The Lady and the Lake (23 page)

As
I
reached
the
door
his
voice
stopped
me
in
my
tracks.
‘You
look
quite
lovely
when
you
are
angry.
Sleep
well,
Miss
Sinclair.’
I
looked
back
at
him
and
we
smiled
at
each
other.
I
felt
at
that
moment
we
had forged
a
bond
and
I
was
thankful
for it.

***

Reaching
my
room
I
felt
quite
elated,
my
blue
dress
still
lay
across
the
bed,
the
silk
flowers
strewn
across
it,
all
I
had
to
do
now
was
stitch
them
in
place
and
look
my
best.
But
for
whom?
Certainly
not
Thomas
Craddock
and
what
about
the
master?

I
felt
now
that
I
knew
him
better
and
quite
warmed
to
him,
but
I
must
not
be too
hasty
with
my
affections
or
see
into
things
which
did
not
exist.

As
Antony
Kershaw
so
rightly
said,
Thomas
was
a
lesson
in
my
pursuit
of
love.
How
astute
he
had
been
and
not
at
all
judgmental.

Snuggling
down
in
the
covers
I
went
to
sleep
quite
quickly
only
to
be
awoken
a
short
time
later
by
the
piercing
scream.
I
sat
up
in
bed
debating
whether
to
go
to
the
tower,
but
I
decided
against
it
as
I
was
too
weary,
another
night
would
have
to
suffice
when
I
could
unlock
the
mystery
of
the
woman
in
white
and
I
prayed
also
that
the
mystery
surrounding
Annie
and
Gladys’s
death
would
be
resolved
soon.

With
these
thoughts
I
drifted
into
a
peaceful
sleep,
Antony
Kershaw’s
words
running
through
my
mind.
‘You
look
quite
lovely
when
you
are
angry.’
I
smiled
contentedly,
not
a
thought
of
Thomas
in
my
head.

Next
day,
I
spent
all
afternoon
stitching
the
flowers
on
the
shoulders
and
waist
of
my
blue
dress.
It
was
a
painstaking
task
but
the
end
result
was
worth
it.

When
I
finished
I
hung
the
dress
on
the
outside
of
the
wardrobe
so
that
any
creases
would
have
a
chance
to
fall
out.
While
sewing
I
thought
how
quickly
my
first
week
at
the
Hall
had
passed
and
of
the
many
things
that
had
happened
since
my
arrival.
The
mystery
woman
in
the
tower,
the
demise
of
poor
Gladys,
teaching
in
the
schoolroom
and
my
unfortunate
association
with
Thomas
Craddock.

In
view
of
what
I’d
learned
of
him
the
thought
crossed
my
mind
that
he
could
after
all
be
the
man
the
police
were
searching
for,
but
I
dismissed
the
thought
quickly
from
my
mind,
after
all
who
was
I
to
judge
anyone?

‘What
have
you
been
doing
today,
Miss?’
asked
Maggie
at
supper.
On
telling
her
of
my
dress
for
Emily’s
party
she
was
keen
to
see
it,
‘Will
you
show
me
tomorrow
afternoon
please
Miss
as it’s
my
day
off?’
she
asked
with
some
excitement
in
her
voice
as
I’d
built
up
quite
a
rapport
with
Maggie.

‘But
of
course.
I
have
to
go
to
the
village
in
the
morning,
but
I
shall
seek
you
out
on
my
return.’
Maggie
seemed
more
than
pleased
about
this.

That
night
all
was
quiet
in
the
tower
and
I
enjoyed
an
uninterrupted
sleep.
The
next
morning
looking
out
of
the
window
I
could
see
that
the
good
weather
was
still
with
us.
I
was
a
little
apprehensive
about
calling
at
the
Whites’
cottage,
but
none-the-less
felt
I
must
go
as
I
didn’t
wish
to
let
anyone
else
down
and
Clara
was
probably
looking
forward
to
attending
a
party.

I
decided
to
walk
to
the
village
and
so
set
off
after
breakfast,
no-one
else
was
in
sight
on
the
road
which
cut
its
way
through
the
moorland
to
the
village.
The
cottage
door
was
answered
by
Mrs
White
who
stepped
to
one
side
so
I
could
cross
the
brass
doorstep.

‘You’ve
come
to
ask
about
Clara,’
she
said
as
I
followed
her
into
the
small kitchen-come-living-room.

‘I
promised
I
would,
Mrs
White,’
I
said,
‘how
are
you
today?’

‘I’m
beginning
to
feel
better.’
As
she
spoke
the
words
I
could
see
that
her
cheeks
looked
pinker
today
replacing
the
pallor
of
last
week.

‘And
have
you
reached
a
decision
about
Clara
coming
to
the
Hall
with
me
on
Thursday?’
I
asked
gently,
noting
the
bed
made
up
under
the
large
scrubbed
table
in
one
corner.