The Morrow Secrets (15 page)

Tallitha pulled a face. ‘But that doesn’t make any sense.’ ‘It’s about the sequence underground. I don’t understand the significance but it’s a real breakthrough. We’ll work out the meaning in time,’ said Esmerelda happily. ‘Asenathe is a receptor. She’s drawing you closer.’
‘But why does this happen to me?’ asked Tallitha, a little afraid.
‘You’re clairvoyant; you can see things that aren’t in front of you. These powers have been handed down the female line of the Morrow family for generations,’ explained Esmerelda.
‘But why now?’ asked Tallitha perplexed.
‘You’re leaving childhood behind you.’
Tallitha gasped. ‘Can the three sisters see things too?’
‘They’ve never revealed their powers to me, but then we’ve never been close.’
‘What about you, Essie?’
‘My powers are different. I can put people in a trance.’
As the moonlight shone down on Esmerelda’s face she became pensive.
‘I realised I had these powers when I was young. They’re both a gift and a burden. You must be careful how you use them.’
‘But what if I don’t want this gift? Or what if I can’t control it?’ asked Tallitha apprehensively.
‘It isn’t a choice. You’ll learn how to put yourself in a trance without my help. In time you’ll work out the trigger, it may be a sound or a smell. Then you can control it,’ explained Esmerelda.
‘What if I can’t bring myself back?’
Esmerelda smiled. ‘It will take practice and skill.’
‘How did you know I had the gift?’ asked Tallitha tentatively.
‘Cissie let something slip. She said you were able to read her mind, particularly when she was trying to keep something from you. Then when I hypnotised you I saw the colour vibration surrounding you. She also told me you were fascinated by colours and from your sewing I could see you found it difficult to concentrate, to keep the colours separate. They become jumbled before your eyes, don’t they, Tallitha?’
‘Yes Essie, they always have.’
Esmerelda kissed a bewildered Tallitha goodnight and snuggled down into the straw bed. Tallitha stared at the moon, bright and high in the night sky. It was all beginning to fall into place. That’s why she couldn’t keep her stitches neat for Great Aunt Agatha and why she was mesmerised by Sybilla’s fabrics. The colours entranced and confused her. Now she knew she was gifted in a very special way.

Marlin sat hunched in his shrove-hole, rubbing his whiskery chin and setting his duplicitous mind to work on what would serve the shroves best. The Grand Morrow was an old woman who was past her prime and he despised the sisters from the Crewel Tower with their high and mighty ways. There was a host of opportunities and no mistake. Marlin decided to hold a shrove conclave, a special meeting with the other shroves, Grintley and Florré. Within the hour they met together at the back of the fruit store. They were over-excited and their wet, slimy mouths could taste the delicious tang of disaster in the air. Their beady eyes were fixed on one another as they picked over each morsel of intrigue and plotted how to fix Cissie. The Grand Morrow would have to be informed about the children’s departure, but not quite yet. Whilst sipping their berry juice, they hatched a devilish plan.

Early next morning Marlin slunk into one of the shrove-holes near the kitchens and waited for Cissie to start her morning chores. Sure enough he heard her bustling about and chatting to Mrs Armitage about the daily menu. They discussed who was having what for breakfast and when the fish and meat order would arrive for the evening meal. Marlin muttered away to himself, weighing up the pros and cons. Cissie was remarkably calm for someone who had been so underhand with the Grand Morrow. But he would spike her yet and make her pay. She would be sorry when he got hold of her. He sneaked off to find Florré and they hid themselves in Tallitha’s bedroom to lay in wait for the nurse. At some point she would have to come into Tallitha’s room and feign surprise at the young ones being missing. They would spoil her little game. No one could outmanoeuvre a shrove, and certainly not Cissie.

As Marlin and Florré lurked behind the bedroom door, salivating at the thought of ambushing the servant and causing her pain, Cissie came wandering in with a pile of laundry. Marlin sprang out in front of her and Florré banged the door shut and locked it. They stood malevolently, staring at her in a most peculiar way, their venomous hatred leeching out of their eyes.

‘Well I never, what are you two doing in Miss Tallitha’s bedroom? You two have a nerve, I’ll say.’
But the shroves were not interested in being scolded by Cissie. They grabbed her by the neck and pulled her struggling onto the bedroom floor. Marlin put his cold hand over her mouth and held her arm tightly behind her back, weaselling right into her face, sniffing and breathing his foul breath all over her. His closeness made her feel sick with the stench of his vile, odorous body. She pulled away and shielded her face.
‘Let me go this instant, you’re hurting me,’ cried Cissie.
But Marlin pushed her arm further up her back and she yelped out in pain. Florré made a growling noise at the back of his throat and towered over her, baring his twisted yellow fangs as if to bite her neck. At that moment Cissie realised she was in grave danger and kept very still. The ill-humour between the shroves and the servants had always been there, bubbling away beneath the surface with snidey comments and acid looks, but this was different. She had never been so terrified in all her life. She whimpered and turned her face to the wall, screwing up her eyes to get rid of the terrifying spectacle of the shroves leering over her body. Then Marlin spoke.
‘Tell ’em now, where they’d be gone to, tell ’em. I’ll nip ’er harder and I’ll bite ya deep,’ he threatened.
He licked his wet lips and twisted her arm further up her back. Cissie thought it would break. She felt sick with pain.
‘Please... you’re hurting me. I don’t know what you mean,’ cried Cissie.
Marlin gripped her harder and the spit dribbled down his chin and landed on her face as he revealed a ghastly set of brown teeth. He curled his lip and bared his fangs, rearing up like a ferocious wild animal waiting to strike its prey. Tallitha had been right about Florré that day in the Crewel Tower, the shroves were evil. Why hadn’t she listened to her? She thought Tallitha was being fanciful and imagining things. Now the shroves were out of control with blood-lust and meant to hurt her. Spit was flying in Cissie’s face as they lifted her, pushing her violently against the wall. The shroves were stronger and more agile than Cissie and their combined force took her breath away as she groaned and slumped down the wall.
‘Owwh, get away from me. Please, leave me alone,’ moaned Cissie struggling for air, but Marlin would not release his grip.
He hissed and his eyes sunk back into his skull as he reared up, loomed over her crumpled body and bit her hard on the side of her face. She could feel his disgusting fangs puncture her skin as the blood trickled down her cheeks and she cried out in pain. Florré watched the violent struggle, hopping up and down and salivating at the sight of Cissie’s blood oozing from the jagged wound on her cheek. She cried out.
‘Tell ’em now,’ he growled again.
Cissie could stand the pain no longer.
‘Ohhh... they’ve gone to find Miss Asenathe.’
‘Where ’ave they gone to woman? Tell ’em now,’ demanded Florré.
‘I don’t know.’
Marlin bit her again and she wailed uncontrollably.
‘Agggh leave me alone, please. They’ve gone to Breedoor, to Hellstone Tors.’
Cissie fell to the floor sobbing as she mopped the blood from her lacerated face. Marlin and Florré moved in closer and towered above her as if to finish her off. A victorious smile lit up Marlin’s evil eyes and Cissie knew in that moment that he meant to kill her. She gasped and hid her face against the wall waiting for the pain to begin. But the shrove hesitated.
‘I’ll get ye, one day, woman,’ he said murderously with his devilish face right next to hers.
He motioned to Florré and they slithered out of the bedroom, banging the door behind them.
Cissie lay on the floor like a wounded animal, shaking and whimpering. She was in shock. What was she to do? All the plans had gone so horribly wrong. If she told Lady Agatha now about the children’s disappearance she would see the shrove’s mark and would ask too many questions.
But Cissie was already too late. As soon as Marlin had wiped the fresh blood from his lips, he went to the Grand Morrow and broke the news, relishing every second of his story and his mistresses’ despair. Upstairs in Tallitha’s bedroom Cissie heard the dreadful cries of the Grand Morrow wailing from below. Marlin had got to her first.
Oh no, thought Cissie, I’m done for.
‘Enough!’ the Grand Morrow yelled. ‘Bring her to me at once!’
As Cissie opened the door of the morning room Agatha Morrow’s body shook with rage. Cissie froze at the sight of her mistress’s distress.
‘Is this true?’ she shouted, shaking her fist at the servant.
‘Yes your ladyship. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop them,’ pleaded the abject Cissie.
Agatha stood up, gripping the arms of her chair.
‘That’s a blatant lie. Marlin has told me you were in on their ill-conceived plan from the beginning and that you even stole food for them!’
Cissie threw a hateful glance at the shrove and held a handkerchief to her face.
‘How could you be so foolish? What made you assist Esmerelda, after what happened the last time? What about the children, the poor children? You have endangered the lives of the ones you most care about!’ Agatha paced the floor glaring at Cissie and crying out in distress. ‘She is my only surviving heir and now she is lost forever!’
Marlin licked his feverish lips and grimaced, relishing every moment of Cissie’s disgrace and the Grand Morrow’s sorrow.
‘They’ll never come home. Oh Cissie, what have you done?’
Agatha paced the room, wringing her hands, crying out as the enormity of her loss began to sink in. Cissie stood with her head down.
‘Or worse, they’ll be captured by the Morrow Swarm and murdered. My Asenathe is gone forever. Why couldn’t Essie believe this and stop torturing us with her foolishness. Her original stupidity was the cause of me losing my only child and heir!’ cried Agatha. She fell into inconsolable bouts of weeping, a wretched heap on the sofa.
‘Oh please, my lady, I’m sure they’ll be safe. Esmerelda will look after them and Benedict is a sensible boy,’ pleaded Cissie. She ran to her mistress’s side but was hastily rebuffed.
Agatha sat up and called for her smelling salts.
‘Benedict you say, who exactly is he? Do we know him? I have never met him. Oh Lord, a stranger in my house and I know nothing about him!’ cried Agatha and flounced back onto the sofa.
‘No, no my lady, not a stranger as you suggest, he’s a relative, a cousin. The Lady Snowdroppe introduced him to you, I’m sure she must have. He’s a sweet boy, studious and more careful than Tallitha and her brother. He will be a good influence.’
‘Never heard of him. Are you imagining things, Cissie? Snowdroppe, you say? I will speak to her directly. Marlin, I dare say you’re there listening to all this,’ shouted Agatha.
Marlin scurried to his mistress’s side, pushing Cissie out of the way.
‘Go directly and summon Lady Snowdroppe. I must talk to her about the children.’
Marlin slunk off rubbing his hands with glee. He had to disguise his delight at the way everything was turning out. Agatha sat on her sofa sniffing and haranguing Cissie.
‘Why did you listen to Esmerelda this time when I know you’ve resisted her wild schemes in the past?’
‘It wasn’t Miss Esmerelda who started it but Miss Tallitha and Master Tyaas. They found out about Lady Asenathe and Esmerelda discovered their plans. She promised to keep them safe on the journey. There was no use trying to stop them. At first I lied to Tallitha about knowing Lady Asenathe, I really did, but she was determined to go and got it out of me. I’m so sorry my lady.’
‘Silence, you could have told me, but decided not to. I could have stopped them!’ shouted Agatha, enraged by Cissie’s duplicity.
‘I hoped they would find Lady Asenathe this time. I was trying to do some good!’ pleaded Cissie.
‘Good! Are you mad? They will never find her. She’s gone forever. If I have come to terms with that as her mother, why can’t everyone else? You have served my family for years and I trusted you. Get out of my sight and leave this house immediately..’
Agatha broke down sobbing and Cissie fled from the room. She had done a bad thing without meaning to. She had betrayed the Grand Morrow when she had meant to help find her missing daughter. She was confused and ashamed of herself. She had helped Tallitha against her better judgement and now this had happened. The Grand Morrow had banished her from Winderling Spires.
Cissie set off for Wycham village and her sister’s cottage. She needed time to think and to be as far away from the shroves as possible. They were pure evil and she knew they were out to get her.

While Agatha consoled herself, alternately weeping, drinking sweet tea and eating an abundance of strawberry fondants, the news of the children’s departure eventually reached the inhabitants of the Crewel Tower. Edwina and Sybilla, all of a twitter with the mayhem and excitement, came down from their apartment and joined in the gossip and general upset that pervaded the house. Their day was spoiled again of course, but they consoled themselves by sitting in the grand sitting room and nibbling lemon tarts and fresh blackberry pies. After considering the situation, they decided they had good reason to be distraught and demanded attention from the servants, calling on them to do this and that. After all, Sybilla’s daughter and Edwina’s grand children were now missing. Sybilla was particularly exercised at their recklessness. The thought of those children going out in the middle of the night made her feel quite faint.