Victoria Holt - The Secret Woman

Why were the days so long? I was living for the time when I should see Serene Lady in the bay. I would not think beyond that. I just wanted to sail away from the Island and when I reached Sydney I would find some post and reshape my life.

Tension was mounting. I longed to tell the Captain of my discovery. I should be so proud and overjoyed if I had been the one to find the diamonds. I longed for his return and yet at the same time I feared it.

Monique grew quieter. A sly calculation had taken the place of unreasoning wildness which was even more alarming and I could not get out of my mind that we were moving toward some tremendous climax. This Island had been but lightly touched by our Western ways. Beneath the veneer there was something deeply savage. These people believed in strange gods; a stone rock to them was a living thing. Curses and spells were commonplace. And I believed that Suka had marked me down as her enemy because she believed that I had come between Monique and the man she loved.

There was no one to whom I could speak of my deep disquiet, Chantel treated the matter too lightly. She refused to accept it as serious. I believed that her thoughts were far away in Sydney when she would be reunited with Rex. Even the discovery of the diamonds meant little for the clearing of Redvers’ name was a matter of indifference to her. When she talked of the future she never mentioned him. She didn’t trust him. She had plans for me. Dear Chantel! She was concerned for me. I knew she was planning to launch me in society, to make a grand marriage for me. She did not want me to be involved with Redvers. This slipped out in her conversation and although it hurt me in a way I knew it was a measure of her affection for me. She really believed she had to look after me and in her usual determined manner had decided to do it.

I could not look into the future. I could only wait for the return of Serene Lady . So the uneasy days passed and one afternoon when we had all been resting behind shutters because the heat was intense, I rose, opened my shutters and saw it in the bay — the white gleaming ship.

I ran to Edward’s room and cried, “Edward. She’s come. Serene Lady is in the bay.”

The events of the days which followed were so dramatic that it is difficult now to remember the exact order in which they occurred. I could scarcely restrain my impatience. I wanted to go out to the ship.

I wanted to tell him of my fears, of the lost letter and most of all my discovery of the figurehead and the diamonds.

But I had to curb myself.

Chantel came into my room, her eyes gleaming.

“There’ll be a scene tonight,” she said. “Missy’s working up for it.”

“She must be delighted that he’s here.”

“She’s madly excited. But she’s got a devilish look in her eyes. She’s planning something. I wish I knew what was in her mind.”

I waited in my room. He would come soon. I put on my blue silk dress and piled my hair high on my head. I had worn that dress many times; my hair was dressed in the usual way. Yet I had changed. My eyes shone; there was a faint color in my cheeks. Would others notice the change in me?

I heard his voice below and my emotions were almost unbearable. What a fool I was! Was Chantel right? Could I trust him? The understanding came to me that it would make no difference whatever she could tell me of him. I loved him and I would go on loving him forever.

I opened my door. I wanted to stand there listening to the sound of his voice.

Then among the shadows I saw the crouching figure. Suka! She was listening too. She had seen me. I could feel rather than see her baleful eyes fixed on me.

I went back to my room. When I get to Sydney, I said, I must find a post. Perhaps I’ll stay there. Perhaps I’ll find some people who are returning to England. But I must get away.

Pero was beating the gong in the hall. It was time to go down to dinner.

We dined as we had on that first night — Madame, Monique, myself, Chantel, Redvers, the doctor, and Dick Callum.

Dick had changed. He was subdued and had lost that air of truculence which I had so often noticed. I was aware of Redvers — in fact I was aware of little else. Now and then I would find his eyes on me, but I dared not return his gaze. Monique was watching us, I was sure. I wondered whether she would suddenly talk of the letter. It would be like her to produce it at such a time.

Conversation was conventional. It centered round the voyage and of course an account of the flame dance.

As we went through to the salon I was able to whisper to Redvers: “I must see you. It is very important.”

Dick talked to me while we drank our coffee but I scarcely listened to him. Madame de Laudé was talking about my discovery of the antiques in her house. Dick was very interested and she asked if he would like to see a French console table which I had declared to be particularly valuable. He rose and I slipped out with him and Madame but instead of following them I went out into the garden and waited in the shadow of the trees. It was not long before Redvers came out.

He took my hands in his and looked at me but before he could say anything I began to pour out the story of my discovery. I said: “You must go to that house. You must make some excuse to see the figure. I am sure it is the figurehead of The Secret Woman and that the stones are the diamonds.”

He was as excited as I knew he would be.

He said: “There’s something I must tell you. Dick Callum confessed to me. He couldn’t get over the fact that I had saved him from the sharks. He’s told me everything — who he is and his jealousy of me. I had no idea. He wanted some sort of revenge on me. I was under suspicion but what greater disgrace for a captain than to lose his ship! He suggested to those people that the ship should be blown up. It was something to do with the name. He arranged that no one should be on board, which was not impossible in his position, so at least he made sure that no lives were lost. But Anna, if you’re right about this …”

“I’m sure I am. And if I have made this right for you, I shall be so proud and so glad that I was that one.”

“Anna,” he said, “you know nothing can be right for me without you.”

“I must go in now. They will notice that we are missing. They mustn’t. I’m afraid of what could happen. But I had to tell you this. I must go now.”

He was holding my hands tightly but I pulled them away.

“Please,” I said. “Go as soon as you can. At least make sure of this.”

I turned and ran into the house.

I had told him nothing of the letter. Later I must do so; but let him first go to the house and discover the diamonds before I told him that I had been so careless as to lose that letter which could be so incriminating.

Madame de Laudé was still showing Dick pieces of furniture and I joined them; so that when we returned to the salon I hoped the impression was given that I had been with them all the time.

Redvers was not in the salon . Monique said that he had business to attend to on the ship and would be away for a while.

Dick talked to me of the voyage and how dull it had been.

“I missed you,” he said. “I thought of you often. It’s hot in here. Let us walk in the garden.”

I asked if he would excuse me as I was very tired; he seemed disappointed.

I sat by my window. There would be some sign from Redvers, I knew. Sure enough it came. I heard the light rattle of pebbles against my shutters.

I went down to him to that spot among the bushes which we had made our meeting place.