THE COMPLETE TRILOGY, COMPENDIUM OF THE HEART: An epic love story

by RJ Hunter

  Ken, looking hurt by her words, stepped towards her.

  "Lizzie, what is it, what have I done to upset you? I was worried. Please let me stay, I'm freezing cold."

  Lizzie stood glaring at him, her emotions going haywire.

  "You just left me, for that creep, just when I needed you. I called you back, but you ignored me." Now tearful, Lizzie went to physically push Ken out of her room.

  "I went to tell Frank just what I thought of him. It's only you who I care about."

  She stared into Ken's eyes, and tried desperately to decipher the truth. She could see through his lies, and Ken knew it, and began to back away from her. He despised himself for thinking he could fool her so easily.

  "I don't believe you. You're a liar and a user. I expect even Frank saw you for the cowardly toad that you are, and sent you packing - just like I'm doing now. It's over Ken, now just get out of my life."

  Lizzie slumped down on the carpet and sat with her back against the door, absolutely drained. She had channelled all her pent up anger, sadness and frustration into one positive surge of energy. She had parted from Ken, which she would subsequently look upon as the correct course of action, bearing in mind his affinity with Frank. Sally had said a long time ago they were no good and they should look elsewhere, now it looked as if her friend had been proven right. She missed Sally, and wondered where she was and what she would be doing now. Closing her eyes, she sat perfectly still in her blue Cinderella, evening dress, and listened out, just in case Sally came back.

  As soon as William had opened the front door, he called out to David. There was no reply, but William knew his younger brother was at home, as his damp coat was hanging up in the hallway.

  Sally now seemed somewhat hesitant about staying overnight at William's house, but what was the alternative - a night of fear, wondering what crazy thing Frank could do. William beckoned her to follow him inside, he then lifted the warm duffle coat from her shoulders and hung it up next to David's. Helping Sally off with her own coat, he led her into the warm sitting room. It was illuminated by a large standard lamp that gave off a soft, warm glow. The lamp was situated in what looked to be a reading corner, complete with an armchair and a well-stocked bookshelf. The open fire however, seemed to be on its last legs and was fading by the second. Sally stood in the centre of the room and immediately felt relaxed there. She couldn't help noticing the colourful paintings depicting local scenes, they seemed to adorn each wall.

  "Who painted these, William? They're so beautiful."

  "That'll be David, he's quite an accomplished artist. I've never really had the patience to do anything like that."

  Sally then gazed around at the multitude of Toby jugs which took up every nook and cranny. Above her head was a haphazard assortment of copper pots and pans in rows, and filling up all the available ceiling space. It was the most pretty and cosy house she had ever seen, but must be a nightmare to dust and clean she thought.

  William opened a bottle of white wine, and watched her as he poured them two generous glasses. He saw the way her damp dress clung tightly to her hips, but then had to quickly avert his eyes when Sally turned unexpectedly to ask him about a perfect replica of an old Spanish galleon, made out of, what looked like, thousands of matchsticks.

  "My father made it. He taught himself to build with matches and tiny scraps of wood while a prisoner during the war. You'll find several of his creations scattered all over the place."

  Sally was amazed at the effort and eye for detail that had gone into making the ship, and she looked around eagerly for more examples of the intricate handiwork.

  "I just love this house, William. It must be fantastic to live here."

  "It would be, if it wasn't for all this old junk. It really needs to be sorted out." He replied, noticing she was shivering, despite the warmth. "Please Sally, come and sit by the fire, you're freezing. I'll go and get more wood. Can I get you a blanket or something?"

  "No, I'll be fine. I'll dry off soon. Unless, of course if you happen to have a spare dress hanging in your wardrobe?"

  William laughed, he enjoyed Sally's sense of humour, but he didn't like to see her cold and uncomfortable.

  "No, sorry, I haven't got anything like that. What about one of my shirts? They're very long, and it would be just like a nightdress!"

  "Yes, that's a good idea," replied, Sally, as she sat on the edge of her chair, gazing into the dying flames, watching William trying in vain to stoke more life into the fire.

  "William, where exactly will I sleep?"

  "That's no problem, you can sleep in my room. You'll feel safe there, its got a huge, heavy oak door, with big bolts, and I can light the fire in there too." He saw the look of concern still etched on her face. "You're still thinking about what happened with Frank, aren't you?"

  Sally tried to smile, "You must think I'm a complete idiot, being too scared to go back to my own room?"

  He knelt down beside her.

  "Of course not. Frank is a psychopath. I certainly wouldn't trust him. Look, you can stay here until you go back home for Christmas if you want, we have spare rooms, and David wouldn't mind."

  She took a sip of her wine, but there was still something preying on her mind.

  "If I sleep in your room, where will you sleep?"

  "The spare room of course! "He laughed. "Come upstairs and I'll show you my impressive shirt collection, and while you're getting changed, I'll get the wood."

  Leading Sally upstairs to his bedroom, William cursed his brother for not attending to the fire in the living room, especially after David had returned home from the function before he did. For a moment, he was tempted to go into his room and wake him, but soon changed his mind after realising once his kid brother got a look at Sally, they would be stuck with him for the remainder of the evening.

  While her host was out in the back yard, Sally couldn't resist having a crafty look around his room. It was certainly a room that had a good feel to it, and yes he was right, she did feel safe there. Although not the largest room in the house, it did overlook the orchard, and had French windows leading out onto a balcony. William had set aside an area for studying, but Sally couldn't see how anyone could ever study with so much clutter around. The mahogany desk was piled high with text books, encyclopaedia's and several dog-eared, dubious-looking novels. William seemed to share his father's passion for little curios, and Sally noticed there was a miniature globe, figurines and woodwork carvings in abundance. Many of these were of African or Indian origin, and if she didn't know any better, she could have mistaken the room as belonging to some intrepid explorer. One item that did catch her eye and spooked her out a little was a curious wooden mask. It had been cleverly adapted into a lamp, and blended in superbly with the rest of the other items, giving the room a certain exotic ambience. She noticed the Victorian fireplace that William had mentioned, and saw that it still had ashes in it, from when he had last used it. She felt like telling him not to go to all the trouble, since it was now getting so late, but William had been so insistent that she be made comfortable.

  Sally looked at the shirts William had put out for her on the bed. After a few moments deliberation, she opted for a plain, white one that seemed to be the smallest, and was certainly in the best condition. She stood up and proceeded to take off her damp dress. Finding a hanger, she then inspected it for damage. There was a small tear just along one side, but nothing that couldn't be mended. The dress was the most expensive article of clothing she possessed, and it would take an eternity to scrape up the money to buy a new one.

  As she walked back over to the bed, she thought she could hear voices. Standing completely still, she listened hard, trying to detect exactly where they were coming from. She heard a stifled giggle, it was definitely feminine, then there was a deeper, male voice. Then she heard what sounded like someone creeping around on the landing, and going off to the bathroom. Assuming it was David, Sally thought it best just to stand quietly to avoid any embarrass
ment. Besides, William would introduce them later.

  However, this wasn't to be so. Sally gasped, and put her hands up to her mouth, as the bedroom door suddenly swung open, and in walked William's brother. It was difficult to say who was the most startled, Sally, standing there in her black silk, underwear, or David, clad only in his boxer shorts.

  "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were William!" Exclaimed David, looking Sally up and down, before adding; "Gosh, no, that's silly - you don't look anything like my brother!"

  Sally quickly reached for the long-tailed shirt and held it up to hide her modesty.

  "You obviously must be David?"

  "Yes, that's right," he replied, looking like he'd just seen a ghost. "So you must be, Sally. You look exactly like William described you."

  "What, in my underwear! I hope I'm not too much of a disappointment to you!"

  "I'm sorry, I just didn't expect you to be here." He then looked away and began to back out of the room.

  "William's outside getting some logs for the fire," added Sally, feeling awkward.

  David, then turned and was whispering to someone behind him.

  "I'm in a bit of a fix, Sally. I've got company and I didn't think William would be back so soon."

  "There was trouble over at the hall, so we left earlier than expected. Then we got caught in the snow."

  Yes, I heard about the situation at the hall. Nasty fellow that Frank Gant."

  "So aren't you allowed to bring girls back here David?"

  He looked embarrassed and broke into a huge smile. David looked very much like William, with the same hazel eyes, only his complexion was fresher and younger looking.

  "You see, William can be a bit old fashioned at times. He often gets a bit hot under the collar about things like this." He paused, as if waiting for a reaction. "But now you're here Sally, I guess it's okay for me to have Jenny here too."

  She couldn't help returning his infectious smile, "Jenny? Yes, I think that would be fair. But in the meantime, your secret is safe with me."

  "Thanks Sally, we'll pretend we haven't met yet." He said goodnight, but just as he was about to close the door, he poked his head back into the room.

  "Sally?"

  "Yes, David?"

  "You're certainly not a disappointment!"

  After waiting a few moments to see if there were going to be anymore interruptions, Sally continued to get undressed. Lifting one leg at a time, she placed her feet onto a chair and slowly rolled down her stockings, being careful not to snag them with her nails. These, she hung over the back of the chair with the rest of her garments. Wearing the expensive underwear had made her feel feminine and good about herself, and the feel of the silk against her skin was so sensual, it gave her goose bumps. Sally daren't admit it, but it had quite excited her when David suddenly came into the bedroom, and saw her so scantily clad. She shivered as she pulled on William's, white cotton shirt, before going over to the mirror to see how it looked.

  Shortly after, there was a gentle knock on the door, it was William, clutching a bundle of kindling and a basket of logs. As soon as he'd got a good blaze going, he suggested they go back downstairs for another glass of wine, while the room warmed up.

  "Yes, I'd like that," replied Sally, perching demurely on the edge of the bed.

  "I must say, my shirt looks far better on you than it does on me!" He laughed.

  "Flattery will get you everywhere, William Peddlescoombe!"

  He opened the door to lead the way back downstairs, "Are you hungry, Sally? I've got some crumpets, they're delicious with butter and melted cheese."

  "That sounds delicious, I'm starving!"

  Downstairs, they laughed and joked, both revelling in each other's company. The wine had relaxed Sally, and she found herself thinking back to the passionate kiss they had shared, out in the snow. She felt herself longing for him to kiss her again, as she toyed with the stem of her glass.

  "These are lovely, I've only ever had them with jam on," she said, helping herself to a second crumpet, glistening with melted cheddar.

  "Yes, crumpets are my speciality, and staple diet. I put everything on them, even fish fingers and tartar sauce!" She laughed and watched, as he went over to the record player and stacked half a dozen 45s. Both of them instinctively put their glasses down and came together in the centre of the room.

  William put on mostly slow songs, and Sally, being the much more experienced dancer, took the lead.

  "Hold me tighter, William," she whispered while resting her head against his chest, for in her bare feet, he towered a good foot above her.

  Their moment however was broken by a noise from upstairs and William went over to investigate. Fearing he might discover David's secret guest, Sally suddenly flung her arms up around his neck. She pulled him to her lips and kissed him hungrily. Sally could hear the feminine giggling again, and now William must have heard it too. But, if he had, he certainly wasn't too concerned about it now.

  "What was that for?" Asked William, surprised at Sally's raw passion.

  "It's just for being you, William. Thank-you for all you've done for me."

  He gently pushed a lock of blonde hair away from her eyes, and paused, looking at her longingly, before finally opening the door a few inches to listen out.

  "My brother is sometimes his own worst enemy. He quite often needs protecting from himself."

  "How do you mean, I don't understand?" She asked.

  "I know he has a girl in his room tonight, and I know you've already met him. I heard you both talking when I came back inside."

  Sally felt herself go red.

  "I'm sorry, William, perhaps I should have said something to you. He has Jenny with him. She's a friend of Pauline's."

  Putting his arm around her, they both went and sat on the rug by the fire.

  "It's okay. Maybe I should explain. I just don't want you to think that I'm some sort of ogre where my kid brother is concerned."

  "Of course I don't think that, and I'm sure David doesn't either. But I'm still not sure what you're getting at."

  "Well, there was a fatal accident a few years ago that seriously affected David. He's never really come to terms with it."

  "How awful, poor David. What happened?" Asked Sally, looking concerned.

  William stared intently at the fire, wondering if he should tell her about the incident that happened to his brother back in Canada. Sally cuddled up next to him and followed his gaze, as if looking into the flames was going to provide an answer.

  She loved the sound of his voice, and listened with interest as William eventually found his words.

  "It was the year before I started here at Falcondale. We were living in Niagara-on-the-Lake. David had this crush on a local girl called Amy, but wasn't making any headway with her. However, he got to know her little brother, who was a couple of years below him at high school. They both had a passion for fishing, like I do. One day, David was telling Martin about how he would go ice fishing during the winter, when the river and lakes would freeze over. The kid was enthralled by this, and kept pestering David to take him along the next time he went. But, my brother's a bit of a loner, and he always managed to avoid taking anyone fishing with him. Then one day, he bumped into Amy, and she asked him when he was going to take her little brother along. So, of course, David, seeing an opportunity to get into Amy's good books invited Martin ice fishing."

  "Oh my god, I know what you're going to say," gasped, Sally. "Did Martin fall in?"

  William paused for a few moments, before continuing; "Yes, he did, but he didn't fall into the hole they had just made, David was very safety conscious."

  "So how did he fall?"

  "He wanted to cut his own hole in the ice, and went out deeper onto the frozen river. David called him back, knowing it wasn't safe, but Martin either didn't hear him or didn't want to. David heard him shout, and saw his arms waving, as he fell through the surface. He went to try and pull him out, but he went under, and David l
ost sight of him."

  "I can't believe it, I've never heard anything so sad. Did David get help?"

  "No, not immediately, he was screaming Martin's name and went into the frozen water to see if he could find him. David was practically dead when a group of skaters eventually pulled him out."

  "But there was no sign of Martin?" Asked Sally, putting her hands up to her face.

  William shook his head, and took a gulp of his wine.

  "He wasn't found until the next day. There was a massive police and rescue search. Martin was very popular, and David began to blame himself for his death. That winter changed David's outlook totally, and as a result, he became very reckless with his own life. He began to take unnecessary risks in many of the things he would do, believing that it should have been him who died that day, and not Martin."

  "David must have felt so terrible, and he's still suffering."

  "He took it real bad, and what made it worse was the attitude of some of the people. It's a sad fact of life that some folks always need someone to hate, and a defenceless, teenager seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Now David thinks he's living on borrowed time, and does the most crazy and dangerous things imaginable. Just a few days ago he was drunk and got up onto the roof. He said he could fly, and began prancing around trying to balance on the chimney." He turned to face Sally, "That's what I mean about having to protect him from himself. I never know what he's going to do next."

  "But surely, if he's with Jenny, he wont do anything silly?" Replied, Sally trying to be re-assuring.

  "Well yes, you would have thought so, but quite often he'll show off in front of girls, and few of them want to get involved after seeing some of his antics."

  Sally went quiet and thought about what William had told her. She couldn't help thinking that he was going about things in totally the wrong way. David needed to get out and meet people, yes, he may be immature, but that wont last. He obviously lacks confidence, and wants to be accepted. That can only come by being praised, and by being with other people. However, she didn't dare tell William her opinion.