Ashes of Roses

by Melissa R. L. Simonin

  Katharine studied her seriously, as she contemplated the possibility.

  “Perhaps it is so,” she acknowledged. “Perhaps you are willing to risk your own life, on the possibility. But are you also willing to risk your daughter’s?”

  Evie’s color drained, and she fingered the reins nervously.

  “What hope do I have of changing my course?” Evie argued. “James saved you, and of that I am forever grateful. But I have no such benefactor, and I will not seek help from you, and risk my father learning more than is safe. I fear he would do so.”

  “Then pray, as I did,” Katharine said firmly. “You are right that James did save me, but never forget that he could not, if I did not first do all in my power to save myself.”

  Evie sighed quietly, and gave a nod of acknowledgement. As she glanced down, her eyebrows rose in surprise at the sight of Douglas, stalking across the stable yard toward Fury. If his intent was to ride, it would not last long.

  Douglas might not, either!

  Douglas grudgingly noted Evie’s absence, as he stalked across the stable yard. Though his conscience would not allow him peace concerning her, he would rather suffer its prodding, than seek pardon while in his current mood. It would not last forever.

  He considered Daniel’s suggestion that the cruelest lash to their father would be to marry the girl, and live happily. It was reason enough to entertain the idea.

  Joseph remained by Fury’s head as Douglas approached, and the two men eyed one another. Joseph’s expression was impassive, while Douglas’ held the resentment born of shame. The horse, at least, appeared as though it might suit.

  “I suppose you’ll be findin’ this one spirited enough,” Joseph remarked, as he untied the reins, and handed them over.

  Douglas nodded stiffly. As he mounted, Joseph kept a firm hold on the bridle. Douglas looked down, and frowned. Joseph returned his gaze evenly.

  “Yer grand title aside, yer marryin’ above yer class, an ye best be knowin’ it,” he remarked grimly. “If ye dinna’ see it, then I advise ye t’ start. There are those won’t take kind if she’s mistreated. I be one of ‘em.”

  Douglas stared back in surprise. To be spoken to in such a way by a mere groomsman, bordered on the unbelievable. Did not the man fear for his position?

  “Do enjoy the ride,” Joseph said, and released the horse.

  Evie gasped, as down below, all Fury broke loose. With a bone jarring leap, he was off, and down the path as though propelled from a cannon.

  “Quickly, move aside!” Evie led the way, as Katharine peered over her shoulder to see what moved her friend to such haste. The cloud of dust that billowed down below, was all she saw.

  Evie guided the mares further away from the trail, then stopped. She turned to watch the stand of trees through which they entered, so Katharine did as well.

  “For what, exactly, are we waiting?” she hazarded to ask.

  “Dare to blink, and you shall miss it,” Evie answered cryptically.

  A burst of hoof beats rushed so abruptly upon them, it seemed they materialized out of nothing.

  Katharine gripped the pommel with her knee, and the reins in her hands, as a dark blur exploded onto the path. She caught a glimpse of a mane, a tail, and the wild eyes of both horse and rider. Only one appeared to be enjoying himself. For the briefest of moments did she see them, then she and Evie were alone once more.

  “Gracious!” Katharine held her hand to her heart. “Do my eyes deceive, or is it Douglas Carlisle who was just carried off?”

  Evie turned to look down, and as the dust cleared, she caught Joseph’s eye. His smile brought an answering smile to her own face, and her eyes lit merrily.

  “Your eyes deceive you not. Douglas mistakenly requested the use of a spirited horse this morning. I dare say he was given what he asked for.”

  “Well then, perhaps there is the answer to your prayer,” Katharine replied, as they guided their horses back to the trail. “With such a steed, it may be that we shall never see the man again. He did not look as though he intends ever to stop.”

  Evie laughed in response, which somewhat cheered the hearts of both the friend beside her, and the one down below.

  “Perhaps you are correct,” Evie smiled, then her expression grew thoughtful. “You have given me much to consider, and I promise I shall do so. And now, I should like to enjoy this glorious morning, with my new cousin.”

  “Then we shall,” Katharine agreed. “By all means, let us begin.”

  More thundering of hooves, and another blur of mane, tail, and wild eyes hurtled past.

  The women could not help but laugh, not that Douglas would hear. He was surely halfway across the manor gardens, already.

  “It is a good beginning,” Evie smiled.

  Chapter 25

  “Dude, how come she’s not with this Joseph guy?” Xander exclaimed.

  As agreed upon, our trusted friends were seated around us in the living room of our suite at the Lodge. For three o’clock in the morning Glen Haven time, they were surprisingly wide awake. Our latest installment of historical broadcasts, deserved full credit.

  “I don’t know, she ought to be,” I declared, as I pet Fidget. She would be too big for my lap before long, so I was determined to get in as much holding as I could, while I had the chance. “But… then again, there was that whole caste-thing people adhered to back then. They probably never considered it.”

  “I shall—sorry, I mean I will be surprised if Joseph maintains his employment after speaking as he did,” Miles said. “I admire him all the more for it, as I’m sure he was aware of the consequences. As for a marriage between the two, if a servant were to elope with the daughter of a wealthy family, even more so when she was engaged to the son of another… he would lose more than his job. It wouldn’t surprise me to find such an interloper removed from the equation, one way or another.”

  Everyone slumped a little.

  “Man, I hope this whole thing’s not about solving his death or disappearance,” Xander frowned.

  “I doubt that’s the case,” I reasoned. “It didn’t look like they were in love. They’re just really good friends.”

  “Another thing to consider is that Evie was accustomed to a certain way of life,” Annette pointed out. “Joseph couldn’t provide that.”

  “She was accustomed,” John emphasized. “This broadcast took place live, over a hundred years ago. It already happened.”

  We slumped again at that.

  “How could she go ahead and marry Douglas?” Jenny lamented. “And after what Katharine said!”

  “Well, Douglas is starting to feel kind of bad about how he’s been acting,” I recalled.

  “As well he should,” Miles said grimly. “It’s unconscionable that her family valued climbing the social ladder, more than they did their daughter. I’m thankful James and Katharine offered what support they could, but she needed more than they could give, if she was to start a new life elsewhere. It would be different if this took place in their own country, and there was no danger of their involvement in Baylor’s death being discovered.”

  “It’s too bad you weren’t there,” I grumbled.

  “Right, because tagging along on my younger brother’s honeymoon would make perfect sense, and wouldn’t be awkward at all,” Miles said dryly, and I couldn’t help laughing.

  “Ok, fine, but you could make sure the horse never brought Douglas back. Or would you feel that was an abuse of power?”

  Miles grimaced slightly, as he pondered that.

  “I’m glad I didn’t have to decide.”

  “Are you sure she ends up with this guy?” Xander complained.

  “If she didn’t, Anika would know,” Annette reminded him.

  We slumped yet again.

  “Wait—You thought all Xander’s brothers were married,” Jenny said abruptly.

  “Yeah, right,” Xander laughed.

  “No, she did,” Jenny declared.

  �
��Not that, I was laughing at the thought of Gabriel married, but what? How’d that get by you?” Xander demanded.

  “Well, Jenny thought so, and I heard a tone, but that happens more than you people think,” I defended myself. “Like when—if someone said they’ve got no siblings, but their dad’s MIA or something, so anyway, it’s not uncommon, and it doesn’t mean they’re wrong!”

  I hoped I didn’t ruin Jenny’s day, or really early morning, by saying that. But I heard the same thing, when she said she was an only child. She didn’t know for sure if she was, or wasn’t.

  “But then… how do you know when something is the truth?” John questioned.

  “I hear silence, instead of the truth or a tone,” I replied, and apparently one of us was feeling the lack of sleep. How else could he forget such a fundamental basic?

  “Let me rephrase that,” John said. “What criteria must be met, in order for the truth to be confirmed? My parents are married to each other. Neither of them have been married to anyone else. Am I right?”

  “Yes,” I frowned.

  “How do you know?” John questioned. “I’m sure I’m right, but I’m also assuming, based on circumstantial evidence, and a lack of any to the contrary. I could be wrong, but I’m not wrong… and somehow you know that.”

  “Ug! You’re blowing my mind!” I exclaimed. “Then how am I supposed to interpret this?”

  “Do you hear a tone, when you describe its function?” John asked.

  “No,” I replied.

  “So you’re right,” Miles said. “But there has to be more to it.”

  “Like what?” I questioned. Now we were all stumped.

  “Maybe it means the person isn’t entirely certain, in their own mind,” Jenny suggested. “They’re not lying, but they’re not sure either.”

  “I think you’re right,” I acknowledged. “You must be.”

  “Regardless, it’s a signal there may be more to unravel,” Miles said.

  “It’s not a measure of importance though, I wouldn’t think,” Annette commented. “It’s hard to believe it was signaling that the marital status of Xander’s brothers merited investigation.”

  “No, but… when you do hear it, perhaps we should doubt the statement at hand, more than we trust it,” Miles remarked.

  “It’s not on par with silence, which confirms actual truth,” John agreed.

  “Whether the statement is true, or not, there may be more information to be had,” Miles added.

  “That, rings true,” I said. “It also makes sense.”

  “It does, but again, how much proof does it take to merit silence?” John questioned. “You know my parents are, and have only been married to each other. You know it because I said it, I’m right, and I believe it.”

  “Don’t forget the circumstantial evidence,” Xander reminded him.

  “Right, but yet you don’t know that about Evie and Douglas. What would it take to prove it? A marriage certificate? A wedding photo?”

  “Both of which could be faked, and I get your point,” I frowned. “How is anyone completely sure of anything? But why wouldn’t the Carlisles be? Or are they?”

  “Trix, is there any chance you can shed light on this?” Miles asked.

  All eyes of the human variety fastened on her, as she thought. Then she looked at Miles.

  “She says…” he puzzled over how to translate. It didn’t, always. “If you hear nothing, it’s the truth. If you hear the truth, the speaker knows it but didn’t tell it. If you hear a tone, truth is waiting to be found. If you want to find it.”

  Which pretty much summed up what we figured out months ago.

  “That’s what we thought, but what about all the rest of this?” Xander asked.

  Trixie shrugged a shoulder.

  “Keep practicing, and be patient,” Miles said. Laughter filled his eyes at that, but he held it in. “You’re new to this. Remember how far you’ve come. That’s a very good point, by the way. A few months ago, we knew nothing about this ability of yours.”

  “Think of all you’ve accomplished,” Jenny said encouragingly.

  “Has anyone else ever accomplished so much, in so little time?” Annette said.

  “Jesus,” I promptly replied.

  “Has anyone only fully human ever accomplished so much,” John rephrased.

  “Probably, but we have done a lot,” I agreed. “Thank you, for the reminder.”

  Trixie received her usual pats and praise, and rejoined Chip by the fireplace. There was no fire blazing, since we would be leaving soon, but they chose to lie there anyway. The cats couldn’t be bothered to leave the comfort of our bed.

  “You’ve found several letters to Katharine from Evie,” Miles stated.

  “Right, not that they’re all that helpful,” Xander replied.

  “Do you recall if the word ‘blue’ was present?” Miles asked.

  “No… I don’t remember,” Jenny answered. “You think she may have also used sympathetic ink?”

  “Maybe,” Miles replied. “If she wished to ensure privacy, that would be the logical choice. It’s unlikely the Carlisles were aware of the practice. The manor Bannermans may not have been either, but Katharine did mention it to Evie. It’s worth checking out.”

  “Yeah, it is!” Xander perked up.

  I glanced at the mantle clock, as it softly chimed the hour.

  “It’s about time for us to check out Bob Green, and find out where he was during the night he spent on the Isle of Camden, and if he knows anything about the damage to the greenhouse, and Harry Price’s murder. His is the only one without an assigned killer.”

  “If you find any hidden correspondence, text me a photo,” Miles instructed our friends. “Our phones will be on silent while we’re investigating, but we’ll check messages when we’re able. This is about studying history though, not changing it. It’s not high priority, so get some more sleep, if you can. This can wait until a reasonable hour.”

  “If only everything could,” I lamented. “Or until we’ve had a full eight hours’ sleep, anyway! I dimly remember that as a positive.”

  “Go, interrogate your guy, then go back to the manor and take a nap,” Annette ordered.

  “Tune into the rest of this historical broadcast, while you’re at it,” Xander ordered, and we laughed.

  “Given the chance, we’ll do that,” Miles smiled.

  Our friends went back to their respective beds, Fidget joined Chip, and Trixie, Miles, and I, went to see Bob Green.

  Our living room at the Lodge vanished before my eyes, and leafy branches and a stone wall appeared. The switch was instantaneous, sort of like changing channels, except the warm, spice scented air was now cold and damp, and smelled of wet stone and earth.

  I wrapped my waterproof coat more tightly about me, and followed Miles out from behind the hedge, and onto the paved walkway. The sky was heavy with gray clouds, so heavy, they looked ready to spill their contents onto the earth below. The sun and it’s position in the sky was impossible to find, and the line between light and shadow was indistinct in this world without a direct source of illumination.

  I looked around us at the houses that lined the residential street, as we followed the path toward the wrought iron gate set into the wall. I was relieved to see we were alone, and no one was standing frozen, staring at us in astonishment. No matter how we studied satellite images and real estate sites, there was no guarantee the information would still be accurate, or that our arrival would escape notice even if it was. It was a little bit anxiety provoking, but not nearly as much as having Trixie travel into the unknown all by herself. She was smart, and she had the power to remain invisible, and impervious to her surroundings. She also had a mind of her own, which she was all too ready to exercise, whenever she felt like it. The ill-timed entrance of a squirrel into the mix, and forget under-the-radar. As she explained to Miles, squirrels don’t run if they don’t know they’re being chased. Not that she couldn’t chase one eve
n now, but the difference was, she wouldn’t. As long as she was with us, she had a job to do.

  We reached the gate. Beyond it, trees dotted the lawn on each side of the path that led to the two-story, stone house of modest proportion. White trim neatly framed the paned windows, and the rough, dark gray shingled roof, which coordinated with the softer gray of the stone walls. Flowerbeds occupied the space on each side of the polished wood door, in which a small cut glass window was set. Both beds were empty, but that might have more to do with the time of year, than it did a failure to utilize. Even they appeared as neat and tidy as the proverbial pin.

  As we made our way down the path, a faint, high-pitched bark sounded from inside the house.

  “Forget taking him by surprise,” Miles said. I knew he was only kidding, because that wasn’t our plan.

  “At least we know someone’s home,” I commented, as I noted a slight shift in the curtain beside the door.

  “Good to know,” Miles replied. “Here’s hoping he answers.”

  The yapping grew louder the closer we came, and was accompanied by the occasional burst of furious clawing at the door. It was sort of funny. The little animal seemed determined to get out, one way or another. Then the barking stopped abruptly, and growling took its place, such as a pup makes when playing tug.

  “My, how ferocious it sounds,” I said quietly, and tried not to laugh.

  “Yes it does,” Miles answered, and there was laughter in his eyes, too.

  Trixie rolled hers. Apparently she was annoyed, rather than amused.

  There was the sound of tearing, the clatter of nails, the patter of paws fading into the distance, then silence.

  It was kind of anticlimactic, on our side of the door, anyway. We reached the front steps, and Miles knocked.

  On the other side of the house there was a bang, then the thunder of little feet racing in our direction. The creature was either too furious, too intent on stealth, or too focused on getting around the house in as few seconds as possible, to waste any energy on barking. Little grunty growls though, as it struggled to pull in enough air to fuel its mad dash, were involuntary.