The Woman In Black by Susan Hill Read Free Book Online Page B

glimpse of her black dress andthe outline of her bonnet. So she had not left after all, only concealed herself behind one of the bushes or headstones, or else in the shadows of the church, waiting until we shouldhave left, so that she could do what she was doing now, stand at the very edge of the grave in which the body of Mrs Drablow had just been laid to rest, looking down. I wondered again what connection she would havehad with her, what odd story might lie behind her surreptitious visit, and what extremes of sad feeling she was now suffering, alone there. ‘Look,’ I said, and pointed, ‘there she is again … ought we not to …’ I stopped as Mr Jerome grabbed my wrist and held it in an agonizingly tight grip, and, looking at his face, was certain that he was about to faint, or collapse with some kind of seizure. Ibegan looking wildly about me, in the deserted lane, wondering whatever I might do, where I could go, or call out, for help. The undertakers had left. Behind me were only a school of little children, and a mortally sick young woman under great emotional and physical strain, beside me was a man in a state of near-collapse. The only person I could conceivably reach was the clergyman, somewhere in therecesses of his church, and, if I were to go for him, I would have to leave Mr Jerome alone.
    ‘Mr Jerome, can you take my arm … I would be obliged if you would loosen your grip a little … if you can just walk a few steps, back to the church … path … I saw a bench there, a little way inside the gate, you can rest and recover while I go for help … a car …’
    ‘No!’ He almost shrieked.
    ‘But, my dearman!’
    ‘No. I apologize …’ He began to take deep breaths and a little colour returned by degrees to his face. ‘I am so sorry. It was nothing … a passing faintness … It will be best if you would just walk back with me towards my offices in Penn Street, off the square.’
    He seemed agitated now, anxious to get away from the church and its environs.
    ‘If you are sure …’
    ‘Quite sure. Come …’ and hebegan to walk quickly ahead of me, so quickly that I was taken by surprise and had to run a few steps to catch up with him. It took only a few minutes at that pace to arrive back in the square, where the market was in full cry and we were at once plunged into the hubbub of vehicles, the shouting of voices, of auctioneers and stallholders and buyers, and all the bleating and braying, the honkingand crowing and cackling and whinnying of dozens of farm animals. At the sight and sound of it all, I noticed that Mr Jerome was looking better and, when we reached the porch of the Gifford Arms, he seemed almost lively, in a burst of relief.
    ‘I gather you are to take me over to Eel Marsh House later,’ I said, after pressing him to lunch with me, and being refused.
    His face closed up again.He said, ‘No. I shall notgo there. You can cross any time after one o’clock. Keckwick will come for you. He has always been the go-between to that place. I take it you have a key?’
    I nodded.
    ‘I shall make a start on looking out Mrs Drablow’s papers and getting them in some sort of order, but I suppose I shall be obliged to go across again tomorrow, and even another day after that. Perhaps MrKeckwick can take me early in the morning, and leave me there for the whole day? I shall have to find my way about the place.’
    ‘You will be obliged to fit in with the tides. Keckwick will tell you.’
    ‘On the other hand,’ I said, ‘if it all looks as if it may take somewhat longer than I anticipate, perhaps I might simply stay there in the house? Would anyone have any objection? It seems ridiculousto expect this man to come to and fro for me.’
    ‘I think,’ said Mr Jerome carefully, ‘that you would find it more comfortable to continue staying here.’
    ‘Well, they have certainly made me welcome and the food is first rate. Perhaps you may be right.’
    ‘I think so.’
    ‘So long as it