Sea Gem (21 page)

Her heart was feather light now. Her head was high, her spirit undaunted. She scrambled to stand on the Rocques and look out to sea. Wild, defiant and dominant.

Sam eyed the steps ahead and made a snap decision. He wanted a drink, he needed one badly before he returned to Cobo. Part of the news was good and indeed, after sending a
telegram to the mistress, he had been light-hearted, pleased that his mission had been safely accomplished. He had returned to Guernsey but something stopped him from letting the family know.
Instead, he had spent a few hours with old cronies and what he had learned made him sick to the bottom of his guts. He had been so disbelieving that he had moved on elsewhere, to another part of
the island to ask a few more questions. When these had only confirmed the original source, great gloom had descended upon him. It was going to be terrible going back to the family with this news
and two drinks, at the very least, would be necessary to fortify him the for the trial to come.

He did not often go into this particular pub because it was off his beaten track, rather more expensive than most with its tiny, private snug room and its usual clientele were not of his kind.
At least, though it was a place where a man could sit and drink alone when he carried such dreadful information.

Sam clumped up the stairs, entered, peered around the slightly darkened room and ordered two drinks. He retreated to a far corner and moodily went over his thoughts again.

At the opposite side of the room three men eyed him curiously. He was well known by nearly everyone of consequence on the island and they were curious about him. Sam Mahy was an affable fellow
usually, so why had he taken himself to a corner to sit with his back to all comers?

Victor le Page’s eyebrows lifted. ‘He looks like death warmed up,’ he said in a low voice.

James le Canu nodded. ‘Never seen him standoffish like this before,’ he agreed.

Constable Emil le Norman was also perplexed but because of his work he was inclined to look at a situation differently to his friends. He agreed with the others though and was puzzled.

‘Woman trouble?’ the policeman suggested gently. He was always eager to acquire information that could be stored away in his excellent memory.

Victor snorted with amusement. ‘Him? Not likely! He’s a sworn widower though I heard a whisper long ago that Emily Ferbrache of Cobo wouldn’t mind him popping her the question.
The trouble is though he doesn’t even see her.’

‘Why is he dressed like a fisherman?’ James murmured with a frown.

Emil had also registered this fact. He mused over it for a few seconds. ‘Anyone would think he’s been over to France and didn’t want to appear well off.’

The lawyer looked at him sharply, then back again to Sam. It was true. He knew for whom Mahy worked and a niggle of something touched his mind. He remembered back to Madam Noyen’s
appointment and her family plans. Surely there could not be any connection but, if so, was his precious integrity affected? He frowned a little, something which Emil le Norman did not miss.

Victor did miss this little by-play, too intent on studying Sam. There was something wrong somewhere and he felt uneasy. That was two double whiskies old Sam had just knocked back and everyone
knew he was an ale man. Victor’s eyes narrowed but he kept them turned well away from Emil, only too well aware how sharp his friend could be. It crossed his mind that another visit to his
grandmère in the near future might not go amiss. Certainly if there was trouble in the family he was the only man they could turn to. That fool Noyen was useless. Now Grandmère had
welcomed him back into the fold, he felt a responsibility for her and all of them, especially Mary.

Sam stood up, totally oblivious to the three interested spectators. He could not put off the evil moment any longer but even that amount of whisky had not fortified him. He must catch the bus
and go straight to the mistress. Dear God, he asked himself, how strong is her heart?
What
was Mary going to say—or do?

He missed one bus, so waited nearly half an hour for the next, then, later, strode heavily up the lane to the cottage. He found Mary and the mistress sitting together, discussing domestic
matters when Sam gave a rap, opened the door and entered.

‘Sam!’ they cried together. ‘So wonderful to see you back!’

Sam knew they both meant it and his heart was touched, then it went icy cold. Mary bustled around to make tea and provide food while Louise simply watched Sam, tiny puckers on her forehead. Sam
knew he could not yet meet her eyes.

Louise went cold as if a ghost had walked on her grave. Now what had gone wrong? It could not be the money. That was safely on deposit, after a credit transfer, already earning interest on the
mainland. Louise knew better than to badger a man before he ate. She was consumed with worried curiosity but disciplined herself to wait. Mary scurried around oblivious to anything wrong.

After Sam had eaten and finished two large mugs of tea, he sat back in his chair and eyed the womenfolk who faced him with anticipation; Louise with forebodings and Mary bubbling with excitement
at the start of her plan.

Sam noticed how drawn the mistress looked. Had something happened in his absence? He took his time in filling his pipe than looked Louise straight in the eye.

‘All right!’ he said bluntly. ‘What’s happened while I’ve been away?’

‘Everything!’ Louise replied for both of them after a glance at Mary and receiving her nod of agreement to speak.

‘Duret, Mary and Victor le Page all turned up at the same time when Mary returned from town. Victor was standing next to Mary and Duret objected. He snatched her away. The men exchanged
words and Duret threw a punch at Victor which missed.’

‘He did?’ Sam gasped. ‘I didn’t think he had it in him!’

‘They fought,’ Louise continued, ‘and Duret received a hiding. Then I came to my stupid senses at last and brought my splendid grandson in here to have tea!’

‘About time too!’ Sam snorted. ‘It’s taken you long enough, you stubborn old woman!’

Louise had the grace to blush before she intimated that Mary should continue the tale.

‘I then had a set-to with Duret and it’s over between us,’ Mary told him in a low voice. ‘I’m moving into the top room and there’s a bolt on the door.
I’ve told Duret if he bothers me again, in any way, I’ll slide the carving knife between his ribs!’

‘Have you indeed?’ Sam gasped, shocked at Mary’s venom though not unduly surprised. The marriage had been on the rocks from the time Mary showed with Edwin but this was an
unexpected turn-up for the book. Where did that leave Mary with le Page—especially as the mistress had come to her senses about him? Sam took a deep breath.

‘Where is Duret?’ he asked, playing for time.

Both Mary and Louise shrugged. ‘We don’t know, he’s vanished!’ Mary added.

Louise snorted. ‘He’ll come sidling back when his belly is empty!’ she said coldly.

‘I’ve something to tell both of you about Duret too,’ Sam began evenly, aware he had their complete attention. ‘It’s not nice,’ he warned.

‘Go on!’ Mary groaned. ‘I’m past being shocked now.’

Sam doubted this but continued. ‘Did you know, either of you, that for weeks, perhaps even months, Raoul has been covering for Duret at work?’

‘What?’ Mary snapped. ‘Explain, Sam!’

‘You can’t blame Raoul. He is young, keen and inexperienced with life. He has also been in awe of Duret who, after all, is family and the heir. Raoul has been desperate to prove
himself and please both of you. Also he has been highly embarrassed. Raoul simply worked harder than ever to do Duret’s tasks as well as his own.’

‘The stupid boy!’ Louise exclaimed her cheeks flaming pink. ‘He should have spoken to one of us!’

Sam shook his head. ‘How?’ he asked reasonably, ‘You are both tough, strong characters and he is only the hired hand. He thought if he came telling tales, so to speak, you
would despise him.’

‘How foolish!’ Mary cried, every bit as angry as Tante Louise. ‘But where did Duret go then?’

Here we go, Sam told himself grimly. There was no way to give such news elegantly so he had decided to come straight out with it.

‘He’s been taking himself up to a seedy part of St Sampson.’

‘What!’ Mary and Tante exclaimed together. ‘But why?’

‘Gambling!’ Sam told them bluntly.

Both Mary and Tante were too shocked for immediate comment. They slowly looked at each other, then back at Sam.

‘Go on, Sam!’ Mary said grimly.

‘Duret is no gambler I’m afraid. He ran up debts. Big debts, too, I might add. He also drank the hard stuff at the same time, which all costs.’

Mary could hardly believe her ears. Duret was doing—this? Had he gone stark, raving mad or was he just showing his true self? Tante shook her head with disbelief. If any one other than Sam
had told her this she would have attacked them verbally. Drinking and gambling had never been family weaknesses.

An awful suspicion shot into Mary’s head. Her eyes opened wide and she sat even more erect in the chair.

‘It was Duret who—!’

‘Took the diamonds!’ Sam finished for her.

‘Oh no!’ Tante groaned, shaking her head, her shoulders slumping. She fell silent but they could see she was thinking when her eyes opened wide and she scowled.

‘That’s when he found out!’ she cried. ‘That day I asked him to stay here and rearrange the furniture. I distinctly remember—more fool me—asking him to take
that picture down and try it in another light. He must have seen the black tape at the back, perhaps felt the little lumps with his fingers, then one day when I was away, sneaked back to
investigate. Oh, the disgrace of it all. Here we’ve been thinking it’s someone else, even suspecting Gwen or Emily.’

Louise’s cheeks flamed with humiliation and anger.

‘What did he do with them?’ Mary asked in a low voice.

Sam gave it to them straight. ‘He settled enormous gambling debts with them.’

‘But they were worth thousands,’ Mary protested. ‘Didn’t the fool realise?’

Sam shrugged. ‘I don’t know,’ he said wearily. ‘But I do know he had to settle up or someone would settle up with him—the hard way.’

‘We must get them back quickly,’ Louise cried.

‘Impossible!’ told her bluntly. ‘You see, he was gambling with men off ships in the harbour. Whether they were true gambling losses or whether Duret was set up for it I
don’t know. The long and short of it seems to be that the cards were against him—or manipulated that way—and he ended up crushingly in debt. There were ugly threats against him
and it seems he was desperate.’

‘The ship?’ Mary asked quickly.

‘It sailed the day after he handed the diamonds over
and
it was a foreign one too. It’s hardly likely to put back here again under the circumstances. Personally I think
Duret may have had his tongue loosened with strong drink and—’ Sam shrugged. They would be able to picture the rest of it.

‘I’ll kill him!’ Mary grated through her teeth. ‘He is no damned good and never has been. What I first saw in him in the first place I don’t know. I must have been
out of my mind!’ she ranted with fury. ‘That was our nest egg, our inheritance,
his
children’s future. Oh, just let me get my hands on him!’

Sam saw she meant it and shot a look of worry at the mistress. Louise felt as if she had been pole-axed. Her world had collapsed and her heart thumped in an ugly way. She felt unexpected tears
surge up and she shook her head helplessly.

‘What can we do?’ Mary asked them both suddenly, looking from one face to the other.

‘Nothing! They’ve gone for good and even if you washed this dirty linen in public, it would not bring those stones back.’

‘
I-want-Duret
!’ Mary growled coldly.

Sam eyed her and hoped Duret had enough sense to stay vanished. Mary in that mood was capable of anything and he could not be with her all the time. He had a shrewd idea that Duret might have
gone to ground near St Sampson. Should he go and find him and get him off the island? He dithered, not knowing which way to jump. He certainly could discuss nothing with Mary when she had murder in
her heart and the mistress looked ill with a bad colour. Should he get Victor? Sam bowed his head. For once unable to think straight.

Tante collected herself together first. ‘There’s nothing we can do right now,’ she told them slowly. ‘We are all worked up, so it’s best to leave it all until
another day. We must cool down and think carefully about what we mean to do. We must sleep on it, if we can.’

Despite being furious, Mary saw Tante’s distraught face and tearful eyes and nodded slowly. Sam felt the tension drop and let out a huge sigh of relief.

‘Shoot all the bolts on the house tonight. No one goes in or out. I’ll not sleep but if Duret tries to come back tonight, so help me God, I’ll not be responsible for my
actions,’ Mary told them in a low, icy voice. ‘Tomorrow is, as you say Tante, another day.’ With an effort she forced a grimace on her face that did not in the least resemble a
smile.

That night, as anticipated, Mary did not sleep and she doubted whether Tante or Sam would either. Her mind surged backwards and forwards, going back to the day she had met Duret, which seemed a
lifetime ago. What had happened to him? Had he heard stories about her and Victor which had driven him to this stupid behaviour? Was it the shell shock? Or was this the real Duret who only showed
when his brown eyes became cold and his grin slid into a stranger’s mask?

Mary ate a light breakfast the next morning and found it hard to be civil to Emily and Gwen, which made their eyebrows lift. What was wrong with everyone? Even Sam had nothing to say and had
vanished with his hedging tools. Emily, shaking her head, decided their livers must be upset. Perhaps a good dose of salts would sort them out.

Mary harnessed the cob slowly. She had a thumping headache and felt washed out but she had to go to the market and get shopping for the weekend. She patted the cob’s neck and noted how
grey his muzzle had become.

‘It’s time you were retired to grass,’ she told him, ‘and I’ll get myself a car.’