Shades of the Past (13 page)

"I would very much like to hear of Sherringham's past and of those who once peopled its halls."  She lifted her gaze to Lord Marrable. 

"What a splendid idea," Cissy enthused with a clap of her hands.  "It will make for a most entertaining evening.  Besides, Vanessa can use the information for the text to her book.  And who knows, maybe a few ‘colorful tales’ as well?"

Lord Marrable's gaze brushed over the others, then returned to Vanessa.  "Then I suggest a bit of sherry and a fire are in order.  Has anyone noticed?  A chill has settled over the room."

»«

Once summoned, the servants quickly laid in a fire and brought glasses and a decanter of fine sherry.

Wrapped in the shawl she’d requested, Vanessa shared the sofa with Cissy and Henry, who insisted she use his given name.  Lord Marrable assumed a chair adjacent to the couch, to her immediate left.  Majel and Nigel—who likewise allowed her the use of his first name, at his brother-in-law’s prodding—occupied the sofa opposite.  Lawrence perched on the sofa’s arm, at the farthest end.  Surprisingly, it was Majel who first spoke.

"As you might imagine, we Marrables were bred on Sherringham's history."  She informed Vanessa proudly, elevating her chin.  "Our brother, Adrian, has actually read the estate's documents in their original forms.  They are quite old."

“How remarkable.”  Vanessa paused as his eyes grazed hers.  She suddenly felt more warm than cold.  "Geoffrey said Druids once worshiped on this land."

"So it is believed.”  Lord Marrable nodded.   Standing stones exist nearby.  It is thought they were once used by the high priests as sacrificial altars."

Vanessa drew the shawl more tightly about her.  "What a gruesome thought.  Please do not tell me the high priests are among those who haunt Sherringham."

A smile touched Lord Marrable's lips, then faded. 

"As to Sherringham's history, it really began in the eighth century when defense castles were raised along the border against the marauding Welsh.  Sherringham was one of those.  It was burned to the ground and rebuilt numerous times, the earliest fortifications being of wood.  With the arrival of the Normans, Sherringham was enlarged and rebuilt in stone.  The warring continued, of course, until the time of the Union with England in the sixteenth century.  An inestimable number of men fought and died on these lands."

Vanessa swallowed.  "Then the ghostly battle you and Lawrence thought to see, did it appear to be an encounter between the castle defenders and the Welsh?"

"Not all the clashes were with the Welsh," Cissy supplied, sitting forward to the edge of the sofa.  "Many famed battles raged over this landscape—Brunnanburgh, for instance, where the Saxons triumphed over the Danes.  And Mortimer's Cross, where the Yorkists and Lancastrian's engaged one another.  Those actions occurred near to here."

Nigel turned to Majel.  "Did you not once tell me, there are accounts of wounded soldiers being brought from the battlefield to Sherringham to convalesce?  Presumably, some among them died and were buried on the grounds hereabout."

What a thoroughly dismal thought
, Vanessa mused, but saw Cissy agreeing with a nod. 

"That is most probable.  The family has often speculated that the spirits of those soldiers also linger at Sherringham."  She turned her gaze to Vanessa, the corners of her mouth tipping upward.  "At least those of us who believe in such possibilities do."

Vanessa found herself smiling too.  "It must be crowded for them—with so many souls lost on these grounds, that is."  She glanced to the photograph, laying on the sofa beside her, and to its glowing figure.  She looked to Lord Marrable.  "Do I understand correctly, the gallery dates to Tudor times?"

"Yes, the south wing and tower were raised by that dynasty.  One of the most fascinating tales dates from the reign of Henry the Eighth.  It was also the time when the Lords of Sherringham first fell from power."

Lord Marrable leaned back deeper into his chair.

"At the time of the Dissolution, after King Henry broke with Rome and seized the wealth of the Church, he sent his troops out to pull down monasteries and destroy all who opposed him.  Among those places marked for destruction was Strata Florida, a Cistercian monastery in Wales."

Warmth flowed through Vanessa as Lord Marrable turned his intense dark eyes to her as he related the story.

"A legend persists that the monastery's most sacred treasure was that of the Nanteos Chalice, said to have been carved from the cross of Christ and to possess healing  powers.  Many believed, and still believe, it to be the Grail cup sought by Arthur's knights."

"The
Holy Grail
?"  Vanessa's brows flew upward.  "How incredible.  But, what does the cup have to do with Sherringham?"

Lord Marrable smiled, as did his brother and sisters.

"When word reached the monks of Strata Florida of Henry's approaching troops, they fled with their treasures.  As the tale goes, two of the monks arrived at Sherringham's gates, seeking protection as they carried the miraculous relic to safety.  The Lord of Sherringham, it was no secret, opposed Henry's divorce from Queen Catherine and his break with Rome.

"We know at least one of the monks died while in hiding here and, after that time, the Nanteos Chalice disappeared.  There is no record of his companion's departure, only much speculation as to the cup's whereabouts and whether it ever left Sherringham's grounds."

"How utterly enthralling."  Vanessa gave him her smile.  "And what of Sherringham's lord?”

“The king sent him to London's Tower on inflated charges of treason.  It is said his wife paced the gallery continuously for three years, awaiting her husband's return.  When he did, he was in a wooden coffin."

"How desperately sad."  Vanessa took up the photograph and studied the tower more closely.  "Was it the Tudor gallery she paced for so very long?"

The viscount nodded.  "At the time, it overlooked Sherringham's main approach, the opposite wing having yet to be built."

Vanessa raised her eyes once more to his, empathizing with the woman's loss and pain.  "And what became of the widow?" 

"Lady Jane did not live long after she received her husband's remains.  Whether she died naturally or by intrigue, as some would have it, King Henry promptly seized the castle and lands for himself."

"Since that time, a Gray Lady has been sighted pacing the gallery," Cissy added.  "She wears a pearl-gray gown and gabled headdress, similar to those worn by aristocratic ladies during the reigns of the Tudor monarchs."

Vanessa sincerely hoped the Gray Lady was a docile spirit, if a spirit at all
.

"Was it during this period that Sherringham acquired its added name of Royal?"

"No, that came much later."  Lord Marrable ran his thumb across his lower lip.  "The lands first came back into the family when Queen Elizabeth's eye fell upon one of her couriers, the dashing and personable Christopher Marrable. 

"The old disputes had long been forgotten, at least on the queen's part, who, herself, was quite aged.  Elizabeth was susceptible to flatteries and Christopher, apparently, was most skilled in their use.  Not only were the family titles and lands restored, but, before she died, the queen found for him a wealthy heiress to wed."

"The Lords of Sherringham remained steadfastly loyal to the Crown, particularly through the civil wars," he went on.  "That loyalty cost them dearly when the king was beheaded.  Sherringham was again seized, but not before Cromwell's men 'slighted' it, destroying the roof of the great hall and blowing up the courtyard."

Vanessa stared at him.  "I confess, I am stunned to hear it.  I never guessed . . . I mean, the hall is so magnificent and the grounds, works of art."

This evoked a warm smile from the viscount.  "The Marrable lords made vast improvements to Sherringham after it came again into their possession."

Vanessa tilted her head.  "How was Sherringham regained?  With few exceptions, kings have sat upon the throne until now.  I assume there were no Christopher Marrables to influence the monarch."

"Ah, but there was Leonine."  Lord Marrable's gaze shifted to the portrait over the fireplace, as did every other pair of eyes in the room.

"When the Cavaliers helped Charles regain his throne, they expected him to restore their lands and titles out of gratitude.  He did not.  When the Marrable lands were not returned, the vivacious younger sister of the current, and dispossessed, viscount became a maid of honor to Queen Catharine.  She soon caught the king's eye and subsequently filled his bed."

"It is said King Charles loved her greatly."  Cissy picked up the story.  "Leonine asked nothing for herself, and so impressed was Charles he soon restored the family titles and lands."

"Not only that"—Majel pointed out—"Charles lavished Leonine with fabulous jewels and exquisite gowns and a mansion in London which remains to this day in Marrable hands."

The viscount rose and strode to the portrait.  "Tragically, Leonine died prematurely of consumption, still much beloved by the king."  He brought his gaze from the painting and looked to Vanessa.  "It was he who commissioned his famed architect, Wren, to design and build the Marrable mausoleum.  He considered it his last gift to Leonine, that she might rest eternally in peace."

The room fell silent.  Several long moments passed before Lawrence took it upon himself to refresh everyone's glass with a touch more of sherry.

Lawrence sent a smile to Vanessa as he topped off Henry’s glass.  "So you see, Sherringham owns a rich past, one with infinite possibilities for such things as hauntings, if you wish to believe the accounts.  I hope it does not disturb you in the least, for there are other souls and sightings of which we've yet to speak."

"Lawrence is right."  Cissy's eyes widened.  "There are tales of ill-starred lovers, deadly sword fights in the Tudor gallery, and the headless Cavalier."

Nigel rose and began to move about, stretching his legs.  "If the photograph has recorded one of these specters that purportedly lurk at Sherringham, then I wonder which it might be?"

Vanessa watched as the others exchanged glances and considered his remark in earnest.  She supposed it was vastly more diverting than simply accepting the mar on the print to be an accident of light.

"Let us each put forth our best guess?" Lawrence proposed.  "Sort of a game, you know."

"I rather like the idea of the monk looking for the Grail cup, myself," Henry submitted.

Cissy turned to him.  "I don't believe he's ever been seen beyond the Cloisters, Henry dear.  The Gray Lady is a more logical choice."

Majel vented a short laugh.  "Have you forgotten Leonine Marrable?  I say she's angry and looking for her missing jewels."

A look of shock touched Cissy's features.  "You mustn't say such things," she reproached, then dropped her voice.  "You know Adrian blames himself for their loss."

Vanessa quickly glanced to where the viscount still stood, his gaze fixed on the portrait.  A muscle flexed along his jaw.

Nigel cleared his throat.  "Perhaps it is a more recent ghost." 

His suggestion drew more horrified looks, including that of Majel.  Though none would voice it, Vanessa realized their thoughts were of Lord Marrable's two deceased wives.

"Well, if Lady Gwen has taken up residence, we can all be assured she will prove a gentle ghost," she offered lightly, trying to relieve the moment.

Lord Marrable slowly turned to the others, his midnight gaze moving to one, then another.  He smiled darkly. 

"Do not fear.  I'll not explode in a temper.  In truth, it would not surprise me if Clairissa did damn me from the grave.  But if there is a specter haunting the gallery, I hope to God it is Olivia's.  At least then, I could be certain she is truly dead."

Astonishment washed over the faces of all as Lord Marrable abandoned the fireplace and strode from the room.

Majel turned huge eyes on Lawrence.  "Whatever does he mean?"

Lawrence stared after his brother.  "Adrian has entertained some rather bizarre notions of late.  If you will excuse me, I best speak with him."

Vanessa's heart raced.  She was as astounded as any at Lord Marrable's comments, but at a loss to understand the full scope of his meaning.  Certainly, she should not be privy to such personal matters. 

She glanced to Lawrence as he started toward the door, his aspect reflecting his obvious worry and filial concern. 

Vanessa returned her gaze to the other family members and found them collecting in a small circle, murmuring their astonishment at the scene that had just unfolded.  Feeling wholly awkward and out of place, Vanessa withdrew and headed for her bedchamber. 

As she climbed the great staircase, Adrian Marrable's words continued to weigh on her thoughts.  For what possible reason would his first wife, Clairissa, wish to damn him from the grave?  And why would he question if his second wife was truly dead?  Was not the last viscountess entombed in the Marrable mausoleum?

Vanessa could not say whether spirits dwelled at Sherringham, or even if she believed in ghostly apparitions.  But, as to the defect on the photograph, she maintained her belief—it was caused by an excess exposure to light.