Виктория Холт - Snare of Serpents

Ninian tried to shrug it off, but I could see that he was as upset as I was.

I suppose that was why he decided on the house the very next day.

It was a pleasant house in one of the squares of grey stone houses. We were close to Princes Street and, in spite of everything there to remind me, I could still find pleasure in it. I passed the garden and thought of Jamie, and Zillah who had found us there.

When we told Ninian’s parents that we had found a house which would suit us, they could not hide their relief; and I felt that the shadow which was overhanging my life was spoiling Ninian’s, too.

The house was not very far from my father’s, where I had spent my childhood, where the terrible tragedy had happened. I could not bring myself to call on Zillah, which would have meant going back there. I wondered if the Kirkwells and the Vospers were still there; and I asked myself if Zillah would have heard that I was in Edinburgh.

We moved into the house and I felt a little better. Shortly afterwards I discovered that I was pregnant.

That made a great deal of difference. I stopped brooding and ceased to think that everyone was remembering. My joy was intense; so was Ninian’s. Even his parents softened towards me. They were delighted at the prospect of a grandchild.

One day I received a note. It came by hand. It looked like Zillah’s handwriting, but it was slightly less bold than it used to be; and when I opened it I found that it was from her.

My dear Davina,

I believe that you have reverted to your true name now, and I hear that you are in Edinburgh. My dear child, why did you not come to see me?

Things have not gone very well with me. I am wretchedly ill. It smote me suddenly and here I am … more or less an invalid. I don’t know how these things happen. I was hale and hearty one day and ill the next. It is very annoying. I just had a horrid cough at first, which I could not shake off. It’s consumption, they tell me. It’s a bore. I sometimes feel quite ill and at others my jaunty self. I make plans and then can’t act on them.

Do come if you can bear with a poor invalid.

My love as always,

ZILLAH

After receiving such a note there was nothing I could do but call immediately, though I had to steel myself to do it.

Mrs. Kirkwell opened the door. I guessed she had been warned that I was coming.

“Oh, good afternoon, Mrs. Grainger,” she said. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Kirkwell. How are you?”

“As well as can be expected, thank you.”

“And Mr. Kirkwell?”

“He’s all right. And you look just the same. My word, you did get caught up in that awful place. Siege, don’t they call it? You should have seen the people in the streets when we heard it was relieved. Mafeking and Ladysmith, too. Mr. Kirkwell knows all about it. He was watching for news all the time and telling us what was going on. And of course … you being there … well, we wanted to know. I couldn’t get it out of my mind, our Miss Davina out there with all them savages.”

“They weren’t savages, Mrs. Kirkwell.”

“Well, near enough … foreigners. And you shut up in that place … And I remember you when you was a little thing no higher than my knee … and then to be stuck in that place. Mrs. Glentyre is waiting for you.”

“Is she very ill, Mrs. Kirkwell?”

“Up and down. She’s right as a trivet one day. You’d never guess. Of course, she passes it off. Last person you’d have thought would get caught like that. She’s that pleased you’re coming to see her. I’ll take you right up. That was her orders.”

I went up the familiar stairs to the familiar room.

She was sitting in a chair by the window. I was amazed at the sight of her. She was so much thinner, but her hair was as bright as ever, but somehow it did not match her rather gaunt face.

I went to her and took her hands in mine.

“Oh, Davina … my sweet Davina. It was wonderful of you to come.”

“I’d have come before if I had known.”

“Just because I’m a poor old thing?”

I said: “It was difficult for me to come back here. I’m afraid I put it off.”

She nodded. “So you married your Mr. Grainger. How is that going?”

“Very well.”

“He was always asking questions. And then he went out and brought you home. News travels in a town like this. My word! That was something! Shows how keen he was to get you. And at one time I thought he was interested in me! But I realised it was just because he wanted to probe. He’s a real old prober. I soon got his measure. But it is good to see you. Tell me about the awful time you must have had. Shut in like that … not much to eat, I suppose … living on what you could get.” She shivered. “We heard a lot about it here, you know. I’ll not forget Mafeking night in a hurry. The noise in the streets! It went on all night. And I thought of you out there. It is good to see you.”

“Tell me about yourself, Zillah.”

“Oh, things didn’t turn out as I thought they would. I had plans. I was going to have a house in London. I was going abroad. I was going to enjoy life. All planned, it was, and then, suddenly, I got this cough. Just a nuisance at first. Then I couldn’t get rid of it. The doctor shook his head and wanted examinations. So I had them and they found this. I reckon I picked it up in those draughty old digs when I was with the Jolly Red Heads.”

“I’m so sorry, Zillah. It is the last thing I would have expected of you. So you have to stay quiet, do you?”

“Don’t only have to, want to sometimes. I have my down days and my up days. Sometimes I feel … almost well. I make the most of that.”

“Everything else seems more or less the same here. Mrs. Kirkwell is just as ever.”

“She’s like an old monument … she and her old man. I never forget them when I first came here. What a long time ago that seems, Davina!”

“I remember it well. I thought I had never seen anyone less like a governess than you.”

“You always paid nice compliments, dear. And to think that you once thought of becoming one! What happened about that old school?”

I told her and that Lilias was now married.

“You both found husbands. It can’t be such a boring old profession, after all.”

“So did you,” I said.

For a moment we were both sober.

“And the servants here?” I asked.

“The girls left. There are new ones now. Only the Kirkwells stayed.”

“And the Vospers?”

“They’re not here. I’ve got Baines now. Baines and Mrs. In the mews, of course. She helps in the house; he’s a good steady man. Not that I use the carriage so much nowadays.”

“What happened to the Vospers?”

“Oh, they shot up in the world. Hamish did anyway. He’s in the horse racing business … or something like that. Making money, so I hear.”

“He always had such a good opinion of himself!”

“Apparently he has made other people have one, too.”

“Do you ever see him?”

“Now and then. He comes to see the Kirkwells. I think he likes to show off his affluence to them and remember the old days.”

“Did you ever hear any more of Ellen Farley?”

“Ellen Farley? Oh …”

“You remember, she used to work here. She was the one they tried to find at the time … of the trial.”

“That’s right. Ellen Farley, the one who disappeared into the blue.”

“Ninian used to say that if we could have found her she could have corroborated my story … you know … that she asked me to buy that stuff.”

She leaned forward and laid a thin white hand over mine.

“Don’t think about it, dear,” she said. “It’s all over and done with. That’s what I tell myself. Doesn’t do any good to go over it.”