A Heaven on Earth Page 6

  “Let’s move on,” she suggested.

  The Earl led her back to the courtyard with its four tall walls and explained that this was the oldest part of The Castle built many centuries ago by his ancestors.

  “It’s very quiet here,” remarked Aurora, looking up at the sky framed by the walls. “We are in the middle of a beautiful wood, but there are no birds to be seen.”

  “They don’t come,” admitted the Earl, “ever since I was a child I have never seen a bird within these walls.”

  Again Aurora felt a shiver run through her body.

  The place seemed so neglected and felt so dark and dreary that she longed to leave – to jump into the cart and drive swiftly away.

  But again something held her back like a soft hand touching her arm.

  “Is there anything here that you like?” she asked the Earl, “anywhere you can feel happy when you are visiting your castle?”

  “Let me show you something,” he suggested and led the way to the house that was built into the castle wall.

  “This house was built by my grandfather,” the Earl explained, as he opened the front door into the hall.

  “It is lovely!” cried Aurora as she looked around.

  In front of her across the marble floor, a gracious staircase swept up in a wide flowing curve, and all around the large hall were white painted doors she longed to open.

  As if he had read her mind, the Earl walked over and gently pushed one of the doors open, revealing a tall room with pale green walls and ornate plaster decorations of cherubs and flowers on the walls and the fireplace.

  Aurora caught her breath at the beauty of it all and then noticed that the furniture was covered in white sheets, so the room seemed to be inhabited by a crowd of ghosts.

  She turned to the Earl,

  “Why is everything hidden away like this, my Lord?”

  The Earl sighed.

  “No one has lived here for many years since before I was born in fact. The sheets are to keep the dust away.”

  Aurora felt a wave of sadness pass over her as she looked up at the plasterwork above her head and saw that there was a coating of dust over the cherubs and the bunch of grapes that hung there.

  “But come with me,” said the Earl, again seeming to sympathise with her mood. “There is one place here that I particularly love.”

  They walked to the back of the house where there was an old door made of dark knotted wood.

  The Earl drew an ancient iron key from his pocket and twisted it in the lock.

  Aurora stepped in front of him through the narrow doorway and found herself bathed in light.

  She was standing in a small Chapel with stained glass windows of all colours and, as the sun shone through the coloured glass, it made pools of green, red, yellow and blue over the stone floor.

  She could not say a word, but drank in the beauty of everything around her.

  She took in the intricate carved leaves and branches of the rood screen in front of her and beyond it the small altar with its golden crucifix.

  At last she felt able to speak.

  “There is no sadness here in this Chapel, my Lord. All I feel is joy and peace.”

  “It is the same for me. This is the one place where I feel truly peaceful and happy, and for that reason I still come back to The Castle. If it was not for this Chapel, I think I would have stayed away forever.”

  “But why does The Castle hold such unhappiness?” enquired Aurora.

  “Perhaps I should share with you the tragic story of what happened here – if you would be prepared to listen?”

  “Of course,” agreed Aurora enthusiastically and sat down on one of the carved pews.

  “My grandfather built this house inside the remains of our ancestral castle many years ago when he was still a young man and he loved it dearly. He chose to live here most of the time, although he had many other fine houses – and his two sons were born here.”

  The Earl paused for a moment.

  “Oh, do go on, my Lord. I love to think of your family living here and growing up in this beautiful place.”

  “My uncle Charles was the elder and my father was the second son. They were the greatest of friends and my father was an adventurous young man who longed to travel the world as an Army Officer, so he bore no resentment that his brother Charles would inherit the family estate.”

  Again the Earl paused and Aurora knew that what he was about to tell her was causing him great pain.

  “Both brothers adored the countryside and enjoyed the pursuits of a country gentleman.

  “One day Charles and my father were cleaning their guns in the gunroom, which used to be in the old tower. My father did not realise that his gun was still loaded and as he picked it up, it went off and the bullet hit Charles and killed him!”

  “Oh!” cried Aurora, feeling the shock and pain of that terrible event hit her like a blow. “How terrible! Your poor father.”

  “Yes,” the Earl murmured, his face now dark with sadness. “Not only had he lost his dear friend and brother by his own hand, but he was now the heir to the estate and he must stay here in England, never able to forget what had happened.”

  “But it was an accident?”

  “Indeed. And those who witnessed what happened absolved my father from any guilt. But he never recovered from that terrible day. And that, I believe, is why this castle is so full of grief and sadness and why no one has been able to live here ever since.”

  He turned to Aurora and took her hand.

  Instantly she felt a wave of sensation pass through her as she felt his warm touch.

  She closed her eyes for a moment and listened as he carried on speaking,

  “After you left the farm this morning, I talked with Mrs. Westcott and she told me what had happened during your visit. She told me that you had brought sunshine and happiness back into her home and that you had done this by freeing the spirit of her long-dead daughter, Ivy, from her earthbound state – ”

  Aurora opened her eyes and found she was looking directly into the Earl’s dark gaze.

  “Yes – I think that’s what – happened.”

  “And as soon as I heard her say that,” continued the Earl, looking intently at Aurora, “I knew that I needed you here. The terrible sadness that hangs over The Castle, surely it must be because of the awful tragedy that happened to my father and his brother.”

  “It could be true,” said Aurora, full of heartache as she thought of the pain the Earl’s father had gone through.

  “It could be that the spirit of your Uncle Charles has not been able to leave this place, or perhaps even your father has come back to try and make some reparation for what happened – ”

  She shuddered as she spoke.

  She longed to move away from the Earl and from the unearthly darkness that she felt was beginning to gather around them.

  The sun seemed to have gone in and the bright light that had been streaming through the stained-glass windows had faded.

  “But can’t you tell?” the Earl quizzed her urgently. “I was sure you would know what to do – that you would be able to help me.”

  Aurora took a deep breath.

  “What occurred at the Westcott’s Farmhouse had never happened to me before. It was the first time.”

  “But Mrs. Westcott told me that you had inherited a special gift – from your mother.”

  Aurora thought she would faint under the pressure of the Earl’s passionate pleas.

  “Yes, I really do believe that is the case, but you must understand, it was very different at the farm. Ivy was just a little girl. She appeared to me and when I saw her, I knew exactly what I needed to do.

  “But here, this terrible tragedy that occurred within your family – I don’t know how to help you.”

  The Earl’s face fell and he looked despondent.

  “I am so sorry,” Aurora continued, as tears welled up in her eyes. “What you have told me today is so sad – I think it may
be too much for me.”

  “It is I who should be sorry, Miss Hartnell. How could I have expected someone so young and gentle and sweet-natured to involve herself with all the darkness and tragedy that has manifested itself here?”

  He took Aurora’s other hand and she felt steadied and comforted, although her head was still spinning.

  “Let me offer you some refreshment,” the Earl was saying. “My coachman has made a fire and I will ask him to boil a kettle and make some tea for us.”

  They made their way back to the courtyard, where a few tiny snowflakes were beginning to drift down through the cold air.

  “I wonder if we should head back to Hadleigh Hall right away,” she murmured, looking up at the dark clouds that were massing in the sky.

  “Alas, I keep no carriage here, as I live mostly in London and do not visit The Castle very often, or I would have offered to have my coachman drive you back. You will be very cold in that open Governess cart.”

  “You are too kind, my Lord, but we will make good speed with Cherry between the shafts and I don’t think we should linger any longer.”

  The Earl took her hand again and held it to his lips for a moment.

  Aurora felt her heart beating fast as a new wave of sensation swept over her.

  She felt happy and sad and vulnerable – all at once.

  She did not know whether she wanted to stay at The Castle or escape as quickly as she possibly could and flee back to Hadleigh Hall.

  Over by the tower a fire was burning and Phyllis was there warming her hands.

  She was talking to Duncan, the Earl’s coachman, who was a broad-shouldered handsome young man with a fine head of curly red hair.

  When she saw Aurora, she came hurrying over.

  “We should be on our way, miss, before this snow starts to settle,” she insisted.

  The Earl carefully helped Aurora into her seat in the Governess cart and handed her the reins whilst Phyllis clambered up after her.

  “Goodbye, Miss Hartnell,” he sighed. “I am most honoured by your visit this afternoon and I hope that it will not be too long before we meet again.”

  He bowed as the Governess cart swung out of the wide gates.

  “Oh, Phyllis,” exclaimed Aurora as they drove over the bridge, “I have so much to tell you, I don’t know where to begin!”

  “I daresay, Miss Aurora,” replied Phyllis. “But first of all I needs to ask you somethin’.”

  “What is that?”

  “What’s an amanuensis?”

  Aurora burst out laughing.

  “I have no idea, but I will be sure and ask Papa to consult the dictionary, as soon as I can speak to him.”

  “Thank you, miss, but I’m a-wonderin’ if we will ever make it home through this blizzard!”

  Aurora’s heart sank as she watched the snowflakes that were now falling so thick and fast they were beginning to cover the road ahead.

  “Don’t worry Phyllis, we will soon be home.”

  But her words sounded hollow in her ears and she wished that she could turn back to the safety of Linford Castle.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The road climbed up out of the valley and Cherry puffed and panted as she pulled the Governess cart up the steep incline, forging ahead through the snowstorm.

  “I hope we are going to make it,” muttered Aurora, anxiously peering through the curtain of thick snowflakes.

  “Just give the pony her head, Miss Aurora, she’ll find her way home,” suggested Phyllis, her voice sounding faint and muffled through the thick scarf she was wearing.

  The snow was falling so fast that Cherry was soon wearing a thick white blanket on her back and head, and, as she plodded on, it became harder and harder to see where the road was leading them.

  Aurora could feel the weight of the snow settling on top of her hood and the cold and damp beginning to seep through the thick material of her cloak.

  She began to fear that they would have to spend the night outside on the road and would never make it back to Hadleigh Hall.

  “What is that!” cried Phyllis suddenly, clutching at Aurora’s arm.

  There was a crunching sound of footsteps trampling through the snow and over her shoulder Aurora could see a blurred shape drawing near through the blizzard.

  “I don’t know, Phyllis,” she mumbled, her heart in her mouth. “It could be anything. I can’t quite see.”

  “Hallo!” a faint cry came to them. “Bear left, keep to the left or you will come off the road!”

  The dark shape loomed nearer and Aurora realised that it was a horse and rider, leaping and plunging over the hillside to join them.

  “It’s the Earl, Phyllis! I would recognise his big black horse anywhere!”

  The Earl then came along the side of the Governess cart and swept off his hat, allowing the snowflakes to settle on his dark hair.

  “My apologies if I startled you, Miss Hartnell, but I could not let you make this journey alone. I know the road well and I hope you will allow me to accompany you.”

  “Thank you very much, my Lord, I was beginning to fear that we would lose our way.”

  “I will ensure you reach home safely,” persisted the Earl. “Guide your pony to follow in my tracks.”

  And he urged his black horse forward to lead the way through the blizzard.

  The journey seemed to last forever and Aurora was so grateful for her gallant escort as she resolutely followed his shadowy outline through the swirling snow.

  At long last the brick pillars of the lodge gates of Hadleigh Hall appeared through the snow and she called out her thanks to the Earl.

  “It is nothing at all, Miss Hartnell,” the Earl replied, brushing the snow from his coat collar and smiling at her.

  “We will be quite safe now. Cherry knows the drive up to the Hall as well as she knows her own stable and we have no further need of your kind help, so farewell.”

  “But you must permit me to escort you safely to your door.”

  “No, please,” answered Aurora quickly. “There is no need.”

  She was filled with horror at the thought of trying to explain the Earl’s presence to her stepmother.

  The Earl edged his prancing horse up closer to the Governess cart and looked into Aurora’s face.

  “I am most reluctant to say goodbye to you, Miss Hartnell. I feel I have burdened you with too much of my own troubles and sadness today.”

  “Not at all, my Lord. You have been very kind to accompany us all this way through such a bad snowstorm.”

  “It was a pleasure, I assure you,” smiled the Earl, “but I would like to ask something more of you.”

  Aurora suddenly felt warm all through despite her cold wet cloak and frozen ears and fingers.

  “I would appreciate a little more of your company, but this time in much more congenial circumstances. Will you dine with me tomorrow night?”

  His dark eyes were shining and his smile flashed at her through the drifting white flakes.

  Aurora was about to agree to his invitation when she suddenly remembered that she was just a young girl – and a young girl who was as good as engaged.

  Her father and her stepmother would never permit such a rendezvous.

  “I am sorry, my Lord, but I don’t think I can. My father and stepmother would not allow me to accept.”

  “Of course, Miss Hartnell. Please forgive me, you seemed such an intrepid and independent young lady when you drove through the gates of Linford Castle.”

  Aurora realised that she should shake the reins and urge Cherry to trot away home up the drive, but she could not bring herself to do it.

  She could see that the Earl was still smiling at her, his eyes bright with expectation.

  “I have an idea!” he said. “I would not wish in any way to compromise your reputation. But what if – ”

  He hesitated, looking mischievously at Aurora and Phyllis.

  “Go on,” urged Aurora hesitantly, for she knew that she should
now bid him farewell and yet she did so want to know what he was about to say to her.

  “There is a fine old inn down by the river where the food is excellent. What if we were to dress ourselves as local folk – perhaps a well-to-do carter and his wife – and visit incognito for our dinner?”

  Aurora gasped.

  She did not know what to say.

  The plan sounded like so much fun and she would love to talk more to the Earl and to see him in a happier mood, even though she knew full well it was not possible.

  The Earl was continuing, undeterred by her silence,

  “Your fierce lady’s maid will act as chaperone and she will be able to help you with your disguise.”

  Phyllis was so shocked that her hood fell back and she stared at the Earl with her mouth open.

  Aurora’s head was spinning.

  She felt that she had never been in such a difficult position before, since she was longing to accept the Earl’s invitation and yet was quite certain that if she did so, she would cause distress to her father and make her stepmother very angry indeed.

  ‘If only Mama was waiting at home for me,’ she thought, ‘and I could ask her what I should do.’

  The chilly wind lessened and Aurora blinked the snowflakes from her lashes and looked around her to see Hadleigh Park transformed into a white wonderland.

  All at once she knew what she could now say that would neither hurt his feelings nor compromise herself,

  “Thank you, my Lord, for your kind invitation. I’m sure it is a most entertaining idea. But I don’t think it will be possible for me to go out while the weather remains so unpleasant.”

  The Earl look around and then laughed.

  “You are right, Miss Hartnell, forgive me for being so impatient. This snow may be on the ground for many days and it’s surely not a good time to be gadding about.”

  He turned back to her and looked at her intently.

  “But please, do promise me that as soon as the thaw comes and the sun is shining, we may have our meeting.”

  Aurora looked away in confusion.

  This was the second time in twenty-four hours that a man had pressed her to make a promise and this time, unlike her experience with Lord Moreton, she wished that she could say ‘yes’.