Chapter 8. Escape
"I've got to get away," Mary thought to herself, "But how? Where? Too cold to
run outside in this outfit. Snotface's coat?" Somehow she hated herself for
calling the girl that but she'd not been given any other name. At least the coat
would be warm and plenty big enough for her. The plan half thought of while she
picked at her food, began to look more promising. As they left the table, Mary
decided it was now or never. Spilling some pepper into her hand she sniffed and
sneezed with all the force she could muster. AAGHCHEW!! AAGHCHEW!! Pause
AAGHCHEW!! Tears ran from her eyes as some of the pepper got to them. "Got to
get a tissue," she said to Jeffricus and slipped away.
Fortunately for her, Bella had grabbed Melious and was dragging her screaming to
the hall, cheered on by some of the soldiers. The diversion created just the
opportunity Mary needed. Slipping into the cloakroom and donning the slave's fur
coat, she moved quickly to the front door, opened it and went outside. Even in
the coat it was bitterly cold. Her mind bombarded itself with thoughts on what
to do. "I'll have to hide inside. I'd die from cold out here. I can't go far in
these cardboard sandals." Immediately to the left of the main door was a smaller
one, locked but with the key still in the keyhole. Mary opened it and peered
into the darkness. Stairs led up. "I'll see where they lead. On narrow stairs I
may be able to hold out for a while."
Closing the door, on impulse she opened it again, removed the key and, after
fumbling for some minutes to find the inside hole, locked the door behind her.
In almost complete darkness she crawled up the stairs not knowing where they
went or if there was some other way to where she was going. "Shouldn't have left
the main door open. I can feel the draft blowing under the stairs door," her
thoughts told her. "These stairs aren't used often. I can feel and smell the
dust." After feeling every step before moving up and climbing what seemed an
abnormal number, Mary came to another door. Feeling her way upwards till her
hands found the latch she raised it slowly. The door creaked slightly as
sheopened it gradually, listening for any untoward sounds. Faint light broke the
gloom. Still listening intently and hearing only the sounds from the hall,
seemingly far away, she went through and found herself in a narrow passageway
with stone arches, a passageway that ran along the length of the main hall close
to the ceiling. "I bet this goes to that turret thing on the end of the house.
They could imprison me there like the 'Girl in the Tower' book." Light reflected
back from the hall below gave a low level of illumination to the passage but now
with her eyes accustomed to the darkness, it was sufficient for Mary to see the
way. "By crawling I can keep myself out of sight below the sill of the arches.
Maybe there is somewhere I can hide if they search the passage." At the end was
a small room now used for storing unwanted items left by previous owners. The
one door to the tower was locked and this time there was no key. Amongst the
junk she found and old cricket bat. "They'll not take me without a fight. They
are not going to rape and beat me, not without injury to themselves." She found
a corner where a pillar adjoined an arch and settled down on the floor. She was
in shadow but could peer down on the scene in the hall. "They will never notice
me if I keep the hood covering my face, and I may be able to hear what they are
doing about finding me."
From below came the screams of Melious as Bella fastened her to the frame. Then
Michael's voice rose above all the others calling for silence. "Has any one seen
my slave? Petronella, Mary Jane, one of the slave girls who helped you undress
earlier." A man spoke and she caught the words tissue and cloakroom and then
some general moving around. Suddenly Bella's strident voice rose above all the
others, "The bitch has stolen my coat! I'll have her guts!" For a while there
was confusion with people milling around. Roderick came in and spoke with
Michael. Mary couldn't hear what was said but shortly afterwards Michael
announced, "Sorry folks. You carry on with the party. Seems my slave has done a
runner and either gone into the woods or is heading down the main road. I'll
have to get dressed and look for her. Enjoy yourselves."
"Perhaps it was a good thing I didn't close the main door," Mary mused.
*****
Michael cursed to himself as he took the torch from the back of the Landrover.
He couldn't drive it. Other cars completely boxed it in. Roderick was looking
around the back of the house, so Michael took the front. "She's a farm girl so
she's used to the outdoors so where would an outdoor girl go in weather as
bitterly cold as this? This wind passes right through you without pausing."
Michael asked himself. "She can't have walked far as she didn't take any shoes
and those stupid mock Roman sandals wouldn't take her far. Soles far too flimsy
and smooth to climb in the woods. Outhouses or the road?" Michael decided the
shed and what had been a stable was the most likely option and searched there.
"Mary Jane! Mary Jane! Mary Jane!" he called repeatedly. Fifteen minutes later
he again met up with Roderick. "Any sign?"
"Nothing sir. Gate to the path into the woods hasn't been opened and there are
no tracks in the muddy bit of the path. Checked the wood shed, Nothing. No sign
of her at all."
"That just leaves the main road as far as I can see. I rather doubted she would
risk hitch hiking dressed with almost nothing on under her coat but perhaps she
really was that desperate. I really shouldn't have brought her. I went too far."
"My car is out the back, we can take that and have a look between.... I can't
think which way would be best, Sir. If she did hitch she wouldn't be bothered
which way a car would be going. I can drive; you've had too much wine for this
road."
"Thanks Rod. I wonder if she headed for the place where the table decorations
were made? She seemed to get on alright with the woman, Betty was it? who made
them. She said she was a friendly soul but she could hardly understand a word
she said."
"It was Betsy, Sir. I suggest we head the other way first for about a mile and
if she isn't standing alongside the road trying to get a lift, we'll turn round
and go to Betsy's." Two hours later they returned, tired and very worried,
believing Mary had indeed been able to get a lift and was off somewhere unknown
and with a person or persons unknown. Even after knowing her for little more
than a week, Michael felt a great sense of loss and felt responsible for what
had happened. They returned to the house to find the party still in full swing
but Michael had no stomach for it now. He searched the rooms again, re-checked
the out houses and peered into every parked car, all to no avail. He was still
out there when Roderick called him.
