“He might have stayed on,” I suggested. “It’s possible there was no one to assume the position at that time.” I stood with her then, reading through the entries as well.
“There.” I pointed to an entry dated 16 May 1866.
It appeared that Reverend Chastain had remained at St. Pancras an additional two years past his normal term.
As with the other entries made by hand, the ink had faded as the paper in the archives aged. It was difficult to read the note that had been added. Lily moved the lamp closer.
“What else does it say?” Lily asked.
“Faithful servant in the Lord’s service,” I translated. “Departed this date for St. Mary’s Church, Hendon.”
Lily had done well. At least now we knew when Reverend Chastain had left, but what of his daughter who had suffered so horribly?
“Did you find any reference for Mary Chastain?”
Lily shook her head. “The vicar’s name was the only one.”
A sound beyond the library caught both of our attention. I glanced at the clock on the wall of the library.
It had grown quite late. The clerk had been gone for quite some time and should have returned.
“We have what we came for, we should leave. If we see the clerk on our way, we will thank him.” I pulled on my coat and tucked my notebook into my bag as Lily did the same.
“It’s quite late,” she whispered as we retraced out steps in the darkened hallway. “And there’s no one about.”
There was another sound now, very nearby. I thought of Brodie’s warning.
Was someone there, just behind us, moving swiftly now in our direction? I quickened our steps, and Lily as well.
We reached the end of the hallway and a hand reached out.
“Lady Forsythe.”
It was James, the clerk of the church.
“I was just on my way to see if you needed any assistance. It’s quite late and I will be leaving soon.”
“I thought that you might have returned earlier,” I suggested with a glance back down the hallway. “There was someone very near the library.”
He shook his head. “I have only just returned after assisting one of our parishioners.”
“I must be mistaken,” I said.
Except that I was certain I was not. There had definitely been someone in the hallway.
“At this time of the day and the middle of the week, I’m the only one here,” he explained. “Except for the groundskeeper.”
Lily started to protest. She had heard that sound as well.
While I would have liked very much to know who was there, I wasn’t willing to risk any harm to Lily. And it did seem that whoever had been there was not there now. I only hoped that Mr. Jarvis was still waiting with the coach.
I thanked James once more and we quickly left.
“There was someone there,” Lily said quite vehemently. “We should find them.”
“We need to leave!” I replied.
“But what if it was the man you saw before?”
