the skirts of my dress and thinking how loose it was at the waist. I’d obviously lost weight, but who wouldn’t after the ordeal I’d been through.
‘Mrs Kershaw and Mr Craddock in that order, Miss Abbey,’ Maggie told me as she brushed and arranged my hair on her insistence.
So I walked towards the main staircase at Kerslake Hall. As I reached the top of it I could see that I was on the opposite side of the long gallery. Seeing the door I went to open it and stepped inside looking at the paintings on the wall recalling how Thomas had loosened my hair that day which seemed so long ago.
I walked down to the portrait of Henrietta Kershaw and stood for some time looking at the lovely face which looked back at me and I thought of the old lady’s words that night in the tower, ‘Value your beauty Abigail, cherish it for one day it will be gone.’
As I made my way back to the door, I took a look through the squint in the wall and could see Thomas crossing the hall to what I now knew to be the drawing-room and in my mind could see Alice crossing the hall on that other occasion.
Alice, who had turned out to be a murderess. I shuddered at the very thought of myself lying under the still water of the lake and made my way back to the stairs, descending them slowly to the black and white hall below, the hem of my blue skirts brushing the carpet beneath my feet.
Tapping on Mrs Kershaw’s sitting-room door, I recalled the day of my arrival and my employer’s acid tongue. Since then in a few short weeks I had learnt much about her and could forgive her.
‘Come in,’ called a much softer voice. I opened the door and entered the room, sunlight did not flood the room with its rays at this time of day so I did not feel at a disadvantage as I had on that other occasion.
‘You look well, Abigail. A little thinner it is true, but after all you have been through could any one of us be surprised.’ As Henrietta Kershaw spoke I looked at her, gone was the veil and she wore a cheerful red dress which suited her silver grey hair.
Like anyone else I would see through the scars and twisted face to see the person beneath. The woman I now looked at was far different to the sharp, bitter old lady who had been there before. ‘I thank you and my nephew,’ she continued, ‘for I have decided to make the most of my life and hideaway no longer.’
‘That is good to hear, Mrs Kershaw,’ I said honestly.
‘I understand you wish to leave us,’ the new Henrietta observed.
‘That is true, for after my experience at the lake,’ here my voice trembled, ‘I sadly cannot stay.’
‘I shall be sorry to see you go,’ said Henrietta, ‘for you stood up to me and helped me to see myself as I had become over the years, but trust me when I say you have a good life ahead of you and you’ve not seen the last of me, I promise.’
What she meant by this I didn’t know, but would no doubt find out soon. ‘Thank you,’ I said.
‘Come closer to me for I have something for you,’ said the old lady. I did as Henrietta bid and she handed me an emerald necklace and the box to go with it. ‘I want you to have this, for it was my mother’s.’
‘But Mrs Kershaw,’ I gasped, ‘I cannot take something so precious from you.’ As I spoke I looked at the sparkling gem at the end of a gold chain.
‘I insist you have it, there is a reason, and this is my gift to you. Be happy, Abigail.’ With these words I felt I was dismissed.
Walking along the corridor I placed the lovely necklace in its box. Maggie stood in the hall with my valise and some other luggage at her feet.
‘But that isn’t all mine,’ I exclaimed. ‘No Miss, it isn’t, but that’s not for me to explain. Mr Craddock wishes to see you in the drawing-room.’ Her voice was full of excitement and I was more than curious.
The drawing-room door was open, I pushed it wider still and could see Thomas standing by the fireplace, a bright sun streamed in and the room seemed so
‘Mrs Kershaw and Mr Craddock in that order, Miss Abbey,’ Maggie told me as she brushed and arranged my hair on her insistence.
So I walked towards the main staircase at Kerslake Hall. As I reached the top of it I could see that I was on the opposite side of the long gallery. Seeing the door I went to open it and stepped inside looking at the paintings on the wall recalling how Thomas had loosened my hair that day which seemed so long ago.
I walked down to the portrait of Henrietta Kershaw and stood for some time looking at the lovely face which looked back at me and I thought of the old lady’s words that night in the tower, ‘Value your beauty Abigail, cherish it for one day it will be gone.’
As I made my way back to the door, I took a look through the squint in the wall and could see Thomas crossing the hall to what I now knew to be the drawing-room and in my mind could see Alice crossing the hall on that other occasion.
Alice, who had turned out to be a murderess. I shuddered at the very thought of myself lying under the still water of the lake and made my way back to the stairs, descending them slowly to the black and white hall below, the hem of my blue skirts brushing the carpet beneath my feet.
Tapping on Mrs Kershaw’s sitting-room door, I recalled the day of my arrival and my employer’s acid tongue. Since then in a few short weeks I had learnt much about her and could forgive her.
‘Come in,’ called a much softer voice. I opened the door and entered the room, sunlight did not flood the room with its rays at this time of day so I did not feel at a disadvantage as I had on that other occasion.
‘You look well, Abigail. A little thinner it is true, but after all you have been through could any one of us be surprised.’ As Henrietta Kershaw spoke I looked at her, gone was the veil and she wore a cheerful red dress which suited her silver grey hair.
Like anyone else I would see through the scars and twisted face to see the person beneath. The woman I now looked at was far different to the sharp, bitter old lady who had been there before. ‘I thank you and my nephew,’ she continued, ‘for I have decided to make the most of my life and hideaway no longer.’
‘That is good to hear, Mrs Kershaw,’ I said honestly.
‘I understand you wish to leave us,’ the new Henrietta observed.
‘That is true, for after my experience at the lake,’ here my voice trembled, ‘I sadly cannot stay.’
‘I shall be sorry to see you go,’ said Henrietta, ‘for you stood up to me and helped me to see myself as I had become over the years, but trust me when I say you have a good life ahead of you and you’ve not seen the last of me, I promise.’
What she meant by this I didn’t know, but would no doubt find out soon. ‘Thank you,’ I said.
‘Come closer to me for I have something for you,’ said the old lady. I did as Henrietta bid and she handed me an emerald necklace and the box to go with it. ‘I want you to have this, for it was my mother’s.’
‘But Mrs Kershaw,’ I gasped, ‘I cannot take something so precious from you.’ As I spoke I looked at the sparkling gem at the end of a gold chain.
‘I insist you have it, there is a reason, and this is my gift to you. Be happy, Abigail.’ With these words I felt I was dismissed.
Walking along the corridor I placed the lovely necklace in its box. Maggie stood in the hall with my valise and some other luggage at her feet.
‘But that isn’t all mine,’ I exclaimed. ‘No Miss, it isn’t, but that’s not for me to explain. Mr Craddock wishes to see you in the drawing-room.’ Her voice was full of excitement and I was more than curious.
The drawing-room door was open, I pushed it wider still and could see Thomas standing by the fireplace, a bright sun streamed in and the room seemed so
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