by Amy Cross
"Another guest?" I ask absent-mindedly, unable to stop thinking about Mr. Caster.
"It's quite a shock," he says. "We don't usually get visitors to Devil's Briar, but the place seems to have become quite a hotspot of late."
At that moment, the saloon doors open and my uncle emerges, followed by Mr. Caster. There's a curious smile on my uncle's face, and it would appear that he and Mr. Caster are in very good humor. Whatever they have been discussing, it would seem that both men are exceedingly happy with the outcome.
"Victoria," my uncle says as he approaches me, "I have some rather wonderful news. I have already dreamed of this day, and I must say that I am filled with the most immense sense of hope for your future. Mr. Caster and I have been speaking about you, and -"
"Am I to return to work with him?" I ask, my heart lifting at the thought of such a proposition.
"Not quite," my uncle says. "Mr. Caster has asked me if he might take your hand in marriage, and I have given him my blessing. However, I also told him that I am a modern man of the world, and that I believe you should be given the chance to decide whether or not the union will take place." He pauses for a moment. "I must say, Victoria, that I believe it would be a wonderful honor for you to become Mrs. Albert Caster, but I do not wish to unduly influence your decision. I have told Mr. Caster that he must hold no ill will or malice in the unlikely event that you -"
"I accept," I say, interrupting him. My heart is racing, and I feel that the future, which moments ago seemed so fearsome and dull, has suddenly blossomed and become radiant.
"Do you hear that, Mr. Porter?" my uncle says, unable to contain his happiness. "My niece is to marry Mr. Caster."
"I can assure you," Mr. Caster says, stepping forward and smiling at me, "that I will do my utmost to be the strongest husband any woman could want. I will provide a home, and all the material possessions you could want. More than that, I will provide my support and love. I promise you with all my heart that you will never regret the decision to become my wife."
"I dare say I shall not," I reply. My mind is spinning, and I feel a little faint. The course of the day's events has turned so strangely, and it is almost too much for me to keep up.
"Mr. Caster and I have decided that there is no point delaying things," my uncle says. "As long as the necessary arrangements can be completed in time, the wedding will take place in two days' time." He places his hands on my shoulders, and for the first time in my life I feel that he is actually, genuinely proud of me. "My dear," he continues, "I can think of no finer husband for you. This time in two days, you will be Mrs. Albert Caster, and you will finally have the stability and happiness you have always deserved."
With tears of happiness falling from my eyes, I nod. For many years, my uncle and I have traveled from town to town, and from state to state. We have never put down roots, nor have we made any lasting connections. I had begun to think that I would forever be alone, doomed to become a spinster. Now, finally, I am on the verge of acquiring the family I have always wanted. For the first time, I am starting to think that true happiness might be within my grasp.
Chapter Nine
Today
Sitting alone in my apartment, I look around the empty room and realize that it's finally happening: I'm leaving Boston. Since I got back from the Maygold Neurological Institute, I've run about a million errands and packed all my stuff into boxes. A whole life, stuffed away ready to be taken to California. To be honest, most of the stuff ended up in the trash, since I've decided I'm going to drive to the west coast. Still, no matter how hard I've been working, I haven't managed to get my mind off the events of the past week; I keep thinking about Victoria Paternoster down in that basement room, and about Bill up in Devil's Briar by himself. Whatever's going on, I just want to get as far away from here as possible. Hopefully, Ed is already on his way to Colorado, so he can see for himself what it's like up there.
Wandering through to the kitchen, I decide to open the bottle of champagne that I've been saving. I bought it a couple of years ago, to celebrate my anniversary with Bill, but then he got in his accident and our lives ended up being side-tracked. The bottle somehow got shuffled to the back of one of the cupboards, and I only found it today when I was clearing everything out. My first instinct was to throw it out, but then I decided that I might as well drink it. I mean, it's pretty tragic to sit alone in an empty apartment, late at night, and drink champagne, but I figure it's a useful reminder of why I have to get out of Boston. This place represents the past, and California is the future. For me, at least.
As the clock ticks around to midnight, and as I pour the last of the champagne into my glass, I find myself feeling a little nostalgic. Bill and I had some good times here, even if I wasn't exactly happy most of the time. Feeling a brief chill, I think back to the night we first moved in, and the night he proposed to me, and the night we came home and had our wedding night in the bedroom. Neither of us could really afford to take time off to go on some big honeymoon, so we postponed it and promised one another that we'd go somewhere really amazing some day. That never happened, of course, and we just ended up pottering around in Boston as the rot set in.
Feeling pretty cold, I wander out of the kitchen and into the hallway. I feel a strong draft, and I find to my surprise that the back door is open. For a moment, I wonder whether I should be concerned, but then I remember that I went out to the trash about an hour ago and I'm pretty sure I forgot to lock the door when I came back in. Pushing it shut, I turn the key and head back through to the lounge. As I finish the last of the champagne, I walk from room to room, determined to say goodbye to the apartment properly. I've lived here for ten years, so it's inevitable that I'll feel a little emotional now that it's finally time to get out of here. When I finally get back to the kitchen, I drain the last drop of champagne from the glass and realize there's nothing left to do: I just have to go to bed, and then get up bright and early so I can head off to California.
It takes me a while to get to sleep, but eventually I manage to doze for a few hours before suddenly waking up at 2am. Staring up at the ceiling, I feel totally awake, and I also have this strange sensation that there was a noise that disturbed me. Listening to the cold, empty house, I half-expect to hear something, but eventually I realize that my mind is playing tricks on me. The only sound comes from the rain that has begun to fall outside. Turning over in bed, I try to get to sleep again, but just as I'm starting to doze off, I hear a faint scratching sound. This time, I know I wasn't imagining anything, so I sit up and listen. It's pouring with rain outside, but there was definitely another noise, as if there might be something out there. With my heart pounding in my chest, I reach out for the baseball bat I keep by the bed, and then I hear a different noise: it's as if there's something clicking somewhere nearby. I switch on my bedside lamp and look around, and finally I realize that the noise is coming from the window.
Getting slowly out of bed, I walk across the room, and finally I spot something moving on the other side of the rain-spattered glass. Part of me wants to turn and run, but another part of me feels pretty safe, since the glass is security-reinforced and almost bullet-proof. Taking a deep breath, I inch closer and closer, and eventually I see that there's a hand scratching at the corner of the window. My heart is racing by now, but I'm determined not to run, so instead I go back across the room and switch off the bedside lamp, so that I can see outside properly. As soon as I get to the window, however, I'm finally able to see the face of the person standing outside.
It's Victoria Paternoster.
Staring down at the latch on the window with her ancient, milky eyes, it's she's trying to find a way to get inside. Frozen in place, I just stand and stare at her, and finally she stops and looks up at me. Her mouth starts to move, but I can't hear a thing since the glass is so thick. All I can hear is the relentless pounding of the rain.
I run to the bed and grab one of my blankets, before racing out into the hallway. When I reach the back
door, I turn the key and hurry out into the garden. Finally, I come around to the back of the house and find Victoria Paternoster sitting on the ground next to the window, looking exhausted and soaking wet. I kneel next to her and place the blanket over her shivering body, but it's not much use. The rain is falling all around us, hitting every surface and soaking us both.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask. "It's freezing. I'm going to go and call an ambulance." I turn to go and get my phone, but Victoria reaches out and grabs my arm. Although I could easily slip free, I turn back to her. "You need medical help," I say. "You're going to freeze to death out here!" I stare into her white eyes, and I realize that she's staring back at me.
Slowly, her mouth opens and a low, guttural growl emerges. It's as if she's trying to say something, but she can't make the words come out.
"Let me go and get someone to help you," I say, worried that she might die if she's out here for too long. With her frail limbs, it certainly doesn't look as if she could even manage to walk into my apartment. At the same time, how did she get all the way here from the institute?
"Don't wake him," she says suddenly, her voice ancient and frail. "You must not wake him."
I stare at her, and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. "Who?" I ask, leaning closer. Her voice is so low and delicate, it's hard to hear her properly above the sound of the rain.
"Don't go back there," she continues. "Don't go back to Devil's Briar. Don't let anyone go back there. They must not wake him." Turning her head, she starts to lower herself to the ground. I reach out and support her frail weight. Her hospital gown is soaking wet.
"Victoria," I say, starting to feel the rain soak through my own clothes. "I have to get you inside, and then I have to call an ambulance." I reach my arms under her body and slowly lift her up, before turning and carrying her to the back door. She's so light and weak, it's hard to believe she could ever have walked all the way to my apartment.
"My name..." she whispers, closing her eyes as I finally get her inside, "is Victoria Caster. Victoria Paternoster was the name I had before I was married, but then..." Her voice trails off.
"Victoria Caster," I repeat, carrying her to the front room and setting her gently on the sofa. I run through to my bedroom and grab my phone, before hurrying back to sit on the floor next to Victoria. I pull up the number for an ambulance, but as I wait for someone to answer, I look over at Victoria and see that she's stopped moving. I reach out and check for a pulse, but there's nothing. I check for any sign that she's breathing at all. As the operator picks up and asks what I need, I find myself unable to speak. I just sit there, staring at Victoria's face. Finally, I reach out and gently close her eyes. She's dead.
Epilogue
1925
"I have never seen your eyes look so alive," my uncle says, watching me from the doorway. "After your parents were killed, I saw a kind of sadness fill you up, and I thought it would never leave you. Now, though, I see that you are truly happy." He walks toward me. "Tell me it's true, Victoria. Tell me that you truly, truly wish to marry Mr. Caster."
"I do," I reply, staring at myself in the mirror. My uncle is right: I do look rather different. It is as if the worries of the past few years have been lifted from my shoulders. I have always been the kind of person who thinks mostly of the past, but now I find that my mind is filled with thoughts of the future. Within a few days, I shall be Mrs. Albert Caster, and I shall have a home to look after, and perhaps soon I might even have a child. I have wanted these things all my life, but I had begun to think I would never have them. In some strange way, I feel now that God Himself has chosen to bless the people of Devil's Briar, and to give us all a new chance.
"I suppose this means you'll be staying behind in Devil's Briar when I leave," my uncle says sadly.
"I must be with my husband," I say, turning to him. "Are you sure you can't stay? Our old lives were so tiring. Would you not prefer to put down roots somewhere?"
He smiles. "One day. But for now, I fear I must continue to roam the country. You know that it's difficult for me, Victoria. I shall be done with my work in Devil's Briar by the end of the month, and I fear I shall have to leave as soon as I get the chance, but I am glad that you will be remaining here. Wherever I go, I shall be comforted by the knowledge that you are happy and safe, and I shall endeavor to one day come back and see you. Who knows? By then, you might even have your own family."
I reach out and put my arms around him. "You have done so much for me," I say, fighting back the tears that threaten to fall from my eyes. It is so strange that, having originally been so unhappy about the prospect of having to travel with my uncle, I now find myself wishing we didn't ever have to be parted. "Without your care and love," I continue, "I do not know what would have become of me, but I am quite certain that I would not be where I am today."
"I love you too, Victoria," he replies, "and I could not be more proud of you."
Releasing him from the hug, I glance over at the window. It's late at night, but I can see the tall, dark cross standing out in the town square. "How does your work go?" I ask, a cold chill running through my body. My uncle's work has always been controversial, and few people have ever truly understood the motivations being his experiments. I have long hoped that he might finally get to complete his tests, and now it seems he might be on the verge of a great discovery.
"It's going very well indeed," he says. "So far, all my theories have been shown to be correct. To be perfectly honest with you, I am a little apprehensive. I thought there would be more problems along the way, but everything is going according to plan."
"Will you be able to sleep soon?" I ask.
"Yes, Victoria. And by the time I wake up..."
"Then we might both be happy," I say, interrupting him. "After all these years of wandering, we might both finally get what we want. I never thought it would be possible. Did you?" Turning, I find that he has already left the room. I sigh, realizing that he has probably begun the difficult process of putting some emotional distance between us. He knows that we will soon have to say goodbye to one another, and he wants to make that moment as easy as possible. I suppose he is right; my life is now tied to Devil's Briar, and I imagine that this is where I shall live for the rest of my life. I only hope that my uncle will one day find his own happiness. just as I have found mine.
Book 6:
Lost
Prologue
"Victoria!"
Stifling a laugh, I close my eyes and listen to her footsteps coming closer and closer. She's finally reached the kitchen, but there's no way she'll think to look in the little cupboard under the sink. It'll never occur to her that I'd be able to squeeze into such a small space, but she's underestimated me. I can hide in here for hours and hours, and I'll only come out when it's time for dinner.
"Victoria!" my mother calls out again, getting even closer. "I know you're in here," she continues. "Don't think I won't find you."
I bite my bottom lip, determined not to giggle. I swear, my mother is the worst at hide and seek. I win every single time, and she never seems to learn. Some days, the game can last for hours and hours, and the funniest thing is that when it's her turn to hide, I always manage to find her straight away. Then again, I suppose I have a natural advantage, since I'm only six years old and therefore I can fit into smaller spaces.
"Are you under the table?" my mother asks. "Or maybe you're behind the curtain?" She pauses. "You have to be somewhere around here. Maybe you're... under the sink?"
Suddenly the cupboard doors are flung open and I find myself staring at my mother. Laughing, I start to climb out.
"Victoria," she says firmly, "you must be careful. What if someone pours boiling water down the sink while you're under there? The pipes would get hot and you might get a nasty burn."
"That won't happen," I reply, smiling.
"Let's hope not," she says.
"How did you find me?" I ask. "You never find me."
"It's easier when you leave a chocolate-covered hand-print on the cupboard door," she says.
Looking down at my hand, I see that there's some chocolate smeared on my fingers from the cookie I ate earlier. Damn it, I made it too easy for her. I lick the chocolate away, slightly annoyed at myself for losing the game.
"Don't feel too bad, Victoria," my mother says. "No-one can hide forever."
"I can!" I insist.
"Maybe," she replies, taking my other hand and leading me through to the front room. "Perhaps we should try again, and I'll prove it to you. No matter where you hide, someone can always find you."
Chapter One
1925
I look beautiful. Well, the dress looks beautiful, but I certainly look rather fetching. Standing before the mirror in my room at the hotel, wearing the wedding dress I have borrowed for the day from Mrs. Pressman, I find it hard to believe I could look so elegant and graceful. If only my parents could see me now, they'd be stunned. Their little girl, all grown up and ready to get married. My father would be so proud, and I dearly wish he and my mother had lived long enough to witness this moment. It has been so many years since the fire that destroyed my family's home, and despite my uncle's best efforts, I have felt lost and alone ever since. Now, finally, I am to marry Mr. Albert Caster of Devil's Briar, and I shall feel lost no more.
Taking a deep breath, I look at the clock on the wall and see that it is almost 8am. The wedding will take place at midday, so I have just a few more hours as Victoria Paternoster and then I shall become Victoria Caster. That name seems so strange and so alien, but I am quite certain it will grow on me. Victoria Caster. Victoria Caster. Soon it will be comfortable, like an old shoe, and hopefully one day I will no longer remember what it was like to be unmarried and alone. I desperately want to be not only a good wife to Albert, but also a good mother to the children I would dearly love to raise. I see no reason why, soon, I should not become pregnant. After all, Albert has the means to run a good household, and I am quite certain that he would love nothing more than to start a family. Truly, I feel for the first time that I can see how the rest of my life is set to proceed, and I am happy beyond all measure.
