“Where is the shield now,” I asked.
“Salisbury Museum.”
“So do we think this is a clue?” Morgan said.
“It’s got to be. I’m going to look on the internet for any more information,” and he turned and switched on his computer. “Maybe I can find some more references to the three stars and the origins.”
“So the big question now is,” I pointed out. “What has the Imber church got to do with Ben Deverill buying land around Warminster? It doesn’t make sense.”
We all stood for a moment staring at each other. Not one of us could think of an answer.
“Tell me about Ben Deverill. What do you know about him?” I asked, trying to find a new angle.
Hannah and Jez both looked at Morgan, who appeared to be considering my question with great thought.
I breathed out a frustrated sigh. “Yet again, I’m missing something, and you won’t tell me what it is.”
“Rose, please don’t.” Morgan muttered as I grabbed my coat ready to put it on. I’d had enough. If they didn’t trust me, then they could do without me.
“You told me I could trust you earlier, remember Morgan? So why can’t you trust me?” I implored. “Thanks a lot.”
“I do trust you, Rose,” he murmured. “I’ll tell you the basics.”
“The basics?” I whined.
“Yeah. The basics. Ben has been around forever. He’s been head of the Council for eight years. He’s Aiden’s grandfather and rules Aiden with an iron fist. Now, Aiden works for him. The Deverill’s have always been bad news, but, somehow Ben always seems to win back his seat as Governor,” Morgan explained.
“So, Ben’s a tough cookie. Is he married? Any other children or grandchildren?”
“He’s not married; at least, I don’t think so. He’s only ever had Aiden to look after,” Hannah answered.
“Yeah, after your parents refused to have the evil, conniving swine-bag,” Jez sniggered at Morgan who glowered back.
“You’re going cryptic again,” I declared at them all while Morgan’s stare darkened.
A pregnant pause ensued and Hannah interjected awkwardly. “Look guys, we’re not getting anywhere. Why don’t we call it a day? Jez, you carry on your research. I’ll do some of my own. Rose, search Daisy’s study, she’s bound to have something there and Morgan, you help Rose.”
It was agreed by all, but I glared at Morgan again, and he refused to meet my gaze, turning away.
Hannah shrugged at me when Morgan turned his back. Jez saw but said nothing.
“Jez, thank you for lunch. I hope I’ve been useful,” I said, hoping that Morgan would turn again so he could see how much I meant it.
“You’re welcome,” he said and handed me a piece of paper. “Here’s my mobile number. Call me if you find anything.”
“Sure,” I folded it and pushed it into my bag.
“Do you want a lift home? I’ve got a spare helmet,” Hannah asked at me.
Morgan was still being obstinate filling his backpack and muttering to Jez.
“That’d be great, thanks,” I said overenthusiastically.
“Okay, I’ll see you later,” Morgan said without looking back and left the room. His speedy paces down the stairs and slamming of the front door did not go unnoticed by us. We three stood in silence as we listened to his car revving, and then the sharp roaring engine grew fainter into the distance.
“Oh god, what on earth did I say?” I cried out to both Jez and Hannah.
“You weren’t to know,” Jez said. “Morgan’s very touchy about it. I mean, I think he overreacted, what do you think?”
Hannah nodded. “Sit down, Rose. We’ll tell you.”
I sat back on the bed and dumped my bag down again. Jez leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.
“All I know is that after Aiden’s parents died, Morgan’s parents, who are his closest relatives, refused to look after Aiden. At the funeral of Aiden’s mother, Ben agreed to take full custody of young Deverill. I think Aiden did some terrible things to Morgan’s family before that time, and that’s why they refused to look after a twelve year old boy. It’s not a question of money, Morgan’s family is rich. He won’t talk about it, and Aiden avoids everyone anyway. So who knows?” Jez said.
“Hannah, you know Morgan well, has he ever said anything?” I asked.
“We’ve never talked about it. Morgan’s open about most things but when Aiden is mentioned he closes up. Just like a book. There’s history there but I’ve never wanted to pry.”
“Maybe I could talk to Morgan,” I uttered. “If he’ll ever speak to me again.”
“I think he’s working later, at the Brokerswood Timber Mill,” Hannah offered. “He won’t be coming tonight to the Watch.”
I nodded in understanding; my thoughts flew back to our encounter this morning. I had felt Morgan’s goodness; it seeped from every pore in his body. So why had he clammed up on me when I asked about Ben Deverill’s family.
This mysterious Ben Deverill, however could be wholly responsible, but was Daisy involved too? This was something I couldn’t understand.
If people thought Ben Deverill was bad then why had Daisy tolerated him? How was she involved? The puzzle pieces were moving further apart, we were in danger of over assuming with only a few hard facts.
I needed to talk to Morgan, more than anything now. It hurt inside that he could think badly of me. And I selfishly wanted, and needed him on my side.
Hannah checked her watch. The time had flown, I hadn’t released it was so late, after seven pm.
“Do we have to go? This is pretty important,” I said earnestly.
“We promised Mira we’d be on time, we can’t back out now. I need to drop you off and get ready myself,” Hannah replied and I understood. To not turn up would appear rude but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should be helping Jez more.
“Jez, we’ve got to go. The watch?” She said. I know she was jogging his memory of the event and was not surprised with his response.
“You go. I want to check into this some more. Maybe I’ll pop by later. Are you going to the usual place?”
“Yep, by the barn.”
“Okay. Listen,” he said standing up. “Thank you, both of you for this. I don’t expect any help but you’ve helped me a great deal.”
“You’re welcome. Let me know how it goes with the shield. I’ll have a look in Daisy’s library too, and see if I can find anything. Hopefully I’ll see you later?” I said smiling.
Hannah hugged him tightly. “I’ll call tonight, see how you’re getting on,” she said. “Chin up, we’ll get through this.”
“Can I ask one thing?” he said looking sorrowful again. “Can this be kept secret, just between us? I don’t want the others to know anything yet.”
“Sure, no problem,” we both assured him. His need for secrecy was understandable, he was scared. Anyone could see that.
“Rose, Morgan will come around. He’ll be fine tomorrow, I promise,” he pledged. Jez sat down again and turned back to his computer. Hannah and I took our cue to leave and let ourselves out.
“What am I going to do?” I wheezed through my teeth when we were standing by the bike. “Was I out of line?”
“No, you weren’t and I’m going to have a few words of my own later with Morgan McCaw,” she whispered back. “He was out of line, not you.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“By the way,” she continued. “You were amazing up there with Jez. I haven’t really known the right thing to say, to console him, and Morgan and Jez have been friends since they were tiny, but guys are guys. But you? You’ve given Jez a direction, a purpose, that we didn’t. He’s a great guy, and he won’t forget this.”
“Let’s just hope we find his dad, that’s the most important thing now. By the way, are you two… you know?”
“No.”
“Really, ‘cos it looked to me that you both want to,” I said boldly.
; “My mum doesn’t approve of him.”
“So? Do you do everything your mother tells you to do?”
“Well, no but, I don’t know, she’d get really mad at me, I don’t want the hassle.”
“So you’d rather be miserable without him, I get it,” I said with mocked sarcasm.
“You don’t know my mother.”
“True.” I actually didn’t remember much about Hannah’s mother from my holidays, but she was always someone to be afraid of. Fearsome, almost, the only run in had been when Mira and I had upset Hannah. She was a large, but rude and outspoken woman. I didn’t envy Hannah, I even understood her reticence.
I put my helmet on, slinging my bag onto my back, and got onto the pillion.
“Just drop me at the gates, okay?” I said as Hannah mounted the bike and started off.
My heart pumped unexpectedly faster as I thought of Morgan. He was mysterious, and a little bit beautiful. This morning we had shared a connection, but now, I felt like I had ruined everything. I hadn’t meant to pry, and I knew that I was right. But it hurt me to know that maybe I had hurt him. I wouldn’t have wanted that in a million years.
Hannah’s story of Morgan’s family was intriguing me. Why had they treated Aiden that way, if he was only a boy? They had refused him a home at such a vulnerable age.
Morgan was the key; I just had to find a way for him to trust me again.
- Chapter Seven -
“Rose, is that you?” Daisy called from the study.
“Yeah, sorry I’m so late. I didn’t notice the time,” I yelled as I took off my jacket and placed it on the staircase.
I walked to the study where she sat in her usual place. Her writing pen in hand and notes of paper scattered her desk.
“You don’t have to apologise, Rose. We’ve talked about this,” she said as she continued to write.
“I know but I don’t want you to think I’m being impolite,” I said as I sat in the armchair across from her. “It is your home, after all.”
“It’s yours too. I’ve told you that already.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I suppose I don’t think of it like that yet.”
“We’ll discuss this again in a few weeks time then. You’ll have changed your mind, I’m sure,” Daisy said. “So, did you have a nice time today?”
“Yep, I was with Morgan, Hannah and Jez. It’s bad news about his dad. So, how did it go with your friend, Maggie? Is she bearing up?” I said trying to sound casual.
“Maggie’s a tough old girl, a bit like me,” she said unfazed. “I just hope good news comes soon.”
“Did the police come this morning?”
“Yes. And Louise, the paramedic. Both left completely satisfied with my report of you. I told Louise that you escaped the fire, thanks to the heroic actions of Aiden. And I told Mark as much as he needed to know. They left their cards on the hall stand in case you want to contact them. I said you had an urgent matter to attend to that couldn’t wait.”
“And they were fine with it?”
“Completely. There’s nothing to worry about.”
I breathed a heavy sigh. “Thanks Daisy.”
I got up, Daisy clearly wanted to complete her task and I didn’t want to intrude further. But I felt I had to ask.
“Daisy?”
“Yes, dear?”
“I’m going to meet Mira and Hannah tonight on the Hill, would you like to come?”
“And join the mob on their quest for enlightenment from otherworldly beings? I don’t think so,” she frowned.
“I might be late, that’s all.”
“Well, I’ll stay here, have a glass of cocoa and read a book in bed, but you enjoy yourself.”
“Okay, thank you! I’ll see you in a bit before I go,” I walked around the desk and planted a kiss on her cheek. She patted my shoulder and whispered “right you are, Angel.”
The evening was still early so I answered emails from my Manchester friends, telling them all about my arrival and the new people I had met. I kept it all vague, but upbeat. They were all missing me, which was nice.
Amy was still not answering her phone, when I tried to call. I left another message on her voice mail urging her to get in touch.
The time zone to the Middle East would mean it would be late for my parents so I decided against calling. I sent a short email though, telling them how I was settling in and my new friends. Dad would be happy that I was making friends. I ended it with ‘Love Rose-Marie xx’. They would like that.
Mum had packed a couple of sweaters, luckily. I threw on a cream cable one, putting a belt around my waist, and jeans. I didn’t want to feel any cold unnecessarily. My tan combat boots were the perfect addition, good for mud, and running. I brushed my hair, putting it back with a new jewel embedded hair band, and applied a little mascara. The difference between the last few nights view and tonight’s was incomparable. My skin was bright and clear, with no sign of the dark circles. My eyes and hair shone in the bedrooms soft light.
I was tidying my room, picking up discarded clothes and filling my laundry basket when I remembered my dreams again. I had been so caught up in today’s activities and my meeting Morgan that I had forgotten about the other visions completely.
I sat on my bed and read through the details I’d written about, of the noises and the scraping on my first night here. No one had mentioned the din on Friday night so an earthquake or other phenomenon was out of the question.
The part that did alarm me was the grey figure in the mirror. I was certain I hadn’t ever seen that image before.
I still had a couple of hours to waste, I switched the computer on. While I waited for it to boot up I checked my purse for necessary money and was glad when I saw a few notes.
My parents had agreed to transfer money every month in case I had need of it, and I was grateful I wouldn’t need to get a part time job. Plus should I require anything extra I just had to ask them. I didn’t want Daisy to feel like I was a burden so I wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible.
The first name I entered into the search engine was Halíka Dacomé, which pulled down hundreds of pages, mostly folklore and world mythologies.
She was a mythological creature from the dawn of time and together with three otherworldly beings sought out civilisations to expand and advance technological sciences. The Mayans, the Egyptians, Orientals and African all benefited from their advanced capabilities resulting in the formation of pyramids, buildings and more importantly war craft. The present earth dwellers at the time, kings and men alike lacked the skills or the know-how, and used this newfound knowledge to build great civilisations and wonders. Rumour had it that the Great Pyramids at Giza, Egypt had been forged from this advancement. Many theories speculated that one of the Pharaohs’ was in fact an otherworldly being due to his misshapen head. After he had died many of the giant statues and wall paintings he had commissioned during his reign had been destroyed to hide his features.
It was all a bit far fetched, possibly the ideals of some science fiction fantasy writer. People didn’t honestly believe all of this, did they?
Halíka Dacomé was linked in particular with Wiltshire (as we know it); it was written to be the first location that prehistoric man had dwelled in the area which stretched from across the Salisbury plain down to Cornwall and the Dorset region.
I knew that Wiltshire was old, judging by the burial sites and stone circles, but not that old. I couldn’t find any images, drawings or artist impressions of what she looked like, but the articles didn’t feature any new information for over a hundred years. The last ‘sighting’ was in 1863.
I did find an article called ‘Halíka Dacomé - Myth or Legend’ by Paul Pemberton but although it registered on the search engine, the page itself was blank. I gave up after that as nothing new appeared in my research.
My notepad and pencil were nearby so I started to write down the important notes. Was there a connection between Paul Pemberton and Mark Pemberton the policema
n, I wondered as I chewed the end of my pencil. Why was the website blank?
Afterwards I checked up on a phrase I continually saw. ‘The Warminster Triangle’ was an imaginary link between key areas of interest in the vicinity. Was it related to the triangle of stars on the King Alfred’s shield? Or the three points on the mural from Imber? One article wrote that if the local sights of Bratton Castle, Cley Hill and Scratchbury Hill were joined together a triangle was formed almost perfectly, while others maintained that the towns of Shaftesbury, Salisbury and Warminster were the actual triangle. Not one article agreed on the definitive ‘Triangle’.
I heard the hall clock chime, it was ten pm already. I put a pencil and piece of paper in my pocket, piled my notebook into a drawer, grabbed my coat and headed to the Library to say goodbye to Daisy.
She was at her desk, scribbling away again. I walked in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“I’m going out so I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Then I’ll say Goodnight, my Angel. Enjoy yourself,” she said softly and patted my arm. “And Rose?”
“Yes?”
“I think we need to talk soon.” She met my gaze for a second then looked down again at her work, closing the subject.
“Um, okay,” I said. I didn’t need three guesses to know what that was about, I thought as I headed out the door. Daisy wanted to talk about my gift.
By the time I got to the end of the lane, I didn’t need a flashlight or torch to guide my way. The lights on top of the hill were enough to light the whole town. I was glad I had on my thick combat boots on as the ascent up the hill was slippery with wet grass.
At the top of the rise I stood in awe at the huge numbers of people that had gathered. Mira and Hannah could be anywhere. I’d never find them in this horde.
I walked closer and soon saw the central arena for this evening’s event. The cordoned off area bore a small dais near the centre, with huge spotlights that shone into the sky making it as bright as day. The arena was already surrounded at least six people deep. Luckily through the advantage of my height, I could see the faces in the crowd. They were engrossed in the preparations being made by a man wearing a long beige coloured tunic. He looked like a hippy with long grey beard and whitish grey long hair.
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