The Secret of Hollyfield House by Jude Bayton (first ebook reader TXT) 📕

there was an odour of unwashed bodies and unsanitary conditions borne in the air.

As the young constable stopped in front of the first metal door, I composed myself and fought against the acid in my throat, bobbing in protest at the disgusting smell of the place. He pulled a large circlet of keys from his belt and banged on the door.

“Step away, Billy, you’ve visitors here.” He unlocked the door and then pushed it open. “In you go then, an’ mind you don’t upset him. He kept us up half the night with his shoutin’.”

Dominic nodded assent, and I followed him into the cell.

Billy lay on his side upon a narrow cot, his arms wrapped around bent knees which he hugged to his chest. At the sight of Dominic, he sat up, and I was shocked at how thin he had become. The robust chubby boy I remembered had been replaced by a hollow-cheeked youth, and the light in his eyes was snuffed.

“’Tis you, Dom,” he said, getting to his feet. The brothers embraced, and the sight was so moving I swallowed hard to compose myself.

“Look, Billy. Miss Jillian has come to see you like I promised. Do you remember her?” Dominic gestured to where I stood. The boy stared at me for a moment with a puzzled expression on his face.

I smiled broadly. “Hello, Billy,” I said. “I wanted to come and tell you I have visited your cows and they look very well.”

He blinked. “Did you see ’em babies too?”

“Yes,” I reassured. “They are getting very fat and growing taller each day.”

“I miss ’em, I do.” He looked crestfallen, and at once, I felt guilty.

“Do not be sad,” I said with as much assertion as I could muster. “They will still be there when you come home.” I caught Dominic’s quick glance my way and understood he was chastising me for making false promises.

“Billy,” Dominic said. “Miss Jillian wants to ask you some questions. Would you mind?” He led his brother back to the bed, and they both sat down. “I know you’ve had to talk to a lot of people. But Jillian is my dear friend, so that makes her your friend as well. Please talk to her because she’s trying to help us.”

“Tired of talkin’, Dom. Makes my head hurt, it does.”

“I understand. But Billy, you know I wouldn’t ask you unless it was really important.”

Billy nodded, and Dominic looked my way. There was a small wooden stool over by one wall. I set it near the bed and sat down. I had to look up to meet the stares of the Wolfe brothers, but I thought it a good idea to have my head lower than Billy’s—I would seem less intimidating that way.

“Billy. I want to talk to you about your work at Hollyfield.”

He gave a nod.

I smiled. “I know you work very hard for the LaVelle family.”

Another nod. “That Victor, I like him—he’s da number two. Right, Dom?” He looked at his brother.

“Yes, Billy.”

“Are you friends with the rest of the family?” I said gently. “Or the other people who work at Hollyfield?”

Billy gave a little grin. “I like that pretty girl who dusts an’ mops. She’s got yellow hair an’ sometimes gives me a biscuit from the kitchen.”

“That’s lovely,” I said. “She is nice to do that. What about the other ladies at the House? Do you know Miss Marabelle?”

He nodded. “Her face is always sad,” he said. “An’ she don’t say much to me.”

“And Miss Evergreen?” I added.

Billy’s expression changed entirely, and his demeanour became agitated. His eyes started to look around the cell, not settling upon anything in particular. The mention of his half-sister’s name had provoked a strong reaction.

“Does Miss Evergreen ever speak to you, Billy?”

He did not reply.

“Come, Billy,” prompted his brother. “’Tis all right to talk to Jillian like you are talking to me. Don’t be afraid.” He squeezed his brother’s hand.

Billy’s eyes met mine, and at once, I saw how troubled they were. What was this then? Something had definitely happened to make him so reluctant to speak of her.

“Please, Billy, it is so helpful if you can answer my questions. You won’t get in any trouble by talking about Miss Evergreen to me. I promise.”

Billy licked his lips. “She don’t like me,” he said. “She calls me bad names.”

I steeled myself. I could not show how his words affected me. The time for empathy would come later. “What sort of names?” I asked.

“She says I’m stupid an’ a fat idiot. She don’t want me near the house.”

Dominic stiffened—this was difficult for him to hear. I hoped he would remain quiet.

“Why do you think Evergreen says those nasty things, Billy?”

“Cause, she don’t want to be my sister. She only likes Perry an’ Marik and Dom. She don’t like Miss Marabelle neither. I heard her shoutin’ at her I did.” He looked at Dominic as though he had just told him a secret. Dominic said nothing but put an arm about his brother’s shoulders.

“Is Miss Evergreen mean to anyone else?”

Billy looked as though he was thinking hard. Then he gave a sly grin. “Well, I thought she was being mean, ’cause it looked like she was tryin’ to squash him. But then he started laughin’, so I thought she was ticklin’ him instead.” Beside him, Dominic frowned. I pressed on.

“Who was it you saw her with, Billy?”

“She was playin’, and her top come down. An’ he just laughed an’ tickled her as well. I ain’t never seen Miss Evergreen have so much fun. He must be her best friend.”

“Who was she playing with?” This time it was Dominic who asked.

Billy turned to him and grinned. “Jareth. They was rollin’ on the ground getting’ grass stuck in her hair. They were havin’ fun until they saw me.”

“What happened then?” I asked, holding my breath.

Billy’s face grew frightened. “He’s a big bully. He did chase me through the woods, an’ I got away, an’ he never caught me. I hid