Shadows at Stonewylde (21 page)

‘She wanted to know why the boy weren’t at school,’ said Starling, resuming the earlier conversation as if there’d been no break. ‘I told her he was poorly with a head-cold. She said he must see that bitch-doctor if he were ill and he must be back at school tomorrow.’

‘Interfering busy-body,’ muttered Violet. ‘Sniffing in our doings. Why should she tell us what to do? Who is she anyway?’

‘Nobody, sister, nobody. She got no right to interfere with us. We’ll do as we like with that boy. ‘Tain’t up to her.’

‘I’ll have to send him back to school tomorrow,’ said Starling. ‘We don’t want that doctor poking about examining him, do we? Maizie gave me a right old talking to about the boy – don’t know what’s suddenly got her all of a-fuss about him! Ain’t none o’ her business and I told her so. She didn’t like that, but then she said I got to take him to the bath house too afore he goes back to school.’

‘Pah!’ cried Violet. ‘The worst thing to do to a body if it’s got a cold. He don’t need a bath anyway. ‘Tis unnatural, all this bathing.’

‘I know, Aunt, but I’ll have to take him. She’ll just make trouble if I don’t.’

Just then they heard the sound of rickety wheels on the lane; Magpie had arrived back with the tanks on the cart full of fresh water. He dragged the heavy cart up to the back door and positioned it so the taps were to hand. Then he came in and stood in the doorway sniffing hopefully. The three turned to regard him, Starling smiling.

‘Can you smell the dinner, boy?’

He nodded and looked towards the corner where his empty bowl lay on the floor.

‘Are you hungry?’

He nodded eagerly.

‘Do you want some dinner then? Nice rabbit stew?’

He nodded again, his eyes more alive than they’d been that day.

‘Ah, but what did you do this morning, Magpie?’

He looked puzzled, then began to mimic the action of wood chopping.

‘No, dim-wit, before that. What did you do?’

He looked completely dumbfounded.

‘What did you do that made me angry? Goddess he’s stupid! What did you do and I said you’d get no dinner? Aye that’s right, remembered now, have you? So will you get any of this nice dinner now? No. That’s right, you’ll go hungry. Now get in your bed!’

Whimpering, he scuttled over to the corner and flung himself down onto the fetid rug on the floor under the stairs, the dirty alcove serving as his bedroom. He was treated like a dog, even down to the bowl on the floor. He sat there rocking backwards and forwards, curled in misery as the three women laughed.

‘Shall I tell him about the bath?’ whispered Starling gleefully.

Magpie’s reaction was as they’d imagined, and it was only the threat of a sound beating from Jay that persuaded him to leave his bed and follow Starling down the lane. He shuffled behind her, whimpering the whole way, terrified of the ordeal that lay ahead. She laughed and scolded in turns, frightening him further and enjoying his terror. At the bath house she kicked him into a cubicle and began to fill the bath with hot water. Magpie snivelled noisily until she’d had enough; picking up the metal jug used for rinsing hair, she clouted him over the head with it.

Half an hour later they re-emerged, Magpie much cleaner but still smelling disgusting as he’d had to put on the same filthy clothes. Starling waddled grimly to the centre of the Village and entered the food stores. She might as well get more supplies now she was here with Magpie to carry everything. The boy did have his uses.

Leveret was delighted to have Magpie back at school because she’d been lonely without him. There were many students of her own age at school as she’d been born towards the end of the baby boom, but by nature, Leveret had no close friends. She was prickly and secretive and rejected any tentative invitations to join one group or another. Lately she’d been worse than usual, skulking about the Hall under her own black cloud, unable and unwilling to confide in anybody about her dark unhappiness.

Magpie wasn’t in any of Leveret’s teaching groups. She was one of the high fliers whether she liked it or not, and he bumped along at the very bottom of the non-academic group, learning basic literacy and numeracy skills and a practical trade. When Magpie had first arrived at the Hall School four years ago, it had been difficult for Miranda to place him anywhere. She tried her best, but he was kept at home a great deal with various ailments, and when he did turn up his attention span was short and his communication non-existent. He spent most lessons gazing out of the window vacantly, or if he had any paper, drawing tiny sketches.

On a practical level Magpie was often sent into the huge kitchen gardens to learn about growing vegetables and fruits. There he was an asset when it came to undertaking the very mundane, repetitive tasks that others hated, such as planting peas; he’d take the same slow care with the last pea as the first. He never skimped or rushed a task but would continue doggedly until it was completed, provided the instructions were very clear and simple.

On his return to school after this latest absence, Magpie slouched into the Hall along with all the others who walked up every day from the Village. But unlike them, he didn’t stand around in the main entrance hall talking in groups as he had no friends and couldn’t talk. Nor did he go to his first class to leave his bag as he didn’t have one. Instead he went straight to the Galleried Hall where morning assembly was always held. He’d looked for Leveret on his walk to school and was sad not to have found her, but he loved this great room and it cheered him up.

The stained glass was beautiful, especially in the morning with sunlight streaming through. He was also fascinated by the carvings up on the roof bosses and particularly liked the faces of the Green Men and the triple hares. He stood still on the ancient stone flags, neck tipped back as he studied the vaulted roof. It was too early for assembly so he had the place completely to himself. After a while his neck ached so he lay down on the floor on his back and found he could see the carvings perfectly in this position. Assembly was held standing, just a brief coming together to start the day, so there were no chairs in the way and he could stretch out in comfort. Magpie smiled at his discovery of a better way to view the ceiling, his turquoise eyes dreamy with pleasure as he lay there in his filthy coat gazing upwards and grinning.

Gradually other students started to arrive, stepping round to avoid the prone figure and giggling at his incongruity. Soon the hall was full of youngsters with an island of space around Magpie, who still lay on the floor oblivious to the mocking laughter and jibes. Sweyn was one of the more vociferous and even managed a well-aimed kick, which set some of the others off. Magpie sat up, confused and distressed, and by the time the teachers arrived there was a great deal of noise and jostling. Miranda was furious to find such a disturbance going on before assembly, which was usually a peaceful and orderly start to the day. When everyone parted to reveal Magpie sitting on the floor crying, she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

‘Get up, Magpie!’ she called. ‘It’s time for assembly, not a rest!’

This set everyone roaring with laughter, which made Magpie howl in fear.

‘Goddess but he’s an embarrassment!’ Swift hissed to Sweyn, flicking his hair aside in a gesture of contempt. ‘Wait till I tell Granny Violet about this. They should keep him at home – he’s too stupid for school anyway.’

‘Too bloody stupid for anything,’ growled Sweyn in sympathy. ‘We’ll tell Jay when he gets back from college tonight. He’ll sort the bugger out.’

Miranda was still trying to restore order so she could begin assembly. The other teachers waited around the dais and the students pushed one another to get a glimpse of the hilarious sight of Magpie having a rest. He continued to sob noisily, snot dripping from his nose.

‘Magpie!’ Miranda called firmly. ‘Get off the floor and stand up this minute! You’re making a complete fool of yourself!’

‘But it’s what Magpie does best!’ called someone, and the whole place erupted into laughter, even some of the adults joining in.

Leveret had arrived late as usual but heard the final exchange. With cheeks burning scarlet, she elbowed her way to where Magpie sat hunched up in utter confusion, his eyes frightened.

‘BE QUIET, THE LOT OF YOU!’ she shouted, her voice raising to the high rafters. She bent to one knee and put an arm around Magpie and several people wolf-whistled at this.

‘SHUT UP!’

She talked softly to the sobbing boy and taking his arm, helped him to stand up.

‘Come on, Maggy, we’ll go for a walk outside.’

He followed her docilely, head bent and still sniffing noisily. Leveret glared at everyone as she led him out. The hall had fallen completely silent and at the exit she stopped and turned, her cheeks flushed and eyes flashing green sparks. Her voice shook with disgust.

‘I hope you all feel ashamed of yourselves,’ she cried, ‘mocking and upsetting poor Magpie.
Especially those of you who should know better!
’

She looked daggers at Miranda up on the dais and there was no mistaking her intended insult.

‘Leveret!’ called Miranda over the many heads. ‘Come back here!’

But the girl turned and then, shockingly, made the ultimate gesture of contempt at her head-teacher. With a sharp downward flick of her flexed hand, the ancient Stonewylde sign meaning ‘Go to the Otherworld!’ she marched out with Magpie.

Of course there’d be a price to pay for her insolence, but Leveret ignored that. She spent the morning with Magpie walking in the woods and then up on the hills, not caring if she got into trouble. They went up to Hare Stone and sat with their backs to the great monolith, soaking up the mild November sunshine. Magpie was so distressed it took Leveret a long time to calm him down enough to communicate.

Eventually she understood from the vivid and shocking set of images that he flashed before her, what had happened the day before. He’d barely eaten and was so hungry, and he’d been forced to have a bath. Later, Jay had beaten him with Starling’s stick because he’d tried to take some bread when he thought nobody was looking. She understood that the three women had laughed at this, egging Jay on to further brutality. This morning he’d been pushed out of the house early and shouted at to get up to school, where he hadn’t been for ages. Magpie was bewildered and hurt and Leveret’s heart ached for him. He panicked sometimes and she worried that if there were more incidents like the one today he might one day turn and lash out at someone, and then be blamed for that as well.

They went back to the Hall at lunchtime because poor Magpie’s stomach was rumbling so badly, but rather than face the mass of people in the Dining Hall, Leveret took him through the walled kitchen gardens and straight to the kitchens. Yul had taken her as a small child to visit Marigold when Maizie and Miranda had spent so many hours interminably discussing their new-found leadership. Marigold was one of the few at Stonewylde who actually liked the odd dark-haired girl, but her plump face crumpled in disapproval at the sight of Magpie on the door step in his filthy coat.

‘No, Leveret, I’m sorry my love but I’m not having him in the kitchens.’

‘But Marigold, he’s starving!’

‘I’ll give him some food but he must eat it outside. He’s crawling with dirt and goddess knows what else.’

‘He can’t help it. Everyone’s so cruel to poor Magpie and it’s not his fault. He’s the gentlest, sweetest person I know.’

‘I’m sure he is, dear, but he’s not coming in my kitchens.’

She brought a great plate of rabbit pie, potatoes, vegetables and gravy to the door, and a spoon, remembering that he had trouble with any other sort of cutlery.

‘You’re wonderful, Marigold – thank you. He told me you’re kind to him when he’s working in the kitchen gardens and that you feed him sometimes.’

‘That’s right, dear. Poor mite – he always looks so lost and hungry. But he didn’t tell you that, surely? He’s mute.’

‘Sign language,’ she said quickly. ‘We use sign language.’

Marigold shook her head at this.

‘I’d have thought that were beyond the poor boy. Still, he trusts you and you’re a kind maid. I do look out for him and I will whenever I can. I feel sorry for the lad, all filthy and frightened and no one to care for him. Makes me wish I could take him under my wing and clean him up, teach him how to live proper. That mother of his is a really nasty piece o’ work, and as for them two old crones …’

She broke off and fearfully made the sign of the pentangle on her chest.

‘Just look what they done to my Lily’s son! Jay’s turned out bad, just like his father and ‘tis all their doing. If Magus’d let me look after that little boy from the start, when my poor Lily were murdered, Jay would’ve grown up very different. But oh no, not Magus. “Marigold,” he says, “you’re needed here in the Hall kitchens. I can’t lose you just to bring up a little boy when he has another granny about.” Well! If that’s not—’

‘Thanks again!’ said Leveret cheerfully, taking the laden plate across the courtyard to where Magpie sat waiting patiently. Marigold was kind, but she was also infamous for her moaning sessions about the loss of her grandson Jay to her rival Vetchling.

Later Leveret braved the Hall, knowing her rudeness wouldn’t go unpunished. First she had to face Miranda, who was still furious. Leveret adopted her usual tactic of sullen silence, refusing to apologise or try to make amends. She knew she was in the right and saw any kind of climb-down as tantamount to condoning Miranda’s treatment of Magpie. Her punishment was work detail every night at the Hall for a week. The boarding students had work detail only twice a week so this was a harsh punishment, especially as Miranda said she’d make sure the work was nothing easy.