Chapter 9
The next morning Ollie checks out of the Manor early and drives away from the village up a track towards the coast. It is cold and clear, and the air is still and has a lingering smell of wood smoke. More leaves have come down overnight, and the trees are beginning to take on their winter shapes. There are a few houses at the end of the track and he parks the car and walks up to the headland. He can see the Clavell Tower away on his right, and he walks to the highest point at the edge of the cliff. In his mind he can see a young woman in a long yellow dress, close fitting to the waist. She has shaken off her shoes, not suited to walking over a grassy headland. She looks back over her shoulder towards the Manor; perhaps she can hear someone calling, or the sound of a car engine starting up, and then she looks towards where Ollie is standing. She is walking along the edge of the cliff, heading for the Tower. He can sense her presence, can smell her now familiar scent, can hear the rustle of her dress. She stops every few minutes, and Ollie stops and waits, and then she moves on again, suddenly picking up speed. He follows her until she stops near the Tower, a seagull shrieks, and her presence fades. He walks slowly to the edge of the cliff, the Tower behind him. The tide is in and below is the sea, dark and unwelcoming, restless in the breeze and against the rocks. He takes the pearls out of his pocket, holding them in both hands, and then in one movement he pulls his hands sharply apart breaking the threads holding the necklace together, and throws his hands high and away, the pearls cascading out over the edge of the cliff.
© Anthony Judge 2022