The next morning, even before the break of dawn, Jill was up and ready to leave for the town.

Her father was still asleep in his bed downstairs. She wanted some time alone to prepare for her departure.

Pulling the box out from under the bed, she wrapped it in a piece of cloth, tying it securely at the top and after sliding it back at its place, she put a cardboard box in front of it, in order to obscure it from the view.

Heaving a sigh of relief and satisfied with her work, she went back to sit on her bed, waiting for her father to call her downstairs for breakfast…

_____

Jill clasped her father’s hand tightly as they made their way through the alleyways, heading towards the cloth-store that she usually visited with her mother.

A lump formed in her throat as soon as she saw the all-too-familiar red banner displaying the name of the store- ‘Mary’s Apparel’

They headed inside; the small bell chimed at once, announcing their arrival to the owner, an old lady named Mary, who instantly came forward to greet them.

Jill noticed that the store was almost empty. They were the only customers there and she wondered if it was the usual scene here or if it was due to it being early morning…

“Oh Billy! Long time no see…How have you been? And oh...Look at you young lady! You’ve grown up so much in the last one year…Don’t you look just like your mother!”
Mary all but squealed in a single sentence, not waiting for a reply.

Her voice was too high-pitched to be comfortable to listen to and her being so close to Jill didn’t help either.
Jill decided to ignore the sudden surge of emotions that arose in her heart at the mention of her mother.

Her father simply smiled; it was a practiced smile, Jill noticed. Her father had stopped smiling genuinely the day her mother died.

“Oh Billy….You have no idea how I miss Sophie! Such a nice soul…” Mary’s voice became a little softer…an apparent trial at showcasing her sympathy.

Jill’s father nodded his head with a tight smile on his face.

“Actually Mary, we came here to get Jill some new dresses…” her father’s tone was curt and meaningful.

Mary immediately took the hint and donning her excessively bright smile, led the way towards the cloth-line displayed on the shelves…

Jill came out of the shop with one hand a big bag containing the three sets of dresses that she had bought and the other hand clasping her father’s.

They were just making their way out of the alley when Jill bumped into a mass of frills and laces and the bag came tumbling down, the dresses sprawled unceremoniously on the road.

The culprit gave a soft gasp and bent down to pick them up along with Jill and her father.

“Oh dear! What have I done? I’m so sorry child...” the extremely refined voice lost its momentum and Jill glanced up to see the face of none other than Lady Martyl.

Jill hadn’t seen her for more than two years as she had gone to live abroad along with her husband.

The last time Jill had seen her, she was getting ready for her wedding with the help of her mother…who just happened to be the daughter of Lady Martyl’s old nanny, while Jill was jumping about excitedly, not being able to take in the luxury of her room. That was where she had seen her jewellery-box.

“Good morning Lady Martyl.” Her father took off his hat and bowed down.
Jill hastily repeated the action after him, trying not to drop the bag again.

“Good morning Billy….I heard about Sophie…I’m so sorry for your loss. She was a very good person..”
Lady Martyl was shaking her head, her eyes moist from unshed tears…

“Yes Lady Martyl….It was a great loss...” her father, Jill noticed, was considerably softer towards Lady Martyl’s words of sympathy.

Suddenly Lady Martel’s finger held Jill’s chin and gently raised it up…looking her directly in the eyes…

“How beautiful you’ve grown Jill! And your eyes are just like your mother’s…”
Lady Martyl’s mouth curved up in a small smile but Jill couldn’t help but notice the moisture linger in her eyes.

“What brings you here Lady Martyl? If I may ask..” her father’s voice cut through her thoughts.

“Oh! You don’t know?” Lady Martyl’s eyes snapped up to meet Billy’s.

“What do you mean?” Billy spoke uncertainly.

Jill noticed the sudden pain and misery fill Lady Martyl’s face.

“Why, only yesterday my uncle lost his youngest son…John…I was called from London immediately to attend the funeral…Poor boy!... And what a horrible death!”
Lady Martyl shuddered visibly at the memory that only she had…

“I’m so sorry to hear that Lady Martyl…Please convey my condolences to your uncle…But how did that happen? Wasn’t he just ten?” her father’s voice turned from one of sympathy to that of curiosity.

“How come you aren’t aware of the news when you work in the town Billy? Why…it just happened yesterday morning… Uncle Sam had gone out to look over the harvest, leaving John all alone at home and when he returned…John was dead…no...brutally murdered…I’m telling  you Billy, it was the work of a monster! I myself saw his body…Jesus!...His heart was missing Billy! That devil had had cut his heart out of his body…”

Lady Martyl was sobbing openly by this time, her face cringing up in agony.

Jill’s father put a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to pacify her, although the news had shaken him up as well.

Jill could see that on her father’s face…the disbelief at someone being able to perform such a vile act.

“That’s horrific!” her father muttered under his breath, followed by a curse that Jill didn’t follow…

She could see the anger etched on her father’s face.

“Yes Billy! I told you…work of a monster…He stole everything from John’s room…his toys, his broaches…even the chest that grandmother had given him. But if he had to do that, what was the need for killing the boy? That too in such a gruesome manner!”
Lady Martyl spoke between her sobs…

Her father and Lady Martyl talked for a little longer but Jill was zoned out…

All she could think of was the boy of her age lying in a pool of his own blood…with a gaping hole circumcising the space where his heart should have been.
She suddenly had a strong urge to hide herself in her bed, under the thick blanket with her mother’s shawl wrapped in her hands…calming her down…

It was only when her father tucked at her hands that she realised that Lady Martyl had left and her father was already moving forward.

She hurried to keep in pace with him, tightening her hold on his hands, out of the sudden need to be close to his comforting presence.

Her father noticed the tension and squeezed her hand offering her one of his rare comforting smiles…and Jill couldn’t help but smile back…