Moorcroft - the Possession: Book One of the Moorcroft Trilogy (19 page)

Sarah couldn’t hide the disappointment when Emily said the party must be cancelled, but she understood. The last time she had looked in on Victoria, she had been sleeping, but she still noticed how unwell she appeared. Richard too was looking ill, strain showing on his face. In the evenings he would come and sit with her and Charles catching up on the estate news and listening for any movement from Vicky’s room. Charles contacted his parents to tell them the party was cancelled. His mother was quite distressed about Victoria and wished her well; his father talked incessantly about the saw mill, the wage increases and the cost of timber and asked when they would next be visiting. Charles explained it may be a while, that he was needed at Moorcroft while Richard was occupied with Victoria. His father didn’t sound too pleased with his answer. Emily noticed John’s edgy behaviour; although he was concerned for both Richard and Victoria it was obvious he had his mind on other things. Now that the party had been cancelled she must find the time to talk with him, she didn’t want him drinking again.

Sarah began to sit with Victoria more and more, giving Richard a chance to look round the estate and see to his precious horses. She was proud of Charles and the way he had coped with the extra work, now things were getting back to normal she hoped they would spend more time together. Victoria was still nervous and constantly looked around the room but the colour was coming back into her cheeks and her strength was returning. They spent most of their time together reading or looking through magazines. Emily too was happy things were becoming easier; she was pressing John to make a decision about a holiday, knowing they both needed a rest from Moorcroft.

While Victoria rested Sarah sat in a chair daydreaming about Charles. She was just entering the twilight zone of sleep when she was disturbed with shouting. Startled she jumped and looked around the room.

Victoria was stood in the middle of the room shouting. “You’ll never have him, Richard’s mine do you hear, we are to be married.”

Then Sarah heard the laughter and fear gripped her, her chest tightened. She raced to her friend’s side and watched as the woman appeared in front of them. She looked wild her head thrown back in laughter, her long black hair tumbling down over her shoulders, her eyes piercing.

The woman stopped her cackle and stared first at Victoria and then at Sarah. “Ha, so you think you can protect your friend?”

Vicky’s head spun round to face Sarah. “You can see her too, I’m not going mad?”

Sarah nodded unable to speak never taking her eyes of the apparition in front of her.

The woman spoke again. “You are both a pair of stupid silly girls.” She pointed a finger at Victoria and sniggered. “Richard doesn’t want you; he wants a real woman, someone who can take care of his needs. I’ve watched your silly fumbling, a man like Richard needs satisfaction and I’m the woman to give it to him.”

Victoria ran at the woman screaming. “No, you’ll never have him.”

Charlotte moved to one side and gave her a gentle push and Victoria fell to the floor, she looked down on the stricken girl at her feet and laughed. She turned her attention to Sarah, pushing her face up close to hers. “Well, aren’t you going to help your friend?”

Sarah backed away in fear, she stared into the eyes of evil and shook in fear, what was she to do?

Charlotte once more gave her attention to Victoria who was struggling to her feet trying to regain her composure. “I shall have that man for myself, nothing is more certain.”

Victoria stood before her tears running down her face. “He’ll never want a hag like you, he loves me.”

Charlotte laughed. “Does he, you should hear him moaning with pleasure when I lie with him at night, telling him of all the things we will do once we are together?”

Victoria shook her head violently. “I don’t believe you?”

Charlotte sniggered. “Then go and ask him yourself.”

Victoria twirled around and ran for the door. She could still hear the woman behind her laughing and Sarah shouting for her to stop, but she couldn’t stop she had to find Richard, she had to be sure that he still loved her. Down the stairs she stumbled, seeing the startled face of Emily as she came from the drawing room.

“What is it, what’s happened?”

Victoria pushed her aside. “I must find Richard.” She could hear that woman behind her still laughing.

Sarah ran to her mother. “We must stop her, it’s that horrid woman, she’s responsible for all this.”

Victoria ran for the back door, Sarah close at her heels. The door swung open. She looked around the yard searching for the man she loved but there was only the boy there holding the reins of a horse. She ran to him, shaking the boy’s shoulders, screaming. “Richard, where’s Richard?” She turned to look back at the house and saw the woman heading towards her Sarah close behind. “Leave me alone, go away.” She screamed.

Richard came through the gates on Dancing Lady and took in the scene. He dismounted and ran towards Victoria. Still screaming Victoria was looking in the direction of Sarah, Emily stood behind by the open door.

Charlotte stood up close to Victoria and gripped her hair pulling her back. She whispered in her ear. “Here he is, let’s ask him shall we?” Victoria swung round and went to run to Richard but Charlotte clung tight to her dress, stopping her from moving forward. Victoria swung round to face her assailant, arms flailing trying to free herself. The horse stamped his feet in fear and reared up, Ned held tight to the reins trying to hold the horse back as Eddie ran from the stables. Victoria looked once more to Richard before she felt the blow and she fell to the ground. Richard ran to her and scooped her into his arms.

She lay looking up into his face. “You do love me don’t you, tell her Richard, tell her you belong to me?”

Tears running down his face he looked into the eyes of the woman he loved. “I love you with all my heart and soul until the day I die.” She smiled and looked beyond him before she closed her eyes. Richard felt her body go limp and watched her head drop to one side.

Richard held the body of Victoria in his arms and rocked backwards and forwards. He threw back his head and a mighty roar escaped his chest as he cried out her name.

In the kitchen Mrs Shaw and Mary were startled by the shouting and went outside and took in the tragic scene. Sarah was crying and being comforted by her mother, Eddie was trying to calm down the powerful black horse, Moonlight, with the boy clinging to his leg crying. Richard was knelt on the floor holding Victoria to his chest sobbing uncontrollably. Sarah left her mother’s arms and went to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Get away from me.” He screamed at her.

Sarah could hear the anger in his voice. “But Richard.”

“I said get away from me, this is all your fault, your best friend and you’ve killed her.”

Sarah reeled back with shock. “No, no, it wasn’t like that, I was trying to stop her.”

Richard looked up at her, hate in his eyes. “I saw you with my own eyes you were chasing her across the yard, screaming at her.”

“No, it wasn’t like that Richard, I wasn’t chasing her, that woman was, I was trying to stop her.” She looked around the yard, everyone was staring at her.

“Go away Sarah, I’m sick of your lies.”

Emily took her in her arms and drew her back to the house. John appeared in the doorway followed by Charles. “What’s all the noise, what’s going on?” He looked around the yard and back to Emily.

“John, ring Henry Davenport, tell him there’s been an accident and Victoria is dead.”

Emily placed Sarah into Charles’s care. “Take her indoors, she’s in shock, see if she will take a drop of brandy and I’ll see to Richard.” She walked over to him and knelt beside him. He never stopped rocking, his face full of despair tears flowing across his cheeks collecting in his collar. “Come, Richard, come inside.”

He pushed her away. “No, I can’t leave her, she needs me, can’t you see that?”

Mrs Shaw came forward with a blanket and Emily gently wrapped it around her son’s shoulders.

It was some time later that Henry Davenport managed to prise Victoria from his grip. “Come on Richard, we need to get her inside, she’s getting cold.”

Richard looked into the face of the doctor and back on the face of the woman he loved.

“Yes, you’re right; she needs a blanket and a warm drink.”

Richard carried her body upstairs to her room and laid her gently on the bed. Henry mixed a powder with some water and gave it to Richard. “Now I want you to drink all of this, no arguments.” He sat him in a chair by Victoria’s bed; he refused to leave her side. Soon he was dosing. Henry went downstairs and into the drawing room where Emily and Charles were trying to console Sarah. John stood up and looked anxiously at the doctor. “Is he going to be alright?”

“I’ve given him a sedative, get someone to put him to bed, he should sleep the night.” He walked over to Sarah and placed his arm round her shoulders and handed her a glass. “Now Sarah, I want you and your mother to take this upstairs to your room. I want you to be a good girl and drink it all.”

Sarah looked at him questioningly. “What is it?”

“It’s just something to calm you down.” He looked at Emily. She took Sarah’s hand and walked her from the room.

####

The small church was full to overflowing in the small village where Victoria grew up. Her parents sat in the front pew holding hands, Richard and his family across the aisle. Richard sat staring at the small coffin, finding it hard to believe that Victoria was inside, asleep his mother had said, she’s now asleep, but Richard knew she was dead, gone from him forever and a part of him had died with her. The vicar droned on and on but Richard couldn’t hear his words, his thoughts took him back to Moorcroft and in his mind he watched over and over again the tragic accident. They all stood as the tiny coffin was carried from the church to its final resting place. Victoria’s father supported his wife to the graveside, Charles was holding Sarah’s arm, she sobbed uncontrollably. Richard stood alone, his face grey with grief, in his hand a single red rose. He stared into the gaping hole wanting to join his love, struggling to keep control of his emotions. The vicar opened his mouth, words flowing, but Richard tried to block him out as his thoughts went to Victoria laughing as they walked through the fields hand in hand, but all that came to a sudden stop as he heard the thud of soil hitting the coffin. He kissed the rose and threw it inside; he stumbled and felt his parents by his side, supporting him.

As they left the graveside, Victoria’s father approached their group and stared into Emily’s face. “We should never have left our daughter in your care, but she insisted. If it wasn’t for you she would still be alive.”

Richard caught her as she slipped to the ground. “Mother, are you okay?”

“He blames me Richard; he blames me for Victoria’s death.”

“Don’t take any notice of him Mother, its just grief talking. We all know whose fault it was.” Behind him Sarah sobbed.

Back at Moorcroft Mrs Shaw had made sandwiches but no one was in the mood for eating. Richard excused himself and went off to the stables.

In the drawing room Emily’s face was ashen, John brought her a brandy. “Here drink this; it will make you feel better.”

She looked up at her husband and took the glass. “How can he blame me, I loved Victoria like a daughter?”

“Emily it’s as Richard said, it was just grief talking, and he’s just lost his daughter. He’ll come round, wait and see.” But Emily wasn’t so sure.

Upstairs Charles sat opposite Sarah concern on his face. She had always had a giddy, childish way with her, but looking at her now all he saw was misery. Sarah looked at him tears welling once more in her eyes. “Richard hates me.”

Charles shook his head and held her hand. “No he doesn’t, that’s just silly.”

Sarah nodded her head. “Oh yes he does. He still blames me for Vicky’s death, but it wasn’t me Charles, it was that horrid woman, she had been tormenting her for weeks, that’s why she lost weight and couldn’t sleep. You believe me don’t you?”

“Of course I do, and Richard will come round eventually.” He held her in his arms and let her cry.

Richard stormed into the stables and looked from one stall to another. “Eddie, where are you, get your idle backside down here now.”

Eddie appeared from the tack room. “You called?”

“Yes, I bloody well did, these stalls are a disgrace, I want them all cleaned out at once and fresh straw in them and the next time you address me remember its Sir.”

Eddie saluted behind Richard’s back. “Yes sir, right away sir.” Eddie knew that Richard partly blamed him for the accident. He had gone back in the stables not one minute before Victoria came running and screaming across the yard. Poor Ned couldn’t hold the scared horse and for that the horse had been put down and a small boy quaked in fear at the sound of Richard’s voice. Eddie shook his head, he would be happy when everything got back to normal, but how long that would take was anyone’s guess.

Mary sat at the kitchen table peeling potatoes while her mother basted the roast. “I don’t know why I’m bothering to cook a roast dinner, no one will eat it. I’ve thrown away so many leftovers it’s a crime.”

“I know what you mean, Mum, there’s many in the village would be grateful for them. Perhaps I should do less vegetables tonight, what do you think?”

“Good idea, I hate the thought of throwing good food away.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen Miss Sarah eat a thing since it happened, she’s all skin and bone and Master Charles looks so worried about her.”

Mrs Shaw nodded her head. “Mind you I blame Master Richard for that; I heard how he leaves the room every time Miss Sarah enters it. The poor girl is distraught.”

Mary agreed with her mother. “Between you and me I’ve heard him shouting at his mother too, he’s said some nasty things about Miss Sarah and the racket I’ve heard coming from his father’s study.”