The Haunting

by Raymond M Hall

  ‘Oh, I saw you pulling away from town and had to chase after you.’ She said, her delightful melodic laughter making his heart flutter.

  Sebastian wondered at what stage she had seen him so that she was obliged to run but dismissed the thought in his happiness at once again being in her company.

  ‘Oh, I’m all sweaty and horrid!’ She exclaimed as they both got out of the car.

  Sebastian thought she smelled wonderful; if it was her perspiration, then it was better than any perfume he had ever encountered. He didn’t reply and instead encircled her waist with his arms gathering her to him as they stood outside the kitchen door.

  ‘I cannot begin to tell you how much I’ve missed you.’ He said, nuzzling her hair.

  She pulled back slightly so she could reach his lips and kissed him softly,

  ‘Oh, you have no idea how I’ve missed you.’ She voiced the words so vehemently he was taken aback momentarily.

  ‘So, why don’t you come more often? I want to be with you all the time, when you’re not with me I feel I’m only living half a life.’

  She looked up into his eyes, and he thought he would go mad with desire for her both mentally and physically.

  ‘I’ll try to get here more often, but it’s difficult.’ She said, in a subdued voice.

  He pleaded with her,

  ‘But why is it so difficult?’ A thought occurred to him, and he expressed his worst fear, ‘You’re not married are you?’

  She laughed,

  ‘No, I’m not married. I was once, but that was a long time ago. It’s just that there are difficulties which I can’t explain just yet. Please be patient and know that my biggest wish is to be with you, now and forever.’

  Her words thrilled him, she wanted to be with him, and he couldn’t stop himself from stating the obvious,

  ‘Briony, I love you so much that I can’t find the words. This is the first time I have been totally in love, and the feeling is wonderful, beyond my wildest dreams.’

  She smiled enigmatically,

  ‘The first time? Are you sure?’

  The happy couple went into the house and without pause climbed the stairs with a latent sense of urgency running through them.

  Much later they sat around the kitchen table drinking coffee, both bathed in the afterglow due to some serious lovemaking. Sebastian felt exhausted, but she looked as fresh as ever. He wondered at her energy and resilience, at the same time looking forward to a lifetime with this special woman.

  Once again no work was carried out around the house. Sebastian couldn’t care less if the project took for the rest of his life, he was immeasurably happy.

  Late in the afternoon, Briony announced she would have to leave, much to his disappointment. He knew better than to question her now, she had her reasons and he would have to be patient. They said their long goodbyes outside in the yard, and he held onto her hand as long as he could as she began to walk up the road in the direction of Upper Marston refusing the offer of a lift, saying the walk would do her good.

  He watched her walk up the road, not taking his eyes off her, wanting to see where she went and where she might be turning off.

  His eyes began to water as he forced himself not to blink and finally the strain was too much. He allowed himself one quick blink to relieve the pressure, but when he opened his eyes, Briony had gone.

  Noting the position where he had last seen her he ran up the road, not taking his eyes from the spot. When he reached that point he went to either side of the road and searched for gaps in the hedgerow, there were none. He stood on tiptoe to try and see over the fields but there was no sign of Briony, she had quite simply disappeared. Was she real, he asked himself? Surely she couldn’t be some spirit or ghost? Briony’s body was warm and firm, nothing like the spooks of the storybook world. And they had made love, had even eaten together. She must be real. James could certainly see and talk to her, so, where was she?

  Sebastian turned and retraced his steps back to the house. As he entered the kitchen, he saw the smoke rising from the old wing backed chair.

  ‘Sod off.’ He shouted and turned to leave. The smoke disappeared instantly as Sebastian walked out slamming the door shut behind him. He was confused and suddenly angry at not being able to be with Briony whenever he wanted. The pub beckoned for dinner and a few drinks, maybe more than a few. The walk would do him good, and he didn’t want to risk his licence by overindulging with drink and driving home. It was only a few miles and as flat as a pancake.

  Chapter 28

  Norfolk,Virginia. Luke stepped onto dry land, it felt good to be home. Mary was jumping for joy. The centuries of grime attached to every city and town of old England had been left far behind. It had taken many weeks for the voyage, and the weather had been unkind for the better part of the journey, but now, here on dry land, it all seemed worthwhile. She felt at once her position in life had been lifted as when Luke passed people in the street they all acknowledged him with deference. He walked into the shops and premises he owned, and she stood with her mouth agape. Surely one person couldn’t be this wealthy?

  Luke introduced Mary as his adopted niece, and she was afforded instant acceptance. Ben and Lucy made a huge fuss of her, and she regressed into being a child again, a childhood she had missed the first time. She wasn’t so keen on attending school, but Luke insisted, he knew it would be difficult for her as she was completely illiterate and would be behind the other children, even the ones far younger than herself.

  The business had excelled under the guidance of Ben, and Luke discovered he had returned to Virginia, a considerably wealthier man. His one regret was that his Bethany was not there to share in his happiness. He couldn’t forget her, and there was no way in his mind that he would ever be able to replace her. He resigned himself to the life of a lonely bachelor and gradually withdrew into himself, almost becoming a recluse. The only person who was able to broach his personal blockade was Mary. He always allowed her into both his presence and his thoughts. On such occasions, she would try and persuade him that Bethany was gone and that he should move on with his life before it was too late. But he was adamant.

  ‘How can I move on as you suggest when my thoughts are constantly with her? I can never rest until I find out what happened. Even now I worry that she may be in some place desperately unhappy and it is within my power to rescue her. I just don’t know where to begin.

  The years rolled by and Mary was now a striking young lady of seventeen. She could, much to Luke’s delight, read and write as well as any of her peers. She had an army of young suitors too; they formed an ever increasing band of hopefuls although she never gave any of them reason. Luke sat with her one day and broached the subject.

  ‘Mary, it’s time you began to take your future a little more seriously, surely there is one amongst so many eligible young men who you would consider as a future husband?’

  Mary laughed politely,

  ‘My place is at your side and always will be. I don’t need any young buck; no one man could ever replace you.’

  Luke was surprised at that, and she laughed at the look on his face,

  ‘I thought you would have realised by now that although I might be seventeen years old, in my mind I’m far older. Remember I had an early start to adulthood. I went with men as soon as I was able. It was the only avenue open to my survival, and I was luckier than many who perished at the same age. You were my saviour, and besides, you have the bonus of being good looking as well as caring. I have no need to risk my future with any other as long as I have you.

  Luke was so taken aback it took him some moments to answer,

  ‘But, Mary, I am unable to offer you any life as a young woman deserves. I’m a married man and take my vows seriously; there could never be anything between us. I adopted you as my niece and think of you as such, even though you are now a beautiful young lady.’

  Mary smiled,

  ‘Why, thank you kind sir, I am flattered by your compliment.’
She laughed and he relaxed, joining in.

  Mary became serious again,

  ‘I will remain with you, if you’ll have me, as a companion. I have no urge for motherhood; I see enough misery around me with mothers and their children even in this blessed place. I would never consider condemning any daughter of mine to the life I was forced by circumstances to lead.’

  She went to him and placed her hand on his shoulder,

  ‘Shall we venture forth together and find your Bethany?’

  Luke looked up at her from his chair,

  ‘You would actually consider leaving all this behind to accompany me on what is probably a wild goose chase. Risk everything, chasing rainbows?’

  ‘Well, one rainbow actually, that narrows it down a bit don’t you think?’ She laughed. ‘Of course, I will. I will go with you anywhere you choose.’

  Luke paused, deep in thought,

  ‘You really think we can?’ He asked, doubting himself now.

  Mary squeezed his shoulder gently,

  ‘You will waste away here and die young of a broken heart. Out there, she swept her open hand towards the window, out there is hope and yes, maybe adventure too.’

  Luke became caught up in the idea, and his eyes began to sparkle, something Mary had noticed had been missing for a long time.

  ‘We’ll do it!’ He exclaimed. ‘We’ll go back and find Bethany, or die in the attempt.’

  Mary wasn’t too keen on the last part of his statement but nevertheless joined in as Luke got to his feet, already the glow of impending adventure suffusing his features.

  The next day Luke called a meeting with his partner, Ben, to discuss the trip. It was agreed that Luke would make over a further quarter share in the business in exchange for a monetary sum to be deposited in a bank which had direct ties to a bank in England. Luke explained his intentions to Ben and Lucy, emphasising he had no idea the length of time the expedition might take and that it would be grossly unfair to retain half the business and hence half the profits if he wasn’t there to share in running it.

  There was a mixture of sadness and excitement as the time came for Luke and Mary to depart. They had a huge family dinner the night before, and Lucy managed to get Luke alone for a few moments. She gave him a big hug and whispered in his ear,

  ‘Take care, Luke. I love Ben and the children, but you were always my greatest love even though you never realised it.’

  As she pulled away, he could see the tears in her eyes and felt like hugging her back but realised this would accomplish nothing except more sadness for her. He knew how she was feeling; he had felt the same way about Bethany since he had first met her and even after all these years his love remained true. Luke admired Lucy for accepting reality and moving on, marrying Ben and bearing his children. She was living a full life while he, Luke, was an empty shell.

  With the cheers still ringing in their ears, Luke and Mary stood at the rail of the ship as she hoisted sail and made for the open sea. In a matter of weeks, they would be back where it had all begun.

  A part of Luke knew the folly of their adventure, knew he should not have wasted the intervening years, instead, finding someone else and bringing up a family in this new world of boundless opportunity. They turned away from the rail as the land sank into the horizon and went to their shared cabin. It was the best available and compared to the crew, luxuriously appointed. Luke turned to Mary,

  ‘Have I made a huge mistake in taking you away from a place which holds so much promise only to return to England, the land which holds only bad memories for both of us?’

  Mary held his hand,

  ‘Except the memory of your wife, and we shall find her or at the very least what happened to her, then maybe, at last, you can be at peace with yourself.’

  They arrived in Bristol, and Luke felt sad as the ship tied up. He was watching Mary’s face and could see the pain she was experiencing, confronted with her sordid past.

  Luke was already regretting his decision to return, how could he be so selfish and self centred? He made himself a promise there and then that if in the first few weeks their search for Bethany proved fruitless they would return to Virginia. For the first time, he felt a lessening of the ties to the memory of Bethany and with it a measure of relief. He caught hold of Mary’s hand,

  ‘Damn it, let’s book our passage back at once, enough of my morbidity. I have, I think, finally come to terms with my loss.’

  Mary brightened at once, and he knew he had made the right decision.

  They left the ship and made for the booking office. The clerk was surprised at the request to book a return passage so soon, however, he dutifully searched his ledgers for a vessel that could accommodate them. Luke was disappointed they could not embark immediately, but the clerk said it would be three months until they would be able to leave. Luke made the booking and paid in advance, securing the best accommodation available.

  Outside they were faced with the choice of whiling their time away in Bristol or travelling to somewhere else. Mary smiled up at him,

  ‘May as well continue with the original plan, at least for a few weeks, then we can return knowing we have a deadline to keep.’

  Luke agreed, although for some reason he felt some reluctance. He had now accepted he would never find Bethany and this had engendered a feeling of impatience to get on with life.

  They managed to secure a berth on a coastal trader calling at the port of Kings Lynn, much more comfortable than taking the road. They would be back in Marston in a few days.

  Luke couldn’t believe the change in himself after his acceptance that he would never again see Bethany. He began to feel stirrings he had thought gone forever and voiced his new feelings to Mary during their short voyage.

  Mary slipped her arm through his and seeing they were unobserved reached up to kiss his cheek. It was not a chaste kiss either, and Luke noticed the difference.

  ‘I’m so pleased, Luke, you must know my feelings for you are not as a niece to her uncle, I have loved you for years but have always accepted my place in your life, perhaps now we might travel as friends?’

  ‘Friends it is.’ He acknowledged.

  Days later the pair stood in the yard of the ruined bakery. The sky was grey and heavy with drizzle, and once again Luke realised the futility of this journey. There was nothing but misery here, pain and bad memories. Even the memory of his Bethany was tarnished with the gloomy atmosphere.

  They were startled by the kitchen door opening. A man stood in the doorway, surprise evident by his demeanour.

  ‘What may I do for you, sir?’ He asked.

  ‘Well may you ask, do you now own this place?’ replied Luke.

  The difference in dress was so apparent that Luke might have been a Lord compared to the rags the man wore.

  The man showed due deference for Luke’s apparent position in life.

  ‘I’m sorry sir, for my rudeness, but my wife inherited it from her husband.’

  ‘Husband you say, and who might that have been?’ Luke persisted.

  ‘Why, his name was Seth Bishop, sir.’

  Luke recalled the conversation he had with the old man in the pub in upper Marston and the whole ugly saga flashed through his mind.

  ‘Perhaps we might come inside, out of this drizzle?’ Suggested Luke.

  The man stood to one side and ushered them into the kitchen.

  A woman stood by a table holding a young boy by the hand.

  ‘This is Lilly, and our boy, Robin. My name is Hugh.’ Said the man.

  Luke paused before introducing himself,

  ‘I sir, am Luke Bishop, Seth was my father.’

  Lilly collapsed onto a chair with her face in her hands, sobbing.

  ‘I didn’t mean for him to go mad. I came here with my husband Isaac and after he died in an accident in the bakery, your father offered to look after me. He did more than that though, and I fell pregnant with Robin. Seth insisted we be married but he led me such a life. The cons
tant beatings were only a part of it. Hugh took us away one night and that’s when Seth apparently went berserk and torched the whole village. He has never been seen again and is presumed to be dead, killed in the fires.’

  Lilly poured out the story, hardly pausing to take a breath and Luke sensed that she felt guilty and responsible for what had happened that night.

  Luke reached over and took her hand in his,

  ‘I know what my father was like and lay no blame at your door for what happened. He was an evil man, my brother Tom was a lot like him, but he went away a long time ago. As he said this, he couldn’t stop from glancing at the flagged floor where Tom had lain, after he had struck him with the axe all those years before.

  The young boy, Robin, walked over to him, and Luke put his hand on his shoulder,

  ‘So, you are my little brother.’ Stating the fact in such a way that no denial was forthcoming.

  ‘Yes, sir, he is.’ Said Lilly quietly.

  ‘And the bakery, do you intend beginning again?’ Luke asked.

  Hugh replied saying they had only recently returned after moving away down South but they had no money to re-equip.

  Luke brightened considerably,

  ‘Then, I shall help you, both in the cost and in the making of the bread. We have a few weeks before we sail to the Americas again and it would give me the greatest pleasure.’

  Lilly’s eyes remained downcast,

  ‘But, sir. The place rightly belongs to you as Seth’s son.’

  ‘Nonsense,’ Replied Luke, ‘Robin is also his son, and you were his wife, the place is yours, and with my help, we shall have it up and running in no time at all.’

  The atmosphere suddenly lifted, and there were smiles all round, not least from Mary who could see the excitement exuding from Luke, missing for so long. Hugh had caught the general excitement and declared that they should start right away, beginning by cleaning the place from top to bottom and ridding the house of the reek caused by the fire.

  ‘If it please you, sir, why not stay here?’ He offered.

  Luke smiled in agreeance, ‘A capital idea and please, not so much of the Sir, Luke will do just fine.’