Philippa Carr - Midsummer's Eve

That scene in the woods when he and Maria had come face to face with Digory, told him that the moment had come, more quickly than he had thought it would. He had been preparing himself for some time for sudden departure. So he was ready. As soon as he knew that Digory was in the neighbourhood and had seen Maria he prepared for flight.

He was picked up in Southampton where he was waiting for a ship to take him to Australia.

It was ironical that when he was brought up for trial he was sentenced to fourteen years’ transportation; and eventually departed for Australia in a very different manner from that which he had planned.

As for Maria, when she learned that I was still alive, before she could be brought to justice, she went down to the shore and walked into the sea.

That was the tragic end of her dreams.

I had visitors every day. Helena brought Jonnie, who looked at me with enquiring eyes and wanted to know why I was all tied up.

I told him I had had an accident and would soon be untied.

He regarded me solemnly and asked me to tell him a story. Rolf came in and found us together.

“This is your house,” announced Jonnie.

“Yes,” replied Rolf. “Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like to live here?”

“With you?”

Rolf nodded.

“And Auntie Annora?”

“Ask her.”

He looked at me and said: “And Mama and Papa and Geoffrey … We could all come. Here I’d have a pony.”

Helena came in and took him from the bed. She regarded me with concern. “You mustn’t tire yourself,” she said anxiously.

Uncle Peter came.

He said: “I’ve had things checked.”

I looked at him enquiringly.

“This Maria,” he said. “You didn’t think I was going to let them get away with it, did you? If you had left it to me it wouldn’t have gone so far. Soon as I heard the verdict I sent a man out to Australia … a detective to scent out the truth. It took a bit of time but at last we traced it. She was living on her father’s property. He had had convict labour and one of these was Digory. That was how she came to know about the house. Her mother died a few years ago. This Stillman was Maria’s father. There was never any question of it. The whole thing was a fabrication. And it ought to have been seen as such right from the start. I always said you should have let me deal with it.”

“I know, Uncle Peter.”

“Well, there’ll be no haggling now. Cador will be back … where it belongs.”

“Thank you, Uncle,” I said.

“You get well … quickly.”

“I promise to do my best.”

Rolf sat by my bed.

He said: “You are well enough now to talk.”

“What about?” I asked.

“Us. I think we should try again, Annora. And this time, please don’t decide right at the last moment to stop the ceremony.”

“I won’t, Rolf. I’ll be there.”

“What a lot of time we’ve wasted. Where did it all go wrong?”

“On Midsummer’s Eve … years ago … when I saw that figure in the grey robe urging on that cruel mob to violence.”

“You thought that of me!”

“You had the robe. I couldn’t believe it. It bewildered me. It gave me a jaundiced view of the world. I think I stopped believing in anybody from then on.”

“But I told you. I was in Bodmin on that night.”

“I know you told me. I wanted to believe you, but I couldn’t forget. I know now that even if you had been there I should still love you. I shouldn’t have allowed my doubts to get in the way. I know now that it was Luke Tregern who was there that night in the robe. Digory saw him.”

“He must have taken it from my drawer. I remember showing it to him. He was interested in the old customs. I remember telling him how they went back to pre-historic days. I caught him once wearing a coat and hat of mine. I came in and found him preening before a mirror. I was amused. Tregern was the sort who set great store by bettering himself.”

“It wouldn’t go, Rolf … the memory of that night. It haunted me. On the night before the day when we were to be married I dreamed. I thought I was there and you were in the robe and when I woke up I saw my wedding dress hanging in the cupboard … The door had blown open and I thought for a moment that you were in the room, in the robe. It seemed significant … an uncanny warning. You see I was afraid I was never going to forget. Now that I know it was Luke Tregern I believe I can stop thinking of that Midsummer’s Eve. I don’t think I shall have any more nightmares about it.”

“I see that you had a poor opinion of me if you thought I was there urging on that mob. What else did you think of me?”

“That you wanted Cador.”

He looked at me steadily. “You thought I wanted to marry you because you owned Cador?”

“It was the way I was looking at everything. After that Midsummer’s Eve I ceased to trust anyone. Forgive me, Rolf.”

“I have not been without my doubts. Why do we doubt the one we love? Why do we look for flaws? Why do we distrust perfection? Annora … you and Joe Cresswell …”

“Yes?”

“I heard the talk. I believe it came through Kitty to the Cador kitchens and from theirs to mine … and that seeps through the house. They seemed to think you were going to marry Joe.”

“Oh no, no,” I said. “I liked Joe. I wanted to help him. He suffered so much when his father was in trouble. But I never loved him … not as I love you.”

“I guessed there was something between you. Annora, if you would care for Jonnie to come here … to be brought up here … I could be fond of him … treat him as my own son.”

“Jonnie, come here! His mother would never allow that. Helena dotes on him. He’s her beloved first-born.” I stared at him in astonishment. “Oh no. You couldn’t have thought …”

“Well,” he said. “You went to Australia. He was born there. You were friendly with Joe. There seemed to be some mystery about his birth.”

“You thought he was mine! And you were ready to marry me and have him here. Oh, Rolf, I do love you so much. Jonnie is Helena’s child. John Milward is his father. Matthew, who scarcely knew her then, nobly married her so that as she was to have a child she should have a husband.”

“What a web we wove with our imaginations!”

“You no less than I. I’m glad of that. It makes me feel less guilty. Helena is wonderfully happy. Isn’t it marvellous that all that contentment should have come about in a marriage which was so arranged?”

“How much better one should be when the two people concerned have been in love ever since they knew each other. That’s true, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s true.”

“There is one little point which needs clearing up. There is Cador. It will now come back into your possession. How will you know I am not marrying you for Cador?”

“I’ll take the risk,” I said. “And frankly, I can only rejoice that you may want it so much that you are ready to take me with it.”

“That’s a fair offer. Now I have something to tell you. Luke Tregern raised money with Cador as security. It’s mortgaged up to the hilt. Some of the money which Luke Tregern amassed will be retrieved no doubt. But not all. Cador will not be in the sound financial position which it was before all this happened. I’ll tell you something; I secured the greater part of the mortgages. So you could say that instead of your bringing Cador to me I am bringing it to you.”

I was astonished. I had been warned that a great deal of harm had been done to the estate during Maria’s possession. I knew that Bob Carter was going into the accounts with Rolf, but I had not realized to what extent it had suffered.

Rolf took my hands and said: “There is only one thing for you to do now and that is get well … just as quickly as you can.”