The Ice Seduction (Ice Romance) (23 page)

75

When
Bertie is all wrapped up for outside, we head into the woods, crunching over icy pathways.

Bertie has
a real glow in his cheeks today – I guess from all that breakfast. It’s good to see.

We spend a wonderful morning sword fighting with sticks
, birdwatching and trying to guess which animals are scurrying around by the noises they make.

We don’t cross
the stream, of course. I make sure I keep Bertie well away from the dangerous part of the woods. But there are still plenty of paths to walk down, and we have a good explore.

‘These woods are just huge,’ I tell Bertie,
as it gets near lunchtime. ‘I could spend a lifetime out here, and still not know all the twists and turns.’

‘You w
ant to spend a lifetime out here, Seraphina Harper?’ says a deep, booming voice, and my heart catches in my throat.

I turn to see Patrick
, a green army sweater hanging over that amazing, hard chest of his and a rifle slung over his shoulder.

My skin tingles at his closeness, and the sight of his handsome face, with its rugged stubble and scars, makes my heart beat faster.

It’s good to see him. Images of last night flash before my eyes and make me giddy.

Patrick kneels
down to look into Bertie’s wide eyes. ‘How are you, little man? I heard you ate breakfast today.’

‘How did you know that?’ I ask.

‘Mrs Calder told me.’ Patrick smiles. ‘Grudgingly.’ He turns back to Bertie. ‘You want Seraphina to stay as much as I do. Am I right?’

Bertie grins and nods.

I blush. ‘I’m just happy that Bertie ate something. He’s looking so much better for it. Much healthier.’

‘Yes
,’ Patrick agrees, standing.

Our eyes meet
.

‘Mrs Calder told me she made you an offer t
oday,’ says Patrick, a half smile on his face. ‘But you didn’t take it.’

‘No.’

‘She thought you were very foolish,’ says Patrick.

‘I know. But there’s no way I’d leave Bertie.’

‘Is there anyone else you’re staying for?’ Patrick asks, raising an eyebrow.

‘Maybe.’
I blush.

‘You’re not going back to London then?’

‘I miss it there, but … I belong here right now.’

‘
I’m glad to hear it.’ Patrick snaps the rifle back over his shoulder. ‘See you tonight, Seraphina. That’s an order.’

He strides off between the trees, and I feel the red blush sweep right down to my neck and chest.

Oh
, that man. A few well-chosen words from him, and my knees go all shaky. And I’m seeing him tonight. I guess.

Oh
who am I kidding?

Of
course I’m seeing him tonight.

When Patrick leaves, Bertie stoops down onto the forest floor and starts breaking up twigs and placing them into a pile.

‘Bertie?’ I say, kneeling down beside him. ‘Are you al
l right?’

Bertie doesn’t pay any attention to me. He’s too focused on finding twigs. After he’s made a little pile of them, he begins to arrange them into shapes.

‘Bertie?’ I ask, as he makes the same stick figures he drew in the snow before – two women with pointy skirts, and one little stick boy. But he adds another one this time – a tall man with what looks like a walking stick in his hand. Then he points at the castle in the distance.

‘Who’
s that, Bertie?’ I ask, gesturing to the tall man.

Bertie points to the figure again, his finger restin
g on the thing that looks like a walking stick.

‘Is it
… is that your granddad?’

Bertie nods again
.

‘What do these pictures mean?’ Then I have a thought. ‘Are they anything to do with the words you underlined in your books?’

Bertie nods, and my heart goes cold.

‘Oh Bertie. I need to figure out what you want to tell me. It’s important, isn’t it?’

He nods again.

‘Come on.’ I take his hand. ‘We’re going back to your room, and I’m going to have a
nother look at those words you underlined.’

76

I’m still thinking about the shapes Bertie made
as we head back into the castle. So much so that I don’t notice Mrs Calder hovering in the castle entrance like a great black spider.

‘And where have you been?’ Mrs Calder demands, hands on hips.

‘Just out around the lawns,’ I say, trying to keep my voice light.

‘I told you that Bertie wasn’t to go outside,’ she barks.

‘Oh. Did you? I didn’t realize you meant he couldn’t even walk on the lawns,’ I say innocently. ‘Never mind. We’re back now.’

I go to move past her, but she blocks my path.

Get out of my way! I need to get to Bertie’s room.

‘Excuse me,’ I say, as politely as I can manage.

‘I’ve been looking for you,’ says Mrs Calder. ‘I have some news.’

‘What kind of news?’ I feel myself stand
taller and my hand tighten in Bertie’s.

‘
Dirk has talked to Anise. She agrees that the lad needs to be sent away sooner rather than later. Bertie will leave tomorrow. For his grandfather’s house.’

I feel Bertie’s hand tighten in mine.

‘He can’t,’ I say, shaking my head. ‘You can’t do this.’

‘It’s been decided. There’s nothing you can do about it.’

I think about the stick figures on the forest floor, and bite my lip.

Maybe there is. There are plenty of secrets in this castle, I think. And if I figure them out fast enough then maybe, just maybe, I can find a way for Bertie to stay …

‘Maybe we can talk about this later,’ I say, pulling Bertie around her and towards the staircase. ‘He … we’re going to his bedroom now. While we were outside I sort of got the feeling he wanted to play on his computer.’

Mrs Calder’s forehead creases up. ‘Did you indeed?’

I feel her eyes on us as we reach the staircase, dragging Bertie by the hand. ‘Come on Bertie,’ I say, a little too loudly. ‘Let’s go play Xbox.’

When we reach Bertie’s room, I rush over to the books on his bedside table.

I’m still holding his hand tight, and when we get to the bed, I
sit down and put him on my lap.

I begin turning pages, my stomach dropping at the familiar words.

Poison

Torture

Mother …

My eye catches on that last word.

It’s different from the rest, I realize.
Poison
and
mother
are worlds apart.

Then I notice two more words that I never noticed before:

Home

Secret

‘Where did you get these books, Bertie?’ I say, as I turn pages.

Bertie leaps down from my lap, pulling at my hand.

‘You want me to come with you?’ I ask.

Bertie nods, and drags me out of the room and down the corridor.

He tugs me around corners and down stairs, until finally we’re in the drawing room where Bertie and I met Patrick’s mother, Daphne.

I look around the room, wondering why Bertie ha
s brought me here.

Bertie run
s over to the huge oil painting hung over the fire – the picture of Dirk Mansfield.

He
points at it.

77

‘You got the books from your grandfather?’ I ask.

Bertie nods.

‘I … did he give them to you?’

Bertie shakes his head.

‘Did you find them when you were staying with him?’

Bertie nods.

‘Did you underline those words when you were staying with your grandfather?’

Bertie nods again.

My heart beats in my ears like a ticking clock. I think of the stick figures Bertie laid out earlier. The women with sticky out skirts …

‘Is this s
omething to do with your mother?’

Bertie frowns, and does a sort of shrug. He picks up a box of matches from a cut crystal bowl on the
mantelpiece and shakes the matches onto the floor. Then he starts building more stick people.

Bertie lays out a girl stick figure with a pointy skirt, and then another, larger girl stick figure above her. Next to the larger girl figure, he puts together the old man figure – the one with the walking stick.

He looks at me, then points to larger, girl figure.

I frown. ‘A younger girl. And an older one. And your granddad.’

Bertie nods, pointing to the smaller girl stick figure. Then he points at another picture on the wall – a picture of Anise, looking young, pale and frightened.

‘The little stick girl is your mother?’ I ask.

Bertie nods very hard then.

‘So … who’s the big stick woman then?’

Bertie stares at me with mournful eyes. But he doesn’t point to any of the paintings.

‘I guess … if she’s bigger than Anise … is she Anise’s mother or something?’

Bertie nods very hard then, and I think back to the words underlined in the books.

‘You underlined some pretty scary words in that book Bertie,’ I say. ‘Did something happen to you? While you were staying with granddad?’

Bertie nods again
.

‘We need to find Patrick,’
I say, taking Bertie’s hand. ‘Right now.’ I look out the window, seeing the woodlands spread for miles around.

Oh shit.

‘Patrick’s in the woods. Scaring off poachers. I can’t bring you out there, if shots are being fired. We’ll just have to wait until he comes back. We should have lunch. We should …’

I get a chilly feeling suddenly, and turn.

Standing in the doorway is Agnes Calder.

78

‘I thought you were playing computer games,’ says Mrs Calder, folding her arms.

‘I was … we were. But I couldn’t find the one we wanted,’ I stammer, kicking away matches with my foot.

Did she hear what we were talking ab
out? Did she see Bertie point at the painting?

God, I hope not.

‘I should have mentioned earlier,’ says Mrs Calder. ‘Bertie has tuition this afternoon. With my daughter. Right after lunch. So your services won’t be needed until supper time.’

I swallow. I really don’t like the idea of letting Bertie out of my sight right now. ‘I don’t think Bertie’s feeling all tha
t well,’ I say.

I turn to him, my eyes telling him to please, please play along.

‘He’s a little sick,’ I say. ‘I guess now he’s started eating, his body isn’t quite used to it.’

‘Nonsense,’ says Mrs Calder. ‘The boy looks fine.’

‘No, he’s very, very sick,’ I say.

Bertie nods solem
nly up and down.

‘A little home schooling won’t hurt him, even if he is sick,’ says Mrs Calder.
‘It will help get him prepared for tomorrow. Take him down to lunch, and then Margaret will collect him.’

‘Right
,’ I say reluctantly, thinking that I’ll do nothing of the sort. Bertie is staying with me this afternoon. We’re going somewhere Mrs Calder can’t find him. Until I figure out what he’s trying to tell me. ‘Come on then Bertie.’

‘I’ll accompany you,’ says Mrs Calder.

Oh shit.

‘
Thanks,’ I say, trying to smile. I don’t want her getting suspicious. ‘Come on then, Bertie.’ I try to sound cheerful as I take his hand. ‘Let’s go to lunch.’

As
Mrs Calder walks us to the great hall, I’m thinking, thinking, thinking. I can’t let Bertie out of my sight. He can’t have that tuition with Margaret. I need to find Patrick. He’ll help us. But how can I find him without Mrs Calder getting suspicious?

When we reach the great hall, I can’t sit still. I pace around between our table and the serving hatch, chewing my fingernails, my eyes glued to Bertie.

He got those horror books at his
granddad’s house. Which means … what does it mean?

I’m pretty sure I know. It means that something happened at
granddad’s house. Something bad.

Mrs Calder stands at the door, watching us.

I hear a pan lid bang as I reach the serving hatch again, and nearly jump out of my skin. Then I see Vicky pass the hatch.

‘Oh! Vicky.’ I twiddle my hair like a maniac. ‘It’s only you.’

‘Who did you expect it to be hen?’

‘Nobody. It doesn’t matter
.’

‘Are you okay?’ Vicky leans out of the serving hatch. ‘You look all wound up. Anything I can do to help?’

I chew a nail. ‘No, I don’t think so. But …’ I lower my voice. ‘Do you know anything about when Bertie stayed with his granddad?’

Vicky frowns. ‘What sort of thing?’

‘Anything at all. How long he stayed there, who stayed there with him …’

Vicky frowned. ‘I know he stayed a good f
ew months.’

‘Oh.’ I chew my nail harder.

‘Seriously, are you okay hen?’ Vicky asks. ‘Something’s got to be wrong. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

‘I’m … we’ll talk later
.’

She puts
a plate down. ‘Here. Fish fingers and chips for Bertie. I thought he might appreciate it.’

‘Thanks,’ I say, picking up the plate without looking at it. ‘I’ll take it to him.’

‘And what about you? What would you like?’

‘Oh, nothing today,’ I say.

‘Now I
know
something’s wrong,’ says Vicky. ‘You’ve cleaned your plate every meal time since you’ve been here.’

‘I don
’t really feel like eating,’ I say. ‘Sorry. It’s just … I have a lot on my mind. We’ll …’ I drop my voice again. ‘We’ll talk later okay? Maybe somewhere more private?’

Vicky nods, and whispers back, ‘Okay pet. Whatever you want.’