OPHELIA: Chapter 29
Blurb
Elizabeth Lockwick wants one thing… to ensure Ophelia remains dead.
For years she’s weaved a life seen through rose-coloured glasses in idyllic Vermont with her husband Sebastian Lockwick, an alluring man with a broken moral compass, whose intent lies in protecting his wife. However, apart from her unorthodox understanding of Sebastian’s dark and gritty hidden nature, she finds herself slipping away from her sanity in maintaining this picturesque life.
After receiving a gruesome gift from an unknown sender threatening to expose her, she finds herself haunted and possibly hunted by her buried past.
In order to make things right for herself and ensure that her secret is hidden, she reluctantly travels back to her sleepy small hometown in Wisconsin. A town where young girls seem to be mysteriously disappearing. There, she reunites with the dysfunctional Pierre-Louis’, a French-American family who sheltered her in their manor in her time of need.
With time slipping away, she struggles with her guilt and a dangerous affair and realizes that perhaps Ophelia wasn’t dead after all these years.
Elizabeth suddenly finds herself caught in a game of cat and mouse, unsure of which she really is this time and who she can trust.
Leave a comment/ feedback/ thoughts on this chapter for more.
Chapter 29
Sebastian observed the persons gathered around the neatly placed tables on the lawn. It was more of a party than a funeral, he inwardly chuckled. What an odd family, then again, his was more unconventional.
“Why the fuck are you here?” Vivian slammed her bag down on the table and sat across from him wearing her deep scowl.
“My my my sister, I seem to have crossed you,” he smirked.
“What’s beginning to cross me is the length of time you’re spending in Rose Gap. Shouldn’t you be gone by now?”
“And why is that a problem to you?”
“Your entire presence bothers me,” she hissed. “Rose Gap is my town. My personal space. I don’t like when you invade it so much.”
“Oh, but I’m mourning,” he raised both eyebrows playfully.
“Oh, don’t bullshit me Sebastian, you don’t even care.”
“Neither do you,” he chuckled and watched as her expression paled. “If you’re afraid that she sees me here then no worries, she already has.”
Vivian scowled disapprovingly.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I must express my deepest condolences to the grieving family.”
Ophelia watched as Sebastian left the table where Vivian was sitting at and headed to speak with Stefan and Victor. She hadn’t known what connection they had with each other and seeing them here together peaked her curiosity. The sun shone dryly and the wind drifted aimlessly as she made her way towards the refined young woman who had placed her bag and black sun hat on the table. Ophelia sat silently near her in her view as she smiled apologetically.
“I’m sorry,” she began in a soft and sympathetic voice, “I hadn’t known Claire Marie was family to you.”
“You knew Claire?”
“Yes. I tutored her in German and Arabic. She was a brilliant young girl.” She frowned almost in a memory, “I just don’t quite believe it.”
“I don’t want to believe it even if I do. It never really sinks in,” Ophelia admitted. “Until one day, everyday, you wake up and feel like there’s this hole within you and nothing can fix it, not even time.”
Vivian sighed softly, “This town isn’t safe for young girls.”
“It never was,” Ophelia whispered to herself.
“It never was,” Vivian repeated in agreement.
Speaking of Claire like that brought up a terrible ache within her. She didn’t want to cry right now, not here. “That man,” she began in an attempt to change the topic, “The one who just left your table, he’s not from around here.”
Vivian smiled quietly, amused at her question, “No. He is not. At least not anymore.”
“Anymore?” Ophelia asked, turning to her confused.
“Yes, he’s my step-brother. His father married my mother after my father’s death. Sebastian’s mother had already died at this time. We were both very young during it all. Although, he barely lived in Rose Gap. Most of his years were spent at his boarding school back in England.”
This was quite a curious and interesting piece of information being told to her. So many questions drifted through her mind, however, she contained them. This would have explained their previous meeting back in Vermont.
“But something tells me you already know him,” Vivian subtly smirked.
A second’s flush of panic flushed over her skin but died within her next breath, “I don’t think I even do to begin with.”
“Do you think it’s the same person?” Vivian asked looking at a group of older men all gathered to the left.
“Pardon?”
“The ones who murdered Madeline Wilson, do you believe it’s the same who took Claire’s life?”
“I don’t know what to think anymore,” Ophelia admitted.
“Forgive me, I shouldn’t bring it up in such a manner.”
“No,” Ophelia shook her head and turned to her, leaning a bit closer in a hushed voice, “I want to know what you think. You’re here longer than I was.”
The dark heavy grey clouds hung threateningly above them. A storm was coming. Vivian spoke cautiously, “An acquaintance of mine gave me information of Madeline’s autopsy. She was alive when she was cut and raped repeatedly as her cause of death. The authorities won’t bring that sort of information out into light. They’re afraid it might stir a panic.”
“Perhaps a panic is what this town needs,” Ophelia frowned. “According to Claire’s autopsy, her cause of death was trauma to the head, she seemed to also be choked.”
“They don’t connect in my opinion. It’s too merciful compared.”
Ophelia suddenly noticed a grief ridden Rosie rush through the crowd and run into the manor. She excused herself from her conversation with Vivian and followed the sorrowed and frantic woman into the manor. Rosie sat before the large fireplace with tears streaming down her cheeks like an endless stream.
“Rosie,” Ophelia breathed as she sat beside her on the cold wooden floor.
“Valentin’s flight got delayed so he won’t make it. There’s no point of him coming here anymore anyway. This family is already broken.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s the truth ma chérie, ever since Stefan and you left, nothing has been the same. Everything just crumbled and I tried- I truly tried to keep it all together,” she sobbed, “Not that it was anything perfect before, but it was somewhat whole.”
A tang of guilt and regret filled into Ophelia’s pores as she embraced Rosie, “I’m sorry.”
“No, I am, what happened to you all those years ago shouldn’t have. Your parents were such good people, such kind people. Monty adored them, he made a promise to take care of you and he did. He was a good man, and looked what happened, he’s dead. Claire’s dead. Valentin left for that business trip to distract himself because he couldn’t bear a home without his brother. You know how close they were. Claire was just a child. Who could have done this!”
“Hush hush,” Ophelia tried to console her but felt her heart break every second of doing so. Nothing Rosie said had been wrong and that was the most tragic part of it all.
“Rosalie,” Diane called solemnly at the door. “Aid me in seeing off some of the guests.”
Rosie quickly wiped away her tears and gave Ophelia an assuring smile. She followed Diane out the room as Ophelia stood and turned to the fireplace. The crackling dead wood burnt into her ear. Fire was a beautiful thing to look at from afar. It’s wistful flames dancing to its very tune, seducing its admirer to touch her, like hungry mermaids to a lustful fisherman alone at sea. It was a cruel thing, so very bright, so very near, and just a touch- just a breath into its smokey stench, and it’ll consume you- mind, body, and soul. It’ll take away all you’ve ever known. Just like it stole her family years ago.
“You alright in there?” Charlie called to her from behind. He stood curious yet concerned at the door.
“Yes,” she smiled in assurance. “Did you meet Stefan?”
“I did. I was just about to leave so I thought-” The sound of a loud thud suddenly caught their attention and they both rushed towards it. Elaine had suddenly fallen from the third step coming down from the staircase. Sheriff Gill Gomez had been aiding her up when Charlie took her from him.
“Goodness, Elaine!” Ophelia exclaimed softly as she shot a look towards the Sheriff who nodded and walked away. “Are you alright?”
“No one would believe a blind woman who says she was spitefully tripped,” she laughed.
Ophelia frowned and looked towards Charlie who held the same expression. “I would.”
“Let’s get her upstairs. She needs rest. We’ll send up a doctor after.”
She nodded in agreement. Carefully, Charlie guided her up the staircase and into her room alone with Ophelia who began opening the window to rid the stale air inside. As she did so, she noticed Vivian anxiously at the table she had left her at whilst all the other guests were leaving. Something seemed off about her. She seemed agitated, nervous, worried. She stood and brushed her fingers through her now open hair and grabbed her bag, throwing it over her shoulder. Charlie, who now stood near her, followed her gaze to the young woman at the lawn.
“She said she was Claire’s language tutor,” Ophelia spoke softly as she observed Elaine, at the corner of her eye, who had just began closing her eyes to get some rest.
“Is that so?” Charlie scowled.
“Why do you say it like that?”
“Because she was Madeline Wilson’s tutor as well,” he stated.
**
For visual scenes of this novel, follow me on TikTok! I enjoy bringing these scenes and characters to life, so I hope you do too! Love & appreciate you guys for the support. Here’s the link to my TikTok (hope to see you there!)
♡
Your feedback and engagement really helps the blog & motivates me to keep posting more FREE content for you guys!
This is my Instagram if you’d like to connect with me there: @celinekmahadeo
ALSO, as you guys might notice ‘The Catalog by Celine’ is officially a Fashion & Fiction Blog so feel free to browse through and share!
Subscribe to my email list for exclusive bonus chapters of my novels, etc. (Bonus chapters are only sent to email subscribers)
SAVE THIS PIN
A Little More About Our Blog?
The Catalog by Celine is a Fashion & Fiction Blog for anyone who loves fashion, beauty, & books. We aim at inspiring you to look and feel like the best version of yourself. Empowering and providing you with our latest fashion finds, inspo, tips, as well as helping you source the perfect novel.
Enjoying this book? Be sure to also take a peek at my other completed novels as well:
Click the link below to Read:
Fatal Alliances by Celine Mahadeo
The Saint Have Fallen by Celine Mahadeo
Trailer Blurb for The Saints Have Fallen:
Discover more from The Catalog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
