Captain Potter drew his flintlock and dashed towards the two struggling men. “Oi!” He closed the distance and raised his weapon. “Stop, Daniel!”
Daniel tossed Jarrod to the ground and aimed the gun at him. “Let me have this fat one.”
Some villagers gathered around to watch. Elizabeth moved between the people delicately to appear out in front. The dream of self-sufficiency in the corner of the woods was becoming a nightmarish solitude. Mr Potter would need to reign this in to add his stamp to his new, unwanted rule.
“We will hold a trial. We aren’t savages.”
Daniel laughed as he taunted the panicking Jarrod with the barrel end of his flintlock. “Savages? Could have fooled me. What happened to Alius?”
Mr Potter looked at his bandaged hands and frowned. “I did what I had to. He’ll still get a fair trial.”
“So you get to dish out all the revenge, eh?” He pointed the gun at Mr Potter.
Jarrod whimpered and crawled on his hands and knees towards Captain Potter, “Don’t let him kill me!”
“I know how you feel, Daniel.” David lowered his pistol and raised his hand, “I am not here to be your enemy. We must put this curse behind us and deal with it properly.”
Daniel was heaving. His eyes darted amongst the horrified onlookers. He cocked his flintlocks jaw and pulled the trigger.
Dirt kicked up and sprayed over Jarrod as the iron ball lodged into the ground. “They get their trial, but I do the execution.”
Mr Potter looked around at the expectant folk as he contemplated the offer. Villagers were standing by their doors gawking; even children had come out to watch. “Agreed, but you’ll do it properly. Humane, a hanging.”
“Swinging it will be.”
The rabble calmed once more and dispersed when Daniel stormed off.
Elizabeth moved up to Captain Potters's flank and stroked his shoulder. “You did well there, Captain.”
David shuddered and looked at her. Her eyes glowed from the surrounding lanterns. “Thanks.”
“I’ll see you back at home.”
He frowned. That sounded weird to him as if Elizabeth was his wife or a lady in waiting. He hadn’t signed up for this. Elizabeth seemed quite able to look after herself. He and Jimethy helped Jarrod to his feet.
“Thank you boys.”
“Jimethy nodded.”
“You head back, Jim, we’ll need our rest…I’ll take Jarrod back to his cell.”
Jimethy headed off and left the two men alone outside the jail-house.
“Is putting me in a cage really quite necessary, Mr Potter?” Jarrod wiped his cheek with his handkerchief. “I did nothing wrong. I had no idea about Alius.”
Captain Potter gripped Jarrod by the arm and walked him back into the cell house; he was tired of listening to people's stories. His eyelids felt like lead weight hung from them.
“Mr Potter, I insist you consider my—”
Captain Potter shoved Jarrod into the cell, locked it quickly and gave it a rattle to check it was firm. He turned to leave but stopped when he heard a slow clapping noise.
“Well played, Mr Potter, Captain Potter.”
He looked at Alius and sneered. “It’s not a game.”
“Yet you’ve won. You have everything you always wanted.”
“I never wanted any of this.”
Alius stood up slowly, his beaten body creaking. “Oh?” He smiled with crooked teeth. He then mocked David's voice while quoting him: “As acting Captain”
Mr Potter shook his head. “I am tired.”
“What of Elizabeth? Don’t think I didn’t know about your affair.” He gripped the bars and leaned against them as he watched David writhe within his skin. “What you did to Esmeralda.” He tutted and shook his head. “Yet I afforded you such a mercy by not telling a soul, not punishing Elizabeth.”
“That happened a long time ago. I regret it every day.”
“Truly a man of God. You have the woman you covet, the house you desire and the power you thirst for. All you had to do was kill me and take up your new mantel.”
Mr Potter’s lips remained tightly shut while he clenched his jaw. His aching arms shook as he listened.
“I should thank you, Captain Potter. You have adopted a burden that was killing me. I hope you succeed where I have failed.”
The captain turned to leave.
“Captain. You are to spend the night with my wife. She isn’t the woman you lusted for. Not the lady you broke your vows with poor Esme for. I have advice for you.”
“Speak it.”
“Did you invite her into the house?”
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“Of course.”
“Sleep with garlic. Scatter grain about your bed.”
“You’re a madman.”
“You’ll join me soon enough, Captain.”
Mr Potter left and rubbed his eyes before exposing them to the fresh breeze of the night air. A single upstairs window of the manor house was lit. A figure stood there. Just as the previous time, the window blackened. Two specks remained that were like cat eyes in the night. They flickered, then disappeared.
The captain turned on the spot in a dazed panic. His breathing was hoarse. His eyes were watery. Alius’ words were more penetrative than he’d like to admit. He felt truth to the maniac's words. Elizabeth was different. She moved in uncanny ways. Her voice was softer. Each word felt precisely picked from a tree of words grown in a garden of deceit. Tonight, David would sleep a room or two away from her.
The Captain walked about the lonely village to prolong his return to the manor, inspecting things idly as if something was ready to jump out at him.
***
“You have forsaken us, Alius.”
Alius chuckled. “You were always a gutless wretch, Jarrod. You’ll be no loss to anyone.”
“I trusted you.” Jarrod held his hands in his head, “What is my reward? Daniel has it out for me. I shall certainly be hanged.”
“You shouldn’t have slept with Angela.”
“He doesn’t know of that.”
“He certainly does, Jarrod. So does God. Did you trust me for a reward?”
Jarrod rubbed the tears from his eyes and sniffed up a string of snot that had escaped. “I trusted you because I believed you. You were a great man once, Alius.”
“I was never a great man. I just did my duty.”
“Why did you hide the key under my doorstep? Tell me that for my own sake before I am killed for your crimes.”
Alius smirked. “It’s best you continue this journey with me.”
“Into the damned grave?” Jarrod spat and jumped up to grab the bars between their cells. “I did nothing to deserve this. I just hope we part ways after we are hanged. I shan’t want to join you in hell.”
Alius watched Jarrod rage at him. “We are already in hell, Jarrod. I am just trying to stop it spilling from out the walls.”
“What are you even saying, Alius?” Jarrod backpedalled until his back hit the cold stone wall and slid down to his rump. He sobbed softly and sniffed up more snot. “I wish I had never followed you on this dream.”
“I am sorry, Jarrod.”
“Sorry? Now you’re sorry? A moment ago, I was a coward and a wretch!”
“I am not sorry about you dying, Jarrod. I hope you conduct yourself properly before God.”
“I hope you burn in hell.”
***
The captain eased the manor house door open slowly and peered in. “Elizabeth?” his voice bounced around the decrepit house. The wind swept through and clattered the pantry door shut. He figured Elizabeth had taken to her bed for a much-needed sleep.
Though tired, David found himself unable to head straight to bed. He didn’t much fancy sharing sheets with Alius and considered a stretch out on the old couch.
“Welcome home, David.”
David clutched his heart and swivelled his head. Elizabeth was standing like a ghost in the dark in the dining area. “You scared me, Elizabeth.”
“I waited up for you.”
“Thank you, but there was no need.”
“I think it’s the right thing to do.” She swayed as she glided into the living room and lit a few candles. “You did well out there.”
“I think most of it was because of you, Elizabeth.”
“I just told them the truth. The truth saves does it not?”
David watched the graceful beauty as she finished up brightening the living room. “Where shall you sleep, Elizabeth?”
“I was hoping to take the guest room. Memories of the master bedroom, they haunt me.”
David nodded solemnly. “I understand.” He rose and left Elizabeth in the living room, returning momentarily with a sheep-skin blanket.
“You are to sleep here?”
“Yes, I think it’s for the best.”
“This is your house now. You should have a proper bed.” Elizabeth tilted her head curiously.
“This is the house of the Captain, I am not the Captain, just a stand-in.”
“It’s clear who the people have chosen, this is your duty now.”
“Well, I don’t want it!”
Elizabeth shook in place and seemed to grow paler. “I’m sorry—”
David sighed and took her by the shoulders, “No, I’m sorry. It’s been quite the day. Though I have no right to complain to you. You have been treated in a wretched way.”
Elizabeth looked up at David and smiled. Her eyes were glittery and seemed to flash with a fire. “You have been most kind to me. I shall retire to my room then, we can speak in the morning.”
David hugged Elizabeth quickly. He turned and prepped his bed. He spoke as he straightened out the sheep-skin covers. “Tomorrow is a big day—” he looked behind him. Elizabeth was gone. The Captain straightened and looked around. Alone in the room once more. The candles gave way to the wind and the room blackened but for the pale moonlight creeping through the cracks of the studies boarded window.
The couch was not a comfortable resting place but Mr Potter was so tired it mattered little to him. A light rain peppered the windows and this was relaxing for him. He closed his eyes and let sleep whisk him away.
The slam of a door sat the captain up. He threw the covers off him and looked around the dark room. He stood and rubbed his eyes before lighting a candle in a holder. “Bloody pantry door,” he murmured and walked around the couch with the flickering candle. The house was cold and he wished he hadn’t released his sleep heat from the covers.
The pantry door was closed. He dragged a chair and wedged it shut. “That’ll sort you,” he grunted. He looked behind him at the dining room table. It was scattered with the garlic Jimethy had cut down. David chuckled and thought how ridiculous Alius had been.
The warmth of the sheep-skin blanket beckoned him and he headed back to the living room. Slam. There it was again. He looked at the pantry door. Of course, had wedged it shut. It sounded as if it came from upstairs. He didn’t want to wake Elizabeth but that slamming door needed to be stopped. He wondered how Alius ever stayed in this God-forsaken pit.
David stood at the bottom of the old wooden steps and looked up at them. Elizabeth was up there. Why would he be so hesitant? He took a deep breath and started to ascend. Each step creaked and felt as if it was about to give way underfoot. The staircase rounded a tight corner onto the landing. The bannister was missing. More work for him to do no doubt.
Four doors along the upstairs hallway, two on each side. He didn’t know which room was which unfortunately and he didn’t want to go into Elizabeth’s room. It would be unfair for her. Though he needed to ensure he didn’t wedge her in. He sighed and called her name to see if she had been woken by the door slam. “Elizabeth?” He said quietly.
He walked down the hallway and opened the first door. It let out an irritated whine. He peered in and held his candle out. Seemed like a storage place, there were old trunks and lots of shelves from what he could tell. The back of the room was still dark, but he figured there’d be something in here he could use to wedge the doors closed.
Two bright orbs flickered from the blackness at David and stopped him from advancing further. He shut the door and stepped back into the hall.
That slam rang out through the hallway once more. All the doors were shut. It came from downstairs this time. Searching for any reason to go back down, David descended the staircase in a half panic. The chair that wedged the pantry door shut had been replaced by the dining table.
“Alright, very clever Alius,” David whispered to himself. He grabbed a clove of garlic and stuffed it in his pocket. Perhaps Alius had been driven mad by this house. “I’m going to sleep now.” He said calmly.
A voice whispered from the pantry door. “Sleep tight.”