Виктория Холт - The Captive

“Tell me about the boy. What was he like?”

“A nice little fellow … sharp as they come. Pining he was for someone he called Angel. I could only think it was his mother. I got little scraps from him … but you know how it is with children. They don’t always see things the way we do. He talked about Angel and there was an Aunt Ada who struck terror into his little heart. It seemed they’d buried Angel and he had been brought to Perrivale then. He couldn’t abide to hear the church bells toll as they did for a funeral. I found him once hiding under the bed … hands over his ears, to shut out the noise. He’d thought this Ada was going to take him away … and then Sir Edward had brought him to Perrivale.”

I listened. I was back there on the island and it was Simon’s voice I heard telling me how he had hidden under the table when Aunt Ada came.

“Well, there he was and there was a regular lot of gossip about that, I can tell you. Who was the boy? Why should he be brought in? Sir Edward’s, they all said, and I reckon they were right. But it was strange, because he wasn’t the sort of man to go chasing women. All very proper he was … stern and upright.”

“Sometimes such people have a secret life.”

“You can say that again. But somehow you just couldn’t picture Sir Edward up to that sort of lark. It’s difficult to make you see him.

Wanted everything run like clockwork. Meals on the dot. quite a to-do if anyone was late. You know the sort. There was a footman who’d been in the Army. He said it reminded him of a military camp. So you see. Sir Edward was not the sort who’d go chasing girls. Not like some I’ve heard of, where no young woman in the house was safe. They were safe enough in Perrivale Court . even the prettiest. “

“Was he kind to the boy?”

“Not kind … not unkind. He just brought him in and said he was to be treated like the other two. Then he seemed to forget him. The servants didn’t like it. You know what servants are … afraid someone’s going to get above them selves. They didn’t think young Simon had a right to be; there in the nursery with the other boys . and I reckons they showed it. ” ”

“Did he mind?” i “Who’s to know what goes on in their little minds? But he was a sharp one. I reckon he knew all about it.” $ “But you loved him.” H She smiled reminiscently and tenderly.

“Of all the children;) I ever had, he was my special boy. As for him I reckon I took the place of this Angel. I was the one he’d run to S^ there was any trouble and there was bound to be that | Mind you, he was older than the other two … just a year or two, that was all. But when they were little, it was an advantage. But they soon got to know the difference. They were the sons of the house and he was the outsider. You know what children are? Cosmo … he was the eldest… eave himself airs, he did. He thought he was Sir already, and Tristan could be a little tartar. I’ve often found that with younger sons. You know what I mean? Ah … but Simon … he was my special one. Of all my children, he was the one. I don’t know what it was … perhaps being brought in like that … missing his mother . and then to think that he got himself into that mess …”

“You knew them so well,” I said earnestly.

“What do you think happened?”

“What I think is… no, what I know is … he didn’t do that. He wasn’t the sort. He couldn’t have.”

“He ran away,” I said.

“Oh, that’s what they all say. Well, so he did, but he’d have his reasons. He could look after himself. He was always like that. He’d find a way out of anything. That’s what I remind myself … because I worry a bit. I wake up in the night and think: Where is he? Then I tell myself, wherever he is, he’ll know how to look after himself. I feel better then. He’ll manage. When the two boys played tricks on him, he’d always get the better of them. He was clever, you see, and being in the position he was in … well, it made him able to look out for himself. He’d do what was best for himself at the time … and I reckon he’d be the one to know what was best.”

“I was in the inn … The Sailor King. Mr. Lucas and I had something to eat there. The woman there seemed to think he was guilty.”

“That would be Sarah Marks. What does she know? The old gossip. Thinks just because she’s the wife of the landlord she knows everything. It’s all for a bit of gossip with her. She’d tear

anyone’s reputation to bits if it gave her something to talk about. I know her… and I know Simon. I’m ready to stake my life in his innocence.”

“Oh, Nanny, where do you think he is?”

“Well, there’s no knowing, is there? He got away all right. He’ll be biding his time.”

“You mean he’ll come back when he’s found some light to throw on the affair?”

“I think that could be.”

“Would he write to you … do you think?”

“He might. He’d know it would be safe enough with me. On the other hand, he wouldn’t want me to be involved. Isn’t there something in the law about that?”

“I believe it’s called being an accessory.”

“That would be it. Though wouldn’t mind. I’d give a hundred pounds if I had it just to have a word from him.”p>

I warmed towards her. She was an ally. I had lured her to talk. And after that I was often in the nursery when the children were asleep, so that I could chat with Nanny Crockett.

My friendship with the twins was growing. Jennifer had marked me as hers and had assumed a proprietorial attitude towards me, which gave me a great deal of pleasure. I was treated to confidential details about her dolls. I learned of their foibles, of the good ones and the bad ones. There was Reggie the bear who would not take his medicine, and one-eyed Mabel she had lost an eye in some mysterious accident -who was afraid of the dark and had to be taken into Jennifer’s bed at night. I invented adventures for them to which both children listened entranced.

The time was passing too quickly and I was not looking forward to going away; but of course we should have to leave before long.

Felicity was getting restive, but she did feel that our being there was good for me. and for Lucas, and being the unselfish creature she was, she curbed her own wishes and rejoiced for us.

Even she could not guess how much good it did me to be near Simon’s home and especially to discover Nanny Crockett’s involvement. Felicity was just happy to see me with Lucas and my enjoyment of the nursery.

Then one day events took a dramatic turn.

The day began ordinarily enough.

At breakfast the talk was about the heavy rainfall during the night and it turned to old Mrs. Gregory, the mother of one of the farmers.

“I owe her a visit,” said Theresa.

“It’s nearly a month since I was there. She will be thinking I have deserted her.”

I gathered that Mrs. Gregory was bedridden and her great treat was to have a visitor who would chat with her. Theresa, with her knowledge of neighbourhood affairs, was especially welcome. She told me that she visited the old lady as regularly as she could, taking some little gift of cakes or sweets or a bottle of wine anything she felt might please her. But the great thing was to stay for an hour or so and chat.

“Then,” put in Carleton, ‘there’s that little matter of the Masons’ roof. If you get an opportunity, you might drop in and tell them that Tom Alien will be along this week. “

“I’ll go over in the trap this morning,” said Theresa.

It was a pleasant morning, blandly mild . not too hot, ideal for riding. Lucas seemed mpre light-hearted than usual, and we took the road towards Upbridge.

He looked at me and smiled.