“Hey old pal, I thought you said we could stay the night?”
Taking the glasses out of his friends’ hands, he pulled them to their feet. “Sorry chum but the rooms are full, time to go leave.” He piled them all into a taxi and watched them drive away. He wanted no one left behind tonight, he had plans.
Now only the four of them remained.
Sarah was still dancing by herself around the room. “I want to dance all night.”
Richard got the radio from the study and tuned into a late night station. Romantic music filled the great hall. Charles took Sarah in his arms and slowly manoeuvred her around the dance floor. Richard looked at Victoria. He bowed and held out his hand. “May I have this dance?”
“I must check my card.” She said coyly, fluttering her eyelashes.
He reached for her and pulled her into his arms. They looked into each others eyes and kissed. Victoria thought she would faint. Her tummy churned with excitement and her breathing was laboured. At last she had the man of her dreams.
On the landing, in the shadows, Charlotte watched. She wanted to scream at the harlot. Richard was hers and no one else could have him.
The dancing stopped and they drifted towards the stairs.
Charles kissed Sarah. “As much as I would like this to go on all night, I think it’s time we should all go to bed.” He held her hand and pulled her to him.
“It’s been a wonderful night, Charles. A night I will never forget.”
Charles nodded in the direction of Richard and Victoria sat on the stairs side by side chatting and looking into each others eyes. “I thought those two would never get together.” He sauntered across to them. “Sorry to disturb you two lovebirds, but we’re off to our beds.”
Victoria stared miserably at Charles. “Is it that time already?”
Richard stood and helped Victoria to her feet. “Time for your beauty sleep my lovely, not that you need it.”
Richard kissed her goodnight and watched as the others climbed the stairs.
After a few steps Charles turned and looked at him. “Are you not coming?”
“I’m just going to check on Dancing Lady, she’s almost ready to drop her foal. I won’t be long.”
Sarah reached the top of the stairs and stopped. It was icy cold, and then she smelt the mouldy air as it rushed passed her heading for her friend. Victoria felt the blow and swayed off balance, her arms flaying and almost lost her footing, Charles reached out and steadied her. Victoria looked shocked,
“I think you’ve had far too much to drink, my girl.” He noticed how pale she had become. “Are you okay?”
Victoria was sure she had been pushed but by whom? She looked around, only her friends were near by, then whom or what had pushed her? She began to shake and Sarah took her hand and guided her towards their bedrooms.
Sarah looked across the landing and into its shadows, searching for movement, there was no one to be seen but she knew who the culprit was.
Richard took his overcoat and made his way across the rear yard to the stable block and switched on the lights. The horses snorted in greeting. One by one he checked each stall stroking the bobbing heads of each horse until he came to the mare, stepping inside he gentle stroked her neck. She was a beauty. He talked gently in her ear. The lights flickered and the horses became restless and stamped their feet. He turned and looked around. Was there someone in the stables? Again he checked each stall kicking the straw looking for rats or even a fox. There was nothing there, but someone or something had spooked the horses. In the shadows Charlotte watched the way Richard stroked the mare, with such love and attention. One day he would show her the same affection, she would make sure of that. Richard thought the mare would have her foal within the next few days; he would have to keep an eye on her and call the vet in plenty of time. He gently closed the gate to the stall, made a last inspection of all the horses and secured the outside door and looked around the yard. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he shivered. He had the feeling someone was watching him. He checked all the doors again, his horses were very valuable, and he didn’t want anything happening to them. Tomorrow he would get the stable hand to check the perimeter, make sure no foxes could get in. Something had spooked the horses tonight, but he didn’t know what. He crossed the yard and entered the house and closed and bolted the back door and hung up his coat and quietly walked across the hall, a smile crossed his face as he remembered holding Victoria in his arms. Slowly he climbed the stairs, he should be tired, it had been a long day, but he knew that thoughts of Victoria would keep him awake.
By the back door Charlotte took Richard’s coat off the peg and held it to her face, she could feel the warmth and smell the essence of him. Staying in the shadows she moved to the great hall and watched Richard climb the stairs. Alone again she slowly sashayed around the room. Still clinging to Richard’s coat imagining him waltzing with her, but there was no music. She looked at the radio, could she make this thing work. She pressed a button and heard the quiet music of Strauss. A smile crossed her face and once again she was transported back to a time when she danced with her darling Frederick in this very hall. She slowly waltzed around the room holding Richard’s coat closely to her, stretching out the sleeve imagining him holding her. In her world she could see all the smiling faces watching, admiring the happy couple. In just a few days she and Frederick would be married and they would live together forever. She had never been happier.
Upstairs Emily woke with a start. She thought she heard a noise. She looked at the clock, four a.m. surely the children would be in bed. She turned over and closed her eyes but sleep evaded her. It was no good. She decided to make herself a warm milky drink. In her dressing gown and slippers she made her way along the landing. The stairs and the hall were always left in a mellow light in case someone got up in the night, but the glow coming from the hall seemed much brighter than usual. From the top of the stairs Emily could see a misty kind of light and movement. She could hear the faint sound of music. She made her way slowly down the stairs, step by step, holding tight to the banister. She had left her glasses on the bedside cabinet, but she thought she could see a couple dancing, was she seeing things now. Who could be up at this time of the night?
“Sarah, is that you?”
The hall lights flickered and the misty light dimmed. Emily cautiously made her way to the foot of the stairs, but no one was there. In the middle of the floor lay a coat. She picked it up, it was Richard’s, but how had it got there and where were the dancers? She looked around the large hall, nothing. She crossed to the hall table and switched off the radio.
In the shadows Charlotte watched and cursed the woman, she was having so much fun reminiscing.
Emily put the coat over her arm and entered the kitchen; it felt nice and cosy with the heat from the Aga. She placed the coat over the chair and took a mug from the cupboard, put milk in a pan and placed it on the hotplate. She sat down at the kitchen table and pondered on what she had just seen. Perhaps she was just tired and seeing things, after all it had been a hectic week. She looked at Richard’s coat. How had it ended up in the middle of the hall floor? She made her drink and carefully made her way back to her bedroom. She would talk about it to Richard in the morning.
Charlotte watched the woman climb the stairs. The happy mood had left her, on the bottom step of the great staircase Charlotte sat and wept. She cried for the love of Richard and she cried for the loss of her sweetheart Frederick. Memories of how things used to be came flooding back. She let out a low wail, remembering the morning of her wedding day.
She had descended these very stairs dressed in the most wonderful hand made wedding dress. Her father had stood at the foot of the stairs holding out his hand to her, ready to escort her to the church. They were alone everyone else had left for the church. He looked up at her with such pride and told her how beautiful she was and what a lucky man Frederick was to get her as his wife. Everything was perfect, until the knock on
the door. Charlotte groaned remembering the agony that followed. As Reverend Peters entered the house he looked at Charlotte and then at her father and with shaking hands beckoned him over. They talked for a while and her father looked up at her, his face was filled with sadness.
“Charlotte I need to talk to you.” Taking her hand he led her into the drawing room and sat her down. The fear and anguish was mounting and she began to shake.
“For Gods sake Father tell me what has happened?” As he knelt at her feet a tear rolled down his face. Fear engulfed her, the only other time she had ever seen her father cry was when her mother died. He held her hand as she began to shake.
“Charlotte, my darling girl, something dreadful has happened. Frederick has been involved in an accident on his way to the church.”
Charlotte caught her breath and stared at her father’s face. “Is he okay? Is he hurt?”
“Charlotte, there is no easy way to say this, Frederick is dead.”
Sitting on the stairs, Charlotte could feel the pain once again, the tightness in her chest, she looked up to the ceiling and she let out a cry so mournful. Tears ran down her face, it seemed like only yesterday she had lost her Frederick, the love of her life, how was she to carry on without him. Her thoughts drifted back to the present and to Richard. Had Frederick come back to her in Richard, the resemblance was amazing. She always hoped he would return to her and she had been loyal all these years waiting. One day Richard would love her too, just as Frederick had. She moaned again, remembering the look of love Richard had given that girl, Victoria. She sensed someone coming and heard noises behind her. She moved to the shadows, now was not the time to show herself, but one day Richard would know her.
Upstairs on the landing Charles and Richard stood looking down but could see nothing out of the ordinary. John approached them tying his dressing gown around him.
“What on earth was that Godforsaken noise? It sounded like an animal in distress.”
Richard bridled. “The mare!”
He ran down the stairs, unbolted the back door and ran across the yard. Still in his slippers and dressing gown he made his way straight to the mare’s stall. The horses snorted as he rushed passed them. A sigh of relief passed his lips, she was fine. Again he looked around the yard as he secured the stables. By the time he got back to the hall Charles and his father were waiting.
“Is everything okay?” Charles asked.
Richard smiled. “Dancing Lady is fine, thank goodness. I checked the stables everything is okay in there.” He looked up the stairs. “Father has anyone checked on mother and the girls?”
His father nodded. “They are all fine, just a bit shook up and a little scared. What was that dreadful noise, does anyone know?”
Mr Howard, rather breathless, appeared behind Richard.
“I and the stable boy have had a good look around outside Sir, but nothing seems out of order. Perhaps it was a fox caught in a trap, the tenants have been complaining lately of losing some of their poultry.”
John was relieved to have the matter cleared up. “That must be it. Now let’s all get back to bed before the morning and work is upon us.”
Shaking his head, and feeling the aches in his old bones, John climbed the stairs. “What a night.”
Charlotte sighed and wiped away her tears as she watched them all return to their bedrooms. Her time would come, she wouldn’t always be alone, she would make sure of that.
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CHAPTER 5
The summer passed like a whirlwind. Victoria visited Moorcroft whenever she could, eager to see Richard. Like Sarah and Charles they were often seen walking by the river arm in arm or riding across the fields. Dancing Lady finally dropped her foal, a handsome colt and Richard asked Victoria to name him, she chose the name Emperor. John was pleased with the colt and thought that Richard had become a fine horseman and left that side of the estate to him. He was getting tired and was glad of Charles’s help with the estate, although at times he thought he was a bit hard with the tenants. Emily kept her eye on her daughter, she seemed to have blossomed since her party, and she followed Charles around like a love sick puppy, much to his amusement. Emily had mentioned this affair several times to John and had told him to start saving for a forthcoming wedding. John told his wife to stop being silly, he still saw Sarah as his little girl.
Charles had taken Sarah many times to meet his parents who lived in Worcester. She got on well with them and had loved their home and the surrounding area. Although Emily admired and loved Charles Wesley she feared that one day he would take her daughter away. Victoria on the other hand was never away from Moorcroft and she and Sarah were constantly chatting and enjoyed going into town window shopping. Richard was kept busy with the horses and the estate and regularly held meetings with his father and Charles to discuss the monthly accounts. He often had rows with his father who was still too lenient with his tenants, their rent was essential for the upkeep of the farm and he knew Charles constantly had to tell the tenants to keep up good husbandry and to check the boundary fences and walls.
The following winter seemed very cold and long with high winds that rocked the trees, snow and hail soon followed making the ground soggy, followed by the hard frosts. The tenants complained the soil was sour and the crops would not be good and lambing would be poor. John, once a factory owner knew nothing of farming and feeling sorry for his tenants and unbeknown to his son, halved their rent. Mr Howard could see what was happening and heard rumours in the village, and sitting in the kitchen with Mrs Shaw he often voiced his concerns. Mrs Shaw felt the same but what could they do, it was obvious that John Gardener was not an astute business man, but a man with a sympathetic heart, which his tenants took advantage off.
Emily came in from the garden and kicked of her boots in the rear porch. She could hear Richard shouting and a door slam and Richard came rushing towards her.
“What on earth is the matter, Richard?”
He grabbed his coat. “Ask your husband. If he thinks he can run the farm better than me and Charles then let him get on with it. I’ve had it up to here; all he does is keep on undermining us. We tell the tenants one thing and he contradicts us. If he carries on like this we will have no estate to run, but will he listen? I’m going for a ride to clear my head before I do something I will later regret. I’m sorry Mother.”
With that he was out of the door heading for the stables. Emily sighed and hung up her coat. She was getting too old to referee these arguments. As she entered the hall she saw Charles leaving the study. He looked at her, shrugged his shoulders and shook his head and made his way to the dining room.
Emily stood holding the door knob of the study and took a deep breath before she entered. John was slumped in his chair, his head held in his hands, with a glass of whisky on the table by his side. He didn’t look up when she entered. She walked towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder. His gaunt look as he looked up shocked her.
He held her hand to his face. “I can’t carry on fighting with our son. He wants to modernise, update things. What’s wrong with the way we do thing’s, it’s been the same for years and we’ve always managed. Now he wants to sell one of the farms to pay for some fandangle equipment for the horses. For me that’s the beginning of the end.”
Emily sat opposite John and looked into his eyes. “John, my darling, don’t you think it’s time you let go of the reigns and let Richard and Charles run the estate? You said yourself what a good job they were doing. Leave them to it and retire, spend more time with me.”
John looked surprised. “But, Emily, this is my life. I enjoy meeting the other farmers and talking to them and their families, watching their children grow up. Without that what do I have left?”
“John, you can still visit the tenants, but leave the running to Richard. You know what a temper he has. One of these days one of you will have a heart attack and I’m afraid it might be you and what would I do then?”
John looked up to his
wife and could see the worried look on her face. “Perhaps you’re right. You are a wise old dear. What would I do without you?”
“Hey, less of the old.” Together they laughed.
The atmosphere in the house became unbearable. John would walk out of a room when Richard entered and Richard would throw his arms in the air. Charles and the girls just looked embarrassed. Emily knew something had to be done and she decided to talk to Charles. Walking into the dining room with a tray of coffee she found Charles with his head down over a pile of papers.
“You look like you could do with a break.” He sat back with a sigh and greeted her.
“I’m trying to sort out these books, but I’m sorry to say your husband does not keep very good accounts.”
“Charles take a minute, I need to talk to you.”
They both sat at the table with a cup of coffee in their hands and looked at each other. Charles knew what was on her mind, but decided to let her start the conversation.
“Charles I need your advice. What am I going to do about this silly feud between John and Richard?”
“I thought that was what you wanted to talk about. Can I speak plainly?”
Emily nodded.
“Richard is hot headed, always has been as long as I’ve known him, but he has a good business head on him. He wants to bring things up to date on the estate and he’s asked me to look at the books and see how things stand. John, on the other hand, is living in the good old days. Things are plodding on nicely and probably would for another few years but things get worn out and need replacing, more efficient and new methods of farming are taking over.” Charles gave a big sigh.
Emily looked at him. “I feel a but coming on.”
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’ve gone over these figures three times and things are not looking good. John is too nice for his own good. He lets the tenants off with all kinds of things and its only just coming to light.”
Moorcroft The Possession Page 6
