Free The Secret of Willow Castle - A Historical Gothic Romance Novel by Nathaniel Burns Page B

of Poole’s Cavern are many,” Naismith told us, his voice echoing uncannily in the cathedral-like space. “Hundreds of years ago it was home to the robber Poole, after whom it is named. This fascinating place was his base of operations, used to rob travellers who passed on the nearby road. One can only imagine what dark deeds took place in these chambers when they played home to a gang of thieves.”
    “ Yet long before Poole set foot here, the Romans used the Cavern for metalworking. They knew the magic of this place, shaped by very water that bubbles up warm from the ground. They believed the water to be warmed by the goddess Arnemetia, after whom they named the town – Aquae Arnemetiae, you see? – and here they made the coins and jewellery that they would give as offerings to their goddess.”
    “ But legends change. The goddess Arnemetia was eventually forgotten, and after the memory of her had faded it was replaced by a darker, more sinister tale. Stories are told of the robber Poole setting up home here and calling upon the Devil himself to grant him protection from justice for as long as he remained here. Time and again, he escaped the law by retreating into these chambers where, it is said, the atmosphere was so demonic that no good man dared follow. Perhaps they perceived the flickering glow of cooking fires against the stone as they hovered in the entrance, afraid to venture further lest those flames proved to be the entrance to the underworld. Perhaps their spines were chilled as they felt the drop in temperature, for the cave remains cold in both summer and winter, unaffected by the weather. Perhaps they heard the roar of the river and fancied they heard the bellow of the Beast himself. Standing here today, I am sure you can imagine how terrifying this place could be if you were planning to enter alone, unaided and in pursuit of a gang of desperate men who might be waiting with cudgels and knives just around the bend.”
    “ In later years a few intrepid souls plucked up the courage to explore the cave, discovering the source of the roaring, the strange light and the constancy of the climate. Having established that there was nothing to fear save the occasional bat, they spread the word of this hidden wonder of the Peaks. Sure enough, people came to see for themselves, but further dark deeds were waiting to be done. Their guides, who had become familiar with this place, would lead them to the very place where you find yourselves now… then they would extinguish their candles. The visitors would be left in darkness to find their own way out, risking a deadly plunge into the river, unless they handed over all their possessions to their erstwhile guides. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why I give another candelabra to one of you as a gesture of good faith.”
    A nervous titter ran through the group. All through Naismith’s tales I had kept my hands on the white standing stone, enjoying my connection to it for as long as I could. Now Naismith announced that it was time to retrace our steps, so we followed him back along the path, following the route of the river.
    “May I ask a question, Mr Naismith?” I piped up. He stopped and turned to me, nodding his assent. “Where does the river go?”
    “ Towards the Wye eventually, My Lady,” he said. “No-one knows its exact route, for it flows into chambers that we cannot access.”
    “ Other chambers? How far does the Cavern do?”
    “ Who knows, My Lady? We can only speculate. There are some who believe that this system of caves runs all the way to the end of the Hope Valley and that this tributary river does not meet the Wye until after Castleton. It is said to run all the way under another place where the Devil has been summoned – Willow Castle, with its infamous Withy Chamber.”
    Lady Cynthia let out an excited squeak. “Oh, Mr Naismith!” she exclaimed. “What an extraordinary coincidence! You are speaking to the lady of Willow Castle at this