Christmas at Wynter House

by Emily Harvale

  'Unless she's fallen down a flight of stairs. Or out of a window. Or off the roof!' Rowan's pitch increased with each syllable.

  Neva took Rowan's hand in hers. 'She won't have done any of those things. But what she might be doing, is hiding.'

  'Hiding? Why would she be hiding?'

  'What's wrong?' Nigel dumped what he was carrying and ran to Rowan the second he walked through the door.

  'We can't find Sasha. Mum and these people have been searching for her and she's nowhere to be found. But Neva thinks she's hiding.'

  'What's this?' Rafe strode towards them, a serious expression on his face.

  'It's Sasha,' Nigel said. 'She's vanished.'

  Rafe shot a look at Judith. 'Is this true?'

  Judith nodded. 'We've searched every room in the house and she's nowhere to be seen.'

  'The attics?'

  Judith nodded. 'Everywhere.'

  'I think she may be hiding,' Neva said.

  Rafe frowned at her. 'Why would she do that?'

  'Because for one thing, she's eight. And for another, she made it pretty clear she didn't want to leave today.'

  'But you're not leaving.'

  'No. But Sasha doesn't know that.'

  His brows knit together. 'I told your father before lunch.'

  'But no one's seen Sasha since just after breakfast.'

  The frown turned into a scowl. 'You mean the child's been missing for several hours and no one thought to mention it?'

  'Look. This hasn't exactly been a normal day. We thought she'd be safe here.'

  'You said yourself, she's eight.'

  'Stop arguing and do something!' Rowan yelled. 'My baby's missing and we need to find her.'

  'We'll find her. I assure you.' Rafe turned on his heel and marched towards the front door. 'Archie!' He boomed out commands while he waited. 'Judith. Get everyone together and search the house again from top to bottom. The attics, the cellars. Would she have ventured outside in this weather? No? But check anyway. Search the gardens. The sheds. She may have gone to see the chickens or the ducks. What would interest an eight-year-old?'

  'Sasha's not your average eight-year-old,' Neva said, 'so I wouldn't go by that.'

  Panic shot over Rafe's face. 'There's one place she might ...' His voice trailed off as he dashed towards the front door, bumping into Carruthers on the way. 'There you are. The child's missing. Find her, will you? I'm going to the old barn, just in case she went there.'

  'The old barn. Oh I do hope not.' One eyebrow went up and one went down, much farther than they had before, Neva couldn't help but notice.

  What on earth was in the old barn? A vicious dog? A wild animal? Dangerous machinery?

  'Wait for me. I'm coming with you.'

  Rafe spun round. 'No, you're not! No one goes to the old barn except me. It's off-limits.'

  Neva grabbed a brolly and ran after him but the hail suddenly stopped. 'May I remind you, there's a missing eight-year-old? Nowhere should be off-limits.'

  He stopped so abruptly, she ran past him, and she skidded to a halt and turned to face him. He was scowling so hard, she thought he might actually growl.

  'And may I remind you that this is my house and you're a guest. If she's in the old barn, I'll find her. Go back to the house right now.'

  Neva's mouth fell open as he marched off, but although she wanted to chase after him, there was something about his tone and his entire demeanour that made her do as he said. She ran back to the house as fast as she could.

  Inside it was now pandemonium. Even more so than when they evacuated the village earlier. People were dashing everywhere, calling Sasha's name. Neva ran upstairs and searched their bedrooms. Perhaps she was under the bed, or was hiding in a wardrobe. Or ... 'Oh. My. God!' She said out loud. That was it. It must be.

  She ran back downstairs, yelling George's name. 'George? George? Ah, Ethel. Have you seen George? Where's the staff sitting room? He may be there. I need to find him and Tempest.'

  'It's along the corridor and down the back stairs and ... oh there he is. And he's got the puppy.'

  'Sorry it took me so long,' George said, hurrying in a lopsided fashion. 'I'm not as fast as I was.'

  'Don't worry. I just need Tempest. Thank you,' she said as he handed her the lead. 'And Carruthers. I need Carruthers. Or better still, Adam or Rafe.'

  'Adam's out searching the grounds with Gavin and Sean,' Ethel said. 'I saw Carruthers going to the cellars.'

  'I'll get Carruthers, miss,' George said. 'And if I see Mr Adam or Mr Rafe I'll tell them you need them.'

  Neva let Tempest off the lead. The puppy belted over to the walls and started scratching the panelling, just as Neva expected. She grabbed the lead and hugged the puppy tight.

  'You're such a clever puppy. Ah! There you are!' She jumped up as Rafe strode back in, at the same time as Carruthers, but from opposite directions. 'She's in the wall. Don't look at me as if I'm mad. Watch this.'

  She let go of the lead and once more, Tempest ran and scratched the wood. Rafe didn't look pleased at all, but suddenly, he smiled and Neva grabbed Tempest again.

  'But how did she find the release?'

  Neva shrugged. 'No idea. But I bet you that's where she is.'

  He dashed to the panelling, reached up high and pressed a delicately carved rose. A panel clicked open and Rafe stepped inside, flicking a switch so that a light came on. Neva and Carruthers followed him in.

  'Watch your step,' Rafe said. 'The ground's a bit uneven and the ceiling is low in places.'

  'That's more of a problem for you two. I'm only five-foot-four. But what I don't understand is why she couldn't hear them all calling her. And you said this is a short cut to your bedroom. If that's the case, why didn't she come out the other side? Unless she stayed in here on purpose.'

  'What I don't understand is how she reached that rose. Hopefully, we'll soon find out. But there's more than one passage in here, and only lighting in one of them. If she's in one of the others we'll need a torch. I've got my phone. Have you got yours?'

  'Yes,' Neva said.

  'As do I,' said Carruthers.

  They reached a fork in the passageway and Rafe pointed ahead.

  'Archie, you take that one. We'll go this way. Yell, if you find her.'

  Carruthers veered off to the left and Neva followed Rafe as the passage sloped downwards.

  'It forks again a little farther on. You take the one that leads up to my bedroom and I'll take the other one.'

  'Where does that one lead?'

  'That doesn't matter. She can't have gone out there because there's a gate and it's locked. I'm the only one with a key. Apart from Archie.'

  Why was he being so secretive about the other passageway? She wasn't sure she wanted to go to his bedroom. Perhaps she should ask to stay with him. But that was silly. It was only a room for goodness sake.

  'Right. You go that way. The lights go all the way up, but you may still need your torch. I know the way like the back of my hand but as someone who's never been here before, it may be difficult to keep your footing. Yell, if she's there and I'll do the same if I find her.'

  'Rafe!'

  'Yes, Neva.'

  'What if I'm wrong? What if she's not here? She would've had to climb on a chair to reach that rose.'

  He reached out suddenly and touched her cheek. 'I'm sure she's here. But if she isn't, we'll find her, Neva. Wherever she is.'

  And then he was gone and all she could see was the beam of the torch on his phone.

  She followed the passageway and began calling Sasha's name, her heart sinking more with every step. Even if Sasha was hiding, she would've come out by now. She'd been gone for several hours. And then, as she turned a corner in the passage, her heart skipped a beat.

  'Sasha! Sasha!'

  Oh God. Her niece was dead. She was curled up in what looked like a wooden chair set in the wall to one side of the passage.

  Sasha's eyes shot open as Neva shook her. 'Neva!' Sasha yawne
d and stretched. 'What time is it? I'm hungry.' She pulled her ear buds from her ears and smiled.

  Neva didn't know whether to laugh or cry; so she did both. And she cuddled her niece so tight that Sasha yelled to be let go.

  'Oh,' Sasha said, glancing around her. 'I'm still in here.'

  'Yes. And everyone is worried sick. What the hell were you doing? Why didn't you answer when they called?'

  'I had my ear buds in.' She yawned again. 'I found the catch by poking the walls with an umbrella, and got in. But then I couldn't get out because I left the umbrella outside and the catch was too high for me to reach. I walked all over the place but one gate was locked, and this one must have another secret catch thing but I can't find it and can't reach up high. I did call out but no one heard so I came back up here because this part has this sort of chair in the wall. And then I suppose I fell asleep. I did try to call and text but I couldn't get a signal.'

  'Weren't you scared?'

  Sasha shrugged. 'No. I knew someone would find me. But I need to pee, and I'm cold. And I really am hungry. Can we get out now please?'

  'Yes. Yes of course. Rafe! Carruthers! She's here. She's safe!'

  Chapter Nineteen

  Neva smiled as Rafe marched Sasha into his bedroom and showed her to his en suite, closing the door behind her and informing her that Neva would wait for her and that he would be outside in the hall, to show them the way downstairs. Neva was about to say she was perfectly capable of finding her own way, but in a house the size of this, she probably wasn't. He wouldn't be pleased if he had to send out a search party for her too.

  Carruthers had been sent to tell Rowan and Nigel and everyone else that Sasha was safe and sound, and as soon as Rafe closed his bedroom door behind him, Neva took the opportunity to have a look around. She couldn't wait to tell Jo she had been in Rafe Wynter's bedroom - even if it wasn't to have sex.

  It was similar to her room in a way, but more masculine with dark wood furniture, and the bed coverings and matching soft furnishings were all a deep midnight blue. The wood panelling was also dark as was the wood floor but when she crept over to his bed and gingerly sat on the edge, she glanced up at the ceiling which was ablaze with beauty and colour.

  Like Rafe's, her own bedroom ceiling had once been a mass of stars and planets, but she was twelve at the time and into astronomy, and hers were nothing like his. Her planets and stars were stick on, peel off; these were painted, and by the detail and sheer beauty of the workmanship, possibly by Michelangelo, or someone of a similar ilk. Imagine going to bed each night and looking up at something as beautiful as this. Except would you see it properly with the four-poster canopy in the way?

  She couldn't help herself. She laid back on his bed, and almost shrieked with delight. Instead of swathes of silk which were on the underneath of the canopy over the bed she had been given to sleep in, this one had the same painting as the ceiling, only scaled down to size. She lay there mesmerised and only heard Sasha's voice as if in the distance.

  'I'm ready, Neva. Let's go downstairs. I'm starving. Are you coming?'

  'Yes. Just give me a second.'

  But she heard Rafe's voice loud and clear when Sasha opened his bedroom door and he obviously saw Neva lying on his bed.

  'Are you quite comfortable?'

  Neva sat bolt upright, nearly tumbling off the high mattress, and scrambled to her feet in a most ungainly fashion, her face burning and her heart pounding.

  'I'm so, so sorry. I was looking at the ceiling and when I saw how beautiful it was, I had to lie down to see if you could see it from the bed. The canopy blew me away. I'd love to sleep in that bed every night and wake up to that every morning.'

  He raised one eyebrow and a slight curve appeared on his lips but it was gone in a second and a grim line took its place.

  'Adam's bed has one similar. Now if you don't mind, we should go downstairs. Please close the door behind you.'

  He didn't wait for her but he clearly expected her to follow immediately and she hurried to the door, taking one final look around as she closed it. That would no doubt be the last look she would ever get of Rafe Wynter's bedroom. And what was pretty obvious by his comment was that he had definitely heard what Rowan had said about Neva fancying Adam.

  She followed behind him and Sasha as if she were a servant. For someone who had been locked in a dimly lit secret passage for several hours, Sasha was full of beans, bouncing up and down as she skipped along the hall trying to keep apace with Rafe.

  'Will you show me where all the catches are, please so that next time I can get out by myself.'

  'No. Because there won't be a next time. Those passages may look like fun but they were there for a serious reason. And they're dangerous if you're not sure of your footing. Please don't go in there again unless you're with me or Archie.'

  'Who's Archie?'

  'The butler. You should call him Carruthers.'

  'Why? If his name's Archie, I'll call him that.'

  'No. He would rather you called him Carruthers.'

  'That's silly. Why's that gate at the end of the long passageway locked? Is there secret treasure behind it?'

  'Not the type you mean. But it is off-limits, so I'd rather not discuss it.'

  'Why? Ooh! Is that where you buried your wife?'

  He stopped so abruptly that Neva almost crashed into his back. He darted a look at her before narrowing his eyes at Sasha.

  'Who told you I buried my wife somewhere?'

  'Gramps. Cecil and Ronnie told him but he doesn't like gossip so he was rude to them. And Neva told them I had a disease.' She giggled. 'Did you kill her? Did she scream? Does her ghost haunt this house? I'd love to see a ghost. Is she mean or does she weep all the time? I'm going to be a ghost hunter when I grow up. And I'm going to kill vampires and zombies too.'

  A sudden burst of laughter escaped him and he made a growling sound and held out his arms from his sides.

  'Well, little one. I'm a vampire and I bet you can't kill me.'

  He swept Sasha up and marched down the hall as she twisted and turned and screamed with delight in his arms.

  Rowan appeared at the end of the hall with Nigel and Carruthers and gave Rafe a look of abject horror.

  'What are you doing to my child!'

  'He's a vampire, Mummy and he thinks I can't kill him, but I can. Just you wait and see.' Sasha laughed so loud that even Rowan burst into a smile.

  Rafe immediately set her on her feet. 'I apologise. I don't think I frightened her, but I'm sorry if I worried you.'

  Rowan let out a sigh 'No, Rafe. It's me who should apologise. When I heard her scream, I thought ... Well, you know. I was worried to death we'd never find her. I'm so sorry we've put you all through this. Carruthers says she had got herself locked in the secret passage.' She frowned at Sasha who had grabbed Rafe's hand. 'You're so naughty. Do you know the trouble you've caused? Come here at once and apologise to Rafe.'

  Sasha shot a look at Rafe. 'Are you cross with me? I didn't get locked in on purpose. I'm sorry. Please let us stay. I love it here. I'll be good from now on, I promise.'

  He smiled at her. 'You are going to stay. At least for tonight. But please remember what I said. Next time, ask me or Carruthers.'

  Sasha's eyes were the size of saucers. 'We're staying? Yippee!' She jumped up and down and her curls danced around her face as she ran to Rowan. 'Mummy we're staying. I'm very hungry. May I have something to eat?'

  'If I may,' Carruthers said, his back straight, his face deadly serious. 'Afternoon tea will be served in the drawing room shortly, now that Miss Sasha is safe.'

  Neva couldn't help herself. She suddenly burst out laughing.

  Carruthers did the usual thing with his brows and looked from her to Rafe as if wondering what was so funny.

  'I'm sorry. It's been a very strange day.'

  'You're not kidding,' said Rowan, hugging Sasha tight. 'That's the understatement of the year.'

  Neva walked past Rafe, briefly m
eeting his eyes, and went downstairs with Rowan and the others. Rafe and Carruthers followed close behind. She couldn't hear what they were saying but they were whispering intently about something.

  Judith was waiting at the foot of the main staircase and she showed them to the drawing room where Dawn and Dennis and everyone else were all seated on chairs and sofas, some of which had clearly been brought in from another room to allow for the additional seating required.

  There was a roaring fire in the hearth; another grand fireplace and a mantle decorated with Christmas greenery. A tree as large as the one in the grand hall and as equally stunning was positioned near the window. Were those presents also fake? The ones beneath the other trees were. Where did the Wynters have their own tree and were there real presents piled beneath that? But hadn't Ethel said the only decorations were the ones on display for the paying visitors?

  Neva perched on the arm of a sofa, next to her mum but when she saw the look Olivia Wynter gave her, she squeezed in beside Dawn instead, Dennis and the others shifting along to make room for her. She was surprised to see Olivia there, sitting in an armchair close to the fire, looking every bit the matriarch. She hadn't seen her since they had arrived, even with all the commotion going on.

  The woman and the teenager who always seemed to appear with food, apart from when they were searching for Sasha, brought two trolleys in, piled high with cakes and sandwiches, exceedingly well displayed. There were pots of coffee, tea and hot chocolate. No wonder Rafe Wynter didn't have any money in the bank. If he continued catering for everyone like this, he'd increase his chances of losing Wynter House tenfold. Or perhaps it was compulsory for families such as the Wynters to go overboard when entertaining guests. Except none of the people here were really guests; they were here as a result of circumstance, not a friendly invitation to spend the Christmas holidays.

  'It's time I made some introductions,' Rafe said, 'now that we've done everything we can in the village, and Sasha is safe and well.' He threw Sasha a small but friendly smile. 'Would you all be good enough to give a little wave when I say your name so that anyone who doesn't know who you are can at least put a name to a face? First, our holidaymakers, Dawn and Dennis, their daughters, Neva and Rowan. Rowan's husband Nigel and their daughter, Sasha.' He held out a hand to indicate who each of them was as he said their names and they each waved as he had asked. 'Olivia, Adam and I, you all know. Judith, our right-hand woman, even though she's currently standing to my left.'