Chapter 15 - The Countess

Wrapped within crisp, clean blankets, Maggie awoke next morning to a clean bed, in what appeared to be a large, clean bedroom. She looked up to the high, spotlessly clean ceiling above her. Things felt strange; the world didn't feel right. She also awoke to silence, at first. A sound that unnerved her, so used was she to sudden noises from outside their dockland shack, or the echoes which resonated through the gang's hideout. So overwhelmed by the lightness, cleanliness and silence before her, for a moment or two she wondered perhaps if it was all a dream.

A pleasant dream this time.

That impression soon faded, however, when she looked to the bed opposite and saw a pair of dirty feet protruding from the bed sheets and then she became aware of a noise coming from beneath those very same sheets - a noise much like the cry of wounded animal caught in a trap. On closer inspection, she saw it was Tom: mouth wide open and emitting a snoring noise from deep within his throat. Next to him, equally dead to the world, was Jack.

It was then she recalled the night before, the strange lady - a countess she called herself - and the journey by carriage from London. A journey undertaken in near silence, in which Jack and Tom slept on one side of the vehicle, while Maggie herself sat next to the strange lady. Rocked by the motion of the carriage, she would often find herself drifting off into sleep, only to awaken and find her head resting against the Countess' shoulder. Startled, she would lift her head from the pale woman's shoulder and sit upright, smiling back and apologising. In return, the Countess would shake her head and mutter it was really no inconvenience at all, and by all means she should rest her head against her if she so wished.

During the early part of the carriage journey, the Countess had spoken briefly. She said she would free the children from the sinfulness of 'that wicked city' and let them spend sometime to work out where they wanted to go next. She further remarked she had no interest in what they had been up to previously, or why they were running around the streets in such a desperate manner.

At that very moment, Maggie felt too tired to question the Countess' motives. The predator that stalked them was no longer in pursuit - that was the important thing in all this she thought. Besides, in a hungry and fearful state, she was glad to be heading away from London and those men who had meant them harm.

Meant to kill them, of that she was sure.

When they arrived at the large country house they had been prodded and awoken. It was too dark to get an accurate impression of the house, but from the outside it looked grander than any house she had seen before.

Once inside, there were brief introductions and an exchange of names. Maggie told the Countess Thomas was her younger brother and Jack a newly found friend. Once she had fed them a quick supper, the Countess packed them off to bed without much explanation of her actions or indeed her future charitable intentions. Also, for the time being, the Countess suggested they should all share a bedroom - until she could sort out a separate room for the young lady.

Maggie rose from the bed and moved towards the light pouring in through a gap in the curtain. She pulled back the curtain and looked out of the window at the winding gravel path that led out towards an area of forest upon the horizon. All around was greenery. Fields spread out for acres, with small clusters of wooded areas; and every so often individual trees sprung up amongst the almost flat, green landscape. She had not seen such an empty setting before, and was filled with a desire to leave the room and run and explore and lose herself within its vastness.

Soon the boys were awake and, as they all sat and wondered what it was they should do, a maid knocked and entered the room and asked them to come down for breakfast.

Downstairs the Countess greeted them. She announced she was used to being addressed in a certain manner, and then told them how it was she should be spoken to. She was still dressed in all black and remarked that she would fetch the children some clean clothes before they sat down to breakfast. Maggie wondered if the Countess was in mourning for somebody, the black clothes were matched by a brief hint of sadness across her eyes.

When a servant arrived with new clothes, she sent the boys back upstairs to dress and told Maggie to slip inside her study and make sure she brought back her old clothes so they could be disposed of in the furnace.

Maggie entered the study and was transported to a rich world of old books, ornaments, paintings and splendid pieces of antique furniture. She hurriedly dumped the dirty clothes, which had once belonged to member of Mrs Harrison's family and put on the new clothes. When she looked at herself in the large mirror on the wall, she thought she resembled a well-paid member of the servant class granted a day off from work.

Before they ate breakfast, the Countess took the children out to the rear of the house and showed them a large lake, which they had no idea existed, when they entered via the front of the house the previous evening. They stood on a set of stone stairs which led down to the lake, and looked out across its calm and clear exterior.

"What do you think of your new home, children?" The Countess asked light-heartedly.

They gasped with wonder and looked around them: the sky and grounds of the house seem to drift into the very future itself.

"Children," the Countess began in a different sort of voice. "Do you see the building yonder?" she pointed beyond the garden, and over towards the lake. They looked in the direction where she held out her walking stick. Upon a small hill, on a tiny island situated at the centre of the lake, stood a tall, grey stone tower. It had five windows, indicating each one of its floors, and at the very top a turret with a large window, which looked like an observation point.

"While you are here, there is one thing I beg of you. It is to steer clear of that structure. It is a mere folly, built by my sadly departed husband many years ago, when he displayed a brief interest in weather measurements of some kind."

"What is a folly, your ladyship?" asked Tom, following The Countess' earlier instructions on how to address her.

"A folly is a building which has no purpose other than to please the eye of the onlooker. It is there for mere decorative purposes. But this particular building - apart from having no use - is in a perilous state of disrepair and, I dearly hope, will shortly be pulled to the ground. Until such a day, and so I may sleep easy at night, please avoid going anywhere near."

"How would we go about getting over there?" asked Tom.

"Very good question, my dear boy. Do you see the small wooden structure at the bottom of those steps? That is a small jetty. Below in the water, out of view at the moment, you shall find a number of small rowing boats. You shall find similar landings on each side of the lake, and also on the small island - where the wretched folly stands. You can use the boats if wish to go rowing up and down the lake. Long ago, I used to enjoy being taken out on the lake by my late husband. But now..." she looked out on the lake as if resurrecting those memories. "However, children, I repeat once more: steer clear of the Island and especially the folly. Is that clear?"

The children agreed they would stay well away and agreed it was such a small price to pay to stay in such a wonderful house.

Maggie, in particularly, was feeling pleased with herself. The Countess told her she would soon have a room all to herself. The stone or wooden floors, usually muddy and filthy, that she slept on for the past six months or so would now become a thing of the past. For a while at least. But she could not stop herself imagining what it would be like to have an entire room, in a beautiful new house, all to herself.

"Welcome, then, children. Welcome to Little Serrant, as I like to call it. Though it is nothing to compare to the place I used to call home."

As Maggie surveyed the enormous grounds of the estate, she thought if this is Little Serrant, what must Large Serrant look like?

Next it was food. And what food! They had never seen such a feast for breakfast. As they tucked into smoked fish, toast, eggs, sausages and bacon, the thin and pale Countess sat sipping tea - watching them like a contented aunt. Their table manners may have at first distressed her - their constant burping and talking wildly with un-chewed food spilling from their mouths, in particular - but their smiles as they sat back catching their breaths, their hunger sated, brought a rare smile to the Countesses melancholy face.

Maggie, though, could no longer resist the thought which would not rest and scuttled around her mind. Of all of the children in the world, why them? Why had the Countess chosen to take us in?

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