Death is among us News of Lord Greystoke and Young Lady Maria's death swept across town like a wild fire. Fishermen early in the morning had discovered the bodies caught up in their nets. Before Jamie arose the word of their deaths had already crossed the lips of almost everyone in town. Jamie, however, walked down the street unaware of the tragic end to her lover's life. She skipped along the edge of the cobblestone road, oblivious to the whispers of passers by. Her night was filled with dreams of Maria and plans to take the girl down to the lake later in the day for a picnic by the water's edge. "Why Jamie have you heard the news?" Her boss called out to the girl as she hopped up to the newsstand. "What news, sir?" She asked tilting her head in curiosity. "Lord Greystoke and his daughter were killed late last night." He stated handing the girl a new paper off the pile. Jamie shakily took the paper and glanced upon the headline that read, "Great Lord and Young Lady Mourned." Her skin paled more then usual as she skimmed the article in disbelief, "H... how... how is this possible?" She felt dizzy and faint, "I just... saw them last night..." She explained licking her lips nervously. "Are you Jamie Eadwolf?" A voice demanded from behind the girl. Jamie turned around to find two police officers standing before her, "Y...yes... sir..." She answered in a thin small voice. "Will you come with us?" One of the officers offered a hand to the girl. Jamie starred at the hand in confusion. Her mind was muddled and having trouble comprehending what was going on. Her boss stepped forward, "Now see here. Jamie is just a young lad. What is this about?" "This lad was the last to see the Greystoke family alive." One of the officers explained, "We just want a word with him to see if he knows who could have wanted to kill them." He assured the shopkeeper. Jamie knees suddenly gave way and she clenched at her stomach as she felt like she was about to throw up, "This can't be happening." Tears over filled her eyes, "They can't be dead. She can't..." She let out a deep sob as grief set in, uncaring of the stares she received from the many onlookers. At the other side of the stand old lady Olaf gleefully read the headline, then gazed up at the dark clouds that were forming overhead. Things were going just as she perceived. ***** Unbeknownst to Jamie, Professor Clara Greystoke also had Maria on her mind that gloomy morning. Clara paced apprehensively in the main hall of the castle. She was almost certain that it must have been one of the servants that had taken her family from her in such a grim manner. She had fired all but a very few of the servants, leaving only those chosen few that she trusted. The rest were told to leave and never come back again. The silence of the empty castle was beginning to get to her when she heard a knocking at the door. She rushed to the door and opened it quickly. "Evening Professor Greystoke." A tired old man said as he took a flat brown hat off his balding head and bowed. "Ah! Mr. Coch, you are just on time." Clara opened the door fully and ushered the man into out of the cold air, "Come right in." "Why thank you ma'am." Ernest said with an appreciative smile, "I'm sorry to hear of your loss. Your letter did say it was urgent so I rushed right on over." He anxiously crumbled up his hat in his hands as he spoke and his eyes wandered the illustrious main hall. Ernest F. Coch was a caretaker for the town's cemeteries and he had come across rough times in the grave digging business, as such he put his services up for bid and for the right price he was willing to do just about anything. As long as it had to do with cemeteries, that is. "Yes, I did." Clara nodded in appreciation of the gravediggers hasty arrival, "I have contracted some men to help me build a new extension to the west wing." She began to say. "I'm sorry, ma'am." Ernest interrupted and scratching the back of his head, "I ain't no good with tools other then a shovel." He explained modestly "Which is why I called for you." Clara stated trying hard not to get irritated with the man, "I have a job for you and will pay you dearly for it. You have keys to the dead house, do you not?" She inquired eagerly. "Yes ma'am." Ernest gave the woman a peculiar look. The dead house was where they kept the dead before they were to be buried. One of Ernest's jobs was attending to the dead before burial, sizing them up so the plot was large enough to hold the body, "What would you want with that place?" He asked with much interest. ***** It was midafternoon before Jamie was release from the police house and she felt exhausted from all the interrogation. Again she glanced down at the paper to read the headline, as she had several times before during the interview. She already memorized every word of the article and glancing at it made tears brim in the corners of her eyes once again. She wiped at the tears in a vain attempt to conceal the pain she was feeling inside. Mournfully she turned away from the police house to start the long trek back to The Raven's Keep and her bed. She stuffed the newspaper into her bag and jammed her hands into her pockets, keeping her head low as so no one could get a look at her red swollen eyes. She could feel the eyes of every person on the street crawling over her. Several people tried to give Jamie their condolence as she passed on by. It would seem that rumours of her involvement with Lady Marie had spread quickly and several of the aristocrats turned their noses up at the girl while friends bid her a kind word. She ignored all of this as she travelled the winding streets of town. Not so much as giving a sideways glance until she came across a little bookshop. She had been inside the store many a time over the years in search of inspiration in the many books that lined the wall, however this time it felt as if there was something behind the window display that was calling her. Her eyes fell upon a small red book with no title upon its cover. Something about the book intrigued her curiosity and she entered the shop to learn more. An old storekeeper smiled upon setting his eyes on Jamie. He looked around to see that the store was empty before he spoke, "Why hello, young lady. Been some time since I last saw the likes of you around here." The shopkeeper greeted the girl with a gleeful smile and a nod, "What can I do for you on this gloomy day?" He asked, noticing the way the girl kept her eyes on the front display. "That book, sir?" Jamie pointed to the red book, "Could I please see it?" She asked cautiously. For some reason merely asking for the book made her feel restless. Now that she was inside of the shop she was certain that it was calling to her, whispering her name like a soft breeze upon a windowpane. "Of course." The shopkeeper slowly got to his feet. He was as old as many of the book and it showed. He leaned heavily upon his cane as he picked up a ring of keys off the wall with his free hand, "I think that book just came in this morning. I have no clear idea of what it is, but I must say that even I am curious." He found the key to the front display, opened it and pulled out the book for Jamie, "I cannot even recall why I put the thing in the display like that." He stated as he handed the book over to the girl. "Thank you, sir." She greedily took the book in her hands; it felt warm to the touch. The book was bound with cracked and worn red leather that had aged to the point that bits of cardboard could be seen fraying at the edges. It had no title on the spin or cover and the pages were yellow with the passage of time making the words within hard to read, however Jamie could feel there was something special upon the pages within, "How much is it?" She asked anxiously. For some reason she suddenly felt a need to own the book, what ever their secrets were she wanted them for herself. "I'm not sure." The storekeeper said, scratching the back of his head, "There is no title on the cover and the words have nearly vanished from its pages. I have no idea what it would be worth." He muttered. Jamie pulled out all the coins she had from the other days pay, "Will this do, sir?" She held out her hand. "Now now." The old man eyed Jamie carefully, "You want that book that badly, do you?" He asked wryly. Jamie turned the book over in her hands. As she did, she could feel the warmth move through her fingertips. She then gazed up at the man and nodded her head vigorously, "Sir, please sell it to me." She asked holding the coins out before him. The shopkeeper laughed and pushed her hand away, "You are a cute kid." He declared, "You can keep it. No charge." He said with a chuckle. "I could not do that, sir." Jamie protested, "Here take this at the very least." She took the largest coin from her hand and gave it to the man. "If you insist." He stated taking the coin from the girl, "Enjoy your book." He said as he watched Jamie happily turn on her heels and leave the store with not so much as a goodbye. She stuffed the book in her back pocket and started on her way towards home once again. By the time she arrived at The Raven's Keep the sky was filled with menacing black clouds that made is seem more like dusk then mid afternoon. The sight of home made her forget the book as she ran towards the safety of its walls. Jamie entered the café. Her head never rose to return those that greeted her as she crossed the hard wood floor and plopped heavily upon a bench at a table in the far corner. She rested her head upon her hands and stared at the flicking candle in its red glass jar. Charles spotted the girl and walked over to the table with a sounder in his stride and martini glass between two fingers. "Well hello there, Jamie my boy." He said slickly as he sat down across from the girl, "I could not help to notice the long look upon that beautiful face of yours." He said taking a sip of his drink. "Oh hi Charles." Jamie rolled her head in her arms, "Will you stop calling me boy in here? You know how much it bothers me." She half-heartedly snapped. "I'm sorry dear lady." Charles corrected himself, "Something must really be bothering you. For you usually take my head off for calling you boy in this place. The writing biz got you down that much has it?" He asked concerned for his artiste friend. "It would appear I have not suffered enough for my art." Jamie said with a sorrow filled sigh as she took off her hat and set it upon the table beside her. "Oh Jamie!!" Elizabeth called out from across the café, she approached the table and stopped the moment her eyes adjusted to the gloomy lighting, "My Jamie you seem like despair has taken a toll on your heart. I heard the bad news. Are you going to be alright?" She asked, her face long with concern for the girl. "I wish I could just die." Jamie declared sadly and buried her face in her sleeve, "You were right. It could never be..." She mumbled, "I shall never set my eyes on that beautiful face again. My poor sweet Maria..." "Oh Jamie..." Elizabeth sat down next to the girl, causing Jamie to scut over on the semi-circular bench that surrounded the table, to give her room. Elizabeth wrapped an arm around Jamie's shoulders, "I'm so sorry." She gave the girl a tight hug. "You don't mean you had a thing for that child spoiled by nobility?" Charles stated dryly. "Charles!" Elizabeth shot a glare at the man. "She loved me." Jamie said with a heavy sigh, "And now..." Her lip quivered at the image of her love being lowered into a shallow grave entered her mind, "I will forever be alone." "Oh dear Jamie." Beth gave the girl a tight squeeze, "You are the most handsome girl in all of Raven's Keep." She remarked waving her arm, gesturing at the small crowd of artists that had come to drink that mid afternoon, "It should be easy to find new love around here." "I don't want new love. I want Maria." Jamie sobbed heavily, "And now I can never see her again." "I know how you feel." Charles stated solemnly, "That boyfriend of mine left me too... and to think he claimed that he could help my acting career." He stated, turning his nose up at the idea. "Oh, don't tell me you went out with that butler from the Holland Mansion after all?" Elizabeth inquired in distaste. Charles finished off his drink and slammed the glass upon the table, "How dare he!" He burst out, "He used me and threw me away like a used feather duster." He pulled out a handkerchief from his front pocket with a whirl and dabbed at his eyes, "I hear even our dear Hazel was badly betrothed to some noble this past week. He is such a wretched man. It is all so sad." "I was wondering what happened to our nudist model." Elizabeth mused, "I think you both should come with me." Elizabeth coxed with a sly smile, "I can find you both the finest of men, and women, that will make you forget your worries." She opened her purse and pulled out a little black book. Many rumours had spread about who's names could be in that little book of her's, yet Elizabeth kept every clients name a deep secret that she would go to the grave with. Jamie put her hand over the book, "Thank you Beth, but I don't want a one night stand. I want my love." She said heartbrokenly. Charles on the other hand was leaning across the table in curiosity, "You wouldn't know a man that is the strong and controlling type, now would you?" He inquired, gently pulling Jamie's hand away from the book. Elizabeth grinned and flipped through the pages, "I think I know just the man for you. He is as noble as they get so you will have to make sure you are not seen, but I do know he is into that kind of thing so..." Jamie grabbed her hat as she got up from the table and slid past Elizabeth, "I can't be a part of this." She said shaking her head in dismay. "Jamie, where are you going?" Elizabeth asked with a note of concern. Jamie hung her head low and placed the hat atop her head, again pulling it low over her eyes, "To my room. I need sometime alone." She stated miserably, and then crossed the room to a set of stairs in the far corner. Jamie mounted the stairs to the second floor where her room was; however, she had no plans to sleep at that moment. She unlocked the door and stumbled through the dimly lit room and found a small oil lamp on a desk and lit it. The room was small with only enough room to fit a tiny mattress and a wee desk. The desk took up the head of the room between the bed and the wall in front of the only window in the room. The bed had seen one too many days of rest which Jamie did not mind for she was more in titled too spend most of her long night tolling over her writing at the desk. Jamie sat upon the small wooden chair that stood before the desk causing it to creek and whine in protest even against even her thin frame. She pulled out the small book from her the back pocket of her trousers and gazed upon its cover. As she turned it over in her hands, feeling the cover, she trying to find a trace of the title that was once there. It did not take long for her to give up on the title and she opened the book to a segment in the middle. Although the words were faded, she understood what they meant. It was a spell book and right now the passage before her spoke clearly to her heart. Excitedly she ran to her door and made sure that the bolt was locked tight. She overturned her bed to give herself more room and began to recite the passages as if she had read them a hundred times over. Her love would return to her and they would live happily ever after. **** To be continued...
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