16 The Blue Castle - Read By Stephanie Poppins

Valancy Stirling is 29, unmarried, and has never been in love. Living with her overbearing mother and meddlesome aunt, she finds her only consolation in her daydreams of the Blue Castle. This is the place she can be who she truly wants to be. After getting shocking news from a doctor about her state of ill health, Valancy decides to rebel against her family in true heroine style and live the life she was always meant to have.

In this new episode, Valancy realises the happiness she has been looking for

Performed by Stephanie Poppins
Music by Jean-Miles Carter
Published by Neworld Books

Transcript

Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph. It is time to relax and fully let go. There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go. Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you and let all the worries of the day drift away. This is your time and your space. Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh. There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go. Happy listening. Chapter 17 When Valancy had lived for a week at Roaring Ables, She felt as if years had separated her from her old life and all the people she had known in it. They were beginning to seem remote, Dreamlike, Far away, And as the days went on they seemed still more so, Until they ceased to matter altogether. Valancy was happy. Nobody ever bothered her with conundrums or insisted on giving her purple pills. Nobody called her Doss or worried her about catching cold. There were no quilts to piece, No abominable rubber plant to water, No ice-cold maternal tantrums to endure. She could be alone whenever she liked, Go to bed when she liked, Sneeze when she liked. In the long wondrous northern twilights, When Sissy was asleep and Roaring Able away, She could sit for hours on the shaky back veranda steps, Looking out over the barrens to the hills beyond, Covered with their fine purple bloom, Listening to the friendly winds singing wild sweet melodies in the little spruces, And drinking in the aroma of the sunned grasses until darkness flowed over the landscape like a cool welcome wave. Some times of an afternoon, When Sissy was strong enough, The two girls went into the barrens and looked at the woodflowers. But they did not pick any. Valancy had read to Sissy the gospel thereof according to John Foster. It is a pity to gather woodflowers. They lose half their witchery away from the green and the flicker. The way to enjoy woodflowers is to track them down to their remote haunts, Gloat over them and then leave them with backward glances, Taking with us only the beguiling memory of their grace and fragrance. Valancy was in the midst of realities after a lifetime of unrealities and busy, Very busy. The house had to be cleaned. Not for nothing had Valancy been brought up in the sterling habits of neatness and cleanliness. If she found satisfaction in cleaning dirty rooms, She got her fill of it there. Roaring Abel thought she was foolish to bother doing so much more than she was asked to, But he did not interfere with Valancy. He was very well satisfied with his bargain. She was a good cook. Abel said she got a flavour into things. The only fault he found with her was that she did not sing at her work. Folks should always sing at their work, He insisted. Sounds cheerful like. Not always, Retorted Valancy, Fancy a butcher singing at his work or an undertaker. Abel burst into his great, Broad laugh. There's no getting the better of you. You got an answer for everything. I should think the sterlings would be glad to be rid of you. They don't like being sassed back. During the day, Abel was generally away from home. If not working, Then shooting or fishing with Barney Snaith. He generally came home at night, Always very late and often very drunk. The first night they heard him come howling into the yard, Sissy told Valancy not to be afraid. Father never does anything. He just makes a noise. Valancy lying on the sofa in Sissy's room where she had elected to sleep, Lest Sissy should need attention in the night. Sissy would never have called her, Was not at all afraid and said so. By the time Abel had got his horses put away, The roaring stage had passed and he was in his room at the end of the hall, Crying and praying. Valancy could still hear his dismal moans when she went calmly to sleep. For the most part, Abel was a good natured creature, But occasionally he had a temper. Once Valancy asked him coolly, What's the use of getting into a rage? It's such a relief, Said Abel. They both burst out laughing together at this. You're a great little sport, Said Abel, Admiringly. Don't mind my bad French, I don't mean a thing by it, It's just habit. See, I like a woman that ain't afraid to speak up to me. Sissy there was always too meek, Too meek. That's why she got adrift. I like you. All the same, Said Valancy determinedly, There's no use in sending things to hell as you're always doing and I'm not going to have you tracking mud all over a floor I've just scrubbed. But you must use the scraper, Abel, Whether you can sign it to perdition or not. Sissy loved the cleanliness and neatness that Valancy brought. She had kept it so too until her strength failed. She was very pitifully happy because she had Valancy with her. It was so terrible the long lonely nights and days with no companionship save those dreadful old women who came to work. Sissy had hated and feared them. And she clung to Valancy like a child. There was no doubt that Sissy was dying. Yet at no time did she seem alarmingly ill. She did not even cough a great deal. Most days she was able to get up and dress, Sometimes even to work about in the garden or the barrens for an hour or two. For a few weeks after Valancy's coming she seemed so much better that Valancy began to hope she might get well. But Sissy shook her head. I can't get well. My lungs are almost gone. And I don't want to. I'm so tired, Valancy. Only dying can rest me. But it's lovely to have you here. You'll never know how much it means to me. Valancy, You work too hard. You don't need to, You know. Father only wants his meals cooked. I don't think you're strong, Not that strong yourself. You turn so pale sometimes. And as for those drops you take. Are you well, Dear? I'm all right, Said Valancy lightly. She would not have Sissy worried. And I'm not working hard. I'm glad to have something to do. Something that really wants to be done. Then Sissy slipped her hand wistfully into Valancy's. Don't let us talk anymore about my being sick. Let's just forget it, Shall we? Let's pretend I'm a little girl again and you've come to play with me. I used to wish that long ago. I used to wish you could come. I knew you couldn't, Of course. But how I did wish it. You always seem so different from the other girls, Valancy. So kind and sweet. And as if you had something in yourself no one knew about. Some dear, Pretty little secret. Had you a secret, Valancy? I had my blue castle, Said Valancy. Then she laughed a little. She was pleased that Sissy thought of her like this. She had never suspected anybody liked her a my head or wondered about her at all. At that point she told Sissy all about her blue castle. Even though she had never told anyone about it before. Sissy smiled gently. Everyone has a blue castle, I think, She said. Only everyone has a different name for it. I had a blue castle once. Then she put her two thin little hands over her face. And she did not tell Valancy then who had destroyed her blue castle. But Valancy knew that whoever it was, It was not Barney Snaith.