The House on Blackstone Moor (The Blackstone Vampires) (6 page)

Whether I was or not remained to be seen.

*

It pleased me greatly that Mrs. Dean had put away my royal blue cloak, the one I would wear when I walked through the gates. “I shall save this for you, Rose, for when you leave!”

Hope.

March turned into April, and life went on for me
.

I continued my sessions with Dr. Bannion
,
who seemed to be increasingly more certain of my health. He said I had made excellent progress and should be thinking about the future.

That floored me, for if I longed to leave Marsh I did so without thinking beyond that happy escape. I didn’t think about it practically—like how I would support myself, and so on.

“Of course
,
you will have to find work.”

“But sir
,
I…”

Dr. Bannion smiled. “Yes, Rose, the time has come to consider such things.  I should like to ask you what your plans might be. Where you would go, have you any family?”

If I was feeling better, this last question reversed that as it brought back to me the realization that I had no family at all.

Dr. Bannion’s voice cut into my hopeless thoughts. “I know how difficult this is for you.”

Difficult? I never felt so utterly lost in my life.

He let me cry for some moments. At last he continued: “Rose, there may be a solution, a place of employment, a post with lodgings and a wage. You see, you’d live in.”

“A post?”

“Yes
,
Rose, the lady you met in the sewing shop, Mrs. Darton. What do you think of her?”

“I think she is quite nice, sir…”

“Well, let me say she was mightily impressed with you, young lady, and she has made an offer!”

“An offer of a position?”

“Don’t look so shocked, Rose. Yes!”

I couldn’t for the life of me think what kind of position it would have been. “But I’m an inmate and—”

“And she knows why. I told her of your recent tragedy and she understands everything, truly she does. She and her husband have a business you see, and there are always openings for quality staff. Would you consider such a thing? I mean it’s not the mightiest of positions but it would be a place for you. An income and lodgings would be perfect. It is a domestic position, Rose—in a concern they run, a kind of a theater.”

“A
theater?!”

Dr. Bannion smiled. “A
kind
of one.”

I was so excited that I was unable to reply. At last, Dr. Bannion spoke again. “So will you consider it?”

“But sir, I don’t think I am ready--!”

“Yes, I thought of that and I discussed it with Mrs. Darton. It was decided that you shall stay at my home. It’s perfectly respectable. I have a housekeeper who lives in so it would not endanger your reputation in any way. Now, what do you say to that, would you consider it?”

His enthusiasm was infectious, for I felt it too. “Yes, Dr. Bannion, I would be delighted!”

“Well,” he said. “It might be in the next day or so.”

*

“The next day or so, that’s a bit quick, ain’t it?”

“Yes, but Grace! I want to go!”

“But what kind of position is it and where is it?”

Suddenly, I felt foolish for not having asked for more detail. I shrugged. “They have this theater. I mean, Grace, I’d have lodgings and pay, too. What other alternative have I got?” I had the distinct feeling that Grace was horrified at my news. “Please, what is it? Why are you acting this way?”

Grace shook her head. “I don’t know, Rose. I suppose I should have mentioned this before. I just get a queer feeling about the Doctor sometimes. And besides—”

“Besides what?”

“No I can’t.”

“Grace,” I said. “Please! Don’t stop now. What do you mean?”

She took a long time to answer but she finally did. “Some girls have also gone with Dr. Bannion to work for patrons and no one ever heard from them after it.”

“Perhaps they just didn’t get in touch again. I mean…”

Grace nodded. “This is the kind of place they’d want to forget. I thought of that, but… I don’t know. It strikes me as odd it does.”

I disagreed rather vehemently. I think actually I was frightened by what she said and didn’t wish to consider it, for what would be the alternative?

She finally said goodnight but not before wishing me well. “Rose, please don’t let the words of the likes of me turn you against something that could be good. I am sorry.”

“Don’t be silly, Grace,” I said
,
wondering if perhaps she was more correct than I cared to think.

I wouldn’t sleep well that night in the madhouse, for in all honesty I felt in my heart she was probably right. Instinct told me that there might be danger ahead.

Of course
,
I could never have understood the extent or just
what kind of danger awaited me.

*

In truth, I couldn’t help but think of Grace’s warning. It wasn’t as easy to dismiss as I first thought. Young women had been discharged and gone to find work through Dr. Bannion and hadn’t come back.

As the night drew on I was finding it less easy to rationalize.

Perhaps they got married…

Maybe they left and went somewhere else.

They didn’t want to come back

Surely
,
those were logical explanations for not returning or sending word, but then I wasn’t so sure. It seemed to me that Dr. Bannion would have been happy for other inmates to know that some of their numbers, if not all, were living successfully on the outside. That’s when it really began to bother me, this little voice in my head.

Now don’t think me mad—it’s the inner voice I think all of us have, the higher intelligence that sits like a judge within us and mediates life in general.

But you want to leave here, Rose.

Perhaps our inner voices are not wise
,
after all. Yes
,
I did want to leave. I knew I’d die if I stayed, or I’d want to die.

I watched the sun come up through the iron bars—and that made my mind up once and for all.

Wherever life was taking me, I would go. Whatever happened would happen. If my life changed the moment my father expunged my family and himself, that was when it had changed.

So be it.

I was to see Dr. Bannion before breakfast. My heart nearly burst from my chest for I knew it had to be very important news he was giving me.

“Yes sir, what is it?”

He looked pleased. “We can leave today, Rose, after breakfast. I just received word that your new employers are in town and will be able to see you this afternoon.”

I just stood there staring, unable to speak.

Dr. Bannion smiled. “Well, go and have your breakfast and I shall see you later. Oh, and one more thing, Rose. About that outrage upon your person, I have reported it and will keep you briefed of course.”

I was sorry he had mentioned it as I wanted this dream to continue as it was—full of happy expectation.

Grace looked worried when I told her. “Now, today you mean? And you will stay and not come back later?”

I nodded, for I was ashamed to say that I didn’t know for certain. “Please try and be happy for me, Grace.”

She smiled then and hugged me. “Of course I shall, you deserve to be happy.”

She was kind to me that final time I saw her. “Here is an egg Rose, hard cooked. Go on, it’ll hold you, lass.”

I hadn’t known her long, her with her clumsy but well-meaning ways, but she had quite grown in my heart. “Grace—”

She shook her head. “No. You will go and be fine. I am a poor mad woman and I have no right to frighten you with nonsense and such, forgive me, Rose?”

I swore that I did, for I did, although I would recall her warning now and in the future.

*

Dr. Bannion had some additional news for me. “I’ve just received a letter from your neighbor. She has boxed your clothes for you Rose, we can send for them...”

“No!” I shouted. “I don’t want anything from that house. Thank her but ask her to please dispose of them as she sees fit and anything else that is there.”

He said he would.

It did occur to me that I hadn’t any clothes but the dress I had arrived in, a dress provided by Bethlehem Hospital. Not a horrid dress, but a dress I would always associate with that hospital and that night. I asked Dr. Bannion about it.

He nodded and smiled. “Yes I know, Rose. You shall have what you require. Mrs. Darton is always able to supply whatever is needed. Besides, I have this dress for you to wear. It was donated by Mrs. Darton herself.” He held it up. “I think it quite nice, don’t you?”

Nice? It was nice in the extreme. It was a lovely day dress, blue in color. “It will go with the cloak I have made!” I cried.

I felt like a Queen walking out with him, passing the stern faces of staff and the miserable faces of the inmates. I wanted to shout, “You see I am leaving! I am getting out! You can’t make me cry anymore!”

Oh, yes. I was leaving this place, leaving it forever.

At last he spoke to me. We had nearly reached the stables. “You are pleased to go, not frightened?

I smiled and looked up at him. “I am as pleased as ever I should be about anything.”

“That is excellent. You are a brave young woman, Rose. I have no doubt you will make your way in the world.”

He helped me into the carriage and as it passed through the iron gates, I smiled for I was already tasting freedom.

We were soon bound for Manchester. “It is a great city, Rose. Not as big or busy perhaps as London but it is quite something, nevertheless.”

He didn’t speak much after explaining he had some notes to catch up on. Although how he wrote in that jostling carriage I have no idea.

I did want to talk to him during that ride, but felt I should not interrupt him. So I remained quietly gazing out at the wondrous things I saw, farms and villages and towns, as well as church steeples and one or two castles, too.

“We will be there shortly,” he announced after poking his head out the window. “Yes, won’t be long now.”

*

Manchester was indeed a large city and quite impressive. There were magnificent buildings in every direction, churches and handsome colonnaded government buildings, even statues, omnibuses and masses of people.

It made me think of London and home and I began to feel sick.

“Are you alright, Rose?”

I nodded, knowing I wasn’t, and wondering if I ever would be.

And then the carriage stopped and I heard Dr. Bannion ask, “Now then! Are you ready to meet your new employers?”

This was when I nearly went to pieces. The calm façade was gone
to reveal
the frightened girl that I was. “But Dr. Bannion, what if they don’t like me or don’t think I suit?”

“Now, Rose, you must have courage. Look, there it is, Club Crimson.”

I looked over to see an elegant building, quite like a mansion. It was four stories at least. “But it has no marquee, sir.”

At first I thought Dr. Bannion looked ruffled but then he smiled. “That is because it is a very elegant private club.”

Club? Theater? Now I was getting confused. But then he helped me out and I was enthused all over again.

“What do you think?”

“I think it very posh, sir.”

“Yes it is, rather. Come on Rose—your future awaits!”

The doorman knew him and glanced at me but then looked away. “Mr. Darton is in his office.”

The vestibule and hall were furnished beautifully with gilt tables adorned with flowers and the most amazing fountains. I didn’t know what to look at first.

“This way, Rose.”

A strange looking young woman passed us and smiled. She was ever so pale. Dr. Bannion bade her good day and I did as well, which only caused her to giggle.

I thought it odd but the thought vanished as I came face to face with Mr. Darton.

“Ah, Dr. Bannion, how good to see you, and you must be Miss Baines.”

He was the most elegant man I had ever seen, dark and tall and dressed wonderfully. He too looked pale with his black hair and his coal black eyes that seemed to bore through me.

But then his interest or curiosity in me appeared to fade for he soon looked terribly bored.

I am considered quite pretty with fair skin and brown hair and have become used to stares, but I was relieved when he glanced away and asked us to come in.

We were shown into what looked to be a lounge of some kind that was furnished with plush red sofas and chairs and gilt tables, too. A little ostentatious
,
I thought
,
but pleasing to the eye in its own way.