Chapter 18

The Agent handed Caroline the keys to her new property and wished her many happy years in this new home. He left, leaving her to look around the farm at leisure. It was not a replica of that ghostly, long drowned, place on which she had spent a year working, but there were features that she felt sure would appeal to Grace. The familiar and beloved sight of a long-haired ginger tomcat confirmed her certainty that she had chosen well. The agent said the animal had appeared out of nowhere, just after the transfer of the farm to her ownership had been completed.

There was no lawn at this place leading to the distant spinney. It was necessary to walk over a ploughed field to reach it. Caroline went inside and undressed. Outside again, she shivered a little - it was late October by this time. No matter how cold the weather, she felt the same sensation of being caressed by a loving Earth and Air as on that first day of her friendship with Grace over one year ago -or was it only a few months?

The feeling of the rough ground under her once again bare feet was as intoxicating as ever and a great joy started to rise up inside her, so that she wanted to shout and sing. She looked round from time to time and was happy to see that she was being followed.

Finally, she reached the shelter of the trees - not all ancient oaks, but beeches, sycamores and alders as well. It was under one old oak that she came to a halt and felt Engelbart sinuously wrapping himself around her ankles, purring loudly.

“Hello again, my dear Caroline. We must be the guardians of this place from now on, you and I and dear old Engelbart!”

Caroline looked up into the tree. There was Grace, sitting astride a branch, naked as the day she was born, just as she had been on the first day, she had seen her. Once again, she climbed down with all her well-remembered agility and leapt nimbly on to the ground next to the joyful Caroline. This time she did not kiss her lightly on the lips, but passionately and with a fierce hunger.

Finally, Caroline drew back and asked Grace if she could come up to the house, or was she forced to stay out in the woods forever.

“No! I’m not some kind of spirit, only flesh and blood, Caroline. Just like you, now that you have given me back my life to resume. I can exist anywhere I wish! Like you, I will grow old and die and be buried. We two will grow old together. Correction - we three!”

And so, it was to be. This particular bit of Old England was never to be built on and Caroline and Grace were allowed to see out their days in peace.

Engelbart saw out his feline lifespan and died after ten years in his new home, being buried under his favorite tree. The day after a grieving couple had laid the faithful old creature to rest a little ginger kitten wandered mewing piteously into the farmyard and soon, he was loved as dearly as the old cat had been - in fact Caroline was always convinced that the little fellow was a reincarnation.