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Chapter 61: Ella, the search continues
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Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 62: Charlotte, a day of revelations
I sat at the kitchen table with my feet up on the opposite chair, relaxing after another busy day. I had tackled preserving with the last of the autumn peaches. A half dozen glass jars sat on the bench, and I couldn't put them away in the larder just yet. The skinned fruit were like jewels, their rich golden colour contained by the juice that would keep them from spoiling over winter.I allowed myself a moment of pride at another task conquered. I basked in the sense of accomplishment, silly perhaps, but there had been so few such instances in my life. With the dishes done and the kitchen tidied away for another day, silence settled over the house as darkness fell. I idly flicked through a recipe book, considering my options for tomorrow's dinner, when the hall door swung open and Reverend Mason appeared."Ah, Charlotte," he said.I dropped my feet to the ground and sat a little taller in my chair. "Yes, Mr Mason, do you require something?"A kind smile crinkled the corners of his
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 63: Ella, a game of cat and mouse
An early start was nothing new to me, although once it meant labouring to ensure the house was perfect before step-mother's feet touched the bedroom rug. Today I crept out the kitchen door in the half-light to climb into Seth's motorcar for a strange journey. I would protect one step-sister and ensure the other stayed incarcerated. Let's hope the War Office didn't get the two confused.It was a short trip to our tiny train station. The dark green engine awaited us already, a steady plume spiralling up from its funnel. The train had two carriages hooked up behind it. One was for passengers, with large windows for watching the scenery chug by. The other looked like a metal box, devoid of any windows or source of light. Steel bands reinforced its sides and an armed guard stood at its single door.My curiosity was piqued. I frowned at Seth and indicated the armoured carriage with my head.He glanced at the secure carriage and then shrugged. "No doubt something the War Office wants to ke
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 64: Ella, poking the bear
Louise never even looked up or acknowledged our presence. She carried on filing her long, black nails. Charlotte hung back, standing by the door. I decided to make myself as comfortable as possible and pulled out a chair.I was staring at my short nails, wondering if they would ever be long enough to file, when Louise finally spoke. "Tardy again, Ella. I honestly think you'd be late to your own funeral, and I'm so looking forward to finding out.""On the contrary, Louise. I'm not late, I simply didn't care if you were waiting. It's not like you had anywhere else to be, is it? Seth and I, he's the duke in case you've forgotten, were in London on personal business so I had a few moments to fill in before we return to Serenity House." I held up my left hand and stared at my fingers as though I were imagining something large and sparkly on my ring finger. A petty thing to say, but there was something about being in Louise's presence that brought the crueller side of me to the surface. An
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 65: Ella, another explosive night
The words sounded silly as soon as they escaped my lips. How to explain the irrational fear that gripped me at the thought of Seth stepping outside the carriage?Seth stopped with his hand on the door.I tapped my head and tried to muster up a smile. "Ignore me. It's just seeing Louise has unsettled me.""No, don't apologise. You should always trust your instinct, and yours has proven rather reliable." His gaze roamed over the interior of our passenger carriage. He pointed up to a small flywheel in the middle of the ceiling. "I'll go via the roof, just in case."He stood on a table to turn the wheel that released a hatch to the roof of the carriage. Lieutenant Bain gave him a leg up, as though he hopped on a horse, and his form disappeared through the roof."Douse the lights," I said to the others. We circled the interior, cutting the gas to the lamps and plunging us into darkness.A clip clop came from above as Seth walked to the front to talk to the engine driver. A soft sob es
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 66: Charlotte, all alone
They left me all alone. In the dark. For what could I do to help in our current predicament? I could have walked down the track to investigate, but what if it was a ruse and I was taken hostage? Then my friends would risk their lives to free me. I had no skill with a weapon and therefore no value to add in any fight.Louise's words echoed in my mind?fat, useless cow.I wasn't fat. I had curves. Once, when I had said I couldn't eat a piece of cake because I was watching my waistline, David had whispered that he thought me voluptuous. He said that word with such a hungry look in his eyes, as though I was a piece of cake, and it quite stole the air from my lungs.I would never be tall and slim. Nature had made that determination before I was born. But my work in the garden at the manse had made me fitter. My body was stronger and for once, I was comfortable in my skin.I knelt on the leather seat and pressed my hands to the glass, peering into the dark. I could discern nothing in the
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 67: Ella, formulating a battle plan
I climbed into bed completely exhausted but with my body still too restless to sleep. My mind raced faster than the train speeding away from Louise's ambush. She had revealed too much and in doing so, gave us a glimpse of Millicent's plans. Not only that, we now knew she had a large army hiding somewhere in plain sight. Or more likely, under our feet.It was conceivable that Millicent had amassed an army in the North Wessex Downs. The landscape there was remote, isolated, and hauntingly beautiful. It was also little visited, being popular mainly with archaeologists and bird watchers. I wondered about the vermin that had poured out of the alley in London. How many thousands of the undead waited in the sewers and forgotten tunnels of our capital?Despite thinking I had far too much to dwell on, sleep claimed me. I awoke as the pale wintry sunlight peeked around my drapes. I stretched my arms over my head and took a moment to enjoy the sense of peace that washed through my soul. This wa
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 68: Ella, a different kind of recipe
I chewed my lip as Seth left and self-doubt set in. I was used to riding Trusty and clutching my sword going into a fight. I had no experience to guide me in what we were about to attempt."Will the spell defeat Millicent?" I asked Reverend Mason as he lit the gas lamps around the room and then crossed to the tall window and pulled the drapes shut.His hand paused on the patterned fabric. "No, unfortunately. It will send you to where she exists. Once there, you will need to find a way to undo what she has done."Bother. I had hoped the spell would equip me with a celestial flaming sword that would send Millicent to Hell with a single blow. Before me stretched the prospect of being transported to an unknown realm where my enemy ruled, and I would need to forage for a weapon.A niggle of curiosity roused its head. "How did you come by such a spell?"Reverend Mason turned and smiled. "You cannot study witchcraft for a millennia without acquiring some knowledge along the way. This spe
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 69: Ella, in dreamworld
Every tread on the stairs worked dread a little deeper into my bones. I hadn't imagined it. I didn't have the breadth of experience to dream up the delicious things Seth did to me when my naked skin slid next to his. But what about the vermin? If there was no Grim War, then I had never encountered Seth, nor had I ever worked by his side. As much as it would be a relief to never see another Turned, I didn't want to contemplate a world where their absence resulted in Seth belonging to Louise.I swallowed a sob. I was stronger than that. All I needed was to clear the cobwebs out of my head and figure out what had happened. A good gallop across the fields would help. Once I had seen to them and Father.I pushed into the dining room and rocked back on my heels in the doorway. Hands on a clock spun backwards several months, or did time rush forward? My three step relatives were arrayed around the table. Two wearing dressing robes edged in soft fur. Only Charlotte was dressed in a plain and
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Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 90
Hazel followed my line of sight and glanced down at her mother's leg. Then she looked up to meet my horrified gaze. She shook her head, silencing me, not that there was anything to say, assuming I could say anything. My vocal cords had managed only two words in the past two years, and that rusty sound was only for Hazel's ears.I gestured to the trapped creatures and drew a line across my throat and then mimed lifting the head off. The vermin would keep struggling to free themselves and we needed to deal with them while they were still trapped."Father, Henry says you must remove the heads of these things to silence them forever." Hazel placed the fallen walking stick in her mother's hand, but kept an arm around the woman's shoulders.Mr Morris' eyes widened as he looked from the vermin stuck in a tree, one pinned to the roots through the side, and another back by the front door. That one was still trying to swim across the grass. I had a strong urge to go check on Phelps; with my l
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 89
I reached out and grasped Hazel by the shoulders. I gave a gentle shake to break the staring contest but she tried to swat me away. There were some advantages to being taller, and spending all day engaged in manual farm chores had finally put some muscle on my frame. I turned her and pointed out the window.At that point Mr Morris remembered why he had ran up the stairs. "You don't understand, love. Those things are outside the gate."Hazel and I kneeled on the window ledge and looked out. Below, in the approaching dusk, shuffled at least four of them. They stared at the thick door as though trying to remember how they worked. Push or pull?If they figured it out, they would swarm into the enclosure. We all stared at each other, realising there was one other person down there who didn't know what waited outside. Someone who couldn't ascend the steep tower stairs or run.Mrs Morris."Rachel!" Mr Morris screamed and ran for the door at the same time. His heavy boots and weight shook
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 88
March 22nd, 1919 was an important date in my mental diary. Things happened on this day far more than the signs of new life pushing up through frigid ground as the earth threw off winter and embraced spring. It was Hazel's eighteenth birthday. Not even the threat of Mr Morris tearing me limb from limb could make me miss her birthday.Sadness and regret formed a swamp in my gut. That day she would leave her tower forever, having agreed to stay only until she reached this milestone. This would most likely be our last day together. I had promised to take her to the village, where she would be safe from roving vermin, until she decided on her course of action.It was early afternoon by the time I had finished my chores and then penned a note to Magda asking for hot water to wash. All the while, Ella and Alice twittered and laughed. Honestly, what was wrong with a fellow wanting to wash the sweat and dirt off before he visited a girl on her birthday?As I rode out, the other women stood b
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 87
February 1919 and work never stopped, despite the solid ground that showed no sign of spring. An unexpected cold snap saw a light snowfall blanket the ground. It meant we either bundled up and continued on regardless, or undertook one of the endless inside jobs. Due to the weather, I decided to clean tack and dragged a chair to the end of the barn aisle. With the doors open to the frigid air, I sat with a pile of bridles in a box next to me. On my other side, a bucket of warm water and a cloth for working in the saddle soap and cleaning off sweat and dirt.The horses were quiet in their stalls and a sense of peace suffused the world. As though the drop in temperature had frozen time itself and allowed us all a chance to draw a deep breath and recover from events of the last few weeks.I should be cleaning the leather, but my mind couldn't concentrate in the quiet. I picked at my worries, pushed to the front by the voice that whispered from the back of my skull. Muttering about sins
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 86
The dawning of 1919 was a subdued affair, with little to celebrate as the new horror unfolded across the country. Father Mason's deceased wife turned up in his kitchen one night and the encounter shattered the last of his fragile confidence. Over at Serenity House, the former duke escaped the mausoleum and was dispatched by the capable butler, Warrens.Winter deepened and created a frozen tableau, which bought us some time. It's much harder to climb from your grave when the topsoil is frozen solid. We all wondered if the victims would sprout up with the warmer temperatures like daffodils.As January unfurled, Lady Jeffrey grew tired of us all peeking around the parlour door and moved the wireless to the kitchen. She deemed news of the Turned, as they were now called, far too unsavoury for her girls anyway and only suitable for our lowborn ears. That included Ella.The square wooden box crackled and chirped all day long. It seemed the horror would never end, as reports emerged that t
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 85
All through November and December, at every opportunity, I braved the frigid night time temperatures and waited in sight of the tower for Hazel to drop the ladder. I would spend an hour or two in her company. She would read and I would sketch her profile as the moonlight caressed the planes of her face.Christmas 1918 arrived and I was determined to be with the girl who held my heart. In double layers and with a wool cap shoved down hard on my head, Cossimo and I rode out to our familiar lookout point. I carried a bribe to console the gelding while we stood the lonely watch, a feedbag with oats. His eyes lit up as I carried it over to him and he dropped his nose into the canvas. That made it easier to slip the strap over his head. Quiet munching came from behind as I leaned against a barren tree and stared at the tower.A puff of smoke spiralled skyward from her tower chimney. At least she would be warm as the fire threw out a good heat in the circular room. To pass the time, I imagi
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 84
The household bombarded Ella with questions as soon as we returned. The poor girl barely made it over the threshold into the kitchen. Alice squealed and hugged her friend so tight it looked like she might never let go."I was so worried," she said. "What happened?""They let me go." Ella's gaze met mine. How much would she tell the others? Would she mention the price of her freedom?decapitating four other people?"I'd love a cup of tea and a bath. I don't think I will ever be warm again." Ella turned to me. "Thank you, Henry."I?d done nothing. How did she stand tall and brave when so many grown men showed themselves to be cowards? But then I shouldn't be surprised. I served under Sir Jeffrey, and his daughter had the same iron backbone.I left her to the care of Alice and Magda and busied myself with the farm chores. My next rescue mission wouldn't be so public. I waited until the approach of dusk before saddling up Cossimo. The horse looked at me and I swear gave a low snort and
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 83
As though Lady Jeffrey read my mind, she discovered a job that had to be done immediately and kept me from riding to see Ella the next day. Instead Stewart and I had to dig out a ditch by the end of the driveway. She wanted it deeper in case of winter rain. I swear she wanted a moat. By evening we both had blisters on top of our callouses and to my shame, I was too tired to spare much of a thought for either Ella or Hazel.Three days had passed since Alice ran home screaming and Ella was arrested. Dawn still hadn't made the horizon as I sat in the kitchen, warming myself in the chair closest to the coal range while I chewed my toast. My gaze fixed at a point on the far wall, but my vision turned inward as I sorted through my plans.Firstly there was the issue of Ella, no doubt freezing in the cold cell. Then there was the girl trapped in another type of gaol. Mr Morris would skin me for gaiters if he caught me around the tower, but I?d risk it for Hazel. My chances of sneaking over t
Serenity House: Ella's Journey Chapter 82
I screamed until my voice gave out and still I ran. My vocal cords might not have stamina, but my legs did. Blindly, I didn't care what direction or what obstacle stood before me, I ran away. I would surmount anything to leave the horror behind me. But no matter how fast I moved my feet or how hard my lungs worked, it stayed at my back. Death was stitched to me; it formed part of my fabric and rippled over my skin.And it laughed.The black shadow chuckled and mocked my feeble attempts to slip its clutches until, exhausted, I fell to the ground. Then I curled up in a ball, clasped my hands over my head, and sobbed. Why didn't the Grim Reaper cut me down? Then, at least the nightmare would end. An eternity in Hell would not be any worse than living.In the secret room in my mind, I pulled the blanket up and everything went dark.***August 1914. I had turned fifteen a few days earlier when I crept down the barn stairs early one morning. I slipped a bridle over Cossimo's head, jumpe
