Wylt: Book One The Blood Lake Chronicles Read online

  In the car park, he opened the back door of a black Mercedes. “You’ll find refreshments in the cooler bag should you require them.”

  “Thank you,” Rosa said as he shut the door behind her. She settled into the deep seat as he moved silently through the streets and headed west on the A66 highway.

  Rosa sensed her mother’s handiwork as she opened the cooler bag and found a flask of tea, sandwiches, and freshly baked ginger cookies. Rosa sipped on the herbal tea, relieved to wash the taste of watery train coffee from her mouth, and watched the sun go down.

  The radio was playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and she felt a fresh wave of exhaustion.

  “We are here, Miss Wylt,” Caruthers announced jolting Rosa awake. A sense of dread settled on Rosa’s shoulders as the electric iron gates opened in front of them and they wound their way through a neatly manicured park lit by elegant lampposts.

  Gwaed Lyn’s lights were glowing as it rose up in a stone fortress in front of them. The story was that a Vane ancestor had built it after their return from fighting in the Crusades. It was a monstrous, sprawling mansion of gray stone with four square towers. It had been renovated during the centuries in various stylistic whims of the Vane descendants, and now it looked like a neo-gothic castle, with a flare of art nouveau when it came to the more recent addition of the greenhouse. It was exactly how she remembered it, as if time had stopped completely.

  Rosa could make out the hedges that hid the Wylt cottage, and further down the white road were the large stable yards. Caruthers drove around the back of the mansion, stopping at the kitchen service entrance and she climbed out into the cold twilight.

  The forest had grown taller in her years away, and for a moment, Rosa’s nightmares came rushing back. Her mother called out as she waved excitedly from the top of the steps. She had aged, and Rosa felt another wave of guilt for not visiting sooner.

  “Rosamund!” Cecily said warmly and wrapped her arms around her tightly, still smelling of lavender soap and Chanel perfume. “You look absolutely bone tired, but don’t worry, I have food inside ready for you.”

  “Hey Mama,” Rosa managed. She turned to thank Caruthers, but he was already back in the car, her bag beside her on the steps. “What a strange guy.” She shook her head.

  “A man of few words is our Caruthers,” her mother chuckled. “Come on then, and I’ll show you around.”

  Rosa turned to pick up her bags as a huge black horse broke through the trees, white gravel scattering as it hit the driveway. Its rider sat tall and broad in the saddle, moving easily with the galloping beast.

  “Oh, don’t let him frighten you. That’s Mr. Balthasar coming back from his afternoon ride,” Cecily said, ducking her head politely as the rider slowed his horse to a walk. Rosa tried to remember a Vane called Balthasar, but her memory was stubbornly blank.

  As he moved passed them, he touched the brim of his hat in an old-fashioned acknowledgment, and with a flash of a smile, he disappeared towards the stables leaving Rosa staring after him.

  Chapter Two – The Keys to Everywhere

  The kitchen at Gwaed Lyn was the kind that Rosa could only dream about working in one day. It had huge hearths and roasting spits, modernized chef’s stoves, ovens, and prep areas. She felt her mouth falling open at all of the recent additions.

  “All this for one family seems rather extreme,” she said as her mother put the kettle on.

  “The Vanes entertain a lot. Sometimes, the house is so full I need to put on extra staff to keep up with it all,” Cecily chattered as she took a plate of roast lamb and vegetables out of the warm oven.

  “I remembered it was your favorite as a child so I made Vera cook it. She’s excited that you’re back.”

  “Thanks,” Rosa said setting it on the island bench top. “I don’t remember her.”

  “That’s because you haven’t been back in forever,” Cecily laughed a little awkwardly.

  “You’re the one that shipped me off to boarding school after Dad died,” Rosa pointed out, the old wound ripping a little. Her mother poured their tea, her hand shaking. “Sorry, Ma, let’s not fight. I’m happy to see you. Why didn’t you write to me yourself if you were sick?”

  “I know how important school is to you and you were so close to finishing. It’s nothing really. I have a bit of low blood pressure and had a few fainting spells. The doctors don’t know what’s causing it.”

  “It must be more than a few dizzy spells, otherwise, the Lord of the Manor wouldn’t have bothered to summon me,” Rosa pointed out. He had made it sound like she was on her deathbed. Cecily was paler and thinner than what Rosa was used to, which made her think her mother was lying to her.

  “I told him not to bother, but Eli is a good man and has always taken care of us.” Cecily waved her tea towel about in emphasis. “There is some big gathering happening soon, so I think he wanted you home for it. A proper fancy chef in the house should please him to no end.” She kissed Rosa’s hair as she placed her cup of tea down in front of her.

  Well, it should, considering he paid for it. Rosa bit her tongue. She promised not to fight, and her mother looked too happy to upset.

  “A party,” Rosa managed between mouthfuls. “Someone’s birthday?”

  “No, I don’t think so, only friends getting together because they can. They’re coming from all over. We are going to have to get the servants moving if we’re going to have the house ready in time for the Winter Solstice Ball. There are over forty rooms in this house, and I expect they’ll all be filled with guests.”

  “A ball! Oh, how the other half live,” Rosa commented, thinking of the gypsy and her cup on the train.

  “Well, they’re an old family. They were probably royalty once.”

  “Or pirates.”

  “Now, Rosa, please don’t get all working class aggressive while you’re here. You know the Vanes are good folk if a little eccentric. They are all back now, both the boys and their sister as well as her special friend.”

  Rosa fought the urge to laugh, her mother clearly not used to seeing a gay couple together.

  “I don’t recall any of them,” she admitted, moving her potato around her plate.

  “They were all abroad studying when you were a child. Mr. Balthasar has only returned this year. Had a few issues with Eli over the years if any of the servant’s gossip is worth anything. I think Eli was happy when the boy returned. Well, he’s hardly a boy. He would be thirty-eight at least. He’s a nice, polite man.”

  “That’s nice,” Rosa said pretending to be interested as her mother continued chatting to fill the uneasy silence between them.

  “You’ll meet them all tomorrow of course. We are down a few people so I thought you could give me a hand. I have a uniform ready for you.”

  “Great,” Rosa said unenthusiastically looking at her mother’s matronly black dress.

  “Don’t be like that, Eli will pay you, and it will be nice having you around. Most of the girls are pleasant enough, but not a lot between the ears.”

  “I can imagine. I want to see you get back to being healthy and then I have to figure out what I’m going to do next with my life.”

  “We’ll talk about it later,” Cecily answered dismissively, and Rosa groaned inwardly. She was tired and cranky from traveling so she would drop it, but only for a few days.

  “I’ve made a room up for you.”

  “What about our place?” When Rosa was a child, they had lived in the Wylt cottage out in the grounds.

  “It’s still there, but I moved into the main house a little while ago now. I got too lonely, and I’m usually the first one in the kitchens in the morning anyway. It still has all of our furniture in it. Mr. Balthasar used it for a few weeks when he returned while he organized his own space in the main house,” Cecily said as she put Rosa’s plate into the dishwasher. “All of our things are still in there so stop looking at me like that. I was tired of not feeling a part of things. I can help you take the dust
sheets off and make it livable again if you prefer to stay there.”

  “That’d be nice. I’m used to living alone. Although if you wanted to come with me…”

  “No, I’m comfortable here. Besides, you’re your own woman now, and you’ll need your own space.”

  Cecily led her out of the kitchen and into the narrow servant’s passages. Rosa had a strange sense of déjà vu, a tickling of deeply buried childhood memories, as they were surrounded by windowless stone walls in an in-between space behind the walls of the main house. The passages were a way for servants to move about quickly, but mostly so the family and their guests didn’t have to look at the staff.

  Cecily selected a key from the large bunch that hung on her belt and opened the door to reveal a warmly furnished set of renovated rooms and a large private bathroom.

  “When Eli learned of my desire to move into the house, he had the rooms done up for me and made sure I had a guest room for you, should you ever want to come home and visit. Despite what you may think, he’s a good employer, Rosa, and he has always taken care of us, especially after…”

  “After Dad was killed on Eli’s hunting trip?” Rosa finished, feeling a flicker of old anger.

  “It was an accident. You know that, Rosa.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Rosa held her hands up in surrender. “As I said before, I’m tired and grumpy and this place…it brings up things I haven’t thought about in a long time.” She gave Cecily’s shoulders a sideways hug. “I’m sorry I haven’t come back as much as I should have.”

  “I know there doesn’t seem to be much of a life up here, not after the busy, exciting London, but give it a chance? For me? Besides, at least up here you will have a chance to ride horses again.”

  Rosa smiled and nodded, not wanting to start another argument. Cecily went to a drawer in her dresser and pulled out a bunch of keys. “Here, you should have these now.”

  A leather tag hung from them with an embossed ‘W’ pressed into it. Rosa’s memory gave an involuntary kick. “Dad’s keys?”

  “They are the Wylt keys, and you are the only true Wylt here. They are the only bunch to have a key to every room of the house. Eli tells me they have been passed down and that you should have them.”

  “Did he now?” Rosa turned them over in her hands.

  “The Vanes can be a bit peculiar in their ways, but deep down, they’re good folk. You might find you like it here.” Cecily was nervous around her, and she wasn’t making it easier, so Rosa accepted the keys and went to bed.

  ***

  Rosa could hear whispers in the walls. She ran through the tight passageways that were closing in around her. The darkness was catching up, snapping at her heels. She cried out silently, her voice snatched away from her as she burst through the passage and out to the lakeside.

  There was a woman with dark hair, calling out to her from the reed-choked fringes, begging for help. Rosa backed up and ran from the ghost as fast she could. She spotted a door between two trees and hurried to open it. Instead of freedom, there was a wolf waiting for her. It leaped, and she fell.

  ***

  Rosa woke clutching at her blankets and fighting off invisible wolves. She opened her eyes and sat up, pulling her hair away from her sweating neck. Damn it. Could she not get one decent night’s sleep? She climbed out of bed and grabbed her toiletries bag. She needed a long hot shower to get her head right.

  Hanging over a chair was a plain black dress, black stockings, and ballet flats. A note was balanced on the top of them:

  Find me when you are ready, and I’ll give you the grand tour…Mum

  “Great,” Rosa muttered, but she still carried the dress into the bathroom with her. It will only be for a few weeks, and it will make Cecily happy, she reminded herself as she turned on the hot tap.

  Rosa took extra time to do her makeup carefully and pin her hair neatly. Once the dress was on, it wasn’t as bad as she thought it was going to be. It had three-quarter sleeves, a modest scoop neck and a belt that gave the straight shift some shape. Paired with the stockings, flats, and a pair of silver hoops she didn’t look too bad at all. She had hesitated for only a moment before she put the gypsy’s necklace back on, tucking the pendant out of sight.

  Rosa would be forced to meet the family, so she practiced a friendly smile in the mirror. It was more like a grimace, but she hoped that when the time came, it would have improved. She remembered the polite smile and acknowledgment from the eldest Vane the night before. Maybe they won’t be as stuck up and awful as you think, she lied to herself.

  Rosa found Cecily in the kitchen multitasking and giving orders. Five servants were moving about as Vera, the formidable cook for the last thirty-five years, was frying and stirring. She stopped when she saw Rosa.

  “Ha! There she is! Get over here and hug your Auntie!” she bellowed. Rosa couldn’t remember the good-humored face surrounded by a riot of gray hair, but she certainly recognized the booming voice. She obliged the old cook who squeezed the life from her.

  “What’s all this then?” Rosa asked looking over the crowded benches.

  “Just the usual morning chaos,” Vera huffed as she went back to flipping bacon. “The Masters like breakfast at 11 am. These rich folks don’t understand mornings at all.”

  “To be honest, I don’t either,” Rosa admitted. “Can I help?”

  “And get you all sweaty and splattered before you meet the family? Unlikely, my girl. This lot is almost ready if you want to help the others take it upstairs.”

  Five silver trays were arranged neatly on the breakfast bar, and Cecily took Rosa’s arm, moving her out of the way as Vera started arranging the plates.

  “You cook five separate meals for them? Whatever happened to filling a bain marie and getting them to serve themselves?” Rosa joked.

  “Well, there’s no point wasting food, and five meals isn’t a huge task,” Vera said.

  “They are picky,” Cecily added as she put small plungers of hot coffee and pots of tea on the trays.

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  “Now, dear, let me look at you,” Cecily said as she arranged Rosa’s sleeve and brushed some invisible lint off her dress.

  “Mother,” Rosa warned and Cecily stopped fussing.

  “Is it so wrong that I want my beautiful daughter to look neat? First impressions count.”

  “I’m a servant. I don’t think they give a shit.”

  “Language!”

  Rosa picked up a tray, as did Cecily and three other girls, quickly introduced as Julie, Jenny, and Jessie. Because that won’t get confusing, Rosa smiled and said hello. Cecily led the way up through the servant’s passage and into one of the hallways.

  The house was stone, paneled oak and plasterwork. Elaborate carpets protected polished wooden floors, and everywhere Rosa looked were fresh flowers, exquisite artwork, and gilt-framed mirrors. A male servant opened a pair of double doors for them, and high female chatter echoed out. The room was filled with light and done in a blue and cream color palette the reminded Rosa of marzipan.

  “Food! Excellent,” a young man of about twenty-five, exclaimed. He had sandy colored curls, pale blue eyes, and a smiling mouth. Jenny preened at him as she set his food down at a long mahogany table. Good Lord, Rosa almost burst out laughing.

  “Keep it together, Saul. Anyone would think you hadn’t drunk half the cellar last night,” answered a striking brunette woman with dark freckles. “Thank you, Julie.”

  “You’re welcome, Miss Lily.”

  “Are you going to eat today, Pearl?” Lily asked. A graceful, white arm lifted over a nearby lounge, and small delicate woman rose languidly to her feet. She had blonde bobbed hair and wore an elegant white jumpsuit with a string of pearls. She reminded Rosa instantly of Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Beautiful, privileged, and undeniably damaged.

  “I suppose I can try,” Pearl said as she sat down in a chair next to Lily. Jessie stepped forward and arrange
d the meal for her. Pearl’s gray eyes settled on Rosa. “Who are you?”

  “This is my daughter Rosa,” Cecily said before she could open her mouth. “She’s up from London.”

  “Really! I’m surprised you would want to leave such a grand city.” Saul smiled at her. “This place is so isolated it drives me crazy.”

  “I was due for a visit. Family is family,” Rosa said and returned the smile.

  “Rosa, so good of you to come,” a man’s deep voice said behind her.

  Rosa turned and found herself in front of Eli Vane. He wore his black hair in a neatly combed short back and side style that accentuated his high cheekbones. The light gray at his temples hadn’t gotten any wider since she’d last seen him and like the rest of Gwaed Lyn had barely changed at all.

  “Good Morning, Mr. Vane,” she murmured, feeling like she was five years old again, and was unable to look higher than his royal blue tie. Cecily smiled as she arranged his plates and poured his coffee. She gave Rosa a look, so she set out the only place at the table that remained empty.

  “Where’s your brother this morning?” Eli asked Saul as he opened up his paper.

  “Probably moping about looking very dramatic,” Pearl replied as she sipped her tea. They all seemed to collectively ignore her.

  “And what are your plans for today, Rosa?” pressed Saul.

  “Reacquaint myself with the property again, I suppose,” she replied noncommittally.

  There was something remarkably odd about the whole scene of the family breakfast. It was as if she had stepped in another time. Breakfasts at boarding school and university had been impossibly chaotic. This all seemed so…civilized.

  “You’re going to help with the Gathering, aren’t you?” Pearl asked pointedly. “There are a lot of rooms to be cleaned, and you do seem built for hard labor.”

  Lily almost choked on her toast, and Rosa felt her hands grip the handles of the silver tray. She opened her mouth to give her a piece of her mind, but someone beat her to it.

  “A little early in the day for your claws to be out, isn’t it, Pearl?” Balthasar said as he entered the room. Like his father, he had dark hair and wore a black suit, crisp white dress shirt, and a skinny blue tie. “Please ignore her, Rosa. She is not the most amicable person in the morning. I’m Balthasar.” He held out his hand to her, and she shook it nervously.