The Landowner's Secret

Part 1

Aiden

Aiden Winchester couldn’t accurately remember the dark miserable event which changed his life completely. The day that took his family from him was slightly fuzzy, but even so, the past still lurked in his memory. Aiden winced whenever he thought of what life had become for him. Now after the years had lengthened the void between him and the unfortunate incident, the whole affair had made his past, present, and future, somewhat depressing. He still had important memories of his mother tucking him in as a young boy, and his father giving him advice about, well, almost everything, but there were moments in his life that had definitely become hazy. He could hear the voice of his father as it floated to the surface of mind.

“Do you know what that is Aiden? That’s the smell of knowledge and knowledge is power.”

Guidance from his father echoed in his head over and over. Influence from the past. The voice of the most important man in his life, now long gone. The words crept from the depths of his memory and he smiled as he recalled them. That’s the smell of knowledge, the smell of knowledge... The sentence bounced around in his mind, the resonance of his father’s voice and perhaps the most imperative gift ever given to him.

Aiden hadn’t been much of a reader before his father gave him the advice. There had always been more important things to do than sit around reading books. But since the very first moment the words were spoken, he had, to some extent, become liberated by the humble novel. The feel of the paper, the beautiful print and the concept of stringing letters, words, and sentences together to form paragraphs, pages, and chapters. The chapters became stories and then eventually, a finished book. A book that could make you fall in love, or make you laugh or cry, or perhaps even save your life if you knew how to use the knowledge gained. It delivered a sense of freedom in every respect, taking the reader to different places and presenting situations that might never be experienced otherwise. This advice had transformed Aiden into the educated man he had grown to be. He was sure his father would be proud of him.

The smell of knowledge. He heard the words continuously while searching the wooden bookcase in front of him. Neglected shelves filled with odd bits of dusty chipped crockery and tattered second-hand books faced him. Finally, Aiden’s eyes rested on an old, well-worn paperback. He plucked the novel from its resting place and flipped through the pages taking in the odour of the paper and years of human abuse. The smell of knowledge that had been shared by many. Aiden examined the cover of the used book. It was shabby and dog-eared, as if it had been carted around for decades and then discarded, finally ending up in the charity store for him to discover. He looked back at the shelf to see if there was another that might interest him. Deciding on the one already chosen, fishing around in his pockets Aiden found some loose change. Mentally he added the amount and checked the price of the book. Smiling to himself he headed towards the counter dodging the circular racks of vintage clothing and boxes of discarded shoes with their bright, neon coloured, bargain priced tickets adorned with black permanent marker.

Behind a glass display counter containing pieces of paste and costume jewellery, exhibited in an amateurish haphazard way, an overweight elderly woman sat nodding off. The lines on her face were deep as if carved with a chisel by Father Time himself. Aiden could see she had once dyed her brassy hair which was pulled back from her face and secured with a

black ribbed headband. The roots were grey and neglected. She was like the paperback, worn, as if she had lived a thousand lives in one, handed from one person to another and then cast away into the dusty surroundings of the drab second-hand store. Aiden dropped the coins which clattered onto the glass top cabinet bringing the woman to her senses with a jump.

“Keep the change love,” he said winking at her, and held up the book for her to see the orange sticker with the price written boldly in black.

She leaned forward and squinted at it through her glasses, indicating to anyone who took any notice they were not as useful as they once had been, just like their owner.

“Thank you dear,” the woman replied, looking at the amount on the counter and scooping it up to lock it away in an empty container. Quickly she slipped the gun-metal grey cash box out of sight, looked around anxiously and then scribbled the amount of the sale and the item in a notebook, squinting at the page through her glasses to ensure her entry was correct.

He turned his back on her and abandoned the grimy stale-smelling shop. Instantly the woman slipped from his mind, she had served her purpose and was left to nod off in between visits from random bargain hunters and the like.

Aiden strolled along the street with the ragged paperback in his hand whistling a tune he had heard earlier that day. A familiar tune which refused to vacate his head. A song his father had sung regularly to his sister with a melody that lived within tormenting him and although he tried to evict it, the stubborn tune clung to the carousel of his mind with its thorny tentacles as each thought he produced rode the same roundabout. It mocked him with a rhythm he was more than accustomed to and at times drove him to despair. He despised it, yet it brought a familiar comfort and Aiden whistled the tune as he walked towards home.

Winter had finally ended and spring was fresh in the air. The time of year when new life arrived, and the dark skeletal branches of the trees blossomed and were awash with tiny green sprouts ready to grow and soak up the sun and rain. The time of year for parties and picnics and enjoying life after hiding away throughout the long winter months. The sun rested its rays on the top of Aiden’s head and spread through his body gradually warming him. His hand started to sweat slightly around the paperback, and he switched the book to the other hand and wiped his damp palm on the back of his jeans.

Checking for traffic, Aiden crossed the deserted road. He always checked for traffic, a habit that had been drummed into him as a child which had lingered and followed him into his adult life. Vehicles were scarce around here though, there was rarely a motorist in sight. People seldom travelled this way and if they did, they were usually just tourists passing through on their way to a brighter more favourable destination, or just lost and looking for direction.

The village, once a thriving community, was like the paperback Aiden had just purchased. Forgotten and left to gather dust in hope that it would be discovered and brought back to life. Surrounded by hills decorated with clumps of dark green trees, the heart of the gully housed the few remaining locals. Slowly farmers and villagers alike had moved away to

somewhere more pleasing with a livelier aspect. The fields that had once been dotted with cattle and sheep had been left to their own devices and the grass grew green and lush. Acres and acres of farmland left unattended in the hopes that one day it might be resuscitated.

Climbing a gate secured with a rusted padlock and a thick flaking chain, Aiden made his way across the field towards his family home, Winchester Manor. This had been the way to and from the village for as long as he could remember. The old metal gate had been a part of the property longer than Aiden and was the quickest way to the shops. He rarely walked around the long way or drove his car, it was tradition. A pathway had been trudged into the neglected grass which was infested with long drooping weeds and in desperate need of a tidy up.

The fresh scent of early evening filled the air as the day began to finish. From the side of the field bordered by a hedgerow of hawthorn and prickly holly, a rabbit appeared stopping to sniff the air enjoying the same fragrance of the new season that Aiden himself enjoyed. Pausing, he watched the creature freeloading on his property, as it nibbled at the long lethargic blades of the intruding weeds, intrigued by the way the tiny beast cleaned its face with its paws. There was once a time when he would have fired some sort of hunting rifle at the small animal, but those days were long gone. Eventually the rabbit disappeared into the thick growth that grew along the boundary of the estate, and most likely continued to enjoy freedom. God knows how many more there were in there living rent free on his land. Aiden continued along the worn pathway towards the house wondering how on earth he had lapsed in his duties and allowed the grounds to become overrun with weeds and pests.

The property belonged to his family. It had been passed from generation to generation just as the paperback in his hand had been passed along. Acres of land with fields and woods, it ran through the gully of the enormous cliffs that surrounded the village. A large stone manor house had been built right in the centre of the cleared grounds. Monstrous, intimidating and threatening, it almost dared anyone who approached to enter at their own risk. Nobody knew what was hidden within the silence of the looming Georgian building, nobody except for Aiden Winchester. He had lived there all his life and unlike the frolicking rabbit, he felt he was a prisoner of the large vacant property. The neglected, dated décor with yellowing wallpaper and furniture covered with white dust sheets, and of course, the loneliness of Winchester Manor, which conquered his mind chasing away any cheerful thought he might be desperately trying to hold on to as he drew closer. Gripping the paperback tightly, he turned his latch key in the lock and opened the front door to the ominous structure as quietly as he could. It creaked. Aiden went inside and closed the door behind him. Silence reached out and embraced him with cold unrelenting arms.

Aiden’s nostrils filled with the smell of boiled cabbage and fried fish. He wrinkled his nose slightly. The evening meal was almost ready. It was an unappetising odour and he wasn’t

looking forward to eating. One of these days he would learn how to cook for himself. There had to be a few recipe books somewhere in the old place he could use to invent something a little more pleasing to his palate than cabbage and fish.

A long hallway bathed in soft light stretched before him. Aiden headed along it and unlocked a door which led to the library. This was where he kept his coveted novels. He slipped his latest treasure into a gap on a shelf. Standing back, he took stock and admired years of self-indulgent work. The shelf was almost full. Soon he would start again, filling a new shelf until there was no space left. The library was his favourite room. Dark brown wood panelling covered the walls, traditional of the era of the manor. A rolling library ladder allowed Aiden to reach his resources on the higher shelves. Electronic books didn’t interest him at all. He had spent hours and hours arranging the hard copies and tatty paperbacks according to genre. He cherished the collection. The shelf in front of him which held his newest gem, was one of many that hosted the paperback books which were the most educational for this stage of his life. It was filled with the knowledge his mind desired. His appetite for the topic was ravenous and he satisfied it with the novels he found in the village second-hand store.

Pulling apart the curtains, the large window at the end of the room framed the fading daylight as the moon rose in the darkening sky anticipating the beginning of another night. Aiden stared out into the greying evening, there was nothing out of the ordinary to see, just

another ending to another day. He pulled the curtains closed again to shield his collection from any of the creatures that might be lurking outside in the shadows. It was his compilation and he had no intentions of sharing it.

In the silence of the library, the old grandfather clock ticked loudly keeping time as well as it had the day his family bought it, seconds, then minutes. He stood alone listening and just looking around the room at his handy work in reverence. Another part of his life ticked away, slipping by almost unnoticed. Aiden wondered about the years he had spent alone in the manor collecting books. Was this his destiny? Would the rest of his life be consumed with his lonely quest for knowledge? They were questions that couldn’t be answered, but all the same, questions he asked himself from time to time.

Something disturbed Aiden’s thoughts. From outside the room he could hear the faint noises coming from the kitchen down the long hallway towards the rear of the expansive building. Hopeful, he imagined a young attractive woman baking biscuits to keep in an airtight tin for him to enjoy with a cup of tea in the afternoon. Or an array of delicious dishes for a party of friends who chatted in the parlour sipping wine. That was never the case though, his imagination was deflated with the realisation the noises were the preparation of a dinner for one and it was miserable at that.

Taking one more look around his private paradise, Aiden left the library, locking the door behind him to secure his precious books. Slipping the key into his pocket, he made his way

along the now dark hallway passing the doors to the unused lifeless rooms toward the pungent cabbage smell. Frightened slightly by the room he approached, he pulled himself together and remembered who he was. As Aiden neared the kitchen, he coughed loudly and stopped outside the closed door. From inside the room, the faint sound of light footsteps reached his ears as the owner of the culinary preparation rushed to organize the place setting and vacate the kitchen. The servant’s door clicking closed at the far side of the room was the signal for Aiden to enter. Opening the kitchen door, he stepped inside and the depressing sight of the rectangular wooden table neatly set for one met his eyes. A solitary plate of fish and greens sat alone with a single glass of what smelled like riesling. The fragrance of the freshly poured wine wafted into the air and mingled with the scent of the food making it slightly more appetising. He sat down at the table and sprinkled salt and pepper over his meal. Aiden raised the glass to toast solitude, the meal, and the emptiness of the manor.

That’s how life was for Aiden Winchester, he was always alone. In the deserted room at the friendless table he sat eating his meal in seclusion. The fish which had been lightly fried in butter was delicious, but cabbage wasn’t his favourite vegetable. There were a few beans on the plate but mixing the two couldn’t mask the flavour of the cruciferous green. He added more salt and pepper in an attempt to disguise the taste and ate it. He ate it because he was hungry and because his parents had always reminded him there were children in this world starving, and the old behaviours had sadly survived longer than those who instilled them. Aiden washed it down with the glass of wine thankful to rid his taste buds of the presence of cabbage.

From somewhere in the manor, music sounded, the sound of a lone piano. Softly, the melody drifted faintly into the room and surrounded him, the same tune that played over and over in his head. Unrelenting and irritating he heard it repetitively.

Leaving the place setting as he had found it but without a scrap on the plate, Aiden headed upstairs to spend another night by himself. Locking the door to his bedroom he flicked a switch to the on position and filled the room with light. The four-poster bed that he occupied during the darkest hours, had seen better days. The frame still strong and sturdy, supported curtains that had passed their use by date a long time ago. Dust had taken its toll on the fabric, once thick and luxurious, it now crumbled on touch. Aiden didn’t care. It wasn’t as if there was likely to be anybody to impress anytime soon, no Lady Winchester on the horizon, not even a lesser conquest. He was the sole inhabitant of his bed and had been for as long as he had occupied the room. There had been the odd occasion when he had come close to inviting someone to stay, but it had never quite come to fruition and Aiden remained a single man. He undressed, dumped his clothes outside the room in a basket on the landing and locked the door once more.

Climbing into bed and settling under the warm covers, Aiden lay listening to the faint piano music. The Mountains of Mourne, a song his father had sung on many occasions. Sleep soon arrived and brought with it a dream of days gone by. He saw his parents, his

sister, and those who had ruined his life. A dream he dreamt regularly. A dream which often turned into a feverish nightmare.

********

Sunlight partnered the early hours of the morning and crept into the room through cracks and chinks, like a thief robbing Aiden of a little more desired sleep. The windows of all the rooms in the manor were furnished with thick dusty drapes that remained closed at all times. But the material was old and with age came deterioration. In places, the light intruded through the weave and cast thin streams upon the forgotten décor.

As Aiden opened his eyes in the dim glow of the early hours, he remembered the dream. The Winchester family were there still in his mind as clearly as the day they were taken from him. His father, his mother, and his sister Mary, she was there beside him, bathed in sunlight like some sort of celestial princess. Smiling to himself he thought about her as he savoured the sleepy moment. She had been beautiful, the image of his mother, his father used to say. Aiden missed all three of them, the sound of his father whistling, the laughter of his mother and the constant visitors calling on the ever-popular Mary Winchester. He wished he could turn back time and return to that moment.

A distant noise chased away the memory and Aiden lay still listening, straining to hear. A faint rattle of pans downstairs in the kitchen met his ears and he relaxed snapping on the bedside lamp. Soon after, the powerful smell of smoky bacon cooking, wafted up to him

through the different levels of the house and the solidness of his locked bedroom door. Sitting up and wiping the sleep from his eyes with his fingertips, he waited patiently, waited until he heard the light footsteps in the hall, waited until he heard the tray being placed on the floor outside his door, waited a few minutes longer for the sound of the annoying piano music which was his cue.

Aiden climbed out of bed, scratched his head, and stretched, yawning. Unlocking the bedroom door, he retrieved his breakfast from the landing. Setting the tray down on his bedside table, he slipped back under the covers and lifted it carefully onto his lap. The hot tea, the bacon and brown sauce sandwich and the morning paper were arranged neatly on the breakfast tray. Removing a folded linen napkin from under the plate which the sandwich rested on, he tucked it into his striped pyjama top. Aiden skimmed the paper searching the articles as he prepared the tea that was poured into a fine bone china cup decorated with blue flowers. He added milk and sugar, both stored in their own individual vessels which matched the cup and saucer. His mother had always used it. The china had been a wedding gift and every cup of tea he drank kept her alive in his memory. Aiden sipped the sweet hot liquid, washing down each bite of the warm sandwich as the butter melted from the heat of the bacon and oozed through the white bread onto his fingertips. Some things never changed. The breakfast ritual was one of them. The ceremony usually took no longer than twenty minutes, but today was slightly different.

An article in the paper caught his eye, a couple of paragraphs about a family who had been murdered not too far from his home. The bold heading and a photo of the young family had made the front page. They looked to be in their thirties and the kids were not much more than toddlers. It made him shudder at the thought. There had been a few in the area over the last month and he couldn’t help wondering if there was something he might do to prevent it, but he was just one person after all, and one person couldn’t save the world.

Aiden left the tray with its empty china and the folded newspaper on the bed and went into the ensuite bathroom. He locked the door and turned on the shower. The water, cold and invigorating, sprayed like needles from the shower head as he eased his way under it. Shocking at first, Aiden soon became accustomed to the harshness and lathered the soap in his hands. After a good scrub, he turned off the tap and grabbed a towel. Taking cold showers wasn’t something Aiden particularly enjoyed, but he had been doing it for years. There was never any hot water. The boiler didn’t work. It hadn’t been replaced since the day it stopped heating. During the winter months, he would heat water on the electric stove for a bath, but now the days were getting longer and warmer, it was back to cold showers again. Some day he would sort it out.

Staring at the man in the mirror, Aiden ran his hand over the dark stubble on his chin. One of these days he would grow a beard, but today wasn’t that day. Lathering up the shaving soap in a bowl with a brush the way his father had taught him, Aiden applied it to his face. The sharp edge of the razor cleared path after path of soap and bristle. He rinsed his skin then patted it dry with a towel and ran his fingers over his chin feeling the smoothness of it.

Finally, he splashed on some aftershave as a finishing touch, and ran a comb through his dark wavy hair smiling at himself in the mirror.

Emerging from the bathroom, he noticed immediately the breakfast tray had been cleared away and the bed neatly made. His clothes for the day were carefully laid out for him, a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a jumper. Simple yet classic. Aiden quickly dressed and waited until he heard the faint sound of music coming from down the hall. It was the familiar sound of the piano that constantly played the same folk ballad over and over, the tune which haunted him night and day and lingered as a conscious reminder of his loneliness. The song he couldn’t forget.

The dark heavy drapes remained closed as Aiden opened the bedroom door and stepped out onto the landing. He walked along the hall and paused outside of the room the music was coming from. He listened with his ear to the door for a moment and then continued downstairs. As usual there wasn’t a hint of another person in the lower part of the house. The kitchen had been cleaned and the laundry waited in a basket by the door to be hung on the clothesline. Whistling the way his father had always done, he grabbed the basket and went out into the fresh air. Aiden breathed in deeply, ridding his lungs of the staleness of the dark manor. The brightness of the day made him blink, but once adjusted to the light, his green eyes drank in the view of the sunlit property, from the wooded area nearby, all the way to the gate with the rusted chain.

The usual morning chores ushered Aiden right into midday. After sorting out the washing, he commenced pulling weeds from an almost empty garden patch to begin planting the summer vegetables. His mother had always done the same thing. In his mind, he saw himself standing beside her as a small child examining the seedlings and inquiring about each one, while his mother listened patiently and answered all of his questions. Growing vegetables had been one of the legacies she had left him. He continued seasonally, year after year in her honour. The soil held her touch. Never once had his mother been afraid to sink her elegant hands into the earth to rid it of left behind roots belonging to weeds and old vegetable plants that might go to seed. The image was as real as the ground that he now worked alone. He missed her as he plunged his own hands into the garden bed and felt the moist softness of the rich dark soil.

Every now and then Aiden would glance towards the manor that housed the room where the music played. He could hear it faintly from the garden. The same song played over and over and over to remind him of his past, present, and what his future was likely to be. Doing his best to ignore it, he continued with the lonely task at hand.

Winchester Manor hadn’t always been the dismal place it had become. Once the property had been filled with life. After the terrible mishap with his sister Mary and his parents, he was left alone. The tragedy had been unforeseen and if Aiden had possessed the knowledge he had now, there might have been a way to avoid it. There had been rumours leading up to the event, rumours about the kind of incidents happening in the area, but they were never taken seriously by his parents. The speculation had been dismissed. If they had listened, it might have prevented the tragedy that had left him on his own, but Aiden couldn’t be bitter. It was silly to wallow in self-pity, so he just got on with life as he now knew it. His sister Mary had been a close companion. She had been so energetic, and they had been inseparable, not just a brother and sister but best friends. Popular and sparkling was the way everybody had described her, and such a kind-hearted girl never existed anywhere else. But she had been taken from him just after her sixteenth birthday and all that was left now was emptiness. He recalled the two of them picking mushrooms in the woods to make soup with, and paddling in the nearby stream together, the games and the laughter of the past, the endless summer days, and of course, the parties. Yes, once there had been life in the now dismal manor.

Aiden washed his hands under the garden tap. Chilly water gushed out as he cleaned away the dirt from his skin and he picked it from the quick of his fingernails. Suddenly the only sounds were running water and the familiar birds that frequented the trees on the property. The mournful music had for the moment, ceased. Enjoying the altered feeling he savoured the moment and smiled to himself.

Sitting in the sun and enjoying the spring rays, Aiden waited patiently. The morning air had been quite crisp, but the sun was bright and as it rose higher in the sky, the air warmed and he removed his jumper. The washing flapped in the breeze and the smell of the soil that he had just worked wafted his way. A flurry in a nearby hedge commanded his attention and a rabbit hopped madly away towards the forest that grew throughout the property. Another bloody rabbit and not a gun in sight.

Thanks to his heritage, Aiden was the Lord of Winchester Manor, the master of his land and he surveyed it with a keen eye. Life could be a lot worse; his parents might have left him with nothing at all. He thought of the parties he could throw, the holidays he could easily afford and the life he could have. The furniture could all be restored and if the manor was given a good clean, it would be much more pleasant. He could have the boiler replaced and take a hot shower for the first time in years. The grounds could be landscaped professionally, and he could spend his days more enjoyably. But at this point in time, these things that seemed so normal were all completely out of the question.

Music reached him again interrupting Aiden’s thoughts and bringing him back to the reality of the lifestyle he had succumbed to. He entered the house by way of an outer door that lead straight to the kitchen, famished and ready for the midday meal. There was the usual place setting for one with a bowl of tomato soup, from a can no doubt, and a few crackers. He made a mental note to get some bread from the nearby bakery. To accompany the meagre meal, there was a glass of orange juice which tasted slightly out of date. He slurped down the soup and munched on the crackers. The juice was ignored, and he opted for tap water. While Aiden sat alone at the wooden kitchen table and ate his lunch, the music played upstairs. As soon as the less than satisfying meal was finished, he headed out towards the old gate that led to a brief stretch of freedom.

The tiny hamlet of Crippling Bump consisted of just a few shops set in a row along what once had been a busy high street. One by one as the area became abandoned, the shops had closed and now there were just a handful trading. A handful of shops to service the surrounding farmers who hung on to their properties out of desperation. The desperation to belong somewhere and secure their heritage. Aiden belonged to that small group. Every now and then he thought of leaving, but where would he go? He had always lived in the village, so he clung on for dear life and watched as the community slowly disappeared. His ancestors had settled the area and even named it. Before the road was cut through the rock, it had looked just like a crippling bump, resemblant of a bunion on the side of a foot, on what otherwise would be a rather flat area, hence the name.

Cocoa’s Bakery had been operating for as long as the village had been there. Not only did they make the most amazing bread, the chocolate cake produced in the kitchens of the landmark store was rich and delicious, and quite renowned in the area. Aiden smiled when he remembered sharing the cake with his sister. All their birthday cakes had been ordered from the bakery and each birthday cake had been better than the one before. Generation after generation had run the business, making loaf after loaf to feed thousands of people over hundreds of years, and even now the bakery was still a lively institution within the slowly dying village. A bell tinkled as he opened the door and stepped inside. Aiden breathed deeply and smiled at the baker who stood behind the counter. The mouth-watering aroma of baked goods filled his nostrils and made him feel hungry after the poor midday meal. The shelves were filled with the warm appetising bread that had been freshly baked that morning. Aiden surveyed the loaves and rolls displayed on the stainless-steel wire racks and after a quick purchase of a simple uncut cob loaf, he was outside and on his way home.

Disturbing a less than inspiring journey, his hearing picked up a foreign sound. A car, a blue Mini to be precise, went by and pulled up in front of the local pub. A rare event had occurred. Aiden watched as the driver got out, most likely to ask directions due to the lack of signage in and out of the village. A stranger had arrived in Crippling Bump, he watched her go inside and then reappear, returning to the car to retrieve a few bags. The attractive woman disappeared into The Cantering Filly once more as if to stay. A tiny spark of excitement entered his life.

Aiden glanced at his watch. He liked to be home before dark to avoid any unpleasantness that might come his way. There was certainly time for one drink before heading back to the manor. Checking for traffic, he crossed the road and made for the pub. Intrigued by the stranger and feeling slightly enthusiastic about meeting someone new, he opened the door and entered the bar. Ordering a pint of his favourite pilsner, Aiden looked around the white walled room with its low, dark wood, beams and dim artificial lighting. The Cantering Filly was the only pub in town and had once been a haven for the locals who gathered daily for a drink after work, or a Friday night to celebrate the beginning of the weekend. Now there were only a handful of locals left, and today, he was alone as usual. Choosing a table in the corner by a small window, he sat sipping the beer hoping she would appear. With each second that ticked by, Aiden became a little more anxious. Curiosity kept him there and he purchased another pint. He wanted to meet the woman, perhaps even get to know her, but the day was slowly disappearing, and he couldn’t wait too much longer. As if by his will, she suddenly appeared and ordered a drink at the bar. Looking around, she spotted Aiden alone in the corner. She smiled an attractive smile. He smiled back. The stranger approached. His heart began to pound in his chest.

“Do you mind if I join you?” she asked him.

Her voice was like a poetic symphony and instantly drowned out the tune in his head. Aiden tried not to appear to eager. He didn’t want the stranger to think he was starved for company. “No, please do,” he replied, gesturing for her to sit opposite him. Remembering he was a Lord, Aiden stood and pulled out the wooden chair from the small round table for her and she placed her drink carefully down in front of her on a cardboard coaster. “You’re not from around here,” Aiden remarked when they were both seated.

“I’m just passing through, on holiday,” she said taking a sip of her drink. Her fingers touched the frosted glass delicately and left small vacant spots. “I’m Lilia, Lilia Cooper.”

“I’m Aiden, Aiden Winchester,” he told her taking another mouthful of his beer and watching droplets of water run down her glass from the circles where her fingertips had been. The droplets gathered on the cardboard coaster and when she lifted the glass again, a wet circle was left on the small square advertisement.

“Winchester, the name sounds familiar,” she said. “I think I’ve read something about you somewhere.”

“It might be the family home, Winchester Manor,” he informed her, looking casually out of window at the approaching evening. “It’s kind of a landmark in these parts. My family has lived here for a long time.”

“Ah yes, Lord Aiden Winchester. I remember now,” she said, raising her glass to him as if to perform a toast. “There was something I read in a magazine a while back, it’s a Georgian Manor. Is your home open for tours, because I’d love to see it?”

“No, it’s not a tourist attraction, just the place where I live. I’m sorry, I’m going to have to leave you, I must be off now,” he told her, worried about the daylight that was slowly slipping into night. “Are you staying in the village for long?” Mentally he crossed his fingers and hoped for the best.

“A few days, or a bit longer,” Lilia said. “Why the rush? Is there somebody at home waiting or did I upset you? Was it the Lord toast thing? I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“No, I live alone and to be honest, I’m not that easily offended. There are actually people in the area that refer to me as Lord Winchester. It’s just that I don’t want to have to stumble through the field to the manor in the dark. You see, I cut across the field to my home. The ground is uneven, and I twisted my ankle once and had to crawl home,” he explained finishing his beer. The story sounded a bit farfetched, but it was the best he could come up with at such short notice. “Maybe I’ll see you again.”

“Maybe,” she said. “Maybe you could show me the sights.”

“Perhaps,” he agreed, trying not to seem too keen. She certainly was nice to look at and she seemed interested in him or at least, his family home. He wanted to see her again, it was nice just to have a sit-down conversation. “There’s not much to see though, not in the immediate area.”

Aiden left Lilia sitting at the table with her drink. He would have to hurry now. It was just touching dusk, the time when one isn’t quite certain whether it’s day or night. Climbing the gate which creaked beneath his weight, he clutched the bag that held the precious cob loaf and headed across the field towards the house. His pace quickened as the smell of the bread drifted up from where he held it close to his chest.

A fox appeared from the hedgerow and ran to the middle of the field surprising him. He stopped, stunned by the sudden appearance of the creature. Its eyes shone in the early evening hue as it halted in its tracks and stared at him. They observed each other for a moment and as Aiden quickened his pace, the creature turned and darted back towards the hedgerow, clearly disturbed by the presence of another being. Perhaps he could take up hunting again, there seemed to be enough wildlife on the property. First rabbits and

now foxes, maybe the fox would eat some of the rabbits and he wouldn’t have to waste as many bullets.

Aiden unlocked the door of the house and once inside he quickly locked it behind him. Again, he was alone. As he had been on so many occasions, he was greeted with the smell of food coming from the kitchen, but tonight it was a more appetising odour.

All the meals were eaten in the kitchen now. The dining room had been vacated years ago and all that was left in there were memories. Memories of his parents, memories of his sister Mary, memories of a more pleasant time in his life. If truth be known though, Aiden never liked the dining room. He found it much more pleasurable in the kitchen. Now that he was the man of the house, he pleased himself. Although, sitting alone every night wasn’t really his idea of fun.

Slowly, he made his way towards the room at the end of the hall. A sound came from within along with a superb rich meaty aroma that reached through the door and invited him to enter. The culinary proposition was too much to resist, but the routine had to be followed and Aiden stopped. He waited. Clearing his throat, he heard the door at the other side of the kitchen open and close.

The evening meal consisted of stew. A plate of the most delicious, hearty, beef stew Aiden had ever tasted. He tore at the fresh white bread and dipped it into the gravy. There was more of the appetising concoction in a large pot on the stove. A second plateful followed the first, and then a third, finally over satisfying his appetite. There had been no need to eat that much, but the flavour was seductive. Aiden leaned back from the table and washed the food down with a glass of wine that had been left for him. The bottle stood nearby. A second glass was poured.

His thoughts turned to Lilia Cooper, the pleasingly attractive stranger who had just arrived in the lifeless village. Someone to talk to and share a drink with. A breath of fresh air in the staleness of his life. He wondered where she was from and why she had chosen a place like Crippling Bump to visit. It just seemed very odd. Nobody ever holidayed in the village, there was nothing to see.

The rest of the wine was poured, and the glass accompanied him to the library. Aiden locked the door behind him and turned on the light. He gazed at the shelves of books, all the same genre. Swooning a little from the combination of beer, wine, and a full stomach, he removed a book from its place and sat on the old brown Chesterfield sofa that had belonged to his parents and his grandparents. The leather was aged and cracked in places, but still in good order and with use, came comfort, the type of comfort that can never be provided with new furniture. Years and years of sitting gave the leather and it’s filling the softness required, and now it was just right for relaxing on for long periods of time.

The smell of knowledge, his father’s words whispered to him again. He opened the book and began to read, soaking up the information. Word after word, sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph, his mind consumed page after page and chapter after chapter

of the written text. Aiden read well into the night, until his eyes, sore and overworked, made his sight blurry. He rubbed them trying to see clearly but put the book down just as the chorus of dawn began, and crept upstairs to his comfortable bed. As the morning approached, he slept soundly, far too tired to dream.

********

With the sun already high in the sky, Aiden slowly opened his eyes, his head heavy from the previous night’s wine and reading until the small hours of the morning. Sitting up in bed, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and for a moment contemplated lying down again. The vintage Rolex watch that had belonged to his father lay on the dusty bedside table. It showed the time to be almost half past ten. Breakfast had come and gone. The untouched tray had been removed from outside his door. He felt hungry but at the same time, slightly unwell and his mouth was dry.

The ritual cold shower washed away the fatigue and he left his room to begin the day, pausing for a moment at the door to the room along the hall. Aiden listened touching the varnished timber tentatively.

“I can hear you breathing,” a voice whispered from the other side of the solid slice of polished oak.

“I’m sorry,” he replied quietly retreating, and headed down the wide dark wood staircase.

In the spotless kitchen, Aiden discovered his uneaten breakfast in the bin on top of the waste and felt slightly guilty about sleeping in. He filled a glass with water from the tap and gulped it down, filling it again and drinking that one too, in an effort to drown his thirst. Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, he grabbed an apple from the refrigerator and rubbed it on his shirt before taking a bite. It would tide him over until lunch time. A wicker laundry basket sat near the back door filled with the clean damp laundry, once again waiting for him to hang it out. The washing from the previous day still occupied the clothesline, he had returned too late to take it in, so the clean clothes had stayed out all night.

Although delayed, the repetition of the daily chores had commenced. He began by taking the dry washing from the clothesline into the kitchen and dumping it on the table. A noise interrupted the slightly tainted routine, something unfamiliar distracting him from his duties, the sound of a car in the driveway. Aiden headed around to the front of the house. Lilia Cooper. She waved at him from the car and he felt the anxiety rising. She shouldn’t be here. Not now, not ever. He had to get rid of her, quickly.

“Hello,” he said approaching the car smiling at her in an effort to hide his concern. The driver’s side window was open, and he could see her clearly. Pretty in a subtle way, her brown wavy hair framed her face. A touch of makeup highlighted her features and Aiden liked her genuine smile. He also liked the cleavage that was on display from his vantage point. The white V-neck top showed just enough to make him want to pursue further investigation.

“Hello,” she replied. “I just wondered if you’d like to show a stranger around the area. I have a map and GPS, but there’s nothing like the company of a local to explain the history of a place, especially someone who has lived in the area their whole life.”

“I think I can manage that,” he said anxiously, not wanting her to hang around for too long. “I just have a few things to do. Can I meet you at the pub later? Say around two?”

“Sure, but it’s no trouble for me to pick you up here my Lord,” she said smiling in a cheeky way.

From that one simple sentence, Aiden felt alive once more. The haze and sourness cleared from his life and he saw only clarity and perhaps the chance of some sort of nocturnal pleasure.

“That won’t be necessary. I like to walk and it’s just across the field. Besides, I have my own car,” Aiden explained, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. “I’ll meet you in the bar and there is no need for you to call me my Lord. Aiden will do nicely.”

“It’s a date, Aiden,” Lilia agreed looking slightly embarrassed.

He watched her leave, and as soon as the small vehicle had vacated the driveway, returned to the clothesline behind the house and commenced filling it with the washing that had been sitting in the basket all morning. The faint sound of music had disappeared. Aiden continued pegging out the damp laundry. The task filled the time he expected it to and when the music began again, he headed inside for his midday meal.

Lunch was waiting on the table, a bacon and brown sauce sandwich. Aiden checked the bin. The morning’s uneaten breakfast stared up at him. Relieved, he sat down to eat the sandwich in the loneliness of the dreary kitchen. Sitting in the dim light, he examined the meal that had been prepared for him. The bread had been sliced too thickly and the bacon, which was smothered in brown sauce, was scarce, along with the butter. It sort of stuck to the roof of his mouth almost making him gag. Aiden made a mental note to buy some more food. Perhaps even a sliced loaf to make things easier.

After rinsing the few dishes and folding the dry laundry, he thought about Lilia and wondered why a few encounters with the stranger had challenged his routine so quickly. Once he wouldn’t have bothered. The women had come to him. But years and years of pushing people away and seclusion on his part had made it almost impossible for a female to penetrate his solitary cocoon, and the invitations to social events from pursuing women had faded away. The tables had turned.

Aiden locked the front door and headed across the field towards the village. With Winchester Manor behind him, he tried to block out what he had left. The breeze surrounded him lightly, reducing the sun’s effect. It was pleasant walking on such a bright day with just a soft hint of the spring wind. He thought of Lilia sitting in the bar, nervously wringing a paper napkin in her hands and perhaps tearing at it a little, whilst awaiting his arrival. He smiled to himself wondering if that were the case. Climbing the chained gate, he made his way towards the pub. Her car was in full view. Highly polished, it reflected the rays of the sun, a reminder of her. Aiden wondered again why she was in Crippling Bump. It seemed slightly peculiar that anybody would come to this area just on a whim and stay longer than the time it took to ask directions.

Lilia sat waiting at the table in the corner of the quiet bar, the same table they had occupied on the previous afternoon. Aiden sat down with her and smiled. She smelled divine. Her fragrance floated through the air and he breathed her in. She smiled. Her eyes were brown. He hadn’t noticed until now.

“Have you had lunch?” she asked.

“Yes,” he nodded, not sure if he was smiling or grinning like a loon. “Have you?”

“I’ve just finished. Shall we go?”

“Where?” he answered her question with another. “There’s not much to see around here.” It was true, there was bugger all in Crippling Bump. The outlying area and villages were a bit livelier, but still quite ordinary although picturesque.

“For a walk along the road, I noticed a few shops that look a little interesting.”

“That sounds entertaining,” he agreed trying his hardest not to sound sarcastic. Aiden didn’t want to go too far from the Winchester estate. He didn’t want to risk not being

home by nightfall, so a walk up and down the village high street, although uninteresting, would be quick enough not to keep him out too late. “I’ll point out the tourist attractions.”

There wasn’t much to show her on the high street of Crippling Bump. They wandered to the end of the small shopping strip and then crossed the road and wandered along the other side. Lilia inspected the shop windows and Aiden told her the local history. She listened asking the odd question here and there. It was nice. He enjoyed her company. When the couple arrived back at The Cantering Filly, he checked his watch. The time was getting on and he didn’t want to risk the washing being left out again. He needed to be home before the air started getting damp.

“I’d better be going,” he said, nervously looking at the time. It was difficult for him to hide the anxiety, but he did his best. The last thing he wanted was for Lilia to start prying more into his private life.

“So, you’re rushing off again? I can drive you home,” she offered, “I know where you live, remember? It wasn’t very hard to find that out. It seems everybody knows where you live, although, few like to visit you. I think there might be some sort of class division in these parts and they feel kind of common in comparison.”

“Of course the locals know where I live, but I like to keep to myself. Besides, there’s always been a problem with class division around here and a lot of the villagers find it difficult to even speak to me. Some can’t even bring themselves to look at me, they avert their eyes when we pass in the street. A ride home won’t be necessary. Like everybody else, I too know where I live,” he said taking a step back. He stared into her deep brown eyes and felt

something he hadn’t felt for a long time. “Look, I’m sorry. I’ve sort of been a recluse since, well, for quite some time now. I didn’t mean to be rude to you. Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?”

“Sure, at your place?” she asked.

“No, I was thinking more of a picnic type of thing,” he suggested. Aiden knew she wanted to see inside of his home, but it was impossible at the moment. The whole affair needed careful planning and it wasn’t something he could manage on such short notice.

“I like picnics,” Lilia said agreeing. “I’ll pick you up from the manor around eleven and we’ll go for a drive. I’m sure you can suggest a nice, secluded spot for us to - picnic.”

Aiden agreed smiling at her knowingly.

“Can I get your mobile number?” she asked, pulling a phone from her bag, and preparing to add the information.

“I don’t have a mobile. I don’t need one,” he said.

“Oh, okay then,” she replied looking rather puzzled. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at eleven then.”

They parted.

Once again back at the lonely manor, Aiden locked himself in the library and picked up the unfinished book reading from where he had left off that morning. He was almost at the end. The books he read all finished the same way, brutally. The same story over and over, the characters just had different names. As he read, the music coming from upstairs drifted through the house to the very place where he sat, reminding him of the reason he was reading and the reason he was alone. Returning the book to its rightful place on the shelf, he left the library and locked it behind him.

The washing would be dry by now. Aiden needed to get it in before the daylight vanished completely and the night air set in. Filling the basket with the clean dry clothes, he carried it into the house and then went back outside to enjoy the remainder of the day. He thought about his family continuously, his father, his mother, and Mary. Now there was Lilia. There was a seductive attractiveness about her and the few encounters he had experienced had made him feel as though life was almost normal. Aiden felt more alive than he had in years, free of the sourness of the manor when they had been together that afternoon. It was almost as if a window had been opened to rid his life of the bitterness and the suffocation of his past.

The music stopped. He listened to the world without it, the sounds of the vanishing day reached him from the land surrounding the manor and refreshed his feelings towards life, instantly returning Aiden to the afternoon he had just experienced. A burden felt as

though it had been taken on by somebody else. The song of the chirping cricket accompanied his cares which were carried off by the evening breeze. He knew it would change when the music started again, but for that short amount of time, freedom was within his realm.

Aiden walked away from the manor, this time in another direction towards the thick wooded area on the opposite side of the property to the village shops. The trees had been there for hundreds of years, a long time before his home was built. Once a thick forest, the land had been cleared by his ancestors to reveal the section on which the manor stood. In the past, there had been fields full of crops, and cattle, but now nothing was farmed, and a lot of the land had been sold to neighbouring farmers. The fields that were kept as part of the Winchester estate were home to foxes and rabbits free to do as they pleased. Aiden remembered the fox hunts, he remembered riding with his father, but since the night when his family had been taken from him, the horses had been sold, the stable was torn down and the old ways no longer existed.

The woods had been a common place for Aiden and his sister Mary. They had spent hours climbing the trees that lined the property. She always climbed higher. He could never match her; she had been fearless. They had pretended they lived in the trees and nobody else existed. Two years younger than him, she would taunt him, but it made him love her more. Aiden had encouraged her to try to beat him at anything and she had succeeded on several occasions, but since his family had been taken by tragedy, the fun they had shared was simply a cruel memory. He felt as though he was a failure, unable to protect his younger sister against the evil that had removed her from his life. The Mary he loved so much was gone forever, and misery had moved into the manor. Perhaps someone like Lilia Cooper could change it if Aiden had the courage to let her.

The yellow sun gradually turned a deep orange as it began setting. In the distance the sky changed from a pale blue to a slightly dull darker hue. Thick purple-grey clouds were gathering, forming a menacing heavenly landscape, and coming together to create what looked like a thunderstorm brewing on the horizon. Aiden hoped that it wouldn’t ruin his plans for tomorrow, if the picnic didn’t go as planned, he would have to think of something else. Turning, he headed back to the manor. A melody sounded faintly from the upstairs of his home and he went in for his dinner. The left-over stew from the previous evening awaited him with the remainder of the bread.

Aiden remembered that he hadn’t done any shopping. It was too late now, everything closed in the village as the sun went down. The shelves in the pantry were almost bare and there wasn’t much in the fridge either. He would have to get some food in tomorrow before the picnic. If he prepared the lunch himself instead of buying readymade sandwiches from the supermarket in the next town on, it would be a lot tastier and he was sure he could manage to make a sandwich. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing worse than biting into a sandwich that had been stored in the refrigerator.

Sick to death of being alone, Aiden needed some distraction in his life. He needed the companionship and the mindless nagging that sometimes accompanied a relationship.

He craved affection and the intimacy he had experienced in the past, wishing for the occasional explosive argument with somebody so he could make up afterward. A night here and there on the sofa wouldn’t even bother him too much if it changed his life for the better. Aiden imagined the constant presence of a woman in the manor. The parties and the life would be restored. He could get to know people again; contact those he had lost touch with. Crippling Bump would be a better place.

The sun had set, and darkness enveloped the manor. As Aiden headed upstairs for the evening, the heavens opened, and the wind and rain lashed at the windows. The weather had taken a turn for the worse as he expected. A distant rumble of thunder followed the flashes of lightning and accompanied the rain drops that attacked the outer walls fiercely.

Locking the bedroom door, Aiden sought a good night’s sleep. He set the alarm for seven a.m. and turned off the bedside lamp. Silence surrounded him, and in the dark he could almost hear his own heartbeat. Outside the wind howled and the thunder struck. Rain hammered the windows violently trying it’s hardest to breakthrough. Ignoring it, Aiden thought about the picnic and where they would go together, he thought about what he would do if the rain continued into the day. He wanted to show Lilia the picnic ground that overlooked the village. Not the most secluded spot, but the view was nice. There was history there too, and a monument to the founder of Crippling Bump. If it was too wet, he would offer her a meal at The Cantering Filly, his treat, and then perhaps a trip to the local library for a historical touch. Yawning, Aiden closed his eyes falling into an instant sleep aided by the vicious lullaby of the severe weather.

********

As bleak as the prior evening had been, the morning was glorious. Aiden was thankful the weather had revived itself and the sun dominated a blue sky which had completely cleared of all grey. Any hint of the savage thunderstorm had vanished.

Feeling a lot more positive than he normally would, a speedy drive to a neighbouring village for a spot of shopping followed a quickened morning routine. He needed the supplies to make the picnic lunch and the closest supermarket was about half an hour away from where he lived. Fortunately for Aiden, it was one of the very few business’ in the area that was open 24/7 so he didn’t have to wait for the store to start trading for the day.

With the shopping stowed away in all the right places, Aiden prepared the picnic lunch they would share. It consisted of ham and cheese sandwiches cut diagonally, fruit, and a bottle of wine. Plus, he had purchased a chocolate bar for each of them. Not something that Aiden normally indulged in, but apparently all women love chocolate. Another tiny piece of important knowledge his father had shared with him and he was sure something like that would never change. Aiden packed two glasses and a corkscrew. It wouldn’t do for them to swig wine from a bottle but even more importantly, they needed to get the cork out first. He placed it all carefully into a basket so the sandwiches wouldn’t get squashed and grabbed a blanket for them to sit on. The idea of a picnic was slightly outdated. They could have gone for a drive and found a nice café or pub somewhere, but people in these parts knew him and he was tired of the stares and whispers. Aiden carried his haul to the front door and placed it quietly outside, eliminating the need for her to enter the manor. Upstairs the music stopped.

Feeling just a little anxious, he constantly checked his watch and nervously waited for Lilia to arrive to pick him up. Suddenly he wondered if he should have offered to drive. It seemed very odd to Aiden that she was taking the lead in an almost masculine manner. But considering his dating mentor had been his father, coupled with the fact that his social life had been scarce over the years, he figured that perhaps things had changed.

From his vantage point by the front door, Aiden had a good view right along the extensive drive to the road. His date was right on time. He smiled to himself thinking of the afternoon that lay ahead. An afternoon with the very attractive Lilia Cooper in the bright sunshine. Aiden thought nothing of what he was leaving behind, the mournful music haunted him, and the dusty darkness depressed him. Today he felt only happiness and hoped that it was a good omen.

Crippling Bump picnic ground was only a five-minute drive from the manor. The road spiralled up towards the best view in the region with a cleared grassy area dotted with wooden benched tables, and a large stone monument erected with the name of one of Aiden’s ancestors chiselled neatly into the rock. Once a very popular spot during the warmer months, the picnic ground was now deserted, and the only living occupants were the plants and trees that were home to an array of wildlife. More importantly, they were alone, and this pleased Aiden. Opting to spread the blanket on the ground instead of sitting at a table, they sat in silence for a while, neither of them knowing quite what to say at first. The sun was warm, and the sky was now splattered with white wisps of cottony cloud, unlike the fierce dark clouds of the previous evening. It was almost perfect.

“So, what’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” Aiden asked smiling at the cliché pick up line.

“Not much, I just felt like getting away from it all and it’s very quiet around here. What do you do for a living?” she asked him between bites of the sandwich that he had prepared for her.

“I don’t really do anything.” Aiden told her as he poured wine into the two glasses feeling pleased that he had remembered the corkscrew. “I just live in the manor and do odd jobs around the house.” It sounded dull. He could have told her anything though, but it was best to try to remain as close to the truth as possible. Especially because she seemed a bit pushy and he didn’t want to reveal too much to her at this stage.

“How do you live?” Lilia asked taking the glass from him and swirling it under her nose. “I mean, how can you afford to live?”

“I have money. It’s old money that’s been in the family for years. I don’t have to work. My ancestors saw to that. They invested wisely. What about you, what do you do?” he asked turning the attention from his fortune to his guest.

“I’m a vet,” she replied shading her eyes from the sun. Lilia fished around in her bag and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. “I take care of sick animals.”

“We can move into the shade if you like,” Aiden suggested feeling the heat, regretful he didn’t bring a pair of sunglasses himself.

They moved their picnic to the shade of a tree. The blanket was spread on the cool grass and they sat comfortably out of the sun, sipping wine, and enjoying the food he had organized. It was a pleasant change to be out in the fresh air and Aiden tried to ignore the tune that played in his mind.

“Do you enjoy that?” he asked her.

“What?” Lilia asked, staring into her glass.

“Being a vet,” he replied, studying her puzzled look. Her brow knit, and Lilia pursed her lips as she looked into the glass of wine.

“Oh, being a vet, I love it. I love animals. I always have. When I was younger, I’d drag dogs home from school and tell my mum they had followed me. As soon as I let go of their collars, they would run back to where they lived. But any time I could, I’d bring home some type of creature to look after, I sometimes prefer them to people,” Lilia explained leaning against the tree and stretching her legs out in front of her. “Do you ever get lonely? You know, living in that big manor by yourself.”

“Not really. I spend a lot of time outside in the garden, so I don’t notice how empty the manor is. I like to read too,” he explained being careful not to tell her too much.

“Where are the rest of your family? Do any of them live in the area?”

“My parents are dead,” he told her shifting uncomfortably on the blanket and staring at the view of the surrounding countryside. It stretched for miles and he scanned it with his eyes, searching the vast open fields, that were dotted with cottages and trees, for a place to hide his feelings. “I had a sister too, but there was a terrible tragedy. I still have relatives, but they don’t visit very often, and I don’t really visit them. Most of them live overseas.”

Silence followed his short statement and he waited for her to speak, his thought pattern slightly chaotic as Aiden remembered bits and pieces of the tragic event. He tugged at a long weed and pulled it from the earth examining it closely, and then used it to swish away an insect that was hovering around them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said quietly. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

He smiled and lay on the blanket propping himself up on one elbow. Aiden examined her features, her dark hair, her brown eyes that were big and doe like, and her expression which indicated she had a questioning mind. The curves of her body were exquisite, and the fabric of her clothing hugged her frame. Aiden liked her, although he hardly knew her, she seemed endearing. He thought to himself that it would be easy to fall in love with woman like Lilia, if he was the romantic type. Right now though, the best he could offer her was a quick shag on a blanket under a tree. “How long are you staying?” he asked, looking up at her.

“That depends on what people do for kicks around here,” Lilia answered.

“This,” Aiden replied sitting up and laughing. “There’s this and the local pub. The council used to hold a dance once a month in the town hall, they’d hire a band and put on refreshments, but they stopped doing that a while back. Crippling Bump isn’t the happening place it once was.”

“Oh, I see. I don’t know how much country serenity I can stand. I prefer the busy city,” she admitted taking a sip of her wine. “But there is something about this area I like. The views are amazing, and I know there’s a lot to see in other nearby villages. Plus, I’ve heard a few stories about this part of the country, and I’d like to follow up on them.”

“What sort of stories have you heard,” he asked feeling slightly concerned. He hoped the stories had nothing to do with the attacks on the nearby families. “Is there anything I can help you with? I’ve lived here my whole life and have knowledge of the surrounding area.”

“No, it’s fine. If I told you you’d only laugh at me, a lot of people do you know,” Lilia said.

Sensing she was now uncomfortable with the conversation, he changed it. “You haven’t told me anything about your family,” Aiden remarked. “I don’t see any rings on your

fingers that would tie you to anybody legally, so my guess is you’re not married. Do you have a partner?”

“There was once. In fact, there have been many special guys, but none were quite right for me,” Lilia explained. “As for my family, there’s just me and Mum. Dad left years ago. Sorry, I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. I hardly know you.”

“Don’t be sorry, it’s okay,” he lied. Aiden had his own sob story and really wasn’t interested in hers, however, he was good at pretending to understand, especially when the person talking was as attractive as Lilia.

The conversation between the two lasted as long as the wine. As the bottle emptied the afternoon came to a close. It was almost as if it was some sort of life force that had expired. Silently they packed up the picnic and put it away in the basket.

The day had been a lot more pleasant than Aiden thought it would be and when she dropped him off at his home, he imagined spending more time with her and more intimate time at that. Resisting the urge to kiss her although he wanted her, they said their goodbyes. No unnecessary complications were needed, not yet anyway. There was some careful planning required. It was best to keep her at arm’s length for as long as he could, so things could be a bit more organized.

After re-establishing the boring routine he had grown accustomed to and removing his clean, dry washing from the line, Aiden headed inside. In the library, he selected another paperback from the shelf. His mind drifted as he looked at the words getting to the end of

a page and realising he hadn’t read any of it properly. He started again but it was useless.

Nothing stuck in his head and he couldn’t recall any of the storyline at all.

Lilia, her name rolled around in his mind. He saw her face, imagined her gentle touch. He had only known her a few days and there had been very few conversations between them, but Aiden had been starved of company for so long now, the craving of just having a chat was overwhelming. Thinking about the difference he felt after the afternoon was enough to encourage him.

Aiden felt as though he could even love somebody in time. It would be easy. To him, Lilia seemed so very satisfying in every aspect, but not the most practical relationship and at this point in time, highly illogical. The conversation between them had flowed easily and when she had naturally opened up to him earlier that day, it indicated that she felt comfortable and there was already an element of trust after just a few encounters. Aiden felt something stir within, a lust he hadn’t felt for a long time. If the opportunity arose for something a little more amorous, he would certainly pursue it.

Outside the sun was setting and the smells from the kitchen drifted into the room. It would soon be dark. Aiden put the book on the sofa and left the library locking it behind him. He put the key in his pocket. The only key to the only room in the manor where he felt completely at ease with his life. Once again, he coughed before entering the kitchen. The sound of a door closing was his signal and he went into the room to eat his evening meal alone.

The table was set for one as usual. He sat in his regular place, always the same chair. A plate of food and some cutlery lay before him. Tonight though there was a difference. Tucked under his knife was a folded scrap of music manuscript paper, a note. He opened it; three simple words were written. Don’t forget me. He folded the note and put it in his pocket and wished there was somebody else to share the meal with him.

Aiden dreamt that night. Lilia, she had now ventured into his subconsciousness. He saw her smile, heard her voice, Lilia. He felt different when she was around. She changed his dark to light, his night to day. He needed her. She had brought the life back, the life that he had lost. He felt her slip away as he stirred and awoke to face the morning. Day light, and there she was again, occupying his thoughts.

********

There was something very different about this morning. Aiden went to the bedroom door and unlocked it. He couldn’t hear the music and there was nothing coming from the kitchen. No sounds and definitely no smell of bacon frying. Aiden left his room and walked softly and silently to the end of the hall. He stood at the door and listened, straining to hear any noise coming from within.

“I can smell her on you,” the voice whispered from within its confines.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised, and continued on to make his own sandwich and tea for breakfast.

Downstairs the setting for one from the evening before remained where he had left it. The remnants of food stuck to the plate were hard and dry. The laundry hadn’t been done and Aiden had gone without breakfast. Quickly, he cleared away the mess and started the washing. He fried some bacon for his sandwich and made a cup of tea. The morning paper lay on the front doorstep waiting for someone to retrieve it. The boring routine had been broken. He sat troubled by his conscience and the consequence of his actions. After eating his meal, he continued in the normal way with a cold shower and then finished the meagre domestic chores he completed each morning. There was no music today and as he was soon to learn, no lunch. It felt familiar, a kind of déjà vu. Every time he came close to even starting a new relationship, it had to be ended. Aiden was fed up with the loneliness and the constant sacrifice. He needed it to work this time and if not this time, he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life alone. There would have to be compromises made for him to enjoy his future.

The afternoon was spent in the library with its walls lined with shelves of books that Aiden relied on for comfort and further education. Today he was not in his usual spot on the leather sofa. Instead, he sat at the bulky mahogany desk with his back to the large window thinking. Lilia, but he pushed her from his mind. Aiden had opened the curtains to escape from the darkness for a while. On the back of his head, the warmth of the sun streamed in through the window. In the front of his mind sat the perplexing situation. There was a remedy to the position he was in, but he had to approach it with care. Aiden chewed the end of the pen thinking and then he wrote.

It seems that I have upset you. Please know that it was never my intention. Have you ever considered what this is like for me?

He folded the note in half and then opened it and looked at the words once again. They were honest, and the selfish question more than necessary. Aiden had continuously made sacrifices and it was time for things to change. Folding it again, he went up the wide staircase with its carved balustrades to the first-floor landing. Stopping at the room at the end of the hall, he slid the paper halfway under the door. Aiden watched as it disappeared. He waited, dreading the response.

“I forgive you,” the voice whispered from the other side of the locked room.

Aiden smiled to himself and went back to the library and locked himself in for the rest of the afternoon. Upstairs the music played once more and although it was somewhat depressing, the normality gave him comfort and he slipped back into his dismal groove.

Dinner was served at the regular time in the regular way.

A day without his new-found friend Lilia was miserable for Aiden. Twenty-four hours had passed, and he had not seen her. She was somebody to talk to and somebody to listen to, a voice that wasn’t a depressing melody or a whisper through a door. It was refreshing. Aiden was tormented, torn between the dark and the light, between obligation and reckless

abandon. He stared at the ceiling and felt trapped, like a rabbit in a snare. Tomorrow he would decide what to do, but right now Aiden was far too exhausted. This was all too difficult for him, juggling his emotions was never meant to be a full-time profession. Generations before him had contributed to his easy lifestyle, but the more he pondered the way he felt, the more problematic it became. As he closed his eyes for the last time that day, Aiden felt as though he was being watched, but the only thing that occupied his room with him was loneliness.

********

Making his way through the field towards the village, the grass had continued to grow and was now joined by daisies that were almost knee high. The large white and yellow heads acted as a time machine and took him back to days of innocence. He pictured his sister at a very young age, picking the daisies in that very same field for their mother. She had loved picking flowers and making daisy chains to wear as a garland for her head, pretending she was some sort of fairy princess. Shaking his head, the past disappeared and brought him back to the present. Aiden made a mental note to arrange to have the grass cut, it wouldn’t do for him to continuously slip back to his childhood, now he had to focus on what was ahead and what he could make of his future.

He would hire someone to do the work. It was well away from the manor and the job was far too time consuming for him, besides, he didn’t want to do it, he was a Lord after all and felt the need to maintain a basic amount of snobbery.

The bottoms of his jeans were soaked from the morning dew and as he climbed the gate he tried to shake some of the water from his shoes. Aiden’s heart almost skipped a beat as he jumped down from the creaking metal construction. The blue Mini was gone. He could see The Cantering Filly clearly, and the car space that had been occupied for the last few days was empty. Maybe she had just gone for a drive, but twenty-four hours was a long time and he had neglected to contact her yesterday. Who knows what goes on in a woman’s mind when she is left to ponder the events of something as complex as a picnic.

In the bar, he was alone. He checked his watch. It was too early for beer. Aiden ordered coffee, a beverage he wasn’t particularly fond of, but when made with frothy creamy milk, he enjoyed it on occasion..

“There’s a note here for you Lord Winchester,” the girl behind the bar said handing him a sealed envelope with his latte.

“Thanks,” he said taking it from her. He knew her name, but it had been filed away with the rest of the unimportance in his life and at that moment, eluded him.

Sitting by himself at the familiar corner table, Aiden tore open the envelope which had his name neatly printed on the front. The second note in just a few days. He was starting to sense a trend developing.

Aiden

I’ll be back around 1.00pm. I’ll meet you in the bar.

Lilia

Aiden slipped the note back into the envelope. Folding it he put it in his pocket and checked his watch once more. 10.35, a hell of a time to be sitting in the local drinking alone, even if it was just a cup of coffee. The drink was accompanied by a biscuit that had clearly been purchased from the village bakery. Delicious, the sweetness of the biscuit made the coffee taste more bitter and he added sugar. Dunking the baked treat into the drink, he finished it and contemplated calling in at the bakery on the way home to get some. Aiden knew they came from Cocoa’s. He had bought biscuits there before. Right now though, a walk would do him good, away from the dusty manor and the depressing music. He would hike to the picnic ground where he could think more clearly about the situation.

The May calendar usually brought with it the sunshine of spring with the remnants of a winter chill in the wind, but this morning was more like a summery day you might expect late in June. It approached with a promise, a sign of what was to come. Pleasant evenings filled with light and warmth, and long days accompanied by heat. Aiden trudged up the steep hill. Miniscule landslides of small pebbles and fine sandy soil were created as his footing gave way on the difficult to walk, uneven pedestrian path. Finally, he reached the car park and the grassy area where he had shared his lunch with Lilia a few days before.

From where he stood, Aiden could see for miles. He could see The Cantering Filly and the empty space where her car had sat for the past week. Winchester Manor now small and distant, was tucked away behind some trees looking abandoned and sheltered by the surrounding flora. He wondered what would happen if he never went back? A question Aiden had asked himself many times in the past. He had learnt long ago that leaving a problem behind doesn’t mean it won’t be there to greet you if you return and

eventually he would have to make his way back. A nagging conscience would devour him and he would once again return home faithfully. Aiden wanted to throw open the doors to the family home and invite Lilia in, into his life, but more importantly, into his bed. Having known her so short a time and wanting to be more intimate with her made him feel like his old self, but this was different, she was a comfort to him as well. Perhaps it was the disruption to his loneliness that made her more desirable, or maybe he was just a lustful male who had been missing the joy of sex.

A flash of blue caught his eye. Her Mini, he knew the car without even looking. He watched as it pulled up at the pub. Aiden checked the time, it wasn’t quite eleven thirty. He wondered for a moment where she had been, but the thought was soon dismissed. It would take him half an hour to walk home and have a bite to eat which left plenty of time for him to return to the pub before one o’clock. Aiden started down the track towards the manor. Downhill was much easier and he soon had a steady pace going. Although, the stone along the path was loose in places and, not wanting to slip, he opted to use the grassy areas beside it when he could.

At the bottom of the hill, after checking for traffic, Aiden crossed the road heading towards the gate with the rusted padlock and chain. The anticipation of his meeting with Lilia put a spring in his step and he felt weightless as he crossed the field. Nearer to the house, the sound of the melancholy music reached his ears and he felt himself come back down to earth. He checked his watch once again. Lunch would be waiting.

Choosing to enter his home through the door at the rear of the house, Aiden went inside locking it behind him. Once again, a solitary place setting awaited him garnished with a sandwich filled with sliced cucumber and salmon from a tin, one of his favourites. There was no tea, but the kettle was hot. He made a pot of tea for himself and sat down to eat the midday meal pouring the steaming liquid into the only cup on the table. It was comforting after the coffee in the pub and he sipped at the tea remembering the tea parties that his sister had insisted he attend. Memories of pink plastic cups and teddy bears made him smile.

The usual melody invaded the kitchen, surrounding Aiden like an army. Each note played represented one of his captors and the swarm closed in around him. With every mouthful of the delicious sandwich, he slipped back into darkness as the tune infiltrated the borders of his mind. Finishing the food, he put his dishes in the sink and ran the water to rinse them off. For one moment, Aiden contemplated staying in, forgetting Lilia, and letting her fade away like so many others before her. Drying his hands on a tea towel, he rejected the thought forcing it from his head, and was soon out in the sunshine and on his way to The Cantering Filly. The darkness behind him, he headed towards the pub and towards Lilia Cooper.

The small vehicle drew him in the direction of the heritage building like metal to a magnet and thoughts of his new friend churned through his mind. Lilia was waiting at their table. It had become their table now, where once it had been just another place to sit. They

ordered drinks and sat talking, learning more about each other without Aiden having to reveal his secret. Another drink and then another and the afternoon glided into early evening. He checked his watch as he normally did around that time of the day.

“Please don’t go,” she said reaching across the table and placing her hand lightly over his. “You could stay the night with me.”

“You don’t understand. As much as I’d like to, I can’t,” he told her as he savoured her touch. He wanted to stay with her, he needed to stay with her, but there was the other matter to consider.

“What is it Aiden, what is it you’re not telling me?” Lilia asked withdrawing her hand and folding her arms in front of her chest. “Are you married?”

“No certainly not. I’m not sure why you would even think that. It’s just the situation, it’s complicated. We need to get to know each other a little more. I’m just an old-fashioned bachelor and slightly reclusive, that’s all,” he reassured her, “But married, definitely not.”

“Well I think it’s time you invited me over and gave me a tour of the grand manor,” she said. “I love Georgian architecture and I’ve heard Winchester Manor is one of the loveliest in this part of the country.”

“Of course, I’d like you to see it too, but not tonight. I really must go,” he said, and with that he got up from his seat and left the bar.

“Well bollocks to that,” Aiden heard her say as he left the pub and closed the door behind him.

Lightheaded from a few too many drinks, he stumbled across the field. Night fall was upon him and it was almost dark. Panic started to rise within and Aiden felt as though he was walking through a narrowing tunnel. It was as if he could see nothing but the manor. As he stumbled around to the front of the house, he fumbled in his pocket for his key to the latch. The door closed behind him and he was instantly overcome with a sense of relief, safe within the staleness of its prison like state.

Finding the kitchen occupied, Aiden once again sought refuge in his beloved library and closed the door locking it behind him. The book that he had removed from the shelf a few days before lay where he had left it. He sat on the chesterfield, his head spinning slightly. Opening the book, he took a deep breath. The smell of knowledge. It made him feel sick as a distinct stench of moth balls floated from the paper. It must have been stored away for years and then discarded just in time for Aiden to make his purchase. He started to read, page after page until he could smell dinner, the aroma fighting its way into every corner of the house and overpowering his will to stay hidden away. Placing a bookmark at the page he was currently reading, Aiden put the book down on the sofa and went out for his meal.

As the food sobered him, he finally relaxed. Thinking, he recalled the conversation from the inn. Lilia wanted to come to the manor. Aiden rested his elbows on the table and put his face in his hands. Despair closed in around him. He should have ignored the car when he first saw it. He should have gone straight home instead of going for a drink. He should have said no to her when she asked to sit with him. But he never and now it was all about to fall apart. The visions in his mind crumbled. His world shattered. He would sleep on it.

“Aiden, Aaaaiiiidddeeen,” the voice called. He turned and saw her there, his beloved sister Mary, standing in the moonlight calling his name. She stood under the leafy cover of the trees they had so often climbed together. Aiden ran towards her along a path they had tread many a time. He ran faster, but it felt slower and the more he tried, the further she moved away from him. He tried harder and continued to move forward, but his feet felt like clay and as they became heavier, he watched as she slipped further and further away. There was another person there looking on, Lilia. He turned and there she was bathed in the rays of the sun, just standing in the light watching and waiting, waiting for him. The darkness enveloped his sister Mary and she vanished leaving Aiden and Lilia alone together. He opened his eyes. It was morning.

********

Aiden enjoyed his breakfast in bed as usual, lapping up the luxury wondering if he would receive the same service from Lilia if he invited her to stay the night. He scanned the paper

searching for anything that might interest him, sipping the steaming tea from the usual delicate china.

He would invite her over for afternoon tea. They could stay in the library. No, that was his room. There was no way he wanted her poking around in there. She would ask questions about the books and he would have to lie to her. She would ask about the locked doors. Ask about the music. It was complicated. He could entertain her in the garden and say he’d left the radio on, but it was always the same song and besides, Lilia wanted to see inside the manor.

After his usual morning routine, instead of spending time in the garden, he went straight to the library. Above him the melody went on and on. It was difficult to concentrate. Aiden thought about the obstacles he faced. Sitting at the desk, he wrote another note trying to put the delicate request into words without overstepping the mark.

I have a friend and she wants to visit the manor. I’d like it very much if you would cease playing for one afternoon. I promise I haven’t forgotten you, but this is important to me. Oh, and if it isn’t too much trouble, could you make some cakes?

Aiden stared at the words and wondered if he was pushing his luck asking for cake. If the answer was no, he could get some nice cakes from Cocoa’s Bakery in the village, but he wouldn’t compromise on the visitor. He took the note upstairs and slipped it under the door. It was taken. Waiting anxiously, the note came back. Dreading the answer, he retrieved it from under the door, a single word was written on it along with his.

Yes.

“Thank you,” he said through the closed door and breathed a sigh of relief.

There was so much preparation to be done. Aiden commenced work removing the staleness from the manor. It seemed like an awful lot of trouble for one visit, but if this was successful, it might lead to more visits, perhaps of a more pleasurable nature.

Exhausted from hours of cleaning, Aiden wrote out an invitation and left it at the pub for Lilia. He couldn’t help smiling. It had been such a long time since he had entertained at home, he just hoped his simple afternoon tea didn’t end in disaster.

********

Lilia arrived at the manor at precisely two thirty on the day of the scheduled rendezvous. A few days had elapsed since they had seen each other, and Aiden was feeling slightly nervous about the date. Since it was afternoon tea in the parlour, he had decided to wear something a little more formal to impress Lilia, although he wasn’t sure why. Instead of the usual jumper, he chose a blazer. It was just enough to compliment his casual look and added a touch of sophistication. There were many things that could go horribly wrong, but his fingers were crossed that any catastrophe would be avoided. Aiden greeted his guest in the driveway, helping her from the car like a gracious host and the true gentleman he been brought up to be.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Lilia said smiling at him. “I was beginning to think you had some sort of nasty secret.”

“Never,” he lied, hoping he could keep his nasty secret to himself, at least for the afternoon. “Come inside. I’ll give you a bit of a tour.”

He led her through the front entrance of the manor. They stepped onto the parquet floor of the entrance hall and he closed the door behind them. Aiden had made sure to open all of the downstairs doors, and all of the drapes at the windows. Every single dust cover had been removed from the furniture and stashed in a storage cupboard. Tirelessly he had worked vacuuming the rugs and polishing the wooden floors to make sure the musty smell had been evicted from his home. All of the ornaments that were placed strategically on tables and cabinets to add a little colour and personal style to the manor had been dusted so any hint of lingering staleness was expelled. Aiden felt quite proud of his handy work. The couple wandered slowly through the downstairs rooms with high ceilings and sash windows which let in plenty of light, until they came to the library.

“I like this, let’s see what kind of books you read,” she said browsing the shelves.

“Not now, I’ve prepared a special afternoon tea. It’s in the parlour. Come with me,” he said taking her hand and guiding her out of the library and away from his beloved books, the books that he kept to himself.

The parlour had been prepared in the same way as the other rooms, the curtains had been opened and the furniture dusted in anticipation. There were fresh flowers in vases, and cakes and tea for two on a small table. The china was the familiar blue floral tea set that he used regularly, but today Aiden wasn’t sipping hot tea alone and a wave of euphoria swept over him.

“This is nice,” Lilia said referring to the tea service as he poured them both a hot drink. “The parlour, you are old fashioned, most people call it a living room.”

“I did indicate that I was slightly old fashioned and traditionally this room has always been the parlour,” he explained sipping his drink. “Here, would you like a cake?”

“Did you make these?” she asked and nibbled the edge of one.

“Yes,” Aiden lied. “I do all my own cooking.”

“You’re quite talented in the cake decorating department,” Lilia told him between sips of her drink.

“I learnt a lot from my mother. She liked to bake,” he lied again, slipping deeper and deeper into his own web. The cupcakes were decorated in a very feminine way, Aiden hoped that Lilia didn’t suddenly think he preferred the company of men.

“Do you mind if I use the bathroom?” she asked after two cups of tea.

Aiden hadn’t thought about that and the bathroom was upstairs. Instantly panic set in. He could direct her towards the downstairs cloakroom, but it wasn’t as nice, and he was slightly ashamed he had let some things lapse. He tried to stay calm and keep the dread out of his voice.

“No, please, be my guest. I’ll show you where it is,” he said standing.

“I’m sure I can find it,” she said. “Maybe you could make some more tea for us.”

“More tea? Okay. The bathroom is upstairs. The first door on the right. It’s no problem for me to show you,” he told her trying not to sound too anxious. He didn’t want her wandering around the upstairs alone.

“It’s fine, I’ll find it,” Lilia told him, and she left the room.

Aiden stood there and stared after her. Tea, he would make another pot of tea. Surely nothing would go wrong. She was just going upstairs to the bathroom, that was all. A simple trip to the bathroom. He heard her footsteps on the stairs as he went to the kitchen to boil the water for the tea. Aiden had given Lilia firm instructions on where she would find the bathroom, but he felt she was a bit nosey. Perhaps he was reading too much into the situation. He had read articles in papers and magazines about women who had rummaged through men’s belongings trying to find out more about them and hoped she wasn’t nosing around upstairs trying to get into his bedroom or any other room for that matter. When Aiden returned to the parlour with the steaming pot of freshly brewed tea, Lilia was sitting waiting patiently.

“So, you found it then,” he asked her, pouring them both a drink from the china teapot, and feeling quite relieved.

“Yes,” she nodded.

“More cake?” he asked, relaxing and offering Lilia the plate of chocolaty sweet treats.

The afternoon went far too quickly, and night drew nearer as they chatted away and laughed together. It was all going smoothly until Aiden started to get anxious again. She was staying too long. He looked at his watch.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he suggested.

“Okay, where?” she asked.

“Just out, leave the cups and plates, I’ll take care of them later.” He hurried her out of the house as quickly as he could, worried as the sun started to go down.

“You know,” Lilia said when they were outside in the driveway, “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you had something to hide.”

“There’s nothing,” he assured her. “Haven’t I proved that by having you here today? Don’t you think if there was something I was hiding you would have discovered it?”

“Are you sure because it just seems a little strange? You’re all nice and friendly one moment and then you try to push me away,” she said looking into his eyes earnestly. “What is it Aiden? Why are you trying to get rid of me all of a sudden?”

“I’m not trying to get rid of you and I’m not hiding anything, I just like my evenings to myself,” he lied once more. Even he knew the lie sounded ridiculous and unbelievable. “Besides, you’re far too nosey and what I do in my spare time is none of your business.” Aiden regretted the words as soon as he heard them. But what is said, can never be unsaid.

“Well then maybe I should go,” she said walking away from him. She paused for a moment turning to him, clearly waiting for him to stop her, before opening the door of her car.

Aiden said nothing and looked down at the ground, willing it to open up and swallow him whole. He didn’t want her to be here after dark, but he felt guilty chasing her from the property. It was difficult.

Lilia turned and got into the vehicle. He watched until the car was no longer in sight. Heading back into the house, Aiden locked the door and went from room to room closing

the drapes, finishing in the parlour. The dishes were still there. It was getting dark. He went to the library, snapped on the light, and locked the door. He drew the curtains in there as well and sitting on the chesterfield he started to think about everything. The difficulties of the situation engulfed him. He felt confused, alone, and angry. Angry with himself, angry with the circumstances, and angry with the world. He had insulted her and didn’t expect to see her again, but an apology was necessary. What to do? It was all new to him. Noises crept in under the door. Aiden listened and heard the afternoon being cleared away to make way for the usual solitary evenings of the manor and as he waited, he concluded life would always be like this and to try to change it would be a fool’s errand.

********

The next time Aiden saw Lillia, it wasn’t intentional. Although he knew she was still at the pub due to the presence of her car in the parking lot, Aiden had purposely avoided her. He had attempted to push Lilia from his mind, thinking it would be better for them both, but it wasn’t so easy.

The milkman had traded in his horse and cart for a sea change years ago and although Aiden tried to drink his tea black, it just wasn’t as tasty without milk and not at all the way he liked it. That was the reason he went out that day, he had to have milk for his tea. At first he thought of driving miles to a supermarket, but it seemed like a waste of his time. So, it was just intended to be a quick walk to the village.

The grass in the field had been mowed the previous day and Aiden could smell the sweetness that had been released into the air. He sauntered through the field with his hands in his pockets whistling. That song again, it was stuck in there forever, never to leave.

Taunted by the car parked by the pub, he tried to ignore the damn thing. As long as it was there, it was just another reminder of his pathetic life. He checked for traffic and crossed the road to get as far away from the pub as possible. He didn’t want to risk bumping into her. Aiden had successfully chased her from his mind, well almost. Lilia no longer occupied his thoughts every waking moment, just every second one. He was almost at the store, but instead stopped in at the second-hand shop again. There might be another book for him to add to his collection. The same old woman sat behind the counter. She smiled at him and gave him a nod. He smiled back and wondered faintly if she remembered him and the type of novel he had bought from her a few weeks back. The books were stacked on the shelves near the back of the shop. Aiden scanned the titles. So engrossed, he didn’t notice the door to the shop open. He didn’t notice her browsing through the racks of discarded clothing. He didn’t notice her approach him. He didn’t notice her at all.

“Aiden,” she said quietly and coughed to clear her throat.

He turned and there she was. Lilia. For a moment, Aiden’s instincts told him to act in a dismissive manner, to let her think he wasn’t interested in what she had to say. But he

couldn’t, he admitted to himself he needed someone in his life, and she was his best option at this moment in time. Plus, there was the apology he owed her, and she was kind of sexy.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered swallowing hard. “I never meant to upset you.”

“It’s alright. You were right. I’m far too nosey, it’s one of my more prominent faults,” Lilia told him. “Are you going to buy that?”

He looked at the book in his hand and looked at her again. It was too late to hide it now and it was only one book, not a shelf full. What was the harm in her knowing anyway?

“I think so,” he said trying to act as if it wasn’t a deliberate purchase, but something found on chance. “I haven’t read it yet.”

“I wondered about the kind of books you read,” she said staring at the used paperback. “That type of thing isn’t really for me. I’ve tried reading them, but I couldn’t get past the first chapter in most. They all seem the same and from the movies I’ve seen, they all meet the same ending, ridiculous really.”

“We appear to have very different tastes in literature,” he said pushing past her toward the counter, feeling slightly insulted by her comment about his choice of reading material. “I happen to like them, so forgive me for leaving but I’d like to make my purchase and go home and read my ridiculous novel.” Aiden paid for the book. He turned and smiled sarcastically at her and then left the shop. Halfway across the field with the paperback in

his hand, the realisation arose, he’d forgotten to buy the milk. Turning around, he started to head back to the store, and she was there again on the other side of the gate, just leaning against the rusting metal, watching. Aiden hesitated. He walked slowly across the field toward the gate and Lilia.

“I’m not sure why you are angry with me. I didn’t mean to upset you,” she explained when he drew near.

“Look, there are things about me you just wouldn’t understand,” he said with conviction. “Right now though, I have to get some milk which is self-explanatory. I’ll meet you later for a pint if you like, say around four? We can talk about it all then.”

Lilia agreed to their date and he headed back towards the shops to get the forgotten milk, leaving her leaning against the cold metal of the gate. Aiden didn’t look back, but he was pleased they were meeting later. He missed talking to someone and his life felt better when she was near. By the time he returned to the field, Lilia was gone.

Back at the dismal manor, the milk was in the fridge, the book added to a shelf in the library and Aiden had a piping hot cup of sweet, milky tea. Upstairs, the music played. It seemed more annoying than ever before. He listened. Seconds, then minutes. As the hour went by, part of his life disappeared again. He thought of Lilia sitting in the pub at their usual table waiting for him. If he didn’t go, she would understand he didn’t want to see her. But there was no reason not to. He would tell her. Tell her it was all too complicated. She would ask questions. He would lie or tell her the truth – he wasn’t sure. Like so many before her, Lilia would disappear out of his life, becoming part of his past, just another chapter in the book of Aiden Winchester, Lord of the Manor. Aiden Winchester, destined to spend the rest of his pathetic life alone, suffering for someone else’s lousy sins.

In the corner of The Cantering Filly at the table they had grown accustomed to sharing, Lilia waited. The sight of her sickened him, sickened him because of what he was about to do. She was so enticing. They had a drink together and then another. He couldn’t do it. They ordered a meal, a medium rare steak each. Nightfall surrounded the pub and he stayed put. Another drink, after which she took him by the hand and led him to her room. Her lips were soft and flavoured with wine. The touch of skin against skin made Aiden feel alive and unshackled. It had been so long. He looked up at her as she straddled him and closed her eyes, her hair cascading over her shoulders. Aiden cupped her breasts in his hands and felt the hardness of her nipples against his palms. They came together as one and he relished the moment, realising in an instant what he had missed over the years. Lying beside her in the darkness of the small, rented room, Aiden came to the realisation that if he wanted his life back, there would have to be some changes made.

Just before daylight while Lilia lay asleep, Aiden crept from the small room on the first floor of the pub. As he made his escape, he thought about what had occurred. Her face, the smell of her hair, her body. She captivated him. He pictured them living together. He saw himself falling in love with her and then having a family, perhaps even grandchildren, and growing old together. The manor would be alive again. There would be parties and people coming and going. Only one hurdle stood in his way. It was impossible.

As the sun breathed life into the day he approached the manor. Aiden despised the building and all that it represented. The hatred grew with each step. Hatred for the feeling it gave him, hatred for everything inside it, hatred for himself. The disgust of his way of life consumed him and he slipped once again back into the familiar dark mood and any thought of changing things slithered away.

********

Greeted once again with the stale silence, Aiden went straight upstairs to his room. A couple of hours sleep was in order. He removed his clothes and welcomed the comfort of his bed. Staring at the wall, he thought of Lilia, his head now belonged to her. There was no use trying to deny it. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again it was almost two in the afternoon. He smiled when he thought about what had kept him awake in the night. The unfamiliar sound of silence greeted him. Aiden couldn’t hear any music coming from the room down the hall. It brought him back to reality, back to the rotting carcass that surrounded him. Why wasn’t there music? He didn’t understand and as for Lilia, she would never understand the situation. Aiden vaguely wondered what had happened to his

breakfast, and lunch for that matter, but the silence of the manor was the thing that bothered him the most.

The afternoon went unrewarded. Depressed, Aiden spent hours chopping wood. Winter would come again, and he needed to be prepared. The fuel could be stored in the shed to ensure that it dried out properly. Repeatedly he wielded the axe taking out his emotional frustrations on the logs. Sweat bled from his brow and he wiped it with his forearm. The air began to change around him. It started to feel cooler. The daylight faded, and it was time once again to enter the abyss.

Inside, dinner was ready, plain and ordinary, but still no music. There had to be a reason. He ate without tasting. Everything on the plate merging into one indistinguishable flavour. Aiden picked through it mindlessly, not thinking of anything except Lilia. An evening in the library followed.

The smell of knowledge wafted up as Aiden opened the book, forever busy trying to take it all in, trying to learn everything he could. It was always the same story and the same words, but in a different sequence. Time after time he read about the same character with a different name. Knowledge is power. It could all be used to his advantage, but a heartless one. A brutal benefit that was unthinkable, but a benefit that would end the loneliness and give him back his life. It would be a sacrifice to his emotion, the emotion that drove him towards the life he longed for. It could be done. He would sleep on it.

********

For Lord Aiden Winchester, the day started as so many had before, the ritual breakfast and cold shower with his clothes set out, hand-picked for him so he didn’t have to bother himself with insignificant decisions. He left the confines of his room and headed downstairs only to pause for a moment outside the room down the hall.

“Do you love her?” the voice whispered through the door.

“I’m not sure, perhaps,” he replied, knowing the torment he delivered with the short but honest answer.

That was the extent of the conversation. There was never much more than that, but the words played in his head like the mournful song he had heard on so many occasions. The future would be as the past had been if he didn’t decide what to do soon. He could escape the darkness or remain the way he was until he was as dead as a post.

When Aiden heard the car in the driveway he knew exactly who it was without looking. Since spending the night with Lilia, he had kept his distance trying to come to a conclusion. The sound of the car door closing reached his ears and he heard her footsteps as she approached the door. Aiden opened it before she could knock, and she stood there in front of him, his lifeline perhaps.

“Hi,” Lilia said. “Can I come in?”

“This isn’t a good time, but I can meet you later,” he suggested.

“It’s never a good time, is it? Just forget it Aiden. I don’t know why I came here. I thought you were a nice guy and now you’re pushing me away again. I should have known better,” she said tearfully.

He watched her walk away and get in the car, making no attempt to stop her. Aiden stood in the doorway until he was sure that she wasn’t going to return. He closed the door and commenced with the normal routine, but it was no good. On his mind she was and there she would stay. With everything he did, Lilia haunted him. Aiden felt sorry for her, he had never meant to be so hurtful.

Later in the afternoon he walked across the field and stood leaning against the gate for what seemed like a lifetime. Her car was still there mocking him, daring him to make things right between them. It wouldn’t change anything. He lingered for a while longer and as the night drew closer and a mild panic set in as always, he turned and went home. Everything had been destroyed, all Aiden had hoped for and dreamed about, gone in one brief, cowardly moment.

The house was in silence and there was no sound of a presence in the kitchen, only a delicious aroma drifting through the manor. Aiden went in and sat down to the meal. Roast chicken with roast potatoes, his favourite. At first, he didn’t notice, but after a few minutes the realisation he wasn’t alone hit him. There was someone else in the room

standing in the shadows watching him. He continued to eat, not looking up, knowing perfectly well who it was. Her long onyx hair, her green eyes, and her alabaster skin, she was so pale from hiding away for so long, pale from her existence and the being she had become. He wanted to speak. But there was only silence, the silence of always, the silence of loneliness. Aiden looked up from his meal. Ghostlike she stepped towards him. He could see her clearly now, her face and the smile he missed. Different than she once had been but no older than when she had left him. Tears welled in his eyes. He loved her, he had missed her so much, and here she was, his sister Mary.