Mersey Dark by Michael Whitehead

Author:Michael Whitehead [Whitehead, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Danny Jessops crouched low over the stock of his shotgun, as he stalked through his master’s grand house. His boots left dirty footprints on the fine carpets that the maids might have had a time cleaning off, were they not already dead. Normally the gamekeepers would not be allowed in any part of the house except the kitchen, but this was not a normal day.

He had woken as usual at first light, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he looked out across the mist-shrouded estate from the door of his cottage. He had washed, dressed in the tweed gamekeepers uniform, and walked up to the back of the house. Mrs. Fleming, the house cook had placed a plate of bread and eggs in front of him which he had devoured.

Normally he would have spent the day running errands and doing all the dirty jobs Mr. Jameson, the head gamekeeper needed him to do. The man was a dour Scotsman with a shock of white hair who had worked for Sir Thomas Richmond since he was a boy. Now he was the second oldest person on the estate, junior only to Sir Thomas himself. Age had recently sent Mr. Jameson to his bed and Danny had found himself taking up the role of head gamekeeper.

The days were long, from sunrise to well after dark most days. Doing everything from keeping poachers off the grounds, to catching fresh game for the masters dinner. The work was hard but the air was clean and earning a regular wage was nothing to be sniffed at.

Danny had hopes that his new responsibilities might mean a permanent position as head gamekeeper, but age and experience were against him. Until he had been bedridden Mr. Jameson had taught Danny a lot. The man might be sour-faced, but he was eager enough to impart his wisdom. The trouble was that with every fresh piece of country lore Danny learned he became aware how little he actually knew. He was twenty five years old, and had the impression it would take the same amount of years to learn everything Mr. Jameson had to teach him.

After his breakfast, Danny had set off on a scout of the grounds. Mr. Jameson had always insisted that he take time to learn the lay of the land. He would point out that the grounds were constantly changing, the wildlife, the plants and the trees and even the paths. The land was a living thing, sometimes it slept and sometimes it danced with activity but it was never silent.

It was on his walk that Danny first became aware that not everything was as it should be. He was in the woods on the southern edge of the estate, looking at a fox hole where he was sure a couple of cubs were ready to show themselves to the world for the first time. Mr. Jameson said the birth of a new animal was the most wondrous gift that God bestowed on the world.

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