Masters & Lovers Box Set Three

Chapter 10

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.

leans forward, looking close. “Are those

Michael. “Yes, they’re the ones you gave me, that first day.” She lifts them free from the page, sliding a fingernail under to ease them from the

Michael shifts by me…

Trouble brewing?

around here

could have given them to her any

and sits beside

fine. Thank you, Chad, so much, for bringing these. For keeping them so long.” She’s smiling, radiating almost,

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…?

Chad’s voice is gentle. “These aren’t the only things of yours I have.” He reaches for an inside pocket, plucking out

at the letter, eyes

going

she drops into the

was trying to find you. I picked it up from your old

pulls his seat closer. “Jenny, I was with him at the end, in the hospital. Almost his last words were for me to give you his love when I found you again. I didn't tell him

you going to take it?”

reaches out, her fingers trembling, takes it, then stands, retreating to a corner, turning her back to all of us. The envelope rips, and she

with Michael, then with Chad.

still low, there's a sob. Then another, echoing around the otherwise silent

flushing, backs away again, gesturing Michael to her. He tries to take her in his arms but she

“I went back to the farm once, that first Christmas. But no one would talk to me. They just said you'd left and Mr Kalkowski had

man, the one who said he was a policeman, he came looking for you. He told

never did that.

believed him, or wanted to. And she poisoned everyone against you. Except for Mrs Collier. And

“I did, yes.”

“Geology? Astronomy?”

but I

What brought

the letter… From your old friend… Does

and offers it to me. I read it then

My Dearest Jenny,

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