Moorcroft - the Possession: Book One of the Moorcroft Trilogy (7 page)

Sarah shrugged and looked at her friend.

Emily smiled. “I’ll go down first and the two of you can come down in a couple of minutes and make a grand entrance.”

Once Emily had left the room the girls faced each other. Sarah couldn’t stand still filled with excitement. “Are you ready?”

Victoria twisted her hands and looked at her friend. “Sarah I am so nervous, do you really think Richard will notice me?”

“Don’t be silly. As mother says you’ll knock him dead.”

They both stood at the top of the stairs. The DJ started the music and everyone looked up, clapped their hands and sang Happy Birthday. They slowly made their way down the stairs. Charles stood at the bottom with eyes only for Sarah, ready to take her hand. Richard was about to stuff a pastry into his mouth when he turned to watch the girls. His hand stopped half way. Sarah was a good looking girl, but Victoria was beautiful. Why hadn’t he noticed her before?

His mother standing by his side watched his face. “Richard, are you going to eat that vol-au-vent or stare at it all night?”

Richard looked at his mother, put the pastry back on the plate and walked to the foot of the stairs to join Charles. Emily sighed, now she had two love sick children to contend with.

The evening went with a swing, the DJ playing a variety of music, waltzes to satisfy the old and popular music for the young. The dining room table was filled with food and everyone waited for the cake to arrive. Mr Howard stood nervously in the kitchen while Mrs Shaw lit the candles. The hall and dining room lights were turned out and the DJ played the birthday anthem as Mr Howard moved forward and placed the cake on the dining table. Sarah with the help of her friend Victoria blew out the candles, each making a secret wish. Once all the photographs had been taken, Mr Howard whisked the cake away back to the kitchen and Mrs Shaw waiting to cut the cake into small pieces. Everyone was handed a plate and were soon all munching on the delicate pastries and delicious sandwiches. A few of Richard’s college friends were huddled in a corner, busy eating and drinking their fill. Several had already danced with each of the girls. Victoria had been so popular with his friends that Richard had only danced with her once. Each time he approached her she was whisked onto the dance floor with someone else. He stood in the group with a glass of beer in his hand. He watched her as she moved around the floor and was hardly listening to the hum of conversation until he heard Victoria’s name mentioned.

“Have you seen the redhead? What a beauty. I’ve asked her out, but she says she’s taken. Whoever he is, he’s a lucky bloke.”

“I’ve danced with Sarah a couple of times, but Charles Wesley seems to be monopolising her, he says they’re a couple.”

“Well, I’m going to ask Victoria for a date, she can’t keep on saying no all night.”

Richard didn’t need to hear anymore he placed his glass down and walked onto the dance floor. He saw Victoria dancing with an older man, a friend of his father’s. He tapped him on the shoulder, and said “May I?” and swept her away, leaving the man standing in the middle of the floor.

Victoria had seen him approach and held her breath. “What do you think you are doing, that poor man looks abandoned?”

He pulled her to him and smiled. “Forget about him, I’m dancing with the best looking girl in the room.”

Victoria smiled how she had longed for this moment. “I’ve promised to dance with one of your friends next.”

He shook his head and whisked her round and made her laugh. “I’ll tell them all that you’re taken.”

“Oh. I wasn’t aware of that.” She could feel the giggles mounting she was so happy she couldn’t stop them.

“Well, now you are.” They both laughed and danced around the floor, oblivious of anyone else in the room.

Emily stood by her husband. She noticed the bow tie had gone.

“This has been a real success my dear, and it’s all down to you, but I have to admit that my feet are killing me and bed is calling.” He looked around the room. “All of our friends have gone home. Shall we leave the young ones to carry on, doing their thing?”

With a sigh of relief Emily nodded. “What a good idea.” They made their way through the crowd of people saying their farewells and gave Sarah a big hug and said their goodnights.

The young ones carried on dancing and drinking until it was time for the DJ to pack up his equipment and leave. Richard watched his drunken friends laughing and joking sitting in the stairs. “Right you lot the party’s over and it’s time for you all to go home and sleep it off.” They all looked a little worse for wear.

“Hey old pal, I thought you said we could stay the night?”

Taking the glasses out of his friends’ hands, he pulled them to their feet. “Sorry chum but the rooms are full, time to go leave.” He piled them all into a taxi and watched them drive away. He wanted no one left behind tonight, he had plans.

Now only the four of them remained.

Sarah was still dancing by herself around the room. “I want to dance all night.”

Richard got the radio from the study and tuned into a late night station. Romantic music filled the great hall. Charles took Sarah in his arms and slowly manoeuvred her around the dance floor. Richard looked at Victoria. He bowed and held out his hand. “May I have this dance?”

“I must check my card.” She said coyly, fluttering her eyelashes.

He reached for her and pulled her into his arms. They looked into each others eyes and kissed. Victoria thought she would faint. Her tummy churned with excitement and her breathing was laboured. At last she had the man of her dreams.

On the landing, in the shadows, Charlotte watched. She wanted to scream at the harlot. Richard was hers and no one else could have him.

The dancing stopped and they drifted towards the stairs.

Charles kissed Sarah. “As much as I would like this to go on all night, I think it’s time we should all go to bed.” He held her hand and pulled her to him.

“It’s been a wonderful night, Charles. A night I will never forget.”

Charles nodded in the direction of Richard and Victoria sat on the stairs side by side chatting and looking into each others eyes. “I thought those two would never get together.” He sauntered across to them. “Sorry to disturb you two lovebirds, but we’re off to our beds.”

Victoria stared miserably at Charles. “Is it that time already?”

Richard stood and helped Victoria to her feet. “Time for your beauty sleep my lovely, not that you need it.”

Richard kissed her goodnight and watched as the others climbed the stairs.

After a few steps Charles turned and looked at him. “Are you not coming?”

“I’m just going to check on Dancing Lady, she’s almost ready to drop her foal. I won’t be long.”

Sarah reached the top of the stairs and stopped. It was icy cold, and then she smelt the mouldy air as it rushed passed her heading for her friend. Victoria felt the blow and swayed off balance, her arms flaying and almost lost her footing, Charles reached out and steadied her. Victoria looked shocked,

“I think you’ve had far too much to drink, my girl.” He noticed how pale she had become. “Are you okay?”

Victoria was sure she had been pushed but by whom? She looked around, only her friends were near by, then whom or what had pushed her? She began to shake and Sarah took her hand and guided her towards their bedrooms.

Sarah looked across the landing and into its shadows, searching for movement, there was no one to be seen but she knew who the culprit was.

Richard took his overcoat and made his way across the rear yard to the stable block and switched on the lights. The horses snorted in greeting. One by one he checked each stall stroking the bobbing heads of each horse until he came to the mare, stepping inside he gentle stroked her neck. She was a beauty. He talked gently in her ear. The lights flickered and the horses became restless and stamped their feet. He turned and looked around. Was there someone in the stables? Again he checked each stall kicking the straw looking for rats or even a fox. There was nothing there, but someone or something had spooked the horses. In the shadows Charlotte watched the way Richard stroked the mare, with such love and attention. One day he would show her the same affection, she would make sure of that. Richard thought the mare would have her foal within the next few days; he would have to keep an eye on her and call the vet in plenty of time. He gently closed the gate to the stall, made a last inspection of all the horses and secured the outside door and looked around the yard. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he shivered. He had the feeling someone was watching him. He checked all the doors again, his horses were very valuable, and he didn’t want anything happening to them. Tomorrow he would get the stable hand to check the perimeter, make sure no foxes could get in. Something had spooked the horses tonight, but he didn’t know what. He crossed the yard and entered the house and closed and bolted the back door and hung up his coat and quietly walked across the hall, a smile crossed his face as he remembered holding Victoria in his arms. Slowly he climbed the stairs, he should be tired, it had been a long day, but he knew that thoughts of Victoria would keep him awake.

By the back door Charlotte took Richard’s coat off the peg and held it to her face, she could feel the warmth and smell the essence of him. Staying in the shadows she moved to the great hall and watched Richard climb the stairs. Alone again she slowly sashayed around the room. Still clinging to Richard’s coat imagining him waltzing with her, but there was no music. She looked at the radio, could she make this thing work. She pressed a button and heard the quiet music of Strauss. A smile crossed her face and once again she was transported back to a time when she danced with her darling Frederick in this very hall. She slowly waltzed around the room holding Richard’s coat closely to her, stretching out the sleeve imagining him holding her. In her world she could see all the smiling faces watching, admiring the happy couple. In just a few days she and Frederick would be married and they would live together forever. She had never been happier.

Upstairs Emily woke with a start. She thought she heard a noise. She looked at the clock, four a.m. surely the children would be in bed. She turned over and closed her eyes but sleep evaded her. It was no good. She decided to make herself a warm milky drink. In her dressing gown and slippers she made her way along the landing. The stairs and the hall were always left in a mellow light in case someone got up in the night, but the glow coming from the hall seemed much brighter than usual. From the top of the stairs Emily could see a misty kind of light and movement. She could hear the faint sound of music. She made her way slowly down the stairs, step by step, holding tight to the banister. She had left her glasses on the bedside cabinet, but she thought she could see a couple dancing, was she seeing things now. Who could be up at this time of the night?

“Sarah, is that you?”

The hall lights flickered and the misty light dimmed. Emily cautiously made her way to the foot of the stairs, but no one was there. In the middle of the floor lay a coat. She picked it up, it was Richard’s, but how had it got there and where were the dancers? She looked around the large hall, nothing. She crossed to the hall table and switched off the radio.

In the shadows Charlotte watched and cursed the woman, she was having so much fun reminiscing.

Emily put the coat over her arm and entered the kitchen; it felt nice and cosy with the heat from the Aga. She placed the coat over the chair and took a mug from the cupboard, put milk in a pan and placed it on the hotplate. She sat down at the kitchen table and pondered on what she had just seen. Perhaps she was just tired and seeing things, after all it had been a hectic week. She looked at Richard’s coat. How had it ended up in the middle of the hall floor? She made her drink and carefully made her way back to her bedroom. She would talk about it to Richard in the morning.

Charlotte watched the woman climb the stairs. The happy mood had left her, on the bottom step of the great staircase Charlotte sat and wept. She cried for the love of Richard and she cried for the loss of her sweetheart Frederick. Memories of how things used to be came flooding back. She let out a low wail, remembering the morning of her wedding day.

She had descended these very stairs dressed in the most wonderful hand made wedding dress. Her father had stood at the foot of the stairs holding out his hand to her, ready to escort her to the church. They were alone everyone else had left for the church. He looked up at her with such pride and told her how beautiful she was and what a lucky man Frederick was to get her as his wife. Everything was perfect, until the knock on the door. Charlotte groaned remembering the agony that followed. As Reverend Peters entered the house he looked at Charlotte and then at her father and with shaking hands beckoned him over. They talked for a while and her father looked up at her, his face was filled with sadness.

“Charlotte I need to talk to you.” Taking her hand he led her into the drawing room and sat her down. The fear and anguish was mounting and she began to shake.

“For Gods sake Father tell me what has happened?” As he knelt at her feet a tear rolled down his face. Fear engulfed her, the only other time she had ever seen her father cry was when her mother died. He held her hand as she began to shake.

“Charlotte, my darling girl, something dreadful has happened. Frederick has been involved in an accident on his way to the church.”

Charlotte caught her breath and stared at her father’s face. “Is he okay? Is he hurt?”

“Charlotte, there is no easy way to say this, Frederick is dead.”

Sitting on the stairs, Charlotte could feel the pain once again, the tightness in her chest, she looked up to the ceiling and she let out a cry so mournful. Tears ran down her face, it seemed like only yesterday she had lost her Frederick, the love of her life, how was she to carry on without him. Her thoughts drifted back to the present and to Richard. Had Frederick come back to her in Richard, the resemblance was amazing. She always hoped he would return to her and she had been loyal all these years waiting. One day Richard would love her too, just as Frederick had. She moaned again, remembering the look of love Richard had given that girl, Victoria. She sensed someone coming and heard noises behind her. She moved to the shadows, now was not the time to show herself, but one day Richard would know her.