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

I heard myself say: "The clasp is weak."

"Where do you think I found it?" he asked, his eyes still regarding me with that odd expression.

"Where?" I asked.

"You were wearing it at dinner. Just think where you have been since."

I looked into space, foolishly trying to give the impression that I was trying to remember.

"You must remember, Ellen," he said gently. "It was the dungeons. What on earth were you doing there?"

I laughed rather shakily and was aware of Gwennol's watching me intently.

"Oh, I often wander about the castle, don't I, Gwennol?" I said.

"You're certainly fascinated by it," she answered.

"It takes courage to go to the dungeons at night," commented Jago.

"I'm not afraid," I said, looking straight at him.

He put his hand over mine and gripped it hard.

"I have a good deal to say to you," he said. "Will you come into my sanctum."

"I'll join you shortly," I said.

"Don't be long."

I thought: I must act quickly and I've not time to think what I should do. I must have time. I must digest what I have heard. I must consider the implication and suppress my absurd romantic longings.

Instead of going to my room I ran down to the hall and out across the courtyard. Slack was at the dovecotes.

"You look proper scared, Miss Ellen," he said. "Have the time come?"

I thought of Philip in his room . . . shot. Jago had ordered that.

No, that was too wild. I couldn't believe it. I had to talk to him. I had to listen to what he had to say. But I had been listening to Jago for a long time and whenever I was with him I believed whatever he had to tell me. No. I must get away. I must consider everything calmly, coolly, and I could not do that when he was there.

Slack was saying: "Go to the room, Miss Ellen. I'll join 'ee there. Don't be afraid. It'll be as it was with Miss Silva."

Oh Slack, I thought. What are you saying? It will be as it was with Miss Silva who had gone off in a boat and the boat came back but not Miss Silva.

"Come quick, Miss Ellen," he said. "Maybe there's no time to lose."

He took my hand and we went into the castle. Slack picked up a candle as we came through the hall and lighted it.

"Hold this candle for me, Miss Ellen," he said. I took it from him and to my surprise he lifted the lid of the settle.

"Do you want me to hide there?" I cried in amazement.

He shook his head. "You see now, Miss Ellen. This ain't no ordinary old settle."

He leaned forward and to my astonishment he lifted the base, which came up like another lid. I could see down into darkness.

"Be careful, Miss Ellen. There be steps there. Do 'ee see 'em? Go down 'em . . . very careful-like. I'll follow 'ee. But do take good care."

I got into the settle and lowered myself down and sure enough my feet found the steps. I went down six of them. Slack handed me the candle and followed me, after shutting the lids of the settle. We were standing side by side in what appeared to be a dark cave.

"Where are we?" I asked fearfully.

"This be a great cave which do go right under the sea. 'Tis where I brought Miss Silva when she did fly away."

"What happened to her?"

"She did live happy ever after as she told me she would. It goes down deep. It goes down and down and up again. It comes out on Blue Rock."

"How did you know about it?"

"I knew from my mother. It's what they do call a natural cave, but the entrances was made in the old smuggling days. There was a lot of smuggling done here. 'Twas a hundred years ago and more. It weren't much used since then. My mother were the daughter of the innkeeper and she knew of it from her father, who knew of it from his. They used to store the liquor down here. 'Twere a good place for it. Ships could come from France to the Island and liquor would be unloaded and stored in this place until it were safe to bring it to the mainland."

"And when we get to Blue Rock, what then?"

"The artist will help us. He helped Miss Silva. He were very kind to Miss Silva, he had a real fancy for her. He helped her."

"So that was the way she went."

He nodded. "Her went away to live happy ever after."

"And the boat was washed up."

"That were a trick like. Her weren't in it. 'Twasn't till later on a dark calm night when she did cross."

"How do you know all this, Slack?"

"Well, I helped her, didn't I? Her talked to me, her did. Happy she were at the last. She were different from what her'd ever been before. She talked to me . . . like talking to herself, she thought it, but she liked me to be there. I was company, sort of. Her father had been cruel to her . . . terrible cruel. . . and she thought he'd laugh at her and try to stop her if he knew ... so she ran away with her own true love."

"What happened to her? Where did she go?"

"That I never heard on, Miss Ellen. Be careful. The ground be rough going."

Down we went, down a steep slope below the sea. It was damp and cold and we passed little pools of water; at times my feet sank into the sand and the surface changed to rocks. Fortunately Slack was surefooted and it was clear that he knew the way.

"Now," he said, "we are beginning to go up. It's a climb now. 'Tis no more than half a mile . . . the distance between Kellaway and Blue Rock."

I said: "What will Mr. Manton say when he sees us?"

"He'll be ready to help 'ee get to the mainland if that be