Victoria Holt - The Secret Woman

“That is what you did not expect? You think we do not have schoolrooms on Coralle?”

“Of course I didn’t think that! But this looks as if it has been used for generations.”

“How could that be? There was no house here until Monsieur built it.”

“And Mrs. Stretton was the only pupil?”

“Her name was Miss Barker.”

“Whose?”

“The governess.”

She rocked on her chair smiling to herself; she muttered something under her breath. It sounded uncomplimentary to Miss Barker.

“She came from England?” I asked.

She nodded. “There was a family that came here. He came to see whether he would stay altogether. There was a girl and a boy and they had a governess. And Monsieur he said that it was time Missy Monique had lessons. So the governess came here and she taught them in this room. Missy Monique and the little girl and little boy.”

“That was pleasant company for her.”

“They used to fight. The girl was jealous of her.”

“That was a pity.”

“The boy loved her. It was natural.”

I felt dubious. I imagined Monique — a spoiled, willful and unpleasant child.

“And so the governess taught them all,” I said. “It was convenient.”

“Not for long. They went back. They did not like the island. Miss Barker stayed.”

“What happened to her?”

Suka smiled. “She died,” she said.

“How sad.”

She nodded. “Oh, not at first. She taught Missy here and she loved her. She was not a good governess, not strict. She wanted Missy to love her.”

“Indulgent,” I said.

She rocked to and fro. “And she died. She is buried on the hill. We have a Christian cemetery.”

Her great eyes roved over me and I thought she was measuring me for my coffin.

What an uncomfortable woman!

That afternoon there was great excitement on the shore. I was resting in my room because of the heat. Everyone in the house — and on the island — seemed to follow this habit. In any case it was too hot to do anything but lie behind shutters in the middle of the day.

I heard shouting, but I took little notice; and it was Chantel who came in to tell me what had happened.

“Our gallant Captain is the hero of the occasion,” she said.

“What occasion?”

“While you were slumbering it’s been a matter of life and death out there in the bay.”

“The Captain …”

“Has been behaving with his usual eclat.”

“Chantel, do be serious.”

“He’s saved Dick Callum’s life.”

“What … the Captain!”

“You look surprised. Surely you expect heroic deeds from him.”

“Tell me what happened. Is he … ?”

“Completely unconcerned by the adventure. He looks as though he saves lives every day.”

“But you’re not telling me what happened.”

“How impatient you are! In brief, Dick Callum took a swim. He had been warned that the waters were shark infested, but he waved aside all warnings. He went in; the sharks were interested. Then he was overcome by cramp. He yelled. The Captain was at hand and ‘accoutred as he was plunged in’ (Shakespeare). He saved him. Snatched him from the very jaws of the murderous shark.”

“He did that?”

“Of course he did. You wouldn’t expect him to do otherwise.”

“Where are they?”

“Dick is on board and Dr. Gregory is in attendance. He’s suffering from shock and is being kept to his bed for a day or so. At the moment he’s sleeping. Greg has given him an opium pill. It’s what he needs.”

I was smiling and she laughed.

“You look positively beatific. Ah, it is just as well he sails away tomorrow.”

She was looking at me wistfully.

“Chantel,” I said seriously, “you and I should never have come here.”

“Speak for yourself,” she mocked me. “And don’t deceive yourself. You wouldn’t have missed this for … a flourishing antique business.”

* * *

That evening was different from the previous one. Dick stayed on board in his bed; Monique kept to her room. Last night’s outburst had had its effect on her and Chantel had been giving her the drops of belladonna as prescribed by the doctor, watching her carefully, she told me, because like most effective drugs it was highly dangerous if given to excess.

Dr. Gregory came to dinner; Redvers was there with Chantel, Madame and myself. It seemed a much more civilized occasion without Monique. Pero and Jacques waited on us discreetly; Madame seemed more relaxed and played the rôle of grande dame with dignity.

We had excellent wine from the cellar which her husband had left her; the food was simple. There was more fish — the main dish this time served with a sauce which contained mangoes. There was a soup which I believed was mainly constituted of what had been left over from yesterday’s meal; we finished with passion fruit and sugar bananas. After that we took coffee in the salon, as before.

The conversation was largely about the incident that afternoon. Madame told stories of some adventures with sharks; how a man had been walking along close to the sea when one had nipped off his arm.

“They are very dangerous in these waters. You were very brave, Captain, to venture when one was near.”

“He wasn’t very close. I had time to get Dick in.”

“It will be a lesson to him,” I said.

“He’s a strong swimmer. He would have been safe enough if he hadn’t been suddenly attacked by cramp.”

“A dreadful experience,” said Chantel. “To be swimming strongly and suddenly to find oneself powerless.”

“Poor Dick Callum!” said Red. “I’ve never known him so shaken. He seemed ashamed of himself … as if it couldn’t happen to any of us.”

We talked of the Island then. Madame said she was sorry the ship would not be there for the great celebration. It was the day of the year for the islanders, and visitors always enjoyed it as much as the natives.

Chantel asked what happened during the celebration.

“Feasting and ritual dancing. You will be impressed by the flame dancers, will they not, Captain?”

“They are very skilled,” agreed Red. “They would need to be to perform this very dangerous dance.”

“That’s what makes it effective, I suppose,” said Chantel. “The danger.”

“I suspect,” said the doctor, “that they are wearing some fireproof substance on their bodies. They could not possibly use their flaming torches as they do without.”

“Their skill lies in their speed,” said Red.

Madame turned to us, explaining: “There is a family on the island who have done this flame torch dance for generations. They wish it to be known that they have the protection of the old fire goddess. It is that which makes everyone so eager to see them perform. They would not dream of telling anyone the secret.”

“Does the old man still dance?” asked Red.

“No, it is the two sons now. They in their turn have sons to whom they are teaching the art. There’s a legend which they make sure is kept going. Their ancestors came from the Fire Country and that is why they are on good terms with fire which will not harm them. That’s the story. But as you say it is some substance they smear on their skin and their clothes I daresay; and of course their marvelous agility.”

“Do they still live in that house along the coast?” asked Red.

“They would never move.” Madame turned again to Chantel and me. “You will not see the house unless you explore thoroughly. It is hidden by trees. This family has lived there, so they tell us, since they came from the Fire Country. They have refused to accept new ideas which have come to the island. I think they would like to see the island go back to what it was a hundred, two hundred years ago.”

“And where is this Fire Country?” asked Chantel.

“In their imagination?” I suggested.

“That is so.”

“What is it supposed to be? A kind of sun?” said Chantel. “It could only be somewhere in the sky?”

“You are too analytical,” said Red with a laugh. “Just accept it. These people are expert performers. It may be that they need their myth to enable them to do this highly inflammable act. If so, let them have it, I say. The dance is very good entertainment.”

“You see,” said Madame, once more addressing Chantel and me, “there is some entertainment on the Island.”

The doctor went back to the ship at ten o’clock, and Chantel and I retired to our rooms.

I had not been in mine more than a few moments when I heard the sound of pebbles hitting the shutters. I opened them and looked out.

Redvers was below.

“I must see you,” he said. “Can you come down here?”

I said I would shortly be with him.

I blew out my candles and went out into the corridor. The oil lamp stood on a table, the wick turned low for reasons of economy. I found my way, rather uncertainly, down to the hall and went out onto the porch from where I saw Redvers standing in the shadow of the house.

“I had to speak to you,” he said. “There won’t be another opportunity. Let’s walk away from the house.”

He had taken my arm; I felt his hands burning my flesh as we went silently across the grass. There was not a breath of wind; it was a beautiful night and although the heat of the day still seemed to hang in the air, it was not stiflingly hot. The stars were brilliant; the Southern Cross — as remote as our own Plow — dominated the sky, fireflies flitted past and then I heard the drone of an unknown insect. There was a soft perpetual hum coming from the bushes.

“It’s no good, Anna,” he said. “I have to talk to you frankly. Tomorrow I shall leave you. I had to talk to you tonight.”

“What is there to say?”

“What I have not yet said but what you must know. I love you, Anna.”

“Please …” I began faintly.

But he went on: “I can’t go on with this pretense. You must know this is different from anything that has happened before.”

“It has come too late.”

“That mustn’t be.”

“But it is. This is her home. She is in that house now. She is your wife.”

“God help me, Anna, sometimes I hate her.”

“No good can come of this. You must know that.”

“You doubt me. You have heard scandal … gossip. And even now I am talking to you in a way which you believe to be wrong.”

“I should go in.”

“But you will stay a while. I’ve got to talk to you. Anna, when I come back, you will be here and …”

“Nothing will have changed,” I said.

And I thought of Monique gasping for breath and of Chantel’s saying: “She won’t make old bones.” I couldn’t bear it. I didn’t want such thoughts to come into my mind.

“There are times when she so maddens me that I …”

But I could not bear him to say it. I cried: “No … no.”

“But yes,” he said. “Tonight is different. Tonight is like that other night. The night at the Queen’s House. I feel as though we are alone in the world as I did then. I could forget everything all around us. There were just the two of us then, and now it is the same.”

“But Aunt Charlotte came and showed us that it was an illusion. Of what use are illusions? They are nothing but dreams and we have to wake up and face reality.”

“One day, Anna …”

“I don’t want you to say this. I should never have come here. I should have stayed in England. It would have been the best way.”

“I stayed away but I did not forget. I’ve been haunted by you ever since that night in the Queen’s House. Oh God, how did I let this happen to me.”

“You loved her once.”

“I never did.”

“You married her.”

“I want to tell you how it happened.”

“Don’t. It does no good.”

“But you must know. You must understand.”

“I understand that you no longer love her.”

“Sometimes I think she has become mad, Anna. Sometimes I think she always was.”

“In her way she loves you.”

He passed a hand over his brow.

“I hate her,” he said. “I hate her for what she is, and I hate her because she stands between you and me.”

“I cannot bear it when you talk like this.”

“Only tonight, Anna. I must tell you the truth tonight. I want you to know how it happened. We had met, you and I. You were a child and I was drawn to you then, but how could I understand? It was only later when I came to the Queen’s House that I understood. Then I said, ‘I must go away. I must never see her again because this emotion which is between us is something I have never known before and I believe I should be unable to resist it.’ I’m not a hero, my darling. I want you. I want you more than anything … to sail with you, to be with you every minute of the day and night, never separated. We should be part of each other. That’s what I know. I knew it in the Queen’s House, but I know it a thousand times more certainly now. Anna, there is no one else for me in this world and there is no one for you. Do you know this?”