'Aye, girl, you've done what I asked, so I've no complaints there,' the Spook said. 'But that's not the problem. Training to be a spook is a hard business: the last thing Tom needs is to be distracted by a girl like you. There's no place for a woman in a spook's life. In fact it's the only real thing we have in common with priests.'
'But where's this come from all of a sudden? I've helped Tom, not distracted him!' Alice protested. 'And I couldn't have worked harder. Has someone written to tell you otherwise?' she demanded angrily, gesturing towards the back of the grate, where the burned letter had fallen.
'What?' asked the Spook, raising his eyebrows in puzzlement, but then quickly realizing what she meant. 'No, of course not. But what's in private correspondence is none of your business. Anyway, I've made up my mind,' he said, fixing her with a hard stare. 'So we won't debate it any further. You'll get a fresh start. It's as good a chance as any to find your proper place in this world, girl. And it'll be your last chance too!'
Without a word or even a glance at me, Alice turned away and stamped up the stairs to bed. I stood up to follow her and offer some words of comfort but the Spook called me back.
'You wait here, lad! We need to talk before you go up those stairs, so sit yourself down!'
I did as I was told and sat back down by the fire.
'Nothing you say is going to change my mind! Accept that now and things will be a lot easier,' the Spook told me.
'That's as may be,' I said, 'but there were better ways of telling her. Surely you could have broken it to her a bit more gently?'
'I've got more things to worry about than the girl's feelings,' said the Spook.
There was no arguing with him when he was like this so I didn't waste my breath. I wasn't happy, but there was nothing I could do about it. I knew my master had made up his mind to do this weeks ago and wasn't about to change it now. Personally I didn't understand why we had to go to Anglezarke anyway. And why were we going now, so suddenly? Was it something to do with the stranger and what he'd written in the letter? The boggart had reacted oddly too. Was it because it knew that I was carrying that letter?
'The stranger said he'd be seeing you up on Anglezarke,' I blurted out. 'He didn't seem too friendly. Who was he?'
The Spook glared at me, and for a moment I thought he wasn't going to answer. Then he shook his head again and muttered something under his breath before speaking.
'His name is Morgan and he was once an apprentice of mine. A failed apprentice, I might add, even though he studied under me for almost three years. As you know, not all my apprentices make the grade. He just wasn't up to the job so he holds a grudge, that's all. Happen you'll see nothing of him when we're up there, but if you do, keep well clear. He's nothing but trouble, lad. Now, get yourself upstairs: as I said, we've an early start tomorrow.'
'Why do we need to go to Anglezarke for the winter?' I asked. 'Couldn't we just stay here? Wouldn't it be more comfortable in this house?' It was something that just didn't make any sense.
'You've asked enough questions for one day!' the Spook said, his voice filled with irritation. 'But I will say this. We don't always do things because we want to do them. And if if s comfort you want, then this isn't the trade for you. Like it or lump it, folk need us up there - especially when the nights draw in. We're needed so that's why we go. Now off to bed. Not another word!'
It wasn't the full answer that I'd hoped for, but the Spook had a good reason for everything he did and I was just the apprentice with a lot to learn. So, with an obedient nod, I went off to bed.
Farewell to Chipenden
Alice was sitting on the stairs outside my room waiting for me. A candle beside her flickered shadows onto the door.
'Don't want to leave here, Tom,' she said, coming to her feet. 'Been happy here, I have. His winter house would be the next best thing. Old Gregory ain't being right with me!'
'I'm sorry, Alice, I agree, but he's made up his mind. There's nothing I can do.'
I could see that she'd been crying but I didn't know what else to say. Suddenly she seized my left hand and squeezed it hard. 'Why does he always have to be like that?' she asked. 'Why does he hate women and girls so much?'
'I think he's been hurt in the past,' I said gently. I'd recently learned some things about my master but so far I'd kept them to myself. 'Look, I'm going to tell you something now, Alice, but you have to promise not to tell anybody else and never let the Spook know I told you!'
'I promise,' she whispered, her eyes very wide.
'Well, do you remember when he almost put you in the pit when we came back from Priestown?'
Alice nodded. My master dealt with malevolent witches by keeping them trapped alive in pits. He'd been about to put Alice in one a while ago, even though she hadn't really deserved it.
'Do you remember what I shouted?' I asked.
'I couldn't hear properly, Tom. I was struggling and terrified, but whatever you said did the trick because he changed his mind. I'll always be grateful to you for that.'
'I just reminded him that he hadn't put Meg in the pit, so he shouldn't do it to you!'
'Meg?' Alice interrupted. 'Who's she? Never heard her mentioned before ...'
'Meg's a witch. I read all about her in one of the Spook's diaries. As a young man he fell in love with her. I think she broke his heart. And what's more she's still living somewhere up on Anglezarke.'
'Meg who?'
'Meg Skelton-'
'No! That can't be right. Came from foreign parts, Meg Skelton did. Went back home years ago. Everybody knows that. She was a lamia witch and wanted to be with her own kind again.'
I knew a lot about lamia witches from a book in the Spook's library. Most of them came from Greece, where my mam once lived, and in their wild state they fed upon the blood of humans.
'Well, Alice, you're right about her not being born in the County, but the Spook says she's still here and I'll get to meet her this winter. For all I know she could be living in his house-'
'Don't be daft, Tom. That ain't likely, is it?
What woman in her right mind would live with him?'
'He's not that bad, Alice,' I reminded her. 'We've both been sharing a house with him for weeks and we've been happy enough!'
'If Meg is living in his house up there,' Alice said, a wicked smile on her face, 'don't be surprised if he has her buried in a pit.'
I smiled in return. 'Well, we'll find out when we get there,' I said.
'No, Tom. YowTl find out. I'll be living somewhere else. Remember? But it's not all bad because Adlington's close to Anglezarke,' she said. 'Ain't much of a walk so you could visit me, Tom. Would you? Would you do that? That way I wouldn't be so lonely...'
Although I wasn't sure that the Spook would let me visit, I wanted to make her feel better. Suddenly I remembered Andrew.
'What about Andrew?' I said. 'He's the only brother the Spook has left and he's living and working in Adlington now. My master's bound to want to see him from time to time, what with living so close. And he'll probably take me with him. We'll be popping into the village all the time, I'm sure, so there'll be lots of chances for me to see you.'
Alice smiled then and let go of my hand. 'Then make sure you do, Tom. I'll be expecting you. Don't let me down. And thank you for telling me all that stuff about Old Gregory. In love with a witch, eh? Who'd have thought he had it in him?'
With that, she snatched up her candle and went up the stairs. I really was going to miss Alice, but finding an excuse to see her might be harder than I'd suggested. The Spook certainly wouldn't approve. He didn't have much time for girls and had warned me on many occasions to beware of them. I'd told Alice enough for now about my master, too much perhaps, but there was more to the Spook's past than just Meg. He'd also got himself involved with another woman, Emily Burns, who had already been betrothed to another of his brothers. The brother was dead now but the scandal had divided his family, causing a deal of trouble. Emily was also supposed to be living somewhere near Anglezarke. There are two sides to every story and I wasn't about to judge the Spook until I knew more; still, it was twice as many women as most County men ever have in their lifetimes: the Spook had certainly lived a bit!
I went into my room and put my candle on the table beside the bed. Written on the wall close to its foot were lots of names, scrawled there by former apprentices. Some had completed their training with the Spook successfully: Bill Arkwright's name was there in the top left-hand corner. A lot had failed and hadn't completed their time. Some had even died. Billy Bradley's name was there in the other corner. He'd been the apprentice before me but he'd made a mistake and had his fingers bitten off by a boggart. Billy had died of shock and loss of blood.