Chapter 55
NOW
They made an odd trio that night. They decided it was better to go to the pub and talk, rather than chat in the guest house dining room and have Cynthia and all the other guests listening in.
But Violet had arranged for Jake to stay there overnight with her. It just seemed warmer and better than them both sleeping in Jake’s van.
‘This is Jake, my partner,’ Violet had told Cynthia. ‘He’s come down for the night. With the snow and everything, is it okay if he shares my room? We’ll pay extra, of course.’
But Cynthia hadn’t wanted any more money, so it was all good.
Ollie, on the other hand, had different plans.
‘I’m leaving in the morning,’ he said in the pub, clutching a glass of red wine as if his life depended on it.
‘I think I’ve seen enough of this place.
Not sure I want to hang around any more than necessary.
In fact, I’d probably have left already, but—’ He held the glass up ruefully. ‘This is more important right now.’
‘At the risk of sounding fussy,’ said Violet, ‘I think a good night’s sleep is important too.’
‘Ha! Not sure I’ll get any sleep here,’ he replied. ‘I’ll be expecting him to be creeping around my room or staring at me through the window.’
‘He’s not coming back,’ said Violet. ‘Absolutely not.’
‘He’d better not.’ Ollie shuddered. ‘I need a refill.’
Violet pushed the wine bottle over to Ollie.
‘I do not want to see his face peering back at me ever again from a pool of water.’
Then Jake made a peculiar noise. ‘Well, I didn’t see anyone in the Well, but I certainly felt someone.
I’m going out on a limb to say I bet Emory looked like me.
’ He scowled briefly, then shuddered. ‘I had an outfit change on my way to rescue Violet – I looked down and my clothes seemed about, well, four hundred years out of date. And there was something else as well. It was on the way over here. I went to Corbridge, had a stop at the Angel Inn.’
Ollie looked up. ‘I saw that place my way here too. Looks pretty old. When I was reading about the area on my first day, I looked it up. Thought I could maybe go for dinner one night. The article said there’d been a murder there when it was called The Head Inn.’
‘A murder?’ Jake looked at him. ‘And did it say when?’
‘The sixteen hundreds sometime. A sergeant who was connected with—’ Ollie stopped suddenly.
‘With what?’ Violet was intrigued.
Ollie cast a glance at her. ‘John Kincaid.’
‘Who? The bastard Witch Finder?’ Violet felt anger bubble up inside her.
‘Yup.’ Ollie shrank into himself and stared into his glass. ‘He was strangled and his throat was cut. Connected to all of this as well? You think?’
Violet swore under her breath. ‘No idea. But quite possibly.’
‘I was zoning out,’ admitted Jake. ‘Imagining hanging around the pub, watching for someone, climbing out of the room, like it was me there. I guess – Meg’s dagger could have done that. And I kind of understand Emory going for a Witch Finder. I mean, I would if it was you, Vi.’
She smiled at him. She knew it was the truth. ‘Perhaps you fell into his mind; you remembered things he’d done.’ She transferred her attention to Ollie. ‘And we know Charles decided to use you – what a family you’ve come from.’
Ollie shook his head. ‘I don’t know how I’m still here. Genuinely. That family… I mean, I can understand Emory getting revenge for Meggie. But I seem to look more like Charles?’
‘It was through Ellen,’ said Violet suddenly.
‘Meg’s – well, I won’t say friend because Ellen was just as guilty of getting Meg killed as Charles was – but it’s her.
Her son was Charles’ son. His illegitimate son.
I bet he’s the one. I, well, I heard Ellen tell Meg nobody could know, and the bairn wasn’t Tam’s. I think the baby was a Milburn!’
Ollie nodded. ‘Tam. That’s a nickname for Thomas yes?
’ He laughed shortly. ‘My middle name is Thomas. A family name. And my grandfather – he was always called Tam. Yes. You’ll be right, I guess.
It was all just a family legend – nobody had ever traced it all back properly; it was just passed down the generations.
I took it into my head to come and try and find out.
I was going to follow it up properly at the archives, the libraries – all that kind of thing.
It just seemed easier starting with the house. ’
‘I bet you wish you’d never bothered,’ said Jake.
‘Too damn right.’
‘Well, even if you had gone to the libraries and archives, I don’t think you’d have found your answers there,’ said Violet.
‘I can’t imagine it being recorded anywhere that Charles got Ellen pregnant.
I only know because of – well – that conversation…
’ Violet felt her cheeks flush. ‘Let’s just leave it at that. ’
Violet raised her glass of orange, hoping the men would take the hint and not ask much more. She wasn’t quite ready to go into the whole thing yet. Everyone was safe, and that was all that mattered.
Ollie and Jake took the hint. The three of them clinked glasses. ‘To Meggie and Emory,’ said Violet. ‘I hope you’re happy now.’
And thank you, Meg, she added mentally. I really could not have done any of this without you.
Violet knew she wasn’t imagining the sense of warmth and protection that surrounded her.
She grazed her hand gently against her stomach, which was definitely firmer than it had been before.
If souls did have some sort of freedom to choose who they visited, she really hoped that she was carrying part of Meggie’s soul as well.
That would be a wonderful legacy for her.
Perhaps Coventina had blessed them both after all.