by Pat Spence
“This is amazing. Can we go exploring?” I asked.
“Of course,” beamed Joseph. “Why don’t we follow the old pathway and see how far it goes into the undergrowth.”
“Don’t you think we should be getting back?” said Theo, “It’s getting late.”
“There’s plenty of time,” said Joseph, starting down the pathway. Reluctantly, Theo followed, holding back branches to make it easier for me to follow.
We’d gone no more than twenty metres or so along the pathway when Joseph turned to us and said, “Sorry folks, I’ve left the key in the lock. It’s the only one and I don’t want to lose it. I’d better go back and get it.”
“I’ll go,” I offered, “I’m closest to the door. I won’t be a minute.”
I retraced my steps along the overgrown woodland path and retrieved the key. I tried to push the old door shut, but it caught on the uneven ground and refused to budge. I gave it a sharp shove, trying to force it, and as I did, I heard a muffled noise above me. Looking up, I saw the wall over the door lintel move precariously, tilting for a moment before falling.
I had no time to think or shout. I saw the wall coming towards me and in the same split second, I was aware of Theo scooping me into his arms and carrying me out of danger. I heard the bricks crash to the ground, causing dust, mortar and soil to billow up in a cloud and for a brief moment all was still. Then I heard Theo saying urgently, “Emily, are you okay? Are you hurt?” He held me in his arms, and I could feel his heart beating against my shoulder.
“No, I’m fine,” I said in a shocked voice. “What happened?”
“The wall over the door frame gave way,” said Joseph, picking his way through the broken bricks and examining the large hole that had appeared above the door. “The movement of us opening and closing the door, combined with the dried out mortar, must have weakened the wall and caused it to collapse.”
He looked at me. “Emily, I’m sorry. I would never, ever have placed you in danger. You know that, don’t you?”
“Of course, Joseph,” I answered shakily. “It was an accident. You weren’t to know the wall was about to fall.”
“No, you weren’t, were you Joseph?” Theo spoke with an edge to his voice, and again I caught a look between them.
“I swear it, Theo, I didn’t know the wall was unsafe. Why would I want to hurt Emily?”
“Why indeed?” said Theo coldly. “Come on Emily, let’s get back to the house. Are you okay to walk?” He still held me in his arms and seemed reluctant to put me down.
“Theo, I had a near miss, but I’m fine,” I assured him. “Please put me down.”
He carefully placed me on the pathway and although my legs were a little wobbly, I felt okay to walk. It was only as I stepped over the broken bricks that I realised how close to injury I’d come. If Theo had not acted so quickly, I would have sustained a serious head wound and could even have been killed.
I turned, and saw Joseph, picking the red rose he’d given me, bruised and broken, out of the rubble.
“Joseph,” I said gently, “I’m okay. It’s not your fault.”
He looked up and smiled weakly.
Theo firmly took my hand and led me over the broken bricks, through the old doorframe, now surrounded by a ragged edge of bricks.
“Come on, we’re going back to the hall and I’m getting you a sweet tea or a brandy. I don’t want you going into delayed shock.” He looked straight ahead and I puzzled that his reaction seemed more of anger than concern, once he knew I was unhurt.
“Theo, don’t walk so quickly. I’m okay. That’s all the matters. Thanks to you, the wall didn’t even touch me.”
He turned and looked at me briefly. “Sorry, Emily. It’s my job to keep you safe and I nearly failed.”
“What do you mean, it’s your job? You’re not responsible for me. And I’d like to know how you managed to move so quickly. One minute you were over by Joseph, a good twenty metres or so down the pathway, the next you were saving me from a falling wall. How did you do it?”
“I wasn’t that far away,” he answered. “Memory plays funny tricks when accidents happen.”
Maybe he was right, I wasn’t sure. I was starting to feel a little weak and was glad when the hall came into view.
“Where’s Joseph?” I asked, looking back.
“Sorting out the wall if he’s got anything about him,” said Theo angrily, pushing open the great oak front door.
As I looked back, a movement in the bushes caught my eye. A dark figure stood looking at us from some distance away, in the same direction as the secret garden. It was Aquila, the chauffeur. I could just make out his features: the hooked nose, the cruel, curling lips and the heavy, dark eyes. I only looked at him for a brief second, but his expression was so malevolent it made my blood run cold.
“Come on Emily,” called Theo, causing me to turn.
I looked back once again, but Aquila had gone and although I strained my eyes, I couldn’t see him. It seemed improbable, but I couldn’t help thinking that maybe he’d had something to do with the falling wall. Perhaps Joseph had been in on the arrangement, purposefully leaving the key in the lock? It seemed implausible and I couldn’t believe Joseph would want to harm me. He seemed genuinely to like me. Aquila, on the other hand, plainly disliked me. But there again, disliking someone was a long way from trying to kill them. And what was his motive? He hardly knew me. And how did Theo manage to move so quickly? He was twenty metres down the pathway, and couldn’t even see the door.
I recalled Theo’s words that it was his job to keep me safe and shook my head in disbelief. This was all too ridiculous to contemplate. I was letting my imagination run away with me. And yet, deep down, I knew that something wasn’t right.
Perhaps I should have left at that point, walked away and never looked back. My instincts were telling me to run, to get as far away from Hartswell Hall and this strange family as fast as I could.
But I didn’t.
I followed Theo into house and in doing so, closed my escape route forever.
13. Face on a Necklace I
Theo led me to a small room adjacent to the reception desk. It was a warm, welcoming room, with a bar and large square sofas positioned around low black glass coffee tables, where guests could enjoy a pre or post dinner drink or a morning coffee. I sat on one of the sofas and Theo plumped up the cushions behind my back. My legs were feeling pretty shaky now the adrenalin had stopped pumping round my system and I felt glad to be sitting.
“Wait here,” he commanded, “I’m going to get some sweet tea organised.”
He heard him speaking to someone in reception, then he was back, sitting next to me and holding my hand.
“Pantera’ s seeing to it,” he said. “You look very pale. You’re not feeling faint are you?”
“No, I’m fine. It was just a shock, that’s all.”
I sat back amidst the huge cushions and forced myself to breathe slowly.
A couple of minutes later, Pantera walked in, bearing the same silver tray I’d seen previously. It contained one white teacup and saucer, with a small white teapot, a milk jug and sugar bowl. She looked at me with contempt, not a shred of concern in her dark eyes, and put the tray down on the coffee table with such force, the china rattled.
“Thanks, Pantera,” said Theo, and she scowled back him.
“Anything else?” she said in deep, husky tones, barely moving her lips.
“No, that’s all. Thank you.”
She left us, darting one last malevolent look at me that made me feel even more insecure and shaky.
Theo poured the tea, adding milk and three generous spoonfuls of sugar. I wondered whether I dared drink it, or whether Pantera had added a generous touch of poison. It was clear the servants here had no respect for me and were making it quite clear I was unwelcome. Well, tough. They were the servants. I was the guest. It wasn’t up to them who Theo brought into the house. They needed to know their place, I reasoned.
I sipped the tea and looked at Theo, whose eyes hadn’t left my face. He looked white-faced and drained.
I smiled at him. “I’m okay. Please don’t worry. Thanks to you, not a single hair on my head was touched.” I put my hand on his arm, trying to reassure him. He seemed close to tears.
“If something happened to you, I would never forgive myself. Never,” he said, with force.
He leaned forward and kissed me gently on the lips. Near miss or not, I wasn’t so traumatised, I couldn’t react to the touch of his lips. I’d been waiting all day for this. It didn’t last long and it wasn’t what you’d call a romantic kiss. But it was electric. My stomach turned somersaults and I felt a surge of energy pulse across my body. I felt weak and energised at the same time, if that was possible.
I opened my eyes wide, trying to understand the emotions that were stirring within me, feeling the faint imprint of his lips on mine, as if I’d been seared by hot metal. His deep blue eyes gazed into mine and I was lost, hypnotised by the intensity of the occasion, the strangeness of the day and my dice with death. Something unspoken had just passed between us and I knew there was no going back. Every fibre of my being needed this boy. I had never felt this way before, and was never more sure of anything in my life. He smiled at me and I knew that as long as I was with Theo I would be safe. He would never let anything happen to me.
As he sat back into the sofa, I noticed for the first time a silver chain around his neck, with a pendant attached to it. Previously, it had been hidden beneath his shirt. Now I could see it clearly.
“What's that round your neck, Theo?” I asked.
He instinctively put his hand to the chain and held it protectively.
“This? Oh, nothing, just a chain I wear.” He was about to tuck it beneath the neck of his shirt.
“Can I see it?” I asked, and put my hand up to his.
“It’s probably not a good idea,” said Theo, trying to take my hand away.
“Let me see, please…?” I asked.
He relented and gently I took the pendant in my hand. I saw immediately it wasn’t a pendant at all. It was a delicate and unusual piece of jewellery; a white cameo on a blue crystal background, showing a woman’s head in three-quarter profile. It was almost feminine and certainly not what I would have expected a 19-year old boy to be wearing.
“It’s beautiful,” I started to say, then exclaimed in surprise, as I took a closer look. “Why Theo, it looks a little like me. Where did you get it from?”
“I’ve had it for a long time,” he said, pulling the chain out of my hands and tucking it firmly beneath his shirt. “It’s very old, an antique. I guess it does look a bit like you. What a coincidence, eh? Now, would you like some more tea?”
“No, thank you, I’ve had enough,” I said, watching him closely. He was suddenly defensive and I wanted to know why. If it was an antique, the cameo couldn’t possibly show my picture, it was far too old. But how odd it should look like me and what a strange choice of jewellery for Theo to be wearing.
Yet again, something didn’t add up.
There were too many questions surrounding Theo and his family. Nothing was as it seemed and I didn’t know what I was getting into. This was not your average teenage relationship. There were issues here that went way deeper than hormones and physical attraction. As yet, I couldn’t work out what was going on, but I would find out. My antennae were on high alert, and I was determined to uncover the secrets of this strange, beautiful family.
Had I known the truth I would later discover, I would have stopped there and then.
But sometimes the truth is beyond your wildest imagination, and so far removed from your own sphere of existence, it is impossible to comprehend.
So I blundered on, setting in motion a course of events from which there would be no return.
14. Face on a Necklace II
That evening, the de Lucis family assembled in the old library, where Viyesha addressed them in low, chilled tones. No one doubted the seriousness of the situation, nor the fury of the woman who stood before them.
“The situation is getting out of hand. We have only just arrived and already our safety is compromised. We are only ever as good as our weakest link, and Theo, you have introduced a weak link direct into the heart of the family.”
She paused and walked over to the window, looking out at the evening sun setting blood red over Hartswell Hall grounds. On any other night the beauty and drama of the twilight sky would have calmed and grounded her. But not tonight.
She took a deep breath and said, more to herself than the family behind her, “What was I thinking to allow a stranger in? I was momentarily distracted by innocence and love and the potential for something good to develop. But it is ultimately down to me that the threat now exists, and for that I must take full responsibility. I should have stopped things while I had the opportunity. Now, I fear, it may be too late.”
“Mother…” Theo started to say, but his father, standing behind him, put a warning hand onto his shoulder, and indicated by a shake of his head that he should remain silent.
“Let me think this through,” said Viyesha, walking again towards the window. She found the motion comforting, allowing the movement to give shape to her words.
“Theo and Joseph, I’ll come to you in a moment. Aquila, you are my primary concern.” She turned to face the lounging chauffeur, who sat sprawled on one of the leather Chesterfields, his legs angled towards her. His black eyes were slits, seeping anger and insolence, his lips curled in a sneer.
“Let me finish what I started…” he began to say in low, guttural tones, but Viyesha held up her hand.
“Enough,” she hissed at him. “You have done enough damage. You were behind the falling wall. You were seen, you cannot deny it.”
“Why should I deny the truth?” he spat his words out ferociously. “He…’ he pointed angrily at Theo, “has put everything we hold precious in danger. Our very existence is now threatened. And it is up to me to clean up.” He faced Theo. “Have you learned nothing over the years, you imbecile? I should deal with you also.”
“Aquila, you go too far,” hissed Viyesha. “I forbid it. If and when the time comes, I will deal with things in my way.”
“If and when?” said a low voice to Viyesha’s left. It was Pantera and she now stood up, tall and magnificent, angrily facing Viyesha. “Aquila is right. The threat is here now and must be removed as quickly as possible. The girl has seen too much, she has started to question. She will bring others. We must eliminate her as soon as possible.”
“No,” shouted Theo, “Mother, tell them, they cannot do this.”
“Pantera, sit, please,” said Viyesha, in a slow calm voice, waiting until Pantera sat once again, “Violence is simply not an option. You cannot use your usual methods, not in a civilised country. That, more than anything, would bring others here. Perhaps we were wrong to come to this place, but we had to settle somewhere and after everything that has happened to us, it seemed peaceful here. Safe. Just what we needed. And the alignment was right. There was nowhere else we could go.”
“It was safe until he started bringing strangers in,” said Aquila in his low, rasping voice.
“Silence,” demanded Viyesha. “This is not helping. It was I who gave permission for the girl to visit. If you must put blame at anyone’s door, lay it at mine. Although, Theo and Joseph,” she turned to look at the cousins, who were sitting side by side on the other leather Chesterfield in the room, “what were you doing showing Emily the tower?”
Theo hung his head. “Sorry mother, she wanted to have a look. It’s so magnificent, you can’t miss it. She was only asking the questions other people will ask.”
“It’s true, Viyesha,” said Joseph. “She didn’t come to spy. She was just showing a healthy interest in the work I’ve done.”
“So healthy, you felt you had to present her with a red rose,” pointed out Theo. “What was all that about? I bring my girlfr
iend here and you come on to her?”
“I wasn’t coming on to her,” countered Joseph. “It was a spur of the moment gesture…”
“And it was you who suggested Emily go back for the key,” said Theo, angrily. “Were you working with Aquila? Was it all part of the plot to get rid of her?”
“No,” shouted Joseph. “She offered. I swear I knew nothing about it.”
“Stop it, both of you,” said Viyesha, holding up her hands. “Violet, what do you make of this girl? You know her as well as anybody here. Do you think she’s a threat?”
Violet’s eyes sparkled blue and a small triumphant smile appeared momentarily on her face at being consulted. She sat apart from the others and had observed the bickering with some amusement, waiting for her turn to speak. Now she chose her words carefully.
“I don’t think Emily is so much the threat, as Theo,” she smiled icily at her brother. “He seems unable to contain his emotions and stay in control. I find that more worrying than anything.”
“You’re only jealous, Violet, because you thought you’d found a new friend and she prefers to be with me, rather than you.” Theo turned on his sister.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she started to say, but Theo interrupted her.
“All that time when you only had me for company and longed for a female friend,” he said, “when you’d gaze out of the window and curse being in Egypt, with the fear and the curfews and the paranoia. When you met Emily, you thought you’d found a soul mate, didn’t you? A girl you could relate to, who was as pretty as you. It was only natural you’d be jealous when Emily took up with me.”
“Mother, don’t listen to him,” pleaded Violet. “He’s just trying to be hurtful.”
“She’s right, Theo,” said Viyesha. “This doesn’t help at all.” She turned to her husband, who had remained silent throughout, observing all that had gone on, his face impassive. “Leon, help me. What do we do?”
