‘Oh, yes please, Rachel.’
‘I hope you are open-minded, Theo, because most of what I am about to tell you will sound incredibly far-fetched, but I swear to you, it’s all true… every word of it!’
Theo leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table and propping his chin on his hand. ‘I am totally open-minded, Rachel, and I am all ears!’
*
When Joyce returned to Rachel’s home it was almost lunchtime, and she was somewhat surprised to find the cottage empty. It was not so much the fact that the cottage was empty that took her by surprise, rather the fact that the back door was unlocked.
Honestly, Rachel, you really ought to be more careful, she thought as she returned to the kitchen, having called out and searched every room. Leaving one’s door unlocked was certainly not a viable choice where Joyce lived.
She fleetingly wondered where Rachel and Theo had disappeared to, but the thoughts themselves disappeared as she unpacked the groceries she had purchased at the quaint local shop.
Hunger pains rumbled in her stomach, which she supposed was hardly surprising since she had left the cottage very early that morning without having any breakfast, so she decided to have a spot of lunch, followed by her afternoon nap, before setting about preparing for dinner that evening. Since she had invited Matthew without first consulting Rachel, it would be unfair to expect that Rachel should do anything.
She began to think that perhaps she ought to have asked Rachel out of politeness, but she still felt certain the older woman would not mind the extra company.
‘I wonder where they’ve got to?’ she pondered aloud as she emptied her shopping bags.
Half an hour later, Rachel and Theo came bursting through the door, laughing uproariously.
‘Mum, you’re back,’ gasped Theo, as he fought to catch his breath. ‘Where did you get to so early this morning?’
‘I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a rather long walk,’ Joyce said, without looking her son directly in the eye. She knew he would know she was lying, otherwise. As Rachel dug Theo in the ribs, Joyce noticed the older woman was red in the face and out of breath too.
‘See, I told you everyone goes for walks the instant they get a whiff of the clean country air,’ hissed Rachel in Theo’s ear.
‘Have you two been running?’ asked Joyce.
Rachel nodded. ‘We went for a mid-morning stroll, and on the way back, I bet Theo I could beat him in a race.’
Joyce chuckled. ‘And did you?’
‘She didn’t quite,’ Theo half-whispered, ‘but by God, she’s fit for an older woman!’
‘I’ll try to take that in the spirit it was intended,’ Rachel said with a wry grin. ‘It’s all the clean country air I keep talking about, not to mention the healthy food, and plenty of long walks!’
‘Well, I must admit this area is very picturesque. There seem to be plenty of scenic routes for walking.’
Rachel nodded as she poured a couple of glasses of water, handing one to Theo. ‘Your son really is atypical for someone his age, Joyce. It’s all in the upbringing!’
‘I’d like to think so,’ Joyce muttered solemnly. ‘I had to bring him up pretty much single-handed.’
‘Yes, Theo told me. Such a terrible waste of a young life. My own husband died in a car accident, but at least we had many years of happiness together.’
‘I would think that’s worse,’ Joyce whispered. ‘After all those years together, his death must have been very painful.’
‘It was,’ Rachel agreed. ‘However, when you reach our time of life, death becomes inevitable, so I had kind of started preparing myself for the possibility. It was still a shock to lose him in such a manner, though.’ She could feel her emotions beginning to choke her voice, so she changed the subject, indicating the bag of groceries. ‘Really, Joyce, you didn’t have to buy food. I have plenty.’
Joyce offered her a sheepish look. ‘I do hope you don’t mind, Rachel, but I’ve invited someone over for dinner this evening. It was a spur of the moment thing, so I thought I ought to get some food in myself.’
Theo glanced at his mother, and when she blushed and looked hastily away, he instinctively knew whom she had invited. ‘Your walk this morning didn’t by any chance take you past Four Oaks did it, Mother?’ he said with a touch more anger to his voice than he intended. ‘You promised you wouldn’t interfere between Matt and me.’
Joyce finally looked her son in the eye. ‘Actually, this has nothing to do with you, Theo. I went to see Matthew on a completely different matter, and I bumped into his father.’
Theo snorted contemptuously, hardly able to believe that Roger Silverthorne had dared to leave his home in Portsmouth and bring his poison to Matthew’s new home.
‘Roger is the reason I asked Matthew to come here for dinner.’
‘I don’t understand, Mum.’
‘You will understand a bit more tonight, but perhaps I should tell you a few things first. Promise me you’ll keep an open mind?’ When Theo agreed to do just that, Joyce told him about why she had gone to visit Lesley at Ravenscreag Hall, and why they were now in Elendale. She told him how Roger had that very morning revealed his own inner spirit to her, and how Matthew admitted that he too might also be possessed. ‘So I realise it’s not you who’s possessed, darling.’
Theo glanced at Rachel, who nodded her head slightly, and taking this as affirmation of permission, he gradually told his mother all about the mysterious goings on in Neville Hill and Ravenscreag that had led to the disappearance of Rachel’s daughter.
‘I might have laughed at your statement concerning Matthew, had Rachel not told me all that,’ said Theo, ‘but I get the feeling you know all about Gloria Schofield’s disappearance, anyway.’
Joyce nodded. ‘Lesley intimated as much up at Ravenscreag, and yesterday I was taken to see Louise.’ She glanced sideways at Rachel. ‘It all makes it sound as though I’m prying into your private life, Rachel, but nothing could be further from the truth. I just want to find out what’s going on.’
Rachel took a deep breath. ‘I suppose you have heard the name Sawyl Gwilym?’
Joyce nodded. ‘He’s the cause of all your heartache. Were it not for him and his actions in the past, Gloria would not have… disappeared. But he’s dead, right?’
‘Apparently so… but it seems his spirit has somehow cheated death once again, and is about to make a terrible reappearance. He will no doubt vow vengeance on those who opposed him before, and their relatives.’
‘You and Louise, in other words?’
‘Yes. The trouble is, nobody knows exactly when he’s coming back, nor how, or in whose body.’
Joyce and Theo came to the same conclusion at the same time. ‘Dear God,’ Joyce cried in pure anguish, ‘it’s Matthew! It has to be.’
‘Why not his father?’ Rachel glanced from one to the other. ‘Well, you said Roger Silverthorne has definitely been possessed!’
Joyce shook her head solemnly. ‘I don’t think so. He spoke to me… the spirit that is, not Roger. He said his name is Hrothgar. He spoke of trying to protect his child.’
‘That name means nothing,’ said Rachel sharply. ‘Sawyl Gwilym would say anything to prevent his presence being detected. He has been known by many different names over the Centuries. Hrothgar is an Old English variant of the name Roger. Who’s to say it’s not another name the warlock has used in the past?’
Joyce shook her head slowly and deliberately. ‘He didn’t sound vengeful in any way, especially when he talked about protecting the spirit within Matthew.’
‘So Roger’s spirit is a disciple, sworn to protect Sawyl Gwilym until his rebirth!’
‘I don’t think so, Rachel. He spoke of protecting his child. He said something terrible was going to happen, and that he had no wish for an innocent to be hurt in the pursuit of vengeance.’
‘All right, perhaps this Hrothgar is Sawyl’s father, and he doesn’t want his child to follow the same destructive path of his past.’
Joyce pondered Rachel’s words. There was an undeniable logic, and in a way, anything made sense under the circumstances.
‘Perhaps,’ reasoned Rachel quietly, ‘we should invite Louise and Phil here for dinner tonight. I take it you know about Phil?’
Joyce nodded. ‘His spirit, Peter, can detect other spirits. Ah, I see where you are going. He will be able to tell if Sawyl is hiding within Matthew. Yes, yes… it’s a good plan. Louise already had an idea of how to get Phil and Matthew in the same room together, but this one is just as good.’
‘Oh? What was this other idea?’ asked Rachel.
‘Well, with Phil being in the landscape gardening business, he could have called on Matthew at Four Oaks on the pretext of having heard the place is under new ownership, offering his services.’
‘A sound plan in itself,’ smiled Rachel. ‘Once they have been introduced to one another at the dinner tonight, Phil could offer his services, and if Matthew accepts then it’s the ideal opportunity for Peter Neville to scan Roger as well!’
Theo suddenly burst into laughter. ‘Has anyone realised how bizarre this conversation has become? Here we are, sat here talking about being possessed as though it’s an everyday occurrence!’
‘Unfortunately, for people in my family – which includes Louise and her family – it is an everyday occurrence. I firmly believe it is to do with this area.’
‘But why? What’s so special about this area?’ asked Theo.
‘Aunt Lesley said this area was crisscrossed with ancient ley lines.’
Rachel nodded at Joyce’s words. ‘I’ve heard that as well.’
‘But that doesn’t explain past events at Ravenscreag, or with Matt’s family home in Portsmouth!’ cried Theo.
‘Part of Ravenscreag Hall was constructed from stone which came from this area,’ sighed Rachel, misty eyed as her mind dawdled back fifteen years to when she discovered more facts about her family than she had ever wished to know. ‘From the house that once stood where Louise’s cottage now stands, in fact. Who’s to say something similar isn’t true about Matthew’s family home? I believe the spirits are trapped within the stones, perhaps because of those ley lines you mentioned, Joyce, or maybe the supernatural goings on hereabouts are all down to the evil that Sawyl Gwilym once conjured up within this locale!’
‘Well, whatever the truth is, we really need to find out if either Matt or his father is this Sawyl Gwilym,’ muttered Theo, none too pleased at the prospect that an evil warlock might possess the love of his life. ‘But, if one of them does turn out to be this evil man… what do we do then?’
The trio pondered that question for the remainder of the afternoon, but none of them could come up with an immediate solution.
*
After leaving Four Oaks, Liam waited in the gateway of the field opposite for a while. He did not know why, but for some reason, he half expected Matthew to follow him out. He emitted a slight gasp of excitement when, a few minutes later, he saw someone approaching from up the driveway, but his elation turned into cold disappointment when he realised it was the older woman who had accompanied Matthew’s father.
He ducked out of sight behind the overgrown hawthorn hedge, waiting until she had disappeared from sight around the bend in the road, before standing to stare once more at the house.
He was bitterly upset that Matthew seemed suddenly to have switched his emotions back to the woman’s son. What was his name? It began with a ‘T’.
See, he thought to himself, they can’t be right for each other, because he has a totally unmemorable name. Now us, on the other hand, we have chemistry. We spark with electricity. We are right together, Matty and me. Why can’t he see that? What can I do to make him see the light?
‘I cannot just let him go!’ he muttered aloud.
‘You must.’
The sudden voice from behind was so completely unexpected that Liam physically leapt backwards, spinning round a little too fast and toppling over. He grasped one of the branches of the hedge to steady himself.
In the field on the other side of the gate, a young man, tall but overweight, and slightly older than Liam was, stood scrutinizing him with impenetrably dark eyes. His black hair echoed the impeccably tailored suit he wore, and Liam instinctively knew this was the mysterious man Matthew had mentioned who appeared and disappeared at will. He immediately understood Matthew’s unease around the man, because the muddy field had been empty moments before.
‘You startled me,’ Liam blustered, trying to think fast. The man, he realised, seemed oddly familiar, and it was from more than just Matthew’s vague description of him. ‘Do I know you?’
‘Unlikely, though you may have seen me around these parts before,’ the man said, moving forward and leaning his bulk against the gate.
So, he’s possibly local… which narrows it down a bit.
‘Why must I let Matthew go?’ Liam asked, deciding not to tell the man it was rude to creep around, eavesdropping on people.
‘Because he is not for you. His heart belongs to another.’
‘Just who the hell are you?’
‘Who I am is unimportant. You must desist in your pursuit of Matthew Silverthorne, before more innocent blood is spilt.’
‘More innocent blood?’ gasped Liam incredulously. ‘Whose blood has already been spilt? What’s going on? I really don’t understand.’
The overweight man continued leaning against the gate, which Liam hoped would buckle beneath his bulk. There was something decidedly ominous about him. It was nothing clearly defined that Liam could put a name to, but he had an overwhelming feeling of impending doom when he looked at the man, whose last sentence had done little to help alleviate Liam’s unease.
Liam shifted uncomfortably beneath the man’s unrepentant gaze, He felt like he had been sent to see the headmaster – something that had only happened to him once in his entire life, and it had felt so awful being scrutinized by the headmaster’s withering glare that he had made certain he never again misbehaved at school.
‘Will you stop staring at me!’ he snapped, his irritation starting to outweigh his unease. He found people who stared undeniably rude, as were people who pushed and shoved to get through shop doors or onto a train first. Those who made ill-advised comments about overweight people were rude, and Liam could not stand rudeness of any description. His sister possessed enough for them both. However, even though he had never once made any fatuous comments about overweight people in the past, the very fact that this man was seriously beginning to annoy him, made such an ill-advised comment spring to the tip of Liam’s tongue.
Then his mind transported him back several months. How many was it? Six? Eight? No, it was a whole year ago. It was the day Elaine Oakhurst revealed to the shocked villagers gathered in The Green Woman Inn that she had purchased Four Oaks.
Liam had been sat quietly at the bar, minding his own business. An unguarded comment from George Palmer about the physical appearance of a stranger to the village had made Liam turn to look.
That stranger had been this man… Liam was certain of it.
He had been wearing the same black suit.
With his hair parted in exactly the same place.
In fact, as Liam looked at him, and remembered the events from last year, he suddenly recalled something he had overheard the man mutter to Elaine, in a voice so low it was obvious his words were meant for her ears alone.
Liam did not condone eavesdropping, but it had been an accident, and at the time, he thought he had heard wrong. What he had overheard this man whisper was impossible, so he had dismissed it and forgotten all about it.
But now it all came flooding back, and with some of the things he now knew, he thought perhaps he might have heard correctly after all.
It was odd, he thought, that all the images should come flooding back to him now, almost as though his memory had attained assistance from somewhere.
In spite of Liam’s request, the man continued to stare. �
�Halloween, the Witching Hour, fast approaches. You must stay away from this place!’
‘Yeah, right!’ snorted Liam derisively.
Should I tell him I recognise him?
He decided against it. The man’s aloof, menacing manner was again beginning to unnerve him. There was definitely something not quite right about him.
Next he’ll be telling me to beware the Ides of March, or something!
‘You are beginning to annoy me,’ he said, openly displaying his hostile irritation to mask his unease. ‘I don’t know what your game is, and I don’t really care. Just stay away from me… and stay away from Matty too!’
Liam turned on his heels and started to walk off. Feeling eyes burning into his back, he turned to glower at the rude young man, and was more than a little surprised to find he had disappeared.
Remembering Matthew’s comments about how the overweight man kept disappearing as if into thin air, Liam decided to trail him and find out where he went. He walked swiftly back to the gate and scrambled over it in a decidedly inelegant manner, before making his way into the muddy field. When his feet began sinking into the squelching quagmire, he immediately wished he had not. He found that if he kept moving, he did not sink quite so rapidly, but once into the field, he glanced all around, annoyed that he could not see the man.
Apart from the thorny hedgerow, there was nowhere the man could actually be hiding. It perplexed Liam even more when he glanced down to follow any footprints that would have been left – to discover there were none.
Not a single one, save those he himself had just made.
Not even by the gate, where the man had been standing.
Heaving himself out of the mud and scrambling back over the gate, Liam stood on the grass verge, pondering the possibilities. None seemed remotely logical to him, but under such peculiar circumstances, there could be only one possible explanation.
‘That man has to be a ghost!’
*
Louise was surprised when Rachel telephoned to invite Phil and her over for dinner that evening. Even amongst her closest circle of friends, Rachel was not renowned for having dinner parties at her cottage, especially at such short notice.
The Master of Prophecy (The Sawyl Gwilym Chronicles Book 2) Page 16