The Ornamental Hermit by Olivier Bosman

Author:Olivier Bosman [Bosman, Olivier]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rocket Man Press
Published: 2015-05-23T04:00:00+00:00

10. 2nd extract from Sebastian Forrester's diary

Wednesday March 17th, 1880

It is the day after Janie’s funeral and in the courtyard of Wycliffe Hall, workmen are replacing the water pipes. I wish I could’ve attended the funeral. No one knows of my attachment to Janie. Although I think Crickshaw suspects something. He has commented repeatedly on my being glum and subdued of late and has given me a few sympathetic glances.

No mention was made of Janie’s death at this morning’s assembly, but there’s been a lot of fuss about the possibility of lead poisoning. All students who complain about tiredness and muscle ache have been advised to seek medical attention immediately, and we’ve been reminded not to drink from the taps in the courtyard. If only they knew about the rotten trick Father and Mrs Drew have played on them. I found out only yesterday that Mrs Drew accepted a generous offer of compensation from Wycliffe Hall for the death of her daughter.

Why am I the only one to be broken up about this? Father has not made any comments about this tragedy in his letters to me. He has ignored all my accusations, my lengthy descriptions of Janie’s horrible illness, my remonstrations and regrets, and writes instead of his charities. What the devil do I care about his charities! He still prides himself for being a good Quaker and thinks we’ve done the decent thing by offering to marry Janie, when anyone else in my position would simply have thrown money at her and have left her to her own devices. But the truth is that what we have done is worse. We have committed the greatest sin of them all. We have committed murder! Am I to be the sole bearer of our preposterous crime? Am I to atone for all three of us? Has the burden of redemption been placed once again on the son?

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