Shaman of Stonewylde

by Kit Berry

  ‘We could go into my study, but Harold’s working in the next room, so if it’s something private . . .’

  ‘It is. Um . . .’

  ‘Sylvie, this is ridiculous. Let’s go up to our old rooms. There’s loads of space there and you know how private they are.’

  Reluctantly she followed him up the wide staircase, past the stained glass window. She glimpsed Martin further down the corridor and that triggered all sorts of memories. She approached the arched doorway into the sitting room with dread. Yul pushed open the heavy oak door and she felt a band of constriction tightening around her chest, stifling her breath. He held it open for her and as she walked in, Sylvie sensed something in the room hiding its face, scuttling into the murky corners. Never before, apart from that night at Samhain when she’d been here alone during the power-cut, had she felt such a powerful presence of other in the room.

  Her skin erupted into goose-flesh and the hair on the back of her neck prickled. She was very pleased that Bluebell wasn’t here as the little girl was so sensitive to atmosphere and this would have triggered her nightmares again. Sylvie looked around the room, glancing at the window seat, the huge fireplace, the sofas and occasional tables. This room held so many memories for her and most of them unpleasant. She tried to recall the good ones, but even those were tainted; sitting breast-feeding Celandine – but then there’d be a sudden draught, or a book would fall off the shelf. Cuddled up on the sofa with Yul – but she’d get an overwhelming urge to look behind her. It hit her full force then – the rooms were truly haunted. She shuddered at the thought and vowed that whatever happened, she and the girls would never live here again.

  They sat down in the window seat and Sylvie gazed outside at the grey, blowy day. Yul watched her, his heart breaking. If he didn’t make a decision soon about Rainbow and her threats, he’d lose Sylvie forever. Should he just give in and allow Rainbow back for a visit? She’d been pestering him to agree to this for weeks, bombarding him with increasingly threatening e-mails, like the one that had just arrived. Or should he call Rainbow’s bluff and refuse, running the risk of her telling Sylvie his dirty, guilty secret? She’d threatened that enough times and he knew she’d have no qualms about ruining their lives. The third option was to confess to Sylvie and throw himself on her mercy. For the first time in his life, Yul just couldn’t decide what to do for the best.

  ‘There are two things – important things – I wanted to tell you, Yul. The first is about my mother, and I want to ask a huge favour.’

  Yul dragged his thoughts away from Rainbow and her black-mail and looked into his wife’s beautiful face. Her skin was like the finest porcelain and her eyes grey pools of tranquillity. He tried to summon a smile for her and nodded encouragingly.

  ‘It’s a long story and I won’t go into it all now, but my mum’s mother is terminally ill and doesn’t have long left. She’s asked to see Mum to make her peace before she dies. She also wants to meet her grandchildren – me and Rufus – and her great-grandchildren too.’ She ignored Yul’s look of amazement and continued. ‘Mum’s decided she’s definitely going, and she’d really like me and the girls and Rufus to be there too. I think perhaps she wants her mother to see just what she managed to achieve all on her own, despite being abandoned at such a tender age. I’d like to be there to support her – it’s only for two nights – and I wondered if you would please come with us? Going up to London, staying in a hotel, all the practical considerations of travel – it would be lovely if you could look after us and help. If you are agreeable to the girls coming along – which of course is your decision too – it would be great for them to have you there.’

  She paused, trying to gauge his expression. He took her hands in his.

  ‘If you want to do this for Miranda and you’re absolutely sure, then of course I’ll come along and help. It could be a nightmare – you and Miranda haven’t been to London for so many years and Rufus and the girls have never left Stonewylde. Well, apart from Celandine and her ballet trip. So yes, I’d be happy to come.’

  ‘Oh Yul! That’s wonderful! I really want to be there for Mum. It’ll be so difficult for her.’

  ‘When is the trip?’

  ‘We haven’t arranged it yet, but the sooner the better. I think her mother doesn’t have long now. Next week perhaps – the beginning of October? Oh Yul, this proves to me how much you’ve changed. Before, you would’ve argued and moaned and tried to bully me into staying here. This really means a lot to me.’

  He reached across the window seat and took her in his arms, holding her tight. She clung to him in return, loving the strength and leanness of him. But over his shoulder, in the corner of the room near the dumb-waiter, something shifted slightly in the shadows. Suddenly a wisp of aroma threaded just out of range, taunting her with its elusiveness. She pulled back and stood up abruptly.

  ‘What was the other thing you wanted to tell me?’ he asked, gazing up at her with blazing eyes.

  ‘Oh, never mind,’ she said quickly, heading for the door. ‘It can wait. It’s not something I’m sure about yet anyway . . . some other time. Sorry, Yul, but I need to get out of here.’

  Faun and Rowan sat at the table, with the dishes cleared away and the sounds coming through from the kitchen of Rowan’s mother washing up. Rowan’s father sat in his chair by the fire, which he’d just lit as it was now October and the nights were becoming chilly. Rowan was tired after a long day in the Nursery and this was her reward; something she’d been looking forward to all evening.

  Together they gazed at the cover of the glossy magazine. It had arrived today and had been brought down from the Gatehouse and delivered to Rowan just before the close of Nursery. They’d held back opening it, delaying the delicious moment until now, when they had ample time to savour the big spread about Aitch’s new Earth Ethics autumn/winter collection. On the front cover was a thumbnail photo with the caption ‘Where is Stonewylde?’ and Faun tapped it.

  ‘That’s Minky, isn’t it? She was definitely Finn’s favourite model.’

  ‘Shall we open it then?’ asked Rowan.

  Together they flicked through the pages until Faun squealed with delight. They pored over the pages, then abruptly Faun sat back in her chair and her lip quivered.

  ‘I’m only in one of them and that’s in the background!’

  ‘Oh darling girl! But aren’t you lovely in it? Look at your hair!’

  ‘But look – it’s stupid Minky here, and JoJo there, and both of them with that other girl – Sabrina. Look, Mother – Rufus is in practically EVERY photo! I don’t believe it!’

  And with that Faun burst into tears. Rowan’s mother came scurrying out of the kitchen and her father stood up in alarm.

  ‘What’s wrong with our Faun?’

  Rowan cradled the sobbing girl in her arms and shook her head at them.

  ‘She’s just a mite disappointed with the photos. She looks beautiful o’ course, but she’s only in one of ’em.’

  ‘No! After all that excitement too! And our Faun were by far the prettiest of the lot!’

  ‘Yes, but I’m too FAT! And I’m not tall enough and—’

  ‘Don’t talk rot!’ said her grandfather. ‘You’re not fat at all, my girl. And you don’t want to be any taller or you won’t find yourself a husband.’

  ‘I don’t want a stupid husband!’ cried Faun. ‘I want to be a model!’

  ‘There, there,’ soothed Rowan. ‘Don’t cry, my baby. It’s so bad for your eyes. Stop crying and we’ll have another look and read what the article says.’

  Eventually Faun calmed down and they looked again carefully, noting how Rufus did indeed grace every photo, and Kestrel and Lapwing were also in most, although more in the background.

  ‘Finn really did like Rufus,’ Faun said sadly. ‘Just about the only thing that makes me pleased is that Betony and Skipper aren’t in any more than me. That would be really awful. And when I think of the agony I suffered with my poor leg.’

&
nbsp; ‘Oh you were such a brave girl!’ said her grandmother. ‘They should never have taken you up Quarrycleave! That place is—’

  ‘This article is quite interesting,’ said Rowan. ‘There’s an interview with Holly and she talks of how she grew up here. I remember she was a bossy little cow and o’ course they all hated me, them Hallfolk girls, ‘cos I was chosen as May Queen.’

  ‘Oh Mother! You must have been so very beautiful!’

  ‘Aye, Magus certainly thought so,’ agreed her grandmother. ‘We were so proud and honoured to have our girl favoured.’

  ‘Was Dawn jealous too?’ asked Faun. ‘She was one of the Hallfolk girls, wasn’t she?’

  ‘I expect she was jealous ‘cos they all loved Magus,’ said Rowan. ‘She was a bit quieter than most of them though, to be fair, and not as unkind. Dawn always were nicer than the other Hallfolk girls.’

  ‘She’s started to show,’ remarked her mother. ‘I noticed ‘un when I took the buns into the Village School today. She’s carrying high and we all know what that means.’

  ‘It’ll be an Imbolc baby,’ said Rowan, ‘if she did conceive at the Hare Moon on her handfasting night – though I think she reckons ’twas at Mead Moon a month later.’

  ‘Aye,’ chuckled her mother. ‘ ’Twould be better at Hare Moon though. Remember the old rhyme?

  ‘When the hands are tied, kiss the bride,

  When you jump the broom, kiss the groom,

  When wrists be bound, lay on the ground,

  When bluebells are thick, make it stick!’

  ‘Oh Granny! That’s so old-fashioned,’ laughed Faun. She turned back to the photos again. ‘Well, the only good thing is that there’ll be a few more magazines like this and hopefully they’ll show more of me in the others.’

  ‘That’s the spirit!’ cried her grandfather.

  ‘ ’Tis true,’ agreed Rowan. ‘You’re bound to be in more o’ the shots in the other magazines. And Finn promised to send us some photos for your portfolio, didn’t he?’

  ‘Yes, and Rainbow promised I could sit for her next time she’s here and she’d do a big painting of me! When’s she coming back, I wonder?’

  ‘To be honest, Faun, although o’ course I want you to be a top model, I do think really your future is in acting. You’re right, my darling – you’re just too curvy and lovely to be one o’ these stick-skinny models. You’re more like a luscious and glamorous film star.’

  ‘But how do I get to do that?’ demanded Faun. ‘How do any film people even know I exist, stuck here in Stonewylde?’

  ‘We’ll have to ask Rainbow when she’s back. She said she’d return in the autumn and we’ll ask her then. I think you’d have to go to acting school or somesuch thing, and we’d maybe have to live in the Outside World.’

  ‘Really?’ Faun’s eyes gleamed at the thought of that. ‘Oh yes, I want to go to acting school, Mother! Never mind about this silly modelling. I’ll be a rich and famous film star instead!’

  Clip sat by the fire and Shadow lay at his feet, his chin on Clip’s slightly chewed felt slipper. Leveret brought over two cups of camomile tea and sat down on the sofa. Immediately Hare sat up in the new, larger wicker basket by the wall and loped over. At present, she was slightly bigger than Shadow although that wouldn’t be the case for much longer. After an initial bout of nipping and kicking, order had been established and Hare had permitted the puppy to join her in the basket just so long as he remembered his manners. He adored Hare and loved to cuddle up to her at every opportunity.

  The greatest love of his life, though, was Leveret. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight and had truly become her shadow. He guarded her fiercely, even initially growling at Clip when he came close. He was such a funny dog, always looking sheepish and guilty as if apologising for having survived his mill pond fate. His back legs would never be right, but Leveret had examined him carefully and could see he was in no pain at all. He was perfectly capable of walking, and his paws were enormous; he was going to be a big dog, despite being the runt. He had the usual intelligence of the Stonewylde grey sheepdogs, and combined with his mission to obey Leveret, this was quite formidable. His first meeting with Magpie had been a little fraught as each had been jealous of the other, but they’d settled down into mutual understanding and now got on fine.

  ‘Are you sure you don’t want to come with us to London?’ asked Clip, sipping his tea. ‘There are all sorts of things I could show you.’

  ‘No thanks,’ she replied. ‘I’ve always said I don’t want to leave Stonewylde, and besides, who’d look after Shadow and Hare?’

  ‘I’m sure Magpie would,’ he said. ‘But fair enough – it will be a busy trip anyway, so perhaps it’s best you’re not coming.’

  ‘Is Yul alright about you joining them?’

  ‘Yes,’ chuckled Clip. ‘Old habits die hard with Yul, and he almost forgot he’s turned over a new leaf. But he could see it made sense for me to come along. I’d like to see Miranda’s mother myself – as you know, all this happened because of that one dreadful act of mine. How she could’ve treated her poor daughter the way she did because of my wickedness is unbelievable. I’d like to explain to her, just to put the record straight. I also want to speak to the lawyer who’s been involved.’

  ‘Why? I don’t understand.’

  ‘Apparently he and Miranda have been corresponding by e-mail for a month or so, and she says he’s one of the very top lawyers around. Her parents would of course only hire the best. I think he’s due to retire soon, and I wanted to get his opinion on what we’re doing here at Stonewylde. My own lawyer has done everything to form the charitable trust and we’re ready now to appoint the Board of Trustees. I just wanted to get this chap of Miranda’s – or rather, her mother’s – to have a look at all the paperwork and make sure I haven’t left any loopholes. That business with Holly and Fennel coming back recently got me worrying – I don’t want any more Hallfolk coming here and thinking they’ve every right to. Once I sign Stonewylde over, it’ll no longer be my or my heirs’ property and I don’t want any of that lot thinking they can take advantage.’

  ‘I still don’t see why you have to talk to another lawyer.’

  ‘To check that it’s all in order – I’m not sure I have complete faith in the local one I’ve been using. And Leveret, there’s another reason I’m going to London with them, but you must promise me you’ll tell nobody because I really don’t want any fuss.’

  ‘Yes of course I promise. What is it?’

  ‘You know these silly stomach aches I’ve been getting for a while? I’m going to have it checked out before I leave. I’ve got an appointment with somebody good in London.’

  ‘Oh Clip! I’m so pleased! I’ve been really worried about you.’

  ‘I know. I don’t want to go to Hazel and I don’t want a fuss. I’ve been trying to ignore the pains and I think it’s something like irritable bowel or just severe wind. I do hope it’s not gallstones or anything like that. I was thinking that there’s no point me going to the Amazon or the Outback and just as I’m about to go into trance with the local Shaman, doubling up in agony. But don’t tell anyone, will you?’

  ‘Of course I won’t. So you’re all going up there by train?’

  ‘That’s right, Yul, Sylvie and the girls, Miranda and Rufus and me. I’m actually quite looking forward to it. Apparently this lawyer has booked us all into a suite in a very posh hotel in Kensington, with no expense spared. I gather Miranda’s parents were very wealthy, which makes the financial struggles she had to face even more appalling.’

  ‘I’ll miss you, Clip,’ said Leveret, stroking Hare. ‘But I suppose I’d better get used to it.’

  ‘It’s only for two nights – we’ll be back before you know it. But yes, when we do get back I’m only here for another couple of weeks and then I’m off.’

  ‘I can’t bear the thought of it! But what about your stomach?’

  ‘I’ll have the diagnosis very quickly – that’s
one of the reasons I’ve chosen this particular consultant. If any treatment is needed, I can arrange for that en route to my exciting destination, wherever that may be.’

  Leveret sighed heavily, and Shadow cocked his ears and looked up at her. He was her one consolation and she knew that when Clip had gone, Shadow would help ease her loneliness. Clip got up and disappeared downstairs into his room for a minute, to return carrying his black feather cloak. Shadow growled at it and got up for a suspicious sniff.

  ‘I’d like to give you my raven cloak, Leveret,’ he said. ‘It seems especially fitting that you should have it, given your spirit guide.’

  ‘Oh Clip!’ said Leveret, touched beyond words. ‘I feel so honoured! Thank you.’

  She reached across and stroked the cloak, which was made of very fine black wool with hundreds of black feathers sewn on. She had no idea where it had come from for Clip had worn it for as long as she could remember.

  ‘I can’t think of anyone else who’d put it to as good use as you,’ he said, ‘except maybe Martin. And I really don’t want him to have it.’

  ‘No!’ agreed Leveret, imagining how very sinister Martin would look in it. ‘Martin’s been really making me feel uncomfortable lately.’

  ‘Has he? In what way?’

  ‘It’s the way he looks at me – as if he’d like to do me real harm. I find him quite frightening.’

  Clip nodded.

  ‘He’s a strange man and I think he’s becoming stranger. When Vetchling died I thought he’d move his mother into his cottage, but instead he sends his poor wife down there every single day. I thought the other day how worn out she looks.’

  ‘It can’t be easy being married to him either, can it? He’s such a miserable person and lately he looks almost unhinged. Should we speak to my mother or Hazel about it? Perhaps his wife needs some help to care for Old Violet.’