Solstice at Stonewylde

by Kit Berry

  He grinned ruefully at this.

  ‘I know, she’s already put me in my place about it.’

  ‘So listen to her, stop acting in passion and take her advice. She’s clever and been in the Outside World most o’ her life. She knows far more than you, who’s nought but a simple, ignorant Village boy. Don’t make her see you as a fool – you must be worthy of her too.’

  ‘But how? I know I’m ignorant, but …’

  ‘When this is over, all will change. You’ve much to learn, Yul and you’re very young. But at the Solstice, when you become a man and take on the mantle of magus, you’ll have a difficult lesson to learn. Being leader o’ Stonewylde means sacrifice as well as power, and your sacrifice might start with facing your ignorance and swallowing your pride. You’ll have to get proper learning to match hers, maybe in the Outside World. The struggle don’t end at the Solstice, my dark boy. ‘Tis when it begins.’

  While Yul was running up the path to Mother Heggy, Sylvie walked angrily up the track towards the Hall. She was furious with Yul for being so high-handed and for his attitude towards the struggle with Magus. It hurt that he was shutting her out, not acknowledging either her role in the conflict nor her wish to help. She seethed with resentment at his arrogance. As night closed in around her she heard an owl calling in the distance, and then the sharp scream of a vixen in the woods nearby.

  ‘Hello, Sylvie!’

  Holly appeared before her on the track, just visible in the falling darkness. Sylvie groaned; Holly’s cattiness was the last thing she needed right now. She kept walking, trying to avoid a confrontation.

  ‘I thought you left on the cart.’

  ‘I did but then I changed my mind. I wanted to speak to you in private and I didn’t mind waiting. You weren’t long tonight. Not as long as last night.’

  ‘I’m not in the mood, Holly. Just leave me alone.’

  Holly laughed her false, irritating laugh.

  ‘I can guess what you’re in the mood for! Just left lover-boy under the tree, have you?’

  ‘What?’

  Holly laughed again, skipping alongside Sylvie in a state of glee.

  ‘I know where you meet Yul and what you get up to! Don’t try to deny it!’

  ‘Go away, Holly! You don’t know anything.’

  ‘You’re so wrong – I know all about it! Didn’t Yul tell you about last night?’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘No, I didn’t think he’d tell you! Ha! Don’t you want to know what he got up to with me?’

  Sylvie turned and grabbed Holly’s sleeve, shaking her with uncharacteristic fury.

  ‘Just shut up! I don’t want to listen to a word you say!’

  Holly shoved Sylvie away, her face splitting into a grin of pure malice.

  ‘Are you sure about that, Sylvie? You don’t want to know what Yul and I did under the tree after you’d gone last night? You really shouldn’t leave a boy all worked up like that – it’s just asking for trouble. Poor Yul, but how lucky for him I came along. Still, if you’re absolutely sure you don’t want to know …’

  She took off with a laugh, running up the track leading to the drive, her laughter becoming fainter in the distance. Sylvie didn’t try to catch her but her mind was racing. Surely Yul wouldn’t have done anything with Holly? Or maybe he had, which was why he’d been so nasty to her tonight? And he’d liked Holly in the past, enough to get into a fight with Buzz over her. Sylvie gulped back her tears, misery squeezing at her heart. She could cope with anything if she had Yul by her side, but if he betrayed her, she’d never have the strength to stand up to Magus.

  The long white tables gleamed in the soft candlelight as the Hallfolk ate dinner. Conversation bubbled, glasses and silver cutlery chinked and the servants hurried to clear the soup dishes away and bring the next course. Sylvie sat miserably next to Miranda, huddled in her seat trying to force down the meal. In contrast Miranda chattered non-stop, excited at the prospect of Magus’ imminent return. There was a general buzz of anticipation in the air and Sylvie seemed alone in dreading his return. As Holly turned yet again to gloat at her, sniggering over some joke with her group of friends, Sylvie wished that she were anywhere but here. She noticed Hazel sitting up on the high table, near the head where Magus would dine should he arrive in time. Several of her teachers had given her meaningful looks already and she knew what they were thinking – Magus would be reading their reports very soon and he wouldn’t be pleased.

  Just as pudding was served the double doors were thrown open and Magus made his entrance. There was a moment of silence before he was greeted by cheers and a crescendo of noise as he strode down the long room to his seat. Sylvie felt her heart thudding faster but knew it was from fear rather than excitement. Miranda had flushed at the sight of him and was now giggling and talking too loudly, as were many of the women. He sat in his great carved chair, smiling at those around him and accepting a plate of food from Martin, who fussed over him deferentially. Sylvie noticed how the servants in the room had jumped to attention and become more nervous and jerky. She caught Harold’s eye for a moment but he looked away immediately, denying their new friendship.

  Sylvie gazed up the table at Magus, the returning hero. He glowed with health and vitality which she knew was thanks to her suffering on the rock. He wore a dark business suit with a snowy shirt and silk tie. His blond hair gleamed like burnished bronze, his dark eyes flashed with cleverness and energy. The candlelight gleamed on his skin, as smooth and rich as marble, hollowing his cheekbones, highlighting his strong nose and chin and emphasising the curve of his lips.

  Sylvie was struck forcibly by his likeness to Yul. How had she never spotted it before? Seeing Magus, she could picture exactly how Yul would look at this age and knew she’d want him just as much then as she did now. Magus was so very attractive and every woman in the room watched him. Some were obvious about it, like her mother, Hazel, and Holly’s gang, and others more discreet, but all were caught up in his magnetism and beauty. Would it be the same with Yul, Sylvie wondered? Would she have to share him with every woman at Stonewylde?

  At that moment, Magus looked up and across the room straight into her eyes. She felt her cheeks flushing and her eyes widen but couldn’t look away. His dark eyes bored into her and he inclined his head, his lips tightening into a half smile. It wasn’t lost on Holly, whose head shot round to glare at Sylvie. She whispered to Rainbow and they both glowered at Sylvie for the rest of the meal. Sylvie felt awkward and embarrassed, her stomach churning so much she couldn’t eat any more. She wondered what he’d do if he found out about the missing lock of hair from the old album. She also wondered when Mother Heggy’s spell would start to work, because he looked as strong and powerful as ever right now. She shivered with fear, dreading the weeks ahead.

  7

  Sylvie sat in a maths lesson squirming with humiliation. William had just revealed her complete ignorance of quadratic equations to the whole class. Maths had always been a weakness and she’d missed the block of teaching on equations back in July. Sylvie stared at the textbook before her, cheeks burning as Holly swaggered up to the whiteboard and solved the complicated calculation easily. William smiled and nodded.

  ‘Good – well done, Holly. You see, Sylvie? It’s not difficult if you put your mind to it. I suggest you apply yourself to the relevant chapters, which you’ve clearly never even looked at. Work through the examples and complete all the exercises this evening and I’ll take a look at them tomorrow.’

  ‘But this evening I have to finish—’

  Magus poked his head round the door.

  ‘William, when the lesson’s finished I’d like a word with Sylvie in my office.’

  Sylvie tried to concentrate on the rest of the session, ignoring the whispers and daggered looks from the others. This would be the moment of truth now, for the medical test results were back and all the teachers’ progress reports would be on his desk. She was terrified he was going to be a
ngry.

  Magus sat at his desk working at a computer but stood as she entered. He beckoned her over to the sofas and sat down opposite her. He regarded her steadily, his expression neutral. She quaked inside.

  ‘I see you’ve made a complete recovery.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And Hazel tells me there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you other than deficiencies brought on by under-eating.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘She says you’ve put on some weight, and Miranda said you’re eating sensibly now and applying yourself to your studies at last.’

  ‘Yes, I am.’

  ‘Good. I also have detailed school reports here from each of your teachers. The news there is not so good, as I’m sure you’re aware. Everyone is disappointed with your progress and lack of diligence over the past months.’

  ‘I’m working really hard now.’

  ‘I’m sure you are. And you’ll continue to do so. I want you up to speed in every single subject by the end of this term, which only gives you a few weeks. You’re to have covered all the lessons and class-work you missed, and have all your course-work completely up to date. Is that clear?’

  ‘I’ll try, but I can’t—’

  ‘Yes you can! The mocks are looming too, so there’s revision to be done for those as well. You’ll be working every single waking minute of the day, Sylvie, to make up for all the time you’ve wasted making yourself ill.’

  Sylvie hung her head, realising it was pointless to argue. She was keeping a lid on her bubbling resentment and sense of injustice and didn’t want him to see it in her eyes.

  ‘Miranda also tells me,’ he continued smoothly, ‘that you’ve been asking about new clothes for winter because you’ve grown so much taller.’

  Sylvie frowned at this; she’d mentioned it to her mother but hadn’t asked for the request to be passed on to Magus.

  ‘Yes … I wasn’t sure what I’d do about clothes now I seem to have outgrown everything.’

  ‘Mmn. I’ll have to consider your request.’

  ‘No, it wasn’t—’

  ‘Of course you can visit the Village stores and pick up some material to make clothes for yourself. Everyone’s entitled to that.’

  ‘I’m … I don’t know how to make clothes.’

  ‘There’re also the dressmakers. You may ask one of the Village women to run you up something to wear.’

  ‘Yes, thank you.’

  He fell silent and watched her. Then he smiled, his eyes amused.

  ‘I expect you’d rather hoped to order some fashionable things on the Internet, the way all the other Hallfolk teenagers do.’

  She looked at her hands, unable to keep eye contact with him.

  ‘No, I hadn’t actually. I’ll go to the Village dressmakers,’ she said quietly. ‘I know I can’t buy anything.’

  ‘We’ll see, but it does rather depend on you. You’re in an awkward position, aren’t you, Sylvie? All the others have wealthy and successful parents to provide for them, but you don’t. Miranda may ostensibly work here as a teacher but over the months since you arrived at Stonewylde, she’s missed a lot of work in order to care for you. Because of you taking to your bed, her attendance has been quite minimal and she’s barely earned your keep.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘I’m pleased to hear it. Maybe now you’ll appreciate the consequences of your actions. And we’re not just talking about your welfare either. There’re your mother’s needs too, for clothes, shoes and personal requirements. Yet you’ve prevented her from working to provide for herself as well, not to mention her baby.’

  ‘I hadn’t thought of it like that.’ All Sylvie could really think of was Magus’ dressing room and those rows and rows of shoes, clothes and accessories she’d seen.

  ‘No, I don’t expect you had. Let me remind you that nobody at Stonewylde gets a free ride. Everyone here works for their living in whatever capacity they can, be it ploughing the fields to grow our food, rearing children to provide future labour for Stonewylde or teaching the next generation of doctors and lawyers. Nobody takes and gives nothing back. All your contemporaries are at the Hall School because their parents pay me expensive fees, just like any other boarding school. You’re the only one here who doesn’t. And yet you expect me to provide you not only with education, accommodation, food and the necessities of life, but now a fashionable wardrobe too.’

  ‘No, I’m sorry … I didn’t think. It’s alright, I can manage.’

  ‘Good. Because I’m a generous man where it’s deserved, but I won’t be taken for a fool. When I became magus I banished all the spongers and leeches and I don’t intend to start allowing them back in.’

  Sylvie felt embarrassed. She’d expected a lecture about school work, but not this. She really wished her mother hadn’t said anything about her needing new clothes, even though the situation was becoming a little desperate.

  ‘However, there’s one thing you can do for me that’s worth more than every hour of labour given on the entire estate. I think you know what I’m talking about.’

  She swallowed hard and nodded.

  ‘Look at me, Sylvie, when I’m talking to you. You know what I need from you, what you alone can give me. Have you thought about it since our last talk, when I was so angry with you for interfering at Samhain?’

  She nodded again, remembering Yul’s words about not raising Magus’ suspicions and going along with what he wanted.

  ‘So will you freely give me the moon magic? Or will you persist in fighting me, threatening to leave, and starving yourself so you become weak and too ill to moondance properly and give me what I want?’

  ‘I’ll give it freely,’ she whispered. ‘I’m sorry I refused. I didn’t realise how selfish I was being.’

  He smiled and it was like the sun irradiating the land after a thunderstorm.

  Life at the Hall became unbearable for Sylvie. The teachers continued to exert pressure on her in every lesson and she was loaded with extra work in all subjects. None of them had a good word for her despite the effort she was putting in, and they all made her feel stupid and worthless if she asked for clarification or assistance. The daily visits to Hazel continued and her weight rose slowly, now aided by Magus himself. He insisted that she sit by his side at every meal and monitored her eating carefully. He controlled everything she ate, always insisting she take more than she wanted or could comfortably manage. She felt like a turkey being fattened up for Christmas.

  Worse, the fuss he made of her didn’t go unnoticed. The other girls were beside themselves with jealousy at this attention and took delight in making nasty remarks. They also picked up on the fact that Magus wasn’t being solicitous, but was actually coming down hard on Sylvie. With the other adults at the Hall being so disapproving and censorious of her too, the youngsters took the opportunity to victimise Sylvie with impunity. Holly was the ringleader and she had plenty of ammunition. Sylvie’s unpopularity with the teachers was seized on, and Holly teased her constantly about her failure to keep up with the rest of the class. She picked on Sylvie’s eating and weight gain, and her lack of winter clothes was a gift to her tormentors. Sylvie felt frumpy and plain in the out-grown summer things she still wore, topped with increasingly threadbare jumpers to keep warm. Holly swanked around in smart new outfits and took pleasure in humiliating her rival at every turn.

  One morning Sylvie sat alone in the Dining Hall surrounded by breakfast debris. She’d been forced to eat a hearty cooked meal and, coming so soon after a huge dinner the night before, she now felt uncomfortably over-full. Magus had just left. He’d spent nearly an hour plying her with food, watching her swallow every mouthful. He’d stayed as everyone else gradually left the room just to make sure that she ate it all, with the added effect of making her late for school. Holly had given her a particularly venomous stare as she left to prepare for the first lesson of the day. Magus had finally gone and Sylvie was almost in tears, trying to decide whether to make a dash fo
r the bathroom or wait a few more minutes and hope her stomach settled. She wasn’t sure whether or not she’d make it there before she was sick.

  ‘You’re still here?’ cried Holly, poking her head round one of the double doors. ‘Not still eating, are you? Greedy pig – you’re going to get so fat!’

  She came into the great Dining Hall and started to make her way through the room to where Sylvie sat at the top table, pale and nauseous, holding a napkin to her lips.

  ‘Brambling has sent me to fetch you as he’s waiting to start the French lesson.’

  ‘I don’t feel very well,’ said Sylvie weakly. ‘Tell him to start without me and I’ll come as soon as I can.’

  ‘You can’t skip lessons just because you stuffed yourself at breakfast!’ said Holly, now standing in front of the table. ‘You’re thick enough as it is and Brambling’s not at all impressed. He’s furious you’re not in there after all the fuss that’s been made about your attendance. You should hear him – everyone’s killing themselves laughing at his impersonation of you trying to buy a rail ticket in French.’

  A young servant came in quietly through the door leading to the kitchens, and started clearing away some of the serving dishes from the long sideboard. Holly threw the girl a look, but otherwise ignored her.

  ‘I’m so pleased it entertains you all,’ muttered Sylvie. ‘Tell Brambling I’ll be along soon.’

  Sylvie wished Holly would go; the nausea hit her in waves and the waistband of her old skirt dug in tightly. Holly glared at her disdainfully.

  ‘Seen lover boy lately?’

  Sylvie shook her head, not daring to open her mouth to speak.

  ‘Well I have! I saw him yesterday when I was out riding and he was looking as gorgeous as ever, up at that stone on the top of the hill near the ridgeway. I told him about our little chat and he wasn’t at all pleased that you know about us. He’d wanted us to keep it a secret so he could have us both, a bit like you keeping him secret from Magus. I suppose now Magus is back, you’ll have to stay away from Yul, won’t you? So I can have him all to myself, just like the good old days before you came! Yul and I always did have an understanding. Did you know we’re going to be partners at our Rite of Adulthood?’