‘Come in, Joss.’ Janet’s voice was clear in the silence. ‘And you Lyn. There’s no point in standing out here and freezing. I’m sure Luke’s OK. He’s probably arrived at the farm by now and is trying to work out where we all are. Come on.’
After a moment’s hesitation Lyn turned away from Joss. Stooping she swept Tom up into her arms, detaching him from Janet and disappearing into the house.
Janet waited. ‘Joss?’
‘He’s out there, Janet. In the dark.’ Joss couldn’t keep the terror out of her voice. Quotes from David’s letter kept nudging into her head ‘John Bennet … walking in the garden at Belheddon … was confronted by something … his sanity, already unhinged by the death of his son, completely deserted him … he remembered running into the darkness … Something … a figure, at least seven feet tall …’
Janet reached out and put her arm around her again. ‘Joss – ’
‘He’s out there, Janet. Can’t you feel it? In the darkness. Watching us?’
‘Luke, you mean?’ Janet followed her gaze, but could see nothing.
‘No not Luke. Him. The devil. The monster that haunts Belheddon.’
With a sigh Janet shook her head. ‘No, I can’t feel him. I can’t feel anything. I’m too cold. Come in and have a cup of tea – ’
‘He’s looking for Katherine.’
‘Who’s Katherine?’ Janet’s voice sharpened. ‘Joss, for goodness’ sake!’
‘He kills everyone who stands in his way.’ Her stomach churning, her legs unsteady, Joss clutched at Janet’s hand. ‘We have to find Luke. Janet, you have to help me.’
The latch on the gate was jammed. Frantically she scrabbled at the ice cold metal, trying to lift it. ‘Janet!’
‘Joss, I don’t think this is a good idea.’ Janet was beginning to feel the fear. It was contagious. She looked round as a sudden icy wind ruffled her hair, listening to it swirling through the branches of the chestnut trees, and wishing, just for a moment that it would stop so that she could listen in the silence. ‘Joss, let’s go inside. It’s silly to go out there. We don’t know where he is and we’d never find him in the dark.’
The latch had lifted at last with a metallic click and the gate swung open. Above them the half moon swam high behind a veil of streaming cloud. It gave enough light to see the leaf-strewn lawn as a paler grey in a monochrome world. Running onto the grass Joss stared round – beyond the moon dusk the shadows were black and unyielding, hiding everything and nothing.
Janet stepped beside her and caught her arm again. ‘Come inside, Joss.’ She spoke more urgently than she intended. ‘Please.’
‘He’s out there, Janet.’
‘No he isn’t.’ Janet wasn’t sure whether they were talking about Luke or – or who? She felt another cold wash of fear drench her shoulder blades. ‘Joss, the children need you. You must be there for them. You have to pack and come back with me. Now. I have a feeling that we’ll find Luke waiting at the farm when we get there.’
‘I suppose so.’ Joss was still hesitating. As she stared out into the shadows there was a movement near them and she tensed feeling her heart flip somewhere under her ribs. For a moment she could see nothing, aware that Janet was staring at the same spot, then suddenly Janet’s cheerful laugh broke the silence. ‘It’s Kit and Kat, look!’
The two small cats hurtled out of the darkness, tails at right angles to their bodies, intent on a fast and furious game of chase culminating in a huge leap which took both animals high in the air before they disappeared into the wintry rose beds on the far side of the lawn.
The tension was broken. Without a word Joss followed Janet back into the courtyard and watched as she fastened the gate behind them. Seconds later they were in the house.
Janet flung herself down at the table and put her head in her hands. ‘If you offered me a black coffee I’d probably say yes.’
Without a word, Joss went to put the kettle on.
Janet rubbed her face with her hands. ‘What was that all about, Joss?’
‘I told you.’
Janet looked at her searchingly for a moment then she stood up and went to the phone. ‘I’ll call the farm. Maybe Luke is there. He knows where I hide the key.’
She let it ring for a couple of minutes before hanging up. ‘Of course, he may not have gone in when he found we weren’t there.’
‘He isn’t there, Janet.’ Joss stared down at her hands, aware that they were shaking. ‘He’s out there, somewhere.’
Like John Bennet. Like her father.
‘Get the children’s things, Joss.’ Janet stood behind her, giving her shoulders a quick massage, a firm reassuring pressure.
Nodding, Joss stood up, ignoring her strange reluctance to leave the house which clung to her like a sticky, entrapping net. ‘Lyn must have taken the boys upstairs. I’ll pack a case. Do you want to wait here?’
Janet shook her head. ‘Perhaps I’ll come too. Give you a hand.’
The kitchen, always so warm and welcoming, seemed very safe as they opened the door into the hall. The draught, sweeping under the front door was icy.
The two women hurried across the great hall towards the staircase and, not giving herself time to think Joss led the way up. Lyn was in Ned’s room, changing his nappy. Tom, in his own room across the narrow passage had tipped his playbox on the floor and was happily stirring the resulting mess.
‘Lyn, I’m taking the children over to Janet’s for a couple of days.’ Joss bent to pick up a small jumper from the floor. It was there again; the reluctance to leave; the certainty that it would be easier to stay.
‘You’re welcome to come too, Lyn,’ Janet smiled at her as Lyn looked up from the baby, a tin of talcum in her hand.
‘It would be nice if you would come,’ Joss went on without enthusiasm. ‘Or if you want to take a couple of days’ break so you can go and see Mum and Dad, I know they’d love that.’
Lyn went back to her task, deftly folding and taping before replacing Ned’s jumpsuit and sitting him up. ‘Is Luke back then?’ She swung the baby onto her shoulder.
Joss shook her head. ‘There’s no sign of him.’ She bit her lip. ‘Lyn, exactly what time did he go out?’