Darkwood (4 page)

5

A few days passed without incident since I had found my grandmother’s portrait. I’d not yet mentioned it to anyone, but at the right moment I intended to tell Aunt Rachel. Many times I’d turned it over in my mind trying to work out who would do such a thing and with such obvious hatred.

Since our visit to the dressmaker’s I’d seen little of Gareth. He was either out or shut away in his studio. Consequently, we had not continued to build on our relationship. I had not seen Jared at all and was blissfully unaware that this was about to change.

April was nearly upon us. The warm weather was clement and I was restless. Grace would arrive tomorrow, but until then I needed something to occupy my day.

‘What are you to do today?’ Pru asked as she busied herself tidying up my bedroom. Tidiness was not one of my better attributes.

‘I’m thinking I may go to Culmoor Church as it is such a beautiful day and maybe explore the graveyard again.’ As I spoke I lay the Charles Dickens novel I was reading on the table.

‘It will do you good to take your head out of that book, Miss, and get some fresh air. You are looking quite pale lately, now let us get you dressed.’

Pru’s words brought to mind the fact that I was still in my night attire, so immediately set to dressing, Pru helping me into a pale pink day dress. She then wrapped a heavy cream lace shawl around my shoulders and helped tie the ribbons on a matching pink wide-brimmed bonnet.

‘Will I do?’ I asked Pru. Why I asked I didn’t know except that at the back of my mind I knew I had to look my best at all times.

‘You look perfect. Now run along while I finish tidying up here and then I must go to your mother and see if she will get dressed today.’ These words from Pru made me realise I’d not seen Mother for a couple of days as she’d been suffering from one of her bad heads.

‘Give her my love, Pru, and please tell her I’ll see her later.’ Closing the door behind me and making my way along the corridor, to my dismay I saw Jared walking towards the staircase also from the opposite direction. I quickened my step in the hope that I would reach the stairs before him, but we both met on the top step.

‘You look lovely today, cousin,’ he remarked quietly. As he spoke I looked down into the hall silently praying that someone would be there, but the whole house seemed silent.

‘Why thank you, Jared,’ I replied making a move to descend, but I was prevented from doing so by Jared turning me to face him.

‘Come with me cousin Silvia, for I have something that I wish you to see.’

As he spoke Jared took a firm grip on my arm and led me along the corridor towards the attic stairs taking no heed of my protestations.

‘Will you please release me, cousin,’ I almost shouted in vain hope that someone would hear. We had stopped in front of the last door on the left, looking at the door I felt a sense of impending gloom.

‘This, cousin, is the master bedroom, which if you choose to marry him you will share with my brother.’ So saying he turned the brass handle on the door flinging it wide open and dragging me in, only then did he release the strong grip on my arm. And while it was my chance to escape I could not help but stand transfixed to the dark wooden floor and look around me.

The large room held no warmth, the dark blue heavy curtains were drawn blocking out any sunlight, the fireplace was built of slate grey-coloured marble and even with a fire burning I could not image it radiating any warmth. The walls were the same blue as the drawing-room which I loathed. A huge dark mahogany wardrobe filled the wall by the window, and adjacent to the door was an equally large matching four-poster bed carved with grotesque faces.

I stared at it quite forgetting Jared’s presence until he spoke, his voice breaking into my almost mesmerised thoughts. ‘So cousin, does this little scene thwart any plans you may have of marrying Gareth for the sake of Darkwood? For this is Darkwood in truth, where our grandfather slept and ruled this house and all its occupants with a rod of iron.’

As Jared spoke I could feel myself trembling, but was it with fear or anger? I was outraged at the way Jared had brought me here, but at the same time grateful that he had shown me this hideous room.

There was no way that I’d sleep in this room as it was now, everything would have to be altered from the colour of the walls to the bed. Jared stood to one side of the window, walking swiftly across, I drew back the curtains with defiance as sunlight streamed in making little difference. I had no intention of telling this cousin how I felt about anything for to do so would only serve to raise his hopes.

As I looked at Jared’s face I could see the cruel twist of his mouth, so like the one I had seen in the portrait of our grandfather, Samuel, a trait Jared had obviously inherited, and wishing to get away from him as much as the oppressive room, I picked up my skirts and ran back along the corridor, not stopping until I reached the bottom of the staircase.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself I looked back towards the staircase, but thankfully Jared had not followed. At this moment Aunt Rachel’s voice startled me.

‘Silvia dear, where are you going?’ she enquired in her soft voice.

‘To Culmoor Church as it is a beautiful day and I wish to go out for a while.’ I smiled as I spoke trying to control the tremor in my voice caused by my experience with my aunt’s youngest son.

‘I cannot let you go unchaperoned Silvia, I would join you myself, but I have a visitor calling later. Leave it until tomorrow when I can accompany you.’ Her request was reasonable, but I was stubborn.

‘I’m sorry, Aunt, but I have set my heart on going now. As Mother is indisposed I will take Pru.’ These words obviously pleased her.

‘That will be much more in keeping. We have a guest for dinner this evening, so please don’t linger longer than necessary dear. I like to make Estelle feel welcome when she visits.’ At Aunt Rachel’s words my heart sank. I had hoped not to see the lovely Estelle again until my marriage to Gareth.

‘Has she no-one to accompany her?’ I asked as sweetly as I could.

‘No dear, unfortunately she is all alone in the world since her mother died.’ Aunt Rachel’s voice was almost wistful being one to gather lonely people to her bosom and care for them.

‘She is extremely pretty, I’m surprised some young man hasn’t whisked her to the altar before now.’ My voice held the interest I felt and I waited for my aunt’s reply which stunned me somewhat.

‘Estelle has eyes only for Gareth, and until you and he are married she will not look beyond him.’

The startled expression on my face must have shown for Aunt Rachel tried to pacify me. ‘But that doesn’t mean that Gareth returns her affection, quite the contrary.’ Little did I know that later that day I would recall my aunt’s words.

‘No matter, I must find Pru for time is pressing,’ I said wishing to change the course of the conversation.

‘You do that and I shall arrange for Matt to convey you in the pony and trap.’ She turned to go and then turned back. ‘By the way, Silvia, there is a letter for you. It is on the chest by the front door, enjoy your outing.’

At Aunt Rachel’s words I hastened over to the chest, picking up the letter. I could see it was Grace’s handwriting. Just as I was about to climb back up the staircase, Dotty was scurrying across the hall, and seeing me she dropped a curtsey. ‘I’m sorry Miss, I’ve been sent to light the fire in the drawing-room,’ she explained.

‘Before you do, Dotty, could you please find my maid, Pru, and ask her to get herself ready to accompany me. I will meet her in the hall in a quarter-of-an-hour,’ I asked, turning to the drawing-room, intent on reading my letter. I preferred not to go upstairs just in case I encountered Jared once more. Dotty didn’t answer, but scurried off in search of Pru.

Sitting on the settle in the cold drawing-room I eagerly opened Grace’s letter which read,

My dearest Silvia,

I am truly sorry to impart bad tidings, but I find I cannot join you this week as planned. My mother is so ill I just cannot leave her at present. I know this will cause you some distress as indeed it does me, but as soon as Mama is stronger I will join you, for I am so longing to see you and Darkwood. Have you set a date for your wedding? Please write soon with your news.

From your loving friend,

Grace.

I read the letter several times, tears springing to my eyes. So Grace would not be here to talk to as I had so hoped and above all else I had no bridesmaid, but I understood that Grace could not leave her sick mother.

When I left the drawing-room, Dotty already had a fire springing to life in the hearth. Pru was waiting for me in the hall dressed in her light brown moreno dress which accentuated the colour of her red hair.

‘Miss Silvia, what are we about? I have so many tasks to perform and your mother is quite put out that I should have to leave her.’ Pru chattered on hardly allowing me to explain, which I managed to do as we stepped out into the warm spring sunshine and Matt assisted us into the pony and trap.

As we bowled along the narrow lane, I looked back at the house. In the spring sunshine the building looked quite appealing and I caught sight of the bridge which led into the wood beyond. I was soon to be a married woman and no longer under my late grandfather’s spell. I would one day very soon venture into the wood and see for myself if it was inhabited by ghouls and goblins.

The thought of Samuel brought to mind the master bedroom at Darkwood and my thought was to speak with Gareth about it at my first opportunity.

Nearly all the way I could see the church perched on top of the small hillock. As we reached the bottom of it I could see the steep path winding its way through the grass and idly wondered how Mother would manage to walk up to the church on my wedding day. As Matt helped me alight on to the path, Pru made to follow, but I stopped her from doing so. ‘Please Pru, sit in the sunshine and rest for I wish to go alone.’ I coaxed her and could see she was somewhat relieved, as to climb anything was not Pru’s favourite pas-time.

As I made my way slowly up the uneven path, I realised it wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined. Nearing the gate I took a look back at the view behind me. The whole landscape was a field stretching into the distance where I had a glimpse of the sea merging into the blue sky. Passing through the gate, the church loomed up towards me. My thought was that very soon I would walk this way dressed in my wedding gown.

As I walked around the side of the church to the entrance I could see that the view from here was the same on all sides, grass lay each side of the granite building and one solitary seat stood against the surrounding wall. I stepped out of the sunlight into the dark porch and was glad Pru had the sense earlier to lay a shawl around my shoulders which I pulled tightly around me as I felt suddenly cold.

Lifting the latch on the heavy door and pushing it enough to allow me to pass through, I stepped on to the cold granite slab floor. It was lighter in here for the sun slanted through some of the small plain windows set high in the outer wall, casting rays intermittently across the brown, well worn pews.

The interior of the church was far smaller than I had imagined. Making my way slowly down the aisle I looked up to the colourful window above the altar. It was then I noticed out of the corner of my eye that someone was sitting in the front pew, a man, who had obviously not heard me enter.

I made to retreat, the skirts of my dress catching on the pews as I turned to retrace my steps.

‘Cousin Silvia,’ the voice startled me and I realised I was caught in a beam of sunlight. My heart started pounding as it dawned on me that the voice belonged to Gareth. As I turned around to face him he said, ‘We are of the same mind.’

‘We obviously are, cousin.’ I managed to stammer. ‘I am pleased that I have seen you alone, for there is something I wish to discuss with you.’ As I spoke the words I felt foolish, it was all I could think of to say. Gareth looked at me intently, moving towards me until he was so close I could feel his breath on my cheek as he spoke.

‘And what would that be, cousin? Our wedding perhaps?’ There was a playful gleam in his dark eyes, I noticed that he again wore black which so became him and his eyes glinted in the sun’s ray.

‘Indirectly yes, cousin, for I cannot, no will not, sleep in the master bedroom as it is.’

Gareth’s expression changed at my words, he looked puzzled. ‘And how did you come to view this bedroom, cousin?’ he queried in a quite con-trolled voice.

‘Because Jared had great delight in showing it to me this very morning, in truth he almost dragged me in there,’ I replied, remembering with clarity the whole scene.

‘Did he indeed.’ As he spoke Gareth turned away from me so I could not detect the look on his face, but I knew he was displeased. He turned back to me. ‘We will change it to your liking cousin, for we cannot have you disliking our marital bedroom, can we? Enjoy your look around, ‘tis a pleasant enough place to wed. I will see you at dinner.’ With these words and leaving me speechless he strode out of the church and left me.

A little while later I stepped thank-fully back into the sunshine. Walking across the grass I sat for a few minutes on the wooden seat savouring the warmth of the sun. Thoughts whirled again in my head, uppermost in my mind were three things. An inattentive bridegroom, his amorous brother and the absence of a bridesmaid. As I mulled this over an idea came to me and I hasted back across the grass through the gate down the path to the pony and trap.