Lord of the Far Island (35 page)

I almost wished Slack had not found the boat. How much more comfortable it would have been if I had dismissed the idea that I had seen grains of sugar and there had not been the evidence of that drilled hole.

Don be a fool, I admonished myself. What the good of being in love and finding life exciting if someone is planning to remove you from it?

As I deliberately refused to think of Jago as the one who had drilled that hole in the boat, hoping that I would not return, my thoughts went to Michael Hydrock, who had been so kind to me and seemed to enjoy my company so much. What if Michael had been the one with whom Silva had fallen in love? Then I thought of Jenifry and Gwennol, who had shown so clearly that my friendship with Michael did not please them.

Gwennol was a passionate girl. She would love fiercely and hate in the same way. They had the Devil in them, this branch of the Kellaway familyago branch. That was how the legend went. Jago might want the Island but Gwennol wanted Michael Hydrock.

It was all too mysterious and complicatedut I could not rid myself of the thought that I was in danger.

If only my mother had talked to me! If only I had come to the Island earlier, I might have met Silva.

I pictured my mother here in this room, going to the cupboard, taking out her painting materials and then going out to paint a scene of the castle or the Island, or perhaps to do a portrait. Where had she seen the dream room? That was yet another mystery.

And as I sat there brooding I heard a sound and such was the state to which I had reduced myself that immediately a cold shiver ran down my spine. I stared at the door, which was slowly pushed open. I don know what I was expecting. My fear was due to my conviction that someone was planning to murder me, I supposed, and was therefore understandable. But it was only Slack standing there.

h, it be you, Miss Ellen,he whispered. did wonder. I knew someone was here like. It be a good spot to be when there trouble about.

hat an odd thing to say. What do you mean by that, Slack?

h, just that it be good to be in this room like.

hat so special about this room?

iss Silva, her did come here. Her come and sit on that there settle, just as you be sitting now. I could shut me eyes and it would be like you was Miss Silva sitting there.

ow did you know she came here?

e eyes did tell me so.

y mother used to come here too. It seems that it a sort of refuge.

hat be that, Miss Ellen?

place you come to when youe pondering about something, when youe not quite sure what you ought to do.

ye,he said. t be such a place.He paused and wrinkled his brow. It was as though he wanted to tell me something and did not know how to express it.

es, Slack,I prompted.

ou be watchful, won e?

oue said that before, Slack.

ye, is so. I know you should be watchful.

t would be easier if I knew what to watch for.

He nodded. f you be feared sometimes, Miss Ellen, you come here. Il be watchful for e.

ome here? To this room?

ome to me first and then come to the room. Then I know you was here. That would be best.

I looked at him intently and again wondered if people were right when they said he was acking.

hy, Slack?

is best,he said. was what I told Miss Silva.

o she came here and you came too.

He nodded. iss Silva, her trusted me, her did. You trust me too, Miss Ellen.

do, Slack.

He put his finger to his lips. ere,he whispered. n this room. That would be best.

hy?I asked.

hen the time do come.

Poor Slack, I thought, I really believe he is a little mad.

sn it time to feed the pigeons?I asked.

is five minutes off feeding time.

hen let not keep them waiting.I stood up.

He smiled and repeated: hen the time do come.

The sea was being roughened up by a wind which was blowing straight in from the southwest and a boat was bobbing about on the waves which were threatening to envelop it. I left the cove and climbed the cliff, where I found a spot among the gorse and bracken. It was easier to think up here away from the castle.

I was wearing a cape of greenish hue which could be a good protection against the wind and if the sun came out I could throw it open; so it was a useful sort of garment. Sitting there, in this green cape, I merged into the landscape.

I watched the boat coming in and as a man stepped out into the shallow water the fancy came to me that there was something familiar about him. I was sure I had seen him somewhere before.

Then I heard Jago voice and seconds later he rode into the cove and down to the shore.

He cried out: ow dare you come here like this? What do you want?

I couldn hear the man answer. He evidently lacked Jago resonant voice. I could see that Jago was very angry and the notion that I had seen the man before was stronger than ever.

The wind had dropped for a moment and I heard him say: have to talk to you.

don want you here,said Jago. ou know very well you had no right to come.

The man was gesticulating and the wind had started to moan again so that I could not hear what he was saying.

Then I heard Jago voice again: have business to attend to. I late now. What can you be thinking ofo come here?

The man was speaking earnestly and I was frustrated because I could not hear his words.

ll right,said Jago. l see you tonight. Keep yourself out of the way till then. I don want you seen at the castle. Wait a minute though. Il see you in the dungeons. Wel be out of the way there. Make sure youe at the west door at nine olock. Il join you there but youe wasting your time. Youl get nothing more. Where are you going now?The man said something. o back to the inn then,said Jago. tay in your room there till tonight. Youl be sorry if you disobey, I tell you.

With that he turned his horse and rode out of the cove.

The man stood looking after him. Then he looked up at the cliff. I shrank into the bracken but I was certain he had not seen me; but as he had lifted his face I saw it clearly and with a sudden shock I realized who he was.

He was that Hawley who had been valet to the Carringtons, the man who had made me uneasy when he had watched Philip and me in the Park.

I sat still, staring at the sea. What could it mean? What connection was there between Jago and Hawleyor I was sure it was hehe man who had worked for the Carringtons? I wondered about Bessie, who had been in love with him, and what had been the outcome of that affair. But most of all I wondered how the man was concerned with Jago.

There was no simple explanation that I could think of, but a terrible uneasiness assailed me. I had not, as I had thought, turned my back on the old life when I had come to the Islandhilip death, Hawley, Jago and everything that had happened since was connected with what had gone before.

Jago had certainly been angry to see Hawley. And Hawley? There had been something about his manner which had been a little cringing and yet truculent. That he was afraid of Jago was obvious, but on the other hand Jago was so angry at the sight of him that he might have something to be afraid of too. He must have known that he was coming because he had been at the cove to meet him; and the man was to come that night to the dungeons. Why to the dungeons? Because Jago was anxious that Hawley should not be seen. Not be seen by whom? By me perhaps. I was the one who had seen him before and knew that he had worked in the Carrington household. What would Jago say if he knew that I was already aware that Hawley had come to the Island?

Where is all this leading? I asked myself desperately. What had Jago to do with those horrifying events in London? What did he know of Philip death?

Philip found shot. It was not by his own hand, I knew it. I was certain of it. Didn I know Philip as well as it was possible to know anyone? Philip did not kill himself and if he did not then someone else killed him.

Why? Did Jago know the answer?

This was becoming a nightmare. I could not shut out pictures which kept coming into my head. Jago at the Carrington soiree. He had walked in without an invitation because he knew I was there. He wanted to see the family I was marrying into. He could easily have found out what he wanted to know about the Carringtons.

For what purpose had he been in the empty house in Finlay Square? His explanations had not rung true at the time. Now they seemed more implausible than ever.

And Philip had died. Suicide, they said.

But it wasn suicide; and if that was so, then it was murder.

And Hawley? What did he know about it? He had come here to ask something of Jago and they were going to meet in the dungeons.

There was only one thing to be done. I must be there, but neither of them must know it. They would talk frankly together and I must hear what was said, so I must be hidden there somewhere unseen. It was the only way in which I could uncover the truth and begin to unravel this terrifying mystery in which I was entangled.

The day dragged past and it seemed as if the evening would never come.

I put on a dress of biscuit-colored silk and because Jago always looked to see if I was wearing the necklace of multicolored Island stones, I decided to wear it. Not that he would notice tonight perhaps; he would surely be preoccupied with his coming meeting in the dungeons with Hawley.

As I fastened the necklace I noticed once more that the clasp was not very strong, but it would hold.

Jago did notice the necklace. He said, at dinner, how becoming it was on that colored silk. He talked about the various stones which could be found on the Island and said that he thought it would be a good idea to start up an industry in cutting them and making them into ornaments. Even so, I sensed that his thoughts were elsewhere. It was ten minutes to nine olock when dinner was over. Gwennol and Jenifry went into the parlor to take coffee. Jago did not join them and I murmured something about having a letter to write.

I did not go to my room but slipped straight out of the castle and quietly made my way across the courtyard to the west door. A terrible fear came to me that Hawley might already be at the dungeons, in which case I should be discovered.

It was a bright night, for there was a full moon which touched the castle walls with an eerie light and I felt very uneasy as I hurried through the west door and down the spiral staircase to the dungeons.

I had been there only once before. It was not the sort of place one would make a point of visiting often. Moreover, there was something so repelling about it that even on that other occasion when Gwennol had been with me, my inclination had been to get away as quickly as I could.

I stood in the circular courtyard which was surrounded by doors and looked about me. I remembered from that first visit that behind each of the doors was a cavelike dungeon in which Kellaways had kept their captives of the past.

I pushed open a door and looked inside one. This was one with a small barred window high in the wall. There was a faint shaft of moonlight filtering through that window which was enough to show me the moist walls and the earth floor. It was very cold and smelled unwholesome. Nevertheless, I went farther in and half closed the door.

I waited for what seemed a long time and it must have been precisely at nine olock when I heard footsteps on the spiral staircase and the creaking of the courtyard door as it was pushed open.

Through the crack in the door I saw a faint ray of light. Jago was carrying a lantern.

re you there?he shouted.

There was no answer.

I cowered into my dungeon and asked myself what Jago reaction would be if he discovered me there.

Footsteps at last.

ell, here you are,said Jago. hat do you mean by sending a message that you were coming here?

had to see you,said Hawley. imes are hard. I in debt and I need money.

ou were paid for what you did. What your purpose, Hawley?

just want a little something, that all. I did a good job for you.

ou did a job and were paid for it. That the end of it. I no longer employing you. You made a pretty good mess of it too, I must say.

t wasn easy,said Hawley. wasn used to valeting.

ll good experience for you,said Jago.

fter all the trouble I got into

hat was your own fault.

might have been accused of murder.

ou weren. There was a verdict of suicide, wasn there?

t could have been different. Think what I had to do. I had to get friendly with that girl, the maid, and find out what your young lady was doing. Then I had to get the key cut for you. That was a tricky job.

t was child play,said Jago.

wouldn call it that when a man was killed.

ou should have managed better than you did. Now listen, Hawley, you came here to make trouble. Or so you think. Youe saying: ou pay me or else.There a name for that and it blackmail, and that something I would never accept.

ou wouldn like the girl to know.

here, you see. The blackmailer talk! I won have it, Hawley. I tell you I won have it. You know what we do with people here who break the law? Offenders like you? We put them in prison in these dungeons. They don like it. There something about the place. Perhaps you sense it. By God, Hawley, I tell you this: Il lock you up here and hand you over to the courts for the blackmailer you are. You wouldn like that

don think you like some things to come out, Mr. Kellaway. You wouldn want that to happen. The young lady

ne thing I wouldn allow to happen,interrupted Jago, s give way to blackmail. Youe been on the mainland, have you? You know that Miss Kellaway is here. Youe been hearing gossip. I hope you haven been adding to it, Hawley. But if you think you can come here and try to blackmail me, youe made a big mistake. Remember what happened in Philip Carrington bedroom.

was only working for you.

ou be careful. Things could go badly for you.

I felt limp with horror. I leaned against the wall, my fingers clutching unconsciously at the stones of my necklace. Could it be that Philip had been cold-bloodedly murdered by a man employed by Jago to kill him! There were such people as professional murderers. But why? The answer was clear. Because Jago knew that I was the heiress to the Island. He did not want me to marry Philip because he wanted to marry me himself.