Sands of Time (42 page)

He gazed down at the glowing ashes. ‘Not in this case.’ He bit his lip ruefully. ‘It appears Lord Carstairs has come between us.’

She raised a haughty eyebrow. ‘And how, pray, has he managed to do that?’

He gave a wry smile. ‘Just how unfair do you think it is possible for fate to be? It appears that I am his great-great grandson!’

He looked up in time to see a twitch of humour for a fleeting second in her eyes. ‘That doesn’t sound like fate, Toby. That is The Fates. Did you never believe in them?’

He shook his head morosely. ‘You don’t even seem surprised!’

She smiled – openly this time. ‘I won’t spout the cliché about how when you reach my age you cease to be surprised about anything. It does however happen to be true. There is obviously some deeper destiny working its way out here.’ She paused thoughtfully. ‘What does surprise me is that Anna should have let it come between you.’

‘I told you why. It’s not destiny, Phyllis. It’s Carstairs.’ He told her what had happened.

It was several minutes before she said any more. Seeing her so deep in thought he was content to sit back in his chair staring at the flames, somehow purged of his fear by having told her. His moment of peace was short-lived.

‘How strong are you, Toby?’

He shrugged. ‘It depends.’

‘Let’s imagine the worst. Suppose Lord Carstairs is an unquiet spirit of some sort. Maybe he is a common or garden ghost.’ She gave a small snort of derision. ‘Or maybe he sold his soul to the devil or maybe he is one of the undead.’ She paused thoughtfully with a sideways glance at her guest. ‘Supposing he is still determined to own the ampulla. Supposing he believes he can use it for some sinister purpose. Supposing the fact that you are his great-great grandson has somehow allowed him to make a connection with you so that he thinks he can use you in some way.’

‘Use me as a medium?’ It was what his mother had implied. Toby shuddered. Discussing the subject so dispassionately somehow made the nightmare worse.

Phyllis nodded uncertainly. ‘Something of the sort.’ She hesitated, then went on, feeling her way with care as she spoke. ‘It seems to me that in this case he would be dependent on you as the host acting for him. He would need your mouth to speak; he would need your hands to gather in his precious ampulla and he would need you to use it for whatever purpose he has in mind.’

‘So, if I refuse to comply he would be helpless.’ Toby nodded, slightly comforted.

‘Exactly.’

‘But –?’ He was watching her face.

‘There are no buts, Toby, if you are strong.’ She gave a gentle smile. ‘And this has only happened once, has it not? You don’t know that you will ever hear of or from him again; you don’t know that what happened was any more than a momentary hallucination. But I don’t think we should underestimate him.’ She paused, then went on thoughtfully. ‘And I don’t think that now is perhaps the right moment for you and Anna to test your resolve.’

‘That’s what my mother said.’

‘Well, she’s right. Are you sure Anna is on her way here?’

He shook his head. ‘I thought this the most likely place she would come.’ He stood up. ‘I couldn’t think of anywhere else. But I know so little about her, Phyllis. I don’t know who her friends are; her relations. I am in so many ways still a stranger, and –’ He hesitated. ‘I am not sure how long I can stand the suspense of all this. It’s like having a time bomb inside me!’

‘He’s not inside you, Toby! Don’t imagine that.’ She looked very stern. ‘It is your body. Your brain. He cannot use them unless you let him.’

‘What if I can’t help it?’ He was staring down at the fire.

‘That sounds very defeatist. You can’t afford to be weak. Not for an instant.’

‘It would be easier if I knew when he was going to strike.’

‘If he is going to strike.’ She sighed. ‘If anything else happens, Toby, it is because he still wants the bottle. My guess is he would wait until it is nearby. He would wait for Anna. And you’re right. I think she might come here.’

‘Then I must go.’ Turning to face her, he sighed. ‘I can’t risk being here when she arrives.’

‘You’ll have to face her one day. I have a feeling Carstairs could wait longer than you would be able to.’

‘You’re not suggesting I stay? Face him out?’

‘I’m not sure what I’m suggesting, my dear.’ She looked round helplessly. ‘I’m not an expert in all this. I don’t know what we should do. Perhaps we should ask your friend, Serena. She seems to have been the only one with any idea of how to deal with this situation.’ She raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘It is fairly specialised.’

In spite of himself Toby chuckled. ‘You can say that again. As was her solution. A recitation of “Mary had a little lamb”!’

‘Simple but effective,’ Phyllis replied drily. ‘You are lucky there was someone there who took what happened seriously. I suspect a great many people would have laughed it all off anyway and said you were all hallucinating!’

‘Those people were not with us in Egypt!’ Toby commented grimly. ‘You know, I would almost be relieved to think I was suffering from schizophrenia – under the circumstances it would be preferable to the other possibility.’ He shuddered.

‘You don’t mean that, my dear.’ She shook her head. ‘Now, may I suggest that you stay the night. It’s far too late to drive back to London and I doubt if Anna will come tonight. Then tomorrow we will try and establish where she is and what if anything she has done with her scent bottle. And then, and only then, can we decide what you should do next.’

11

Toby!

Toby, wake up you fool. She is here!

The figure standing beside Toby’s bed was tall, insubstantial in the near darkness of the room. Outside the half drawn curtains the sky was bright with stars. It was very cold. Toby had turned off the electric fire before he climbed into the high old-fashioned bed and pulled the eiderdown up over his head, and now, in the warm cocoon of mattress and blankets and sheets he turned over with a groan and settled more deeply into sleep.

Toby! The bottle contains power beyond your wildest
dreams. With the help of the goddess Isis you could achieve
anything, be anyone. You could rule the world. Listen carefully,
Toby. I will tell you what you need to do
.

Outside the window a car had driven up. Briefly the lights reflected on the wall by the door, then they were gone. As the clouds had cleared the temperature had started dropping. Soon there would be ice. The engine fell silent; the lights were switched off. A door opened and slammed and footsteps echoed up the path beneath his window. He did not hear them; nor the rattle of the knocker on the oak panel; he was not aware of the light going on, on the landing outside his bedroom, or of Phyllis, wrapped in a red chenille dressing gown, tiptoeing lightly down the stairs, opening the door, drawing Anna inside and with a glance up towards his bedroom door, leading her into the sitting room. There, with new logs thrown onto the glowing embers the two women sat down to talk quietly and urgently by the light of one small lamp.

‘I saw Toby’s car.’ Anna shook her head. ‘I nearly didn’t come in. But I didn’t know what else to do. Where to go. I sat in a coffee place for ages, then I drove round for hours before I decided to come here. What did he say? Where is he?’

‘He’s upstairs. Asleep. He explained what happened, Anna.’

‘What am I to do?’

‘Have you still got it?’

Anna nodded, glancing towards the shoulder bag she had thrown down on the sofa next to her.

In his dream Toby watched her reach over and fumble in the bag, produce the small bubble-wrapped parcel and hold it in her hand, staring down at it.

‘I am afraid to keep it; afraid to destroy it. Supposing that unleashes something? Someone? I need to hide it, Phyl. Hide it somewhere Toby and Carstairs can’t find it.’

The sleeping Toby gave a grim smile. How stupid did she think he was? He was watching her. He would know what she did with it. He knew her every thought. And every thought of the guardian priests who hovered so anxiously over her. He frowned. In his sleep he paused to wonder why the priests were so anxious. So angry. They were afraid.

Phyllis was thinking deeply. ‘I don’t believe we should hide it in the house. In fact, maybe you shouldn’t hide it at all. I will. It might be better if you didn’t know where it was.’

‘Phyl, I don’t want you to put yourself in danger.’

‘Danger!’ The old woman was indignant. She ran her fingers through her hair, leaving it standing on end. ‘I gave it to you in the first place. I gave you the diary. I sent you to Egypt. Anna, my dear, I got you into all of this and it’s up to me to get you out.’ She held out her hand. ‘Give it to me.’

Anna handed over the bottle with a shiver. For a moment both women stared round the room, sensing the drifting cold. They saw nothing.

‘Right. Now I want you to go up to your usual bedroom. I have put Toby in the green room at the top of the stairs. Get a good night’s sleep and in the morning it will all be taken care of.’

No. Don’t let her do it
.

You must get it now
.

That woman has inner strength. She can defy us. Anna is
weak because she loves you.
A cynical laugh.
She can’t quite
bring herself to think you would hurt her. More fool her. You
would hurt her, wouldn’t you, Toby? You would do anything
I ask you. You will get up and go downstairs now, Toby. You
will take that bottle from the women and you will give it
to me!

Under the eiderdown Toby was growing more and more restless. Twisting his head from side to side he threw off the covers and turning he thumped the pillow with his fist.

Get up, Toby!

The figure moved closer, coming to stand immediately beside the bed. With another groan Toby obeyed, his eyes still closed.

That’s right. Now move to the door and open it. Come
downstairs. Now
.

As the door into the sitting room opened Anna and Phyllis looked up startled. Toby was standing there, dressed in the ancient striped pyjamas which Phyllis had produced from the airing cupboard, his hair on end, his feet bare. His eyes were tightly closed. He stepped into the room and held out his hand.

I need that bottle
.

Phyllis put it behind her back.

‘Toby?’ Anna was staring at him. ‘Toby, wake up! Do you hear me, wake up!’

Toby had stopped just inside the doorway. For a moment he remained unmoving then slowly he opened his eyes.

‘Anna?’ He stared at her in astonishment. ‘When did you get here? I must have fallen asleep. What time is it?’

‘It’s late.’

‘It must be.’ He moved towards the fire, rubbing his face slowly with his hands. ‘I’m sorry. I’m still half asleep. I can’t think clearly. Thank God you’re here. I was so worried about you.’ He put out a hand towards her. ‘I had such a terrible dream.’ He hesitated. He couldn’t bear to be standing so close to her and not touch her. Gently he put his finger on her shoulder, then cautiously, carefully, he drew her into his arms.

For a moment she resisted, stiff against his embrace, then she relaxed. ‘Toby. Are you all right? I’ve been so frightened.’ She was nestling against him.

‘There’s no need, my love. No need at all. You’re safe now. Quite safe.’

All you need to do is give me the bottle
. His grip tightened slightly.
Where is it?

‘Toby?’ Anna pulled away from him sharply. ‘Toby? What did you say?’

Toby frowned. Had he spoken out loud? Please God it wasn’t happening again. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. I don’t care where the bottle is –’ He ran his hand across his forehead, pushing back his hair. He stared round frantically. ‘I love you, Anna. I would never try and take it unless you let me.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s just that I can’t seem to see straight.’ He shut his eyes again as a twinge of pain hit him.

You will give me the bottle
.

‘Phyllis?’ Anna was terrified. ‘It’s happening again. That is not his voice. His lips didn’t move.’

‘I can see.’ Phyllis backed towards the fire.

‘Oh God, it’s not Toby. Something has happened to him. He’s not there. Carstairs has taken him over.’ Anna’s voice cracked into a sob. ‘Toby, can you hear me? Toby, please. Fight him!’

‘Anna, my dear. Move away.’ Phyllis kept her own voice calm with an effort. ‘Have you got your car keys?’

Anna nodded. ‘They are there, in my coat pocket.’

‘Get them. Get ready to run.’

Toby had moved a couple of steps closer to Phyllis. He seemed to be working on automatic pilot. His face was blank.

Ah, Miss Shelley. So it is you who has it. Give it to me. I
don’t want to hurt you. This is nothing to do with you. The
bottle is mine by right
.