Lord of the Far Island by Victoria Holt (free e novels .TXT) 📕

"I don't know how to thank you both," I said.

"We're only too pleased to help, Miss... er ..."

"Kellaway," I said. "I'm Ellen Kellaway."

The silence was immediate. Then Michael Hydrock said: "You must be related to the Kellaways of the Island."

"Yes. I'm on my way to them. I'm only staying at the Polcrag Inn until the weather permits me to cross."

Mrs. Hocking had pressed her lips together and I fancied that the fact that I was Ellen Kellaway had not exactly endeared me to her. I wondered why.

Michael Hydrock said: "I daresay you would like some tea. Mrs. Hocking, will you have it sent, please. We'll have it in the winter parlor. It won't be far for you to walk, Miss Kellaway."

I said halfheartedly: "I shall be giving you so much trouble . . ." and waited for him to protest that this was not so and was in fact a pleasure, which of course he did with a certain Old World charm.

Mrs. Hocking went away and he said: "Do you feel you can walk a little way?"

"Easily. In fact, I think I'm really here under false pretenses. My ankle scarcely hurts at all."

He took my arm and led me across the hall. We mounted a stone staircase which led to a room which was clearly the dining room. Here again there were beautiful tapestries on the walls and I noticed the big latticed windows at one end of the room through which I could see another courtyard. About six steps led from this room into the winter parlor, where I presumed the family took their meals when they were not a large company. In the center of the room was an oval gate-legged table on turned baluster legs and about it tapestry-covered chairs. It was an intimate room with one small window.

"Do be seated," said Michael Hydrock. "How does the ankle feel after that little walk?"

"I can hardly feel it, I'm sure it's nothing very much."

I said I thought the house was delightful, which clearly pleased him. "I think so too," he said, "but it is my home and has been that of my family for about four hundred years."

"It must be wonderful," I said, "to feel one belongs to such a place."

"One accepts it as a matter of course, I'm afraid. I was born here and I suppose I shall die here. And so have the men of our family for generations. The women usually marry and go off somewhere else. But every stone of this place is familiar to me. It's small as these manor houses go, but to me it's just as it should be. You're not a countrywoman, Miss Kellaway?"

"No, not really. Although we did spend several months of the summer in the country, I have always considered London to have been my home."

The tea was brought by a young girl. Mrs. Hocking accompanied her.

The tray with its Georgian silver teapot and kettle on a spirit lamp was set on the table, and there were little sugar cakes on a silver salver.

"Shall I pour?" asked Mrs. Hocking, and I was aware of the look of cold disapproval she directed towards me.

"Perhaps Miss Kellaway would like to," suggested Michael, and I immediately said I would.

I was glad when the old woman had gone, taking the young serving girl with her, and as I poured out the tea I felt that I was having a delightful adventure. There was something very relaxing about this room which made me feel completely at ease and I was liking my rescuer more every moment. He was serious—perhaps I was comparing him with Philip—yet warm and friendly; and suddenly I was talking—perhaps too freely—of my life in London and before I realized it I was explaining that I had been on the point of marriage and that my fiance had died.

"What a terrible tragedy!" said Michael Hydrock.

I wondered whether he had heard the story. Heaven knew, it had been publicized enough. I realized that Michael Hydrock was the sort of man whose good manners would insist on his betraying no curiosity about such a delicate matter, at the same time not allowing him to mention the fact that he knew the story already, in case it should distress me.

"So," I went on, "when my relations wrote to me and asked me to come and visit them, I came. It's to be an indefinite visit. I thought that to be in fresh surroundings would help me to plan what I was going to do."

"It was wise," said Michael.

"As a matter of fact I didn't know I had this family until a few weeks ago." I told him about life with Cousin Agatha and Esmeralda. Looking back I found it all seemed rather humorous, as so many things do which are rather grim to live through.

"Yes, I'm longing to meet my relations," I added. "They seem to be very well known hereabouts."

"Everyone in the neighborhood knows Jago Kellaway."

"What sort of a man is he?"

Michael Hydrock smiled. "It's hard to describe him because there can't be another person in the world like him."

"I suppose I must wait until I see him. Do you often go to the Island and do they come here?"

"I do know some members of the household," said Michael gravely.

I could see there was a hint in his manner which meant that he hoped I would not carry that inquiry further.

He told me about the countryside then, of the places to visit and the customs of the people. On feast days and holidays there was usually a wrestling match and the prize would be a fine hat made and presented by the town hatter or a buff waistcoat supplied by the tailor. There would be running matches and prizes for cooking for the women, for which they could win a holland shift or some such garment. There were dancing, throwing the hammer and indulging in all kinds of sport.

In May there was the furry