Chapter 7
NOW
Violet climbed the stile and saw some flagstones that crossed the Burn like stepping stones.
This small stream, then, was Meggie’s Dene Burn: the one that sprung from Coventina’s Well and ran all the way down through Newbrough, whisking a witch’s ashes along with it.
Today, the water was gushing and tumbling, grey water tipped with white, gaining speed as it ran down through the valley.
‘So this is where they put you,’ murmured Violet.
She stood on the stepping stones, looking down towards Newbrough, past where she knew there’d been a shrine to the Water Nymphs on the bank of the Burn.
She traced the line of the Burn with her gaze until the stream disappeared into some trees, and then she watched the water rush beneath her feet until she felt dizzy.
It didn’t help that the cloud was rolling in around her now, and she felt a little disorientated.
Time to get off the stones. Falling into the Burn herself was not something she had planned to do today. She almost felt as if she needed to say something to acknowledge Meggie in some way, but she had no words that seemed appropriate. What could you say to a woman who had been dead for centuries?
Violet stood for a moment longer, trying to send some sort of healing thought to the alleged witch, and then she turned and walked across the rest of the stones to the bank. If she turned right and followed the track, she knew she’d get to the Well.
She squinted through the cloud as she felt flakes of icy cold snow hitting her face.
It wasn’t a soft snow; it was pretty brutal and felt like pinpricks against her skin.
For a moment, she really appreciated how the Roman soldiers must have felt when they came to the northern frontier of their empire, from places such as North Africa or Spain or France.
Warm places.
‘Poor buggers,’ she muttered. At least she had the comfort of knowing that she could get back to the B there should not be something like that lying around.
It looked pretty old, so she didn’t think it had been used in the recent past for some awful crime, but she didn’t think she could leave it there, in all good conscience. An animal might get hurt, or a child could come and pick it up—
‘Nope. You’re not staying there,’ Violet said to the dagger.
She took a few steps forwards, and half-slid, half-stumbled down the bank, keeping her gaze focused on the weapon. Then she reached out. She had to get it.
As she went to grab the handle, she faltered, missing the dagger and losing her footing completely, slipping down towards the Well, helplessly skidding towards the icy-cold water – and all she could think was the fact that the Well was apparently seven feet deep…
* * *
Jake still didn’t know what was propelling him forwards. He just knew he needed to be on the other side of the Burn. Through the swirling flakes of snow, he saw a figure far too close to the area he suspected – no, he knew – was Coventina’s Well.
The figure headed down the slope and, when they were close to the long reeds and grasses which seemed to surround the pool, they leant down, as if they were reaching for something. Then in one heart-stopping moment, he saw the person lose their footing and start to slither down towards the water.
He started to run – they were going to end up in the bloody water if they weren’t careful! It took him another split second to realise he actually knew the person who was sliding towards the icy water: her long, fair hair, her pink padded jacket…
‘Violet!’ Jake hurtled towards her and, just as the toe of her boot got covered with water, he managed to grab her arm and stop her from falling into the damn thing.
They tussled for a couple of moments as she tried to get her footing and he tried to hold onto her while she did so, and then somehow, hanging on to one another, they both managed to scramble back onto firmer ground.
‘I didn’t know you’d be here! Right now.’ Violet was shocked and white-faced as they clambered up the bank. Her grey eyes were wide and terrified. ‘You never said you were going to come. Why did you come?’
‘I wasn’t really coming looking for you.
In fact, I was hoping that I wouldn’t see you, because it wasn’t planned and I know how you like your plans.
’ Violet certainly didn’t like surprises or anything throwing her off her designated route.
That was where the pair of them differed the most. Jake was a lot more spontaneous.
Point in fact – he’d jumped in the van this morning and now he was on Hadrian’s Wall.
In contrast, Violet had planned this rigorously in advance for her book.
‘However,’ he continued, ‘it’s just as well I was here, because if I wasn’t…
’ He waved in the direction of the Well.
‘I can’t see anyone else rushing to help you, can you?
There’s nobody here, it’s a bloody blizzard and you’re deciding to go for a paddle. ’
‘You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?’ Violet glared at Jake and he glared back silently. ‘Okay – thank you for rescuing me.’ Violet rolled her eyes heavenwards as if she hadn’t just been saved from drowning. ‘But what are you really doing here?’
‘It sounded interesting, okay?’ Jake flushed and dipped his head.
‘And I thought it would be a nice surprise. You’re interested in Old Meg the witch.
’ Jake could have sworn he heard a hiss from Violet, almost as if she didn’t believe Old Meg was a witch after all.
‘And I’m interested in – the rest. Coventina’s Well.
The Shrine to the Water Nymphs. The Mithraeum.
’ He brought himself up short when he remembered the feeling he’d got near the Mithraic Temple.
‘It’s the ancient Paganism versus Christianity debate.
Why did they throw all the altars in the Well?
Did someone decree that they had to give up their religion or what?
’ Jake shrugged. ‘I don’t suppose I’ll find out, but I’d still like to see the place.
And see the things they threw in there. I did not come here and expect to see you throwing yourself in there. ’
‘I did not expect you to come and see me,’ she paused, ‘throwing myself in the Well. God.’ She shook her head and her shoulders went down as a bit of the tension left her.
‘There was something beside the Well and I went to get it and…’ She stopped, looking back over her shoulder.
‘I must have been imagining it. There’s nothing there.
Maybe I knocked it back in with my feet?
’ She took a couple of steps towards the Well again and Jake tensed, ready to rugby tackle her to the ground if necessary to stop her sliding down through that icy mud again.
The Well – or the huge, boggy puddle that it seemed to be now – did not look welcoming.
He didn’t know if he’d be lucky enough to grab her arm the next time.
‘Anyway. I’m safe now,’ Violet stopped in her tracks and turned back to him. ‘Thank God.’
She shivered, and Jake shook his head. ‘Yes. Thank God. Look, I’m sorry – it was a stupid plan.
I looked the place up and I went down a rabbit hole.
And I have a camper van. I didn’t want to hassle you – I know you’ll be busy – but the house is well, too quiet.
’ He attempted a smile. ‘I didn’t think it through.
But at least I have the van so can keep out of your way.
I’ll just be around if you fancy a break from work. A meet-up. A nice cosy pub meal.’
‘As if the van explains it.’ Violet sighed.
‘Yeah. I’ll get out of your hair. Just text me and let me know where you’re going to be each day and I’ll make sure I’m not.
Seriously.’ He held his hands up, feeling really stupid now.
‘I’m not stalking you, I promise. In fact, why don’t I give you my itinerary and then you can absolutely avoid me, and you don’t need to tell me where you are at all. ’
Violet looked at him curiously and then a smile twitched at the corner of her lips.
‘I know you’re not stalking me, for God’s sake.
It would have shocked me more had you not come.
I was expecting it, to be honest. I certainly don’t have a monopoly on this place.
And it’s obvious you’d love it here. I just didn’t expect you to appear today and to appear here.
And I do actually want – need – some time to myself over the next few days.
I have to sort a few things out in my head.
I hope you understand. Oh, and work. Of course. ’
Jake tried not to feel as if the rug was being pulled out from beneath his feet. What did she need to sort out? Was it him? Was she going to end it?
Was that why she’d come up here on her own – not because of the book at all?
Fuck. He didn’t want that, and he had certainly not seen it coming, if that was the case.
She’d been a bit distant since Christmas; seemed to be thinking a lot and staring into the distance a lot, if he was honest. But he’d asked her what was up, and she’d just shaken her head and said work, and she needed to think about her future…
He did not want to lose Violet. Not at all.
But it didn’t seem the right time to say something. But at least she hadn’t told him to fuck off and never talk to her again…
‘Oh Jake.’ She sighed and shook her head.
‘Meeting you today was either good luck or Fate. Honestly, I just wanted some time alone to think and do some of my own research. I wanted to get away from… stuff. But I mean, now you’re here,’ she nudged him in the ribs gently, ‘I presume you’ve got a kettle in the van? ’
‘You know I’ve got a kettle in the van.’
‘Good. Because I’m bloody freezing and I wouldn’t mind a hot drink, to be honest. I don’t want to walk back up to the guest house right now and I didn’t bring my car down.’
‘I can certainly make hot drinks,’ Jake said. ‘You know me. I have a permanent thermos of tea at hand. And I’m just parked up there.’
‘Fine. Let’s go then.’
There was an awkward pause where Jake wondered if he should take Violet’s hand and help her back up the hillside through the ever-falling snow, but she was, he knew, fiercely independent, and made no move to take her hands out of her pockets.
So he waited until she had, seemingly, one last look over her shoulder, and then they began walking, somehow fell into step together and headed back the way he’d come.
He didn’t mind admitting that he was glad to see the back of Coventina’s Well today – and he was even more relieved to get beyond that damned stream as well.