I glanced at him, ready to apologise, but relaxed when I saw his dimple, and passed him a bottle of Becks. I poured myself a glass of wine, then regarded the fridge once more.
‘Well, it looks like cheese omelette – that do you?’
‘Cheese? At this time of night? You’ll give us nightmares.’
‘To be honest, it doesn’t seem to take cheese to have strange dreams at the moment, I’ve been having them since I moved in.’ I glanced at him, then away again as I put eggs and cheese on the worktop.
‘Strange dreams?’
‘Hmm.’
‘Verity?’
I turned and looked at him properly.
‘I’ve been having strange dreams too,’ he said.
‘Really? I bet mine are stranger!’
He grinned. ‘I’ve been dreaming about you.’
‘What?’
‘I’ve been dreaming about you, for a couple of weeks now. Then you walked into my gallery and I felt pretty much how you look right now. Come and sit down.’
He took my arm and led me to the sofa. A loud crash made me scream and my glass fell, smashing and drenching the floor with Pinot Grigio. ‘What the hell was that?’
William left me at the sofa and rushed to the window. ‘One of the birds,’ he said. ‘Must have been mesmerised by the light. I’m afraid it’s cracked the window. More work for Vikram.’
‘Is it dead?’
‘Unlikely. It landed on the tiles, probably just stunned. Best thing is to leave it to sort itself out if it can.’
‘And if not?’
He shrugged. ‘Nowt we can do. Why did you look so shocked when I told you I’d been dreaming about you? It sounds like a corny pick-up line, I expected you to laugh.’
‘Get me a new glass of wine, and I’ll tell you.’
17.
‘You romantic devil!’ Martha exclaimed as Harry presented her with a bouquet.
‘Well, three years to the day since we were wed,’ he said. ‘Look, I got gorse, garlic, pussy willow.’
‘And the honeysuckle too – the same as my bridal flowers!’ Martha held the blooms to her nose and breathed the scent in. She could just make out the delicate scent of the honeysuckle under the more powerful wild garlic.
‘Lizzie’s happy to have Edna, one more don’t make no difference to her now.’
‘What, all day?’ Harry’s sole surviving sister was not normally so free with offers of help.
‘Aye, well, special occasion, ain’t it?’
‘Thee’s paid her, ain’t thee, Harry?’
He shrugged. ‘Special occasion,’ he repeated. ‘And we’re doing all right. I’ve plenty of work on, and there’ll be no let up, not with the smallpox rife. We can afford it, love. Relax and stop worrying, at least for today.’
Martha did as she was bid and leaned her head on her husband’s shoulder for a moment. ‘So what does thee have in mind?’
‘Get out of this village, for one. I’ve bread and cheese,’ he kicked the pail by his feet, ‘and a couple of bottles of porter—’
‘Thee is splashing out!’
Harry raised his eyebrows at her and she stilled her protest.
‘I thought we could go up to Harden Woods, it’ll be pretty there, the bluebells might be out, too.’
‘That sounds lovely.’ Martha smiled at her husband and kissed him full on the lips.
‘Hang about, woman. We’re in public! Plenty of time for all that later.’ He grinned and smacked Martha’s rump, enjoying the sound of her resultant squeal. He hadn’t heard that mock-protest in a very long time.
***
Harry dropped the pail of food and beer, grabbed Martha – to another squeal – and spun her around in much the same way he usually did with Edna, then kissed her. Not like the way he did Edna.
He pulled Martha to him as she responded, their bodies reacting to each other in the way they used to. It had been some months since they had shared more than a discreet fumble in a room full of sleeping bodies, and both wanted to take their fill of each other.
Martha pulled back and smiled at Harry, brushing away the hair that flopped over his eyes, then stroked his whiskers.
‘You’re looking very distinguished these days,’ she said.
‘Well, I’m a master mason now. Folk expect a bit of distinguishment.’
Martha giggled. ‘Is that even a word?’
‘Don’t know, I’ll have to ask Emily.’ He could have bitten his tongue. Of all the stupid things to do – mention Emily Brontë to his wife.
He didn’t understand Martha’s antipathy towards her, apart from the usual wary regard most of the village folk had for Emily. But with Martha it was something different, something more.
‘She’ll likely not know either,’ he added in an attempt to undo the harm. He kissed his wife again, melting her heart towards him once more, and grabbed her rump to pull her close.
He was rewarded with another squeal and he hooked her legs, bent her body, and landed her on the ground with a thump. He got slightly more than a squeal for that, but there was no real sting in her slap.
He straddled her and gazed down at his wife of three years. Why can she not accept that I love her and no other?
Along with the grief of losing their firstborn, John, that was his only sorrow, knowing that she had no real faith in him. God knew, he had done nothing to deserve her distrust; had always been true to her, unlike many of his peers. But nothing would persuade her of his fidelity and loyalty.
He pushed the thoughts away and smiled down at Martha. Today may well help in that regard.
‘You’re as pretty as a picture,’ he said, and meant it. Her flaxen curls framed her face, and she was surrounded by the greenest grass which brought out the little flecks of green in her otherwise blue eyes, a similar hue to the bluebells which nodded their trumpet heads in the April breeze.
The smile he was granted warmed his heart and he bent his lips to worship it.
***
I woke, blinked and groaned. I tried to move my arm to grasp my aching head, but it was trapped. I shifted and tried to roll, then realised my body was not the restraint.
Wide awake now, I scrambled to a sitting position, throwing away William’s embrace and startling him to wakefulness.
‘What the hell?’
I stared at him, stricken, then relaxed in the warmth of his smile and the slow realisation that he was still dressed. I glanced down. So was I.
Thank God.
William wiped his face with his hands, then seemed to be brushing something away. He looked at his hands, bemused, then turned his gaze back to me and shrugged. ‘Felt like cobwebs, but there’s nothing there, must be the remnants of a dream.’
‘Cobwebs?’
He smiled and showed his hands. ‘No. Nothing there. Good morning.’
I relaxed a little more. ‘Morning.’ I smiled, shy. I had not woken up with a man since Antony. It had been a long time since I had been so intimate, even if we were still fully clothed.
Slowly, the events of the evening before materialised in my memory. The rook striking the window and cracking it, the draught, the cold. Me freaking out, knowing those birds were just outside that broken pane of glass.
We’d made omelettes so quickly we could qualify for the Saturday morning omelette challenge, scarfed them down, then brought the rest of the alcohol into the bedroom, closing the door on the cracked window.
Then we’d talked.
And talked, and talked.
I’d fallen asleep in William’s arms and, thinking back now, hadn’t felt so safe for a very long time.
Then I’d panicked when I’d woken in those same arms.
Ashamed, I cuddled up to him. ‘I had the strangest dream.’ I blushed, remembering the bluebell wood.
He gave a humourless laugh. ‘I’m not surprised, with everything that’s been going on, I had a weird one too. Very interesting i
t was.’ Our eyes met, and I saw he was as embarrassed as I was.
As one, we reached for each other and kissed. Lips soft against mine, tongue gently exploring, his breath feathering my cheek. My heart thumped then settled into a faster rhythm and I could feel his matching mine.
My hands moved down his arms as his crept down my back and cupped my waist as I reached his hips.
Then we broke apart – together – and rested our heads on each other’s shoulders, panting hard.
Again as one, we sat up straight and found each other’s eyes.
‘I can’t quite believe I’m saying this—’
‘But I need to wait,’ I interrupted.
William nodded. ‘This is something – I mean really something. I don’t want to rush it or get it wrong. I want to do things right.’
‘Me too,’ I whispered. ‘These old-fashioned values are quite romantic, really,’ I said with a smile, brushing my thumb over his lips.
‘Hmm. Not quite sure when I adopted them, though.’ He laughed.
‘Nor me.’ I lowered my face with a smile and glanced up at him through my lashes. ‘Coffee?’
18.
I opened my front door the following Friday evening, and flung it wide to usher in Lara and Jayne. I cast a suspicious glance upwards, but the rooks were no threat.
Today, at least.
We hugged, then I stood back and saw a glance pass between Lara and Jayne.
‘What?’
‘It’s just good to see you,’ Lara said.
‘We haven’t heard much from you the past week,’ Jayne said with a sidelong glance at Lara. ‘We’ve been worried.’
‘Worried?’ I scoffed. ‘I’m fine, better than fine, I’m in love!’
‘Already?’ Jayne asked.
I glared at her.
‘A week ago you were avoiding William,’ Lara pointed out. ‘Now he seems to have taken you over. We’re concerned, that’s all.’
‘Yes, you’ve been through a lot lately, we just want to be sure that life is being kind to you now – for as long as possible.’ Jayne smiled.
I hesitated before answering, then relaxed. ‘It is, it is being kind. William is amazing. I’m so sorry I’ve been quiet all week, truly I am.’ I smiled and held my arms out to embrace my friends once more. The hug was slightly awkward, but none of us remarked on it.
‘It’s like we’ve been in our own fantasy land,’ I continued, leading the way upstairs.
Lara and Jayne didn’t answer.
‘Our own little Gondal, that’s what we say.’ I giggled as I turned to them. ‘After the world Emily Brontë created with Anne.’
Jayne gave a small smile, and I faced forwards again and began the climb up the next staircase in silence, wondering what they were both thinking. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so awkward around my friends.
I opened the door to my apartment and ushered them in, then stared at the empty staircase behind them. ‘Where’s Grasper?’
Jayne’s jaw tightened and I was embarrassed that I had only just noticed his absence.
‘I left him at home with a neighbour. Didn’t want him distracting us tonight.’
‘And Hannah’s with her dad,’ Lara said, clearly hurt that I’d missed Jayne’s dog before her daughter. ‘After virtually ignoring her over Christmas and New Year, he thinks a weekend at Center Parcs will make up for it.’
‘Selfish bastard,’ I said. ‘Glass of wine, ladies?’
I watched as Jayne and Lara shared another glance, then they acquiesced.
‘What the hell is that?’ Lara exclaimed, staring at the window.
‘Oh, CDs,’ I said. ‘William strung them up for me to scare away the birds until Vikram can put something more permanent in place. They’re actually not too bad now, can be a bit unnerving in the morning when they first catch the sun, though.’
‘What happened?’ Jayne asked, noticing the three small panes covered by cardboard and brown tape. ‘Why are so many windows breaking?’
‘It’s the birds, isn’t it?’ Lara said, her voice soft. ‘They’re attacking.’
‘They’re not attacking,’ I said. ‘They’re just ... congregating. And the lights are confusing them, that’s all.’
‘Is that what William says?’ Lara asked.
I shot her a sharp look, hearing the scorn in her voice.
‘What does Vikram say?’ Jayne interceded, breaking the tension.
‘The same,’ I said. ‘Here.’ I passed glasses of wine round, then sipped my own, staring at my friends over the rim of my glass.
***
Lara and Jayne
‘The bar’s still open,’ Jayne said as she and Lara entered the White Lion.
‘Thank God for that. You collect the keys, I’ll order us a bottle.’
A couple of minutes later, Jayne joined Lara at the table in front of the fire, which was still blazing, and handed her the key to Room Seven.
‘I’d have thought you’d had enough of that room,’ Jayne said. ‘Isn’t that the haunted one?’
‘It’s not the ghosts in this place that worry me,’ Lara said as Tess deposited a bottle of Sauvignon blanc and two large glasses on the table. She looked up to thank the girl, and smiled. ‘Don’t worry, no strange happenings here.’
‘Yet,’ Tess said, turned and walked away.
Lara looked stunned, then burst out laughing at Jayne’s equally shocked expression. She shrugged. ‘Must be a true Yorkshire lass – they’re not given to hysterics in these parts.’
Jayne relaxed and joined in her laughter. ‘That’s probably just as well.’ She picked up the wine and poured two generous glasses.
Lara said nothing, but took her first sip before Jayne had even replaced the bottle on the table.
Jayne followed suit, the mood now sombre. She shivered despite the heat of the fire. ‘You noticed it too.’
Lara nodded. ‘When did you last hear from her?’
‘I spoke to her yesterday, but only because I rang her – she didn’t even text back from my calls earlier in the week.’
‘Same here. It’s not like her.’
‘I thought meeting a man would be good for her,’ Jayne said, ‘but it’s like she’s forgotten us. She’s just not Verity anymore.’
‘I know. It’s natural to be wrapped up in each other in the beginning, but Verity ... Normally, the slightest thing happens and she’s straight on the phone to tell us about it.’
‘Every detail.’ Jayne smiled. ‘But this time, nothing. It’s almost like when Antony was at his most controlling, and she withdrew into herself, do you remember?’
Lara nodded and took another sip of wine.
‘What do you think he’s doing to her?’ Jayne almost whispered the words.
‘I don’t know. Have you spoken to Vikram much?’
Jayne coloured and glanced down at her hands. ‘Just a few texts.’
‘Has he said anything about William?’
‘We haven’t been texting about William.’ Her blush deepened.
‘I hear you.’ Lara smiled. ‘I’m glad it’s going well.’
‘Early days,’ Jayne said. ‘Hopefully I’ll see him tomorrow, but back to Verity. What do you think William’s doing?’
Lara didn’t speak at first, but sipped her wine again. ‘I’m not sure it’s him.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Whatever’s going on, I don’t think it’s a destructive relationship.’
It was Jayne’s turn to silently sip her wine.
‘But whatever is happening, I think he’s as much a part of it as she is.’
‘What do you mean? I thought it was the building that’s haunted, not Verity.’
‘Oh it is – the Grey Lady is definitely connected to the building. But the other, whatever the other is, I think that has to do with Verity. And William.’
‘But how? I don’t understand.’
&nbs
p; ‘There’s the million-dollar question. I don’t know either, but whatever it is, I don’t like it.’
‘If we don’t know what the problem actually is, how do we solve it?’
Lara smiled at the typical Jayne question.
‘Well, to quote someone I know,’ she smiled at her friend, ‘our first task is to quantify the problem.’
Jayne grinned. ‘You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?’
‘Nope.’ Lara swigged her wine, her eyes dancing at the memory. Jayne had been on a problem-solving course at work the previous year and had taken it very much to heart.
‘So how do we quantify this?’
‘Well ... I do have an idea,’ Lara said.
‘Yes?’
‘You’re not going to like it.’
19.
‘Blimey, I didn’t realise it was fancy dress,’ Vikram said when William and I opened the door of The Rookery.
‘It isn’t,’ William said.
‘Really? Never seen you in that getup before, mate,’ Vikram replied, unperturbed and indicating William’s black slacks, white shirt and embroidered waistcoat. ‘Apart from the Victorian dress-up days the village makes us do every year, that is,’ he added.
‘It’s a dinner party.’ William shrugged. ‘This is the smartest gear I have.’
‘Fair enough. Good to see you, mate.’
Finally Vikram and William shook hands, and Vikram led the way into The Rookery.
Glancing skyward and looking relieved to get under cover, Lara and Jayne followed.
‘You look nice, Verity,’ Jayne said with a glance at Lara.
‘Thought I’d get into the spirit of things.’ I’d also adopted the Victorian theme with a high-necked, lace-trimmed white blouse and long black skirt. ‘Come on through, it’s good to see you both.’
I took my friends’ coats, draped them over a dustsheet-covered sawhorse and gestured them through to the first of the staircases and upward.
‘Wow,’ Lara said. ‘This looks great, Verity.’
‘Thanks, William and I have spent all day getting it ready.’
Parliament of Rooks Page 18