Lord of the Far Island (18 page)

ery little,I answered. suppose I learned something from our governess, but I don remember much.

ee the pure British,he went on. ncontaminated by the races who made up the English. They didn penetrate as far as the Islands, so we kept our characteristics our old customs. You must discover something of this while youe here. It Kellaway heritage. This Island has been in our possession for several centuries. It a wonderful island; it fertile, for the climate is conducive to growing things; wee protected by the rock formations on the east from the colder winds and on the west from the southwest gales, while the Gulf Stream keeps us warm. Il show you the palms in my sheltered gardens. We have our township, our church, our cemetery, our inn, our thriving community. We are independent almostof the mainland; and it all Kellaway land.

As he was speaking his manner changed yet again. Now he was glowing with pride of possession. I could see that he loved this Island and I warmed towards him because that fierce enthusiasm was infectious. I hadn seen the place properly yet but I was beginning to glow with pride because 1 was a Kellaway and this was Kellaway land.

I waited eagerly for him to tell me more. He noticed my interest and remarked on it; it pleased him, I could see.

shall enjoy showing you everything, Ellen,he said. e have our celebrations hereur mummers, our hurlers and wrestlers, our bonfires on Midsummer Eve. All the old customs prevail hereore so perhaps than on the mainlandnd some of these customs go back to pre-Christian days. But it is the family you must first get to know. There Jenifry, my sister. She a widow who lost her husband some years ago. That was during the typhoid epidemic which struck the mainland and filtered through to our Island. She a few years older than I am and is the chatelaine of the castle, you might say. She visiting one of the cottagers now who bedridden. Youl learn how we care for everyone here. They look to us in their troubles. It quite a responsibility, you know. Jenifry daughter, Gwennol, will be company for you. She about your age. Shel help look after you. Now tell me about yourselfand your life in your cousin house.

I started to tell him and it seemed to amuse him, or perhaps I stressed the amusing side. I always seemed to do that when talking of Cousin Agatha.

h come,he protested, t wasn very comfortable, was it? She had a daughter, didn she, who wasn half as attractive as you are? I saw that much. And she made you feel you were living on her bounty.

I was surprised that he had been so perceptive. t a common enough story,I said.

nd then,he went on, his young man came forwardich and indulgent. They wanted him for their daughter and he chose youise young man. And then he killed himself.

e didn. He could not have done it. If you had known him you would realize that was impossible.

t all over.His voice had become soft and soothing. t in the past. I mentioned it only because it had to be spoken of. Now we will not speak of it again. We have to think of the presentand the future. But before we dismiss the subject tell me what were your plans before you had my letter.

was going to be a governess to a friend of my cousin.

nd you were not looking forward to the prospect?

hated it,I said vehemently.

should think so! You a governess! My dear Ellen, it wouldn do. Youe too proud for such a menial task. You should be engaging governesses for your own children.

ut I am unmarried.

n attractive girl such as you are will not remain single long.

I shook my head. have no intention I began.

f course you haven until the right man comes along. As your guardian, I should like to see you happily married. Well now, I daresay you would like to go to your room and rest awhile. If there is anything you need, just ring the bell. Janet has been told to look after you.

I rose and he did the same, going to the bell rope and pulling it. Then he laid his hand on my shoulder and gripped it firmly. I could feel the strength of his fingers as we walked to the door.

Almost immediately a servant appeared.

ake Miss Ellen to her room,he ordered, pressing my shoulder affectionately and smiling at me as he released me.

I went to my room in a strange mood. He was the most unusual man I had ever met. I was not at all sure of him and I could not rid myself of the feeling he had inspired in me when we had been alone in the house in Finlay Square. His moods seemed to change so quickly and his personality with them. Of one thing I was certain: I did not know what to make of my guardian-cousin Jago.

I certainly did not want to rest. I was too excited. There was plenty of time before dinner to explore the castle ground. I had been told very clearly that I was to make myself at home. Well, I would begin by looking round and taking stock of my surroundings.

I descended the staircase by which I had been brought to my room and came to the guardroom. Being there alone moved me in a manner I had not experienced when others had been present. Everything was so different from what I had imagined. A grand castle and a guardian who was not a middle-aged gentleman but a man not much more than thirty who behaved in an unconventional manner. There were his sister and daughter, whom I was to meet, and they were descended from that branch of the family which was reputed to have been entangled with the Devil. The prospect of the future, which I was sure in such a place dominated by such a man was going to be far from dull, stimulated me, and I felt more alive than I had since Philip death. I wondered why my mother had left here so hurriedly and mysteriously. I was determined to find out. How different my life would have been if she had not!

And as I stood there the guardroom seemed to take on a menacing aspect, and it occurred to me that I had come here in rather a reckless fashion. Oh no, this was my family. I was just feeling uneasy because of the shock of finding that Jago Kellaway was the man who had frightened me in the house in Finlay Square. He was a sort of joker in an unconventional way. There were people like that. He had admitted he liked dramatic happenings. Yes, I thought, with him playing the leading swashbuckling role!

This apprehension was natural. Hadn I always been impressed by atmosphere? I shuddered now to recall the repulsion I had felt when I had first entered the house in Finlay Square. This roomedieval in aspectith the weapons on its wallswo swords crossed, an ax, something which was half spear, half battle-ax and which I believed was called a halberdad subconsciously reminded me of the gun room at Trentham Towers where Philip had shown me the pistol, the fellow of which had been the weapon which had killed him. It was this shadowy memory which was tapping on my mind now, reminding me of hidden dangers. I fancied that just as I had sensed a warning in the house in Finlay Square, so I did now in Kellaway Castle.

I moved towards the door; my footsteps ringing on the marble paving stones seemed to fill the guardroom with sound. I stood still. What a silence! It is foolish to endow a house with a personality. But is it? When a house has stood for seven hundred years much must have happened within its walls. If those stones could speak what tales they would have to tell! And in houses such as this there would have been gaiety and sorrow, comedy and tragedy. I have the feeling sometimes that these emotions have been captured and held within stone walls and that there are times when they cannot keep them secret.

Stupid imaginings, but I was in an uncertain state. I was trying to throw off one life with all its unhappy repercussions and embrace a new one of which I was equally uncertain.

I stepped out into a courtyard and saw an archway which appeared to be cut into the wall. It led into another courtyard slightly lower than the one I had just left and I crossed it and went down steps to an even lower one. A few windows looked out onto this courtyard; they were small and leaded. There was yet another archway and from this wound a pathway with stone walls on either side. I took this pathway.

As I walked along it I heard the sudden flutter of wings and the cooing sound of birds. I had come into yet another courtyard. This was where the cooing sound had come from, for there were several pigeons pecking at maize which was scattered over the stones.

As I approached, some of them fluttered up and perched on the little dovecotes which were attached to the walls; others ignored me and went on picking up the maize. Most of the pigeons were the bluish gray common color but some of them were brown. I had never seen pigeons that color before.

As I stood there watching the birds I was aware of a shadow at a lower window. Someone was watching me.

I turned sharply. The shadow was no longer there.

I looked back at the birds and waited. Now the shadow had come back. I could see it from the corner of my eye.

I called: re these your birds?

There was no answer. I went closer to the window where I had seen the shadow, but it was no longer there.

There was a little door in the wall and I tapped on it. I wanted to ask about the brown pigeons. I realized that it had been slightly ajar and as I stood there it was quietly shut. Someone on the other side of the door was clearly determined to keep me out.

I fancied I could hear the sound of heavy breathing.

How strange! Well, if whoever was there didn want to speak to me, I wouldn disturb him or her. Yet the impulse came to me to knock again on the door and I did so.

There was no answer.

I called out: only want to ask about the pigeons.

Still no answer.

How odd. How unfriendly. It was some servant, I supposed. I shrugged my shoulders, left the birdscourtyard and went back the way I had come.

Perhaps it was rather foolish to begin to explore the castle on my own. It would be far better if I had a guide to show me round. There would be someone who would be delighted to do so I was sure.

I found my way back to my room, where I must now dress for dinner. I decided I would wear the blue dress, which was extremely elegant, and I wondered if I should ever need the black serviceable one which I had worn on the night of Esmeralda dance when Philip had proposed to me. If I had Philip orchid it would look quite charming.

Now I was back in the past again. Could I ever escape from it? Would I ever be able to thrust aside my memories? Even as I put on the blue dress I remembered how I had imagined wearing it dining with Philip on the Grand Canal. I shook myself angrily.

How clearly that first night in the castle stands out in my memory.

A servant came to my room to conduct me down to the anteroom where the family were waiting for me. Jago was standing in front of the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes shining with pleasure, dominating the room. On either side of him was a womanhe older one about forty years of age, whom I guessed to be his sister Jenifry, the younger his niece Gwennol, who he had said was about my age.

ome, Ellen,said Jago. ome and meet the family. This is Jenifry, my sister.

My heart sank a little as she stepped forward to take my hand. She was almost as dark as Jago and had the same high-bridged nose which gave her the arrogant look which I had noticed in him; the family resemblance was strong.

Her voice was soft and warm. e are glad you have come, Ellen,she said; but there was something coolly appraising about her eyes which was in contrast to her words. I knew she was assessing me and I felt the same uncertainty about her as I did about her brother.

t is good of you to be so welcoming,I answered.

ut of course we are delighted to have you at last. Gwennol, come and meet Ellen.

Gwennol was dark too. Her hair was almost black, her eyes dark brown, her nose a trifle retrousse, her mouth wide; and the entire effect was made striking by her soulful dreamy eyes and the alertness her nose and mouth seemed to betray.

ello, Ellen,she said. elcome to Kellaway Island.

ou two must be friends,said her mother.

ou must show Ellen the castle, Gwennol,said Jago, smiling from one to the other of us.

Almost immediately a servant came in to announce that dinner was served, and Jago put his arm through mine and led the way.

s this is a very special occasion,he said, e are dining in the hall. It is a custom reserved for feast days and special occasions, and what occasion could be more special than this one?

I shall never forget the sight of the hall on that first night in Kellaway Castle. It filled me with wonder and awe which was none the less exciting because there was a strong flavor of apprehension mingling with it.

At one end of the vast room was a door leading to the kitchens through which the servants hurried back and forth; above these doors was the minstrelsgallery; and at the other end was a dais set at right angles to the main room. Antlers decorated the balustrade of the minstrelsgallery and the walls were partially covered with fine tapestries. There was something royal about this hall with its lofty roof, its thick stone walls and the weapons displayed there. Places had been laid at the long oak table and on the dais and already the long benches on either side of the table were occupied. These people, Jago told me later, were those employed on the estatehose who farmed the land, the managers of the various concerns, his clerks, and could scarcely believe thishere below the salt were those who worked in a more menial capacity. This was the manner in which kings had feasted in the old days.

The scene he had set was truly medieval and when the minstrels in the gallery began to play softly I was amused by this determination to create an atmosphere of bygone days, and I was touched, too, because I knew it had all been done to honor me.

All those at the long table rose as we entered. Jago led the way to the dais, his arm still through mine, and he stood there at the table with me beside him.

have great pleasure,he announced, n introducing you all to Miss Ellen Kellaway, my ward and cousin, who has come to stay with us, I hope for a very long time. This occasion is to welcome her to the castle and the Island and I know that you are delighted to see her heres I am.

There was a murmur of assent. I was not sure what was expected of me, so I smiled, and as Jago was holding out my chair for me, I sat down.