A Feast Of Souls: A Dark Paranormal Romance

Chapter 12: The Hopeless House

'Yes, I recall that only too well, Mr. Carver. I believe you said that it was not my place, only it also appears that I am quite exhausted of being told what is and what is not my place and so I chose to ignore you. Now, if you would like to take a seat, I shall accompany you to Wilderhope.'

Daniel steps forward, his eyes now darker than the clouds above.

'Have you completely given leave of your senses?' he says. 'You cannot come with me. This could be dangerous work.'

'Oh, how utterly preposterous!' I laugh. 'Mr. Carver, the biggest danger you face is a man bereft with grief, a man who might live out here on Wenlock Edge – quite why, I'll never fathom – but who holds great standing in the towns and could quite easily destroy your livelihood with a click of his fingers or indeed, a pull on the trigger. Do you know, I once saw him fell a horse thief with one bullet from his Lancaster pistol at a range of three hundred yards?'

Daniel's eyes widen slightly, but he hastily regains his composure, his lips thinning. 'He is not going to shoot me, Miss Elmes.'

I look down at my skirts in a casual manner, brushing off a small smudge of dust. 'Edith was his one true love from childhood through to the day she sadly passed and beyond even. Papa tells me that the Major has not been himself since and has indeed lost a few once-loyal members of staff due to his unpredictable moods. There was even talk about him threatening to pierce his groom with a bayonet for not attending properly to his wife's favourite pony. So, you see, Mr. Carver, whatever faces you at Wilderhope, it cannot possibly be worse than a furious Major Smallman, a man who happens to be a good acquaintance of my father and whose family has been linked with my own for generations? He has however, always been quite fond of myself and my brother William, having borne no children of his own and I am quite certain that my presence there will calm him and allow you to go about your business with no risk of a bayonet blade being thrust through your torso.'

Daniel's silence is met with the loud cawing of a crow that has landed on top of the hedgerow and is jabbing its beak at one of the thin branches, severing it midway before taking flight again, its spoils clasped tightly. The Sin-Eater curls his hand over the edge of the trap, his face still fierce but thought cogs clearly whirring within.

'Very well, Mis Elmes. You win,' he says. 'You may accompany me but let me say that I am displeased about this. I don't think this is your...'

'...my place?' I say curtly. 'Yes, yes, I'm sure it isn't, as you keep saying.' I inch over on the seat, allowing him some space to climb up beside me. He does, and I notice, does his best not to sit alongside me too close. 'Do you know, my friend Lizzie says that men spend much of their life being displeased about most things, except their own shortcomings, of which they seem to be quite oblivious.'

Daniel purses his lips and stares directly ahead as I snap the reins and the horse breaks into a trot.

'Your friend Lizzie is wrong. I am not oblivious to any of my shortcomings.'

'Oh, really?' I say.

'Aye,' he replies gruffly. 'It is difficult to forget what you have been reminded about every single day of your life. And besides, most people displease me as no doubt I displease them.'

I glance at him then, this strange, cold man with his dark expression and hunched so far away from me that I fear any bump in the road might have him toppling off the side of the trap.

'You should try being a woman, Mr. Carver,' I say, brightly. 'I am certain you will find whole new ways of displeasing people. Navigating society's approval daily is more perilous than all my father's journeys on the sea.'