Read Online Nemesis by Louise Marley - Free Book Online Page B

placed the roses on Sarah’s grave, stepped back to say a prayer for the friend she’d lost forever, and tried not to cry.
    She could feel the fading sunlight warm her back. The summer was clinging on, despite the leaves of the surrounding trees already glinting gold. Her children had been back at school for a few weeks now, and the evenings were drawing in and becoming cooler. It was depressing to think the only thing she had to look forward to now was Christmas.
    As Alicia stood there with her eyes closed, an unexpected rustling sound broke into her thoughts - as though someone was forcing a path through the long grass. At first she ignored it, assuming the noise was caused by a dog, or local children playing, but as the sound drew closer she became unable to concentrate. Her eyes flicked open to glare at the intruder - only to find she was surveying an empty churchyard.
    Alicia turned slowly to ensure she was still alone. The boundary of the churchyard was marked by a low stone wall and completely enclosed on three sides by trees. Behind her were the little wooden lych-gate and the road that led into the village. To the right were the woods where the locals liked to walk their dogs. Directly ahead was another gate, which led through the trees and up the hill towards the castle. On the left, separated from the churchyard by a straggly hedge, was the Old Rectory - a beautiful Georgian manor house, where Alicia now lived with James and their children.
    Although the sun was setting behind her, the churchyard was still bright with its golden light and it was hard to see past the shade of the ancient woodland. The Civil War had been fought in these parts, almost four hundred years ago, and there were some in the village who believed that the ghosts of the soldiers still lingered.
    But Alicia was a practical sort of person, who didn’t believe in ghosts.
    Did she?
    Alicia moved away from Sarah’s grave and back onto the path. She could hear nothing but the crunch of her own footsteps on the gravel. No sound of wildlife, or traffic from the road. The gate was hanging open but, as there was no wind, it remained motionless.
    The path led back between the grander headstones to the road, but Alicia didn’t want to go that way. Instead she headed towards the woods. Away from the path the grass grew tall and yellow. Every few months her mother would arrange for one of the castle gardeners to cut back the grass with a strimmer. But not quite often enough, Alicia realised, as she felt the hems of her jeans grow damp.
    “Hello?” she called, as she stepped into the shade of the oak trees. “Is somebody there?”
    She let her hands rest against the stone wall, feeling its chill against her palms. “Hello?” she said again.
    She thought she heard a slight rustle of leaves, but that could have been her imagination. It certainly didn’t sound as though anyone was walking between the trees. There was a lingering scent of smoke. A cigarette? Or had the castle gardeners lit a bonfire?
    She leaned forward. “Are you lost?” she said, and now felt even more of an idiot. Because who else would be in the woods at twilight but a local dog walker? So she turned away.
    There was a blur of grey as a wood pigeon shot out from beneath the canopy of trees, almost brushing against her head before it landed on one of the graves behind her.
    Alicia shrieked. Was that all it had been? A pigeon?
    The bird preened itself, supremely unconcerned.
    Grumbling beneath her breath, Alicia picked her way back through the long grass to the path. She didn’t have the time to stand around spooking herself. She was already late collecting her children from drama club.
    It took a matter of minutes to reach the lych-gate, but before she left, she gave the churchyard one last look, as though to reassure herself that there really was no one else there, before stepping out onto the pavement and ensuring the gate was firmly closed behind her.
    It was only after she