Creatures of the Chase - Yusuf. L. M. Ollie

made certain that Rose and Bryan were both sufficiently fortified with large glasses of whiskey before he began. Bryan sat unmoving through most of it; adding very little especially about Develin’s treatment of Sarah early on in their relationship. Both Carl and Bryan agreed that on that particular subject, the less said the better.

      Rose sat stone-faced throughout but when Carl finally admitted that Sarah had imprisoned Capritzo with intent, Rose was horrified. ‘She had no choice, Alan,’ Carl said in her defence. ‘Capritzo would have killed her and the child; of that I have no doubt.’

      ‘Capritzo … Merhot Capritzo was murdered by Sarah?’ He seemed almost in a state of shock. ‘But … but why would Capritzo come here; did he know her?’

      ‘Capritzo was Richard’s half brother. He ah … well he hired a lawyer to help him lay claim to the Develin estate. He knew it would take years to resolve so marrying Richard’s widow seemed to him to be the fastest way to achieve his goal.’

      ‘And Sarah agreed to this?’

      ‘Yes.’

      Rose looked to Scott Bryan. ‘Sarah married Capritzo?’ Bryan nodded. ‘Was the marriage consummated? I mean did they …’

      ‘Yes, I believe so,’ Bryan replied sadly. ‘I ran all the tests for STD’s and she’s okay and by extension, so is the child.’

      ‘Please God I hope so,’ Rose said, trying desperately to rationalise in his mind the impossibly narrow odds of her contracting something so vague, so unknown and as yet, unnamed.

      ‘I need another drink,’ Carl said as he made for the bar. ‘Scott, want another?’ he asked holding the whiskey decanter in one hand; the stopper in the other. If Scott Bryan replied, Carl didn’t hear him as he stared at the stopper remembering another time; an eternity ago it seemed. Was Sarah fighting for her life then too?

      Carl’s thoughts were interrupted by a light tapping on the door. Slowly it opened just wide enough to allow Seefan to slip through. She smiled. ‘Mrs. Develin, she looks for you now and wishes you to come to the party, yes.’

      ‘We’ll be right there, my dear,’ Carl replied. Seefan tilted her head to one side. She didn’t like Carl drinking; and he was drinking more and more these days. But now was not the time to speak of it she thought as she withdrew, closing the door behind her.

      Carl frowned. He had been so busy with one thing and another he wasn’t sure were the party was even being held so he asked Doctor Bryan.

      ‘On the back terrace,’ Bryan replied with casual indifference.

      But Carl could not be indifferent. He avoided the terrace whenever possible because of the memories associated with it. Two years ago now, almost to the day when he had stood on that same terrace beside Richard Develin and watch him murdered Tom Muldoon. Right up to that final split second, Carl firmly believed that Develin wouldn’t do it; scare him maybe but … then Develin raised the rifle and shot Tom right between the eyes.

      ‘Are you all right, Carl?’ Doctor Bryan asked.

      ‘Yes, yes of course.’ Carl finished his drink in a mouthful. ‘Well gentlemen, I think we should make an appearance.’

      *****

      Master Richard’s christening celebration was well underway by the time the three men arrived. Rose knew how important it was to appear as relaxed and casual as possible but no matter how hard he tried, when he finally looked at Sarah the smile on her face faded. ‘He knows’, she whispered in her mind.

      She watched him as he shook Ian McIver’s hand before enveloping his wife Margaret in a bear hug which left her breathless and a little embarrassed. Mrs. Morris was delighted as he swung her around threatening never to let her go until she promised to organize a batch of butter tarts – his favourite thing in all the world he declared, to everyone’s amusement.

      By two in the afternoon the party began to break up. Sarah had already left by then to rest at Doctor Bryan’s insistence. She lay across her bed with her hands folded across her chest, staring at the ceiling. Over and over in her mind she could hear Rose saying - he loved you Sarah from the very first moment he saw you. She rolled onto her side then pulled herself up into a foetal position. She could feel the tears coming.

      ‘If he did Doctor Rose, he sure had an odd way of showing it sometimes.’