Ravaged by C.R. Lacerte

Author:C.R. Lacerte
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Steyr & Hawthorne Digital
Published: 2013-07-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

-Lukas-

Hannah, Thomas and I stand on the front steps together in somber silence. The tail lights of the coroner’s vehicle grow fainter and fainter, until they finally wink out of existence around the bend in our long drive.

A hush descends upon the estate. Not even the resident choir of crickets stirs, rendered silent by the sudden weight of grief. We’ve all been preparing ourselves for the moment of Mother’s departure, but now that she’s gone, the very air tastes different. I can scarcely believe that the estate itself doesn’t implode, having finally lost its favorite daughter.

I feel Hannah’s finger lace themselves through my own, and I suddenly remember that I have more support than I could have hoped for. Hannah will keep me upright, help me face the coming days. If she hadn’t arrived on the scene before Mother took a turn for the worse, I don’t know what I would have done. I don’t know how I could have faced this moment without her by my side. Even with her here, I’m not at all sure how to carry on.

“Well...” I mutter, my voice raw, “I suppose...there’s nothing left to do, tonight.”

“I suppose there isn’t,” Thomas replies, his wrinkled face lined with bright rivers of tears. “There will be plenty to figure out tomorrow. People will want to know about a memorial service.”

“No,” I say fiercely, staring up into the twilight, “She didn’t want that.”

“But, Mrs. Roth was a respected woman,” Thomas insists, “People will want to pay their—”

“She had other ideas,” Hannah says, smiling sadly. “Gertrude asked that we skip the funeral entirely and throw her a gala, instead.”

“A gala?” Thomas says, rolling the idea around in his head. “Well...that sounds like a perfect tribute if I’ve ever heard of one. We’ll begin the planning tomorrow. But for tonight...perhaps we’d all be better off turning in. Can I bring anything up to your room, Mr. Roth?”

I look up at the estate, the towering Tudor that I’ve always called home. Suddenly, the prospect of spending a night in this place is more than I can bear. Without Mother inside, warming the very floorboards with her indomitable will and character, the place seems like a dusty crypt. The ghosts of my family are all that remain there.

As if reading my mind, Hannah edges in closer to me and speaks up, “Maybe you can stay with me in the annex tonight, Lukas?”

I look down at her kind, vibrant eyes. “Perhaps...” I begin, “That would be for the best. I don’t think that I’m ready to be alone...”

“Of course,” Thomas says, cutting me off mercifully. “If there’s anything you two need tonight, I’ll be in the servant’s wing, as ever. Someone has to hold down the fort, after all. Try to get some sleep. It’s been a very long day, after all.”

The butler turns on his heel and walks slowly back into the living tomb that is my family home. The heavy wooden doors swing shut behind him, closing with a low thud.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.