Виктория Холт - The Mask of the Enchantress

I said faintly: "And this is what you have told your father?"

"I wouldn't have told, miss. Not after what you done for Jack and me. I wouldn't have told ... but for the baby. I know it was devils in you, miss. I know it now. I know that without them you're good and kind. I wouldn't have told ... but for harm coming to the baby. But I had to tell you what I'd done."

"Thank you, Leah," I said. "Thank you. I'm grateful."

"Miss Susannah," she said earnestly, "it was the devils in you, wasn't it? You're not going to be wicked again. You'll always be your own true self, won't you ... kind and good so as we can all feel safe with you?"

"I will, Leah," I cried. "I will."

"Miss Susannah, my father ... he can do terrible things. He's too good a man not to fight what he thinks is evil ... no matter where it is. He says he'll not let this rest. He's going to avenge Saul. He's going to do something ... I don't know what. But he's a terrible cruel man ... when he has to set wrong right."

"Leah," I said, "you mustn't get upset. Think of the baby."

"Oh, I do, miss. I think of all you've done for us. It was terrible when he come here. But I was frightened, miss, not for myself but for the baby."

"Don't fret. Everything will be all right," I said. I wanted to get away to think what this meant

I left the cottage and went into the woods. I was trapped now. I had thought to take on the custodianship of the castle and in doing so I had put on the mask of a murderess.

I was numb with fear, unable to plan. I did not know which way to turn.

Revengeful Jacob Cringle knew why his brother Saul had committed suicide. He knew that murder had been planned at the castle, and it had later been carried out.

He would not let the matter rest. He was going to pursue the murderers and bring them to justice. He was going to have vengeance for his brother's death.

I knew that murder had been planned. I had proof in the letters which I had found in the secret drawer. It was all beginning to fall into shape.

Unwittingly I had taken on the part of the murderess.

I was trapped in Mateland Castle.

As Cougaba had said: "Dat ole Debil" had been at my elbow. He had tempted me. He had spread out the glory of the castle before me and promised me it should be mine ... in return for my allegiance to him.

And I had succumbed to temptation. Now I was here in a position growing hourly more dangerous. Caught in a trap of my own making.

I don't know how I got through the day. I could eat nothing, so I stayed out, pretending to be on estate business and that I had eaten at one of the inns.

I came in late in the afternoon. I would have to plead another headache. I could not face them that evening. I did not want to see Malcolm. He was as much involved in this as I was and when I thought of the letters I was nauseated. It was clear from them what his relationship with Susannah had been and what I could not understand was why he was leading me on to believe he accepted me. He must have known from the very beginning that I was an impostor. What game was he playing? I needed time ... lots of it... to try to make sense of this.

Janet came in with a tray. "They're concerned," she said. "That's two nights you've not been down to dinner. What's wrong."

"Just a headache."

"It's not natural for young girls to have headaches. You'd better see a doctor."

I shook my head and she left me.

When she came back for the tray she saw that I had eaten nothing.

She came and stood at the foot of my bed looking at me.

"You'd better tell me," she said. "In a bit of trouble, I'll be bound."

I did not answer.

"You'd better tell me. I might be able to help. I've helped you quite a bit, I believe, right from the start when you came here pretending to be Miss Susannah."

"Janet!" I cried.

"Think I didn't know? Think you could fool me? You might deceive poor Mrs. Emerald with her sight being like it is and her not taking much notice of anything but herself. But you don't fool me. I knew you were Miss Anabel's girl from the moment I saw you."

"You ... knew!"

"Suewellyn!" she said. "I saw you once when you were a little thing. Anabel and Joel came. They were a reckless pair. Yes, I guessed who you were. You look that little bit like Susannah ... but there's a world of difference in you two. I had to do my best for Anabel's girl. I was really fond of her. She was a lovely young thing. It was just what she would have done herself, I reckon. Oh yes, I knew who you were."

All I could say was: "Oh, Janet!"

She came round to me and put her arms about me. The show of emotion and affection was all the more effective because she was usually so undemonstrative.

She said: "There, little 'un. I'll do what I can. You shouldn't have tried to be Susannah. It's like a dove pretending to be a hawk. She had the Devil in her, Susannah did. There was them that saw it and knew it and yet couldn't resist her."

"It's gone so far ..." I began.

" 'Twas bound to. You can't do that sort of thing and not meet trouble sooner or later. Life's not a game of masks and pretends."

I said: "I don't know what to do. I'll have to go away."

"Yes," she agreed. "Go away and start something fresh. They'll look for you, though. Mr. Malcolm would want to know where you were, wouldn't he? You seem to have become fond of each other."

"Please ..." I whispered.

"All right. All right. It's funny. He couldn't abide Susannah. It was the same with Garth. I reckon they were just about the only two men who didn't fall into her arms. And they might have done with a bit of beckoning from her. Oh, she had all the wiles at her fingertips, that one. But she had the Devil in her ... and I said it from the first."

I could not tell Janet about the letters. I could not tell her of Leah's confession.

It was enough that she knew who I was.

It gave me a little comfort.

I could feel disaster in the air. I was uncertain what to do, what to say. I had been totally deceived in Malcolm. All the time he knew. What was he planning for me? He had pretended to believe I was Susannah. Why? He had acted superbly. But perhaps I had too.

I was in a daze. I even thought of running away, hiding myself, going to Australia ... working my passage over ... going to Laura or the property and asking for sanctuary.

No, I would talk to Malcolm. I would say: "Yes, I am a cheat and a liar and you do well to despise me. But you are a murderer. You planned with Susannah to kill Esmond and then she went away and you did it. At least I did not kill. I only took what would have been Susannah's if she had lived. And I am her half sister. I know what I took is legally yours now ... but you murdered for it."

I could not go yet. I had to see Malcolm first. I had to explain to him why I had done what I had and I wanted to know why he had pretended to believe I was Susannah.

The day passed uneasily. It was just before dinner when the blow fell.

We were going to dine in the small dining room as we did except when there were visitors. As I came down the stairs I saw a man in the hall.

When he saw me he stood very still. Then he came bounding towards me.

"Susannah!" he cried. Then he stopped short.

"Hello," I said, smiling. He was evidently someone I should know.

He merely stared at me.

I took a step down the stairs. He took my hands and his face was close to mine.

"It's nice to see you," I stammered.

Just at that moment Emerald came to the top of the stairs.

"I'm glad you're back, Garth," she said.

So now I knew.

"I haven't seen Susannah since she went to Australia," said Garth.

"No, you haven't, have you?" I said feebly.

"Let's go to dinner," put in Emerald. "Oh, here's Malcolm. Malcolm, Garth's here."