Luxton Manor - Part 8

1

The weeks passed, blurry and unbearable for Henry. He missed Elizabeth more then anyone understood. He found his feet taking him into the woods and when reaching the old oak, refusing to take another step. He sat there a lot of the time over the weeks. Thinking of her, missing her.2

'Ester, i don't know what to do. He's so down of late.' Doris swirled the tea leaves in the bottom of her cup, not daring to look up in fear of tears falling.3

' He's missing her Doris. He'll be ok. Give him a few weeks.'4

'Yes. It just hurts to see him like that. He's my grandchild. I lost my daughter due to that family, i don't want to lose him too.' Her voice cracked, she hastily stood up and busied herself making another tea, silent tears sliding down her face.5

*  6

Every week people in the village travelled to the square. The square was a large cobbled area dedicated to town events. Today people came from miles trying to sell meat, cattle, dairy products, jewelry and any other miscellaneous items.7

Doris made her way round the stalls. She came alone. She preferred to look at what she wanted to in peace.8

' Didn't you hear about it? My husband told me but he only knows because he works at the manor.'9

Doris' ears pricked and she stopped walking. Pretending to busy herself with looking at a small ornament she listened to the woman's conversation.10

' What's happened? I have heard of nothing.'11

' You know that the girl. The small one, very bonny young lass. The Lady took her from her ailing mother and raised her as her own. Few weeks ago she left to visit her fiance i believe. She was on her way home and when she didn't arrive back in time everyone at the manor begun to panic.'12

Doris had stopped playing with the ornament. She was listening hard, trying to pick up every last syllable that left the woman's mouth.13

' Anyway, the sent a search party out for her. My husband was there looking. He was the one to find her.'14

' And, what had happened? Was she ok?' The other woman asked as though she was being told a story and was desperate to know the ending.15

' Highway men.'16

Doris shuddered and dropped the ornament she was holding. The man behind the wooden stall rushed out and began yelling something about 'Expensive ivory', 'Very rare.' But Doris wasn't listening to him. She didn't care about how rare it was. All she was interested in was the conversation.17

'Stole everything! Her jewelry and her dress. God knows what they did to her. She passed out and they left her in a ditch, naked and beaten. Killed everyone who escorted her.'18

The other lady gasped and lowered her head. Doris was too shocked to move.19

' She awoke but not in a good state. Kept screaming and yelling. She was incoherent of course. The only word they can make out was 'Henry'. No one has any idea who that's supposed to be though. To be honest, i don't think she'll be around much longer.'20

Doris couldn't take it anymore. She fled from the square and headed home.21

*22

'Henry! Henry!'23

At the sound of his grandmothers shouts, Henry fled from the room to the front door. Doris grabbed him by his collar and through her tears only managed ' Go... to manor... Elizabeth... highway men... now!'24

Henry understood at once. He ran into his room and picked up a small wooden box. He shoved it into his coat pocket and ran out into the rain, not looking back at Doris who was watching him move quickly towards the manor.25