Doris was burning up with fever. Mary Margaret put her into bed and sent one of the maids for the doctor. Doctor Phillips arrived and examined Doris.
“She will have to rest. She has a stomach ailment. I want you to apply cold compresses to her forehead to reduce the fever. I have given her some medicine and she should be fine by the end of the week. I will come back then. If you need me, send your girl to fetch me.” Charles escorted the doctor to the door. Maude looked after Doris for the next week, bringing her rosemary tea and thin broth. She was worried about her friend.
Mary Margaret was also worried about her mother and sent the children to the nursery. The nanny would take care of them, leaving her free to sit with her mother.
That night she and Charles lay in bed discussing the household. “With mother sick, I must sit with her. I will need another helper in the house for at least a week, Charles.”
“Hire someone, or ask your sister to come and step in. She can help you wherever you need her.”
“That is a good idea. Elana can sit with mother while I supervise the household chores.” She kissed him and he pulled her close. “Thank you, Charles, I love you so much.” They spent a few hours in lovemaking before going to sleep. Mary Margaret was happy that Charles never grew bored of her and they loved each other more with each passing year.
Elana agreed to move in for one week, leaving Daniel alone at the cottage. He said he would manage, and spent most of his time drawing or with Max at the local pub in the evenings.
“A man needs some freedom, Max. Have another?” Daniel ordered two more pints.
“Don’t get too used to it lad. Your wife will be home soon.” Daniel smiled.
“And I can’t wait. The bed is cold and lonely without her. Cheers, Max.” They toasted life and enjoyed the camaraderie of the pub. Max headed back to the manor and Daniel returned to the cottage. The moon was high and full.
Mary Margaret lay on the chaise lounge beside Doris. She hummed quietly to herself before falling asleep. Charles was in his room and Elana was getting ready for bed. She heard a loud banging sound and came out of her room to investigate. Looking around in the hall, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She went to her mother’s room. Both Doris and Mary Margaret were sound asleep. She walked back into the hall and knocked on Charles’ door. The door opened against the pressure of her knock. She stepped into the dimly lit room, calling his name. Charles was lying across the bed, fully clothed. As she stepped closer, she saw that there was blood on his chest. Elana rushed to him, touching his arm. “Charles?” He didn’t move. Her hand went to her mouth to stifle the scream. Then she saw the gun on the floor. Without thinking, she picked it up. A great gust of wind blew the curtains into the room. The light flickered. Elana stared at the open window.
A loud scream erupted behind her. She swiveled around to find Evelyn standing in the doorway, her hand to her mouth. “Lady Birmingham, something terrible has happened to Charles.” Elana went towards her. Evelyn screamed again only louder. Elana looked at her hand and realized she was still holding the gun. She dropped it to the floor.
“She killed him! She killed my Charles! Someone help.” Evelyn ran out into the hallway screaming at the top of her lungs. Elana went to the door of the room.
“No, I found him like this.” She protested, but people started to appear from doors and from downstairs. Everyone stared at her. “I didn’t do it!”
“What happened here?” Elana looked up to see Mary Margaret. Her sister was in her dressing gown and looked sleepy.
“I’m so sorry, Mary Margaret. Charles is dead.” Elana was starting to panic. No one believed her and Evelyn kept shouting that she had killed Charles.
Mary Margaret stared at her. She rushed toward Charles. Maude and Elana held her back. She screamed. “No, not Charles! Dear God no!” Mary Margaret started shaking uncontrollably.
“She killed him! She killed him!” Evelyn would not stop her deafening accusations.
Elana followed Mary Margaret into Charles’ room. Mary Margaret stared at the body covered in blood; her hands were on her face. His head was turned to the side and his eyes were opened. Elana caught her as she was about to faint. “Someone help me in here!” Thomas and Jill rushed in. They saw Charles and pulled Mary Margaret from the room. Thomas closed the door.
“Get the constabulary. This woman has killed my Charles!” Evelyn shrieked. Elana grabbed her sister.
“Mary Margaret, I didn’t do it. Please, believe me.” Mary Margaret was in shock. Her husband was dead. She lowered herself to the floor, leaning against the wall. Her body shook. Elana sat beside her holding her tightly. She repeated over and over, “I didn’t do it.”
Pandemonium broke out. Evelyn insisted someone get the police. The servants didn’t know what to do or think. Elana and Mary Margaret sat on the floor rocking each other. Evelyn screamed at first one servant then the other. Finally Thomas sent one of the girls for Max.
Max arrived finding the scene in chaos. He asked questions and assessed the situation. He sent the stable boy to fetch Daniel. He ordered Maude to go and sit with Doris, who was still very ill. She was calling from her room for someone to tell her what was happening.
When Daniel arrived, he and Max took Mary Margaret and Elana downstairs to the parlor. Evelyn ran through the house shouting for the police like a mad woman. Finally one of the maids convinced her to sit down in the dining room and have some tea.
“Tell me what happened, Elana.” She was shaking uncontrollably. Daniel held her tightly.
“I….I heard a noise in the hallway. I was in my room. I went to see if Mother or Mary Margaret was awake, but they were both sleeping. I passed by Charles’ room and decided to knock on his door. When I did it fell open. That’s when I saw him. He was just lying there with blood all over him.” She buried her head in her hands. “It was horrible. There was so much blood.” She lifted her head, tears smeared on her cheeks, “I saw the gun and I picked it up. I don’t know why I picked it up, but then the dragon, I mean Lady Birmingham arrived and started shouting.” Daniel handed her some water and she took a long drink. “Dear God, I didn’t shoot him. Stop looking at me like that, everyone.”
“We believe you Elana, but you’ll have to tell the police everything.” Max sent the stable boy for the police.
Mary Margaret was given some tea. She found herself unable to drink it. “The children, make sure the children are alright. Don’t tell them anything.” She sobbed sorrowfully. Elana tried to comfort her, but she herself was crying.
The police arrived two hours later. Evelyn met them at the door ordering them to arrest Elana. Her shrieking sent cold chills down their spines. When her tirade ended, the police ordered her to go to her room and wait. Mary Margaret told the police it must have been a burglar. Elana told them everything and insisted over and over that she had nothing to do with Charles’ death. The police asked a lot of questions. They continued to stare at Elana as if accusing her of something. She willed herself to make eye contact with both of them; she had nothing to hide. Finally, they completed the investigation and one of them ordered Charles’ room closed off and instructed that the coroner would arrive in the morning for the body. The police left, but said they would be back. Everyone was exhausted and Maude took Mary Margaret up to Doris’ room where Doris held her daughter in her arms. “Mother, I feel as if my tears are falling into an abyss, a deep emptiness left by Charles and it will never be full again. It is like a flood that will never stop flooding, into a hole that will never be full.” Doris rocked her, unable to speak any words of comfort. What could she say? No words could take away Mary Margaret’s pain.
Elana and Daniel went back to their cottage. He held her tightly all night long, but neither of them slept. She repeated over and over that she didn’t do it. Daniel reassured her that he believed her and so would everyone else. They were both shocked and filled with grief over Charles’ death.
Evelyn disappeared to the west wing and
the servants retired. It was a very sad night in Birmingham Manor.
Smoke puffed from the chimney of the cottage. Daniel and Elana were eating breakfast when the knock came at their door. Daniel opened it to find two policemen standing on the doorstep. “We’re here to see Mrs. Dryfess.”
Elana made her way to the door. She looked at Daniel. He could see she was frightened. He grabbed for her hand. She cringed in terror. Her mouth opened in a circle of fear, her body rigid; she was trying to disappear into any empty space so no one could grab her and drag her away to jail.
“Please step outside, Mrs. Dryfess.” Hesitantly, she stepped out. One of the policemen grabbed her roughly by the arm. “You are coming with us.” Daniel reached for the policeman’s arm pulling Elana free; the other one shoved his way between them.
“Leave it lad, she is coming with us. She killed a man.” Elana looked at Daniel with eyes full of fear.
“She didn’t kill anyone. Please let her go.” Daniel was shouting at the policemen as they loaded Elana into the back of the cart. Her hands were tied behind her and she looked terrified. Her eyes stared into Daniel’s. His heart was breaking for her. “I will be right there, Elana. Don’t worry. We’ll get this straightened out. She didn’t do it I tell you.”
“That is for the judge to decide.” The police cart pulled away. Elana bounced around in the back of the cart staring as Daniel disappeared in the distance.
She screamed his name three times. “Daniel!” The policeman slapped her across the face.
“Shut up or you will get more of the same.” She shrunk into the floor of the cart and sobbed.
Daniel ran all the way to the barn to find Max. He was out of breath by the time he arrived. “Max you have to help her. Please, Max.” Max took one look at Daniel and he knew what had happened.
“Dear God in Heaven, they’ve arrested her, haven’t they?” He fell back on the chair near the door.
“We have to help her, Max. We have to get Mary Margaret to tell them she didn’t do it.”
“Her ladyship is in mourning. Her husband is dead. The Lord of Birmingham is dead. What a mess.” Max put his head in his hands. Daniel paced back and forth trying to think of a solution.
“It was that old dragon. She’s the one that said Elana did it. What was she doing in the manor house that late at night anyway?” Max looked up. No one had asked that question.
“Come on, we have to talk to her ladyship. Mary Margaret, not the dragon.” He grabbed hold of Daniel and pulled him towards the manor house.
Dressed in black, Mary Margaret sat in the parlor with Jesse Douglas. The nanny had taken the children to the country for the day. They were not aware that their father was dead. “May I speak with you, your ladyship?” She looked up with tear stained face.
“Come in, Max. What is it?” He sat down and told her about Elana. She looked at him unable to comprehend what he was saying. “Elana?” Daniel stood, hat in hand by the doorway.
Jesse gasped and grabbed Mary Margaret’s hand. “Dear God. They haven’t arrested the poor girl. But why?” Max explained what Daniel had told him. The older woman stood up. “You leave this to me, Mary Margaret.” Jesse kissed Mary Margaret’s cheek and bid her farewell.
Mary Margaret stared blankly into space. “Elana has been arrested? Charles is dead? Dear God, what am I to do now?”
Daniel bid goodbye to Lady Douglas and went to hold Mary Margaret. She looked as if she were about to collapse. Max watched as she buckled in a fit of tears. Daniel shed his own tears as the two sat huddled together in grief.
Soon Jill arrived. For once she remained silent. Seeing her ladyship in distress, she ran to fetch Maude. Maude arrived to sit with her ladyship. “Come on Love, let’s go see your Mum.” Mary Margaret let Maude take her upstairs where Doris was asleep. Mary Margaret was in a daze. Maude decided to take her to one of the guest bedrooms, not the one she shared with Charles. Soon she was lying on the bed, alone and empty. Her grief came upon her like a storm, a terrible never-ending storm. She was tired, very tired. Her body felt heavy and her mind dull, but her heart ached with such intense grief she wanted to die. Charles, my dearest Charles. Why did you leave me? How will I live without your love?
Max and Daniel went back to the barn where Max took Daniel to his room and gave him a stiff drink of whiskey.
The servants mingled, not sure what to do. The Lord was dead. Her ladyship was in no condition to give orders and even Doris was unavailable. Soon Evelyn arrived dressed in black but looking well rested and everyone rushed back to work. “Don’t think you can all languish around moping. Get back to work!” Betsy and Georgina looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Her ladyship’s son was dead and she appeared as if nothing had happened. They quickly returned to their duties.
Daniel rode into town, but the police would not let him see Elana. Lord Douglas was there when he arrived. The Lord had tried to reason with the sergeant but had no success. He told Daniel to stay strong. He would keep trying. The situation was growing more and more frustrating. He followed the Douglas carriage back towards the manor.
At the bend in the road near his cottage, he turned left. The cottage looked forlorn and lonely already. He tied the horse to the post. He opened the door and looked around the empty room. His wife was in a cell unjustly charged, his mother-in-law was ill and Mary Margaret’s husband was dead. He collapsed into a chair, head in hands, and sobbed.
That night Daniel wrote a long story of madness amongst the aristocrats. Writing helped him relax and stay calm. He expressed his pain and frustration. His pen scratched the paper.
I stand on the edge of a dark cavern. Staring into the darkness, I can see her face. Elana, my beautiful Elana is calling to me. I want to jump into the darkness to save her, but my feet are stuck to the earth. They will not move. A wave of sorrow washes over me as I strive to understand why. Why did they take you away from me? Why do they not see the truth, the innocence and the beauty of you, my Elana?
Tears fell on the paper, as his pen dropped to the floor. Daniel sobbed until he could cry no more. Finally, he tucked the story away in his trunk, with the large stack of other writings and drawings. He lay on his bed praying that Elana would be released soon.
At the jail, Elana lay on the thin mat on the floor of her cell. The floor was hard and dirty. Her knees were pulled up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them trying to stop shaking. It was cold and damp and lonely. She watched as a rat ran across her cell looking for crumbs. She had no more tears left. She was weak and dehydrated and she wanted to die. Where was Daniel? Where was her sister? Surely they didn’t think she was guilty. Elana stared at the old rusty shackles that hung from the wall. She couldn’t help but wonder if they still used them. Her question was soon answered. She heard shouting from down the corridor as one of the prisoners was screaming his innocence. He ranted and raved over the protests of the other prisoners. Soon the muffled sound of the guards could be heard, and the loud crack of the shackles snapping shut brought her to her present reality. There were sounds of blows and cursing and then all fell silent. She stared into the blackness, as an icy cold fear filled her being. She pulled the tattered blanket around her, trying to distance herself. An eerie wail of hopelessness broke the silence. She knew it was the man that had been shackled and she felt such empathy with him. Like her, he wanted to proclaim his innocence, but to no avail. Why wouldn’t anyone believe them? Elana knew at that moment, she would stay silent.
The next morning Elana opened her eyes. The cell was still dark; only a sliver of light shone across the cell, illuminating the dust in the air. She had slept for less than two hours, having finally given in to exhaustion. A guard appeared, sliding a water jug and plate of dry bread through the bars. “Here’s your grub. Eat up, you have a visitor.” She sat up, dizzy from lack of water. She reached for the jug and emptied it quickly. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she stared at the guard.
“A visitor? Is my husband here?”
Light started to form in her eyes. Daniel had come to take her home. She ignored the bread on the plate.
“Nah, ain’t your man. Eat your bread. You get nothing more till supper.” He disappeared down the corridor, past the other cells.
“Wait, who is it? Who’s my visitor? Where is Daniel?” No reply. She stood with her hands gripping the dirty cold steel bars. She laid her head against the bars in frustration. She could smell the stench of urine and perspiration from the other cells. The rat appeared and dragged her bread away under the bed.
Moments later she heard the iron door at the end of the corridor open. Her head jerked up in anticipation. Voices approached and she held her breath, knowing it was not Daniel. Please let it be Mary Margaret or Max.
“So there you are.” Elana stared into the face of the devil herself. Evelyn Birmingham stood grinning outside the bars. “Right where you belong, you murderess.”
“Where is Daniel? I want to see my husband.” Tears rolled down Elana’s face.
“There will be no visitors for you. You are a criminal, a filthy murderess.”
In a fit of rage, Elana charged the door trying to grab for Evelyn. Evelyn shrieked and stepped back out of reach. Elana’s hand caught on the bars bending her fingers back. She heard a snap. She recoiled in agony holding her hand to her chest.
Turning to the guard Evelyn spat, “You see for yourself. The woman is insane. She killed my son. No visitors, is that clear?” The guard nodded in disinterest.
“You’re lying. I didn’t kill anyone. Let me out of here!” Elana screamed. “You’re lying!”
“I will go now, guard.” Just as she turned toward the door, Evelyn looked over her shoulder at Elana and laughed. It was an evil, haunting laugh. Elana sank to the floor as the door slammed. Her hand was swollen and the pain was almost unbearable. Her body racked with sobs, but no tears would come. “But I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it,” she sobbed. A feeling of utter hopelessness and despair filled her being. She knew she would never see Daniel again.
When Fate Steps In Page 11
