Chapter Nine
NINE
Kate was fast asleep that night when a sound permeated her consciousness.
Somehow, she identified it as a scream, even before her brain told her that meant she had to wake up.
Panicked, she jolted her head off the pillow to listen.
It was screaming, and it seemed to be coming from the garden.
Then she recognised Tilly’s voice and panicked even more – what was she doing outside?
– before realising that the sound was coming from Tilly’s bedroom, at the other end of the house, but was reaching their room through the open windows.
These internal walls must be thicker than they’d realised, she thought as she jumped out of bed.
‘I’m coming!’ she yelled, then dashed for the stairs, Matt a few feet behind her.
They had to go all the way downstairs, along the corridor and then up the other staircase. It seemed to take forever, though it was probably only forty seconds or so. When they got there, Tilly was sitting on the top step, crying.
‘Darling, what is it?’ Kate gasped. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘There’s someone in my room,’ Tilly said.
‘There can’t be,’ Matt said reassuringly. ‘The house is all locked up.’
Kate knew he was only trying to calm Tilly down, but she felt instinctively that the first thing their daughter needed was to be believed. So when Tilly retorted tearfully, ‘There is someone. I felt them,’ she said, ‘OK, no worries. Let’s go in together and see who it is.’
She took Tilly’s hand and led her to the bedroom door. Her daughter hung back. ‘I think it’s the witch,’ she said fearfully.
For the same reason, Kate didn’t say, Of course there isn’t a witch. Instead, she said, ‘What witch is that?’
‘The one who lives in the tree.’
‘OK,’ Kate said. ‘Let’s see.’ She switched on the light.
‘Well, if there was a witch, she’s not here now,’ she began, just as a tiny flickering shape hurtled through the open window at them. Tilly screamed again, and even Matt flinched and raised an arm.
The shape jinked and fluttered around their heads. Kate felt the air move as it came within inches of her head. Then it was gone, as fast as it had come, zipping out again through the window.
‘It’s a bat,’ she said. ‘Just a bat, looking for some nice insects to eat.’
‘Could that have been what you felt, Tills?’ Matt asked. ‘A bat coming close to your face?’
After a moment, Tilly nodded.
‘I expect it didn’t know there was anyone in here,’ Kate said encouragingly. ‘It knows now, though. But shall we close the window anyway, just for tonight?’
A little reluctantly, Tilly allowed herself to be persuaded back to bed. Matt went downstairs to make her a hot drink, while Kate stayed to help her get settled.
‘What made you think it was a witch?’ she asked gently. ‘And why does the witch live in the tree?’
‘You said it did,’ Tilly said accusingly.
‘Oh!’ Realisation dawned. ‘The wych elm. That’s a different sort of witch. Though they were meant to be magical – I read a story once where there was a wych elm that could cure toothache.’
Tilly considered. ‘Is Rosemary a witch?’
Kate laughed. ‘I doubt it!’ Then, because she was curious, she couldn’t help asking, ‘Do you like her?’
Tilly nodded. ‘And Paul. And Biddy. And when I took Biddy home today, Rosemary said she’s going to look for a pony to live in our paddock, to eat the grass. She says I might be able to ride it.’
That was news to Kate. ‘Well – either that, or Daddy could mow it.’
‘I love it here. We won’t ever have to leave, will we?’ Tilly asked anxiously, and of course Kate reassured her that no, they were definitely there for good.