The Haunting

by Raymond M Hall

  Luke was both horrified and pleased. Afraid for Mary’s safety indeed, but at least he now had a path to follow.

  The next morning, Luke made his way to the bank and withdrew the gold coins. The teller was a little worried about the amount and the fact that Luke would be a target for every villain in Bristol, of which there were many, however, he assured the young man he would be safe and it was for a transaction to be completed that same day.

  By lunch, he was prepared for the meeting. He had stopped off to make a purchase on the way back to the hotel, and this item was now safely secreted about his person.

  For Mary, the waiting had been interminable. Ralph had returned and untied the gag, but she was still bound hand and foot. He laid her on the bed and instructed her to keep quiet, her bound ankles linked to her wrists in front with yet another strong cord.

  She could hear noises coming from the next room and assumed the other girls had come in from their working day. Mary remembered the routine. There would be a meagre meal then it would be back out onto the streets for the evening shift. She lay quietly, knowing the girls would be no help, they were far too afraid of Ralph.

  The chatter ceased, and she heard the clatter of many feet upon the stairs as the girls went out into the night. Ralph appeared at the door with a bowl of something which did not smell in the least bit appetising. However, she had no choice as he spoon fed her the gruel, instructing her to swallow. She was to be returned to her husband on the morrow and Ralph didn’t want her to appear starving.

  She swallowed the last spoonful with some difficulty, almost gagging. It was a disgusting concoction of turnip and cabbage with something which may or may not have been meat lying at the bottom.

  Ralph put the bowl down on the floor and rolled her over so that she was lying facing away from him. She was appalled as she felt his fingers busy with her clothing again and began to cry. The gag was stuffed back into her mouth as the fumbling continued. She could do nothing to stop him and could only pray that it would be over soon.

  The morning arrived with the dismal room showing little change from the night. The dimness was due to the windows being so filthy they only allowed in the smallest glimmer of daylight. She could hear the other girls in the next room preparing for their daily work with not one sound of laughter or merriment. There was nothing for these young girls to look forward to, only much more of the same, being degraded by men for a few measly pence. She heard them leaving, egged on by Ralph’s harsh voice.

  When all was quiet, the door to her room opened, and Ralph appeared with another bowl of gruel, the same meal she guessed as the previous. She turned her nose up at the smell as he put the bowl down next to the bed.

  ‘Going home time today Miss Precious. If your husband does what he’s told.’ He said, and adding, ‘You know what happens if he doesn’t show up, don’t you?’

  Mary cowered on the bed, praying that Luke would rescue her. She had deliberately told Ralph that Luke was old and frail in the hope he would meet him alone. She had no illusions about the outcome if Ralph got his way. He couldn’t afford to risk Luke going to the magistrate, a man in his position would be able to command a rapid response to this most serious crime and Ralph knew that before too long he would hear the boots of soldiers on the stairs coming to arrest him. The penalty for kidnapping was hanging, and he was as guilty as sin. Better there were no witnesses. Once he had the money, he would deal with Luke and then herself. Mary knew she was far too old for his tastes anyway. The hundred pounds would set him up for life, and he could keep his girls for sport. He had it all worked out she guessed and today was the day. She lay trussed up on the bed, the situation was out of her control, and there was nothing she could say or do to help.

  Luke set off for the rendezvous at the appointed time. He assumed it would not be a civilised meeting where he would merely hand over the money and Mary would be set free. Luke was well aware that this could end with the death of both of them. The kidnappers would never let them walk away to report the crime. He decided to leave the bulk of the money hidden in his room. Ten gold pounds should be enough to tempt the villains to arrange a second meeting, somewhere safer and more public where the exchange could be made without risking both their lives. The marketplace would be ideal; no one would notice what was transpiring. Mary could walk towards him, and at the same time he could put the money bag down and walk towards her. When they met, they could turn away, leaving the money for the kidnappers.

  With the plan formulated in his mind, he set out for the allotted meeting place. He was surprised when he turned into the alleyway, remembering he had already been there the day before. It was the same alleyway where he had first met Mary as a young girl. He cautiously turned into the dark lane and began walking, retracing his steps of yesterday, cursing to himself, as he realised he had been so close. He walked adopting the gait of an older man hoping to put his adversaries off guard and leaned heavily on the stick he was carrying. Anybody watching would believe he was old and in failing health. He had his coat pulled up around his neck, and a hat pulled down over his face.

  He had travelled around fifty yards when a voice from a doorway behind him made him stop abruptly.

  ‘Brought the money have you?’ Ralph sneered, realising that the old man had come alone as instructed. This was going to be easier than he thought.

  Luke produced a leather bag from beneath his coat and rattled it, jingling the coins inside. Ralph approached from behind quickly and quietly, knife in hand but not quick enough. Luke turned around, saw Ralph with the knife and knew he had to act swiftly. He brought the thick stick up from the ground and caught Ralph squarely on the wrist causing him to yelp in pain, dropping the knife. With a flick of the wrist, Luke freed the long thin blade from the walking stick and in a single movement brought it to Ralph’s throat. The pair stood in the middle of the alley frozen in a moment of time. Ralph realised his error immediately, this was no frail old man, standing before him with a blade to his throat. This man with a little smile touching the corners of his mouth was middle aged and demonstrably in peak condition. His swiftness had taken Ralph off guard, and his one chance of riches had gone forever.

  Luke was relieved that the man was alone,

  ‘Where are the rest of them?’ He asked, drawing a little blood from Ralph’s throat with the tip of the sword.

  ‘There ain’t no rest, just me.’ Replied Ralph, cursing himself for his mistake. If Luke had believed more men were lying in wait, Ralph might have stood some chance of yet turning the situation to his advantage. Not now, though, the game was up.

  ‘Now,’ Said Luke, ‘Take me to Mary or I’ll begin lopping bits off where you stand.’

  Ralph pointed to the doorway where he had been hiding,

  ‘She’s in there, upstairs.’

  ‘Lead the way.’ Ordered Luke.

  Ralph thought he might get one chance as they climbed the stairs, one chance to make a run for his door and get hold of a weapon. He needed to distract Luke in some way.

  ‘She’s not been harmed, Mister, I only used her a couple of times, and she seemed to like that, yelling out she was, begging me to do her again.’

  He looked back over his shoulder as he talked seeing the stunned look in Luke’s eyes. It was the opportunity he needed. Kicking backwards, he caught Luke squarely in the chest and bolted up the stairs to his door. He ran in and grabbed the first thing that came to hand which was an ugly rusting cutlass, stolen from some hapless naval man, a past customer of one of his girls. Ralph seized it and turned to face Luke who had recovered and was now framed in the doorway with a face like thunder. Ralph waved the cutlass menacingly,

  ‘Now, we’ll see the measure of you.’ He said, grabbing at his crotch lewdly. ‘Then I’ll give her some more of this!’

  He was hoping to make Luke careless in his anger and appeared to be succeeding as Luke took a step into the room. Ralph swung the deadly cutlass in a wide arc directed at his neck, but Luke was ready and
stepped back smartly as the blade connected with the doorframe. The blow jarred Ralph’s arm, and for a split second, he was exposed. It was time enough for Luke to thrust his own blade forward, taking Ralph cleanly through the throat and exiting through the back of his neck. Luke withdrew his sword and stepped over the fallen Ralph, walking to a door at the other side of the room. Throwing the door open he was confronted by the sight of Mary lying trussed up on the filthy bed. He made short work of her bonds, and soon she was standing beside him looking down at Ralph. He was not dead but couldn’t talk as blood ran from the wound in his throat. It had been a clean stroke and had not severed his spinal column. Ralph was gagging on his own blood but was still very much alive.

  Footsteps on the stairs made them both start; they were discovered! What now? The ramifications passed rapidly through Luke’s mind. There was no doubt they would escape punishment when the full story came out in court and Ralph would probably face the hangman at the end of the trial, but what of Mary? All the filth and attacks on her would be broadcast far and wide. It would become common knowledge that the man had raped her, a crime also punishable by hanging but it wouldn’t stop the cruel gossips spreading rumours that perhaps she had enjoyed it, having once been one of Ralph’s street girls.

  But they were safe; a young lady walked in, and Luke slid his sword back into the cane and now looked for all the world like the middle aged gentleman he was. Luke and Mary stared at the girl, it appeared as though she was grinning but on closer inspection, it was apparent that her grin was not coming from within. Her mouth had been sliced open on both sides. The wound would have been forcibly opened over a period of time, preventing it healing, the result being a mouth that stretched literally from ear to ear. Mary realised this was the ‘Clown face’ which Ralph had bragged about. She turned away from the girl and looked up at Luke,

  ‘He threatened to do that to me.’ She said, tears running down her cheeks as the reality of what she had so narrowly avoided now stood before her, grinning mirthlessly.

  Before Luke could react the young girl bent down and lifted up the cutlass Ralph had let fall to the floor. She looked down on Ralph and seeing the fear in his eyes allowed her ‘Clown face’ to break into a genuine smile. It was not a pleasant sight, and Ralph quailed as the girl began to speak. It was not easy to understand her as the slurred words were spoken through copious amounts of spittle that the poor girl was unable to control with her ruined mouth. Luke and Mary stepped towards the open door as the girl put the end of the cutlass into Ralph’s mouth and pulled it up viciously, tearing a gash in one side. Ralph tried to scream in pain but only succeeded in emitting a gush of fresh blood which frothed out and down his chin. She inserted the blade into the other side of his mouth and repeated the move. Ralph now bore the ‘Clown face’ he was so fond of inflicting on others.

  The girl tried to giggle but only succeeded in making a kind of howl interspersed with spittle. Ralph lay in a pool of his own blood, his vacant eyes staring at the ceiling above. Luke tugged on Mary’s hand, but she couldn’t take her eyes from Ralph, the man who had haunted her all her life, the same man who had taken her innocence as a young girl and who had raped her so viciously only the night before. Reluctantly she allowed Luke to pull her out of the room; as they slowly descended the stairs, they could hear the girl’s strange howl and the solid blows as she hacked at Ralph with the cutlass. The measured blows were delivered with all the power the girl could muster. She aimed at his hands, his arms and in the end, as he lay on his back delivered several blows to his genitals. Ralph lay on the floor bleeding profusely from his wounds as the girl squatted down beside him smiling into his face with her ‘Clown grin’ matched now by his own.

  Mary, with Luke holding her close, emerged from the house and the pair made their way back up the alley and out into the main thoroughfare. They emerged into a different world, a world full of light, while behind them darkness reigned supreme. Luke no longer feared pursuit; he had no doubt that Ralph would be disposed of in some way by the others he had controlled so viciously.

  The pair returned to their hotel, and Luke ordered a bath to be brought to their room. Mary spent an hour scrubbing every part of her body until the skin was almost raw but she felt clean at last. She didn’t tell Luke about the rape, thinking it better if he didn’t know the finer details of her imprisonment. On his part, he maintained a silence over the accusations which Ralph had thrown at him. They need never discuss her ordeal. It was over, and that was all that mattered.

  Later that evening over a sumptuous dinner Luke talked excitedly about their return trip to Virginia but Mary was not very forthcoming.

  ‘Luke, you remember me telling you that some say I have the gift?’ She began quietly. ‘Well, I am telling you now that we should not take ship to Virginia. In fact, we should not be taking to the water at all. There is danger, Luke, I know it. Please say we don’t have to go, we can find someplace here where we can be happy, I just know it.’

  Luke studied her carefully. He knew he loved this girl, the thought of losing her had almost driven him mad, and he would grant her anything she desired.

  ‘Are you quite sure, Mary, Virginia has so much to offer?’

  ‘I’m sure, no, certain.’ She affirmed.

  ‘Then we simply won’t go.’ Luke announced.

  She was elated and squeezed his hand affectionately.

  ‘What say we retire early tonight? I’m quite exhausted, and I need the closeness of the man I love.’

  Luke smiled in return,

  ‘Whatever you wish, my love, whatever you wish.’

  The next morning the happy couple made their way to the shipping agents and cancelled their voyage, much to the consternation of the clerk. He reluctantly refunded Luke the cost of the trip less a sizeable percentage as a cancellation fee. They next went to the bank where he deposited the refund together with the one hundred pounds in gold coin meant for Ralph. Luke didn’t need that much, and it would be far too dangerous to travel with that amount of money, especially overland.

  He and Mary discussed where they should go, not to The Marston villages of that they were quite certain. But they needed to find a place where they could spend the rest of their lives. Money would not be an issue, Luke had plenty. He would send a letter of explanation to Ben and advise that they would not be returning in the forseeable future.

  Luke had an idea; he had fond memories of the little town of Plockton on the West coast of Scotland. The people there had accepted both him and the Gypsies when they were fleeing the English. He supposed that after all these years the men who had been his companions would by now be well settled in the area and probably had families too. He became quite nostalgic, and Mary could see that his mind had drifted away.

  ‘I have the very place for us; Plockton.’ He said.

  ‘Plockton?’ She repeated, ‘Where on earth is that?’

  Luke laughed gently,

  ‘That’s just the point, my dear, no one has ever heard of it down here. It’s a little place with a delightful climate and even more charming occupants. I’m sure we can both be happy there.’

  ‘Then we shall go there directly.’ She said, her excitement bubbling over at the prospect of a new life in a new place.

  Chapter 31

  The sun was beating through the window, and to Sebastian, it felt like a blow torch. He surfaced from his deep, drunken sleep moving his dry mouth painfully and cursing himself for his lack of control the evening before. Even the memory was painful; he could only hope that James was suffering equally. He lay for a while not daring to move, having already attempted once, only to experience a dizzy spell bordering on nausea. Sebastian needed water, and the craving became unbearable. He waved his arm to the side hoping to encounter the sleeping form of Briony, but no such luck. The bed was cold beside him, and the bedside clock out of focus. He couldn’t believe the time; two o’clock in the afternoon, surely he hadn’t slept through the morning, the clock must have stopped;
remembering his wristwatch he stared at it, willing the numbers to stop moving. It was indeed two o’clock, and he attempted once more to prop himself up on one elbow. The room finally stopped spinning, and he put both feet on the floor. It took several attempts to stand, but finally, he was able to make his way downstairs to the bathroom. The upstairs bathroom renovation becoming an immediate priority in his confused mind. He held onto the basin and gazed into the mirror at the old man reflected back. The evening had aged him ten years. His sallow complexion evidence of the excessive amount of alcohol in his system. He faintly remembered throwing up the night before, and the thought occurred to him that without it, he would probably be dead by now from alcohol poisoning.

  He wondered where Briony was and when she had left? The girl was certainly a mystery, but he was sure he loved her whatever the problem might be. He remembered she had said she loved him too and he smiled, at least that part was okay.

  Briony had returned to the house in Upper Marston. Busying herself in the kitchen, she started as a figure clumped down the stairs and approached her. It was James, and he looked even worse than Sebastian. He plonked himself down at the table, and she put a mug of coffee in front of him.

  ‘What was that all about last night?’ She asked.

  James held his head in both hands and mumbled,

  ‘He started it, tried to drink me under the table, as if!’

  ‘You are both behaving like a couple of small boys.’ She replied in exasperation. ‘Why don’t you grow up, James, for heaven’s sake.’

  James studied her through bleary eyes,

  ‘I suppose you had a little cuddle in bed with him, oh, don’t try to deny it, I knew you would run after him.’