The Lady and the Lake (31 page)

Was
it
a
shock
for
you
also?’
I
asked him
when
I’d
calmed
down.

‘Indeed
it
was,
for
I
had
never
seen
her
face,
I
shall
speak
to
Antony
later
and
suggest
that
this
mirror
be
removed
for
the
only
purpose
it
is
serving
is
to
distress
my
aunt
each
time
she
comes
up
here,’
he
told
me.

Later,
back
on
my
own
in
my
room,
I
looked
out
of
the
window
thinking
of
Henrietta,
poor
lady.
The
full
moon
glimmered
on
the
lake
almost
dividing
it
in
two.
The
beauty
of
it
called
me
and
against
my
better
judgement
I
decided
to
walk
around
it
and
sit
in
the
summer
pavilion
with
my
thoughts
in
the
moonlight.

10

The
servants’
entrance
was
locked,
but
the
key
had
been
left
in
the
door,
I
turned
it
gently
although
I
knew
that
no-one
was
likely
to
be
around
at
two-thirty
in
the
morning.
My
only
concern
was
that
someone
would
lock
the
door
again
before
I
came
back
in,
but
I
didn’t
intend
to
be
long.

After
the
discovery
Thomas
and
I
had
made
in
the
tower
I
needed
some
fresh
air
before
I
tried
to
sleep.
Thomas
had
gone
back
to
the
long
gallery
to
finish
some
notes
he
was
making.

Everything
looked
different
at
night
and
I
could
hear
the
hooting
of
an
owl
somewhere
nearby
on
the
moor.
I
could
see
the
outline
of
the
summer
pavilion
towards
which
I
was
heading.
I
stopped
suddenly
as
I
thought
I
heard
another
footstep
on
the
path,
but
looking
around
I
could
see
no-one
was
there.
It had
obviously
been
an
echo
of
my
own.
I
moved
on
marvelling
at
how
the
lake
shimmered
with
white
light,
but
in
some
parts
seeming
black
and
deep
and
mysterious.

I
shivered,
apprehension
taking
over
me
and
I
stopped
again,
uncertain
of
whether
to
go
forward
or
to
retrace
my
steps.
I
shivered
again,
but
decided
to
proceed
to
the
summer
pavilion,
for
after
all
what
harm
could
possibly
befall
me
at
this
late
hour.

A
small
area
of
grass
surrounded
the
small
building
and
I
stepped
noiselessly
across
the
springy
damp
turf,
my
shoes
feeling
damp
as
I
stepped
on
to
what
appeared
to
be
a
marble
floor.
In
the
centre
of
the
floor
was
a
small
round
table
surrounded
by
four
white
intricately
carved
seats.
I
sat
on
one
and
realised
it
was
made
of
some
kind
of
heavy
metal
as
it
felt
cold
to
the
touch.

It
was
certainly
a
lovely
spot
as
it
commanded
a
view
of
the
lake
and
the
house
which
was
outlined
by
the
light
of
the
moon.
To
look
at
Kerslake
Hall from
here
on
a
quiet,
warm,
still
early
morning
the
building
appeared
tranquil
and
calm.
I
glanced
at
the
tower
and
could
hardly
believe
I
had
entered
it
with
Thomas
only
a
couple
of
hours
before.

The
whole
episode
now
seeming
unreal
to
me,
I
could
heard
the
water
lapping
gently
against
the
ground
and
shivered
again
as
I
thought
of
what
had
happened
in
its
depths.
Rising
to
my
feet
I
moved
out
of
the
pavilion.

As
I
stepped
on
to
the
grass
a
figure
loomed
suddenly
before
me
and
my
heart
started
racing,
but
I
could
see
it
was
only
Alice
and
my
heartbeat
steadied
itself.

‘What
are
you
doing
here?’
I
asked,
my
voice
quivering,
for
although
a
warm
night
I
suddenly
felt
very
cold
and
wished
I
wore
a
shawl
over
my
shoulders.

‘I
could
ask
you
the
same
question.’
Alice’s
voice
was
calm
and
as
the
moonlight
fell
on
her
face
she
looked
almost
ethereal
as
if
she
were
made
of
alabaster.

‘I
couldn’t
sleep,’
I
explained,
‘and
the
lake
looked
so
beautiful
tonight.’

‘Yes,’
Alice
said
dreamily,
‘it
is
rather
lovely.
I
couldn’t
sleep
either
and
saw
you
from
my
window
walking
along
the
path
so
I
thought
to
join
you
and
apologise
for
my
behaviour
earlier.’

‘Thank
you
for
your
apology,’
I
said,
my
voice
quite
steady
now.

‘Shall
we
walk
together
back
to
the
house?’
asked
Alice
in
a
quiet
friendly
manner.

‘Yes,’
I
agreed.

‘Please
could
you
walk
next
to
the
lake
as
I
hate
the
water
and
cannot
swim,’
she
admitted.

‘But
of
course.
For
even
though
I
can’t
swim
I
have
no
fear
of
water.’
Were
the
words
I
spoke
true
I
wondered
as
I
looked
into
the
lake’s
murky
depths.

We
continued
walking
in
what
seemed
like
a
companionable
silence
then
the
moon
was
hidden
momentarily
behind
a
cloud
and
I
suddenly
felt
my
whole
body
being
pushed
to
the ground.
Something
caught
my
side
and
I
suddenly
realised
we
were
at
the
spot
where
Phoebe
had
died
and
it
was
her
plaque
that
had
caused
me
such
pain.