me. For I never shall.'
Then she jumped to her feet.
Robert joined her. Together, they looked towards the hall. Robert could hear the dim thud of boots as they approached up the pathway outside; they paused, then there was a rap upon the door. At once, before the maid had appeared, Lady Vaughan emerged from the parlour with Mrs Foxe, to join Robert and her daughter in the passageway. She glanced at them nervously, as the maid came hurrying.
There was a second knock. 'Open it, Sarah,' said Lady Vaughan. 'Let us see who our visitor may be.' The maid curtsied; as she unbolted and opened the door, Lady Vaughan stepped forward.
It was a moment before she could speak. 'Sergeant Everard,' she whispered at last.
He stood in the doorway. He was exceedingly pale, a look of unspoken horror on his face.
'Samuel.' Mrs Foxe walked forward. She took his arm and drew him inside. 'Something has happened.' She swallowed. 'Please, Samuel - tell us what it is.'
Sergeant Everard allowed himself to be guided forward. He stopped before Lady Vaughan; then stood silently.
'It is my husband, is it not?' asked Lady Vaughan after a pause.
'Madam .. .' Sergeant Everard bowed his head. ' I am very sorry.'
'Well, then ... well ...' She turned and, for a moment, leaned against the wall. She smoothed back her hair; then reached for Emily, to brush the tears from her daughter's cheeks. Emily began to sob silently; Lady Vaughan rocked her to and fro, not crying herself but staring into space. At length, she looked round at Sergeant Everard again. 'Where did it happen?' she asked.
'Old Sarum, Madam. In the wood that surrounds the outer ring.'
Lady Vaughan glanced at Mrs Foxe. 'As your husband foretold. And in the same way, Sergeant, as the previous two?'
'Aye, Madam.'
' I would like to see him.'
' I have been sent to take you there.'
'What, his body has not been brought back?'
'The Captain wanted him left where he was found. He believes . . . the location - it may be significant.'
Mrs Foxe nodded. 'Yes,' she whispered softly. 'Again, as he has often said it would be.'
Sergeant Everard gestured towards the door. 'Come, we must go at once,' he said numbly. 'All of us. I have two soldiers outside, who will ride by our sides.' He shivered. 'For none of us, I think, should be alone upon this day.'
'. . . lying is thy sustenance, thy food.'
John Milton, Paradise Regained
‘ I
hey travelled in virtual silence. Sometimes Emily would choke on her sobs, and Lady Vaughan would whisper words of comfort in her ear; but otherwise not a word was spoken or exchanged. Even the militiamen sat in their saddles as though chiselled from ice, and Robert dreaded to think what horrors must have been inflicted on Sir Henry, for the soldiers' eyes were as glazed as their Sergeant's, and their faces pinched with the same disgust. Soon Old Sarum was visible from the road; and the nearer it loomed, the greater grew Robert's dread. He saw a couple of ravens wheeling above the summit where the castle had stood; and he remembered how the birds had flocked above Clearbury Ring. And yet in truth, he realised, he did not mind what had happened, did not mind that Sir Henry was dead - for it had not been Emily. It had not been Emily. This thought kept beating like blood in his ears; and since he could not feel ashamed of such selfishness, he marked it down as a sign of his love.
At length, before the trees which stretched up to Old Sarum's outer ring, Sergeant Everard reined in his horse. He pointed towards the depths of the wood. 'You see, Madam, where the trees start to climb the rampart of the fort
Lady Vaughan bowed her head. ' I see it,' she nodded. She turned to Emily. 'Come, my darling,' she whispered. 'Let us not put off the evil sight.' She dismounted and, taking her daughter's hand, began to walk slowly through the trees. Sergeant Everard gestured to his men;
T hey dismounted as Lady Vaughan had done, and ran after her into the wood. The Sergeant turned to Mrs
Then she jumped to her feet.
Robert joined her. Together, they looked towards the hall. Robert could hear the dim thud of boots as they approached up the pathway outside; they paused, then there was a rap upon the door. At once, before the maid had appeared, Lady Vaughan emerged from the parlour with Mrs Foxe, to join Robert and her daughter in the passageway. She glanced at them nervously, as the maid came hurrying.
There was a second knock. 'Open it, Sarah,' said Lady Vaughan. 'Let us see who our visitor may be.' The maid curtsied; as she unbolted and opened the door, Lady Vaughan stepped forward.
It was a moment before she could speak. 'Sergeant Everard,' she whispered at last.
He stood in the doorway. He was exceedingly pale, a look of unspoken horror on his face.
'Samuel.' Mrs Foxe walked forward. She took his arm and drew him inside. 'Something has happened.' She swallowed. 'Please, Samuel - tell us what it is.'
Sergeant Everard allowed himself to be guided forward. He stopped before Lady Vaughan; then stood silently.
'It is my husband, is it not?' asked Lady Vaughan after a pause.
'Madam .. .' Sergeant Everard bowed his head. ' I am very sorry.'
'Well, then ... well ...' She turned and, for a moment, leaned against the wall. She smoothed back her hair; then reached for Emily, to brush the tears from her daughter's cheeks. Emily began to sob silently; Lady Vaughan rocked her to and fro, not crying herself but staring into space. At length, she looked round at Sergeant Everard again. 'Where did it happen?' she asked.
'Old Sarum, Madam. In the wood that surrounds the outer ring.'
Lady Vaughan glanced at Mrs Foxe. 'As your husband foretold. And in the same way, Sergeant, as the previous two?'
'Aye, Madam.'
' I would like to see him.'
' I have been sent to take you there.'
'What, his body has not been brought back?'
'The Captain wanted him left where he was found. He believes . . . the location - it may be significant.'
Mrs Foxe nodded. 'Yes,' she whispered softly. 'Again, as he has often said it would be.'
Sergeant Everard gestured towards the door. 'Come, we must go at once,' he said numbly. 'All of us. I have two soldiers outside, who will ride by our sides.' He shivered. 'For none of us, I think, should be alone upon this day.'
'. . . lying is thy sustenance, thy food.'
John Milton, Paradise Regained
‘ I
hey travelled in virtual silence. Sometimes Emily would choke on her sobs, and Lady Vaughan would whisper words of comfort in her ear; but otherwise not a word was spoken or exchanged. Even the militiamen sat in their saddles as though chiselled from ice, and Robert dreaded to think what horrors must have been inflicted on Sir Henry, for the soldiers' eyes were as glazed as their Sergeant's, and their faces pinched with the same disgust. Soon Old Sarum was visible from the road; and the nearer it loomed, the greater grew Robert's dread. He saw a couple of ravens wheeling above the summit where the castle had stood; and he remembered how the birds had flocked above Clearbury Ring. And yet in truth, he realised, he did not mind what had happened, did not mind that Sir Henry was dead - for it had not been Emily. It had not been Emily. This thought kept beating like blood in his ears; and since he could not feel ashamed of such selfishness, he marked it down as a sign of his love.
At length, before the trees which stretched up to Old Sarum's outer ring, Sergeant Everard reined in his horse. He pointed towards the depths of the wood. 'You see, Madam, where the trees start to climb the rampart of the fort
Lady Vaughan bowed her head. ' I see it,' she nodded. She turned to Emily. 'Come, my darling,' she whispered. 'Let us not put off the evil sight.' She dismounted and, taking her daughter's hand, began to walk slowly through the trees. Sergeant Everard gestured to his men;
T hey dismounted as Lady Vaughan had done, and ran after her into the wood. The Sergeant turned to Mrs
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