1969 - Ch. 04

He hands me a set of keys, and I really don't know if I want to take them or not.

"The place hasn't been used since your grandmother's death. In her will she said every penny she owned should be spent on keeping the building, as it was at the time of her death, until her family decided what to do with it. I think she knew her daughter, your mother, didn't want anything to do with the place. There is a caretaker there, Samuel who became your grandmother's lover. He was 19 when he met her and a lot younger than her. He is expecting you and your sister in the next few days."

"God, I don't think my sister will want anything to do with it, and it is her you should be telling all this too, she is older than me."

He chuckles a little and nods, "I did try, but Julie didn't want to know. She is like your mother; she slammed the door in my face.

I smile at him and say, "Maybe I should have done the same as Julie and my mother."

He shakes his head, "No you wouldn't you're too much like your grandmother."

I walk him to the door, and he stands on the doorstep and takes a deep breath.

"You look relieved to get it off your chest?"

"Yes you could say that. I only wish I could have persuaded Pauline to let me get her out of that situation, but she wouldn't hear of it, and when she started rebuilding the brothel brick by brick, she became more determined and passionate to succeed."

"Did she ever mention about getting herself put on Mr Taylor's will?"

He looks up at the sky, "No, and being an old romantic I like to think not," he looks at me, "the answer to that isn't in her diaries, and has gone with her to the grave. She said she didn't in court, but she also says she didn't rob, Mr Wells."

"My god, did she rob him?"

"Read her diaries, and find out," he replies with a smile.

"One thing before you go, did you and my grandmother ever...you know?"

"No," he smiles for a few moments, which I assume is for his thoughts about the past, "I was tempted, and she knew it, maybe we would have, but I loved my wife and I still do, which reminds me she'll be waiting, and I'll get a telling off for taking two hours to go to the supermarket to get a cauliflower. Good day Mrs Baker."

"I won't be Mrs Baker for long, I hope. I'll soon be Mrs Sylvia Lovett, but you can call me Sylvia."

"I'll try and remember that should we meet again. You know, a couple of times I nearly called you Pauline, you're so much like her it's unreal."

I smile and close the door.

Pauline's diaries will be coming next, which will clear up a few things about the court case. It will enlighten you all about Pauline's life after her marriage to Albert Cox. Also incorporated in Pauline's diaries, is more on Sylvia Baker from the previous Dark Tales stories.

Thank you for the nice comments.

Sylvia.