Chapter One:
But it seemed that the happiness would only last so long. Because no sooner than 4 months later, on a cold December night, did the unthinkable occur.
5 o clock:
The bump was well and truly showing, Emily now blushing like the happy mother-to-be she as, with her father smiling widely over having a grandchild. They were having afternoon tea, enjoying the cosy warmth away from the winter air and discussing possible baby names.
"If it is a boy, you could call him Christopher? Christopher Van Dort has a ring to it" he chimed.
"Because I must have a man named Christopher in my life? Not because that is your name?" Emily had smiled.
"Not at all" her father replied, sipping his tea.
With the fire roaring wildly and the smell of a roast chicken being prepared for supper, everything was pure bliss. Emily couldn't be happier. Married to her perfect husband, pregnant with her first-born, warm, well-fed and spending loving time with her father, awaiting Victor's return.
Victor had been finishing off the accounts at the fishmongers, and preparing to shut up the shop, in order to return and enjoy a hot supper with his wife, before snuggling close by the fire and reading a favourite book. That was what he had done. He returned home, ate a delicious hot dinner and joined Emily on the sofa by the fire, settling down with his book.
And then the telephone rang.
A brand new device that Victor and Emily were astonished by and praising at the same time. The winter blizzard had spread wide and far, shutting in households and stopping them from venturing outside until shovellers could arrive at the most convenient time.
The maid, Harriet had heard the phone and appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron after finishing the washing up, and answered the telephone.
"The Van Dort residence" she answered. She went silent, listening intently to the caller.
"Mr Van Dort" she chimed, indicating that Victor had to leave the sofa and take the call. He sighed to himself, cursing the minor disturbance and put his book down, walking over to Harriet.
"Thank you Harriet" he said, taking the receiver from her. She didn't move though. And that's what worried him. Normally, she would've returned to her duties, but this time she watched him intently, her eyes filled with…sadness? Something upsetting.
"Hello" he said, awaiting what news came from the other end. He was silent, listening carefully. Minutes passed, Emily looked up from the sofa, sensing the change in her husband.
"No, no. I appreciate it. No need…I'll tell her. Shall we see you tomorrow...alright, 11 o clock. Good night…I'm so sorry" he sighed, putting the phone down.
He bowed his head, placing his hands on his hips, Harriet still watching him. She offered a kind hand on his shoulder, and he merely smiled as a small tear appeared in the corner of his eye.
"Harriet, would you be a dear and fetch me a brandy…and a tea for Emily please" he said.
"Yes sir" she curtsied and left the room, leaving just Victor and Emily alone, the sound of the roaring fire echoing throughout the living room. Emily knew this was bad – Victor rarely touched alcohol, especially brandy. So when it was requested, she knew something was very wrong.
"Victor? What's wrong?" Emily asked. Victor couldn't ignore his wife, especially when she looked at him with such loving and worried eyes.
"Emily…that was your mother." He returned to the sofa and sat beside her, taking her hands in his.
"What did she say?" she asked.
"She…she called…oh goodness" he stuttered. "Emily…I have no idea how to say this to you, but you must know. I am so sorry, but…"
Emily watched him, her eyes filling with tears, not sure what she was about to hear, but fearing the worst. Unfortunately, she was right to assume the worst.
"Your father had a heart attack this afternoon. But he didn't survive it."
It was as if time had stopped. Emily's tears immediately started pouring down her face, her cries screaming throughout the house. Victor could do nothing more than cradle his heart-broken wife as she poured her soul out in agony and grief over her father. The noises she produced were like sounds of torture and crying for help. Victor shed his tears equally for the loss of his father-in-law, and helped to dry Emily's, especially when the funeral arrived.
Held at the local church with Pastor Lee leading the service, Victor comforted Emily, who held her mother's hand, who cried continuously in to the same handkerchief. And the burial was painful. Victor was required to carry the coffin, all the time listening to his wife's sobs. But she had said how glad she was that he had stepped up to the job, how noble it was of him and how proud she was of his strength. All he did was smile weakly and hold her hand. How he wished he could resurrect her father, to grant her most desired wish at that moment. But all he could do was look to the future, and hope it was brighter.
Meanwhile, 'downstairs':
"New arrival! New arrival!" Miss Plum yelled over the ringing bell. Once again, the Ball and Socket pub was alive and thriving with the living dead and deceased, pouring in through every door from every street. Everyone was gathering to see their newest member of the 'undead family'.
"Welcome sir, welcome" the ladies would smile, gazing at his expensive and smart attire.
"Drinks for everyone" Paul the head waiter announced.
"What may we call you, sir?" Alfred the skeleton asked, his pipe sandwiched between his teeth.
"Lord Hunter. Christopher Hunter" he said.
"Hunter?" Miss Plum paused, thinking. The only other person with that surname was their infamous Corpse Bride…but…
She remembered. Lord Hunter didn't know his own daughter had died after her disappearance, and then returned to living form. Elder Gutknecht had been watching her return home after her full regeneration, and she told her parents she had amnesia and could not remember a thing. He had told everyone in the pub that same evening, but he had not looked in to her since she returned to the living world. She had to think carefully about what she was going to say.
"Pleasure to meet you, Lord Hunter" she smiled, taking his hand and shaking it, grabbing a mug of ale and casually passing it to him.
"Thank you all" he nodded, accepting the drink. "I am not one for a drop of ale, but I suppose it won't hurt now" he chuckled lightly, but sadness and grief in his eyes as he took a sip.
"Our deepest sympathy for you, Lord Hunter. And for your family, no less" Miss Plum started fishing.
"Thank you. Yes…indeed. I have only been buried for no more than one hour, and I miss them already. They have departed from my grave, I can feel it." He glanced upwards to the sky, indicating the living world above.
"Who, precisely? Wife? Brother? Daughter?" Miss Plum continued.
"Wife, daughter and son-in-law, and dear friends" he said, before Miss Plum screeched with uncontained excitement.
"Son-in-law?!" she cried, uncontrollably.
"Yes" Lord Hunter jumped. "I'm sorry, I am a little confused. Why…such a reaction?" he asked.
Mayhew sighed at Miss Plum, she'd done it now.
"Um" she stuttered. "Well…we…we once had a…oh dear…Mayhew darling, care to shed some light?" she dropped him in it.
"What?!" he shot a look at her. But he could see no other way out of this. Lord Hunter had to know how they knew his son-in-law, but they couldn't avoid telling the truth about his daughters passing.
"Lord Hunter" Mayhew began. "I used to work for your son-in-law and his family. The Van Dorts?"
"Really?" Christopher replied.
"Yes, nice family. Especially their son. Now forgive me, but when I was working for his family, their son Victor was engaged to a woman called Victoria."
"Oh, Miss Everglot. Yes, Nell and William told me about her when he became engaged to my daughter" Lord Hunter sipped his drink.
"Your daughter?" Mayhew casually dropped the hint.
"My darling girl Emily."
At that point, Miss Plum could not contain her excitement any longer. She practically screamed down the entire pub, leaving everyone staring at her and Lord Hunter with curiosity.
"Am I missing something?" he asked.
"Uh…well" Mayhew stuttered.
"He has to know eventually" came an old, withered voice. The crowd slowly parted to see Elder Gutknecht, approaching Lord Hunter, bent over with his walking stick and little dog Scraps trotting behind him.
"Good evening sir" Elder Gutknecht greeted Lord Hunter. "Welcome to the Land of the Dead. I trust your welcoming reception has been most pleasant."
"Most, indeed. I am a little flattered. But, I must know. You react as if…as if you know my daughter? Am I correct?"
"Yes." The wise skeleton began. "Some years ago, we welcomed a young girl and a living boy to this world. They were newlyweds. Known as the Corpse Bride and her Living Groom. But otherwise, they were…Master Victor Van Dort…and Miss Emily Hunter."
"I beg your pardon?" he was clearly in shock.
"I am sorry to tell you, Lord Hunter. But your daughter died on the eve of her wedding night, after she planned to elope with her lover. However, he had other ideas and…did the unspeakable. He murdered your daughter, buried her under an oak tree in the forest close to your village, and left her there. We do not know how long she was there for. It was not until 18 months ago, when your daughter was revived by the recital of the wedding vows from a young man, lost in the forest. When they arrived down here, Emily was blissfully happy with Victor, but their marriage was not official. The vows bonded their marriage, only 'until death did they part'…and Emily had already parted. Anyway, the re-marriage went ahead but unfortunately did not end as intended.
Victor's fiancée from the living world, and your daughter's killer arrived on the scene. I shall put a long story short, Emily sacrificed her love for Victor's happiness and her murderer received his comeuppance. He is now a residence in this land. Thankfully, Emily was freed of her curse, but it was not what brought her back down here. You see, a freed soul would immediately fly to heaven, but something else kept Emily down here. We believe it was her ever-lasting love for Victor. And it seemed that Master Van Dort felt the same. After her departure, he fell in to a state of depression for four months, until Emily returned to him."
"I remember. His parents told me how Miss Everglot had left him because of his love for another woman…I…I did not know he was so besotted over my daughter."
"An unbreakable bond, no less" Elder Gutknecht nodded. "As I was saying, Emily returned to the living world…with a little help from science."
"And you" Miss Plum chimed. "Lord Hunter, it was this man who returned your daughter to you."
"My goodness" he sighed.
"Yes, indeed. And I watched gladly as you were reunited with your daughter."
"She told us she had amnesia. Could not remember a thing about where she had gone or what had happened." Lord Hunter looked around, to see everyone watching him, including the skeletal jazz band upon the stage, who stopped playing as soon as Miss Plum had screamed.
"She…she died, sir"? he looked at Elder Gutknecht, tears in his eyes.
"Yes, sir. She died."
"But more importantly, she came back" Miss Plum said. He smiled, picturing his pregnant daughter, at home with her husband.
"Yes…yes, she did. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for her. She is alive and well, and that is all I could wish for. That my wife, daughter, son-in-law and future grandchild are safe and well."
Everyone went silent. Eyes wide, mouths ajar, all stunned in to silence.
"Grandchild?" Miss Plum asked.
"Yes. My daughter Emily, your Corpse Bride…is withchild." He smiled, sipping his drink once more.
"Our girl is pregnant!" Bonejangles, the jazz singing skeleton cried.
"Hooray!"
"And married to Victor Van Dort?" Miss Plum asked.
"Indeed. They have been married for a year now. And their first child is expected within the next two months" Lord Hunter confirmed.
The pub erupted with celebration, the music filling the air, every living dead resident toasting their drinks in celebration, overjoyed to hear the news that their darling Corpse Bride was alive, married and pregnant. All was well.
Except for one small thing…
Lord Barkis had created a skill of being sneaky and devious, listening in and hiding away from others, prying in to their lives and conversations. And he had done just that. He had made his way from his dark, desolated hide-away and ventured to the pub, hearing about a new arrival. He hid by the doorway close to the piano, out of sight. He was cloaked in darkness as he listened in to the new arrival and the old skeletons telling of how he had taken his daughters life. He remembers this man. When he had his eyes set on Emily, he had spied her out walking with her father on more than one occasion. Lord Hunter didn't know Barkis' face; they were never introduced to one another. From their brief affair, Emily only told her parents of Lord Barkis from his 'love' letters. And now he was here! A permanent resident of the underworld.
But that didn't bother Barkis. He was technically speaking, immortal! Though not welcomed at all by anyone in this place, he didn't care. He heard the words of an expected baby and the happy parents awaiting its arrival. How he loathed them! That girl and her so-called perfect husband didn't deserve to breathe. He should've killed that boy Victor whilst he had the chance. But she had to get in the way and ruin everything. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be dead. She was to blame, and Barkis had been trying to plot revenge on Victor an Emily for a long time. Now the opportunity had presented itself. He knew he couldn't kill either of them, he'd only meet them down here again, and he despised that idea.
But he knew what else could be done.
It seemed a trip to the Land of the Living was called for.