Loney, The by Hurley Andrew Michael

Author:Hurley, Andrew Michael [Hurley, Andrew Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Horror, Novel, Fiction, Modern Classics
Publisher: John Murray
Published: 2015-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

‘Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned,’ said Miss Bunce. ‘It has been three months since my last confession.’

‘I see.’

‘It was with Father Wilfred, just before he passed away.’

Father Bernard sounded genuinely surprised. ‘Not that you have a multitude of sins to confess to, I’m sure, but it doesn’t seem like you to distance yourself from God for so long, Miss Bunce. It’s not me putting you off, I hope.’

Miss Bunce sniffed.

‘No, Father. It’s not you. I did try to come and speak to you, several times. I even made it to the door of the confessional once, but I went home again.’

‘Well, confession isn’t always easy.’

‘I thought that I might be able to forget about it, but I can’t. The more you try and forget the more you remember. Sin’s like that isn’t it? It haunts you. That’s what Father Wilfred used to say.’

Father Bernard paused. ‘Well, you’re here now, Miss Bunce,’ he said. ‘That’s all that matters. You take your time. I’m quite happy to sit here and wait until you’re ready. I’m not on the tight schedule of absolutions I usually am at Saint Jude’s.’

Miss Bunce laughed joylessly, sniffed again, mumbled a bunged up thank you and emptied her nose.

‘I don’t know how to begin, really,’ she said. ‘It was listening to Mrs Belderboss talking about that trip to Jerusalem that set me off again. I just feel so upset about Father Wilfred. It was me who found him, you know.’

‘So I believe,’ said Father Bernard. ‘It must have been a terrible shock.’

‘It was, Father. And we parted on such bad terms.’

‘Bad terms? Why what happened?’

‘Well, the last time I saw him before he died he was acting so strangely.’

‘In what way?’

‘He was worried about something.’

‘About what?’

‘I don’t know. I didn’t like to ask.’

‘But you could tell he was worried?’

‘He was just so distracted, Father. Like there was something behind him all the time, you know?’

‘Aye, go on.’

‘Well, he asked me to go back to Jerusalem with him. For a longer trip. He said that was where he felt safe.’

‘Safe?’

‘That was the word he used, Father.’

‘Alright.’

‘Well, I told him I couldn’t. I didn’t want to be away from David for so long, not with the wedding to organise and everything.’

‘And what happened?’

‘Well, we had a row.’

‘I can’t imagine you having a row with anybody,’ said Father Bernard. ‘Let alone Father Wilfred.’

‘Well, it wasn’t a row so much as, well, it felt more like he was lecturing me. He didn’t approve of David, he said. He said that I had to stop seeing him. I had to call off the engagement. I couldn’t understand why. He’s got a good job. He goes to church every Sunday. He’s kind and considerate. What is there not to approve of?’

Father Bernard laughed quietly.

‘I’m sure Father Wilfred had his reasons, but I must confess I can’t for the life of me think of one. David’s a fine feller.’

‘He said there was something about him that he didn’t like. I asked him what, but he wouldn’t tell me.

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