Rushbrooke End (Book 4)

Chapter 3

"I tried to discover, in the rumour of forests and waves, words that other men could not hear, and I pricked up my ears to listen to the revelation of their harmony."

― Gustave Flaubert, November

  A high pitched shriek shattered the peace and quiet of the forest. Lilly's eyes grew wide as she cast around for the source of the scream.

"We should leave," Oliver said, his voice coming out as a squeak of fear. "We should get Richard."

"No, it'll be too late by then," Lilly said determinedly though she was feeling just as scared as her brother.

"But," Oliver protested as his sister, hiking up her skirts, started to run towards where the scream had come from.

Another cry came from the same direction and Oliver followed his sister reluctantly.

Lilly could feel her ankles screaming in protest; her boots were not meant for running around in a forest. However she grit her teeth, every sense straining to here the source of the scream. She could hear her brother close behind her, sticks snapping in his wake.

"It came from the left!" Oliver called, panting slightly. She turned sharply, sprinting through the thick trees where the path completely disappeared. Thin branches snapped at her face and caught on her skirts and she was just beginning to give up hope when she heard then scream again, closer than ever. She put on a final burst of speed and tore through the trees until she reached a small clearing.

It was empty.

She stopped running, breathing heavily as she looked around; the snow had been trodden down as if someone had rolled around in it. The strangest part of all however, was a small pile of clipped hair that lay a few feet ahead of her. Several thick honey coloured tresses lay in a heap in the snow, making Lilly shiver.

"Is this where she was?" Oliver had caught up to her, his face red, his hair wild.

"It must be," Lilly frowned and found her hand creeping into Oliver's.

Suddenly there was a distant crashing sound that was getting closer by the second. Lilly looked up in alarm just as a large grey mare entered the clearing, Lord Grimshaw on her back.

"What happened? What was that screaming?" He asked, looking at Lilly and Oliver.

"Lord Grimshaw!" Lilly gaped in shock for a moment before collecting her scattered wits. "I, the, we heard it and came running."

"Did you see anyone else?" He asked, his dark eyes livid with something Lilly couldn't quite place. Was it fear? Or anger? Or both?

"No, it was only us," she replied.

"If you see anyone bring them to Rushbrooke I-" he stopped, catching sight of the pile of hair.
"Lord Grimshaw do you have any idea what happened?" Lilly asked.

"No," he swallowed and shook his head as if settling his thoughts. "I have no idea, I should go, if you see anything," he said distractedly and spurred his horse back down the path he had come from. Once he was gone the two Thorpe siblings turned to each other, identical expressions fear and confusion mirrored on their faces.

"What do we do?" Oliver asked. "Do we tell Richard?"

"I," Lilly bit her lip, feeling her heart still pounding painfully against her chest. "I don't think we should."

"Why not? What if it's dangerous? We should get out of here," Oliver's shock was wearing off and it was replaced by fear.
"I think it has something to do with Lord Grimshaw and I don't want to interfere."