Philippa Carr: Midsummer's Eve

“I wouldn’t have gone on being a thief. I didn’t mean to steal. The first time was the meat for your Devil Spot.” He looked at me sharply. “You’ve still got it.”

I nodded.

“And the second time was the pheasant. It was because of him. I wanted to take something from him because of what he had done to me granny.”

“It was a foolish thing to do.”

“I didn’t know then what I wanted. I’m not a boy any more. I’m a man and life ’as been cruel to me. But there’s one or two who ’as been kind and you be one of them.”

“Then trust me again. Come to the shed. I promise I won’t say anything to anyone about this without telling you first. That place must be draughty at night. My shed has a proper roof. You’ll be comfortable there. I’ll give you some blankets and hot food. And, Digory, I want to talk to you. You must give up this plan. It can only lead to disaster for you.”

“And for him. That’s what matters. For me … I don’t care. But I won’t get caught. I’ve had all those years to plan and I’ve worked it all out. I’m not a silly boy any more, you know. This is what I’ve planned for. I’m going to that Manor and I’m going there to wait for him. I’ve been there at night but he doesn’t come out. I’ve seen Bob Carter there. I don’t yet know what he be doing there. But I’ll get him one night, that I will, and then I’ll rest for I will ’ave avenged me granny.”

“Digory,” I said, “do you remember how we used to sit on the bank and throw stones into the river?”

“Yes.”

“I used to talk to you a lot. You never listened.”

“Oh yes I did. I remember the day you showed me your house. It was something I shall never forget … all them wonderful things. I used to think a lot about them when I was away. I thought I’d like to go back there. I’d like to work there like I did before.”

“Oh, Digory, if only you hadn’t gone to the Manor woods that night. If only you had lived honestly.”

“He killed me granny,” he said. “I knew him … and when he caught me with the pheasant, I said to him ‘You killed me granny,’ I said. ‘You was wearing a grey thing hiding your face, but it didn’t hide it from me and I saw you, Luke Tregern, and I don’t forget.’”

“Luke Tregern!”

“’Twas he. He couldn’t fool me. There he was urging them on. ‘Finish her off,’ he said. ‘Her sort shouldn’t be allowed to live.’ No more should his sort.”

The realization hit me so forcibly that I could not listen to what Digory was saying.

So it was Luke Tregern who had been there that night.

Everything was becoming clear. He had been in the house often. He would have seen the robe. Rolf might have shown it to him. He was always showing people things he had discovered and he had had a respect for Luke Tregern’s intelligence.

I heard myself say: “So it is Luke Tregern you have come back to kill … to take your revenge … I thought it was someone else.”

“Who else?” he said. I did not answer and he went on: “I took the pheasant because it was his in a manner of speaking. He treated them birds like his own precious pets. So I took one. I was going to make a brew that would be a spell, so that everything would go against him. But he caught me. I said to him, ‘Luke Tregern, you killed me granny!’ He said, ‘Stop that talk or it will be the worse for you. If you as much as mention the old witch I’ll see you hanged from a gibbet.’ And he gave evidence against me. He said I’d made a habit of stealing his pheasants and he’d lain in wait to catch me and he had, redhanded. And they listened to him and when I tried to speak they wouldn’t let me. So he got me sent away for seven years. And then I thought, I’ll come back, and I’ll make him pay for what he’s done to me granny … and to me.”

It was as though a great burden had been lifted from my mind. I had misjudged Rolf. It was true that he had, as he told me, been in Bodmin on that night. I wondered how I could have doubted him. The explanation was simple. Rolf was away. Luke Tregern had gone to the drawer and taken out the robe. After that night was over he simply put it back. I had no doubt that wearing the robe had appealed to his sense of the dramatic. Perhaps he had wanted to appear anonymous. He had been deeply conscious of his position as agent and manager of a big estate and felt it undignified to mingle with the fishing and mining community as one of them.

But there was one thought which was singing in my mind. All these years I had misjudged Rolf. My nature was suspicious and distrustful and I deserved so much of what had happened to me.

My immediate concern was Digory.

I had to stop his carrying out this plan for I could see that it would only bring him further trouble.

“Digory, you are coming with me. I have to talk to you. There is so much to say. Promise me you’ll take no action until you have talked to me.”

“I can’t promise that. Suppose I was to come on him … and we was alone?”

“It isn’t the way. Do you think I don’t understand how you feel? A great deal has happened here since you’ve been away. I told you I was no longer at Cador. I want to talk to you. But first I want you to promise me that you will come after dark to Croft Cottage. I shall tell no one except my maid. She will have to know because she is there. But I will impress on her that she must be discreet and I know she will do as I say. Please listen to me. Remember we saved your life once. What would the mob have done to you if we hadn’t hidden you?”

“They would have killed me most likely … like they did my granny.”

I nodded. “Then trust me, Digory. Let me talk to you. Let us reason this out in comfort. You need care. You need food. You may have been able to live here in the woods for a while but …”

“It won’t be for long. I’ll get him soon.”

“Promise me you’ll come tonight. You’ll have the shed. We’ll keep you there. It’s better than here. Digory, listen to me. My brother and I saved you before. Remember that.”

“I do believe you,” he said, “but I won’t come. I won’t have anyone else know I’m here. That maid ’ud have to know. I don’t trust nobody ’cept you. I’ll find him and when I can get him, I’ll take him. Then I’ll go. But I won’t come to you.”

“You mean you’ll stay here in the woods? Someone might see you. Some say they have.”

“They’ve seen ghosts. That’s good. It keeps them away. I’m safe here. I wouldn’t feel safe anywhere else. This is where I was … where she was. I feel she’s here sometimes … looking after me.”

“Can I bring you anything? Are you warm enough at night? I’ll bring some food.”

“No, don’t. People might see. I couldn’t have anyone knowing.”

“I’ll help you all I can, but I’m going to try to stop you. I’m going to make you see that you’re playing a dangerous game. If you harm him and you’re caught that will be the end for you.”

“I wouldn’t care as long as I got him.”

“I have to go now,” I said. “I don’t want Kitty wondering where I am. People are getting uneasy about what is going on in the woods. Fires have been seen. They know someone is here.”

“Ghosts,” he said again.

“That’s what some think. Others might not. I came to see for myself, remember.”

“I’ll take care. And you’ll tell no one.”

“No. I’ll tell no one.”

“You’ve done a lot for me.”

I looked at him sadly and I thought: You have done a lot for me.

I went back to the cottage thinking of my own folly for doubting Rolf.

I wanted to go to him and tell him that that which I had been unable to get out of my mind for years had now been made clear to me. I wanted to try to make him understand about that night before the day when we were to have been married and how I had imagined the grey robe was my wedding dress. But I should have to tell him how it had been made clear to me and I had promised Digory that on no account would I tell anyone that he was here.