Sabbath's 2 Darlings- The 12: Book Two

8. Let's Start With the End

Roasted pork, fried chicken and greens filled the air with their scents and there was that unmistakable smell of pie. At noon the girls made their way into town. The celebrations were still going on but they didn't wait around to take part in any of them. Ottaline purchased fried chicken, potato salad and a slice of blueberry pie for her father's lunch and made her way to the mansion.

"Today would be a good day to see the lights!" she said as she and Providence walked up the street.

"I can wait," Providence said. "You know how I am about people."

"Well you seem to trust Mr. Idris a lot, and he's almost a stranger."

"Mr. Idris doesn't make me want to jump out of my own skin," Providence said rubbing her prickled arms with a shudder. When they came to the crossroad she stopped. "Look, Heritage Place," she said with a shiver.

Ottaline looked straight ahead at the narrow path that stretched out far before them then curved to the right before mounting a hill up to a hazy gray house in the far distance.

"Jemima McCarthy says Old Mrs. Heritage's ghost is in there."

"It's always spooks with Jemima," Ottaline said. "Daddy says the family moved away. You'll only find bats and dirty birds in there." She took up the basket of food and gave Providence the wagon handle. "You can wait here; I'll only be a second." she said and skipped off up the lane.

Providence pulled the wagon off the road and sat in it to examine their treasures. The conch shell was by far her favorite. She loved the way the opal shimmered when it was turned in the sun. Holding it up to her ear she listened to the sound of the ocean imagining she was sailing.

Ottaline rushed up to the house and knocked on the kitchen door. When no one answered she knocked again until she got Ally. "For my father," she said and the tall woman took it.

"I'm surprised to see you, Ottaline," Ally said. "Your father spoke of forbidden you come up here."

"Forbidding me? But who would make his lunch?"

"He'd manage I'm sure. He says he wishes you'd engage in more practical things."

Ottaline knew that meant her father wished she'd not poke around and get busy but there was no good in arguing that she didn't.

"Listen to that," Ally said with a sigh. "What I wouldn't give to be down there with the marching band. Oh I forgot," she suddenly said. "Your father went to town to deliver something for Master Esau. I wish he had sent me, but he only trust your father with such things."

"I just came from there and I didn't see him," Ottaline said.

"Well if you hurry back you might catch him," Ally said. "I'll give this to him when he returns."

"Thank you," Ottaline said. She turned away from the house and headed toward the lane. As she was coming down she spotted Craig making his way up, leading a colt that had been ridden too hard. The animal was bowed forward and limping and a trail was blood was left in its prints.

"Hey, you. Go see if my uncle is in the stable," Craig licked his lips with apprehension, looking much more like a scared animal than the bully he was.

Ottaline took in the distance to the stables and the warnings she received about being on the property, and also how concerned Craig was. "I have to be going." As she passed him up her grabbed her arm.

"Go look out for Uncle Ishmael!"

"Help, Ally! Mrs. Richmond, Master Esau!"

Craig covered her mouth. She tasted his glove. She wiggled free, escaping at arm's length and billowed for help all the louder.