Page 103 of The Uprising
‘What we share is far more important than anything the king’s soldiers could ever do to me. Don’t you see that by now, Caroline? Relax, don’t fight your fate any longer, my darling one.’
Cara whimpered as the heaviness overcame her and she fell into a deep hypnotic trance.
‘Now, don’t be afraid, my love. Instead of regressing you to a past life, as is the common practice, we are going to travel together into the future. A future where we are in love, and all is beautiful in our world. We’re walking hand in hand on my parents’ farm, as we used to. Do you see us?’
‘Yes, I see us,’ she replied, after a few seconds.
‘Good; that’s very good, my sweet Caroline,’ said Ralph, caressing her hand. ‘Let’s travel to the day when you told me about accepting the position at Willow Manor.’
He continued to walk her through the events of their eighteenth-century life and guided her into an even heavier state. She fell deeper and deeper under his power and she was no longer in the dirty, dim cave. She was walking in the sunshine across one of the village fields, behind the Knight family’s farm. She was bubbling with excitement; almost skipping as she walked next to a young and dashing Ralph Knight.
Oh my God, it is him. He is my friend; no, he’s my suitor, and my arm is tucked in his.
‘Lady Margaret Cavendish summoned me this morning, we met and at the end of our talk, she offered me the position of live-in lady’s companion and governess to her daughter, Olivia Cavendish. The daughter is a pretty little thing; I think you must have seen her passing through the village in her carriage,’ said the nineteen-year-old, Caroline, in her high-pitched voice, swinging on Ralph’s arm.
‘But she’s not much younger than you,’ said Ralph, his tone flat and lifeless. ‘Why would they want you to be her companion? I don’t understand.’
A shadow crossed her face; and her glowing smile slipped. She could see he’d hurt her with his thoughtless comment.
‘That’s not the case. I’m quite a few years older than her, not that it matters. Lady Margaret wants me because she thinks me a suitable companion for her daughter, and I’ve had a good education under my father’s tutorage, unlike most of the village girls left with little more than a command to find a husband,’ said the young woman.
Cara watched Caroline; the eighteenth-century version of herself, undeterred by Ralph’s obvious disapproval, bounce back in animated fashion and continue to regale him with plans of her future at Willow Manor.
Ralph Knight, his face sombre, sat next to Cara in the cave, and said, ‘This is the moment you left me for him. I can see it clearly now; at the time I didn’t know what was happening, although I sensed it. Do you see how you abandoned me for your new life? You said you loved me, and we were going to be married, but you left me, and from the minute you stepped into the Cavendish house, things were never the same between us again.’
Cara’s eyes were closed, and she shook her head, ‘No, Ralph. I never promised to marry you. You said we would marry; I said I wasn’t ready to marry, and I must find a meaningful post to contribute to my dear father’s income.’
Knight slammed his hand down on his muscular thigh, ‘Damn it, Caroline, why must you say such hurtful things? I refuse to listen to any more of this. Now we’re going to rewrite history and fix our future, so we will be together, forever.’
Cara was too lost in the vision to break the trance. Her consciousness was filled with Caroline; she was Caroline. She could feel the young woman’s feelings and she read her thoughts as she channelled her.
Caroline was overjoyed at the invitation to be lady’s companion to Olivia, and to live at the grand house, Willow Manor.
Then Cara’s soul filled with melancholy as she watched herself and Ralph argue, and he forbade her to take the position. Caroline was resolute, but Ralph was stubborn.
‘You are to be my wife, not some Cavendish lady’s companion, which is just a glorified maid, after all,’ he shouted.
Her captor interrupted Cara’s thoughts, and said, ‘We are now going to rewrite this unpleasant scene in our lives, so it never happens. I made a mistake before—I thought I could fix it myself, but it was not to be. You must never meet him at all—it’s too dangerous and you are too susceptible to his charms. You are under my power now, and you will do as I say, do you understand?’
‘Yes,’ said Cara, her voice faint; her mind was heavy, and she was unable to repel his command.
‘You will tell Lady Margaret Cavendish, you have had a change of heart and you must remain at home to take care of your father. You cannot accept her offer.’
Cara’s eyelids moved rapidly, but she was silent.
‘Is that clear, Caroline?’
‘Yes,’ she said, nodding her head as waves of sadness consumed her, but she felt herself resign to his will.
‘Do I have your word that you’ll do as we have said, and you will marry only me, Ralph Arthur Knight, as you promised?’
‘Yes, Ralph, I will marry you,’ she nodded again, all power to resist had left her and she saw her future as Mrs Knight roll out before her.
Ralph smiled and nodded. He then guided her out of the trance counting slowly as he did so, snapped his thumb and finger together, and Cara’s eyes shot open.
‘What happened?’ she said.
‘Do you not remember?’
