The girl who would wear green

Chapter Fifteen

It was time to concentrate on what they needed to do, said Esmeralda. Randolph limped a little as he headed towards a chest and took out a silken pouch. Inside were two pieces of faintly blue rock, the rock that Essie held when she'd first been told about her gift. The same rock that Essie and her Grandmother still wore in the front of their lockets.
Essie and Esmeralda each held a piece of the rock and concentrated on Bryce Donald. Both of them knew this would not be easy. They needed to try and find out what they could using both of their gifts before they decided what to do next.
Their rocks began to glow with a blue aura. A first Essie heard nothing.
Esmeralda shivered. "I can feel a strong force, and it seems to be centred closer than we may think. It is quite evil and angry."
Essie still heard nothing. She concentrated more, moving a little away from Esmeralda. Suddenly the words overwhelmed her. "She may think she's safe but I know better!"
Essie started and said "Dad! I'm scared" When she told them what she had heard, everyone was silent.
"Randolph" said Esmeralda, "Take Seb and check around outside please. Be careful. Sebastian, maybe you should check from the lookout?"
Essie and Amelia had no idea what the lookout was, but Sebastian left, heading out the back door, and Randolph and Seb moved quietly outside. The sun had gone down, and dusk was starting to creep in, leaving a mist.
Esmeralda turned to Essie and said "don't be frightened, we have great power between us, all we need to be able to do is direct it. Hold my hand now and we will try again."
They put their rocks aside and clasped hands. Essie concentrated again, her eyes held in Esmeralda's green and brown gaze. They closed their eyes for a few moments. All they could hear was silence.
Randolph and Seb had not returned, and as far as they knew Sebastian was checking the lookout.
As Essie began to hear a jumble of thoughts and words her concentration was broken as the door opened and in came Randolph and Seb, pushing a rather reluctant and very wet young man in front of them.
"Anyone know this fellow? We found him on our side of the river and following the path" Randolph asked.
Julia looked at him and said sharply "Jake, what are you doing here? Did you follow us? Oh, my goodness, I told him today that I would be away on urgent business for a few days, he's followed us!" Jake looked defiantly around and said nothing.
Esmeralda said briskly, "No time to waste then. If he's working with Bryce Donald and he's followed you, they will not be far away. It is time we moved. Randolph, you know what to do now."

Randolph nodded and took hold of Jake's arm and led him towards a trapdoor set into the kitchen floor, under the huge rug. He unlocked the trap door, and revealed a room inside, surrounded on the walls with shelving full of tins and boxes.
"Supply room" he stated as he indicated for Jake to climb down the steps leading from the door. Once Jake started down the steps, Randolph closed, locked and bolted the trapdoor once again, and replaced the rug.
"That will keep him occupied for some time" said Randolph, "although he may not like it much, sitting on the floor looking at our supplies. Only way out is this door here, and I will have the key with me. "
He then gestured to everyone to follow him down the hallway towards Esmeralda's bedroom. He walked to a large painted portrait of a much younger Esmeralda, one that looked a lot like Essie if she had stopped to have a closer look, and pushed a flower on the patterned frame surrounding the portrait. Part of the wall slowly moved outwards.
"Inside now everyone" he said and he took a torch from the small table nearby and then pulled the door shut behind him.
Ahead was a passage way cut into what seemed to be a type of clay. The passage was cool and dark, and followed a slightly curved direction away from the house. Randolph led the way, limping slightly and shining his torch so the others could follow. The passageway was quite long, but soon they could feel the ground starting to slope upwards as they came to another door.
Randolph unlocked the door and led them all into a small room, neatly timbered all around, and furnished with a couch, comfortable chairs and a table. The walls were lined with books. "My research room" explained Esmeralda, "it is where I keep my writings and observations on important events, as well as my records on the history of our family. Your book, Essie, was the result of a lot of my research".
She lit a small kerosene lamp and placed it on a low table nearby, as it was getting quite late in the evening now.
"We cannot turn lights on, as they can be seen from some areas outside if we are not careful" she said.
She then crossed to the other side of the room, and taking a silver key from a chain around her neck, she opened the door in the far wall. "Sebastian?" she said quietly, "Can you see anything yet?"
Essie was surprised to see her dad standing in what seemed to be a small clearing surrounded with thick trees and bushes. She moved out towards her father and tried to see what he was looking at.
"Over there" Sebastian pointed towards the trees, and as she looked she realised that she was looking at the river, shrouded in darkness. She was also looking down at the river, she realised. The lookout was actually on a small hill, totally covered in vegetation, and the research room was cut into the far side of the hill. They were quite a distance away, but once she knew where she was looking she could see them. Or what she could see were the lights from torches from five, maybe six figures on the far side of the river bank, making their way towards the area where the boatman had crossed to collect them earlier today.

"They aren't across the river yet, and the boatman will not come to carry them across without the song, but they will work out how to get here, now they know where to come. I saw Randolph bring that assistant of Julia's back to the house, I guess he's told them where to come." Said Essie's dad.
Essie's mum nodded sadly, "I wish I had been more observant, he seemed so helpful".
Inside the room, Esmeralda was talking quietly to Amelia, who was sitting in one of the chairs, looking exhausted. Amelia had not had much sleep, worrying and waiting for her mother to come home.
"Luckily, I always keep a stash close by when working here, because I do tend to forget the time" Esmeralda said as she produced apples, oranges and a banana and three chocolate bars from a cupboard, as well as a large bottle of water and some cups, and passed them around.
Amelia ate an apple and a chocolate bar. She had a drink of water and then closed her eyes and was soon fast asleep.
Julia sat quietly beside Amelia, lost in thought. She was worried as well as upset. Not only had her assistant bought danger so close, but also because for her this was the hardest part. Letting Essie take part in the battle to come and knowing what could happen if they did not win.
Bryce Donald had shown himself to have a mean and nasty nature and he would not hesitate to hurt any of them if they got in his way. With Lord Leopold behind him now, this made him even more dangerous.