Chapter 11

We travelled on through the long hours of the night to return to Manderley, the sun rising slowly, creeping along the horizon but promising a new day with its new light. We were exhausted but so looking forward to getting home, to resting and to starting again, completely free of any ghosts.

I closed my eyes as we were about an hour away from Manderley and Blaine still held my hand, imparting warmth and a promise of never letting go, now that this was all over. I did not sleep but Blaine and Frank thought I did as they whispered to each other in the darkness and I did not interrupt.

"Frank, there's something you don't know," Blaine said timidly, still holding his hand in mine.

"Oh no there isn't," Frank replied confidently.

"I didn't kill her Frank," Blaine whispered after a while, panic sounding in his voice at the thought of it all. "I know now that when she told me about the child she wanted me to kill her. She lied on purpose, she foresaw the whole thing, that's why she stood there laughing when she…" The thought of what had happened was too much, overwhelmed Blaine and I could hear tears in his voice.

"Don't think about it anymore," Frank said soothingly.

"Thank you Frank," Blaine whispered. He was suddenly free of the burden, of the guilt and he clearly didn't know how to act, didn't feel relief or happiness, just like a weight had been lifted. After a heavy silence filled the car, I pretended to stir awake and I squeezed Blaine's hand and dropped my head to rest on his shoulder, where it stayed for the rest of the journey.

xXx

As we neared the long drive of Manderley and were greeted by its trees lining the path, Blaine suddenly clenched my hand and shouted.

"That's not the dawn breaking over that way, surely?"

Both Frank and I looked in the direction of Manderley, Blaine's eyes wide with horror and panic.

"No I don't think so," Frank answered, sleepy and confused.

"No its not, its Manderley! Drive faster!" He ordered as we all sat rigid in our seats, praying that we would arrive in time. As the car parked by the entrance of the house, we were aghast at the vision that lay before us.

Manderley was aflame, smoke billowing up towards the sky in great plumes and fire twirling and curling around the windows and great pillars of the entrance. It looked a vision of hell against the bright pinks of dawn behind it. Servants and interested bystanders were gathered outside in panic, wearing great coats to ward off the flames. Blaine wandered to and fro, begging for news, wondering what had started all this and he saw Frith with Jasper.

"Its Mrs Danvers sir," he said, pointing towards the window from the west wing, "She said she'd rather destroy Manderley than see you and Mr Hummel happy here, sir."

We suddenly saw what he was referring to as everyone looked towards the west wing, its windows forming a line down one side of the house. Mrs Danvers dressed in black, her hair plaited and curled around her head, was silhouetted against the flames around her in the rooms of the west wing. She clearly battled with the flickers of ash and smoke surrounding her, not knowing where to turn she came closer to the window, her figure clearer in the dawn. We stood, looking up at her ghastly figure by the window and I remember thinking she had never looked more powerful. She seemed to take one last look at the wooden beams above her, as they flickered before she was overcome by fire and the beams fell, hiding the rest of her body from view. She had been taken and engulfed.

xXx

We returned the next day to survey the damage, Manderley seemed beyond repair and Blaine wandered aimlessly as I looked after Jasper on his lead. I couldn't help but be fascinated with the west wing and found myself looking over the last of Rebecca's belongings, her initials imprinted into her bed linen, her cushions, her handkerchiefs. I picked up the now cold items, charred and black with smoke and flames and gingerly felt along her initial. She had no power over me now, she could never come back.

I found Blaine soon after, stood back, surveying the whole crumbled building and a tear appeared in his eye as I approached.

"It is all gone," he whispered.

"I'm sorry Blaine," I said as I took his hand in mine.

"This is the only place I have ever known and I will have to leave it now."

"It can be rebuilt?" I asked timidly, still not sure he wanted to live here. He looked at me then as if he had just noticed my presence and he surveyed my face as he had just done over Manderley, his eyes wandering to mine.

"No Kurt, we don't belong here," he said, "We never did. We shall build our own place here, our own lives and nothing will haunt us there." He brought my hand that was in his closer to his lips and kissed it, smiling sweetly.

"Nothing will stop us now, Kurt. No one can stand between us, no power or act of evil. I hope you know how much you mean to me Kurt? We can finally start again, here together and build this place our way."

"I'd like that," I said, smiling and blushing, feeling the warmth from the ashes still there around the ruins of the building.

"I love you Kurt," he said, "I belong with you and it doesn't matter where we'll be, we'll be together."

I could only smile as he brought me closer to him and we linked arms, showing we were together in the only way that the world recognised. My eyes filled with tears at the relief, at the knowledge that Blaine was finally completely mine because he was finally completely free.

"I love you too Blaine."