"Place your grip a bit further down the chisel, son. Else you'll knock off your hand."
Daniel blinked, awaking from his contemplation. His mind had been rather preoccupied the past two days. It was as if he couldn't focus on anything, his thoughts kept slipping back to what he had come to know. He frowned, placing his hand lower and firmer around the chisel as his father had instructed.
The sound of cracking rock filled the studio. He had upgraded to carving limestones now, his father challenging him with still harder sedimentary – as opposed to the soft soapstone he started out with. John wanted Daniel to make progress quick. But of course he wasn't allowed a slab larger than the size of his own hand; the rock was expensive, and John couldn't waste too much of the material on Daniel's amateur skills.
The man had his arms crossed, watching his grown son closely. Daniel felt his eyes burn into his back, but still he couldn't concentrate.
Truth was that he was scared. He had finally discovered his wicked stepmother's dark secret by complete accident, something he knew that he wasn't supposed to find out. He felt that he had to do something, but at the same time he was completely paralysed. His mind was one big mess of critical questions. If she was capable of killing her own husband, then who knew what other drastic methods she might not hesitate to put to use? What would happen if she found out that Daniel knew? Was Hazel even safe in her care? What if she would poison his father, too?
A fairly large chunk of the limestone fell off. Daniel bit his lip, feeling a single drop of sweat running down his forehead. The dust stuck to his moist skin. No matter what time of the year it was, the studio was always burning hot.
John didn't seem to realise that something was bothering his son. "Focus, Daniel!" he said. His voice boomed through the large room and bounced back against the thick stone walls. "The stone is soft! You can't let your thoughts wander while you cut; one slip and it will be useless. You will have ruined it!"
Daniel moistened his lips and nodded. He wanted to confess all that he knew, but he didn't know how. What if his father didn't believe him? Or worse – told Henrietta. He didn't want to bring what he had left of his family in danger, and he feared it would only get worse if he let anyone know.
He avoided staying at home as much as he could. Unfortunately, Daniel didn't have his job at the miller's any more, since his father had asked him to quit it; that would have been a good excuse to keep himself busy. But at least he had his duties at the studio, Pride's training and Serena's clubhouse to attend to.
Daniel was incredibly worried about Hazel, but he was afraid that he might lose face if he stayed near Henrietta for too long. She made him uneasy. He had grown genuinely scared of her. At night, he couldn't sleep, knowing that a murderer lived in the same house as him, right down the hall, lying next to his father. He figured that until he knew what to do, he had to act as normal as possible, and the easiest way to do that was to just stay out of sight. So he did.
The holiday was coming to an end, and Daniel thought it might be safer to inform Henry that he couldn't get him the money this time around before he went back to the school; the bully was already impatient, and Daniel did not want to further aggravate him. After all, Henry had already been so understanding.
It was cold outside, but the snow was already melting away. Daniel looked around, still feeling somewhat glad that the old village hadn't changed too much. Melancholy always seemed to make way, though, especially when walking past where his childhood home used to be. He had been very young back when his mother was alive, but he knew that she and his father had lived there for many years before he was even born. Now it was all gone.
Daniel sighed so that his breath became clearly visible in the cold air, and continued on his way to the outer part of the small community. The dilapidated Bedloe farm was not far now. He had made sure not to wear anything too fancy. He didn't want to remind Henry that he had moved up in society, though it wasn't by much; Henry had made it clear that he didn't like Daniel's new status as a middle-class artisan's son.
The Bedloe farm didn't look much like a farm any more. Daniel had seen it a few times throughout his childhood, but he had always tried to stay clear of the area. It was a bit pointless, though, as Henry always sought out Daniel himself anyway. The well didn't function properly any longer; the handle was missing, the chain had rusted, and the water was probably not fit for drinking. The single small pen belonging to the lot was in desperate need of repair. Vegetation had long since overgrown the small buildings, there was weed all over the place. The stables had no animals in it; Daniel knew for a fact that Henry had spent several nights there, hiding from his vile mother. He had seen it.
And of course, the tiny main house itself also was in a sad predicament. Daniel wouldn't be surprised if there was a leaking that still hadn't been attended to. This place really would have been better off just getting demolished.
Daniel felt uncomfortable nearing this place. Never once in his life had he witnessed anything positive going on here. He suspected that there might be even more to the story than the few disturbing things he had seen during his time, but he really didn't want to know.
It was awfully quiet. Daniel silently prayed that Henry might not be home, but all the same he just wanted it over and done with. It was time to man up and stop running away. He was about to knock on the door, when he suddenly noticed the voices. It sounded like a baby, bawling as if someone had taken it from its mother.
Daniel frowned. He really hoped that it wasn't Henry, though he didn't know what he would rather have making that noise. He tiptoed over to a small dusty window on the side of the house, peeking inside.
Indeed, it wasn't Henry. It was his mother. She lay on the shabby couch, looking worse than Daniel had ever seen her. Her hair had gotten so thin that her scalp was showing, and it had lost all of its colour. Her skin was as pale as bones, and that was all she was. Skin and bones. Her eyes were terribly bloodshot and hollow. She looked like nothing more than a skeleton.
Henry was also in the room, trying to calm his crying mother. Her arms were flailing about, serving Henry some bruises in the process – but of course, that was of no concern to Miss Bedloe. Daniel looked on in horror as the blond boy finally had his mother come to her senses. The voices became clearer.
"I'm sorry, Mum, don't cry," Henry said, caressing the withering woman's bony hand, "I promise I'll get you your medicine. I promise." His voice was oddly soft.
"You better!" Miss Bedloe cried, drawing her hand back and slapping Henry's cheek with what little strength, she had left, "Else I'm going to die! You want your loving old mama to die, Henry? Do you just want to get rid of me? You see me as nothing short of a burden?"
Henry's face contorted in genuine terror. "No!" he exclaimed, "Mother, I would never!"
The unforgiving woman did nothing but scowl at her poor son, "You've always been such a horrible child! Now I'm going to die here, writhing in pain, because my sole support in this world couldn't lift a finger for his old mum..." She began to cry her crocodile tears again.
Henry looked so tragic. It was obvious that her words were causing him great pain. "Mama, please..."
"I need the opium, Henry! Please, get me it! I need it!" She sat up, gripping tightly on to Henry's worn shirt, staring at him with wide mad eyes, "Else I'll die!"
"I promise I'm going to get you the medicine, Mum! I don't want you to die!" Henry yelled in distress, grabbing around his mother's small wrists with his own large thick-skinned hands. His voice was shaking.
Daniel backed away with wide eyes, not wanting to see any more. It was completely wrong. All wrong. This was definitely not the right time to tell Henry that he didn't have the money ready for him. Daniel turned around and hurried home without looking back.
Everything was becoming too much. That probably was the reason why Daniel couldn't bring himself to stay mad at his friends any more. Already the first day back at the school, Owen, Timmy and Harvey came up to him, all at once, begging for forgiveness. They said that it wasn't the same without him around. They missed him, oh so dearly. Daniel couldn't help but smile. They really were sorry. How was he supposed to say no to their pleading eyes? He merely laughed and said that everything was fine again.
It was a great relief. Daniel didn't know how he was going to handle everything if he didn't at least have his friends for support. He wasn't going to confide his newly gathered knowledge to Owen, but it felt good that at least they had made up.
Not long after, Daniel also had a word with Everett. The others insisted that he wanted to apologise. Daniel still felt a bit sceptic about it, but in all honesty, he just wanted as much as possible to be back to what it used to be, so he accepted. "I really am sorry about it, Dan," Everett said, nodding with raised eyebrows, "I just thought that you would like an early vacation. Really, I was trying to do you a favour."
Daniel raised his own eyebrows. He couldn't believe that was the excuse. It seemed ridiculous for Everett to think like that. If he thought that Daniel would appreciate an 'early vacation', then why didn't he just let himself have one? But he was too tired to argue any more, so he just nodded and smiled, "I see. Thank you for clearing that up, Everett."
And then everything finally was back to normal. The stress eased up at bit. At least some aspect of Daniel's life felt safe and recognisable again. He would never admit it, but he was actually glad that Henrietta had signed him up for the King's School. Not only had he managed to escape Henry for a bit this way, but Hazel had been right after all; he had made a lot of good friends.
The term passed by rather quickly. It saddened Daniel. He really didn't feel like going home. He had it much better at the school with his friends, even though he still couldn't stop thinking about his family being under the same roof as that crazy lady. But what was he to do? He was just a boy. No one would ever listen to him.
Shortly before the Easter holiday, Daniel received a letter from his younger sister. He didn't get letters from her too often, but he was delighted whenever he did. Naturally, he wanted to know how she was doing with her illness without him around.
My beloved older brother,
I apologise for keeping my letter short. I am feeling light-headed, and I've tried waiting for a time that I felt better, but it seems that it never goes away. I cannot even read through five pages of a book before I feel dizzy. So I am just going to write you this now.
Things are calm back in the house as usual. You know I don't get to go out a lot. Miss Turner keeps me company when she is not too busy. I asked her if we could have a pet that I could play with, but she said that Henrietta doesn't like pets. I like Miss Turner, though. You know how sweet she is. I know that you like her as well.
You probably want to know about my illness. I still don't feel any pain. After I take my medicine, just before I fall into a peaceful sleep, it feels like I am floating. It's a really nice feeling. But I have a hard time moving properly, that is why I need to stay in my bed. Else, everything is completely fine, Daniel, I assure you. We never run out of my medicine.
I am glad that you made up with your friends. They all seem so nice. I would be pleased to meet them someday. I'm sorry, Daniel. I can't write any more. My head hurts.
With much love,
Hazel Wilkinson
Daniel tilted his head. He rubbed his chin, frowning.
It was silent out in the hallways. The boys of the school had already settled into their rooms for the night. In the bed next to the desk he sat by, Owen was reading a book. All of a sudden he clapped it shut, making Daniel jump and look at his friend. Owen smiled up at him. "That was that chapter," he said, "What are you reading?"
Daniel smiled back at him, chuckling. He focused back on the sheet of paper in his hands. "Just a letter from my sister."
"Lovely. How is she?" Owen chattered, turning around to lie on his stomach. The light of the lantern flickered in his eyes.
Daniel stayed quiet for a while, thinking. Hazel couldn't even write a letter that filled a whole page. She must have been feeling very sick. That worried him. He looked at Owen again. Maybe it was time to tell him. "Not very good, actually," he said, hesitating shortly, "She... She is ill. She has been for a long time."
Owen sat up, a bit more alert. "Oh. I am sorry. For how long?"
"It's a chronic disease. She was born with it."
His room mate's eyebrows shot up under his long curly bangs as his eyes widened. "No," he said under his breath, "I never knew. I am sorry. Why didn't you tell me before?"
Daniel had mentioned to Owen that he had a sister, just like anyone would mention their family every now and then when getting to know someone. But he had never let Owen in on any of his worries ever. The only ones, Daniel had ever confided in, were Hazel and Serena. And occasionally, his mother, though she wasn't able to respond. "It's not…" Daniel wanted to say that it wasn't a big deal so that Owen wouldn't worry, but he couldn't lie about Hazel's illness like that. He would never be able to say that Hazel wasn't a big deal. "I just don't want you to get involved. She's doing fine, she told me in the letter. I'm just worried about her, is all."
Owen nodded, a look of compassion on his face. It felt reassuring. His friend was supporting and understanding, and that was all Daniel needed. He continued with a smile, already feeling slightly better, "But as I said, she's all right. She's a strong little one."
"Of course," Owen said, smiling, "If she's anything like you, she ought to be."
Daniel stiffened as he heard that. Those words. So similar. That was exactly what Serena had said the first time he told her about Hazel.
Owen lay on his back again, placing his arms under his head and staring up at the ceiling. "My uncle was very ill a few years ago," he said, "It took him a long time, but eventually he recovered. I'm sure your sister will be fine. All you need is faith." Daniel eyed Owen for a while, lost in his thoughts. The other boy blinked a few times, then looked up at his room mate again. As he noticed Daniel watching him, he gave him a mischievous grin, and they both burst into laughter.
He sat up in the bed again. "Hey, I talked to some of the other boys about going to Bath this summer!" Owen said, a sparkle twinkling in his warm eyes, "Don't you want to join us?"
Daniel got up from his seat by the desk to settle in his own bed across from Owen. He fell silent for a while.
Serena was not going to answer his letter. Daniel had accepted this by now, though it hurt more than he wanted to admit. He hadn't had too much time to think about it between tending to his homework, being with his friends and worrying about his problems at home, but every now and then it hit him – and it hit him hard.
He tried to get used to and accept the thought that she wasn't ever coming back again. That maybe her parents had found the letters, and she was not permitted to contact him ever again. Or the worst possibility of all; she didn't like him back, and she had realised that she was too good to socialise with him.
But he found that a slight hope still lingered within him. Just wait for the summer vacation, he told himself, Wait for the summer vacation and see what happens. And with that thought, he had managed put the worries aside again.
Daniel gave Owen an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I can't."
Owen scoffed, "Come on, Daniel! Why won't you ever go with us anywhere? Are we only good enough for you when at the school?" He laughed and threw a pillow at Daniel.
The other laughed as well, guarding himself from the attack. He grabbed the pillow for himself as soon as it landed on the ground. "No," he chuckled, "It's just... Someone is waiting for me at home."
"Don't tell me that it's your sister," Owen said, giving Daniel a suspicious look, "You see your sister all other vacations as well. What is going on, Dan?"
Daniel couldn't stop himself from smiling, feeling very embarrassed. Was he really going to tell him? It almost seemed that he didn't have a choice – and for some reason, he didn't really mind. He averted his gaze. "It's not Hazel, no."
"Then who is it?" Owen persisted. He looked at Daniel with impatience as well as anticipation. "Please, tell me! Why are you always so secretive?"
He gave his friend a wry, devious smile, raising his eyebrows. That was all Owen needed. He gasped. "No!" he said, his mouth shaped like an 'O', "Don't tell me …!" Daniel merely shrugged and looked away, sincerely hoping that the dim light in the room would hide his flushed cheeks. "You!" Owen sat up in his bed, pointing at Daniel, "You found someone!"
"I might have," Daniel chuckled.
"You did! I can tell by the look on your face!" He leaned closer, staring at Daniel with great excitement. "All right! Tell me about her! When did you meet? Who is she? Is she pretty?"
Daniel shook his head, unable to contain his laughter any more. "Owen! That is rather inappropriate, don't you think?"
"Nothing is inappropriate amongst friends," Owen said and winked, "You can tell me anything! Your secrets are safe with me."
Daniel turned to look at the boy across from him. "I know," he said and smiled.
Owen bit his lip. "So?"
He laughed once again, "All right, then. She is my friend. I've known her for a long time." Daniel was surprised. It actually felt really good to finally tell somebody. It was somewhat relieving.
"How long?" Owen said surprised, "Longer than me?" Daniel nodded. His room mate continued, "But I thought I was your first friend!"
"Just let it go already," Daniel chuckled, shaking his head, "She's my childhood friend. I've known her for nearly ten years."
Owen gaped. "Wow," he said, "With such a history, surely you can't just be seeing her as just another lady?"
Daniel was silent for a while. Then he shook his head. "No. I don't."
"When did you start liking her? You know, like that?"
He turned on to his side and looked at Owen. He was gazing back at him with curiosity.
It suddenly became obvious to Daniel. Owen hadn't himself been in love before. He was amazed by Daniel's experience. This sort of swapped their roles. Daniel used to look up to Owen, thinking him to be more advanced with ladies and the likes. But now, Owen was engrossed by what Daniel had come to know in his summer days.
"I … think I always have," Daniel said, "I've always cared deeply for her. I just didn't realise how much until last summer."
"That is very fascinating," Owen stared at Daniel, "And here I thought that you were a complete beginner. All this time, you've been having a sweetheart for longer than any of us!"
He burst into laughter once again. "She is not my sweetheart!"
"Not yet!" Owen said, once again winking at his friend.
Daniel blushed and looked away. "Well..." he mumbled, "She gave me a locket last summer..." He thought about the beautiful silver heart that lay hidden in the half-built clubhouse in the Blean. The locket that said Always be together. He wondered if she really had meant it. Maybe she didn't like him any more because she could feel that he wasn't wearing it.
"That locket I saw you wearing at the start of the year!" Owen said and nodded, "I knew that there was more to the story."
Daniel slowly nodded, studying the wooden boards on the floor. "I was planning to give her a clubhouse that I am building..." he said, "As a gift in return."
The other boy's eyes widened. "Wow, you are building her a house? You really are a gentleman!"
He looked at Owen again, smiling. "I guess," he said. Then his smile disappeared. "But I'm pretty delayed in my work, so I'm not sure if I will finish it in time."
"Where are you building it?" Owen said.
"In the Blean. Far up, almost by the boarder to Faversham."
Owen suddenly jolted up. "You mean near Boughton under Blean?"
Daniel frowned, "That small village? I guess it is."
His comrade continued to sit right up in the bed, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "You remember that cottage, I told you about? Where my family and I celebrate Christmas?"
"Yes?" Daniel mumbled, still thoroughly confused by the other boy's sudden enthusiasm.
"The cottage lies in Boughton under Blean!" Owen exclaimed excited, "It is very close to the woods! If we spend a vacation there, I could help you out with finishing the house. I am pretty handy with building myself, if I must say." He nodded to emphasise his point.
Daniel sat up in his bed, gaping at Owen. "Really? Are you sure of that? Will you really help me?"
"Of course!" Owen smiled brightly at his friend, "That's what friends are for. Besides, we could have a really nice time together! The cottage is not very large, so I'm sure my parents would be fine with us staying, just the two of us. No grown-ups, no servants!"
It was unreal. Yet, the opportunity was right there. He had the chance to get away for a while, away from home and just spend time with his friend; no stress, no worries, no problems. Just him and his friend, having fun building something that Daniel wanted to give to his sweetheart. How could he possibly say no?
A large smile formed on his face. "Let's do it."
It only took a single letter to write home and tell their parents that they were going to spend the vacation together. Soon everything was arranged, and when the school finally let their students off for the Easter holiday, Daniel and Owen had already packed everything and were ready to leave for the cottage.
Boughton under Blean was a nice little community on the outskirts of Canterbury. It was tiny and idyllic and surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Blean and Canterbury fields; there was absolutely nothing to complain about. The cottage was very nice as well. Daniel soon realised that Owen certainly came from a somewhat wealthy upper middle-class family. Even though he had said that the cottage was small, it was still almost the size of the Wilkinson estate. Everything was polished and clean despite there being no servants.
"Who takes care of this place while your family is in Hereford?" Daniel had asked in wonder upon arriving as he looked around the nicely decorated main hall.
Owen fumbled around with the bunch of keys, he had received by the landlord. "My parents are good friends with the mayor," he said, "He makes sure that it's cleaned once a month. When we come to occupy the house, a whole team of people is sent to tidy it up before we arrive." It was impressing. Daniel himself sure didn't have any connections quite as interesting.
The boys had fun the whole day. They settled into their respective rooms – there was enough for them to have one each! – and unpacked all of their things. The first day they spent just strolling around the area in the nice weather and getting to know the village.
The week went by in the blink of an eye. Everyday, they went out into the Blean, building for hours. Daniel made much more progress during these few days than he had for the past year. Owen really was very handy with the craft and turned out to be of great help. He also said that he was impressed with Daniel's work so far, but that was what one would expect of an artisan's son.
They worked away until evening. Then they went back to the cottage to prepare dinner for themselves, for there were no servants living with them. It was no problem, though, as Daniel was quite used to cooking. The stove was old and intricate. Only Owen knew how to get it going. While he was fumbling around with it, he asked Daniel to go down to the basement and get some coal. Daniel accepted and went on his way.
He never liked basements. The only ones, he had ever encountered, were always dark. But it was still light outside, and there were a few tiny windows down there. He still brought a lantern with him, though. Better be safe than sorry.
Daniel ventured down the stairs, slowly placing his feet solidly on each step to make sure that he wouldn't slip. The basement was small and almost empty, save for the few shelves and the piles of coal. He thought he saw something move in the corner of his eye. He turned around, but there was nothing. Probably just a mouse. He placed the lantern on one of the shelves, a fair distance from the coal, and started filling his sack with the shovel.
It only took him a few minutes, but as the seconds ticked by, sweat formed on his face. The light wasn't enough. The shadows were very dark, and they moved.
He hurried even more, determined to get back out of the basement before the shadow creatures would lock the door behind him. His heart beat rapidly. The flame in the lantern flickered. The light from the windows grew dimmer as the sun set in the sky.
Finally, the sack was filled. Daniel grabbed it and the lantern, and ran up the stairs again. The shadow creatures laughed their devil cackle and set off after him, racing against him to get to the door.
He made it. He slammed the door close behind him, breathing out. That had been close. Too close. His hands were shaking, he couldn't breathe properly.
"Daniel? Did you get the coal?"
The sound of Owen's voice calling from the kitchen calmed him. His rapid breath stilled. "Yes," he said and swallowed, "Yes, I got it."
The Easter holiday would soon be over. Daniel had enjoyed it much more than he thought he would, which was impressive since his expectations had already been high. He and Owen had so much fun together, they nearly did nothing but laugh. Already two days before they had to go back to the school again for the summer term, they finished the clubhouse.
It was incredible. It looked much neater than what Daniel had built for Henry, and it was slightly bigger, too. It would definitely fit Daniel and Serena nicely, as there was room enough for both him and Owen in there. Owen lay down inside the small building, resting the back of his head on his arms. "Well, this sure is nice," he said, his eyes closed, "I think we're finished, Daniel."
Daniel nodded, sitting down next to his friend with wide eyes. He stared around the small house. They had even made a door for it, with hinges and everything. Owen knew people in Boughton, so it was not hard to get their hands on the material.
He was suddenly reminded. He removed a single wooden board in one of the corners that had nothing but bushes outside it. Owen opened his eyes. "What are you doing?" Digging a bit with the small shovel that lay outside, Daniel soon found his secret box. He opened it and took out the locket inside. Owen sat up and crawled over to his friend. "Oh, it's your locket," he said, "Why are you keeping it out here?"
"It's..." Daniel hesitated shortly, "It's best if no one knows about our relationship, Owen."
The boy blinked. He shook his head and said, "You mean, your relationship with the girl who gave you that locket? But why?" He grinned, "You've done inappropriate things with her, mate?"
Daniel looked at Owen with wide eyes, his face flushed. "No! Don't say things like that!"
"Then what is the matter?" Owen asked, taking the locket from Daniel, "Can I open it? What's inside?"
"It's a small portrait of her," Daniel said, watching as Owen clicked the small heart open.
His friend studied the painting, nodding. "I see why you like her," he said, "She is very lovely indeed. But she looks…" Owen turned to look at Daniel with a rather serious expression on his face. "Daniel, she looks like she is aristocratic."
Daniel bit his lip and nodded. "That is why no one can know…"
Owen looked at the portrait again. Then he closed the locket and gave it back to Daniel. "You have to be careful," he said, "Her family would never approve of people like us. We're only middle-class."
"I know," Daniel sighed and opened the locket again. He looked at the small painting of Serena, feeling every bit of his doubt washing over him like a splash of cold water. "And I… I don't know how she feels. I have known her all of my life, yet now she is ignoring me."
"Is she ignoring you?" Owen said, frowning.
"My letter," Daniel mumbled, averting his gaze go the floor, "She is not answering my letter. We always write each other in between the summer breaks when she is in London, but after what happened last summer, she has not talked to me openly…"
Owen pursed his lips, not liking seeing his friend so distressed. "What happened last summer?"
Daniel's cheeks burned hot as he thought back on it. How amazing it had been. He really wanted to experience it again. "I kissed her."
Owen's eyes became wide. "You kissed her? A daughter of an aristocrat? You sure have got some guts, Wilkinson!"
The other boy shrugged and said, "I just … couldn't not do it. She was so inviting that day."
His friend burst into laughter and clapped his shoulder. "I'm sure she was," Owen chuckled, "Those genteel ladies are hard to resist at times, aye? Definitely much classier than the ladies in the places, Everett brings us." Daniel also laughed. He couldn't deny that. "But don't be too worried about it, Daniel," he continued and gave his friend a reassuring smile, "Maybe she never even received the letter."
Daniel looked at Owen with a frown. "What do you mean?"
"Maybe your letter was lost in the mail. Or her letter to you. It might have been that her letter never got here. You should ask the post office about it."
Daniel was dumbfounded. He had never even thought of that. Of course! That must have been it! The reason why she never answered! How could he have overlooked that? A bright smile formed on his face as the realisation dawned upon him. "You're right! That thought never occurred to me once! I will certainly check with the post office!"
Owen smiled back at Daniel, laughing. "See? If you inform me once in a while, I might be able to help you!"
Daniel bit his lip in excitement, beaming at his friend. "Thank you, Owen. I owe so much to you."