An Encounter
Rebecca had a spectacular view over the moonlit bay thanks to Guinevere having given the girls the best room in the barn. She retrieved the package sent by Grendel Baverstock and sat in a big armchair by the window. She had lost all track of time but knew it was very late. The house and everywhere else were in darkness, suggesting Gaston had turned in for the night. Baverstock had scrawled a note to her. Salvaged from Druid’s a few years back.
The parcel contained ancient parchments, tied together with a ribbon. They were hand-written in elegant, faded ink and dated from many years ago. The first few sheets were the records of Nathan Trevellyan’s trial and sentence of death. There was his death certificate, October 14th 1647. Shuddering, Rebecca realised that it was 14th of October tomorrow, the anniversary of his hanging.
The next page was smaller and written in a different hand. ‘Nathan my love I never abandoned hope. I fear that the end of my time here on earth is nigh. Please God may you never forsake us and give us vengeance upon your father.’
This must surely have been written by Emily! How tragic and poignant it now seemed, yet dark in its demand for vengeance. The next document was an arrest warrant for Emily, signed by Ebeneezer Trevellyan in his capacity as Lord Sheriff.
Rebecca was startled by a scratching at the window. She looked up quickly, shocked to see a peregrine falcon staring at her from the ledge outside. In the darkness he looked huge.
For a second she panicked that the window was open but was relieved to see that the catch was securely fastened. The bird did not move but perched there, gimlet eyes staring unblinkingly at her. She stood up and was about to draw the curtains when something else caught her eye. Down at the edge of the cliff, about a hundred metres away, stood a figure, cloak billowing in the breeze. He was staring towards the house.
Rebecca shrank back. She knew instantly who this was.
Heart thumping in her chest, she summoned every ounce of her courage, grabbed a warm top and rushed outside. Overhead came the distinctive mew of the falcon circling. She looked down the path to the cliff where she had seen the figure but he had now disappeared. Rebecca started to run down the path. She ran for several minutes, leaving the house some distance behind. Then she sensed something and stopped.
A distant panting sound and footsteps running fast. The noise grew louder.
She looked desperately in either direction but she had arrived at a bend in the path covered by a canopy of trees. There was a rush of air on her face and suddenly a black shroud appeared from the darkness right in front of her, rushing straight at her. Screaming, Rebecca put up her hands to protect herself. She heard the falcon again and was aware of something swooping at her head. She fell to the ground, curling herself into a ball.
For what seemed like an eternity, nothing happened until, for a split second, she thought she felt the gentle touch of a hand on her face.