The Lady in Yellow: A Victorian Gothic Paranormal Romance

Fifty-Nine

 When the clock gonged the hour of dawn, Veronica was on the balcony staring down at the empty yard. She'd lost all sense of time. The gun was cold in her hand, a reminder of the terrors of the night, of the very real danger she'd been in that seemed to have vanished like a dream.

The last thing she remembered was Jacqueline alone in the yard. All else was dark. Where was Jacqueline? What had happened to her?

She stole into her room. The house was soaked in silence. She sank into her chair beside the dead fire, drew a woolen shawl around her shoulders, and gazed at the embers, wondering where she'd get the strength to look for her.

Someone was knocking on the downstairs door, ringing the doorbell, calling out for Mr. de Grimston. When it seemed nobody was going to answer it, she got up and, grumbling, went downstairs.

A policeman was at the door. An Officer Simms.

"We've found the remains of a child. We think he's one of yours."

Officer Simms's flat face was grim, his chin sunk into its double as he waited on the doorstep for Veronica's response. There was a farmer at the officer's elbow, turning his hat in his hands, fretting.

Veronica struggled to take in what he'd just said. "What have you found?"

"About a month ago," the farmer broke in. "I didn't know what it was. I mean... you know how it's been the last few years. Wolves and all. That's what it was, I swear. A white wolf heading for the sheep pens. A second didn't pass before I had a shot off. I saw it limp away into the bushes. Left a lot of blood behind. Finished, I thought. But I wasn't about to chase it further seeing as how it was wounded. I thought it went off and died, and that were the end of it."

The farmer hung his head like a small child trying to hold back tears. "I swear it was a wolf, Miss. I swear."

Veronica's eyes felt like cold mountainsides as she stared at the man.

"What has that got to do with us?" she asked, though her insides quaked with fear of the answer.

"The corpse is buried under a bush," the policeman said. "It's been there a while. A month, I'd wager." He cast a knowing glance over his shoulder at the farmer. "There were another death last night. A woman calling her dogs in. Attacked by a big one. Worse than any of the others."

The farmer grimaced, nodded, and looked away.

"Seems there's more wolves than ever out on the moors these days," said Officer Simms. "It's got recruits."

Recruits?

"It's all over the papers." It was Janet. She'd just come in with the newspaper, and stood in the half-light holding it up.

Marauding Wolf Kills Farmer's Wife.

Veronica looked wildly at Janet, whose face was like stone. Her eyes went to the policeman, the farmer.

"Is Mr. de Grimston at home? We need him to come down and identify the child's body," said Officer Simms.

The farmer nodded mournfully.

"No," Veronica whispered.

The officer went on. "Strangely, the child's body's not decayed. Animals haven't gotten at it. Not even ants. You can tell who it was. A small tow-headed lad. About eight years old."

Tears starting in her eyes, Veronica looked helplessly at Janet. She thought she was going to faint.

Officer Simms went on, "I wonder if that wolf survived the shot. Maybe Mr. Hodges here didn't kill it after all. Crazed by its wound it was, perhaps, and attacked your boy."

"Mr. Rafe is away," said Janet. "The housekeeper is still a-bed."

"Haven't you been missing a child?" asked the policeman.

"Well, Jacques has been away with his father. Hasn't he, Janet?"

Veronica looked to the maid as if she could save her from drowning.

"Yes. We saw them off to France about a month ago," Janet said. Lying made her blush.

Eyes narrowed with suspicion, Officer Simms shot a glance at Mr. Hodges who, in turn, cast a wary eye on Veronica.

"Its hard to mistake a child like that. I'm real sorry about what happened." Mr. Hodges tipped his hat. "I'll be going."

Veronica felt utterly unqualified to handle this. She didn't want to face it, but the look in Mr. Hodges face told her what he thought of her balking. Not much.

"Will you give Mr. de Grimston my card?" Officer Simms asked. He handed Veronica his calling card. "I expect to hear from him before the day is out."

"Wait. Take me there. I want to see the child."

Janet was about to say something, but Veronica swept past her and headed up the stairs to get her cloak.

***

Officer Simms and Mr. Hodges were waiting in the forecourt.

"Come on, Miss. Its not far," Mr. Hodges said.

Veronica lifted her hood.

"It's just over the moor."

As she followed the men over the rolling hills, climbing stiles over low stone walls, hurrying to keep up with them as they strode down the lanes, Veronica prepared herself for the sight of the leafy fort. They arrived at a clump of bushes covered with dried, brown juniper limbs and rose briars. It was just as Jacqueline had described it at the wishing well; the hiding place she'd made for her brother.

Officer Simms stood aside. Mr. Hodges parted the branches.

"There he is, Miss. In there."

Indeed, there he was, the pale little form in white trousers and shirt. There was a red bloom on the shirt as if one of the roses had sprung to life, there, at his heart. Wiping the tears from her face, Veronica crawled into the fort.

"Jacques. It's time to come home."

She gathered the dead child into her arms and brought him out into the morning sun.

"You see. Fresh as a daisy, he is," said Mr. Hodges.

The farmer removed his hat and held it over his chest. Officer Simms removed his hat as well.

"Come, let me take him, Miss. I'll escort you home."

Officer Simms moved to take Jacques from Veronica, but she moved away.

"No. I'll take him myself," she said, looking the officer up and down as she if he were a thief.

She stumbled down the slope carrying Jacques, feeling the men watching her back all the way home.