Page 63 of A Sense of Fate
At the sound of his name on his beloved Flora’s lips, the slumbering dog was on his feet in seconds, his entire back end wagging in anticipation.
‘It seems he would,’ Luke said, smiling at her. He was slow to look away again and followed her with his gaze until she and her sister left the room with the dog at their heels, closing the door behind them.
Chapter Fourteen
Flora kept herself busy over the next few days, taking every second when she was alone to continue reading her grandmother’s diaries, hoping that she was allowing her imagination to get the better of her and that she had interpreted certain cryptic passages incorrectly. Each meeting she had with her father since defying his wishes and leaving his control had increased her confusion about his determination to return her to the fold. Was she now inventing reasons to explain that determination?
Being unable to have a private word with Archie during their visit to Beranger Court had been a further frustration. She desperately wanted to know what he had found out from Conrad’s brother, but when she’d managed to get him briefly alone he had been uncharacteristically dismissive, claiming nothing definitive had been discussed. She didn’t believe him. He was keeping something from her…something important. She’d fully intended to press him on the point, but Paul had interrupted them and the moment had been lost.
She had assumed that he would come in for tea when he returned them to Fox Hollow, but he’d made an excuse and ordered his coachman to drive on as soon as the ladies had alighted from his conveyance. She hadn’t seen him since, and that concerned her.
And the fact that she was concerned, concerned her all the more.
She ought not to lean on him. Flora was determined to retain her independence and prove to herself and the world that she was capable of standing on her own feet. Relying on Archie would be a very easy habit to adopt. She justified her need for him by reminding herself that Conrad had called upon Archie, taunting and insulting him, thereby making it as much his fight as it was hers. He had a legitimate reason to involve himself before Conrad could follow up on his grudge, providing Flora with a convenient excuse to enjoy his company.
She sat beside the fire on the second afternoon after the visit to Beranger Court, unable once again to concentrate upon the diary in her lap. Polly and Melanie had taken Alice into the village, and Flora had an hour to herself. But her mind constantly wandered and she barely absorbed a word she read.
‘Oh, it’s you,’ she said aloud, when the familiar rush of wind past her ear alerted her to Remus’s presence. ‘What do you want all of…’ Her words stalled when she was gripped by a percipient fear. ‘Melanie!’ She grasped the arms of her chair as a strong image of her sister, confused and terrified, filtered through her subconscious. Remus was duty bound to warn her of danger, but insisted that he was not permitted to help her in any other way. Flora had never understood why and didn’t have the time to dwell upon her spirit guide’s idiosyncrasies at that precise moment. Instead she leapt from her chair, ran to fetch her coat and called to Will, who came running from the garden in response to her urgent tone.
‘What is it?’ Beatrice joined her from the kitchen, ever-present rolling pin smacking against her opposite palm.
‘I’m not sure.’ This would sound ludicrous, she knew, but Melanie’s welfare was more important than her own credibility. ‘I think something’s happened to my sister. Don’t ask me how I know. It’s just a feeling, and I could be wrong. Come into the village with me, Will. We need to find her and put my mind at rest.’
‘God love you, miss,’ Beatrice said, chuckling. ‘You do take your responsibilities seriously. Go with her, Will, just to be on the safe side.’
Flora was thankful when her sense of urgency communicated itself to Will and they were quickly striding in the direction of the village. She was grateful for Will’s silence and lack of curiosity. Will generally only spoke when he had something worth saying, but was solid and dependable in a crisis.
‘They were going to buy toffees as a treat for Alice. It shouldn’t have taken them this long,’ Flora said, her anxiety increasing with every step they took.
‘Here they come…’ Will’s words trailed off when only an anxious seeming Polly with little Alice in her arms approached them.
‘Where’s Melanie?’ Flora demanded.
‘Oh miss, I don’t know,’ Polly sobbed. ‘She was there one minute, I turned my back for a second when something caught Alice’s fancy and she was gone when I looked up.’
‘Where were you when you lost her?’
‘Just walking along. As I say, Alice distracted me and she just disappeared…I’m that sorry.’ Tears trickled down Polly’s face. ‘I’ve let you down.’
‘It’s not your fault, Polly. Take Alice home. Melanie can’t have gone far. We’ll find her.’ Polly sniffed, hesitated and then scampered back towards Fox Hollow.
‘Go to the tavern, Will. Tell them what’s happened and ask for help in finding Melanie.’ She swallowed her pride. ‘Ask Trench to send someone to Felsham Hall to tell his lordship. He needs to be made aware. Or better yet, go yourself.’
‘I should come with you.’
‘No! Do as I ask please, Will. Time is of the essence.’
Will nodded, still looking uncertain. ‘Very well,’ he said eventually.
Flora was too anxious to wait for reinforcements and took herself down the side alley that she sensed Melanie had disappeared into. She paused at every doorway but intuitively knew that Melanie hadn’t gone into any of the places she passed. Remus fluttered just within sight, his image hazy, his mental communication weak, but at least his being there implied that she was on the right trail.
Why wasn’t he being more proactive? Surely he understood the urgency and the fact that she had never needed him more? Never had she felt more impotent or more terrified, more in need of Remus’s guidance. Wasn’t that what he was supposed to provide her with? But this was her fault, and she couldn’t blame Remus. She had let her guard down, sent Melanie out without proper protection. If anything happened to her sister, Flora would carry the guilt with her for the rest of her life.
And she would make sure that Remus did too.
She closed her eyes, concentrating hard upon Melanie. Remus had mentioned that the telepathy between the sisters was surprisingly strong. Flora had been able to anticipate Melanie’s thoughts, it was true, but only when Remus was around. Perhaps he was the conduit through which they communicated. Presumably her spirit guide understood the mechanics of their telepathy but had left her to work it out for herself, as usual.
Remus could be exasperating.
