Til Death Us Do Part

Long after midnight moon shadows ran across the grounds at Barnstone Manor and trees started to sway against the might of a wind that wildly began to throw its voice around shattering the silence of the night . Some of the window shutters began to bang back and forth outside of the upstairs windows at Barnstone Manor . Inside the home a weak voice kept calling out from one of the bedrooms at the end of the corridor .

“ Winifred . Can you hear me . Are you there Winifred .“

She lifted the bell hanging from the bed head post and shook it furiously as she continued calling out 

“Winifred hurry up , where are you .”

Winifred jumped out of her bed and rushed to her Mothers bedroom at the end of the corridor . She went into her mothers room out of breath and said

“For heavens what is the matter ?”

“What’s the matter . Can’t you hear that racket out there ?”
She replied .

“Its just the wind Mother and I can’t stop it blowing . “
Said Winfred .

“But I can’t sleep , it’s the shutters. They keep banging . For hours I’ve been lying here listening to it. “

Said Ruth .

Winifred took a deep breath and sat down near her Mothers bed .
She opened the window and tried to closes the shutters but the catches on the inside were damaged and would close properly .

“Damn stupid catches “
Said Winifred .

“ What are you talking about ?”

“There’s no need to worry Mother . Try and get back to sleep . I’ll get Ted to fix all the shutter catches in the morning .“

“But Teds just a gardener and a bad one at that . He couldn’t hammer a nail in a wall never mind fix a shutter. “

“Then I’ll ring a tradesman . So just try and rest Mother.“

“ How am I supposed to rest with all this banging . I can’t sleep and I can feel my blood pressure rising . Ring the Doctor for me . He said I must get plenty of rest and lots of peace and quiet .“
Said Ruth .

“I can’t ring the doctor at this time . Its after three o’clock in the morning .”
Winifred said .

Ruth pretended to cry and said .
“If I have a stroke and die its all your fault .“

Winifred looked at her Mother for a moment and replied .

“All right Mother . I’ll go and make you a nice cup of tea and sit with you until the morning comes .“

“ All right then , can you bring me some of those crispy cookies you baked earlier today and lets have a look at the old photos again .“

When Winifred returned with the tray her mother was sitting there in her nightgown like a Queen of the realm . She pointed to the coffee table in front of her and said .

“Just set the tea there . Now where are those photos albums dear?

“Right where we had them last night . Over there on top of the dresser .“

“Well, bring them over and lets have a look . We can’t waste any more time after all you’ll be married in a few weeks and we won’t be able to spend much time together .“
Said Ruth .

“Now you know that’s not true Mother . Michael and I will be living here with you .We’ve already discussed all that .”

“Well that maybe so , but a lot can happen in three weeks . You might change your mind and move away after your wedding day .“
Said Ruth .

Winifred groaned and said .
“Mother stop being difficult , I’ll always be here to look after you . Michael knows that and so should you . “

She went over and lifted a photo album . when she returned she sat beside her Mother in the other armchair and started to flick through the pages .

“ Have you decided on a photographer yet for the wedding ?”

“Oh yes . I remember that old photo . Its me playing tennis one afternoon with Ted . Do you remember that day Mother , when he was cutting back the hedging and I had no one to have a hit with ? “

“Don’t talk . He could never trim a hedge never mind get a ball over the net .“
Said Ruth .

“You’ve never liked him . I don’t know why you still keep him on here .“

“Well I feel sorry for him . He would never get a job any where else and no one has ever married him . Anyway what about the wedding photographer ?

“Well during the week , a young lady called Joan rang .She’s seems friendly and her hourly rates are pretty good .”

“What about catering and flowers ?”

“I’m going to hire a French Chef called Patrice . He will bring his own staff and the quote I was given is good . Michael is sorting the flowers and the cars and all the rest .So we’re nearly ready “

“Good . I asked Mr Greaves the bank manager to call in this week ?”

“Why . Is there a problem ?”

“Well yes .Some of my accounts have me confuses . There have been some large transactions that I can’t remember making . Some of my money has being transferred and I don’t know where or why .’

“Why didn’t to speak sooner to me . Can I have a look at your some of your bank statements Mother ?”

“Don’t bother you’ve enough to worry about Winifred . “

“But you know I once worked as a banker . So let me help .”
Said Ruth .

“Well all right . All my statements are in a blue folder inside the roll top desk in the parlour “

“Ok , I’ll have a look tomorrow .“
Winifred said .

“I don’t know what I’d do without you my dear . I know sometimes I ask a lot of you Wini . Often I’ve wished you had a brother or a sister , but it just wasn’t to be .“

“Mother , Michael and I were talking last week about what would happen if one or both of us had a accident or something . He has a friend who works for an insurance company and we decided to take out a life insurance policy together . It covers one of both of us case of an accident . “

“That’s a wise move dear .”
Said Ruth .

“Is Peta coming in the morning to change your wound dressings ?”

Ruth replied .
“Yes at seven . I wish she wouldn’t though . She has hands like a coal miner . and they’re always cold and dirty . She smells of nicotine and all she ever does is cough when she’s here .“

“Do you want me to speak to the nursing service and get you someone else ?”

“Oh better not . I found in the past when you complain they send you someone even worse . Just let it go . My wounds are improving and in a week or two Peta won’t be required to come any longer .“
Ruth replied .

“She has been very nice to you though Mother . Bringing you little bunches of flowers and she walks around the garden with you after breakfast .”
Said Winifred .

Ruth replied .
“Well I suppose she tries , but she’s not a qualified nurse . I told her about my time as a nurse during the war . She has no idea what it was like for nurses back then .“

Winifred turned over a page of the photo album .

“Look Mother here’s a photo of you and Dad in the war memorial hospital after the war . Oh I meant to tell you , the marriage celebrant is coming tomorrow evening for a brief run through of the vows and selection of the hymns . I hope she doesn’t stay too late . Michael and I aren’t really that impressed with her . All she ever seems to talk about is the growing number of divorces and how and why marriages all break down .”

Ruth replied .
“You don’t need that . Get another minister . There must be someone else who can do the job .“

“Well , it’s not that easy . See Michael was married before and some ministers have said that they would not perform the service for us .So when Toni said she would marry us we grabbed her . “

Ruth replied
“Stone the crows is nearly seven already . Peta will be here soon . I better get ready for her .“

“Ok . I get breakfast started and send her up when she arrives “

Someone rang the front doorbell .

That must be her now , I’ll go see who it is .
Said Winifred .
She made her way down the staircase and opened the front door .

“Good morning Win .”

“Oh hello Ted . Is everything ok ?”

“Oh actually , could I have a quick word with your Mother ?”

“Can I help ?”.

“Well , last week Ruth she asked me to pick her up a special little something “

He held a package that was wrapped up in pretty paper and continued .

“ Its for the wedding and I can’t tell you what’s inside . Not a word ., I need to give it to her in person . ““Ok well I guess you better go up . She’s in her bedroom . Just knock before you go in . Be quick though as Peta is coming soon to clean her wounds and change the dressings .“
“Ok I won’t be long .“

By the time Ted was leaving Peta arrived . They met briefly at the door and Peta said .
“Good day for pruning the roses , eh Ted ?”

“Oh I wish Peta , but I’ve more important things to be doing than the roses . Did you hear that wind last night ? There’s trees and fences that are fallen down all over the place today . So how’s your duties going this morning ?“

Peta sighed a breath in despair and then she said .
“Don’t start me talking . I’ve had three clients who had falls during the night . Two of them have broken their hip and the other had a stroke . I found her on the bedroom floor this morning . She’s just been taken to hospital and it doesn’t look good .”

“Well it’s good someone’s there to find them Peta . I must go , see you after .
He replied .

By the time Winifred had breakfast ready Peta took Winifred by arm slowly down the stairs . They all sat down together and enjoyed some cereal and then tea and toast before Winifred went into the parlour to check out the bank statements . Just as Peta walked outside with Ruth Mr Greaves pulled up in his car out the front .

Ruth took a long breath of relief and then she said
“Oh I’m sorry Peta I forgot to tell you . I have an appointment this morning , so you may as well go early today . See you again tomorrow morning then .“

“Ok then Mrs Barnstone . See you tomorrow , thank you .“
Peta made her way to her car as Mr Greaves came to the front door .

”Good morning Mrs Barnstone . Nice to see you again . Now what did you want to see me about ?”

He looked awkward and spoke with a nervous edge to his voice .

“Come inside and have some tea . Wasn’t it a wild night “

“A gale force five they said “
“ Its hard to ride a bike on a stormy night . Close the door behind you Mr Greaves .“

“My Mother loved riding bikes Mrs Barnstone .“

They made their way first to the parlour where Ruth knocked upon the door and said .

“Winifred , Mr Greaves is here . Could you bring us a drop of tea to the sunroom ?”

”Yes indeed Mother . I’ll be there shortly . “

She noticed Mr Greaves looked uneasy and fidgeted as he sat at the table in the sunroom . She looked into his eyes and said ,

“It’s always much clearer in the morning , don’t you think so Mr Greave’s ?“

“Why I never thought about that . I did notice a lot of damage this morning to rooftops around the village . Some homes even lost their electricity supply power during the night . Power lines have come down all over the place . “
Mr Greaves replied .

She said .
“Oh well I wouldn’t know about that . You see I have a few different energy sources . As well a wind assisted turbine I have solar and a gas supply . “

“You do have a nice set up here at Barnstone Manor. “
He replied .

“Winifred my daughter planned it all you know . She’s a very clever girl .“

Winifred arrived with a tray and on it a teapot with a cover , a milk jug with a sugar bowl , two teacups and saucers and two buttered scones with jam and cream. Then as she placed the tray before them on the table she said ,

“ Well , good morning Mr Greaves . Isn’t it amazing the things that are left when a storm has been through . Its been like Murphys house here this morning . Here you are . Some tea and scones .”

“Are you not going to join us ?”
Mr Greaves asked as he lifted the teapot and started to pour .

“Not just yet , I’m just doing a few calculations and making some enquires on the phone . Did I ever tell you I was a banker Mr Greaves ?“

It was noticeable he started shaking and put the teapot down . Then he started coughing . Ruth patted him between the shoulder blades and said ,

“Are you ok Mr Greaves ?”
“Yes , its just a bit of bronchitis . Too many hours behind a desk and not enough fresh air I think .“

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door and in walked Michael .
Winifred rushed to greet him with a kiss and said .

“Hello my darling . How are things at the office ? “

“Just thought I’d take escape for a while . A special moment everyday with my future wife is a glimpse of the happiness that is to come for us both .“

“ Remember we have a meeting with the marriage celebrant at seven .”
Winifred said .

”Oh no . Do we really have to go through all that again .?”

“This is the last one before the big day . Have you had morning tea yet ?”

“I have , my love . Can we just have a walk outside around the garden . I want to breath with you and talk with you , just for a half hour .“

Winifred turned around to Mr Greaves and her Mother and said .

“Please excuse us but as you see I’ve got a date .“

The two sweethearts walked off into the garden and shortly returned arguing about something . Michael stormed out the door and Winifred started crying .

“What ever happened ?”.
Winifred tried to composed herself , she sat down beside her Mother and said

“Everything was going fine and then I told Michael about the photographer .
As it turns out ,Joan is the sister of his ex-wife and now Michael doesn’t want her to take the photos but I’ve already paid and signed a contract for her to do the job .“

“Well don’t worry dear , I’m sure things will settle down . There are always little things to test you before and after you get married . Mr Greaves can you come back later in the week . I think my daughter and I need some space this morning ”

“No problem Mrs Barnstone , I’ll speak with you later then .“

He anxiously got to his feet and headed for the door .

In a short time Michael returned and he walked straight over to Winifred and put his arms around her and said .

“I am so sorry my angel for hurting you and I never meant any of the things that I said . The relationship with my ex-wife and her family is over . They are no longed part of my life . So I want you to know that I’m very happy with the choice you made to have Joan as the photographer on our wedding day . .“

“ Really . Oh thank you darling . That means a lot to me .“

:”Listen my love I’m taking the rest of the day off . How about we go out for a drive and have lunch by the sea .“

“That would be great . I just have to organize someone from the nursing service to be here with Mother while we’re out . Give me a minute to make a phone call .”

After Peta returned Michael and Winifred went to have lunch .

Not long after they had gone Ted walked up from the garden with a wheelbarrow . He had seen Michael and Winifred drive off and wondered who was in the house . He knocked on the door but no one answered .
He waited and knocked again . The third time when no one came to open the door he went inside .
There at the foot of the staircase he found Ruth .
She lay there motionless . Ted checked for a pulse then noticed she wasn’t breathing . He went into the parlour and rang the emergency phone number .

When he returned from the parlour he saw Peta kneeling there on the floor beside Ruth . She tried in vain to give some breath and to restore a heart beat into Ruth’s body but the fact was Ruth was dead and could not be revived
The ambulance arrived and then the police . At first it was assumed she had fallen down the stairs and broken her neck but on a further examination and due to colouration of the lips and face it was now clear that Ruth had died from being poisoned . A crime scene was established and people were now being questioned .

When Winifred and Michael returned , they were greeted by the police with the terrible news of the tragedy that had taken place . An old detective by the name of Gregory Williams was put in charge of the case and he started his investigations unobtrusively speaking to everyone who had been in the home on the morning of Ruth Barnstones death .

When Ruth was buried in a grave that held her husband , people had said how sad it was that Ruth wasn’t going to be there for her daughters wedding.
Although Winifred was deeply in shock , plans were made and life had to go on . There was no postponing the wedding day .
Winifred and Michael had decided they were going to restore some love and happiness back to Barnstone Manor . They had worked very hard to decorate and renovate the main hall where the reception would take place .

The garden where the ceremony was to take place had been transformed into a setting with a archway of colourful flowers that led to a platform where some seats where placed before a gazebo .

Joan took plenty of photographs of family and friends who had gathered for this wonderful occasion .
Michael was really agitated because of Joan the sister of his ex-wife who walked around with a camera , enviously looking at him when ever she passed by . He almost said something to her but