by Leela Ash
Touching the engraved words with her hand, she felt a shiver run through her spine and shuddered.
The vicar laughed. “I get that feeling sometimes–as if someone had stepped over your grave. Now you must be getting cold. Shall we go outside into the sun?”
It was good to be back in the sunshine, she had started to have strange imaginings back in the church, some kind of déjà vu about the whole place. She had started to let her imagination run away with her in this place of old bones and death.
Just as she was about to leave, Rebecca remembered her old relative.
“Do you know of a Mrs. McPherson? She’s supposed to be a relative of mine. I think she used to live in the old vicarage?”
Henry Parsons beamed his schoolboy smile. “Nora. Yes, she’s the oldest member of my congregation. She doesn’t get out much, but I call and see her once a week. You can see the house over there, the big one behind the trees. I’m afraid the new vicarage is a much simpler affair. I’ll take you over there now if you like?”
Rebecca had started to protest, but Henry was already marching down the path and she had to hurry to catch up with him.
The old place was an imposing structure of red bricks and was surrounded by ancient poplar trees that bathed the place in a strange green light. There was an old-fashioned bell pull that Henry tugged and the gentle tinkle of a bell could be heard somewhere in the house. Rebecca expected the dull thud, thud of an ancient butler coming to answer the door and was surprised to hear the light skip of footsteps running up the hallway. Jane Sweeney was a bright young woman who was keeping house for Nora McPherson. She had beautiful red-golden hair that tumbled down her back into natural curls. She clasped Rebecca’s hand as if welcoming back an old friend and a feeling of familiarity swept over her. Perhaps it was because these people were so friendly that she almost felt like one of them. She had been told that the British were a bit aloof, but it had proved exactly the opposite in her case.
Jane led them down the dark hallway and into the library at the back of the house. It was a beautiful wood-lined room with huge French windows that led into the garden. Despite the sunshine, a huge fire was burning in the grate and the shades were drawn on all of the windows. In front of the fire was an old sateen chaise lounge that had seen better days. As they approached, Rebecca could see an old woman lying on the coach, apparently asleep by the fire. Jane called out her name quite softly at first, then again more loudly.
“Mrs. McPherson... Nora?”
Slowly the frail head lifted up and a pair of brilliant blue eyes looked out at them.
“It’s the Reverend, Nora. And he’s brought someone to meet you.”
The old lady reached for her spectacles dangling on a chain around her neck and with a shaking hand put them on.
She seemed to stare for a very long time at Rebecca, and the girl wondered if her relative could see her at all. She looked old, very old, her skin lined like an old map–the roadmap of her life, Rebecca supposed. The only thing of her youth that remained was the pair of blue sparkling eyes, shining like a young girl’s.
Henry Parsons stepped forward and cleared his throat.
“Nora, this is Rebecca Brooke. She’s come all the way from California to see you. She’s a distant relative of yours.”
Nora nodded and started to speak. Her voice was gentle and low with the soft lilt of the Scots.
“I’ve been expecting her to call. I have been waiting a long time. Too long.” She motioned for Rebecca to step forward and sit with her.
Raising her eyes towards Henry, Rebecca wondered if Nora might be a little bit senile. She was sure her Mom hadn’t contacted Mrs. McPherson, she would have said.
“Thank you Reverend. That will be all.”
Nora raised her fragile arm to him. Henry cleared his throat to protest, but the old woman glared at him through her glasses. There was to be no sweet talking this old lady. Rebecca was warming to her already.
Rebecca sat on the end of the little sofa. Nora was staring directly at her, and it made her feel ill at ease.
“Come nearer so I can see you better, dearie.”
She shuffled up close. The old woman smelled of mints and whisky and Rebecca wondered if she was a secret drinker. The thought made her smile. At her grand old age, surely she could do anything she liked?
“I can see now it’s you dearie, ye hair’s a different color, but I can see it around your eyes. Aye, I can that.”
Rebecca smiled. Poor Nora had obviously flipped or drank too much and was talking gibberish, but she would humor the old lady.
“They said that you would be coming, and I’ve been waiting for ye. All of these years, I’ve sat and waited”
Her eyes glazed as if she had slipped back into another time, and Rebecca wondered if she ought to go. She didn’t want to tire the poor old thing out, so she started to rise.
Nora’s hand was soon on her arm. “I have something for you, lassie, but first pass me that glass on the table, will ye?”
She reached for the glass. It felt sticky. Handing it across, the old lady fished her hand under her cushions and brought out a small bottle of McClelland’s Whisky.
“Just a wee dram of the good stuff to warm me up. Will ye not be joining me?”
Rebecca shook her head. It was probably better if one of them remained sober.
“Go on, lassie. It will do ye good. Now pass me that other glass.”
Nora poured out two generous measures, and while Rebecca sat and nursed hers, the old lady drank hers down in one. She was amazed and wondered if she should be drinking so much at her age.
“I’m one hundred and three years old this Christmas, if you’re wondering. I put long life down to whisky and porridge.” She giggled like a schoolgirl–the after effects of the drink, Rebecca supposed.
Nora patted the red cushion next to her. “Come a wee bit closer, lass, so I can hear you better.”
Rebecca shuffled up even further.
“So how are you finding our little village, Rebecca?”
At least she remembered her name. She couldn’t be that senile.
“It’s lovely. I only just arrived, but everyone I’ve met this morning has made me feel very welcome.”
“Well, my dear, that’s one thing about this place. People seldom stray, and if they do, it’s never for very long. A little piece of home always stays in the heart.”
Nora’s eyes were alert and bright and Rebecca wondered if it was a combination of medication and alcohol. Maybe it was just the drink. The effect of sitting close to the hot fire combined with the neat whiskey was starting to make her head spin.
“Now, my dearie, if you could fetch me that wee box down off the mantelpiece.”
Rebecca looked across at the fire. On the shelf above it stood an array of objects collected from over the years. There were dozens of old photographs, and from the style of the fashions, some must have been well over 100 years old. Sepia and black and white images stood in their dusty and age-stained frames. They were full of hollow-eyed people staring back into the lens and they all seemed to have a vague air of familiarity. In the center next to an old wooden clock stood a very small and plain-looking tin box with patches of rust showing through at the sides.
Handing the box down to Nora, she sat and waited with some hesitation. The old lady was so eccentric that absolutely anything could be inside.
“This was handed down from my great, great-grandfather, and from his grandfather before that. It’s very old, dating back several hundred years to about the time of the great Battle of Flodden. The old girl’s eyes sparkled as if remembering the event personally.
Placing her thin hand into the tin she drew out a small object wrapped in tissue paper and carefully passed it over to the young girl.
Rebecca gasped as she opened up the layers of fine paper to reveal an exquisitely engraved silver locket.
“Open it, open it!” the old woman urged like an excited child at Christmas.
As Rebecca slid her nail beneath the clasp, the locket fell into two halves. Inside was a beautifully painted miniature of a young woman. She was shocked and had to blink and look again. Two things immediately struck her: first, that the eyes were a brilliant blue, and secondly, that the face was hers.
A shiver ran along her spine, despite the heat from the fire. She stared at the image a long time, hardly believing what she saw. The woman wore a blue dress in the Tudor style and in her hand she held an apple. Her strawberry-blonde hair was tied into a long, neat plait cascading over her shoulder, and a row of pearls was strung closely across her throat. In the background was a green vase or some sort of decoration, and on it was a picture of a twin-tailed siren that looked oddly familiar. She had probably seen something similar in her history books from this period but couldn’t quite recall what.
It was reasonable, she supposed, to have some facial similarities to your ancestors, but the resemblance was uncanny. She looked across to Nora for answers.
“That’s a portrait of the wife of William Stewart, the only member of the Stewart clan to survive the battle of Flodden. It was said that she was some kind of witch and that she used supernatural powers to keep him safe.”
Rebecca wanted to ask more questions, but at that point the old woman shut her eyes and seemed to fall asleep. The conversation had obviously exhausted her, and after waiting another ten minutes, Rebecca decided to leave. Placing the miniature back on the table, she tiptoed out of the room, feeling slightly guilty at leaving without saying goodbye.
She was halfway down the path when a voice called her back. Jane was running towards her.
“You left this behind.” She placed the silver locket in Rebecca’s hand.
“Oh no, it’s not mine. Nora was just showing it to me.”
“She wants you to have it.”
Rebecca shook her head. “It’s far too valuable! I can’t accept anything like that.”
Jane frowned. “But it’s yours.” And with that, she ran back to the house.
What a strange thing to say. Rebecca placed the locket carefully into her bag in the zipper compartment next to her cell phone. She would hand it back tomorrow, but in the meantime, she would show James. It would definitely be a conversation starter.
***
The morning had been too weird, and she needed some normality. Hopping onto the local bus, she headed for the nearest town and spent the day window shopping. She also managed to find a branch of her favorite coffee shop and get herself a good cup of coffee and a muffin to have on the bus ride home. The coffee restored her equilibrium, and she couldn’t wait to see James.
Sammy was on the lookout for her when she arrived back at base and ran out to greet her new friend. She seemed in a bit of a panic.
“James is looking for you, and he’s furious!”
Rebecca had no clue what she was talking about and asked her to slow down.
“It’s James. He stormed in here about an hour ago looking for you. Something about the dig, but he didn’t say what.”
“Where is he now? Is he still around?”
“I haven’t seen him. I think he might have gone back out.”
It didn’t make sense. She hadn’t even visited the dig yet, so he couldn’t have anything to be mad about. Perhaps Sammy had got it wrong. Maybe it was something about last night and Johnny. Whatever it was, she was dying to show James the miniature, and so leaving Sammy standing at the door, she set out towards the dig to look for him.
The excavation site was not far. It was the foundations of a 16th-century dwelling that had received a lot of local and national interest.
The sun was a little weaker now that late afternoon was setting in and the air had grown chill. A slight wind rippled across the grass, and she hurried along, wrapping her flimsy jacket around her. She was almost at the site and could see the brown of the soil where the turf had been removed to reveal the ancient foundations. The trench was quite deep, and there was no sign of James. Scrambling down, she walked among the old stones. Part of a set of stone steps had been revealed and what looked to be the site of an old fireplace. Sitting on the steps, she drank the last of her coffee and placed the cup back in her bag. James would have a fit if she littered the site.
It had been such an odd day. She could scarcely believe her meeting with Nora and reached into her bag for the miniature to remind herself that she wasn’t going crazy. It was real enough.
Feeling a headache coming on, she closed her eyes for a minute. She hadn’t realized how tired she was and blamed Nora for leading her astray.
Before long she was asleep.
When she awoke, it was dark and she couldn’t see where she was. She was still leaning against the stone wall, her bag still on her lap, but she seemed to be in an enclosed space. She closed her eyes and opened them again, slowly moving them from left to right. On all sides were stone walls and just in front of her a fireplace. Rebecca tried to think where she was. She had come out to find James at the excavation site and must have fallen asleep. This must be a joke. They must have moved her while she was asleep. She must have been really knocked out! Standing up, she stretched her muscles, aching and stiff from sitting on her cold seat. She would have serious words with whoever did this to her.
The place must be some sort of museum for all the artifacts around her, from old copper cooking pots to stone flagons of various shapes and sizes, looked ancient. There were wicker baskets containing apples, and half a rustic-looking loaf of bread and a dish of eggs stood on top of a well-scrubbed wooden table. The most amazing thing about the place was the smell: a funny mixture of smoke and animals and a sweeter smell of rotting vegetation. It was very authentic. Maybe the place didn’t have much ventilation. Desperate for fresh air, she started to head up the stone steps.
“Katherine, will that be you down there?”
The burr of a soft Scottish voice echoed across the silence. For a moment, she froze. She might be trespassing on private property, but it wasn’t her fault she was here and would soon be able to explain.
As the door at the top of the stone steps opened, a dim light filled the room and there stood a man carrying a candle. He was dressed in what look like fancy clothes, a doublet and hose. Maybe he was one of those actors employed to bring the past to life; whoever he was, it was a relief to see someone. Walking down the steps, he peered cautiously at her and Rebecca had to stifle a giggle.
Grabbing her roughly by the arm, he brought the light to her face.
“Who are ye?”
His act might have been funny if he wasn’t hurting her.
“Hey, get off me.” She tried to struggle free, but it was useless and he pulled her towards the stairs. He was taking his role far too seriously, whoever he was.
Pushed up the stairs, she found herself in a long room with wooden floors and stone walls. A rich tapestry was hung on the far wall, its rich colors apparent in the half light. This place was great. She would definitely visit it again in the daylight without this overzealous thespian by her side.
The man jerked on her arm and pulled her towards an oak door. Inside was a great hall and in the center was a magnificent table laid out with swords and shields and other gruesome weaponry. A group of men were seated around a great fire, heads deep in conversation. As the door opened, they all looked up.
“What is it Angus?”
“I caught her d’oon in the scullery.”
A fierce-looking man with wild, steely grey hair and a beard stood up and approached her. He was dressed in a green tartan shawl that was wrapped across his body, and on his feet he wore thick woolen stockings and tan leather shoes that laced up around his calf. He was the very image of a Scottish Highlander, directly from one of her history books.
Her smile soon faded as he spoke.
“Who are ye young wummin, and what are ye doing here?”
His accent was much stronger than the first, and she struggled to tune into the words.
“We
ll?” he shouted at her.
Rebecca was starting to feel tired and bored by the joke. It had gone on too long and she wanted her bed.
“Now look, I think it’s all very funny, but I need to go. I need to sleep.”
The man glared at her as another joined him. He was similarly dressed but a little younger. He somehow looked familiar.
“She’s not from these parts. Look at her dress and the way she talks. She’s a foreigner. She must be a Sassenach spy.” He drew his sword and held it in front of her.
She almost fainted as the blade swished across her face. Maybe she was dreaming; it was all so unreal.
“Wait!” a voice shouted from the back of the group. Although loud, the accent was much softer and gentle in tone. As the man stepped nearer, Rebecca let out a low laugh. She hadn’t recognized him under the red beard. It was James Anderson! Sammy must have been in on the joke all along.
“Ha, ha, very funny James. I’m cold and hungry so let’s get out of here.”
His brow furrowed as he approached her.
“Ma name’s nae James, I’m Willy Stewart.”
Rebecca started to panic. It didn’t seem as if anyone was joking; in fact, it was exactly the opposite. Something wasn’t right. The man looked like James, but he didn’t seem to be laughing and he didn’t seem to be James after all.
“We should kill her now.” The man with the sword angled his blade. As his eyes narrowed, she realized where she had seen him before. He was the spitting image of Johnny Hampshire.
Her heart pounded in her chest. She was either about to die or wake up from this nightmare.
A strong hand pushed away the blade. “No Angus, I’ll take care of her.”
“But we’re riding ‘oot early tomorrow, William, to join King James in Battle. What will ye do with the young wummin?”
William thought for a moment. “I’ll take her with us.”
The men scoffed. “Ye cannae take a young lass along with us. What if she is an English spy?”
“Then all the better for her sitting on our side.”