He pushed the numerical code on the keypad to open the door, hoping it was still the right one; they had a habit of changing it just as he would get used to it. He stopped off at the community office to speak to the sergeant and asked him for as many officers and police community support officers that he could spare so they could start searching the Abbey and doing the house to house enquiries at the few houses that were down there. It was a massive area and he was going to have to call in a few favours to get as many people as possible to help out. She could be lying injured somewhere. He hoped that she hadn’t strayed onto the railway tracks that ran behind the Abbey and been hit by a train. There had been a few locals who had met their untimely death due to a high speed Edinburgh-bound train passing through.
His head began to pound the same rhythm as his heart and he swallowed a couple of paracetamol before going up to the large room on the first floor, which was used to hold meetings and large scale briefings. This shift was going to be a long one, he just hoped by the end of it Jenna White was reunited with her family one way or another.
The thunder was easing off with just an occasional rumble in the distance. Annie sat at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee in one hand and the other resting on the book. It had to be the book she had found inside the desk, but there was no way to explain how it got from the imaginary desk onto the floor. To say it was strange was a bit of an understatement. Pulling a tea towel off the back of a chair she rubbed at the thick layer of dust on the front cover. The book was bound in black leather which had softened and cracked with age, she expected the title to say Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland but instead it read Diary. She exhaled, unaware she had been holding her breath. Her hands trembling, she opened it and the read the inscription on the inside front cover: This is the private diary of Alice Hughes. A chill spread down the back of her neck: the man in the house had been shouting for Alice. The script was beautiful, elegant and Annie wished that she could write like that. For a moment she felt a twinge of guilt that she was about to read someone’s diary. How would she feel if it were the other way around? But it was obviously very old and she doubted very much that whomever it belonged to was still alive.
25th December 1886
My name is Alice Hughes, I am fifteen years old and work as a housemaid for Lord and Lady Heaton of Manor House, Abbey Wood, Barrow-in-Furness. I am very fortunate as I was given this journal as a gift from Lady Hannah who told me that, ‘To write is a precious gift that should be used if one has been fortunate enough to be blessed with it.’ It is thanks to Lady Hannah that I can write. She always gave me time away from my chores to sit in the schoolroom with Master Edward and learn whenever his tutor came to give him lessons. I did not like having to spend so much time in Edward’s company for he is so horrid and hurtful to me for no reason, but I do so love to read and write and I suppose I should be grateful that I have been given such opportunities to learn, even if it did mean that Edward would pull my hair, or pinch my arms when the teacher was not looking.
Today has been such a busy day. Lord Robert and Lady Hannah had guests for Christmas dinner and I had to help Cook prepare and serve the food. Both Millie, the kitchen maid, and James, the footman, are ill which meant I had to do all of my own chores as well as theirs. Master Edward was not best pleased when his mother gave me a gift and he scowled at me all day. I am thankful that his Lordship kept an eye on him today for I overheard Cook telling Albert the butler that Edward had got into another fight yesterday. Edward is always so angry. I often wonder why he is that way when everyone is so nice to him.
I overheard Lady Hannah telling the vicar that Edward will be moving to London soon and will be attending a medical school there for he is so clever and bright and well advanced in his studies. I pray every night that he will leave soon and then I will not have to hide from him when he wants to play his silly games. I am writing this by the light of the candle, all tucked up in my bed. I must go now in case he is prowling around and sees the light from underneath my door for he will tease me mercilessly. He is not allowed into the servant’s quarters but this does not stop him for he listens to no one.
30th December 1886
This morning I worked so hard I am exhausted. There is to be a party tomorrow night and Lady Hannah wants the house to sparkle from top to bottom. This is all very well but I feel as if I am the only one who is working, except of course for Cook who always works hard.
I do not understand why Edward dislikes me so. I wonder, if I were a boy would he still treat me the same way? A part of me thinks that he is jealous of me but why should that be so. He is rich and his parents love him dearly even though he acts like a spoilt, selfish brat and is so unhappy. He must be to carry on this way. I have nothing, why would he envy that? My mother died last year and I have no other family. I have been living in this house since I was nine years old. I was given plenty of tasks to complete despite my age but I did not mind for it passed the day.
I have been very fortunate that Lady Hannah likes me so otherwise I could have been sent to the workhouse when mother died. But she insisted I was to be kept on as a housemaid and paid a proper wage. I owe Lady Hannah so much I would never let her down in any way.
Today has been such a horrid day; I have never been so scared in all my life. Edward insisted I play a game of hide-and-seek with him. He told me if I did not he would tell his mother that I had stolen some of her jewellery. I would die of shame if Lady Hannah were to think me capable of such a thing for she is like my own mother to me. I had no choice even though I was scared and knew it would all end in tears. I tried to act brave even though I felt sick to the pit of my stomach.
He led me to the kitchen and stood outside the cellar door. He then ordered me to hide down in the dark, damp cellar. My knees began to tremble so much that I could barely take the first step down into the blackness. I looked around the brightly lit kitchen for Cook but she was nowhere to be seen. She was more than likely with her Ladyship discussing the menu for tomorrow night. Edward smiled at the look of fear on my face; he knew exactly what I was thinking. He knew that I wanted Cook to come in and save me from going down into the huge, dark cellar, which I so despise. I tried my best to put on a brave face for I did not want to show him how truly scared I was, because then he would tease me all the more.
I ran down the stairs into the blackness that waited for me at the bottom. I did not know which way to turn and bumped into something hard, hitting my shin and making me cry out in pain. My eyes began to water and I wanted to fall to the floor in a heap and wail. Now I have a big black bruise that hurts if I touch it. I could hear him laughing at the top of the stairs; finally he began to count. Edward must have heard me scrabbling around in the dark like a blind mouse. I had to keep biting my lip to stop myself from making a noise. I finally found a corner to crouch in and I tried to make myself as small as possible. My blood froze when he shouted, ‘Coming, ready or not.’ My heart was beating so loud I thought that it would give away my hiding place. My skin felt as if there were a thousand spiders crawling over it. I had to squeeze my eyes shut and I covered my ears with the palms of my hands, all the time waiting for him to jump out at me from the dark.
When I could no longer feel my feet I tried to straighten up; I do not know how long I had been waiting. I crept from my safe corner and felt my way around as my eyes began to adjust to the darkness. I knew in my heart he was waiting to scare me. I had lost all sense of direction in these vast rooms and did not know where the stairs were: I was lost. A strange noise came from somewhere not too far away and it was then that the tears began to fall as I brushed against something hard and cold. I cannot say if it was my imagination or not but I thought I heard a low, guttural growl and it was then that I started to scream.
Her Ladyship must have heard me because she sent Harold down into the cellar with a candle to light the way and find me. I was so relieved to see
