Okay, fourth chapter. Please give me some reveiws! Please?
"Never thought of someone who has such a high rank in one of the most beautiful cities in the world to come here." Clara muttered.
"It's a blessing someone is here to help." Sara, the servant girl said, rearranging the furniture all around the room. Clara stopped looking out the window into the star-lit sky and helped her move the bed over near the window.
"Mistress Clara, why are you not down at the party? I'm sure many missed you while you were gone." Sara asked, brushing the dirt off her blue dress.
Clara groaned and rolled her eyes. "Sure some might have, but others…" she trailed off and Sara understood. Clara was the second child of the Van Tassels, therefore not entitled to have everything Katrina had. Sara knew Clara didn't really hope for anything like that, but the young girl did want a husband to share her life with. The unfortunate thing was that most of the men in Sleepy Hollow were either married or did not want to have a spouse.
Sara placed a friendly hand on her friend's shoulder. "It will all turn for the better. You will see. Once the criminal is put behind bars of course."
Clara smiled softly but couldn't help but think back to a few hours ago when she was in the forest. She didn't really believe that the horseman was the real murderer because of how gentle he was with her. However, there was no one else to suspect.
"Shall I tell Katrina you will be down soon?" Sara asked.
Clara nodded absent-mindedly, still lost in her thoughts. Sara excused herself and left the room. Clara slowly followed, but took one more second to look out into the Western Woods. Knowing that this would get her no where, she left the room.
Walking down the hallway, Clara nearly bumped into her foster mother. She looked quiet surprised, but then again, she always looked surprised when she saw Clara.
"Your father wants you." She said in a quiet tone. Clara was confused. Walking in the opposite direction than she intended to go, she walked to her father's study room where she knocked on the door and opened it.
"Clara, thank you for coming." Baltus said.
"You summoned me father. I would chose nothing else." She said, respectfully bowing her head slightly.
Baltus never really chose between his two daughters and even though she was not his, he had to admit Clara was the more proper and graceful.
"Listen to me. I have called for the Constable and once I have finished talking with him, please show him around if you please."
Clara nodded. "As you wish."
Katrina and her mother came through the door, along with Doctor Lancaster, with a guilty look on his face, Magistrate Philipse, looking drunk as usual, Reverend Steenwyck, a grim expression glued in his dark eyes and Notary Hardenbrook, looking as old as he possibly could.
Clara always felt a wave of compassion towards the four men. All were under a great deal of stress and were dealing with it the best way they could. The three murders didn't make it any better either.
Clara excused herself as the five men started talking and started whispering to Katrina. "Any idea who has done it yet?"
Katrina looked confused. "How would I know?"
Clara rolled her eyes. "You talk to everyone in the town. You must have some idea."
"You do too." Katrina said calmly.
"Not as much as you."
"Yes you do!" Katrina shot her adopted sister a glare.
Clara opened her mouth to give a stinging retort, but closed it as the door opened once again. Sara was leading in someone Clara did not recognize. He had raven black hair, a pale face and a trim figure. Clara's ice blue gaze drifted to his dark chocolate brown eyes, which were filled with nervousness.
"Ahh excellent! Come in." Baltus said. The man stepped inside the room, still looking nervous.
"Leave us my dear." Baltus said to his wife, who bowed and walked out, Katrina following. Clara stayed put, just as her father would want her to do.
Clara sat down in the nearest chair, pulling her hair behind her ears and blinking a few times. She kept her eyes on the constable, who noticed she was looking at him and quickly looked away, tending to his stacked books.
Baltus introduced all four of the important men in the town individually and respectfully.
"This is my daughter, Clara Van Tassel who will be joining us for this meeting." Clara politely dipped her head to him.
"And you are?" he asked, seeming to ignore Clara, making her tilt her head to one side for a moment.
"A simple farmer…who has prospered." Baltus said. There was an edge to his voice as if he wanted to say more, but Clara cut him off.
"Father that is more than an introduction. We should let Constable Crane start." She said. Baltus looked at his daughter surprised at her interruption, but the four other men seemed to chuckle softly at her. She pouted. Everyone still treated her like a child.
"Thank you." The constable said, not looking at her. Closing his book, he started circling the room.
"So…three persons murdered. First, Peter Van Garret and his son, Dirk Van Garret…both of tem strong, capable men…" he started near Baltus and now made his way over to Steenwyck, speaking to his right side.
"Found together…decapitated." Clara giggled softly at how he stressed the word. Lancaster gave her a silent look to be quiet.
"A few weeks later, the Widow Winship…" he had now moved to Steenwyck's left side. "Also decapitated." The reverend's eyes moved dangerously towards the smaller man.
"Now I will need to ask you a number of questions but first, is anyone suspected?" the constable asked after finishing and now facing everyone in the room.
Philipse choked on his drink and both Clara and Hardenbrook gave each other a knowing glace.
Baltus hesitated for a moment. "How much have your superiors explained to you Constable?"
The constable looked rather confused. "Only that the three were slain in open ground, their heads found severed from their bodies."
Steenwyck spoke up for the first time. "Their heads were not found severed…their heads were not found at all."
Constable Crane lost a bit of color from his already pale face. "The heads are gone?"
"Taken. Taken by the Headless Horseman…" Hardenbrook started in his raspy voice. "Taken back to Hell."
"I'm…I'm sorry but…" Crane started, but Baltus cut him off.
"Perhaps, you had better sit down." He said quietly.
The constable sat down, looking like he was going to protest. Clara looked like she was too, but another look from the town doctor told her to be silent.
"Clara, why don't you go make some more tea for the constable?" Baltus asked, sensing his daughter's uneasiness. Clara nodded and walked out of the room. She could not hear about the horseman now. Not today.
Walking down to the kitchen area, she bumped into her sister and murmured her apologies before sitting in one of the wooden chairs. Almost all the guests were around the living room and huge ballroom, so Clara and Katrina had some peace.
"I need some more tea." Clara said and Katrina nodded, lighting some fire on the hot stove. She then turned to her black haired sister.
"What is troubling you Clara?"
A pair of icy orbs turned on her. "Huh?"
"You seem so distant and sad ever since you came home this morning. What happened?" Katrina asked, her brown eyes willed with concern.
Clara blinked. "Nothing. I'm fine."
Katrina raised an eyebrow. "Clara…"
Knowing that Katrina would not leave her be without a truthful answer, she just sighed. "Fine. I just felt so…helpless when I was missing, you know?"
Katrina blinked. "What happened when you were gone Clara."
Clara slumped her shoulders and crossed her trim legs. "I told you, I was asleep the whole time."
"What happened when you woke up?"
"Where is this going Katrina?"
"Answer the question."
Clara was a bit shocked at Katrina's sharpness. "Uhh, I just ran out before anything could happen or find me."
"Clara, I want to help you. Please tell me. I won't be upset." Katrina said, pleading to her.
Clara just looking into the blonde's eyes for a moment before she shook her head and gulped. "I…I saw him."
Katrina's eyes widened. "The hessian?"
When Clara nodded, Katrina gasped softly. "He didn't hurt you did he?"
Clara stood up and paced a bit. "That's the thing. He never did. I…What did I do?"
Katrina still seemed shocked. "Clara…I…I don't know."
The two shared silence for a moment before Clara made or the back door. "Wait Clara, where are you going?"
Clara looked at her with a sad smile. "I need some air to clear my head. I'll be back soon." She replied before Katrina could answer.
Making her way out of the limits of her house and to the stables, she stopped and looked at the moon. Its beautiful blue and white shine was so enchanting to Clara; she just couldn't take her eyes off it. She stars were shining so brightly it made night seem like a dark day.
A sudden twig snap made her turn her head. The horses in the stable were becoming nervous, making Clara nervous.
"If it's anyone in town who is just trying to scare me, you had better knock it off because I'm not afraid of you, but if it's the hessian, I…I'm not scared of you either, but don't hide in the shadows." She was just looking around.
No answer.
"Please?" she whispered.
As if right on cue, a midnight black horse jumped almost right over her and landed with a thud in front of her.