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  The carriage began to gain speed, going much faster than we would normally go. Albert leaned his head out of the small window, his intention to call up to Tom to slow down; however he was beaten to it as Tom shouted back first, his voice only just capable of being heard over the sound of the carriage wheels against the cobbled road.

  ‘Hold on Sir, ma’am, and whatever you do don’t look behind us.’ Naturally Albert looked back immediately, and in a split second pulled his head back into the carriage and pushed up the window cover. He then quickly leaned over and slid my own window cover firmly into place.

  ‘What is it?’ I asked with a quiver in my voice; yet despite asking, in my heart I knew.

  ‘He is chasing us’ was Albert’s response to my question. ‘Now hold onto me tight.’

  The carriage continued to gain speed, and the rickety wheels began to shake violently against the un-evened road as the horses continued to gain speed. By now the entire carriage was shaking. I feared we would tip over at any second as I held onto Albert for dear life. Suddenly a loud bang hit the back of the carriage, and for a split second I feared one of the wheels had fallen off.

  As the carriage continued to hurtle along the road, I soon realised the loud thud had come from the luggage rack attached to the back of the cab. D was on the rear of the carriage.

  Chapter 40

  D.

  I ran with all my speed and effort after her. She had clearly had a stronger lead than I had anticipated. As I hurtled past the 199 Steps and approached Church Street I could see the carriage pulling away from outside the inn. I raced as fast as I could in pursuit of them, desperate not to let her get away. I knew I needed to stop Victoria from making the biggest mistake of her life, returning to London with that man.

  Constable Taylor was running towards me, his reaction shocked by the sheer sight of me. I ran directly at him and smashed into his chest, causing him to stagger backwards. Taylor lunged himself back at me, my patience diminishing as I saw the carriage near the end of Church Street. As Constable Taylor leapt forward to grab me again I hastily grabbed him by both shoulders and threw him against the side of the nearest building; his head smashing against a shop window. As he fell to the ground I stepped over him and continued my pursuit of the carriage.

  Tom was on top of the carriage steering the horses and saw me racing down the street after them; he instantly began hollering at the horses to go faster. It wasn’t long before the carriage was visibly shaking under the pressure of the speed against the cobblestones, yet the gigantic horses continued to race faster and faster along the road. I thought for a moment that I was going to lose them, but my own speed succeeded enough to keep me gaining on them.

  My fingers outstretched as far as they could, I could almost reach the luggage rack perched on the back, and with an almighty push I launched myself upon them. My hand took hold of the smallest case strapped onto the top, and I was able to pull my feet in behind me.

  The carriage continued to speed up and shake as I tried to steady myself on the small rack, but I struggled to find a placing for my feet and balanced myself on the rack’s corner, clinging onto the luggage securely tied against the cart.

  ‘Victoria!’ I shouted through the thin fabric that made up the carriage wall, but no reply was forthcoming. I need to stop the horses and get my Victoria away from the harm of this swaying rickety cart and away to safety; this dangerous driver was clearly trying to kill them all.

  I tried to pull myself up higher in hope to see Tom sitting at the front, but as I maneuvered myself the wheels hit a large hole in the road, causing the entire carriage to buckle and shake. I heard Victoria let out a small shriek in terror. To hear her in distress caused my heart to ache, and I knew how much I desperately needed to stop the horses.

  Still barely holding on, and with my feet still balanced onto the smallest remaining ledge, I decided to launch my entire body in a bid to push myself onto the roof, but as I did this my foot slipped against the shaking metal luggage rack and in the panic of falling, my hand grabbed out for anything to help stop me from plummeting to the ground. What I grabbed was the small case perched on top.

  My legs were now dangling entirely off the back of the moving cart, and my grip of the bag was becoming weaker. I was determined not to give in, and with a final effort I tried to pull myself back up onto the rack; the small case which I clutched moved, and came apart from the remaining luggage. I fell backwards onto the road, the carriage speeding away as I landed hard on my back. I lay there for a moment, winded and sore, my ankle stinging from landing on it at an awkward angle.

  As I looked up I saw the carriage race around the corner out of sight. I had lost her.

  Chapter 41

  Victoria

  Friday 16th February 1900

  It was late afternoon when we finally arrived home in London. It was raining heavily and I was pleased and relieved when I finally stepped through my own front door. As expected Albert and I were exhausted, the night time traveling had taken a long time, and it was it not until mid-morning that we finally managed to get a train home from York.

  For the past few hours Albert and I had barely spoken, and the carriage ride from the station to our house had seen us both almost asleep; the darkened circles forming around our eyes a brutal hint at just how exhausted we were.

  We lived in an end townhouse which overlooks a rather large green that is frequently used as a cricket pavilion. Upon entering I took myself straight upstairs to our bedroom; I had not had chance to change my clothing since being on the pier and desperately wanted to clean myself up. My own bedroom was a welcome relief to me, and as I opened the large double wardrobe I decided that what I really wanted was to get into my nightgown. A gentle knock on the bedroom door shocked me from my trance. I opened the door to be met by another tired little face.

  ‘Sorry to disturb ya Miss, but where would ya like these cases?’

  ‘Just in the corner here will be perfect.’ I pointed besides the window. ‘Thank you for bringing them up for me, Tom.’ His smile was still warm and gentle despite his clear exhaustion.

  ‘Would ya like anything else Ma’am?’

  ‘Please call me Victoria, Tom, and no I do not wish you to do anything other than freshen up and have a rest. You are not here to serve me remember; this is your home now.’ His smile widened and his eyes lit up as he leaned in and threw his arms around my waist, holding into the tightest hug his tired little body could manage.

  ‘Thank you Miss…Victoria.’

  Tom had driven the carriage all the way to York that night, and even helped carry the luggage along to the platform where we waited for such a long time. Despite me telling Tom to go back to Whitby, he would not, “not until I ‘ave seen ya safely onto the train” he had said. It was bitterly cold in the station, and the blanket was soon laid out across all three of our laps. Tom fell asleep soon after and as I watched him sleep my heart ached at the thought of him returning to Whitby. Homeless and barely protected in his shabby clothes. I had asked Albert if we could offer him a home, and at first he was reluctant; however the train was not for many hours, and I soon managed to persuade him.

  Tom left my bedroom and I was alone again. I picked out one of my soft silk nightgowns from the wardrobe and laid it out onto the bed. My eyes scanned my bedroom; the large framed window was being bombarded by the heavy downpour that had begun, and the dark overcast clouds were causing the room to grown dark in the dim light. I stood in complete silence, stroking the silky soft texture of my nightgown, enjoying the silence of my own room. No seagulls crying, no waves crashing against the pier, and no Him.

  I unbuttoned my heavy dress and allowed it to simply fall to the ground, and as it fell, my eye caught sight of a piece of paper that also landed onto the ground with it. I gasped loudly in shock even before picking it up. I unfolded the paper to inspect it further, and before me was the perfectly drawn portrait of myself. As I stared at the picture for what felt like a long time, my
eyes slowly filling with tears as the reality of what happened on the pier suddenly came back to me; and without warning I burst into uncontrollable sobbing.

  There was another gentle knocking at the door.

  ‘Are you alright darling?’ It was Albert. I quickly folded the piece of paper and stuffed it into my wardrobe, as far back as physically possible. I then snatched myself a tissue from the box next to my bed and dried my eyes to the best of my ability.

  ‘Come in,’ I called out, and Albert entered the room, instantly recognising that I had been crying. He strode over to where I stood and scooped me up into a passionate embrace, softly moving the stray hairs that now covered my face and looked me in my tear filled eyes.

  ‘It’s over now V, you’re safe.’

  Chapter 42

  D.

  I never returned to Whitby again after that night.

  After falling off the moving carriage it had taken me some time to get back to my feet. Victoria was now long gone and so I began to walk. No real destination in mind. I just knew that Whitby no longer served a purpose to me, and that staying was the wrong thing to do.

  The small suitcase which I had pulled off the carriage I carried with me as I strode the entire night. When I finally stopped walking it was daylight, and the sun illuminated the Yorkshire moorlands that surrounded Whitby. The North Sea was no longer visible, and the majestic Abbey ruins that normally dominated the landscape had disappeared from the horizon. At this moment in time I had no idea where I was or where I was going. I stopped to rest, my legs becoming tired and my ankle swollen slightly from my fall. I needed somewhere safe I could rest.

  With daylight now on my side, I decided to inspect the case, and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. Attached to the handle, was a small leather tag, and within the tag read:

  Mr & Mrs Summers

  13 Vincent Square

  London

  And at that point, I knew exactly where my destination was going to be.

  To Be Continued…

  D: Revenge Hits London

  Coming 2017

  Praise for The Vintage Coat

  This book is a little gem, filled with surprises. It has a refreshing almost innocent quality about it. The Vintage Coat gives us romance, adventure, family ties, friendship and sacrifice. The concept of a time-travelling coat is unique and is a testament to the authors originality and imagination.

  - DM Singh: Author of Regina: The Monster Inside

  A story of family & friendships, you cannot help but fall in love with the characters. I truly felt the fun & sense of adventure that Joseph (our main character) experiences slipping back in time. The author also made me sympathise with Joe and experience his heartache.

  Rose English: Author of One Breath

  The easiest 5 stars ever given, this book got me hooked from the very first page. It was so well described that you actually feel like you were there in Alston yourself. I would recommend this book to anyone - you will not be disappointed, and the twist at the end is so unexpected it leaves you wanting more.

  LJ Wright

  Acknowledgements

  I would firstly like to thank my long suffering husband, who must have read this book so many times during the editing process.

  Secondly I would like to thank Haley and Stuart, who kindly allowed me to stay at their home in Whitby for two nights. Here I wrote the final six chapters of the book in the perfect location.

  I would also like to thank Dawn and Pete from Follow This Publishing, without your continued support I would never have published The Vintage Coat, and your continued support of my writing means a lot to me.

  I would also like to thank the lovely Author, Rose English, for proof reading my book and helping me to ensure that it is the best it can be. I am forever grateful.

  Lastly I would like to thank everybody who read The Vintage Coat – your reviews on Amazon and Goodreads are very much appreciated, and seeing them all and the love you have shown towards me and my book was overwhelming. For that reason you encourage me to keep writing, and publishing.

  Thank You!

  About The Author

  Chris Turnbull was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, before moving to Leeds with his family. Growing up with a younger brother, Chris was always surrounded by pets, from dogs, cats, rabbits and birds…the list goes on.

  In 2012 Chris entered into a Civil Partnership with his long term partner, since then Chris has relocated to the outskirts of York where he and his partner bought and renovated their first home together.

  Chris now enjoys his full time employment at the University of York and spends his free time writing, walking his Jack Russell, Olly, and travelling as much as possible.

  For more information about Chris and any future releases you can visit:

  www.chris-turnbullauthor.com

  facebook.com/christurnbullauthor

  Twitter: @ChrisTurnbull20

  Behind The Darkness

  Many people have asked me how I managed to write this book so quickly, commenting that Whitby’s Darkest Secrets release was only 7 months after The Vintage Coat, however this is not the case. WDS was in fact started in the summer of 2013, and came from the simple idea of wanting to base a story in one of my all-time favourite places.

  My first memories of visiting Whitby were on a group weekend with the boy scouts. During which I joined in with a Dracula fancy dress evening whilst attending one of the famous Whitby Ghost Walks.

  From then on my love of Whitby grew, and I have visited the small fishing town numerous times over the years, from day trips to longer stays.

  Developing the characters for WDS has been one of the highlights, and using them to tell the story allowed me to delve into their inner most feelings.

  The first draft of this book was completed earlier in 2015, when I stayed in Whitby for two nights. I walked around the ruined abbey, which strangely I had never done before, and walked the streets to really get into the emotions, sights and smells the characters would face – minus the 1900 smog.

  I hope you enjoyed this book, because I really enjoyed writing it.

  Book One of the Trilogy

  Regina: The Monster Inside

  DM Singh

  What if what you were could destroy everything and everyone you loved?

  Regina thought she was an average teenager. When strange things start to happen, she discovers she belongs to a hidden world of supernatural beings and she is the most dangerous of them all.

  Her existence is a death sentence to her, her survival could be a death sentence for us all.

  Will those who fear her destroy her and those she loves, or is she destined to become the monster within?

  Join the fight for survival.

  http://authordmsingh.weebly.com