Chapter 15
Young William sat in the nursery knowing his time there was nearly done.
“William, have you finished all your French verbs?” Miss Rosenberg asked, but she was smiling – William’s attention kept on being drawn to outside, she knew he was waiting his father’s return eagerly.
At the sound of horses hooves on the cobbles William jumped up and looked out of the window
“Father!” William looked up and smiled and waved at his son
“Did you see Lord Agnew?” Young William called out.
“All in good time my son – I will see you when you have finished morning lessons!”
William dutifully wrote down all the words Miss Rosenberg asked him, and she hadn’t got the heart to delay him any longer, and she said that would do for the day – William raced out of the nursery and down to the drawing room where he knew his father would be.
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With a grunt, Sir Jasper turned over, and landed with a thump on the floor. He looked round the dingy room and blinked – where the hell was he? A vinegary smell of sour beer hit his nostrils, or rather nostril, the other was caked with dried blood…
Pulling the sacking that roughly covered the wooden shutter and opening it up, Jasper peered out into the bright day trying to get his barings. Blinking into the sunshine he could see cobbles………suddenly something nudged him from behind, and whinnied.
Nearly jumping out of his skin, Sir Jasper saw he was in a stable – but where, he hadn’t a clue…of all the indignities! HIM, Sir Jasper, reduced to sleeping in a stable of all things! There were voices and he quickly closed the shutter
“Yes uncle, I PROMISE you, and if he DOES come round, well, I shan’t open the door”
“See that you don’t – I shall be back this afternoon”
Footsteps across the cobbles were getting closer to the stable, so Sir Jasper quickly went and hid behind some straw bales. Light flooded the stable and he heard a voice say,
“Come on old lad………” He watched as Drusilla’s uncle Ethan slipped a saddle on the horse and mount it, riding off.
Squinting out into the yard, Sir Jasper could just make out the figure of Drusilla at the well fetching water.
Slowly he stood, brushed as much straw and bits off him as he could and he walked out into the yard.
Totally oblivious, Drusilla la-la’ed a tune as she wound the bucket up full of water. It wasn’t until she saw the man-shaped shadow on the ground that she jumped and turned around, she held her arm up to shield her eyes from the glare of the sun and said,
“Oh – OH, it’s you! – You startled me!”
“Where’s my money?”
Drusilla looked at him with frightened eyes
“M-money? – I-I don’t know w-what you mean!” Sir Jasper walked menacingly towards her and Dru moved around putting the well between her and the brute of a man – she could see him clenching and un-clenching his fists…
“MY money – I gave you £10 to look after, I put it in a very safe place didn’t I?”
Drusilla had a ‘flashback’ of Sir jasper drunkenly stuffing the white five pound notes down into her bosom of her low cut dress…the same two five pound notes she’d given to her uncle so she could stay with him.
“I-I don’t know what –when – you didn’t, I have nothing!”
She’d been hoping and praying that he’d been so drunk that he wouldn’t have remembered – but then she should have known better, Sir Jasper wouldn’t have forgotten where he put his last farthing…
Still moving towards her menacingly, Drusilla was wildly looking around to see if there was something she could hit him with if she didn’t have time to get back to the relative safety of the house – a few stones...there was the bucket of water she quickly thought, and reached for it, but it was heavy and on a hook
“Oh no you don’t! Now c’mere you little bitch!” Sir Jasper made a dive for her and Dru ran the other way picking up her skirts she ran towards the house, but he caught up with her just before the step
Plunging his hand down her dress to her soft breasts with his rough dirty hands he hurt her. Drusilla began to cry and beg, trying to push him off her
She was using what little strength she had left trying to get his hand from down her dress, which began to rip, when his other hand caught her around the throat
“You thieving, stinking little whore – give me what’s rightfully mine or I’ll kill you – do you hear me – I said I’ll – “
Eyes bulging, she scrabbled at his hand around her small neck, her feet were off the ground she could see spots before her eyes and suddenly there was a loud crack, and everything went black.
Sir Jasper felt her neck break – he stared at her for a few seconds and let go – she dropped like a rag doll into a heap at his feet – her head at an odd angle
“Drusilla? – Dru?” Without even touching her again, he knew she was dead.
“Oh god – Oh god I didn’t mean to – OH!” Backing away, he stumbled, held his hand to him mouth and turned to run. He vomited, panting he wretched and coughed, heaving for breath, trying to think clearly.
It was obvious he would be the prime suspect – they’d hunt him down like the dog he was, he wouldn’t be able to find peace anywhere, no money, and nowhere to go.
Edging back to the house, he stepped over the body and went inside
He opened a few cupboards and found some drink – a half bottle of some gut-rot spirit, but it would do for the moment…he had to think, had to think clearly – he didn’t know how much time he’d have until her uncle came back. Swigging out of the bottle and idea came to him – he’d make it look like an accident! Yes – she was at the well – could she have fallen in – no, no it was too small…could she have fallen in the house?
He looked around – nothing for her to trip on, just the table and three chairs…he looked towards the fireplace – there was no fire, but sticks had been laid – obviously for a fire later on.
He opened the door that lead to the bedroom; there was nothing suitable to – oh god NO! That was the last thing he wanted – Ethan was back!
The sound of horse’s hooves on the cobbles alerted him to that fact, and he dashed into the bedroom and closed the door, peering through a crack
“Dru – DRU – what happened – Oh goodness, fainting fits…all this comes when you’re with-child, you should have a man to look after-Dru…Dru? – Oh god, oh no – oh god no!” Ethan stood shakily from bending over the girl – she was cold, and very dead. Immediately Ethan’s thoughts went to Sir Jasper.
He swallowed and wondered what to do; he was shaking like a leaf. With hands that wouldn’t keep still, he fumbled for the knife he had in his belt, just in case the brute was still about
Sir Jasper tried to see what Ethan was doing, and as he shifted to open the door a little more, he knocked something over
He froze
Ethan’s shaky hand clamped around the handle of his knife
“Alright, I know you’re still here – you better come out!” Ethan said, as strongly as he could
Sir jasper looked around for an escape – the window was far too tiny, barely a foot square…there was no use, he’d have to try and bluff his way out
“Is that you Ethan – oh thank the lord – I came for Drusilla, I have rooms in town, and I found…found her like – oh gods! She’s dead- and carrying my child too!” Sir Jasper tried to look stricken
“You! YOU did this!” Ethan waved the blade under Sir Jasper’s nose
“Don’t be ridiculous! We were to be wed!”
“You can’t fool me – not after the way you treated her the other night, she was just an embarrassment to you and – oof!”
Sir Jasper shoved the heavy table towards Ethan, and it caught him square in his middle, knocking him over
Ethan tried to back away, turned onto his knees and went to stand but something heavy crashed onto his back, knocking him flat, face first on the floor.
“You won’t….get away with…ah – ugh!”
Sir Jasper hit him with the chair again, knocking him out completely. He was panicking – there was no way Ethan could live now – he’d rat on him – there was nothing else for it, he’d have to kill him too – but how – he hadn’t meant to kill Dru…
Sir Jasper picked up the knife Ethan had threatened him with and walked towards Drusilla’s uncle…he raised the knife but couldn’t plunge it into his back. He felt sick again…the blade was sharp, he could cut his throat perhaps…he bent but Ethan began to stir and Jasper jumped away.
Jasper picked up the chair again and bought it crashing down on Ethan’s head, knocking him out again.
“Think…come on, think man!” Jasper chided himself. He spied the bottle he’d been swigging out of earlier and reached for it, but knocked it over. Cursing he righted the bottle, but there was hardly anything left.
Outside the horse whinnied and nodded it’s head – Jasper could see there were to full bags either side of the saddle
He went out and looked
Candles, bread, drink – he took a bottle in each hand and strode back into the cottage
It was getting dark, and Jasper had just kept knocking Ethan out – when he was drunk enough, he’d pluck up the courage to kill him………
Trying to light one of the candles, it fell on the floor, and ignited the drink that he’d spilled earlier – the rug went up and was soon alight
Unsteadily, Jasper stood, then smiled - fire! Of course, why didn’t he think of it sooner?
Pouring the rest of the booze over everything (including Ethan) the room soon caught alight.
Dragging in Drusilla’s body too, Jasper left and closed the door smiling as he gave them barely a glance – he’d get – no, GOT away with it there would be no one to tell on him now, and no proof it was him………
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“Father!” William ran to his father, who caught him up and hugged him close
“Did you speak with Lord Agnew father – did you?”
William smiled and ruffled his son’s hair
“Yes my son I did, and I told him everything – there is a warrant out for Sir Jaspers arrest – the whole army are on the look-out for him!”
William beamed at his father
“There are my two handsome men!”
“Mother!”
“My love, are you strong enough?”
Elizabeth beamed as she came carefully down the stairs
“Too long have I idled in bed!”
“Not idled exactly!”
“I fancied a turn about the garden – it’s such a beautiful day!”
“Then a walk we shall have my love!” She took her husband’s arm and her son’s hand and they went outside.
When they were on the lawn, William looked up and saw Miss Rosenberg holding his younger sister
“Father, can I go and fetch Miss Rosenberg and my sister – it’s such a lovely day!”
William smiled at his son
“Of course!”
Young William ran to the house – before he knew it, he was standing by the priest hole panel. He smiled, pushed it open and crawled inside – he felt the tumbling sensation and then a small bump. He looked down at himself and saw his familiar tee shirt, shorts and sneakers. He pushed lightly against the panel and it flipped up. Crawling out Billy stood up, and closed the panel, there was nobody else in the corridor…
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry this has been a long time in coming - one more chapter to go, then a new story