Masters & Lovers Box Set Three

James

Books.

What’s new?

She’s consistent…

‘Principles of Geology’ by Charles Lyell - well-thumbed, ‘The Merchant of Venice’, ‘Marvels of Pond Life’ by Henry Slack - very dog-eared… The list goes on and the only thing any of the texts have in common is that they all look well-used. A second-hand bookstore would describe them as slightly foxed, but it looks as though the bears, the boars and the badgers have been at them too.

She stacks them in a neat pile, then rummages…

Some odds and ends of jewellery; cheap stuff, yellowed with age but seeming little-handled…

A rock. “Oh!” She smiles as it weighs in her hands.

Michael gives me a ‘wtf?’ look and I shrug.

Chad sees our expressions and smiles, then moves to stand close by Michael. He murmurs, “You’d better be ready. She’ll probably get pretty emotional soon.”

Michael shoots him a glance, then nods.

The rock seems to be just that; a rock, prettily striped in green and red, polished to a smooth round..

Curiosity gets the better of me. “Charlotte?”

She almost caresses the pebble and when she looks up, her eyes are full…

“Tell me later,” I say.

She separates out a book, a heavy volume, leather-bound, old looking. Her eyes lift to Michael, then me, and she chews at her lips. Sliding a finger to the pages, she lifts, and the book falls open on…

Flowers?

Yes, pressed flowers; dainty, delicate their colours faded, but recognisable as violets.

forward, looking close. “Are those what

She lifts them free from the page, sliding a fingernail under to ease them from the paper. “Chad and I were still at school. He picked them for me, from the hedgerow. Mrs Collier showed me

Michael shifts by me…

Trouble brewing?

around here

could have given them

chair and sits beside her. “Jenny, sit down

keeping them so

tilts his chin to Michael, then to me, eye-pointing chairs close by. Something in his tone penetrates. Her smile fades. Michael and I sit, he

What’s coming…?

things of yours I have.” He reaches for an inside pocket, plucking out an envelope, offering it to her. “It's from Mr Kalkowski

the

she going

she drops

it never reached you. I was trying

give you his love when I found you again. I didn't tell him you'd not

you going to take it?” I say. “Read

turning her back to all of us.

with Michael, then with Chad.

there's a sob. Then another, echoing

flushing, backs away again, gesturing Michael

back to the farm once, that first Christmas. But no one would talk to me. They just said

policeman, he came looking for you.

did that.

you. But my mother believed him, or wanted to. And she poisoned everyone against you. Except for Mrs Collier. And Mr Kalkowski of

“I did, yes.”

“Geology? Astronomy?”

but I

brought

old friend… Does it say the things you would have

and offers it to me. I read it then pass it to

My Dearest Jenny,