully on the shoulder. “If I didn’t know you so well, I’d think you were more interested in breakfast than you are in me.”

  William crossed his arms. “Well, when a full English breakfast is on the menu, can you blame me?” he said smiling.

  Eloise hit him again, turned and stormed off to get dressed, but was not fast enough. William managed to land a light slap on her bare buttocks making her yelp. She rubbed her sore flesh and said: “I’ll get you back for that.”

  “Not if I get you first,” he said and laughed as she poked her tongue out.

  Fifteen minutes later, the two were enjoying a full cooked breakfast and a large pot of tea, which was a small treat they usually indulged in when staying away from home. While drinking their third cup of tea, they talked about their plans for the day, although neither of them mentioned ghosts or Lady Arabella.

  When the clock in the dining room chimed nine o’clock, William suggested they make a move. Returning to their room, they collected the few things required and headed for the abbey.

  It was still too early for most people to be out and about, so it was quiet and peaceful. Only the sound of bird song broke the silence. William and Eloise ambled along the narrow footpath, stopping occasionally to look at plants and bushes growing along the hedgerow, or to watch the birds feeding. After about a hundred yards, the path forked; the left hand fork heading toward the manor gardens, and the right hand toward the abbey.

  “It’s so lovely around here,” said Eloise.

  William smiled. “Why don’t we visit the gardens for a while?”

  Eloise stopped and gazed at her husband, her mouth slightly ajar. “If we weren’t meeting Professor Harding until later this morning, I’d love to, but we can’t be late.”

  “I guess you’re right,” said William looking at the stream, which was fast flowing and almost bursting its banks. He was not surprised considering the volume of rain that had fallen over the past two days. As he turned his head, something white floating on the surface caught his eye, but it was swept under and disappeared before he was able to get a clearer look. He assumed it was a small log or something similar, and thought nothing more about it.

  They continued walking, enjoying the peace and the myriad scents filling the air. The spires of the abbey, which appeared above the trees, were partially hidden by the light mists lingering in the valley. It was an eerie sight, and one William did not want to miss capturing. He took out his camera and snapped a few pictures. “Perfect,” he said.

  “That’ll make a lovely picture to go in the hallway back home,” said Eloise.

  William nodded. “Yes it will,” he replied, and then gazed skyward when he heard the distinct cry of a hawk. “Beautiful. That’s just made the day even better.”

  “Isn’t that a Peregrine Falcon?”

  “It is indeed.”

  They continued on, but William’s gaze was averted hoping to catch sight of the falcon again, and he drifted toward the grass verge to his right.

  “William, don’t take another step.”

  He stopped, looked ahead, and was shocked to see numerous human bones scattered on the grass. “Now where did these come from?” He knelt down to examine them. Although they were extremely old, they were in a surprisingly good condition.

  “They’re probably from an old grave on the hillside.” Eloise looked at William wide eyed as she began to think of possible links between some elements of history they were investigating. “Perhaps it might have something to do with the demise of the abbey. It is believed some villagers were buried nearby, but there are no official records to support it.”

  The two gazed around and saw more bones scattered along the length of the path, and there were also some floating down the stream. This was devastating: An archaeological disaster.

  “Well, at least it’ll give us something extra to investigate. With this many skeletons, it does suggest the tales are correct, and there must have been a large burial chamber or site which has been uncovered by the heavy rain.”

  “Everything we’re discovering appears to be supporting the stories, and maybe there is some truth in what that man told you last night.”

  William shuddered at the thought, but was also excited about the possibility of encountering a ghost. “Perhaps, perhaps not, but it seems a little too coincidental that the graves of so many have been uncovered during this particular storm, and considering the fact that they have remained undisturbed for centuries.”

  “Well, we’ve had several storms with torrential rain these last few weeks, and there have been reports of landslides occurring all over the country.”

  “That’s probably what’s happened here. Even so, someone will have to collect all of these to avoid them being damaged.”

  Eloise was about to answer when a man came running down the path, his arms flying frantically and breathing heavily.

  “Don’t touch anything,” he cried in a shrill panicked voice. “You must return to the village. No one is allowed on the path today; I must lock the gate.”

  “What happened?” asked William.

  “None of your business,” he snapped unkindly. “Now return whence you came,” he said waving in the direction they had just come from.

  William thought the man’s attitude was uncalled for, but he remained calm and polite none-the-less. “We are the archaeologists from Briscombe University, and have come to study the latest findings at the abbey. Professor Harding is expecting us.”

  The man’s face lit up. “William and Eloise Cairnby?” he asked.

  The couple nodded in response.

  “Aiden Hargreaves, abbey curator. I’m so pleased to meet you at last,” he said shaking William’s hand excitedly. “Please forgive me for being so sharp and impolite; It was uncalled for, totally uncalled for. It’s just so hectic here this morning, and there’s so much to be done I had forgotten all my manners, but that’s not a justifiable excuse.”

  “Apology accepted but not required. We quite understand,” said William.

  The man smiled warmly. “Now please excuse me while I go and lock the path gate, which must remain locked until we have collected all of the remains. The darn weather has done untold damage. It washed half of the hillside away last night, and uncovered one of the largest burial chambers in the area. There were dozens of skeletons, m
aybe more, we don’t know for sure. Now they’re all scattered here in the valley, and along the stream. It’ll take so long to collect them all,” he sighed.

  “Well why are we standing here talking? You go and lock the gate and we’ll go straight to the abbey to start organising the collection of the bones.”

  As they hastened along the path, William wondered who the bones belonged to, how and when they died, and why so many had been buried together. There were many possible reasons, but William was convinced it was linked to the demise of the abbey. A strange sensation flowed through his body. He felt cold and shivered, but brushed the feelings aside. There was work to be done.

  When they reached the abbey, there were already numerous people preparing boxes for the skeletons. A tall slim man wearing a tweed jacket saw them, turned and approached, sporting a broad smile.

  “William and Eloise Cairnby, it’s good to see you both.” He gripped William’s hand firmly and shook it twice before letting go. “Professor Francis Harding.”

  “We’re both pleased to be here Professor.”

  “Please, do call me Francis. Well, fate certainly had a hand in your visit being arranged for this particular date. Who would have guessed such a rare event would occur at such an opportune moment in time?”

  “It is rather coincidental,” said Eloise.

  William smiled. “As was the storm.”

  “Very much so,” said Francis. “It does make you wonder if the tales are true, doesn’t it?”

  William and Eloise looked at each other through wide eyes.

  “You know of the letter, the one that detailed the death of Lady Arabella, and the link to the abbey’s demise.”

  “Yes we do, but we were under the impression its authenticity was suspect.”

  “It was. However, carbon dating has proved it was written within five years of Lady Arabella’s recorded death, and a handwriting analysis has proved it was written by Sir Pitern.”

  “This day is getting better by the moment,” said William.

  Professor Harding looked at him curiously.

  “We’ll explain later. Haven’t we more pressing matters to attend to?”

  “Indeed we have,” said the Professor. “Come and meet the others, and we’ll get started.”

  A short while later, William stopped what he was doing when he saw one of the volunteers collecting bones rather carelessly, some of them being dropped in the process. “Hey you, handle those bones with care. How would you like it if someone treated your remains with such carelessness?”

  The man glared at William, who responded with a cold angry stare, one that made the other back down quickly. “Sorry Mr Cairnby, I wasn’t thinking.”

  His voice sounded genuine, so William smiled and continued with his work. While collecting the bones and placing them in the boxes, he experienced a strange tingling sensation, one which became more intense as the day passed. Most of the remains had been collected by mid-day, and after a short break for lunch, the work continued.

  Fortunately, the weather remained bright and dry, the stream eventually subsided and the bones caught in the railings were also retrieved. Some of the volunteers walked down-stream as far as possible searching for small bones that might have slipped through. By late afternoon, all of the bones near the abbey had been retrieved and placed in the coffins ready for re-burial.

  A full record had been made of everything collected, and the results were analysed to ascertain how many bodies had been uncovered. Numerous skulls and bones showed evidence of violent deaths, the victims having been killed with swords and axes. This added weight to the evidence suggesting a large group of people had been murdered on the site leading to the abbey’s demise.

  “Well Eloise, while the professor is analysing the information, I think we should have a quick look at the burial site.”

  “Good idea,” she replied.

  “Francis, we’re just going to examine the graves. Will you be alright here?”

  “Of course; you go ahead, and don’t forget to make plenty of notes.”

  “As if we would,” said Eloise.

  The two walked along the path and took the fork leading uphill toward the grave. When they reached half way, they cut across the grass. “It’s a bit slippery, so watch your footing Eloise. I don’t want to have to carry you back to the guest house.”

  Eloise punched her husband on the shoulder playfully. “Whatever happened to you being a gentleman?”

  “I gave up when I married you,” he said and laughed.

  “Well, nothing’s changed there then,” said Eloise trying not to laugh, but failed.

  “I don’t know about you, but this is turning out to be an extremely interesting and intriguing day.”

  Eloise stepped up to her husband, grabbed him by the collar and kissed him firmly. “Come on gorgeous; let’s get to work before I end up sweeping you off your feet.”

  “How can I resist when you put lovely thoughts into my head?”

  “There’s plenty of time for that later,” she said and gave him another quick kiss.

  “Later is such a long time away.”

  Eloise looked at him, sighed and shook her head. “You’re so incorrigible.”

  William shrugged his shoulders. “Well, who can blame me? After all, you’re so gorgeous.”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere, at least not today. Come on, let’s get on.”

  Treading carefully into the grave, the two archaeologists examined everything carefully, and making notes as they progressed. William picked up some wood that had been part of a coffin, and after wiping some of the mud from it, looked up at his wife. “These coffins were made of oak, and judging by the remains, were large enough to hold at least six people.”

  “That’s rather unusual isn’t it?”

  “It is. Oak was expensive and rarely used for coffins in this area, especially not for village folk.”

  “Well, I wonder what other surprises we’re going to have.”

  “Hopefully something profound,” said William who noticed something unusual lodged in the bank. He was about to investigate when the professor called them.

  “Come on William, we had better go and see what he wants,” said Eloise.

  “Ah, there you are. We’re just about finished here,” said Professor Harding.

  “When will we be carrying out the reburials?” asked the curator.

  Professor Harding checked his clipboard before responding. “We have recorded everything we need in regard to the remains, and the official paperwork is complete, so it will be dependent upon when the new graves can be prepared.”

  “That’ll be tomorrow morning,” said Aiden Hargreaves, the curator. “I’ve just finished speaking with the bishop, who is happy for us to proceed sooner rather than later, and the local contractor can be on site first thing in the morning.”

  “Excellent,” said the professor. “Well then, I think we should ensure the coffins are put somewhere safe until tomorrow, and then we can finish for the day. Thank you everyone for your assistance, and we’ll see you in the morning.”

  William began walking along the path.

  “Where are you off to now?” asked Eloise.

  “There’s something I want to check in the grave.”

  “Care to elaborate?”

  “It’s just something that caught my eye. It may be nothing, but you never know.”

  “True; with all we have been uncovering, I’m half expecting something profound to happen.”

  “Be careful what you wish for Eloise, you might just get it.”

  Eloise smiled. Although they had made many interesting discoveries, none had really made much of an impact on them or their field of interest, but she always hoped for that one life changing moment. She was convinced this trip was going to provide that moment.

  As they strolled along the path, William experienced a strange compulsion to walk along the north aisle of abbey. He resisted the urge, and was pleased he did. When the
y arrived at the enlarged grave, William carefully climbed in, making sure he did not step on any more bones they might have missed previously.

  “So, where is this thing that caught your eye?” asked Eloise as she watched William kneel beside the bank.”

  “Just here.” He scraped some soil away and a single coin fell into his hand. He held it up, smiled and then tossed it to his wife, whose eyes widened is surprise.

  William used a piece of wood to carefully scrape away more soil. First he uncovered a few more coins, which he picked up and passed to his wife, and then some pieces of jewellery and more coins.

  “Eloise, come and look at these,” he said, and handed the items to her.

  “These are beautiful, and must be several hundred years old,” she said gazing. “Do you think they were buried at the same time as the bodies?”

  “It’s possible, but this area is several feet away from the actual grave, so it might have been buried in another. Hopefully, the coins might provide some clues.” Inspired and feeling more hopeful, William continued digging further and hit something metallic. A few minutes later, he uncovered two metal cases; one had split apart and the other was still intact. He carefully removed both and prised open the lid of the one intact. “Goodness gracious me, would you look at these!”

  Eloise knelt down beside him and gasped in astonishment. The case contained precious stones, items of jewellery and dozens of gold coins. “These must be worth a fortune,” she said.

  “The professor will be delighted, and so will the museum.”

  “We had best go and show him then,” said Eloise. She put the jewellery back in the case, but held onto one particularly beautiful gold pendant.

  William looked at his wife admiring the item. “Go on, why don’t you slip it into your bag; no one will know.”

  Eloise looked up sharply, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. “Are you serious? This must be worth hundreds, maybe thousands. It would be dishonest.”

  William shrugged his shoulders. “So? One small item won’t be missed. Besides, if we put the rest back where we found it and covered it up, no one would know about any of it.”

  “You surprise me William, but I see your point. I’m sure there are plenty of people who have not reported everything they found.” She slipped the pendant in her bag, even though she felt guilty doing so.

  As William watched his wife, the compulsion to walk inside the abbey returned, only much stronger. “Come on, let’s go and catch the professor before he leaves,” he said trying to ignore the sensation.

  They hurried back to the abbey and found the curator coming out of the main door. “Is the professor still here?” asked William.

  “I’m afraid not. He left five minutes ago, why, is there anything wrong?”

  “No, it’s just that we found these.” William showed Aiden the two boxes. “Could you lock these in the safe for the night?”

  “Of course I can. Did you find those in the grave?”

  “In the depression caused by the landslide, so we’re not sure if they’re linked to those who were buried there or someone else.”

  Aiden nodded. “Well, judging by the size of the landslide, they could be from another grave. Another mystery, and one I’m sure you will both enjoy solving.”

  “We will indeed,” said Eloise.

  By the time William left the curator’s office, the compulsion to enter the abbey had grown so strong he was no longer able to resist it. “Eloise, I’m going for a walk along the north aisle.”

  “That’s alright. Aiden wants to show me some unusual plants. I’ll meet you back here then.”

  William nodded. As he strolled, he wondered why he was experiencing such a strange compulsion. Being compelled to do something in this manner was so different to what he was accustomed to, which was so unlike the gut feeling he sometimes had when working on archaeological sites.

  Chapter Three