Lady Of The House

by Hanna Kingdom

The Lady becomes embroiled in a series of murders. Inspector Clarke is placed in charge of sloving the crimes. The story follows the Lady as she battles through the aftermath of the murders.

The Lady of the House

(Provisional title)

Lady Rosie Hector, a young heiress, owner of a huge estate and house, suddenly finds herself in the centre of a horrific series of grisly murders. Inspector Jack Clarke is put in charge of solving the crimes. Discovering the truth will change their lives forever. Their world will never be the same again. How much is too much to forgive?

---

When I regained consciousness, I was covered in blood. Shakily, I got up from the ground, brushing the leaves and dirt from my night clothes, and in the process, smearing the blood even worse over my clothes. A mangled corpse sat at my feet. I couldn't even tell the gender. I panicked, and ran. After a while, my awareness faded again. When I regained control of my thoughts, there was more than one corpse at my feet. In horror, I uttered an inarticulate sound and fled yet again. Then the blackness claimed me again.

---

Morning.

"Lady Hector, Inspector Clarke to speak to you"

I was already aggravated due to my restless night, and disturbingly realistic dreams. I had the distinct feeling that this call would only serve to make it worse. I hoped to be proved wrong.

"Hello Inspector, what can I do for you? Yes I am aware of the situation. Of course I am aware they were within my property. Would I...? What sort of person do you take me for Inspector? I would never seek to gain from such a tragedy. Was that not clear enough for you? Yes yes, you can be assured that no press will be anywhere near my property. Yes I am aware how this looks. Yes I have informed my security staff. Yes, I have increased security around the house. Yes I have informed staff. Inspector, I am starting to feel as though you are trying to dictate to me how to run my household. We have measures in place for this kind of situation, and I assure you they are working exactly as they are meant to. Yes of course I am aware of the fact that I may well be blamed for this. I am starting to feel as though I should be contacting my lawyer, Inspector. I assure you I did not know that any of these people existed before today. Yes, if there is anything I can to help with the investigation, please let me know. Good day, Inspector."

I hung up, feeling insulted and, as predicted, in a fouler mood than before. That fact that the inspector had had a very attractive voice, and that he had managed to insult everyone in my house, everyone who knew me and myself, multiple times, before going on to subtle accuse me of these incidents, all through thinly veiled comments that also hinted that I was a paranoid, airheaded daddy's girl just made set me on edge even more. I sat and fumed silently, my work now lying neglected.

Jeremy returned a few minutes later, and took the phone from me.

"Is there a problem, Lady?"

I sighed, "As you know, several people were found mauled on near the lake last night. The Inspector seems to think I am a money-grabbing, heartless media-whore, and there is a murderous beast or worse, a serial killer of some kind on the loose nearby, probably hiding in the grounds. And also, how many times have I asked you to call me Rosie?"

"Apologies, Lady," he replied with the merest hint of a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"For now, just some peace thank you, Jeremy"

He inclined his head and left the room, thankfully taking the telephone with him, and leaving me with my thoughts. Deciding to leave work for another time, when my thoughts were less turbulent, I began to pace the room, trying to distract myself from the questions about the case and the accusations from the Inspector. I was attempting to somehow dissipate the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that were battering my mind now. Anger and shock seemed to be predominant .After a while, I decided that trying to untangle my thoughts was getting me nowhere, so I decided to empty my mind instead. I put on my favourite music and then went to sit by the large window, looking over the tumbling grounds in which, a few hours earlier, several people had lost their lives. A slow finger of cold trailed itself over my skin. I looked away, tearing my mind from the imaged of the battered corpses. They had never been shown to me, yet somehow I knew. Their faces (what was left of them) were seared into my mind. The thought haunted me.

"Lady Hector? I am sorry to disturb you, but you have a visitor, he insists on seeing you immediately."

"Very well, Jeremy," I sighed in resignation "Who is it?"

"Inspector Clarke, from earlier."

I rolled my eyes, preparing myself for another round of thinly veiled insults and accusations "You may as well bring him in then," I replied flatly, without any enthusiasm.

Jeremy nodded and ushered the man in. He was the classically handsome inspector, dressed in a long coat, a hat in his hands. He was impeccably groomed, and as I had found out earlier, had a voice like velvet. He was a very handsome man. Biting down on that thought, I faced him, using my earlier anger to quash any amorous thoughts. It would not do any good to think like that about a man who, on our first encounter, managed to insult both my household and myself in the space of a few sentences. All the while managing to sounds perfectly clam and professional, making me seem like the paranoid, rude snob. I still felt nettled.

"What can I do for you Inspector?" I said in my most polite voice, playing the role of the gracious Lady, and attempting not to betray the battle between my pride and my more amorous inclinations.

"I merely dropped by to tell you that the team should be finished later today and that the results will help us to find what manner of creature is on the loose. We will then send trackers to hunt it. So long as the results come back with a definite answer, it should be fairly straightforward. I was told to warn you that it may, however, take months." He spoke as though the memory of our earlier conversation had not yet left him. I softened slightly towards him, he gave the impression of being earnest, trying to do his job as well as he could. He had such an enticing voice. Coupled with the grace of a dancer, it was as though this man was born to seduce women. It should have repulsed me but I only felt more attracted. He had an air of earnest innocence that suggested he did not intend to be so seductive. The fact that I was attracted to this man fuelled my irritation.

I nodded, "Just do what you have to, Inspector. Please feel free to use my house and facilities as you wish, and of course, your team may do the same." My anger was fading away rapidly. I was fighting a losing battle.

He smiled warmly. "Thank you, that is very gracious of you"

"No more than anyone else would do in the same situation" I replied, smiling in return. His smile had decimated the last of my defences, my pride shrivelling away. His presence was overwhelmingly attractive.

"Unfortunately, I will have to take up your kind offer at a later date; I am, after all, still on duty until tonight." His smiled turned rueful as his thoughts apparently turned to work. I attempted to distract him a while longer.

"I am holding an annual charity event tomorrow evening." I said to him. "I would love the opportunity to get to know you properly. That is, if you do not have other plans?" l looked him directly in the eyes for the first time, and was taken aback by the intensity of the gaze that met mine. The beauty of his eyes almost took my breath away. I smiled slowly, enjoying the sensations that were flickering between us. I noticed he seemed likewise mesmerised by me.

I waited on tenterhooks as he considered my offer for a few moments. It seemed almost as though he was toying with me, almost saying no, when he looked away, coming to a decision.

"How could I refuse, when you put it like that?" he replied, his tone almost seductive, a smile coming to his lips to match my own.

I walked over with him to the door. Still smiling in response to his answer.

"Until tomorrow then Inspector" speaking lightly, I showed him out of the room.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of preparation for the following evening, as it always did before a function. However, my mind (or was it my imagination?) insisted that there was an extra edge to these preparations. As if there was no other option than for the night to go absolutely perfectly. The Inspector remained on my mind throughout the day, and I fancied once or twice I had heard his voice even, although I shook off those thoughts. I had to do something about that, I decided later that evening. No good would come from anything more than a friendship with this man. He was off limits. Yet no matter how many times I told myself this, and no matter how firmly I said it, I could not squash the feeling that accompanied the thought of. As if events had irrevocably been set in motion.

Darkness has well and truly fallen by the time I reached the comfort and relative safety of my bed. I sank swiftly and gratefully into sleep.

---

As the blackness retreated, I began to take in my surroundings. A cool breeze rippled across the sweeping lawns, sending shivers of sliver across the grass. A gentle slope rolled down from the house to where I was standing. I could see the woods in the distance and beyond it, I knew, lay the valley and countryside. The breeze was the loudest sound. Everything else lay silent. Looking up, the sky was clear, tiny diamonds peppering the silky black-blue. I was by the lake in the grounds of my house. One of my favourite spots in fact, where there were stunning views, and often a place for me to escape to. It was a small hollow, hidden from view unless you knew where to look. I was standing just beyond, on the shores of the lake, just a few paces from the water itself. It was a very bright night, with a full moon reflecting sliver across the water, which despite the breeze chasing across the grass was glassy and still.

As I looked over the water, a dark stain began to spread across to the opposite shore. It seemed to originate from my feet. My heart erupted in my mouth, as the peace of the night seemed to shatter, although there was still no sound. Not wanting to see, but unable to stop myself, I looked down, to see another mauled form. It was barely recognisable as human. I put my hand to my mouth to smother the scream of horror that would have otherwise split the night air. Forcing back the bile I rapidly moved back, away from the water. I realised that tears were scalding my cheeks; the horror of what I saw was too stark. As I took my hands away from my mouth to clear my eyes, I realised they were sticky, and a metallic smell permeated the air, costing my throat and making me gag. Looking down, I saw they were stained the same colour as my lake. The scream never made it past my throat as the blackness consumed me again.

---

I woke in my bed, groggy, and aching as though I had run all night. My clothes felt stiff, gritty and uncomfortable. I sat up, looking down as I did, and blanched. I was covered in semi-dried blood and mud, among other things. Locking my door, I ran into my bathroom, and flung myself under the shower. The hot water steamed as I scrubbed my skin, even after it was clean. After a while, I just sank to the floor, glassy-eyed with horror. What was happening?

After a while, I roused myself, forcing energy to my legs. I set about my normal routine. I had to keep up the appearance of normality, even if I felt as though I would fly apart any minute. For the sake of the people who depended on me every day, if nothing else. After dressing, I took several deep breaths to steady myself and opened the door.

I went to the large sitting room, which held beautiful views over the grounds, through windows that nearly reached over entire walls. It was a stunning room, and one of my favourite in the house. There were no views of the lake however. My dream from the night before still seemed a little too real. Once I had reached my destination, I put on my favourite music and sat in one of the windows and tried to focus on the day ahead. I was still failing to do so when Jeremy came in.

"There you are Lady. I was wondering if you wanted anything."

"Oh, no thank you Jeremy." I said, still gazing out of the window.

"Lady, is there something wrong?"

"No, I am fine thank you Jeremy." I refused to look again, not wanting him to read the horrors from my eyes.

He walked over to me, sat opposite on the seat and looked me directly in the eyes, although I refused to meet his.

"Rosie," he said seriously "I have known you a very long time. If there is something wrong, I want to know. I am first and foremost your friend, and then a butler."

I smiled a little, looking at him whilst pushing back the thoughts of the night before. "I know that Jeremy. Thank you, but I am just tired. What with the attacks in the grounds and the preparations for tonight, that is hardly surprising."

He appeared unconvinced, however rose from the seat, all business again. "If you say so Lady. Now, are you sure I could not get you anything to eat? Maybe a coffee instead?"

I smiled gratefully, "A coffee would be very welcome thank you Jeremy."

He nodded "At once Lady"

"And Jeremy?" I said as he turned to go

He turned back to face me.

"Please call me Rosie, it is a little strange for you to keep calling my 'Lady' if I am foremost your friend" I said, laughing.

"Very well Rosie," he said, laughing as well "Since you are so persistent in asking, I shall try to remember."

"Thank you Jeremy," I said, with more than a little relief.

"I will bring you that coffee now, shall I Lady Rosie?" he said with a mischievous grin.

We were both laughing as he left the room. However, once he had gone, my earlier thoughts returned and my mood sobered quickly. Sighing I got up and reached and picked up a notebook from the table nearby. I began drafting the letters that I would have to send to the families who had lost their loved ones on my land, telling them how sorry I was for their loss. It was not a pleasant task but would have to be done, sooner rather than later. When Jeremy returned with the coffee, I thanked him and told him that I would be in the office if he needed me. Once there, I began on the day's work, including writing several letters to families of staff, worried about the security against further attacks, which may be aimed at their loved ones. I sent them promises of increased forces and armed patrols until the culprit was caught, promises that they will be safe in my care, promises I was not sure I could keep anymore. I went on to assure them that everything that was possible was being done to both ensure the safety of the staff and to catch whoever was responsible for this, hoping that the entire letter would not turn out to be a lie, sure that the Inspector would at least fulfil this duty for me.

I then had to deal with several press calls, as someone had gotten hold of the story. I informed them that my household had no comment and referred them to a number that the Inspector had left for me when he had visited, with the warning that this would happen. I sighed, wondering at the lengths that some reporters would go for a big story and a bigger pay packet. I left messages for people attending tonight's event, a masked ball, reminding them of the increased security and telling them that it was merely a precaution 'in light of recent events' I decided to hold two minutes' silence, for decency's sake. I then left a message with Jack, warning him that it was a masked dance and that he would have to be on his best behaviour. Feeling a little more light-hearted, the rest of the day passed in a mundane fashion, and as dusk crept along the sky, I descended the stairs, resplendent in a plain white-silk gown, with slashed sleeves showing scarlet underneath, adorned with a single diamond chain around my neck, and a plain white eye mask. My hair fell loosely down my back. I felt as though I had a small glowing candle in my stomach, excited and nervous at the same time. My senses seemed heightened, sharper. The candle-lit house gave the evening a surreal feel, almost dream-like.

I stood by the door, greeting guests with Jeremy, playing my role as the gracious hostess, giving compliments to everyone who came. After a while, I went into the main room. Jack had not yet arrived, and I felt a little deflated, but carried on regardless. Once inside, I took on the anonymity that made masked balls my favourite events. The rooms were filled with dream-like figures and as I passed, no one gave me a second glance. There was no 'Lady' here, no title. Everyone was the same, as no one knew who you were. I danced for a while, and ended up with a man whom I did not recognise at all. Whilst after a while, I could normally guess who I was with, this man remained a mystery. We danced for hours, not talking, allowing the music to guide us. He moved well, seductively, but not in a way that made me feel as though he seduced every woman. He moved as though he felt the attraction I did. His arms around me felt strangely natural and my interest deepened with my attraction to him.

After a while, we stopped dancing and moved, by mutual, unspoken consent, to the drinks. I lead him to the private balcony, where only a few people would know to find us. I knew that tonight, we would not be disturbed. The air was cool, and I was grateful for the breeze, as it blew away the uncomfortable warmth of the dancing. I took another close look at my mystery man.

He was impeccably dressed in a suit that subtly hinted at designer cuts, and also managed to show that underneath, he had a nicely toned body. He wore a simple black eye mask, and was dressed all in black, the opposite of my clothing. I smiled slightly at that. We stood side by side, not quite touching, both leaning on the rail, looking over the lake. I caught a hint of his scent on the breeze, like spicy leather, and masculine. There was no denying that this man, whose very smell was enough to send my pulse up, was very attractive indeed, despite the fact we still had not said a word to each other. My curiosity burned as I watched him take a sip from his drink. He looked back at me now, meeting my eyes. Recognition flared, his eyes were so intense they took me aback; however, the man's name eluded my mind. We leaned closer, and his lips met mine, sending delicious shivers through me. Pulling me closer, he deepened the kiss, and I returned it with equal passion. A part of me screamed, I did not even know this man, but a much larger part ignored it and as his arms drew me closer, I lost all coherent thought. After a time, he drew back, reluctantly, although his arms loosened only slightly. Leaning back a little, I reached up for his mask. He made no move to stop me, although I felt him tense slightly. I paused, and without speaking, took his hands, guiding them to the tie of my own mask. His hands paused on the ribbon, as mine paused on his. We stood for a moment. I almost did not want to know the identity of this man, who attracted me like no one before. What if he was someone I could not have? I would have to hide this, and pretend it never happened. I was not sure I could do that. My pulse was racing, and I could sense the same debate going on in his mind. Or eyes were locked. Simultaneously, we pulled the ribbons and the masks fell away. The shock of his face was an almost physical blow. Suddenly the name that had eluded me leapt to my lips.

"Rosie?" he said, surprised, as I whispered his name. There was almost a note of horror in both our voices. My hands flew to my face and I turned away from him. My earlier fears had been confirmed. No good would come of us together.

"Rosie?" he said, concerned. "What is it?"

There were tears of bitter disappointment in my eyes as I faced him.

"No good would come from anything between us." I whispered, stricken. "I am so sorry, Jack"

With that, I took my mask from his loose hand and returned to my anonymity, swiftly, so he would not see the scalding tears cascading down my cheeks. The disappointment burned at the back of my throat and it was all I could to no cry out loud. I raced through the crowds, to the private part of the house. The part had lost all of its lustre for me. I felt cold and bitterly disappointed. I had thought that jack had decided not to come, and so left me free to pursue another man, to distract me. I had obviously been wrong and Jack had found me. I flung myself down onto a couch in the office, the music from the party faintly audible. Ripping my mask off, I buried my face in the couch and sobbed. It just seemed too unfair.

After a while, I just curled up on the couch, staring into space. I could hear people leaving now, as dawn was beginning to break. Feeling empty, I knew I should be there to see them off, but I could not face putting on two masks. The silk of my dress felt icy against my skin. I just lay there. I heard voices pass the end of the corridor, and assumed that Jeremy was showing some guests to their rooms, as some people were staying the night. My thoughts drifted for a while, flinching away from the nights' events and those of the previous days. It seemed almost callous that I should feel so bad over this when the man was responsible for finding the person guilty for those attacks. I hoped that when they did find whoever was responsible, they would punish him properly, because they had more than killed. They had stolen any chance I had of being happy with Jack, and for that, I hated them. There would always be the threat that people would turn the blame on me and Jack, if we ever got together. I would not put anyone through that, when I was already being accused. It would just be cruel.

I heard footsteps coming along the corridor, and I stayed as I was. Jeremy would not come in here and no one else was allowed in. They paused, seemingly directly outside the door. Then the door inched open. I sat bolt upright.

"Rosie?" he said hesitantly.

"What do you want Jack?" I said painfully. "Hasn't enough been done already?"

"I want you, and damn the consequences" he said, moving across to me, crouching to meet my eyes. "You're an amazing woman, Rosie, and I want to be with you." He finished softly, his hands cradling my face. I looked down from his face, unable to meet his eyes, as tears gathered in my throat again. I closed my eyes, fighting tears. I took his hands and gently removed them from my face, holding them for a moment before releasing them. He let them drop to his lap.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, "I am so, so sorry. I...I wish it could be different, but it can't. We can't be together Jack. For your sake more than mine. You could lose everything, and we hardly know each other. It's not worth it- I am not worth that, no matter what you say. And I wish we could be together, but we can't and we mustn't. I'm sorry" I said, my voice cracking. I looked at the floor, tears welling. After a few moments of silence, where I struggled to force back the tears, I spoke again.

"Please, just go. For both our sake's."

I swallowed hard as he got up without a word, his face unreadable in the dark. He turned and walked to the door, where he paused.

"I think you are worth it Rosie."

With that, he left.

After a while, I curled up on the couch and later, fell asleep. When I woke again, it was nearly midday. I was stiff and felt rotten. After a shower, I decided that the best course of action would be to immerse myself in work, and returned to the office to deal with some paperwork.

A while later, Jeremy knocked on the door.

"Come in." I called, looking up from my writing.

"Sorry to disturb you but, Inspector Clarke is here to see you again, Lady Rosie" he said "Apparently it is urgent."

"It's alright, thank you Jeremy," I replied "Show him in."

Jeremy ushered in the inspector who looked very unsettled and as though he would rather be anywhere than in this room.

"Inspector, a pleasure to see you again," I said, playing the gracious host, "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you." He said, distractedly, and sat down, with some obvious relief. Looking closer, I saw the shadows under his eyes.

I determinedly kept to the business at hand though, unwilling to revisit the events of the previous night. "You had to speak to me about something?" I asked in a neutral tone.

He sighed, all traces of smiles disappearing from his face. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Rosie, but another person has been found dead near your home."

He paused as I absorbed the news. It felt like an icy lead weight had settled in my stomach.

"They were found by your lake the night before last." He went on "I am sorry to have to tell you this."

I shook my head. "You aren't the one who is doing all of this." I said, sighing in dismay as I realised the mountain of work that lay ahead of me. "If there is anything I can do, a bed for your team or refreshments, please don't hesitate to ask. You look as though you could do with a good meal and a night's sleep"

He laughed sourly. "Yes, unfortunately, that isn't going to happen for some time, at least until this is cleared up a little."

"I am sorry to hear that, though, like I said, should you need a meal, or a place to stay overnight, my house is at your disposal, as it always has been." I decided that his team should not suffer for our mistake.

"I will leave you to get on with your work for now." He said reluctantly, getting up from his seat, and heading towards the door.

"I'm sure my workload is nothing compared to yours, Jack." I replied, "Remember, if there is anything at all I can do, just give me a call"

"And the same to you, Rosie" he said.

I let him out, only a little reluctantly. Once he had gone, the enormity of his visit sank in. Another death. People were going to start to leave the house, especially if there was another attack. My home no longer felt safe to me. I shook the dark thoughts away and focused on the other aspect of Jack's visit. I had a mountain of people to reassure and a bigger mountain of work to do. I picked up the telephone and began to dial.

When I was finally done, night had fallen, I was ravenous and exhausted. I ate briefly, too tired to have a full meal, showered and gratefully returned to bed.

---

The blackness retreated, to once more reveal battered and mutilated corpses. There was not one distinguishing feature left on them. They lay on the ground, a horrific, bloody mess. The entire clearing reeked of the metallic stench of blood and death. Backing away, I turned my back and vomited. This one was too raw, too brutal to comprehend. It was so much worse than the others. The scene, even with my back to the corpses was nightmarish, and forced me to my knees. Garish streaks and sprays of red adorned each tree. The smell coated the back of my throat, making me retch.

A cold wind blew through the clearing, stirring leaves into my face. It also blew my hair against my cheek. The wind died but the hair remained. I had got to my feet now, still facing away from the bodies, and I began to stagger away. The smell of blood still coated the back of my throat, not fading at all. I came to the lake, on the opposite shore from before. I looked into the water. The sight that greeted me had me reeling back in horror. I almost looked like one of those I had left in the clearing. I allowed the blackness to claim me again.

---

Waking up to the bright light, I was immediately struck by the smell of blood. It was so strong; I could taste it in my mouth, leaving me gagging. I got up, with some difficulty and went to the bathroom. After washing my mouth out, I splashed water on my face and looked up. I already knew what I would see. A bloody visage looked back at me with an expression of horror etched in its features. I stuffed my fist in my mouth to stifle the screams. Not bothering to take of my clothes, I dived into the shower, flinging on the water as I went. I scrubbed until my skin was raw from it, the water running a coppery red down into the drain. I could still taste it in my mouth.

I stayed there until I felt I could face going back into my room. Trying not to look too closely at them, I pulled the covers from my bed and bundled them up with my clothes. I threw open a window and then dressed in simple but comfortable clothes. I was still shaken as I took the bloodied linen to the washroom, where I flung it into a machine. I went back to my room, wincing as I could still smell the blood, and put on some more respectable clothes. I then went to the office to attend to business, and distract myself from the memories of the night.

It was there, about lunchtime that Jeremy found me, working solidly.

"Lady Rosie?" he said, peering around the door

"Oh hello Jeremy," I said looking up "What is it?" I noticed Jeremy looked uncomfortable as he announced that Inspector Clarke had called, and once again it seemed urgent. I told him to let the man in and braced myself. I had the sinking feeling that I knew what was to come.

"Rosie" said Jack as he entered "A pleasure to see you, as always"

My stomach felt hollow, preventing me from returning his greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was hoping that we might be able to spend some time together today, if that is not a problem for you. I am off-duty today and I think we have a fair bit to talk about. If it's any trouble, I'm sure I can find some paperwork to do"

I smiled despite myself, at his attempt at humour. I glanced at the large pile of paper at my elbow. And considered his offer. I wondered why there were no more reports of more people missing. I had noticed each of my 'episodes' had coincided with more deaths, and I had expected the trend to continue. Were these dreams? That did not explain the bloodied linen. Was I responsible? I did not even know the victims, I had no connection with them, other than that they had died on my land. I did not remember ever harming someone. I looked up to see Jack staring intently at me.

"I should have realised this would be inconvenient for you, I should go." He began to leave, looking slightly dejected.

"No, no! It's fine. Sorry, it's been a bit stressful around here at the moment. Some company away from work would be a welcome break" I smiled at him, and he returned my smile, meeting my eyes properly for the first time today. His eyes sent a jolt through me as always. Although it was as painful as it was pleasurable. I did not want to feel like this anymore. Nothing could happen between us. It would not...or rather should not happen. There was too much at stake, for the both of us.

"What would you like to do?" I asked lightly, as though nothing had happened between us.

"How about you show me around the grounds?" he asked "I have only seen a small area of them.

"They are not at their best at the moment" I said, trying to avoid the crime scenes, "How about I show you around the house? We could have some lunch in my private garden. It is smaller than the grounds, but there are lovely views over the country and woods. We could go around the house afterwards if you would like."

"That sounds like a good plan"

I called Jeremy and told him of our plans. I also warned him that we were not to be disturbed. After thanking him, we left to sit in the garden.

It was large by most people's standards, and walled off for the most part, to allow some privacy if I wished to retreat during one of the occasional open days I held. However, one side was completely open, allowing views of the woods and surrounding countryside. On clear days it was possible to see for miles, right across the valley. In some parts of the garden it was possible to see the lake. I was grateful that Jack chose a seat where only the countryside was visible. I did not want to be reminded of what was rampaging through my life. There was enough rampaging between Jack and me to deal with first.

I turned to say something to Jack, and caught him looking at me. His gaze was intense, taking my breath away. His eyes were truly exquisite. There was a hunger there I had seen before. My breath caught and my heart accelerated. He leaned in close, his arm somehow around me already. I could feel his breath on my face and smelled his aftershave. I wanted this; even though it was the stupidest, most illogical thing I could do at this moment in time. I leaned in to meet him, when we were interrupted.

"Please excuse me Lady Rosie," said Jeremy, backing out from the house, carrying a tray laden with food."I thought you might be hungry"

"Not for food." Jack muttered apparently to himself.

I went over to the table both relieved and annoyed at the interruption. There Jeremy was setting out a feast for two. Jack followed a second later, and stayed close to me as we set out the table. Somehow we managed to stay as close to each other as it is possible to without touching. I felt alive, drinking in his closeness, despite the fact I was painfully aware of how much was at stake. I could not help wishing for Jeremy to leave. Although a part of me wished that they would both leave, so that I could order the thoughts that were colliding in my head. It seemed that I could not do anything other than react to the situation as it changed. My head was spinning too much to be able to plan or think ahead.

When at last Jeremy closed the door t the house, I turned to find Jack directly behind me. I gasped at his closeness, thinking he had been on the other side of the table, and started backwards, when his arm caught me around the waist. I resisted at first, but he pulled me close and kissed me passionately. After a moments fierce debate with myself, I gave in and returned his kiss with equal force. Somehow, it made the horror of the past few days and nights retreat. It felt as though they were being put to rest, at least for the moment. After a while, we broke apart, slightly breathless. His eyes still held that intense hunger, but rather than burning as they had before, they glittered with laughter. He looked all the more desirable because of that, and I felt the little resistance I had melting away. It felt so right. Why did it have to be so forbidden?

"I am not giving up just yet" Jack said softly.

"It's too much of a risk," I replied painfully. "I am not." I faltered a little, taking a breath.

"Don't say you aren't worth it." Jack said fiercely. "Never say that. You are worth it. You're a good person, even if you don't believe it yet. Let me decide whether it's worth the risk."

Throughout this, he had leant in closer to me, his scent washing over me, overwhelming my senses, and melting my defences. When he went to kiss me again, I did not put up any kind of resistance.

"I guess I will have to live with what you decide then." I said softly, smiling properly for the first time.

Jack laughed as we moved back over to the table. We sat next to each other, our arms around each other. We looked out together, occasionally eating from the spread in front of us, mostly talking, among other things. The talk shifted and we began to tell each other about ourselves. I told him how my mother had died when I was very young and I was raised by my father. He had died earlier this year, of cancer. It left me the sole heir of the estate, after my older brother had left after our father fell ill. He craved an anonymous life that our father would never allow him, until he was too sick to stop him. I still hoped to bring my brother back, but I'd had no luck so far, he rarely called other than to let me know that I didn't have to worry. That left me with Jeremy, and the staff, who were about as much family to me as my brother, although I never confided in them beyond what was necessary. They were staff as well as friends, and I felt that got in the way a little. The few childhood friends that remained were spread around the world, and I heard from them occasionally, but largely I was left just with Jeremy, the rest and a visitor once in a while. I had learned not to let myself dwell on the people who weren't there.

Jack, in return, told me that he too, had lost his parents, in a car crash a number of years ago. He also lost his sister in that crash, but he and his brother both survived to go into the police force. His brother now worked abroad, and called from time to time. Jack's work meant that when he was home, there was little time to d anything other than eat and sleep. He was rarely off-duty, it seemed. He too apparently buried himself in his work and then couldn't get away. Although I got the impression that it was not much of a problem to Jack.

I put my arms around him, holding him close for a while. He hugged me back as we sat in silence, both lost in thought. Time passed and we began to talk again, turning the conversation to lighter topics and after a time, we both stretched.

"How would you like a walk in the woods?" Jack asked "It's not too far from the house."

I smiled all thoughts of my latest 'episode' gone from my head.

"I would love that"

He took my hand and we meandered down, talking, and paying little attention to where we were actually going, paying a lot more attention to each other. We had not been walking long when a smell reached our noses. My heart felt as though it had stopped, and I couldn't breathe. I was suddenly hit with recognition as memories of my latest night time 'escapade' came flooding back to my mind. The woods. The clearing. Blood. I could smell blood. The scent caught me by the throat and chocked me. Silenced by this unexpected diversion, we walked towards the source of the smell, drawn inexplicably to the clearing.

Eventually, we broke out into a clearing. I had a horrible sense of déjà vu as I took in the mutilated corpses. The sight hit me like a blow to the stomach, searing itself permanently into my memory. I bent double, gasping for clean air. A second later, Jack took me by the shoulders and held me close. I clung to him, grateful for any kind of human contact. I was shaking violently and even Jack was unsteady. He buried his face in my hair, whispering words of comfort and reassurance. Although I barely heard them, I appreciated the sounds of his voice, cutting through the screaming denial in my mind. I clung to Jack as though I was drowning. My mind refused to accept the image my eyes presented to me.

"We need to get away from here" I muttered into his chest, not wanting to let go of the security his arms offered me. I did not want to smell the blood, or see what lay about the clearing. I felt Jack nod in response to what I had said. He took me by the shoulders, steered me away from the scene, towards the shore of the lake.

"No," I muttered, pulling away "I don't want to go there. Not that way please. Back to the house. Away from here."

Towards the lake was where I had run in the night. Doing that again would somehow make the episode seem more real than it did already.

Holding me more securely, Jack took me to the house, not letting go of me, barely loosening his grip. I could not stop myself shaking. I felt as though I would shake myself apart. When we got back to the house, we sat in the garden, just as Jeremy came out from the house, to collect the remains of our meal. The moments of light heartedness we had enjoyed no so long ago now seemed distant, as though from another life. Jeremy glanced once at my stricken face. Immediately he came over to me, dropping what he had been carrying onto the table.

"Rosie? What happened?" he spoke urgently, his hand on my arm, trying to get a response. He spoke as though Jack was not there.

I shook my head helplessly in response, unable to articulate what I had just seen. Unable to speak past the pure horror that tore through me. Thankfully, Jack took over.

"There's been another attack," he said hollowly. "There are a number of people in those woods that have been killed, most likely last night. I need to call in soon, so we can get the area properly sealed off, but for now, just make sure no one goes near them, ok?" he was brisk and business-like, which was reassuring. I had my head against him, starting at the middle distance. I could still see the scene open up in front of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jeremy nod.

"Come on," Jack said to me "We need to get you inside for now, away from this"

I nodded mutely, allowing them to steer me away from the garden and into the house, where they sat with me in the snug. The one room with views over nothing but countryside. We sat in silence, no one knowing what to say, both of the men shooting me glances every few seconds. As the shock faded, I sat up and faced them both.

"Look, I'm ok. It was just a shock seeing...them there" I said, my voice steady. "We need to do something about it, not just sit around." I turned to Jeremy "Could you fetch a phone for me and something to drink, for all of us, please."

He nodded, leaving the room at once. I turned to Jack.

"Can you promise me something?" I asked him

"Name it." He said softly, holding me close.

"Promise me that you will do whatever it takes to catch whoever or whatever is responsible for these attacks." I said fiercely, pulling away slightly to look him in the eyes.

"Of course" he replied "As long as you promise me something else in return"

"Name it" I said, facing him squarely.

"That you will carry on letting me come here, like today" he was utterly serious.

I closed my eyes, leaning against him again. It was as though we were balanced on a knife edge, and at my word, we would be spun one way or another. Safety or something different. What was right or what we both wanted.

"I guess there is no going back now." I whispered, and he turned to kiss me. When we broke apart, he hugged me briefly. Just then, Jeremy returned with the telephone and a tray, holding coffee, and a bottle, with enough for three. We disentangled from each other, then we both thanked him and took the coffee gratefully. Despite the warm sun outside and the hot coffee inside, I still felt cold. The coffee had done little to warm me. I shifted to let Jack out, so that he could call the station to get people over to the woods. The muffled sound of his voice was comforting. Jeremy faced me.

"Rosie, be careful, please. I don't want you to get hurt if it turns out badly" he said seriously

"Thank you Jeremy but I am old enough to take care of myself."

"Just be careful, please." He said, and with that, left the room.

I didn't have long to think about what he had said, as Jack entered the room shortly after.

"The others are on their way" he said as he sat down next to me again. "If you want, I can tell them we don't want to talk until later."

"It's ok." I said "I can manage talking to people; I just don't want to be alone tonight. Once I've spoken to these people, I just want to forget what we saw."

"I'll stay with you, if that is what you want." He said "I will be here for as long as you need me"

I put my arms around him and he hugged me hard, kissing the top of my head. I tried to push down the images of that clearing and tried to immerse myself in the moment. I realised that it wasn't just those people who had lost their lives. I had lost mine too. I knew that it would be a very long time before I would ever feel safe in my home again. Jack's strong arms around me were comforting though. All too soon, his colleagues arrived to talk to us. They took our statements, the whole time; Jack had his arm over the back of my chair. His strong presence was soothing, as I felt panicked, like I was about to shatter. My mind kept turning over the thought of my night-time 'episodes'. If they were just dreams, why did I wake up covered in blood each time? If they were more, why was I doing it? And why did I not remember anything until after? And why have they started now? When will it stop? The final question was the one I wanted most answered. Each attack has been more brutal than the last. Each time I saw the victims and woke up covered in their blood. I just wanted the whole situation to go away. Problem was, I knew that for a lot of families, this would never end.

When the police had finished with their questions, I took Jack with me and we sat upstairs, in a lounge adjacent to my bedroom. We sat late into the night, a bottle of wine and light snacks. Neither of us touched the food. We were left undisturbed for the night. When I woke, I was free of blood, mud and anything else. Jack's steady breathing next to me felt like the most natural thing in the world.

We spent the day together again. We talked for hours, ate together again, but when evening came, he bid his farewell.

"As much as I would love to," he began "I can't stay any longer. "

Those words froze my stomach into a hard, leaden mass. The sinking feeling accompanying his words boded ill for the both of us.

"I have to work," he continued. "And I have been thinking, you were right all along. I was selfish; I ignored what you were saying so that we could be together. I haven't been fair to you at all, and for that, I am sorry. I am not sorry for how I feel, just for what happened. I wish things could be different. But I care too much now. It's not fair to you; it's not safe for you anymore. I don't want to risk hurting you. Its better this way, so much better for you."

"Did last night mean nothing to you?" I whispered, stricken. "Was I just one in a long line of women?"

"Last night, was incredible. But it was also a mistake. I shouldn't have let it happen. I can't let it happen again. Which is why I am leaving now."

"What if I need you?"

"You have the people here. They care about you. Let them look after you, like they did before."

"It's not the same" I cried. "You know that, you know it's not the same!"

"It will have to be good enough." He said sadly, turning away from me. "Hopefully, I won't have to intrude on your hospitality again. I will send people to keep you up to date. Take care Rosie. Maybe one day, things will be different."

He got into his car, and I ran to the door. He opened the window as I crouched to face him.

"I still care about you." He said softly. "That's why I am doing this. It's for you. I still care."

Those were the last words he said. He wound the window up, deaf to my words, the pleas for him to stay. The engine started forcing me away from his car. I watched as it swept down the drive, through the gates and out of sight. I stood there staring after him, even when I knew he wasn't going to come back. I knew he wasn't going to come back, but I just couldn't accept he was gone. 'Not now', I begged silently, 'Please don't leave me now.' I just stayed there, staring, for an immeasurable amount of time, before finally Jeremy found me, and placed his hand on my shoulder in a gesture of support.

Shaking his arm from my shoulder, I went inside to the study, switched on the light and worked. It occupied my mind enough to prevent me thinking about Jack. I didn't want anyone to see me falling apart like this. I wanted them to see nothing of the rejection I felt. I wanted them to know nothing of the fact that I thought I may have fallen for this inspector, with his intense eyes and easy smile. He made me feel comfortable and safe, when nothing else did. I wanted him back. But I knew he wouldn't come back, not even if I called. I considered the situation for a few moments. I did not want to seem desperate. But I needed him. It felt like he was the key to stopping these episodes. I threw the thought from my head, and decided that I could sleep on it. I could always call in the morning. If he liked me, he would come over if I asked him to. I redoubled my efforts to bury the thoughts for a while; I needed to get a grip.

When I finally climbed into bed, it seemed too big. Somehow, without Jack, it was empty and cold. I curled up in a ball. I could not seem to get my eyes to close, I ached with loneliness. It was a long time before sleep finally came.

I woke up stiff and aching. I immediately knew something was terribly wrong. I was outside, where Jack and I had been walking, before we had come to the clearing. I was clean, except for the mud on my feet. It was cold, and just before dawn. Shivering, I went back inside. I cleaned my feet. I then took to pacing my room. I wanted to talk to Jack. He would at least make me feel calmer. I was shaking, both from cold, and the sense that I had just been pulled back from a precipice. I wanted to feel safe again. I sat on the end of my bed, holding my mobile phone, which I had grabbed as I walked in. Jack's number was highlighted there, and my finger hovered over the green 'call' button. I was staring at the screen when suddenly it came to life. It was Jack. After a moment's hesitation, I answered.

"Hello?"

"I'm sorry to call you so late- or early if you want- but I had to talk to you. I'm sorry for leaving you and I feel terrible for what I said. I thought I was doing the right thing by you, but I realised that it was too late for that now. I feel so stupid for going." He sighed. "I've messed things up haven't I?"

"Jack, it's ok." I said calmly, as warmth spread through me. "You haven't messed anything up. You have nothing to feel sorry for. You were right. We shouldn't do this."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want you to come here. Just because we shouldn't do this, doesn't mean we don't want to. If you want this, come tomorrow. I'll be here. I'll understand if you don't come. You have so much more to lose than I do."

"I want to see you now" he murmured.

I smiled in the dark, even though he couldn't see.

"I'll be here tomorrow, until then..." I spoke softly, not wanting to hang up, leaving my sentence hanging.

He muttered something incoherent. "In that case, I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow. Sweet dreams Rosie."

"And you Jack" I said, and a second later, he had hung up.

I fell back onto my bed, grinning broadly. Warmth suffused my body, and the near-scare that had happened mere minutes ago, now had faded from my mind. I wasn't alone anymore, he would be here. Soon. Tomorrow. I only had to make it until tomorrow.

It was after then, that I finally managed to sleep. It was deep and dreamless, and when I woke I felt stronger and more able to face up to whatever I would have thrown at me today. It was only a few hours after Jack's call that I was sat down at my desk, a large coffee in one corner and a larger stack of papers in the other. .Jeremy's warning of the previous day had come back to me. If it turned out badly....what did that mean? If he split up with me? That had happened before. He wasn't the first. He might be different but he was not the first. The answer had come to me in a sudden flash of inspiration. If it turned out badly, I could be a suspect in this. People could think that I was responsible. It could look like I was trying to protect myself by seducing him. He could be seducing me to gain insight, or to get under my guard, to make me admit to what they thought I had done. We should not be doing this. Too many people would get hurt if this went wrong. I could get blamed for these murders. Jack would lose everything. I would lose everything. What remained of our families and our friends would suffer for what we are doing, if it was ever known publically. We were risking everything for this. It was crazy. We had known each other a few days. Yet, I knew that, if he walked through that door today, if he felt the same way, I would not refuse him. He had made me feel safe when no one else had. He made me feel wanted in a way I had never felt. He made me feel loved. I had fallen for the man who it was now most dangerous for me to fall for. He was forbidden, but all the more enticing because of that.

I was writing steadily, trying to quell these thoughts, and to subdue the nervous excitement that mounted with each passing minute, when Jeremy knocked on the door.

"There is someone to see you Lady Rosie" he said, peering around the door.

"Thank you Jeremy, show them in," I replied, not looking up. What if it wasn't Jack? The thought could not stop the small bubble of heat that rose up. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath to steady myself. There was another knock at the door. I got up to open it and found myself pulled into a pair of strong, familiar arms. His spice and strength enveloped me, and he whispered in my ear,

"I couldn't wait any longer. I have to be with you Rosie."

I didn't reply, instead pulling him close and lay my head against his chest. We stayed there for a while, neither of us wanting to move. I felt my fears settle a little. I felt stronger than I had done since this whole nightmare began. I felt like my home was complete again, and safe in a way I never had before. Eventually, he pulled away slightly, to meet my eyes. His still took my breath away with their colour alone.

The way his eyes met mine, and the intensity of his look, made me know exactly what he wanted. I grinned, my mind already wandering down those paths. I pulled him closer again, through the doorway. As he entered the room, he kicked the door shut behind him. His hands were otherwise occupied.

Sometime later, we were sat on the small sofa that I had in the office. Jack had his arm over my shoulders and I had his hand in mine. My head was on his shoulder again. I was perfectly at ease, my earlier fears gone for the moment. I belonged here. And everything felt like it fit together.

There was another knock at the door. Sighing at the interruption and laughing at Jack's groan, I checked we were both decent, and went to answer it. It was Jeremy.

"What is it Jeremy?" I said, as patiently as I could manage.

"Is Inspector Clarke here?" he asked.

"Why do you ask?" I replied, cautious as I noticed that Jeremy was accompanied by an unfriendly-looking officer, which clearly made him uncomfortable.

"Both of you are required to talk to some officers downstairs. As soon as possible," he said, mechanically, not meeting my eyes. I felt all the euphoria of two minutes ago shatter abruptly.

"Tell them we will meet them in the downstairs study, in about five minutes."

We left without further comment, and I turned to see Jack, standing in the middle of the room, a frown across his face.

"What is it?" I said, going over to him, putting my hands on his arms in concern.

He shook his head, stepping away from me. My arms fell to my side. The bottom dropped from my stomach, which seemed to have turned to lead.

"We should go." Jack spoke mechanically, without emotion. His voice, usually velvet and expressive, had gone totally flat and monotone. The change sent icy trails down my back. Something had seriously spooked him, and Jack was not going to tell me.

"Jack? What's going on? What is it?" he was starting to scare me a little, as he had shut himself off. I stepped forward towards him. He backed away again, shaking his head mutely. Not looking at me, he walked out of the room, walking wide to avoid me and quickly to avoid both my arms and my questions. I stood for a moment, trying to understand what had happened. What had he reacted like that? Shaking my head, I followed Jack out of the room, full of foreboding and questions.

When we sat down in the study, Jack did not look at me at all, and both of the men that were there gave off the appearance of being very hard, uncaring men. I was definitely nervous now, set on edge by Jack's reaction, Jeremy's edginess and by the presence of the unfamiliar two men. I wanted Jack to put his arm around me, or to look at me at least. Any kind of reassurance would have been welcome. However, he had sat in an armchair, far away from the remaining seat in the room, where I had been forced to sit. I was on my own and I felt it keenly. Suddenly I felt like a very young child waiting outside the headmaster's office, hoping that he doesn't come so that they avoid getting told off. I desperately tried to catch Jack's eye, before anyone spoke, just to get something from him, but he was staring resolutely at the floor. I gave up, bracing myself for what was about to come.

"Lady Hector," started one of the policemen in a gruff voice.

"Please call me Rosie, or Lady Rosie if you prefer." I said, acting my usual of the gracious lady, which I only adopted in uncomfortable situations, whilst also attempting to appear totally at ease. I got the impression I had failed in the latter part.

He inclined his head to me and started again. "Lady Rosie, we have had several new and rather disturbing leads in the murder cases. It has now been confirmed that all of the people were killed by the same single person, in the same manner."

"'Single person?' "I asked, "So you have an idea of what happened? Hang on...single person? You mean those people were murdered?"

The first man nodded in reply to my questions, his face still totally impassive.

"So do you have an idea of who is responsible?" I asked, before I could stop myself. Too late, I realised how that would have sounded. I made sure my face remained the perfect mask. I had not done anything wrong...as far as I could remember.

"Lady Hector," said the other man. "Can you account for your whereabouts during the early hours of the past four days?"

"I was in bed" I said, flatly. "Like the vast majority of people are at that time." After reminding myself to both keep my temper and refrain from flippancy, I straightened my back. I was not going to be intimidated.

"Is there anyone who can confirm this?" he asked.

I stayed silent that time, now refusing to look at Jack myself. I did not know what to say. For all but one night, no one could say for certain that I was in my bed. But for one night, Jack had been with me. I was not going to betray him, but I could not lie to the police. If I was seen to conceal what we had been doing then if it was discovered later, it would apparently confirm people's suspicions. But if I told them, it would drag Jack into this, even more than he in already, and he would lose not only his job but he would be in a lot of trouble. These men did not look like the type to forgive or forget.

"Lady Hector? You need to answer the question." Prompted the second policeman, not gently at all.

I was floundering, the realisation of what they were asking me hitting home hard.

"You think I am the one who did this don't you'?" I said quietly. "You think I am responsible for..."

I could not get the words out, they stuck in my throat. I was repulsed by the mere thought, and I let my disgust and shock show through my mask. The three men just sat, all looking at me, in total silence. The two policemen looked unmoved by my distress. They made no move to either comfort me or answer my question. Jack had a deep frown etched into his features and looked concerned for me, but also made no move to help me. I was definitely on my own for this. Jack was not going to get me out of this mess.

I calmed myself down, and gathered my thoughts, replacing the mask of the perfect Lady. She was collected and in control. I felt as though I would shatter apart if a breeze whispered through the room. My thoughts raced, composing my story even as it came out of my mouth.

"I can't be certain whether or not there is someone who can account for my whereabouts for those nights. Jeremy does have a suite in the house, but it is on the other side of the house, for the precise intent that we do not disturb each other in the night. We do not have cameras, except in the rooms where valuables are kept, and mine are not one of them. I can get you the tapes for those if you wish but if I was to sneak out at night, I would not need to pass through any of those rooms, so I fail to see how they would help. I can assure you that I was in my bed for the times that you are asking about, but as or confirmation, I am afraid I have very little to offer. You can ask Jeremy, and he might be able to tell you, he may have seen something but I honestly could not give you anything definite other than my word."

"Very well," said the second policeman dryly. He had clearly been both unimpressed and no more convinced of my innocence. My anger flared a little. He didn't have the right to take that tone with me. He then turned to Jack "You have to leave with Officer Jones now, and he will question you separately."

Jack looked up sharply at the officer who had just spoken. "Rob," he said in a low voice "What is this about? Just get to the point. There's no need to scare her any more. She's been through enough. This doesn't make sense. I am in charge of this case. You weren't involved with this yesterday. What are you doing here now?"

I looked over to him in gratitude, but he did not look at me at all, instead focusing entirely on the officer, Rob, who had been questioning me.

"Inspector Clarke," Rob replied ion a voice that held no hint of respect or warmth, sending chills over me with the flatness of his tone, "I am following orders from the Chief Inspector. You and Lady Hector are to be questioned separately. I am to question Lady Hector. You are to taken off the case, your judgment appears to have been clouded on the issue, and the Chief inspector feels it would be best for everyone if you were as far removed from the situation as possible, with all things considered."

"'With all things considered?' What if do not want to be removed? What if I refuse to go?" Jack returned the merest hint of challenge in his voice. There was something going on here that I did not know about. Jack and this Rob character clearly had history.

"Then you will be disciplined accordingly," the, man replied chillingly. My anger flared again, I definitely did not like this cold, hard man. Not only was he rude but he was mistreating guests in my house. I dearly wanted to throw him out of the room, and seriously considered it for a few moments, wondering if the satisfaction would be worth the trouble. I brought my attention to the present again, curbing the desire with some difficulty.

"I want to stay in here while she is being questioned. I know the rules, she doesn't. Quite frankly, I don't trust these orders, and therefore I don't trust you at all in this situation. I will not let you trick her into saying something that is not true. I have spent enough time with this woman to know that she is a good person, not capable of doing these things. She would never do anything to intentionally harm anyone, let alone these people, and I know she has been doing all she can to help with the investigation, as you also know, as she has demonstrated today even, not five minutes ago. I want to be here to make sure that this Lady's reputation is not tarnished unnecessarily. I have seen it enough times. This time it will not happen. I can order you to do this if you want, as you know, disobeying a direct order in the field is a much more severe offence than disobeying an order that was given by the Chief Inspector, no matter whose orders they go against. Do you really want to risk that?"

There was a hint of threat in Jack's voice, which had grown stronger and more authoritative as he went on. I felt an upwelling of affection for him as I looked over in gratitude. He was so strong, and he was putting himself on the line, for me. I lifted my head, looking at the men. I would not let them intimidate me again, despite the gravity of what they were accusing me of, and my lack of defence. I would not cave in to these men.

The policeman who had spoken first had not said anything throughout this exchange, however, he shifted forward now, speaking slowly, in measured tones, although his smooth voice was as every bit as chilling as his companions. His words sent a hard bolt through me, despite the smoothness of his tone.

"And what exactly is the nature of you relationship with Lady Hector?" he asked. "It appears to be more than professional, more than a friendship even."

The silence that fell afterwards was so heavy; I fancied it seemed to make a noise at it hit the floor. Despite the fact that what he was suggesting was true, I was shocked. He made it seem so sordid. What we were doing wasn't wrong in that sense. It was a huge risk, and it broke hundreds of rules, but the way this man said it, it seemed to be a horrendous crime. We did nothing that would have been wrong in different circumstances. Without this case, there would have been no problem. As far as I knew, there were no rules dictating that you had to choose who you fell in love with. I kept my face a mask, willing myself not to betray the slightest hint of emotion, except a small amount of the shock that I was feeling. I felt shaken and I wanted to scream at them. It was nothing to do with them. How dare they ask about my personal life? How dare they question my integrity? How dare they insult me and my guest in my own home? They had no right. Jack had done nothing but protect and love me. I loved him. I had known all along. Allowing myself to think it finally, gave me a sense of freedom. I looked up and squared my shoulders to the two men facing me. I held my head with the proud bearing that benefitted my title.

Speaking in a clear voice, with a bravery I had never felt before, I said "Officers, dancing around the subject benefits no one here. State you intentions, and ask you questions. Speak plainly and get to the point." I placed a subtle emphasis on the last four words, as I gave full rein to my anger. I had had enough of being intimidated and forced to act like a damsel in distress. I was Lady of this house, and these officers were my guests. The seemed to have forgotten that guests were meant to mind their manners. The words rang across the room, shattering the heavy silence. All of the men turned to me. It seemed that in the battle between their egos, they had forgotten about me. I regarded them all in turn, meeting each of their gazes levelly. I turned to Jack last.

For the first time, Jack looked at me, with something akin to pride in his eyes. I felt strong and beautiful.

Under the combined scrutiny of the two officers, my confidence faltered a little, but my anger at the arrogance of their questions surged again, and I raised my chin a little. I was going to match their challenge with a force to be reckoned with. They would not get anything out of me.

"It seems Lady Hector needs less protection than you think, Inspector Clarke." The first policeman commented, causing my anger to flare more. I narrowed my eyes, keeping myself in check, with considerable difficulty. I knew he was provoking me, and I would not let him have the satisfaction of seeing that he had got to me.

The other man grunted, unimpressed, and turned back to Jack. I apparently was below direct address

"Ok, you asked for us to be plain. I am going to be blunt here. We think that the Lady here is responsible for the murders, for reasons I am not able to divulge. We also think that you cannot be relied on to remain impartial due to the fact that you have become close to the Lady. How close is as yet unclear. What is clear is that you are too close to her. Whether this was willingly or not is also another matter. We came here to question you both. The results of that would decide on any charges put forward.

Another silence. I was shocked to my core. Although I'd had suspicions that they were going to do it, to have the matter spelled out so bluntly meant that there was no escape. They thought I was the cause of that carnage. And they thought I had seduced Jack to prevent being caught. I had fallen in love with Jack. I couldn't help that. I knew he loved me too, despite everything that meant we shouldn't be together. As for the matter of the murders, those night time episodes meant I could not protest my innocence without feeling like a liar, but my mind still rejected the idea that I could do that. What reasons were they talking about? Had they found something? Had someone seen? I did not even know some of the victims. They had been random. What reason would I have to want to hurt someone I had never met? They had jumped to the worst possible conclusion for me. I was still angry however, and used that to push down my shock for later. I could not appear weak now.

"If you can tell him why you think I am guilty, tell me." I said; still in that artificially calm voice, sounding distant even to myself. "I think if no one else, I have the right to know why I am a suspect."

They seemed to consider that for a minute, and after a look at each other, seemed to come to an agreement.

"Well Lady Hector, we have found several pieces of DNA, as well as fingerprints that place you at the scene. The fingerprints are to be expected to a certain extent as this is your property; however, there is only one real explanation as to why there are strands of your hair found at each scene, some on the actual bodies. We also believe footprints found at the scenes belong to you, if you are indeed the culprit. Now, we can understand the presence of your DNA and the other evidence at one of the scenes as you and Inspector Clarke here were the ones who raised the alarm about it. However, how do you explain the presence of your DNA at the other scene, when you have not been allowed to see them, and it was not you who raised the alarm for any except one of the crimes?"

My blood chilled as the shock raced through me. I had only been to one scene. The thought of my episodes rang in my mind again. I had been there, and they had found out. I was now sure that I had not been dreaming, the last strand of delusion had been well and truly blown away. I could not meet anyone's eyes. The urge to cover this rang desperately through me. I could feel Jack looking at me, the questions in his eyes burning my skin. He could not know the truth. I could not lose him. I closed my eyes, trying to think of an explanation.

"You are right," I said finally, opening my eyes with a sigh, "I was at each scene. However, it was because I had to see for myself that this was really happening. I went after seeing that clearing. I had to see the rest. It was stupid and I don't know why, but I felt I owed it to the others in a way. I had to pay my respects, I feel partly responsible, as they were found on my land. I know I shouldn't have done it, but I felt I had to. I did not tell anyone, because they would have tried to stop me or come with me and it was something I wanted to do alone, without any fuss. It was something personal to me. Something I had to do for myself, on my own. I felt like I owed it to those people to at least pay my respects to them without distressing their families unnecessarily. The hair and DNA must have been from there."

The story was so weak, and I could feel Jack's eyes burning on me still. I realised that the night I had told them I was at the scenes was the night I had spent with Jack. I mentally kicked myself. He was going to ask what was going on. With a word from him, they would have me. I would have next to nothing to defend myself with. I held onto the fact that I did not know for certain that I had killed those people. I only had memories of waking up near them. There was a chance that I was innocent, and for some reason had been drawn to the places in my sleep. That small comfort gave me the strength to meet Jack's gaze. He shook his head minutely. The other men were conversing in lowered tones. 'I could feel panic closing in, but I took a deep breath, calming myself. I had just placed my fate entirely in Jack's hands.

I was going to have to tell him everything. He would either help me or damn me. I could not keep this secret anymore. I knew telling him would mean that I would lose him. Unless he truly loved me. Then, there was a possibility that he would help me. Either way, the truth was the least he deserved after this.

The two policemen turned to face me. I pushed down any thoughts of jack and later for the moment. I may not get the chance to tell him if they saw through my story.

"If that is indeed the case Lady Hector, then we shall leave you for now. However, you still remain a prime suspect in this case, until further notice. We advise you not to leave the area. Also, Inspector Clarke," he continued, turning to Jack as he did so, "We also advise you to stay away from Lady Hector, although this is precautionary, and more for your reputations sake than anything else." With that they got up. I followed suit, with jack a second later.

"I will have Jeremy show you out" I said, opening the door.

"We will probably need to talk to you both again" said the first policeman, whose name I did not know. "Good day to you both"

I nodded to the pair as they went, and Jack murmured something behind me. I shut the door again. I knew Jeremy would not disturb us for a while. We had a lot to talk about.

We sat down, together this time. We were both silent.

"So, are you going to explain what's going on?" he said, gently though "I know you lied to those two. What's going on?"

"It's kind of hard to explain, and I hardly believe this myself but believe me when I say that this is true."

I then went on to relate him the tale of the past few days. I felt the whole story roll off my shoulders. I didn't look at jack while I spoke, but when I had finished, I raised my eyes to him. He was looking at my face as though he couldn't bear to look away.

"I am so sorry." He said "you have had to live with that on your own... I believe you. I want to help Rosie, if I can. I will stand by you." He sighed and went on "even if it turns out you are guilty." He paused again. I couldn't speak. This was more than I had dared hope for. He was going to stay. His next words though were what really blew me away.

"I love you Rosie." He said. "There is so much standing in the way, and so many reasons that we should be apart, and so many more reason why I should hate you, but there is something about you that I can't be without. These past couple of days, when I have been with you, I have been happier than I have felt in years. I can't stand being away from you anymore. I'm addicted" he finished with a wry smile.

A slow smile came over my own face. I sat upon my knees and faced jack. I put my hands on either side of his face, and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Jack, you have made me feel safe, when nothing else made sense at all. You made me feel loved and wanted. For the first time, I felt like I had someone who I could really trust, someone who I meant something to. The people I live with me care about me, but they're more like family than anything else. I can't tell them anything like this, because I don't want them to think badly of me. I have to be good all the time, not tread on any toes, because I have to live with them the whole time. With you, I can be myself and I feel loved, for whom I am, just as I am. Faults and all! You have helped me so much, without even knowing. I love you..." I didn't get to finish as jack pulled me close to kiss me.

The terrible weight of what I had seen had finally gone from me. I felt as though I had turned a vital corner. It felt as though jack was pouring strength into me. He loved me. His words soared through my mind, I felt alive like never before. We broke apart, our foreheads still touching, eyes were still closed, as I savoured the feel of his arms around me. It felt like home now .I could feel myself smiling.

"We should not be doing this," he breathed, in unison with me.

"It's too late." I murmured in reply to him.

I felt him smile, and then he suddenly pulled away, my arms falling to my lap.

"Jack?"

He was shaking his head. "What are we going to do?" he said, almost to himself "We have to clear your name."

"Jack that might not be possible. I can't remember! That doesn't mean I didn't do it. I could be guilty and blanking it. I wake up and I'm faced with more corpses or I am covered in someone else's blood. I am stuck in this nightmare. You don't have to be. One word and you can go. One word and I am in jail. That is up to you. I have nothing to prove my innocence expect my word. That is not enough to keep me free. Sooner or later, I will get punished for this, because I am the only lead they have. They will come for me and I have nothing to prove my innocence. You are the only person who can help me."

Jack was silent for a long time, holding me close to him, as though that would be enough to shield me from everything. I was content to stay there for a very long time, hiding in this room with Jack, remaining undisturbed, hiding away from everything that threatened to break my entire life apart. Finally, after what felt like an eternity and no time at all, Jack spoke.

"Let's leave it for another time, ok? We are both tired and we have had a lot of shocks today. Let's just enjoy ourselves for today; I think we have both earned it."

Although he didn't say it, I got the feeling that he could have said ...'enjoy ourselves while we can'. I shivered, and then threw the ominous thoughts from my mind. Turning to face him, I attempted to smile.

"That would have to be the best idea I have heard all day."

He smiled back at me and then leant down to kiss me. I returned his kiss with equal passion, smiling at the same time. After some time, we broke apart again. I felt peaceful and laid my head against his chest again, content to sit there for hours. We both sighed. I held onto Jack, as he had his arms around me. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensations, not thinking at all. Jack laid his head on mine, and I smiled, dreamily. For the first time since the whole nightmare started, I felt utterly calm and peaceful. I did not want to move under any circumstances, and so when Jack stirred after what felt like hours, I groaned in protest.

"Do I have to get up?" I sighed good-naturedly.

"We should do something, go for a walk, get something to eat maybe. Not waste the day at least" he laughed a little.

I smiled, shifting around to face him.

"What do you want to do then?"

There's a loaded question if I ever heard one" he grinned, as I punched him playfully, "I don't know, how about we get some lunch and then see how things go from there?"

"A romantic meal for two then" I grinned back.

The day passed as though we were a normal couple. There was no mention of what had passed and what was surely to come. We ate, walked around the house, sat in places, and talked, like normal friends, like lovers. I treasured the normality, feeling that the events of the past days were being put on the back burner, that I was being given a reprieve. As my brother was do fond of saying, never look a gift horse in the mouth and seize every day like it was your last.

We ended up in the dining room. We had just finished eating, and we were sitting in the window, me leaning on Jack, his arms folding me close to his chest. We were talking about nothing in particular, when we gradually fell silent. The window gave views over the grounds, and from where we were sitting we could see the scene of the latest incident. The lights from the police vans glanced across the grounds and hit me in the eyes. I flinched away, turning my face into Jack. He tightened his grip on me briefly. I looked up into his eyes. His face was mostly in shadow, illuminated only partially by the lights in the grounds. His eyes glowed from them, intensifying their colour. Suddenly, I felt very cold. The warm conversation and laughter of earlier had been bleached by the strobes of the police cars.

In a very small voice, I spoke to Jack.

"What is going to become of us?"

"Rosie, right now, you need some rest. You look exhausted and I know I haven't slept for a couple of days. I can sleep in the other room if you want. That way, if you leave, I can follow you and see...what happens."

"You would do that? But what if I hurt you? I wouldn't be able to live with myself. If I knew I had killed those people as well it would be hard enough...but if I hurt you...it would be too much."

"I am willing to risk it. You need to know. I might be the only person who can help you, Rosie. Don't you want to be rid of this?"

I looked him directly in the eyes, and saw the fierce love and strong determination that burned there. I knew then that I could not refuse him this. He would not take no for an answer. He was right. He might be the only one who could help me. I had to know. Closing my eyes, I nodded, feeling a leaden weight drop. This was not going to end well.

---

The blackness retreated again. This time, I noticed the blood coating me, and I could feel the clod of the early evening seeping into my body. It was barely dark. The smell of blood cloyed in my mouth and I spat red. The taste remained. I was on a hill, overlooking the woods and the garden where I had sat with jack. Suddenly I felt a wave of pure terror. Jack. Then the realisation hit, so hard that my knees buckled. I did it. I killed those people. I could feel it now. The blackness was when I killed. I had rejected it at first but as I happened again and again, I felt the knowledge eat away at me. I could not deny it. My knees felt warm and sodden, causing me to look down. What I saw caused me to leap back, screaming in horror. I could not stop the bringing tears from falling this time. Seared into my mind was the image of my latest victim. The one person who had loved me enough to pay with his life. His intense eyes stared into mine, glazed over. There was no life left in them anymore. I would never feel safe again. His body lay there, a brutalised, bloody mess. I tilted my head back and screamed my horror and grief to the world. Nothing mattered anymore. He was gone. I felt the love I had held for him burn then explode out of me in a howl of loss. Sirens howled across the grass and the shouts of people began to float to me. A line of men was making its way to me. I couldn't understand what they were saying. Why did they have guns? Did they not understand? He was dead. Jack was dead. I had killed him. I felt the blackness tap on my shoulder. I did not want to be without him. And so I turned to embrace the darkness for the last time.

---

Epilogue

Taken from the Daily News

LOCAL LADY ARRESTED OVER MULTIPLE MAULINGS AT THE MANOR.

Last night police finally closed the net on the culprit of the series of brutal attacks that have terrified locals. The one responsible turned out to be none other than local Lady Rosie Hector, who was found at the scene of the death of her final victim, Inspector Jack Clarke. Clarke had been placed in charge of the cases, but was removed from the case just hours before his death due to fears that he may have been seduced by the heiress. However sources close to the Lady claim that they may in fact have been lovers. Police have yet to release a statement, however doctors who were summoned to sedate Lady Hector last night are reported to say that she is in a 'delicate state of health' following the arrest. Sources say that she has suffered a mental breakdown, resulting in periods where she loses control of herself. It may be during these times that she committed the horrific attacks.

See page two for interviews with Mr. Jeremy Chase, butler to Lady Hector and exclusive reports on the Lady's state of health, as well as her relationship with the inspector.