I turned slowly, removing the journal from under my arm and wrapping my fingers around the spine.

Jasper stood in front of the hatch, his hair ruffled, his sleeves pushed up, and a wild look in his eyes. Mud had been splattered all over his shirt and there was a large, red scratch down his left cheek, a sign that he had had a scrap with someone. There were nail marks on his forearms.

"Where's Mary?" I fought to keep my voice steady.

He smiled. "You'll never find her. Stupid bitch. All she had to do was tell me where the journal was, but she couldn't even do that. Too loyal to you. How unfortunate that loyalty would be her downfall." He took a step forward. "Now, give me the journal."

"It's not yours."

"It's not yours either, but you still took it, and I know you have read it. All those questions about that whore. You weren't as subtle as you thought you were."

"I know what you did. I know you killed her."

Jasper laughed; a loud mocking laugh that sent a chill down my spine. "Who would believe you? You stole, and read, her diary, invaded her privacy and refused to hand over her property to her own parents. They'll throw you out before you can explain yourself. No, they're better off believing their precious daughter died in a freak accident rather than knowing she was a charlatan and a whore.

"I suppose she left out the part where she was pregnant? The whore propositioned me, and who was I to refuse? A woman of her standing being interested in me was a dream come true. Then the whore got pregnant. I mean, it's all women are good for, but it certainly complicated matters."

I suspected Lady Catherine to be pregnant after her second to last entry, but she never wrote the words herself and if she had, she had removed them. There was little doubt in my mind that Lady Catherine had gone to tell her mother the truth but had been interrupted by Jasper skulking around upstairs and keeping an eye on her. She wanted someone to know the truth, but she never got the chance to say the words herself.

My grip on the journal tightened. Jasper still didn't know that Luke had taken Lady Catherine's journal and that it was, in fact, my own journal I held onto. I wanted him to think that I still had Lady Catherine's. It would give Luke more time to explain the situation and might offer me a way to leave. Jasper wasn't just going to let me walk away from the attic, not when I knew the truth.

He took a step forward and I took one back, my foot hitting the brick. I had a weapon if I needed one, but I hoped it wouldn't come to that. Despite all that he had done, I didn't want to hurt him. Jasper had to pay for what he had done. With any luck, he would pay with the hangman's noose.

"Now Jane, give me the journal."

"I'm not going to let you destroy it."

"You don't have a choice. You must know that I cannot let you leave, either. Unfortunately, you know too much for me to let you go. That will be easily remedied; this ladder is rather steep."

"No one would believe I fell from the ladder."

"Oh, I think they will. I can be rather convincing when I need to be. After all, it was I who told the Richardson's that their whore of a daughter died after falling on the stairs. If they can believe that, they can believe anything."

"I won't tell anyone about the journal."

"Somehow, Jane, I doubt that. As I said, you certainly weren't too subtle about your knowledge of it. A clever trick, by the way, buying the same one in the hopes that no one would know."

I bit back a smile. "It worked on you."

"Hm, but I have taken care of the fake, now I need the real journal."

"Fine, have it."

I flung the journal away from me and towards the stack of chairs and Christmas decorations on the other side of them. Jasper, in his determination to get the journal, momentarily forgot about me, lunging from the hatch and across the attic to grab the journal. With him distracted, I made for the hatch, scrambling down the ladder as fast I could.

The moment Jasper realised what I had done, he too was scaling the ladder. I ran down the hallway, tripping over my feet in my haste to get away. Behind me, I could hear his footsteps on the carpet as I made for the stairs. In any usual case, I would never have considered taking the main staircase, but with Jasper chasing me I had no choice but to take the stairs and hope someone might hear us.

He was much faster than me and by the time I reached the second floor — the location of Lord Richardon's office — he was already behind me. I darted across the hall, reaching the top of the staircase with Jasper just behind me. Before I could start to climb the stairs, I felt his fingers wrap around my upper arm. He tugged me sharply, forcing me to spin around and face him.

Jasper pushed me back a little so my feet were just balanced on the top step, his nails digging into my arm.

"What was that? You think you can play me for a fool?" he yelled, his voice like a growl.

"Please," I whispered, "please let me go."

"Now you know I can't do that. Such a shame that it has come to this, Jane. You were such a sweet girl, and I am sure you will be remembered as such. Alas, your time has been and gone. Soon, you'll be joining your dear friend Mary and your death will have been for nothing."

My heart thumped in my chest, threatening to erupt out of my chest. "You killed Mary? I thought you liked her."

All I could think to do was to keep him talking. To hope that Luke or anyone had heard us and would come and rescue me, but I didn't think my nerves would hold out. My feet were slipping on the floor and I could feel Jasper loosening his grip.

"Don't be so stupid. I saw you with that journal and I knew the only way I could get to you was through her. The bitch was too idiotic to realise I had been playing her for a fool the entire time. Even as I dangled her over that well, she still didn't get it."

"The well?"

Jasper stared at me with wide eyes at the realisation of what he said. To the right of us, I saw something move.

"That's enough." He pushed me backwards, his grip loosening. "Say your prayers, Jane."

He let go of my arm.

~~~

First Published - March 1st, 2022