Part -8-
Hampton/Evesham
“I am sorry; I have no idea where Roger is. Yes, I am sure he must be aware he is required to complete his input on whatever he was doing.” Molly was answering questions posed by John Ditton, Rogers, head of department was on the other end of the telephone line and he was furious.
“Roger knows how important it is that we work as a team, each with independent input to go toward the whole, and he has not shown up for work for three days and not a bloody word from him. It is not good enough. Surely, Mrs. Stevens, he must have told you where he was going!”
“As I have already told you, I have no idea where he is. He left for work three days ago, and I have not seen or heard a word from him since. Therefore, I cannot explain the reason for his absence. I have checked with his parents, and they are completely in the dark about his whereabouts. I have to confess, I am so worried I have called the police.”
When Molly put the phone down, she sat down and began to think about the changes she had noticed in my attitude. She had noticed my lack of interest when she had tried to rouse my interest to make love when we had gone to bed. I think it was during these moments that Molly realized the love she had had for me was at very low ebb.
I was less than forty miles from Molly and my home, but Richard had control of my mind and body for almost twenty fours hours a day and I was at a complete loss as to know what to do about it. The servants were polite to me, but I noticed the way they looked at me. It made me feel as if I was a spectre. The servants had attended Richard’s funeral, now I felt sure they must be wondering how I could have got out of the tomb. I laughed to myself when I went down for breakfast.
I had just sat down to eat my breakfast. I had helped myself to lamb kidneys, bacon, sausage and eggs from the heated serving trays on the sideboard, when the Earl and Lady Maud entered the dining room. I quickly stood up. The Earl’s face looked grey as he said, “Be seated.” Lady Maud sat at the table and said, “Good morning Richard, did you have a good night?”
“Good morning Mama, yes a very restful night.”
When the Earl seated himself at the table he did not look at me as he said, “Your arrival, here is not only puzzling and startling, but you have arrived, as we are due to take off for Greece later today. The trip to Greece is to visit my sister, the Countess Coriogoles.”
“But arrangements can be made for Richard to come with us, can’t they Francis?”
I did not wish to travel to Greece, so I quickly said, “I have things to do Mama, perhaps some horseback riding and perhaps re-join one of the hunts.”
The Earl seemed relieved. “That would be better for all concerned.”
As soon as the Earl and Countess had left for their journey to Greece, I felt strange in some unaccountable way. I went to many of the rooms including the room I had always slept in, and then I went to the room that Roger had used when he visited Bletstone House. Suddenly, everything appeared to be illusory. I met Garnet the butler as I came down the stairs and without thinking I said, “Garnet, I will be leaving early tomorrow morning, and I may be away for a few days.” “Very good Master….Sir; I knew he was going to say Master Richard, but he changed it. “Is there anything you would like packed Sir?”
“No Garnet, I will pack the few items of clothing I will require.”
“Is there anything you require from the kitchen?”
“No thank you.”
“If that is all Sir, I will wish you a goodnight.” I woke up at five am the next morning. At first I was confused, I still spoke like Richard. I hurried to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and found I still looked like Richard. I called out, “Richard are you here?” there was no reply, I missed his strange laughter. I then began to believe he had gone along in spirit with his parents, and if this was the case, he would have no way to communicate with them without my being there. For the first time in two days, I felt that I was rid of Richard. I showered then dressed. I did not go to the breakfast room; instead I stole down some back stairs and made my way to the garages. My car was there and I wasted no time in getting in and starting it.
For the first time in days, I felt free but very concerned over what my absence would have done to my relationship with Molly. There was also my work, how was I to explain taking off without a word? I knew I could not use the excuse that my dead friend Richard had taken over my body, mind and all. I had also to think about my parents. I felt my father would perhaps understand, but my mother; what could I say to her?
As I drove toward Evesham, I tried to conjure up a good excuse to give to Molly. There was also my appointment with Doctor Foxley to consider. I received a shock when I arrived at the apartment on Greenhill. There were no drapes at the windows. I opened the door with my door key and found the apartment empty all the furniture moved out. I hurried to the other apartment rented to Miss Gwen Roberson and rapped on the door.
I had to knock several times before Gwen opened the door. “What do you want?”
“Surely you know me, I am Roger.”
“I’m surprised you have had the nerve to show your face here after deserting a lovely young wife and breaking her heart.”
“I know it looks bad Gwen but there was a reason that I do not intend to discuss right now. Where has Molly moved to?”
“I am not going to tell you, she told me to tell you to go to hell if you turned up.” Having delivered her message, she shut the door in my face. I was upset over what Gwen had said and realized I had acted like a real bastard, and I had Richard to blame for it. I decided to telephone my parents and hope my father would pick up the phone. I went to the nearest phone kiosk and nervously dialed the home phone number.
“Hello, Steven’s residence.”
“Hi Dad, its Roger, to save unsettling Mom, please don’t mention my name.”
“Your mother is out, where have you been? Have you gone out of your mind?”
“Dad you know what my problem has been, Richard has had possession of my body. I have been completely under his control.”
“Oh dear Roger, You have had your mother at her wits end, and from what I have heard from Molly, she wants nothing more to do with you. I have tried to explain your problem to your mom; she feels sure you have had a breakdown. Roger you have to see Doctor Foxley again and as soon as possible. Where are you now?”
“At this moment, I am in Evesham, Molly is no longer at the apartment, and I have no idea where she is.”
“Come home now Roger, in the meantime I will contact Doctor Foxley and set up your other appointment.”
All right Dad, I am on my way.”
I know I should have gone to Stanstead’s first and tried to offer some plausible excuse for being absent for two weeks but I could think of nothing that would cover my absence. I could only hope that the very good work I had done while at Stanstead’s would hold me in good stead.
As I drove along the A40 toward London, I hated the thought of leaving Evesham and of not seeing Molly, or even trying to find out where she was living. However, my one thought was for me to be with my father and mother and the visit to doctor Foxley’s office.
Once I arrived home, things went smoothly, my mother was very pleased to see that I was still in one piece, she was, however, very concerned about the break up with Molly and me. My father was concerned about my mental state of health and offered to accompany me to see Foxley, but I thanked him and declined his offer, I felt it was a matter I had to sort out in my own way.
“Well Roger, what sort of time have you had since I last saw you?”
“That is a difficult question for me to answer, because most of my time was in Richard’s company, put another way, Richard had control of my mind and body.” I explained all that had happened including my reception at Bletstone House. Dr Foxley made notes as I spoke.
“In your case Roger, we are not dealing with a case of dementia or schizophrenia, this is something far different, and I had better let Professor Lansisky talk to you. He is waiting in my outer office.” Foxley pressed a buzzer on his desk and in response his receptionist answered. “Dorothy, show Professor Lansisky in please,”
I don’t know what I was expecting in the form of the professor, but he reminded me of a tall cadaver. He was as thins as a stick, He had a long pale face and lateen cheeks Other than a little hair at back of his head and a little on each side, he was bald.
After a brief introduction he said, “I have looked forward to meeting you, do you mind if I call you Roger?”
“Go ahead its fine with me. I have been looking forward to meeting someone who can explain to me, what I can only call an invasion of my mind and body by someone who is dead and buried.”
“Roger, I want you to lie down and completely relax. That is good, now when you are comfortable I want you to tell me everything that has happened to you, and I would like you to start on the day you and Richard decided to nick your wrists and became blood brothers.”
I slowly told the professor that Richard and I shared many ideas, likes and dislikes. “We were academically equal. However, there was one big difference, he was carefree where I was concerned, but he was very haughty when it came to the other boys. It was almost as though he did not want to share me with anyone else. We chose girls from Cillian House that we would have liked to have taken out, but there was very little chance of ever being doing so because of the strict rules governing both houses. Richard loved to visit my home and my parents really liked him. At first they were a little in awe of him, him being the son and heir to an Earl.”
“I now want to ask you a very delicate question; was your relationship with the Honourable Richard, ever of a homosexual nature?”
I shot up from the couch I had been lying on. “What the hell are you implying, there was never any thought of such disgusting behaviour. I have to say I loved him as he loved me but not in any weird homosexual way, we were brothers. I was the brother he would never have.”
“So you nicked your wrists and pledged to be brothers?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Richard’s death must have come as a terrible shock to you.”
“Of course, I did not know he had returned to England or that he had been involved in an accident until I received the call from his parents and asked to go to the hospital as soon as possible. I knew of course Richard was a very fast driver; I had indeed been with him and experienced his reckless driving, I had also begged him to slow down.
The first person I met at the hospital was the doctor responsible of Richard’s care and treatment. He warned me that Richard was fast failing, and he had been calling for me.”
At this point I had to stop because tears were misting my eyes. I then continued,
“I recall the sensation of floating above Richard’s dead body and then the strange feeling that his spirit was rising and linking up with mine.” In explaining these things to the professor and the doctor I suddenly shuddered as I realized I had raised my voice about three octaves, and I had almost screamed out my words.
Doctor Foxley said, “Let us take a short break and continue in ten minutes, this will give you time to collect yourself.”
I was not sure I wanted to take a break; I preferred to learn what the professor could contribute to solve my problem. Those ten minutes seemed to last forever, so anxious was I to hear what the doctor and the professor had to say.
The doctor was the first to speak. “Roger, professor Lansisky has a theory he wishes to put forward, it is one I confess is beyond my field of endeavours.” He nodded to the professor to begin.
“I read about a case of a lady who claimed she had sold her soul to a man she was living with, and when he died, she declared to all, that it was she who had actually died and that the man had taken over her mind and body. She became so depressed that she ran out into the road directly in front of a bus screaming, “Get away from me, you devil.”
The poor woman died instantly from the impact with the bus, and it was said, her eyes were wide open and there was a smile on her face. I have only related this story to you to point out a similarity. Now let me continue by saying the feelings and aberrations you have been experiencing do not fit into the normal way of life as we know it. In your case, it stems from that little boyish act of nicking your wrist with this boy Richard. We know that Richard was the off spring of an Earl whose history stretches back some five or six hundred years. Now as far-fetched as it may sound, it is possible Richard inherited much of his ancestor’s traits. In other words, they may have lived on in him and when you mixed your blood, he passed it on to you. The interesting thing is, his passing did not appear to take place until you held his hand just before he died. And that is why you experienced that strange out of body sensation, as soon as he passed away. I believe it was but a fraction of a second until you entered a super-natural state. What makes it all the more convincing is your passing through a solid old oak door and found yourself in a suit of armour in the midst a battle. And yet, later found you were on the ground before a solidly close door still with all the dirt and weeds in place. The truth is you walked through the solid door just as if you were a wraith, in effect, a phantom!”
I know my face must have paled as I listened to the professor, and yet I had a feeling of expectation. “What does it all mean?”
“I have to be perfectly honest; I really do not know you see it all depends on how deeply Richard has taken control. The fact that he does not appear to be within you at this moment could mean that it is an on and off affair. It is also conceivable that when he takes control of your body, he can take you back through the centuries.”
Until this point, doctor Foxley had had been listening intently to this strange summing up. He turned to the professor, “I realize you are very well known in the field of parapsychology, but I find it very difficult to accept that a dead person can be so affective and take over a living soul. There is one other thing that puzzles me, Roger, why is Richard not with you this day, right at this moment?
“It was from the day the Earl and Duchess left for Greece, I felt the change come over me. I looked in a mirror and saw myself and yet just before going to bed the previous night I had looked in the mirror, and I was Richard, I had also sounded like him and used all the affectations that were Richard’s. I have assumed he spiritually accompanied his parents and to be truthful, I am hoping things will stay this way.”
The professor scratched his bald pate, “There is so much we have to learn; I feel sure Richard had passed his intelligence, his emotions and his personality to you Roger. I have to admit I am very excited because I have read such a great deal on this subject and here, right in this office, we have a genuine subject. With Doctor Foxley, and of course, your permission, I would like to keep in touch with you; I suggest Roger, you keep a journal.”
It was at that precise moment, I suddenly felt strange and confused. I looked at the two men, and suddenly I knew I was Richard again. I felt lordly and shouted out, ‘I am off, for I fear the men have need of me!’ Now that I was Richard once again I made for the door as I felt a great need to leave. I looked back at the doctor and the professor as I heard them protest at my intent to leave.
As I reached the door, I heard Foxley say, “My God, what will happen to him now, I was asked to help the young fellow, and I think all I have done is stir up more confusion.”
Professor Lansisky realized there had been a change in me, and that I was once again Richard. “Roger, or perhaps I should say Richard, there is one more test that will satisfy me.” He asked Foxley, whether he had a small mirror. Doctor Foxley opened a drawer and handed a small square shaped mirror to the professor. “Roger, would you mind looking in this mirror?”
When I looked in the mirror, I did not see my face reflected there, it was, as if I did not exist. The professor also noted the absence of an image in the mirror and smiled. “It is as I thought; a change has just come about!”
Doctor Foxley stood up. “Then I have failed to help this young man!”
“You have not failed Doctor because there was nothing you could have done; don’t you realize Sir, we are dealing with something so very rare, we have witnessed this day, a transmutation of sorts? We must keep each other informed at all times and some day we will be able to write a paper on this case and perhaps, become famous because of it.”
As I left I shouted, “You cluck like chickens, cease your chatter!” I then chuckled with silent laughter as I remembered I could have walked right through the closed office door. I walked away without giving one thought to Molly, or where she was.
I closed my eyes and next found I was at the Cinque Ports and then at Dover Castle with its moat, drawbridge, battlements and portcullis. There was a great deal of activity around me as men at arms manned catapults, siege engines, mortar and cannon.
I was aware a knight was approaching me. He recognized me and addressed me thus, “His Majesty, Henry and the Lord Edward, his son has been captured and is now prisoners at Lewes. Richard, I am sorry to learn that your father, the Earl, has been sorely wounded, I assume you have been sent in his stead. How does he fair?”
I replied, “My Lord father, bears his wounds without complaint, but he is greatly saddened to learn of His Majesty’s imprisonment, along with Edward. My father lives with a determination to see his majesty freed along with Edward. Thus I am charged to act on his behalf. I am here to negotiate with Simon de Montfort’s representative for the release of his Majesty and Edward, whom I am led to believe is to be moved to Hereford.”
“You waste your time Richard, there is to be no bartering for the king's freedom, nay, not even the release of Edward.”
As I moved toward the gate, the whole scene dissolved. I had left the year 1264 and the thirteenth century. I remember calling out, “Richard please haunt me no more.” But all I heard was his chuckle and these words. “Now I must away to France and once again meet Brigitte, my own true love.”
Apparently, it was not to be a transonic move to France, for I headed to the nearest Lloyds Bank. I had a joint account with Molly at the Evesham Bank. I withdrew five hundred pounds, and when I asked the clerk what the balance of my account was, she said she would have to check. She left the counter and went into a room at the rear. When she returned, she informed me that my account was no longer a joint account and that my balance was but half of what it had been. Molly had taken half; she no longer had an interest in my part of the bank account.
After leaving the bank, I went to the nearest shipping company and booked a passage to Bordeaux and once there, on to the Deveau Chateau in Burgundy. There was no difficulty finding the chateau, Richard had been there a number of times. The chateau overlooked a valley where grape vines stretched for miles. The chateau had been built in the eighteenth century. It was a very beautiful building with high turrets and some twenty five rooms. The grounds had magnificent lawns and fountains. There were a dozen or more stables on the far side and that is where I saw Brigitte, she was handing the reins of a powerful looking horse to a young boy.
As she walked away, she suddenly looked up and saw me. She stopped dead in her tracks, and I saw the colour fade from her cheeks. I looked at this beautiful girl. Her golden hair was braided and wound around her head like a halo. She had deep blue eyes with long lashes. She had a face that one longed to touch and kiss. She wore a white silk blouse which was tight to her chest this caused her breast to look as if they wanted to burst through. I just stood there and quietly said, “Brigitte!”
She quickly said, Richard. Ce ne peut pas être vous, il est impossible!»
I walked toward her with my hands outstretched. However, my doing this only caused her to back away from me. I quickly replied, « Je sais, vous avez pensé que j'étais mort, mais c'était une erreur pour moi suis ici. As Roger, my French would have been somewhat limited. Therefore, just in case I had not made myself clear, I repeated it in English “I know, you thought I was dead, but that was a mistake for I am here.”
Brigitte now spoke in excellent English, which had a delightful French accent. “What about the report of your death in the newspapers? I realize I never attended your funeral because I was too sick and broken hearted, but we all believed what we read in the newspapers. I sent a sympathy letter to your parents.”
“It was all a terrible mistake, I was injured and bedridden for sometime, but I am now fit, this is why I am here.” I heard a quiet word within me say, liar! Liar! I again moved toward Brigitte. This time she did not move away, but I could see there was a great deal of doubt on her face.
“Richard, why didn’t you let me know, and why wasn’t I told?”
“I have no idea my darling; I am terribly sorry, please forgive me.” I was now close enough to put my hands on her shoulders, then to take her in my arms and kiss her passionately on the lips. At first she did not respond, but as I continued kissing her, she put her arms around me and pressed her body to mine and as tears rolled down her cheek, she whispered, “Oh Richard, I thought I had lost you forever, even now I find it difficult to believe you are here.”
“It is me, in the flesh, and I have come to recapture the love we have for each other.” I wanted to pick her up and carry her into the chateau; she must have read my thoughts as she held my hand and said, “Papa and Mama are in Spain, they are there on a business trip, let us go in.”
Brigitte led me through the house and out to the huge patio with its magnificent view of the Côtes de Beaune and Côtes de Nuits the vineyards closely linked to the rise of some religious orders. She called for one, of two girls who were standing waiting for orders. “Monique, I want a glass of Vichy water and a glass of champagne for Monsieur le Viscount.” Brigitte waved her hand to dismiss the other girl. “Sit down Richard, we have to talk.”
I sat down on an ornate chair by a table with a huge umbrella over the top and Brigitte sat on a similar chair on the opposite side. The girl brought the drinks and departed. “When did you start drinking Vichy water, you always liked wine or champagne?”
“I want a clear head Richard because I am confused, I also feel a sort of strange sensation, and personally I never experienced that when we were together before your accident.” Brigitte stared at me for a good minute then continued, “You look the same, and yet, for some reason, you look different.” She again stared at me. “I know what it is, you always appeared haughty, and you had that very aristocratic bearing that I suppose is inborn in ancient families such as yours, and it is no longer there.”
“I guess the accident had a lot to do with that, I was in a coma for quite sometime you know, and I guess having bad knock on my head could have brought about a change. Yes, that is what it is!” Again the chuckle was there and quiet words, Liar, who’s a liar? I stood up and moved my chair next to Brigitte's, and as I sat down my knee brushed against hers sending a desire through my blood. I put my hand across her shoulder and gently pulled her toward me. She did not resist, so I became bolder and kissed behind her ear, then her cheek and finally her lips. All doubt seemed to leave her as she responded. I cupped one of her breasts and noticed how it suddenly hardened.
Brigitte pulled away from me and breathlessly said, “Let us go inside.” She took hold of my hand and led me to her bedroom. The blinds were down to keep the room cool. She pushed the door shut with her foot, and once again we were in each other's arms. I kissed behind her ears, her neck, her nose, her eyes and then I unbuttoned her blouse and started kissing first one breast, and then the other. I undid the top button of her jodhpurs and let them fall at her feet. I then lifted her up in my arms and laid her on the bed. I hastily stripped my own clothes off and then knelt between her open legs. I then let my hand drift over her navel and down to her soft moist parts. By now I was hard and unable to wait any longer. I therefore, slowly lowered my body and we were united. My movement inside of her was slow because of all things, I kept getting visions of Molly. I had hold of one breast and was gently squeezing the hard nipple. Brigitte gave a gasp and arched herself up demanding I intensify my love making. I then gently responded thrusting deeply inside her with slow movements until before I reached a climax I quickly withdrew. At the same time Brigitte cried out and tried to push me away. For my part, so great was this love, which I thought it would have blown the top of my head off.
We had for some minutes, been lying back on the bed, when Brigitte leaned up on one elbow and said, “Now I know you are not the Richard, I knew.”
“I chuckled. Not the Richard you knew, what would make you say such a thing?”
“Simple because the Richard I knew had little patience when it came to making love, he was a possessor, a finisher who cared little whether his love making satisfied a woman. You were not like that; you applied all the passion necessary to more have more than satisfied me and then you pulled away and that was the very first time.”
I heard Richard’s quiet but angry voice within me ‘That’s poppycock; I always gave the silly cow my all!’ Startled, I got off the bed as I tried to quell the anger stemming from the Richard part of me, I was at a loss for words. “Do you wish me to leave?” Brigitte got off the bed and put a dressing gown on. “Before you leave just who are you?”
“I am Richard, but you see, I have borrowed the body and mind of a friend of mine, we were blood brothers at school. At the hospital, I knew I was dying so I cried out for my friend and when he came, I held his hand as my life was draining out of me, I transferred it to my good friend Roger, and so I suppose that is why you noticed the difference.”
“Whatever kind of talk is that, I have never heard of anything so ridiculous, such a thing is impossible. I am now so angry I should call the police and have you arrested for impersonating a dead man.”
I again heard Richard’s voice within me. ‘Fair knight we have failed, I truly thought that after the loving she would have wanted me to stay, but now we must away before she brings the police down on our necks.’ “I can see you do not accept the story, you see, it is the truth, as surprising as it may sound. It would now appear I wasted a lot of trouble to live again through my friend. Please forgive me Brigitte.”
“Go, I never wish to see you again.”
I left the chateau and realized there was no transportation to take me back to the docks. I walked several miles before I saw a small truck and could beg a lift to the nearest town.
As soon as we returned to England Richard said, “Roger, I suppose you must wonder why I left you for a while then came back. My Papa and Mama of course, did not know that I accompanied them when they went to Greece. They had only been there for six days when Papa had a stroke and died. I came back when Mama returned. When my father was interred in the family tomb I thought about joining him there, but I wanted to see Brigitte again and to do that, I had to remain part of your body and mind. Now I am tired. It was fun but I now have no further desire to be part of you. I have decided to join my father and my ancestors. Goodbye Roger my dear, dear friend, I leave my voice, my ways and my looks with you, but it is you who will have to mend the fences I have caused to be knocked down.”
At first I could not believe that he would leave so suddenly after causing me so much trouble, so I called his name “Richard, are you still within me?” I repeated my call to him several more times but there was no reply. I also felt a certain freedom and decided to find Molly and attempt to regain my marriage, I would feel free now to give her the child she had longed for.
My car was still at the docks, I paid the required fee for the time it had been there and then set out for Evesham. The Income Tax office was the first place I went to in my quest to locate Molly. She was not there but I could speak to one of the girls who worked there, she was friendly and did not hesitate to tell me that Molly had moved to a village called Broadway, she wrote the address on a little memo sheet. She winked her eye as she said, “Good luck.”
Broadway is an ancient village with many of the buildings dating back to the sixteenth or seventeenth century. It is a very picturesque village, a tourist delight that almost takes one back in time. As I made my way to Broadway, I gave some thought about my father and mother. They did not deserve the way I had treated them. I was their only child, and I had behaved badly by keeping them in the dark as to my whereabouts for the past weeks. How would I ever be able to convince them that I had little control over my actions, my father did know I had difficulties, but he of course, did not understand them, after all, who would?
I went to the address the girl from the tax office had given me. I was nervous; I could feel my heart pounding as I knocked on the door. Molly opened the door and when she saw it was me, she looked shocked. Well, I like to think it was a shocked look, but deep inside, I am sure it was one of intense dislike. Molly did not invite me in but stood with door only partly open. “So you are back from who ever it is you have been shacked up with these past weeks.”
“Molly, please believe me, my being away had nothing to do with a woman. If you will invite me in, I will tell you all that has happened, and I warn you it is a strange tale,” As I said this I had visions of the love making with Brigitte, and it made me blush and feel guilty.
“I no longer want to hear your reasons Roger. Our so called marriage began to break up right from the beginning. You even began to look and speak differently. I have not forgotten when you told me to call you Richard. You were useless in bed with no desire for children, and all I can say now is thank God there was no child because I have already seen a lawyer and set divorce proceedings in motion.”
“Molly, surely you will give me a chance to explain. I love you and need you Molly.”
“I think this is the time to tell you that I have met someone else, a caring loving man whom I shall marry just as soon as the divorce is finalized.” She started to close the door. “I am sorry for you Roger; you are not the man I married, go play with your ghostly friends.” She then closed the door.
I telephoned my parents and told them I would see them within the next twenty four hours. First, I had to see the management at Stanstead’s to find out whether my job was still available to me.
Colin the gate commissioner at Stanstead’s gave me a salute. “Welcome back Sir, did you have a good vacation?”
“It was a sort of a bizarre vacation Colin.” There was no welcome waiting me when I arrived at John Ditton’s office. “I am not going to ask where you have been Steven’s. There is no excuse that will cover your reason for deserting your team and this company; an absence that went without a single word, note or telephone call. Under the circumstances, we are terminating your service with Stanstead’s. You will be paid one month’s severance pay; you can pick that up on your way out. Good bye Roger you have proven to be a sorry employee.”
“I did not have an opportunity to apologize. I would not have dared talk about the Richard manifestation. I could see that my world was collapsing. I had lost Molly my wife, now the loss of my position with Stanstead’s. I was now left with my father and mother. I also had Countess Maud.