Patrick George Callaghan

Episode 41… Journey (Part Two)

‘Well, this is about as far as we go with the car.’ announced Charles. ‘We’ll have to do the rest on foot.’

Esme groaned.

‘Don’t worry, it’s not much further. We can do it in about ten minutes.’ added Charles. He went to the car for their overnight bags and locked the doors. ‘I’ll pick up anything else we need in the morning. Stick close to me. There is a very narrow path a little ahead.’

She said nothing. Anger it seemed, was something of wasteful subject.

It was getting dark by the time they reached ‘the Porrit’s’ cottage. The frail light from an oil lamp spread dimly from a downstairs window and crept out in to easing night. It was a stone cottage of flaking white paint. Four small rooms. A small kitchen and an out back stone lavatory.

When the small front door opened spreading more feeble light on the two visitors, a tall, thick set man with an astonishing jet black beard stood with an outstretched arm and a beaming smile.

‘Charles…Charles!’ his voice was deep and rich, and yet not Welsh. As Esme had expected. He gripped Charles hand with almost over indulgence.

‘And this must be Esme.’ He smiled a row of strong Ivory teeth at her, then kissed her hand. I’ve heard so much about you my dear. You are a true beauty. I must paint her Charles. You must allow me that simple pleasure.’ he said with great passion.

Episode 41… Journey (Part One)

In that journey to Wales she was mostly silent. Unhurried life pressed past the windows of the car, and Charles drove with an almost equal presence of mind. Crowded thoughts entered her head and now and then she would gently caress his hand.

Beside the Wye River they stopped for a break, ate sandwiches and drank from a half bottle of wine. They took a short walk along its bank before returning to the car and by late afternoon they sighted Snowdonia. Soon they were climbing its outlying steep hills with a renewed and hesitant excitement. Then suddenly, a sharp turn in the road led to a narrow pathway hardly wide enough for the car and to nothing more than undergrowth of thick bracken. Charles switched off the engine and they began to listen to the deathly stillness of a Welsh hillside…

Episode 40… Decision

‘Esme… I’ve been giving our situation a lot of thought.’ Charles looked at her with careful consideration. She seemed to him to have more maturity now than ever he realised. She had grown into a fine woman. She sipped from a small cup of coffee whilst her crystalline eyes studied him back.

She lowered the cup gently to its saucer. ‘Charles, If I were a smoker, this would be the moment I would light up!’ She grinned lavishly.

He smiled back a reply and said: ‘I want us to stay with some friends of mine that live in North Wales. Toby can run things here for a while and his brother Barney will help out. Look we both need a break…Get away from London for a while. It would do us both some good.’

‘But North Wales Charles… Snowdonia! It will be cold this time of year.’

‘You won’t feel the cold I promise and you will just love ‘the Porrits’.

Episode 39… A Plan

That very day Charles locked the little photographic shop to the outside world. He sat in thought at the foot of the stairs for some considerable time. From time to time, the telephone would ring only to be ignored. Tobias remained occupied in the cellar and Esme slept soundly upstairs. He would check them later he told himself. By the time his thoughts had turned to a plan it was late afternoon. Edward’s simple insanity would be driven from the man… that was Toby’s way. The key to Charles plan would rest with a friend in William Porrit and he would offer council and direction. He decided to send the man a Telegram first thing the next day.

At supper time Tobias emerged from the cellar with the declaration that his patient was sleeping peacefully having undergone some hypnotherapy. Esme too, was fully awake and well rested.

‘Who is sleeping peacefully?’ she asked.

Toby broke a piece of bread, dipped it into his bowl of brown soup and replied in a confident tone. ‘Oh, the Parrot of course silly, who did you think I was talking about.’

She wasn’t certain and thought he may be lying. But for now Charles had a plan.

Episode 38… Prisoner

‘Don’t worry. I’m not taking any chances with him.’ Smiled Toby. ‘And maybe when I’ve finished with him… He’ll be a good little boy again!’

Between them, they half carried, half dragged, the dead weight of Edward down a drop of narrow stone steps that led to a cellar room far below the level of the street. Tobias had held a small torch light in his mouth and now its beam picked out a large and rusting iron ring fixed to the wall at the far end of the room.

‘That’ll do.’ Proclaimed Toby. ‘We can tie him to that!’

They put the unconscious body of Edward down on the stone floor and began to move away several wooden boxes of old discarded glass photo plates and yellowing photographic paper. ‘Been meaning to throw this lot away for years,’ remarked Charles. ‘Still nobody is likely to want to come down here….’

‘It’s me Esme…Please open the door. Everything is ok now. He’s gone!’ Charles tapped the door gently several times. In the flickering light that grew to brightness, Esme woke from a troubled sleep. She slowly crossed to the door and turned the key. Almost at once she fell into his arms and held him so very, very tightly.

Episode 37…Recovery

It was then Charles noticed the body of Edward lying just a few feet away from him. The man seemed motionless and there was no sound of breathing. Toby stepped forward once more from the gloom of the shadows. ‘I thought you would never wake.’ he said quietly.

‘Is he dead?’ demanded Charles.

‘No…Simply sleeping a deep sleep.’ replied the boy in a slow tone. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m ok I guess.’ Rubbing the side of his head and touching some rather painful bumps. ‘I didn’t change then?’ he inquired.

‘Nope! Still the same.’ Toby’s words were short and almost with some amusement.

‘Then, I suppose it’s not my time yet! Anyway, what are we going to do with him? We can’t leave him here, and we’ll need to get Esme away! She’s still upstairs and I must go to her!’ He looked at Tobias as if knowing his response.

‘Lets put our friend in the cellar first.’ Suggested Toby. ‘Esme has locked your bedroom door and won’t come out until she hears your voice. She is frightened that Edward may come up the stairs after her!…And besides,’ he added, ‘Edward Corton puzzles me. I would like to know what makes him tick.’ he grinned that boyish grin.

‘Then you be very careful Tobias. He can be cunning and dangerous.’ replied Charles.