‘What you playing at, Evie?’ asked the woman who had coupled them sourly. ‘That wasn’t meant to happen.’
‘I’m through with that bloke,’ she said. ‘He’s all talk. He won’t do nothing for the village. He’ll just try and take everything over and be Lord Ego. Do we need that?’
‘He’s supposed to get his vengeance.’
‘I’m bored of vengeance. He’s been avenging himself for centuries. He needs to start thinking about forgiveness instead. Ain’t that right, vicar? Forgiveness.’
‘It’s – a virtue,’ said Adam weakly.
The bonds began to loosen and he tottered, Evie holding him upright, her head on his shoulder.
‘He loves you, though, Eve,’ said the woman, finally releasing Adam and Evie from the corn dolly before setting to work on releasing them from each other. ‘Such a romantic story.’
‘He don’t know about love,’ she said wistfully. ‘Not really. And I don’t call it romantic. Getting me into witchcraft, knocking me up, letting another man marry me while he runs off and hides from the witchfinder. It’s not romantic, really.’
‘You aren’t – the same person – surely,’ said Adam, the words coming sporadically from a still-slack mouth.
‘Well, no, not literally. But her DNA is in me, you know, and so is her soul. Calderwood made it happen, not sure how. She’s travelled down the line for generations. I’m just the latest poor sap to get lumbered with her.’
The final bond was loosened and the pair of them fell to the ground, still entangled. Adam’s legs were weak as he scrabbled about, trying to get up before the ugly-looking crowd closed in on them.
‘What did you do that for?’ demanded one man of Evie, brandishing a flaming torch. ‘What happens to us now?’
‘We live our lives,’ said Evie, defiant and unafraid.
‘But what will Saxonhurst be? You’ll keep the traditions going, won’t you?’
‘I haven’t decided yet. Leave us alone. I’m taking Adam here home.’
They bunched together, menacingly tight, but Evie shouted at them to get back.
‘You can’t do nothing to me,’ she shouted. ‘I’m your goose that lays the golden eggs. If you hurt me, the village can’t prosper.’
They loosened their formation, muttering.
‘What about him?’ One of them jabbed a thumb in Adam’s direction. ‘We don’t owe him anything.’
‘Let him alone. He’s in shock. Here.’ She helped him to his feet and began to stagger away from the green. ‘Best not go back to the vicarage tonight,’ she muttered as they limped onwards. ‘Wouldn’t put it past that lot to torch it.’
‘Christ,’ said Adam, still far from recovered. His thoughts flew about, untrammelled by reason, refusing to settle.
‘We’ll go to the manor. Seb and Kasia’ll look after us.’
Kasia answered the door, pale as milk.
‘Come in,’ she said, hugging Evie to her. ‘Jesus. What was that?’
In the living room, Sebastian poured them all substantial brandies.
‘I knew this village had its quirks,’ he said. ‘All the sexy stuff – we loved that. We felt we fitted right in. But what happened out there …’
He shook his head.
‘They would really have burned both of you alive?’ asked Kasia.
‘Yeah,’ said Evie, sipping her drink. ‘For God’s sake, Adam, get it down your neck. It’s not poison.’
Adam gave in and let the fiery liquid burn a trail down his throat.
‘I don’t like it,’ said Seb. ‘It’s … I’m calling the estate agent tomorrow. You agree, Kas?’
‘Yes. I can’t stay in this place. They are murderers.’
‘Well, to be fair, nobody got murdered in the end,’ Evie pointed out.
‘All the same … I’ll go and make up a couple of guest rooms.’
Kasia drifted out and Seb left the room to take a call on his mobile phone.
Adam turned to Evie, alone with her at last.
‘You saved me,’ he said, grimacing as another mouthful of brandy set light to his chest.
‘Don’t mention it,’ she said dryly, then she gave him a guilty look. ‘I got you into it in the first place. You shouldn’t be thanking me. You should hate me for the way I’ve treated you.’
‘I couldn’t hate you.’
‘I used you.’
‘That man – Calderwood. He used you. He had a hold over you, didn’t he?’
‘He must have done. When I look back, he ain’t even all that good-looking.’ She shrugged. ‘I think by turning him down I’ve broken some sort of spell.’
‘You only needed your own strength. Magic couldn’t beat that.’
She smiled. ‘Yeah. Reckon you’re right.’
She wandered over to the drinks cabinet and poured herself another brandy.
‘You’d best get away from here, vicar,’ she said, her back to him.
He watched her silently, afraid to ask the question.
He downed the rest of the drink and gathered his courage.
‘Are you coming with me?’
‘Oh Adam.’ She came to sit beside him. ‘I’m sorry. I never loved you. I can’t marry you or any of that stuff.’
He looked away.
‘Oh, I see.’
She put her hand on his.
‘But I do care about you. I care a lot. I must do, mustn’t I? Or things would’ve been very different out there.’
‘I love you, Evie.’
‘Mate, you don’t love me. You’re obsessed with me. That ain’t the same thing. You’ll get that, one day.’
‘Everything’s lost,’ he said blankly. ‘Everything’s changed. I’ve lost you and as for my faith … I just don’t know any more. All this magic and witchcraft …’
‘You just need a bit of time to work it all out. Go back to that freaky monastery place in the forest. Sort your head out. You’ll be fine.’
She stood up, yawning.
‘Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed. I’m cream crackered. Sweet dreams.’
She bent to kiss his forehead, then skipped out of the room, as lightly as if she’d done nothing more arduous with her day than eat strawberries under the shade of a blossoming tree.
Adam put his head between his knees and let the blood rush forward.
He was alive. He could have been dead, but he was alive.
Was it the will of God? Or was it the will of Evie?
He no longer knew which of the two was more powerful.
But he was leaving Saxonhurst. Leaving tomorrow. Nothing and nobody could make him stay.
He looked up, sensing another presence, though the room was empty. Over by the French doors, something moved beyond them, a flicker of pale light, some colour. He heard a tapping and his throat closed up, fearing pitchfork-wielding villagers or Calderwood in a towering rage.
Shakily he rose to his feet and went to the window. The lawns were just as always, stretching onward to the swimming pool and tennis court. But the harvest moon illuminated the trees further on. Somebody leant against a trunk, wearing a burgundy skirt.
‘Julia,’ he murmured. His hand went instinctively to the back of his head, where she had hit him so hard earlier on. ‘I want a word with you.’
He opened the French doors and strode out, breathing in huge lungfuls of good, sweet, clean air. But then the tang of wood smoke interfered with it, bringing a bitterness that made him want to retch. All the same, he continued towards her, face set in a frown.
‘You knocked me out,’ he accused, once she was within hearing range.
‘Of course I did. They were going to kill you.’
‘You knew?’
He stopped short, then gasped as she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and bursting into tears on his chest.
‘Hey, hey,’ he soothed, slowly bringing his arms around her. Even to his racked, sore body, she felt good. He wanted to keep her there, hold her, breathe her in. ‘It shou
ld be me falling to pieces. I’m the one who nearly ended up on the fire.’
‘I thought you were dead. I thought they’d done it.’
‘Evie refused.’
‘Oh God, I think I love her. I’m going to have to love her now, aren’t I? What a pain.’ She laughed amidst the tears. ‘And I suppose you love her more than ever now. Even though she was stringing you along.’
Adam squeezed Julia tight, lightheaded with the closeness of her.
‘She won’t ever want me,’ he said.
‘But I do,’ said Julia, looking up at him. ‘That’s the pathetic thing. I’ve let myself fall so much in love with you I feel I might die of it. I’m such a fool. I could kick myself.’
‘I can’t imagine why you’d fall for me,’ said Adam, looking at her, drinking her in.
‘No, neither can I, but the fact is, I have. And now I don’t know what’s to be done.’
‘Perhaps you’d let me love you back.’
She stiffened, held herself perfectly still for a moment.
‘You don’t love me, Adam.’
‘Don’t I?’
‘You’ve no idea how you feel.’
‘Oh really? And yet I do have an idea what I want.’
She rested her forehead against his chest, looking down. Adam had seen the traces of a smile twitch at the corner of her lips before she ducked.
She looked back up, clearly suppressing an urge to grin.
‘And what is it that you want, Reverend Flint?’
‘I want to kiss you,’ he whispered.
‘Well, a kiss can’t hurt …’
There might have been more to that statement, but she wasn’t given the chance to add anything because Adam’s lips pressed against hers, silencing her.
He needed comfort, solace, communion with another soul and hers had touched him, reaching out with infinite tenderness and affection. She was, he realised as their kiss deepened, everything he needed in his life, his mirror image, his soul mate. He gave himself to her, poured his hopes and dreams into their passionate embrace, trusted her to keep them safe.
‘Adam,’ she panted, breaking off. ‘Are you sure about this? Don’t break my heart.’
‘I want you,’ he said.
‘You can have me.’
She lifted her skirts and Adam saw that she was naked underneath. No restraining force of guilt or shame held him back this time. He unbuckled his belt, needing to get to her, having no other thought on his mind than being one flesh with her. He let his trousers and underpants fall to his ankles and lifted her thighs, pushing her back against the tree trunk.
Within seconds he was inside her, right up to the hilt, her legs wrapped around his hips. Her sheath was tight, holding his cock in its close embrace. They fitted so well together. He had known it, all those times in the manor house, and yet he had not allowed himself to accept it. How stupid he had been.
Now he would prove it to her. He showed her his dedication to her happiness with strong, sure thrusts, keeping her pinned to the tree while he seated his cock over and over. She grunted each time he drove forward, her lips fastened to his neck. She trembled all over and he felt the wild fluttering of her heart, felt it join in with his own ragged beat.
He reached down for her clit, rubbing it as he fucked harder and faster. She began to moan and kick her feet behind him.
‘Yes, come,’ he breathed, then he held her fast, crushing her into the bark for as long as it took for his own orgasm to grip and then release him.
They stayed in that position until Adam’s legs could no longer support them, then they slid slowly to the ground, rumpled and sweaty and full of love.
‘I can’t stay here,’ he said, looking up at the moon. ‘You know that, don’t you?’
‘I know. I don’t want to live here any more. I’ve come to hate this place.’
‘Really? I thought you’d never leave. You’re so attached to this house.’
‘It’s a pile of bloody stones. That’s all it is.’
He hugged her tight, smiling into her defiant eyes.
‘And Seb and Kasia are about to put it back on the market too.’
‘Are they?’ She shrugged. ‘Good luck to whoever forks out for it. I’m done with Saxonhurst. I don’t have a single good memory of the place. Well …’ She corrected herself, smiling slyly up at Adam. ‘I do have a few. But if I want more, I need to go with you.’
‘I don’t know where I’m going yet,’ he admitted. ‘I’m still getting used to being alive. And loved. I am loved.’
He shook his head as if this was the greatest mystery ever encountered.
‘Haven’t you ever been loved before?’
‘Not really. No.’ His face crumpled as he realised the truth of this.
‘That’s why you’re so bad at life, darling. You don’t know what love is, so you made up this strange version of it and you clung to this unloving vengeful God of your imagination. I don’t know if there’s a God or not, but if there is, I don’t think He or She is anything like the one you’ve been preaching about.’
‘All my beliefs have collapsed. And I don’t feel bad. I feel good.’
‘You are good. You will be good. We both will.’
‘Is love enough?’
‘It’s more than enough. It’s all we need.’
www.xcitebooks.com
Click here to join our mailing list
or scan the QR code
Saxonhurst Secrets Page 23
