Ghost Gum Valley (78 page)

Queenie performed an Indian dance and Marmaduke felt himself transported to the past. When she danced Queenie looked as young as he first remembered her.

Marmaduke then faced the moment he must apologise for the inability of his star entertainer to appear.

From the stage Marmaduke paid a glowing tribute to the gifts of the American Nightingale. He was just about to fabricate an excuse for her non arrival when his eye caught a flash of scarlet moving through the garden towards him.

‘I am now proud to present to you an artiste whose magical voice will be remembered by all who hear her. The American Nightingale, my dear friend, Madame Josepha St John!'

And as all faces turned in the direction in which he gestured, on perfect cue a heavenly voice broke into a thrillingly sustained high note. And there, walking through the garden towards them, her arms outstretched as if to hold them all in her embrace, was the magnificent Josepha St John, swathed in gold-striped red velvet that generously revealed enough of her pale arms and generous bosom to showcase the legendary ‘diamonds'.

What a woman! Trust Josepha to make an unforgettable entrance.

Isabel's place at the pianoforte was smoothly taken by Federico and the enthralling performance held the audience spellbound.

Isabel was now free to sit back and enjoy the performance but Marmaduke froze when he saw the expression on her face.

Isabel was exhausted. Marmaduke's idea for them all to entertain Rose Alba was lovely in theory but this concert needed a week's rehearsal. What did Marmaduke expect of her as an accompanist with no one to turn the pages?
I'm not Mozart or Beethoven! I'm a woman only weeks away from giving birth. And trying to pretend I don't know that my house burnt down. Nobody tells me anything! And now I'm face to face with the gorgeous Josepha St John and I look like a dumpling!

Her eyes filled with tears of frustration that turned to anger when Josepha drew Marmaduke on stage to sing a passionate aria to him. He looked as lithe and boyish as Romeo. When Josepha plucked the scarlet flower from her bosom and gave it to Marmaduke – he kissed the flower! It didn't matter to Isabel that the lyrics of Josepha's song involved two lovers whom fate had forced to part forever.

Isabel felt white-hot with fury.

That's my husband you're making love to – you female predator!

She was just about to gather up her skirts and cross to Garnet's side to sit with Rose Alba when she felt taken over by a sudden, inexplicable change of mood. The frightening drop in temperature she had known all her life was a warning of the appearance of the Other.

Rose Alba was not in her place but she had seen Marmaduke lead her to the wings to watch Josepha's act and be ready to lead the audience in singing, ‘God Save the King' at the conclusion of the concert.

Logic told her that Rose Alba was safe under Marmaduke's eye, but Isabel's instincts were stronger than logic. All the sounds around her seemed to fade. Her senses acutely attuned like a deer that smells danger. Something was terribly wrong – and it wasn't in the little theatre. It was something out of sight.
In the garden.

Unable to cry out Isabel picked up her skirts and ran towards the rose garden.

Garnet looked around his domain. He felt sure that if it weren't for his curiosity to hold the coming babe in his arms, he could die a happy man at that moment.
Everything I have ever wanted is within easy reach – thanks to iIabel. Even an uneasy truce with Marmaduke.

All in his world, bond and free, were riveted by the diva's performance on stage. Garnet returned Rose Alba's excited wave as she hurried from the wings, headed for the house hand in hand with Black Mary.

Garnet was not surprised.
The little poppet's been beating a track to the water closet all morning. Obedient child. Remembering not to go anywhere unaccompanied
.

Rose Alba had only taken a few days to steal his heart. Her engaging mind and sunny smile had brought love and laughter into the house he had built in the vain hope of raising a family of Miranda's children. The house that had attracted nothing but recriminations, anger, betrayal, tragedy and years of bitter estrangement from the son he loved more than his own life. Isabel had made a man of Marmaduke.

Garnet was startled to find himself sending up a begrudging, sideways prayer for the first time in years.

There must be a God up there somewhere. Just when I decided He didn't give a damn about me, He brought Isabel into my life, the babe she and Marmaduke created and that little girl I will love as my own kin. I hate to admit it after all the bad cards you've thrown at me, God – this day was worth waiting for.

But the thought was no sooner in his head than he had a premonition that everything was about to change. Why? Everyone seemed to be in place. Isabel was intently watching Marmaduke on stage – revelling in his role as the focus of the diva's love song.
Damn it all, I suppose it's not unreasonable that he has inherited a theatrical gene or two from that damned Klaus von Starbold.

Garnet told himself that the Hessian who had stolen Miranda's heart was dead. And he was alive.

He was just about to join the audience's wild applause when his eye was caught by the distant figure in the garden. He froze.
That face
. He strained his eyes to focus on it. And then with slow certainty he knew that the past had come back to haunt him.

Garnet was outraged that God had created a man who was so handsome, so noble in bearing that it gave no hint to the evil of his mind. The man who had given false evidence at his trial.

Blinded by fury and gasping for breath, Garnet rose and broke into a run. Silas de Rolland was in his rose garden! Bold as you please. Not a moment to lose. The villain was walking away from him, smiling down into the eyes of a little girl he held by the hand...Rose Alba Gamble.

Isabel was confused to find the rose garden deserted. She stumbled along the path towards the house. At the sight of Black Mary returning with a platter of food for the guests, Isabel grabbed hold of her with shaking hands.

‘Where is she, where's Rose Alba? I saw her leave with you.'

The Aboriginal girl was wide-eyed with fear at Isabel's unexplained rage. She mumbled something inaudible about ‘the gentleman'.

‘What gentleman? What did he look like?”

‘Like
you,
ma'am. He asked the child to show him the white rose garden. The gentleman told the child you wouldn't mind – he was her cousin.'

Silas!
Isabel ran towards the white rose garden feeling she was trapped in one of her own nightmares. If she concentrated hard enough she could make herself wake up. Until she saw the carriage in the turning circle in front of the house and knew the truth. Nothing could ever wake her.

The man waiting in the driver's seat. The same man who had driven her to the London docks and made sure she boarded the
Susan.
Cooper, Silas's henchman. The pugilist forced to work for him because Silas held the evidence he was wanted for murder. He now wore a metal shield over his nose.

Isabel screamed out to him. ‘Cooper, for pity's sake, tell me what Silas has done with my daughter!'

Cooper frowned but turned his head away.

It was then she saw a movement inside the carriage. Silas sat with Rose Alba beside him, his gloved hand covered the child's whole face except for her terrified eyes.

Silas's voice was silky, gentle. Were his words an echo of the past inside her head? Or were they alive and happening right now?

Silas looked at Isabel then stroked the child's hair. ‘What a pretty little girl you are, sweetheart.'

Isabel's mind went blank with horror. She froze, locked in a space between her childhood memories and the present. For a moment she stood transfixed, sick in the stomach as Silas gently tilted Rose Alba's face to make her look into his eyes.

‘When you grow up,
I will ask you to marry me.
'

Isabel saw her fear reflected in Rose Alba's eyes and knew exactly what the child was thinking, feeling.

Rose Alba broke the spell. She twisted her face away from his hands.

‘Let me go!'

A wave of cold rage drove Isabel. She hurled herself at the carriage, her foot on the step, her hands gripping the open windowframe of the door, unable to open it.

‘Let go of her! I won't let you ruin her life as you did mine.'

Silas smiled at her through the window and gave her a look of appraisal.

‘I don't need you any more, Isabel,' he said softly, ‘you have grown too old.'

He wrapped his cane against the side of the carriage. ‘Drive on, Cooper!'

Isabel screamed out Marmaduke's name then yelled at Rose Alba.

‘I won't ever leave you!'

They all turned at the roar of a man's voice. Garnet Gamble was racing towards them brandishing a duelling pistol. He stopped short, saw the whole situation so aimed his pistol at Cooper.

‘One move and you're a dead man!'

Rose Alba's clear voice screamed Marmaduke's name in a high-pitched chant of desperation. Isabel clung to the door, one foot still on the step as the horses pawed the ground in agitation. She didn't know how long she could manage to cling to the carriage but when Cooper pulled the horses to a sharp halt despite Silas's orders, she seized the moment and managed to climb inside. She clawed Silas's face with both hands.

‘Run, little one, run home!'

When Rose Alba jumped free from the carriage Isabel smiled despite the pain when Silas's cane struck her face.

Rose Alba ran past Garnet screaming Marmaduke's name.

Marmaduke leapt down from the stage the moment he saw Isabel leave and realised that Garnet was running in the same direction. Then he heard Rose Alba calling his name. He ran to the carriage where Garnet was yelling blue murder and waving a pistol in frustration, afraid to fire at Silas in case he hit Isabel.

Marmaduke lifted Isabel free from the carriage and held her in his arms but his eyes were fixed on the face of the man inside the carriage, who was banging his cane on the roof and ordering Cooper to drive on.

Cooper sat with folded arms, refusing to budge.

‘Changed sides have you?' Marmaduke asked.

Cooper looked at Marmaduke fearlessly and jerked his head at his master. ‘I'm armed. He's not. I've done all his dirty work. I can kill a man and sleep nights. But I don't hurt no little girls.'

‘I believe you.' Marmaduke said.
Thank Christ for Newgate “thieves' honour”'
.

People were running around like a disturbed hornet's nest but keeping a healthy distance from the carriage. Only Edwin, Murray and Rhys drew closer.

Marmaduke glanced back at Rose Alba, who was the calm in the eye of the storm beside Queenie. Garnet waved a pistol, almost incoherent with rage but threatening to fight Silas de Rolland. Bridget shouted at him not to be a fool and Amaru screeched his head off.