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Heavenly Kingdoms - Chapter 16
From George Grayson to Richard Charlston, 21st of August 1859. (Draft 1)
Dear Richard,
I know no way to deliver such news as I have to impart yet God has charged me with this duty and I shall not shirk it. I should be brief but I cannot do so, I cannot do it, I must tell you all, I must deliver all to you across the world despite the dagger that awaits to enter your heart as you read what follows. I know you do not know who I am, but you know my fiancé Margaret Playford, friend of your sister’s.
I was recently visiting Sedgewood daily to assuage Margaret who, in turn, was there to help your sister with her difficult existence as your father’s caretaker. All was well, or as well as could be under the circumstances until an old comrade of your father’s, Arthur Cromsley, curse his name, came to Sedgewood seeking to re-invigorate the mind of your father by strange means and with the aim of some reward I have never determined, and now likely never will. This man invited the wildest scum from near parts into your family home and desecrated its walls with a charade designed only to bamboozle your poor father’s mind, taking him back to his time as a young sailor. We three young ones made our way to the West Wing, where, long story short, we barricaded ourselves from these louts so I could protect the women from any untoward advances while we conceived of a way to escape the manor with Mrs Cruikshank and potentially Anne’s father would that we could retrieve him from their grasp.
And yet, this may have been an innocent enough ruse concocted by Mr Cromsley, as your father’s mind was already far gone, and any deviation from this madness could be seen as positive, but there was involved a more sinister device, hidden like a viper, waiting to poison whatever souls came within range of its fangs.
We, the young, were those souls; caught in an old man’s game and paying the price for sins and loves decades old. I should envelop myself in fury and lash out at the world and heaven for what it has done to us, but I have no anger left. There is only sorrow now.
I held vigil over the women for a period of some days before fatigue took its course and I was forced to rest, the two young ladies taking over from myself at our makeshift barricade, protecting our isolated abode in the West Wing. During the cause of their vigil, some madness must have overtaken Anne, as she leapt the barricade and made down the hall. My poor Maggie followed trying to grab Anne and return her to safety. She caught her by the end of the hall but the ruffians had been waiting just out of sight and grabbed them both, hands over mouths. And I, Oh fool! I was sleeping soundly as the babe! In all my life I shall never forgive myself for my lapse of vigilance and you may never forgive me either.
I awoke perhaps an hour later and found my door closed, which given our current situation, gave me immediate concern; as even the most minor change of detail may cause panic in those forced to be constantly wary. I ran to the door, but found it had been locked form the outside. God knows where they had obtained the key, as I never knew of it. I called out but there was no one answer. When they had locked my door, they had inevitably kidnapped Mrs Cruikshank as well. I know not why I was left. Perhaps they felt I would be too much trouble. I know not, as I said, and will never know.
I was trapped and God knows what was happening downstairs, with the women at the mercy of these marauders. My anxiety was absolute. I worked on the door but the sturdy oak was better designed to fall into the room and I could not budge it. I would not demean your family manor but it seems to have been built like an asylum. I made for the windows and flung them open. The morning was mist-plagued and dark and even the...
Dear Richard,
I know no way to deliver such news as I have to impart yet God has charged me with this duty and I shall not shirk it. I should be brief but I cannot do so, I cannot do it, I must tell you all, I must deliver all to you across the world despite the dagger that awaits to enter your heart as you read what follows. I know you do not know who I am, but you know my fiancé Margaret Playford, friend of your sister’s.
I was recently visiting Sedgewood daily to assuage Margaret who, in turn, was there to help your sister with her difficult existence as your father’s caretaker. All was well, or as well as could be under the circumstances until an old comrade of your father’s, Arthur Cromsley, curse his name, came to Sedgewood seeking to re-invigorate the mind of your father by strange means and with the aim of some reward I have never determined, and now likely never will. This man invited the wildest scum from near parts into your family home and desecrated its walls with a charade designed only to bamboozle your poor father’s mind, taking him back to his time as a young sailor. We three young ones made our way to the West Wing, where, long story short, we barricaded ourselves from these louts so I could protect the women from any untoward advances while we conceived of a way to escape the manor with Mrs Cruikshank and potentially Anne’s father would that we could retrieve him from their grasp.
And yet, this may have been an innocent enough ruse concocted by Mr Cromsley, as your father’s mind was already far gone, and any deviation from this madness could be seen as positive, but there was involved a more sinister device, hidden like a viper, waiting to poison whatever souls came within range of its fangs.
We, the young, were those souls; caught in an old man’s game and paying the price for sins and loves decades old. I should envelop myself in fury and lash out at the world and heaven for what it has done to us, but I have no anger left. There is only sorrow now.
I held vigil over the women for a period of some days before fatigue took its course and I was forced to rest, the two young ladies taking over from myself at our makeshift barricade, protecting our isolated abode in the West Wing. During the cause of their vigil, some madness must have overtaken Anne, as she leapt the barricade and made down the hall. My poor Maggie followed trying to grab Anne and return her to safety. She caught her by the end of the hall but the ruffians had been waiting just out of sight and grabbed them both, hands over mouths. And I, Oh fool! I was sleeping soundly as the babe! In all my life I shall never forgive myself for my lapse of vigilance and you may never forgive me either.
I awoke perhaps an hour later and found my door closed, which given our current situation, gave me immediate concern; as even the most minor change of detail may cause panic in those forced to be constantly wary. I ran to the door, but found it had been locked form the outside. God knows where they had obtained the key, as I never knew of it. I called out but there was no one answer. When they had locked my door, they had inevitably kidnapped Mrs Cruikshank as well. I know not why I was left. Perhaps they felt I would be too much trouble. I know not, as I said, and will never know.
I was trapped and God knows what was happening downstairs, with the women at the mercy of these marauders. My anxiety was absolute. I worked on the door but the sturdy oak was better designed to fall into the room and I could not budge it. I would not demean your family manor but it seems to have been built like an asylum. I made for the windows and flung them open. The morning was mist-plagued and dark and even the...
