The Doll by Elizabeth Andrews

Author:Elizabeth Andrews [Andrews, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A World of Magic Myth and Legend
Published: 2020-03-30T22:00:00+00:00

The door to the study opened and Paul hurried in. ‘He’s gone.’ His voice trailed away as Queenie quickly put a finger to her lips and nodded towards Sybil who was nodding gently in the chair.

He tiptoed across and took the chair that Archie had recently vacated, leaning forward he carefully whispered. ‘If there is anything to find, Archie will track it down.’

‘Good but in the meantime I would like you to keep Sybil here,’ she began slowly. ‘There is somebody I have to see and I don’t want to take my sister with me.’

‘Who?’

She sighed and edged closer. ‘Her name is Tamar Humphries. She holds the Dorset Register, and if I am very lucky she might let me have a look.’

‘A register of what?’ he asked looking mystified.

‘Of witches,’ she explained. ‘It goes back hundreds of years. Witches always signed their name or made their mark to show their commitment to the craft.’

‘My God!’ he interrupted. ‘I have heard of that; the Devil’s Book!’

She shook her head. ‘Not that one, Paul, this is just a harmless register. That book is another thing all together; dark witches signed that particular book to show allegiance to the Dark Lord.’

He didn’t look convinced and continued to stare at her with a worried expression.

‘Tamar has the relevant volume.’ Seeing his ever increasing confusion she expanded, ‘Each county has a register. I hold the Devon book as I was born there and she holds the Dorset one.’ She stirred restlessly and glanced uneasily at her sleeping sister. ‘Sybil doesn’t want to consult her.’

‘Why?’

‘Well...we have had a few issues in the past.’

‘You don’t get on in other words,’ stated Paul.

‘That’s right,’ she grinned. ‘Two old cats in a bag, I think was Sybil’s description.’

‘But will she help you?’

‘Probably not.’ She stared down at her wrinkled hands. ‘But I have to try. I am running out of ideas.’

‘You have forgotten my suggestions,’ he whispered, as Sybil stirred in the chair. ‘We could use ancient church ceremonies such as exorcism.’

Queenie shook her head. ‘I would feel uncomfortable doing that,’ she confessed. ‘No matter what she has done, she is a fellow witch and to cast her out into eternal darkness would sit heavily on my conscience.’

Paul stared at her in disbelief. ‘You have a strange conscience Queenie. You seem to have forgotten what she has done, and is capable of doing.’

‘No, I haven’t,’ she said sharply and then guiltily glanced across at Sybil. Satisfied her sister was still asleep continued in a lower tone. ‘But there must be another way, and that’s why I am going to see her.’

‘When?’

‘Now of course.’

‘But where does she live?’ he asked, looking perturbed.

‘Not far, she has a little cottage at the foot of Eggardon Hill.’

He half laughed which he tried to stifle not wanting to disturb the sleeping woman. ‘Are you serious? In this weather? I told you the road was closed.’

‘I can get through,’ she said with confidence.

‘I doubt it,’ he replied bluntly. ‘Unless you have a four by four, even then it would be hard going to make it along that road.

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