The Lost Boy

The Murders of Bright Falls County - [ Marni & Lost Boy ]

The milky grey fog swallowed the valley and the town of Bright Falls that inhabit it. Even as the winter sun rose, the fog refused to retreat from the pine cladded hills that towered over the river that ran through the town. Twenty three minutes North of the isolated Washington State town, The 4WD slowly made its way along the dirt road. The snow from the previous night had painted the fields white. The vehicle stopped a hundred metres from the abandon log hut nestled alongside the river and the edge of the State park. Sheriff Chuck Hooper exited his Ute and walked the last hundred meters to the dozen State and Local Police officers, medical examiners, and forensic specialists that were milling around the wooden hut. He tipped his hand silently to the Deputy who was directing the organised chaos.

Hooper stepped into the hut. Many a time he had come down in the Summer to shoo away a group of partying teens or to break up some college age mid-summer break celebration. Now the hut was quiet, dim and cold. The body lay there dead on the floor, with her blood decorating the wooden floor boards around her.

* * *

'Sheriff Chuck Hooper from the Bright Falls County Sheriff’s Office at this morning Press Conference is appealing to the public for any information on the body that was found at O’Grady’s hut three days ago...'

The radio crackled on in the background as Rowan leaned back in the passenger seat with his feet up on the dashboard and his eyes closed. The long straight stretch with pine tree on either side always felt like a drag. He liked hitching a ride in trucks. The cabs always had room for his 6”5 frame, and the truckies never seem to care for his feet on their dashboards.

'The victim was a women in her early thirties with no apparent ties to the Bright Falls County..'

“Nasty business that is ain’t it?” Rowan’s ride remarked breaking him from is slumber.

“What is?”

“The murder,” the truckie replied motioning to the radio.

Rowan grunted in agreement, keeping his eyes closed.

“So what brings you to back to Bright Fall?” The driver asked.

“Business.”

“Ya don’t look like no businessman”

Rowan smiled at the truck drivers response.

“I swear you weren’t that bloody nosy three years ago.”

It had been close to three years since he had left the town of Bright Waters. After his Mother had passed on, there wasn’t anything worth staying for. As his friends moved onto college or apprenticeships, starting families on their own, the town wasn’t the same when High School ended.

“You coulda visited your old man. He still talks about ya.”

“As I said Carl, you’re a nosy bastard.”

The driver laughed as the truck entered the town. Nothing had changed since he had left. The same buildings stood, the same signs and even the same people walking the cold winter streets.

“You want me to drop ya off at your old man's?”

“The centre of town will do Carl.”

“You sure?”

Rowan smiled and slapped the older man on the back.

“I missed you Carl. Thanks for picking me up.”

Rowan remained quiet as the truck slowly came to a halt. He thanked Carl again, grabbing his small duffel bag and jumped out into the cool Washington winter air.

The Murders of Bright Falls County - [ Marni & Lost Boy ]

-

Pemberley Revisited. [Marni and The Lost Boy]

The three of them were greeted by the footman and were led through the house towards the dining room. Mrs Hollyworth was ecstatic as she commented on every little detail of the house, though usually negatively comparing to the ‘grander Hollyworth Estate’. The Major felt out of place as he normally did at these events. He may have grown up and attended many dinners such as these, but after joining the Army he had actively tried to avoid such occasions, usually at the annoyance of his brother William and the Colonel. Arthur would of normally attempted to rope in Major Hewson or even Captain Mathieson in his stead, but Hewson the blacksmith’s son, and Mathieson the womaniser usually left the Colonel favouring Arthur. In this case Arthur accepted without complaint, as he was willing to endure awkward conversations, and boring entertainment to catch a glimpse of Matilda.

They entered the dining room just as the everyone else did from the otherside of the house. The dining room was what one would expect of an Estate this size. The long table dominated the room however with plenty of pace on either side to move freely. Mr Farr was quick to introduce the three of them to their guests, Mrs Bennet and her son Hugo. Arthur bowed politely as his gaze crossed the room and fell upon Matilda. His eyes met hers for a mere second, but a second longer than anyone else’s. He tore his gaze away from her blue eyes before he attracted attention to himself.

Before the group could fall into an awkward silence, Mr Farr invited everyone to take a seat. The Major followed his Colonel’s direction and took a seat beside him.

Pemberley Revisited. [Marni and The Lost Boy]

Following their visit to Wakehurst three days prior, the Colonel was quick to notice a change in his Major yet again. The period of solemn isolation from the other Officers was replaced by a more jovial and upbeat Major that he hadn’t seen for sometime. The Colonel made no mention nor remark on the change of mood for the exception of an off-handed question he asked his Major while on their way to the Wakehurst Estate. In a second of rare silence inbetween Mrs Hollyworth’s near constant chatter, the Colonel directed his attention to Bradford.

“While at Wakehurst, Are you able to refrain from long walks in the Garden?” The Colonel asked with a smile.

“Walks in this weather? Are you mad Major? I dare say, my sister Penny took a stroll one evening, seven days later..” Mrs Hollyworth continued with one of her many stories.

Bradford turned back to the window and ignored the Colonel’s smirk. The last three days had gone in a blur. For the first time in a while he knew what he had to do. In the same way when he was fifteen he knew he was destined to be a Military officer, he knew now that his time in the Army had come to the end. A sense of duty to the nation had now been replaced with a longing for a life of some sort of normality with Matilda. His train of thought was interrupted by the carriage arriving into Wakehurst.

Pemberley Revisited. [Marni and The Lost Boy]

Arthur pulled himself off the ground, and brushed of the dirt and grass the best he can. Trying to rescue the little decorum he had left, he collected the loose laundry and began pegging them to the line. He too didn’t think himself as clumsy, but then he also didn’t think of himself as a man that would kiss a woman out in the open of her own backyard. At this very moment he didn’t even know himself.

“Quite frankly, don’t ask me what on earth I am doing, or what I am planning on doing.” He said as he pegged the laundry up. “Well except that I know that I would like to kiss you again.” He paused as he turned and smiled.

“As much as I would like to continue, this isn’t the most private location.”

Pemberley Revisited. [Marni and The Lost Boy]

Arthur was overwhelmed by the soft warm lips that melded into his. His heart melted when her hands rested on his chest. Arthur gently broke away from the kiss. His fingers softly tracing the contours of her cheek.

“What am I going to do with you Miss Matilda Farr?” He whispered into her ear. “That kiss could have broken any man’s resolve.”

With one kiss he had made his mind; all he wanted was to kiss her. What they were going to do in the future didn’t matter. Hell, if she slapped him, it didn’t matter. All he wanted was to kiss her like he should have done two weeks ago.

He released her and turned to remove the sheet that he was now wearing. Fate was not on his side that afternoon and as soon as he shook off the linen he tripped on the discard basket and sprawled backwards onto the ground.

“This is unbelievable.” He said thrashing off the wrenched sheet while on in his back. “This bloody house is out to get me I swear.”

Pemberley Revisited. [Marni and The Lost Boy]

Arthur had expected anger, frustration or maybe even silence from Matilda, but her kissing him was the last thing he expected. The feeling of her soft lips press against his, the scent of her breath and the slight sweet taste of her on his lips lingered on after she turned away and proceeded to hang out the washing.

Arthur stood their motionless not knowing what to say so he didn’t say anything. His heart pounded away in his chest.

"Apology accepted." Matilda said with a playful wink.

He was confused, and emotionally wrestled other whether he should kiss her back or snap back at her in frustration. He wanted to feel her lips again, to get lost in her fragrance and for her to melt in his arms. But how dare she play with his emotions like it is a game. He had felt wrenched for the past 14 days and all she did was brush it off with a kiss.

“Is this a game to you?” Arthur could feel his anger build. Before he could say something he would regret he turned and stormed off down the path. He paused as he turned the corner. She knew who he was and the reasons for not proposing, yet she kissed him. He seemed to care more about his status in life than Matilda did kissing a destitute soldier.

Arthur turned around and marched back; he forced himself through the clothes line. Arthur swore as the line caught him in the face and his limbs got tangled in the white linen. He stumbled towards her kicking the basket over with pegs flying everywhere. With two hands he cupped her cheeks and kissed her.

Pemberley Revisited. [Marni and The Lost Boy]

"And my ankle is absolutely fine, thank you. So, if you could just give me that back - I can finish what I started."

Maybe in his awkwardness he had come across a bit strong, but now with the laundry basket in hand he was too much of a stubborn fool to relinquish it.

“Of course not,” he replied as he made his way towards what looked like a washing line. “Two weeks ago you could hardly walk. Hanging a little bit of washing will be of no inconvenience; a little unconventional, yes.”

George Farr in the past two weeks had been a regular visitor to the Hollyworth’s and he hardly expected that to change over the following months. His actions that Friday night had been inexcusable, an all he wanted was to return to some form of normality between the two of them.

"Why are you even out here?"

“Because I couldn’t spend another second in that same sitting room without having apologised for my inexcusable behaviour.”

That and needing to escape her Mother, but he wasn’t going to mention that.

Pemberley Revisited. [Marni and The Lost Boy]

Arthur wasn’t a superstitious man, but seeing Matilda walk down the path he swore fate had something against him. Again at first glance he mistook her for a servant as she lugged the laundry basket through the garden. He immediately stood up and respectfully bowed his head as any Gentleman would. His instinct was to make a teasing remark on Wakehurst firing all their servants, but instead he bit his tongue.

“Miss Farr ...”

He paused. What was he meant to say, ‘hello, how have you been’? He had acted like a fool that night and he didn’t have the guts to say anything about it.

“Let me take that, I can’t allow someone with a sprained ankle to be hanging out the laundry,” he said without thinking. He took the basket from her hands and stood there feeling like an idiot. What am I doing? he thought.

Pemberley Revisited. [Marni and The Lost Boy]

The passed two week for Arthur had been the slowest weeks of his life. The Colonel along with the other Officers at the Hall that evening did not need to enquire on the success of his evening. He had returned to his billets in a sour mood. The following day he threw himself into training the junior officers with renewed energy and ferocity. However, being an officer billeted at the Hollyworth estate meant he was not immune to the social obligations that came with the privilege of being a senior officer. On several occasions he had no choice but to dine and socialise when he would rather be by himself. One such guest was George Farr. The Colonel and Mr Farr had supposedly spent much of that Friday night at the Hall in conversation with each other, and after that night Mr Farr had been a regular guest to the various events and outings his fellow officers had organised.

Arthur knew that this day would come when the messenger from Wakehurst invited the Colonel and himself for afternoon tea and to tour the Wakehurst Estate. Major Bradford, though not at all wanting an opportunity to be reminded of how he foolishly treat Matilda, had no choice but to accept the offer. Thankfully his arrival did not lead to the family and household staff to great the two of them at the door as he had dreaded, but instead was lead through to the back to the garden and then into the kitchen.

The last place he expected to find Matilda was in the Kitchen. At first glance he had mistaken her as one of the staff until Mr Farr reintroduced his daughter and thanking the Major again for his service to the family that night. Bradford tipped his head respectfully to Miss Farr, and stood their awkwardly awaiting for George to lead them through into the rest of the house. He was saved by Mrs Farr who quickly bustled them out of the kitchen into the sitting room.

He sat on the same chair as the one two weeks prior, and wanted to be anywhere except in that sitting room. To their credit, in between Mrs Farr constant chatter, and Henry’s questions which the Colonel had the pleasure in answering, Major Bradford did not need to converse much except for the occasional nod in agreement. After thirty minutes, which felt closer to two hours, he excused himself to take a walk around their garden to escape and distract his mind from what had transpired in that room two weeks ago.

Arthur made his way to the garden and sat himself down on the bench and closed his eyes. Counting down the minutes until he should return to the sitting room before it comes across as rude.