Виктория Холт: The Captive

Then there were the holidays. Nanny Pollock had decided to go to Somerset after all and I spent a week with her and her cousin; she had become reconciled to life in the country and, a year or so after she left Bloomsbury, the death of a distant relative brought complete contentment back to her life.

The deceased was a young woman who had left a two-year-old child and there was consternation in the family as to who would take care of the orphan. It was a heaven-sent opportunity for Nanny Pollock. A child to care for, one whom she could make her own and who would not be snatched from her as those of other people were.

When I went home I was expected now to dine with my parents and although my relationship with them had changed considerably I longed for the old kitchen meals. However, when they went away from London researching or lecturing, I was able to revert to the old customs.

We missed Felicity and Nanny Pollock, of course, but Mr. Dolland was in as sparkling a form as ever and Mrs. Harlow’s comments retained the flavour of the old days.

Then of course there was Felicity. She was always de lighted to see me.

She was very happy and had a baby named James and she had thrown herself wholeheartedly into the task of being a good wife and mother.

She was a good hostess, too. It was necessary, she told me, for a man in James’s position to entertain now and then, so that was something she had had to learn. Growing up as I was, I could attend her dinner parties and I found that I enjoyed them.

It was at one of them that I made the acquaintance of Lucas Lorimer.

Felicity told me something of him before I met him.

“By the way,” she said, “Lucas Lorimer is coming tonight. You’ll like him. Most people do. He is charming, good-looking … well, good-looking enough … and he has the trick of making everyone feel they’re enormously interesting. You know what I mean. Don’t be deceived. He’s like that with everyone. He’s rather a restless sort of person, I imagine. He was in the Army for a spell. But he retired from that. He’s the younger son. His elder brother Carleton has just inherited the estate in Cornwall, which is quite considerable, I think. The father died only a few months ago, and Lucas is rather at a loose end. There is plenty to do on the estate but I imagine he’s the sort who would want to be in command. He’s a little unsure of what he wants to do at the moment. A few years ago he found a charm … a relic of some sort, in the gardens of Trecorn Manor … that’s the name of this place in Cornwall. There was a certain excitement about this find. It was Egyptian and there’s some speculation as to how it came to be there. Your father is connected with it.”

“I expect it was covered in hieroglyphics.”

“That must have been how they recognized its source.” She laughed.

“At the time he wrote a book about it. He became interested, you see, and did a bit of research. He found out that it was a medal awarded for some military service and that led him on to the ancient customs of Egypt and he came upon some which had never been heard of before. This book has interested one or two people like your father. Anyway you’ll meet him and judge for yourself.”

I did meet him that night.

He was tall, slim and lithe; one was immediately aware of his vitality.

“This is Rosetta Cranleigh,” said Felicity.

“How delightful to meet you,” he said, taking both my hands and gazing at me.

She was right. He did make one feel important and as though his words were not merely a formality. I felt myself believing him in spite of Felicity’s warning.

Felicity went on: “Professor Cranleigh’s daughter and my one-time pupil. In fact the only one I ever had.”

“This is so exciting,” he said.

“I have met your father … a brilliant man.”

Felicity left us to talk together. He did most of the talking. He told me how helpful my father had been and how grateful he was to have had so much of the important gentleman’s time.

Then he wanted to know about me. I confessed that I was still at school, that this was my holiday and I had another two or three terms to come.

“And then what shall you do?”

I lifted my shoulders.

“You’ll be married before long, I dare say,” he said, implying that my charms were such that husbands would be vying with each other to win me.

“One never knows what will happen to us.”

“How very true,” he remarked as though my trite remark made a sage of me.

Felicity was right. He set out to please. It was rather transparent when one had been warned, but pleasant, I had to admit.

I found myself seated beside him at dinner. He was very easy to talk to. He told me about the find in the garden, and how to a certain extent it had changed his life.

“The family have always been connected with the Army and I have broken the tradition. My uncle was a colonel of the regiment, hardly ever in England, always doing his duty at some outpost of Empire. I discovered it wasn’t the life for me so I got out.”

“It must have been very exciting, finding this relic.”

“It was. When I was in the Army I spent some time in Egypt. That made it rather specially interesting. I just saw it lying there. The soil was damp and one of the gardeners was doing some planting. It was covered in hieroglyphics.”

“You needed the Rosetta Stone.”

He laughed.

“Oh, not quite so obscure as that. Your father translated it.”

“I’m glad of that. I was named after the stone, you know.”

“Yes, I did know. Felicity told me. How proud you must be.”

“I used to be. When I first went to the Museum I gazed at it in wonder.”

He laughed.

“Names are important. You would never! guess what my first name is.” S Tell me. ” | ” Hadrian. Just imagine being burdened with such a name. I People would constantly be asking how you were getting on with

the wall. Hadrian Edward Lucas Lorimer. Hadrian was out for reasons I’ve mentioned. Edward . well, there are a great number of Edwards in the world. Lucas is less used . so I became Lucas. But you realize what my initials make? It’s rather extraordinary. HELL.”

“I am sure it is most inappropriate,” I said with a laugh.

“Ah, but you do not know me. Have you another name?”

“No, just Rosetta Cranleigh.”

“R.C.”

“Not nearly so amusing as yours.”

“Yours suggests someone very devout, whereas I could be an imp of Satan. It’s significant, don’t you think … the suggestion of people in opposite spheres? I am sure it means something concerning our friendship to come. You are going to turn me from my evil ways and be a good influence on my life. I’d like to think it meant that.”

I laughed and we were silent for a while, then he said:

“You are interested in the mysteries of Egypt, I dare say. As your parents’ daughter you must be.”

“Well, in a mild way. At school one doesn’t have much time to be interested in what isn’t going on there.”

“I’d like to know what the words on my stone really meant.”

“I thought you said they had been translated.”

“Yes … in a way. All these things are so cryptic. The meaning is couched in words which are not quite clear.”

“Why do people have to be so obscure?”

“To bring in an element of mystery, don’t you think? It adds to the interest. It’s the same with people. When you discover subtleties in their characters you become more interested.”

He smiled at me, his eyes saying something which I did not understand.

“You will eventually discover that I am right,” he said.

“You mean when I’m older?”

“I believe you resent people referring to your youth.”