Chronicles of the Manor
Rose looked resplendent in her wedding dress. She was trying hard not to be rankled by her daughter’s absence. Richard and Rose had decided to marry in a countryside church. Just the two of them. As Rose begun walking to the Altar, seeing Richard smile put her at ease even though she kept thinking of Emma.
“Mom, you are not really thinking of marrying that mad man. His mannerism, his clothes, even the way he talks seems he’s jumped right out of Jane Austen’s world.”
“Richard is charming, handsome and rich. Also, he loves me.”
“I am not coming to this wedding. Is it not enough that we have to move to live in his Manor on that isolated eponymous island?”
Soon after the wedding Richard had arranged for all of them to go back.
“I have a few assignments to complete my dear, also, it would be doing Emma and yourself a favour getting acquainted with the Manor.”
“Make yourselves comfortable and I shall meet you shortly,” and Richard rushed back out.
Rose and Emma waited well into the night and finally made dinner after rummaging through the kitchen and that was when Richard returned.
“Forgive me my Lady, this particular project consumed more time than. I am glad to have the pleasure of your company at dinner tonight.”
“Don’t you have any help, cooks etc. I mean?” asked Emma chewing on her bread.
“Now that isn’t a polite way to speak. I oft wonder what happened to all the manners. Also your dressing is a trifle too bizarre. Why do you go about showing your legs in the hideous shorts?”
From hence on began Richard’s tirade against Emma’s way of dressing, talking, walking everything!
“Mom! You need to confront him. I cannot stand all this nagging.”
“He wants you to have manners suitable for nobility.”
“Nobility! Where? Do you have any idea of his business or assignments? Where he is all day and most of the nights? I guess not, because you are too busy fanning over his Manor and nobility.”
“Stop!” boomed Richard’s voice.
“Rose, I hope you can mend her ways. Her highly determined and arbitrary temperament is quite unsuitable. Before long she’ll be a whore.”
“Richard!”
After what had conspired Rose decided to investigate a little. Maybe, she thought, Emma’s suspicions were correct. She ventured to the market, next day hoping to find more about Richard. Emma stayed locked in her room refusing to come out.
The island had a few residents. She hoped to meet someone who knew the history of the Manor.
‘Betty’s Patisserie’ is where she went first. She was surprised not many people knew of the Manor or perhaps avoided talking of it.
“Maybe you should check in the library,” whispered an old lady.
Rose rushed to the library and began browsing through the old newspapers in the archives. She stopped when she saw a picture of a family standing in front of the Manor with a news item that read; ‘Richard H. Holmes, the owner of the Manor and convicted serial killer disappears from prison.’ She zoomed in and was shocked to see it was Richard, her Richard, but how was this possible. The news item was from the year 1887.
Her head was spinning as she ran towards the Manor. She was trying to put the pieces together. The strange manner of dressing, language and Emma’s remark about Jane Austen.
Emma! She was alone with this maniac, but how could this be the same Richard.
The Manor was eerily quiet. After fanatically searching in all rooms, Rose gingerly opened the basement door. She had to almost crawl through a narrow passageway and then she saw the macabre torture chamber, with gas pipes, chutes, soundproof padding and furnace. There were body parts and skulls pinned to the walls. A ghastly sight.
Rose’s legs were shaking terribly and her heart was pounding as she came upon an oval room. In the centre of the room, on a medieval rack, lay Emma. Not Emma, only her disemboweled body.
“What have you done?”
“Welcome to my castle. It’s here I get rid of whores and clear the earth of this vermin.”
Rose had frozen still.
He wore his hat as he walked towards her.
“The Ripper needs to move to a new century now.”
He flipped an odd blue coin embossed with a strange glowing image and soon disintegrated into small particles till he disappeared.
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