Lord of the Far Island, Victoria Holt [world of reading TXT] 📗

"Thank you, Jago."

He stooped and kissed me.

I was glad that he went out then for my emotion was hard to hide. I am in a weak state, I told myself. Anyone would be after such an adventure.

Gwennol came to see me.

"You had an unpleasant experience," she said. "And you don't swim very well, do you?"

"How did you know?"

"You told me. My mother made me take swimming lessons. She said that living on an island everyone should."

"I was fortunate."

"Perhaps you were born lucky."

"I'd like to think I was."

"Well, you'll be more careful in future, won't you?"

"I really didn't realize I was being careless. Who would have thought a boat like the Ellen would have sprung a leak?"

"Any boat might. She hasn't come in yet. I expect she's drifting out to sea. I wonder if she'll ever come back. If we had a gale she would no doubt be broken up. Perhaps one day a spar of wood with just the word 'Ellen' on it will turn up."

"And people will say: 'Who was Ellen?'"

"They'll know it was part of a boat and therefore the name of it."

"Oh, but they might wonder who the Ellen was for whom the boat was named."

There was restraint between us which we were trying to pretend did not exist. I sensed that she was longing to ask me if I had seen Michael recently. She would want to know what had happened on that day I had spent on the mainland in his company, for I was sure Jenifry had seen us together and would have told her daughter. But Gwennol couldn't bring herself to ask. The rift between us made us both uneasy and she didn't stay long with me.

Jenifry came, her face puckered into an expression of concern.

"How are you feeling, Ellen?" she asked. "My goodness, you gave us all a turn. I couldn't believe my eyes when Jago brought you in. For the moment I thought you were dead."

"I'm very healthy," I said. "It would take a lot to kill me."

"That's a comforting thought," she replied. "I've brought you a drink. It's a concoction of herbs and things and is said to be very good for shock. My old nurse always gave it to me when she thought I needed it."

"It's kind of you to bring it to me now."

"Come, drink it. You'll be surprised how well you'll feel afterwards."

I took the glass and then I looked up and saw her eyes on me and I had the same uneasy feeling which I had experienced when I had seen her face in the mirror.

"I couldn't drink anything," I said. "I feel sick."

"This will make you better."

"Later," I insisted, and set it down on the table beside my bed.

She sighed. "I know it will make you feel better."

"I'm so tired," I said, half closing my eyes but so that I could still see her through my lashes. She looked at me for a few seconds in silence.

"I'll leave you then," she said. "But don't forget—do take the tonic."

I nodded sleepily and she went quietly from the room. I lay listening.

There was something stealthy about her, something which had made me feel uneasy right from the first day 1 had seen her. I heard her footsteps going down the corridor and I picked up the glass and sniffed the liquid. I could smell the herbs and they were not unpleasant. I put it to my lips. Then I thought suddenly of old Tassie and I heard her voice saying: Be watchful.

Why should I have thought of that now? Thoughts were beginning to stir in my mind and I was too tired to consider them now. You have come very close to death, I reminded myself. It has made you fanciful and . . . suspicious.

Suspicious I was, for I rose from my bed and went to the window, taking the glass with me. I tipped the liquid out of the window and watched it trickle down the castle walls.

I climbed back into my bed and lay there thinking.

The Island Necklace

The next day I felt fully recovered and the strange ideas which had beset me on the previous night receded. The first thing I wanted to do was to go to the dovecotes and thank Slack for coming to my rescue.

He was there as though expecting me.

"Thank you, Slack," I said, "for coming to my rescue."

"I could have brought you in on my own," he said.

"I'm sure you could, but Mr. Jago happened to be there."

"I may not be big but I have the Power. I could have saved 'ee, Miss Ellen, like I save the little birds."

"Thank you, Slack. I know."

"It bothers me . . . what happened."

"Boats do spring leaks sometimes, I suppose."

He shook his head and said: "What did 'ee see, Miss Ellen?"

"See? Well, I suddenly noticed that the water was coming in. I thought there was something sticky there . . . like sugar . . . and then I didn't have time to think of anything but how I was going to get to the land."

"Sticky." His brows were wrinkled. "Like sugar, did 'ee say? I wonder what sugar could have been doing at the bottom of the Ellen?"

"I expect I was wrong. I was frightened, I suppose."

"Little bits of seaweed, perhaps."

"Perhaps. But I'm safe and I can tell you, Slack, how pleased I was to hear your voice calling me."

" 'Twas the Power. I had this feeling. Go along down to the shore. I heard the voice telling me. You be needed there. Tis sometimes so when some little bird or some animal do need me."

"Well then, I have to thank the Power as well as you, Slack."

"Aye, Miss Ellen. Don't ever forget the Power. Miss Ellen, you say you did see sugar then?"

"Well, that's what it looked like to me then ... a few grains of sugar."

" 'Tis a strange thing. Don't 'ee fret though. I be going to look after you, Miss Ellen. If you do need