lake enveloped her whole body.
I heard someone running on the path, suddenly I looked up into Thomas’s face and felt him gather me in his arms, when mercifully I slipped into unconsciousness. Maggie was the first person I saw on waking. She sat on a wooden chair, her anxious face looking down at me.
‘Miss Abbey, you’re awake,’ she declared with obvious joy, ‘you’ve slept for twenty-four hours, everyone is right concerned about you. I’ll just tell someone you’re awake.’
As Maggie left I struggled to sit up and realised I was in a large bed in unfamiliar surroundings. The horror of my tussle with Alice came back to me and I sank back again on the plump pillow. Oh Lord, I thought, I give thanks that I’m alive and what of Alice. This thought agitated me.
Maggie returned with Thomas, my beloved Thomas. He sat on the chair and reaching for my hand clasped it securely in his own.
‘Sweetheart,’ he said gently, ‘can you recall what happened?’
‘Only too well.’ I answered with a voice that didn’t seem my own. ‘Is that rain?’ I asked, for as I looked at the long window draped with red curtains I fancied I could hear rain splattering on the grass.
‘Yes it is my love, but think not of the weather. Can you tell me what happened?’ he asked stroking the back of my hand with his free one.
‘How... how did you know that I was by the lake for it was you who came to me, wasn’t it?’ I stammered, the full picture coming back in my mind.
‘I saw you walking with someone as I looked from the long gallery window, you were quite clear in the moonlight, then as the cloud overshadowed the moon I lost sight of you briefly and when the light returned I could see you both on the ground. Fearing someone had fallen in the lake I hastened down to you, but it was too late to save Alice,’ Thomas told me.
‘Is she dead then?’ I asked quietly.
‘Yes I am afraid so.’ He squeezed my hand as he told me.
‘She tried to kill me,’ I admitted, a sob escaping my lips. ‘She held my head underwater. She also killed poor Annie and Gladys,’ I told him, tears of relief streaming down my face.
‘That explains why your lovely hair was wringing wet, I must tell my cousin who is with the police at this moment. We did think there was something strange about it all. What possessed you to walk out at such a time?’ asked Thomas.
‘It was the moonlight, everything looked so pleasant, I thought the fresh air would help me sleep, but the lake will now only hold dread for me whether by sunlight or the silvery light of the moon.’ As I spoke I looked across Thomas’ shoulder and gave an encouraging smile to Maggie who looked quite worried.
‘Try to put it from your mind, Maggie will get you some hot broth while I speak to Antony.’ As Thomas left me he gave my hand a loving squeeze, but I knew that no matter how hard I tried the thought of that night would take a long time to fade from my memory. I would keep feeling my head under water and see Alice thrashing about in the cool lake.
When I was strong enough I got out of bed and with Maggie’s help went to look from the window, the sun was shining again and thankfully I was at the front of the building. I would have to leave this place as soon as I was able.
11
When that day arrived, I asked Maggie if she would kindly gather my things together in my valise for me, to which she agreed. I’d seen little of Thomas since the day I awoke, nothing had been said about his proposal of marriage and I was beginning to think I’d dreamt everything good and bad since I’d arrived at Kerslake Hall.
Maggie brought my packed valise to me, my best blue dress and petticoat over her arm.
‘Two people have requested to see you,’ she ordered, and so I did as I was bid, slipping the blue dress on and thinking of Alice as I did so, and how she’d cut off the silk flowers in a frenzy of jealousy.
‘And who wishes to see me?’ I asked Maggie, straightening
I heard someone running on the path, suddenly I looked up into Thomas’s face and felt him gather me in his arms, when mercifully I slipped into unconsciousness. Maggie was the first person I saw on waking. She sat on a wooden chair, her anxious face looking down at me.
‘Miss Abbey, you’re awake,’ she declared with obvious joy, ‘you’ve slept for twenty-four hours, everyone is right concerned about you. I’ll just tell someone you’re awake.’
As Maggie left I struggled to sit up and realised I was in a large bed in unfamiliar surroundings. The horror of my tussle with Alice came back to me and I sank back again on the plump pillow. Oh Lord, I thought, I give thanks that I’m alive and what of Alice. This thought agitated me.
Maggie returned with Thomas, my beloved Thomas. He sat on the chair and reaching for my hand clasped it securely in his own.
‘Sweetheart,’ he said gently, ‘can you recall what happened?’
‘Only too well.’ I answered with a voice that didn’t seem my own. ‘Is that rain?’ I asked, for as I looked at the long window draped with red curtains I fancied I could hear rain splattering on the grass.
‘Yes it is my love, but think not of the weather. Can you tell me what happened?’ he asked stroking the back of my hand with his free one.
‘How... how did you know that I was by the lake for it was you who came to me, wasn’t it?’ I stammered, the full picture coming back in my mind.
‘I saw you walking with someone as I looked from the long gallery window, you were quite clear in the moonlight, then as the cloud overshadowed the moon I lost sight of you briefly and when the light returned I could see you both on the ground. Fearing someone had fallen in the lake I hastened down to you, but it was too late to save Alice,’ Thomas told me.
‘Is she dead then?’ I asked quietly.
‘Yes I am afraid so.’ He squeezed my hand as he told me.
‘She tried to kill me,’ I admitted, a sob escaping my lips. ‘She held my head underwater. She also killed poor Annie and Gladys,’ I told him, tears of relief streaming down my face.
‘That explains why your lovely hair was wringing wet, I must tell my cousin who is with the police at this moment. We did think there was something strange about it all. What possessed you to walk out at such a time?’ asked Thomas.
‘It was the moonlight, everything looked so pleasant, I thought the fresh air would help me sleep, but the lake will now only hold dread for me whether by sunlight or the silvery light of the moon.’ As I spoke I looked across Thomas’ shoulder and gave an encouraging smile to Maggie who looked quite worried.
‘Try to put it from your mind, Maggie will get you some hot broth while I speak to Antony.’ As Thomas left me he gave my hand a loving squeeze, but I knew that no matter how hard I tried the thought of that night would take a long time to fade from my memory. I would keep feeling my head under water and see Alice thrashing about in the cool lake.
When I was strong enough I got out of bed and with Maggie’s help went to look from the window, the sun was shining again and thankfully I was at the front of the building. I would have to leave this place as soon as I was able.
11
When that day arrived, I asked Maggie if she would kindly gather my things together in my valise for me, to which she agreed. I’d seen little of Thomas since the day I awoke, nothing had been said about his proposal of marriage and I was beginning to think I’d dreamt everything good and bad since I’d arrived at Kerslake Hall.
Maggie brought my packed valise to me, my best blue dress and petticoat over her arm.
‘Two people have requested to see you,’ she ordered, and so I did as I was bid, slipping the blue dress on and thinking of Alice as I did so, and how she’d cut off the silk flowers in a frenzy of jealousy.
‘And who wishes to see me?’ I asked Maggie, straightening
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