Chapter 5
The sun sets earlier than I remembered here in Sleepy Hollow. By the time I’m done reading the first few diary entries, the room has grown dark around me. Blinking, I push myself up to a sitting position and stretch.
It feels surreal to hold the diary in my hands, knowing it’s survived hundreds of years and was once held by a woman I’m descended from, who lived in this very house before me.
Her descriptions paint a vibrant picture of what life had been like, and I can almost feel her excitement emanating from the page.
The Van Tassel Manor she describes sounds warm and inviting, which is at odds with the house that it has become. I wonder what happened?
I slide off the bed and step over to the window, where I can see the dark town in the distance. An involuntary shiver runs down my spine. I pull the curtains closed to keep the dark out and the heat in, and make my way to the bedroom door.
Out in the corridor, I bump into Meredith.
“Ah, there you are. I was just coming to see if you’ll be joining us for dinner,” she says lightly.
My stomach growls, a reminder that I haven’t eaten since the soup.
I follow Meredith through the house to the dining hall, a long room coming off from the kitchen.
It’s warm in here. Heat is being thrown out by the big, open fireplace that takes up one side of the room, the crackling flames sending shadows dancing across the forest-green walls.
More light comes from the crystal chandelier glowing above the long mahogany table.
Meredith sits at one end of the table, waiting for my father to join and sit opposite, while Toby and I face each other in high-backed chairs.
Between us, the table is piled high with plates of roast vegetables, potatoes, cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire puddings.
Steam rises from the food, the rich scent reminding me of family dinners long passed.
“So, Katrina, how have you found your first day back at the old family home?” my father, Philip Van Tassel, asks as he strides into the room and takes his seat at the head of the table.
That’s it? He hasn’t seen me in years and doesn’t even open with a hello? I hadn’t been expecting hugs and fanfare, but even with the fire warming my back, I’m shocked at the icy welcome.
“It’s been fine, thanks. The house feels the same as ever, and the town. It’s like nothing has changed,” I reply flatly, reaching for the roast potatoes in the centre.
“You’ve been down in the town? Did Ben take you?” He continues his brusque line of questioning, spearing a carrot with his fork. I can see why he makes a good headmaster — the authority radiates from him even now. He sits tall, his jacket straining across his chest.
“No, Dad. It’s only a short walk,” I say, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes.
“You walked by yourself, alone?” The hand holding his glass of red wine visibly tightens.
I fail and this time, I do roll my eyes. “I’m nineteen. I didn’t need someone to take me and hold my hand.”
He looks uneasy. “It’s not about that.” He coughs. “Look, before we get too far into dinner, there’s something you all need to know.” He pushes his plate away.
Meredith rests her patterned silver cutlery on the side of her plate as well. “Are you all right, Philip? Is it something at the university?” she asks, picking up a napkin and dabbing the corner of her mouth.
Dad pauses and shakes his head. “No, no. Something has happened in the town. It’s… well, it’s Dr Larpin. He was found dead this afternoon.”
A log in the fireplace cracks.
Toby and I exchange a glance across the table, both of us putting our forks down.
“The doctor who came around last summer after I fell off my bike?” Toby asks, eyes wide.
“Yes, he’s head of the GP practice in town,” Dad says for my benefit.
I remember the man practically tripping over himself and colliding with me outside the doctor surgery earlier today. Surely not?
“How awful,” Meredith gasps, crumpling the napkin in her hand. “What happened?”
Dad hesitates again, his eyes flickering towards Toby, and I know this can’t be good. But what he says next isn’t what I expect at all.
He clears his throat. “You may as well know. I’m sure you’ll hear it from someone, especially up at the school.” He pauses, clearly unsure how to proceed. “They found him in his office and he’d… well, he was found beheaded.”
We all gasp.
“Oh god.” Meredith reaches out and grasps mine and Toby’s hands across the table.
“What?” I can’t believe what he’s just said. “That’s so... Who kills someone like that?” I stutter. “Do they know who did it?”
Dad pulls the collar of his shirt away from his throat with two fingers. “I spoke with the police chief personally this afternoon, and currently they’re operating under the assumption that it was a terrible accident.”
There are a few beats of silence as we all stare at him.
The fire flickers in the hearth, and shadows jump around the room unsteadily.
“What?”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“You can’t really believe that.”
We all talk over each other in a rush.
He raises his hands, palms out, cutting us all off. “I’m sure they’re investigating all possibilities, but sadly, it looks like a terrible, terrible, tragedy. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go wandering the town by yourself right now, especially after dark, Katrina,” he says sternly.
“Well, if it was just an accident, why would me walking around town be an issue?” I counter.
He sighs and spreads his hands on the tabletop. “I’m just trying to protect you, Katrina.”
The way he sits there, not looking directly at me, makes me suspicious. His confidence had slipped for a moment, as if he was unsure just how much to say. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m sure my father knows more than he’s telling us.