The changeling

He laughed. “So you are naive enough to think that Mr. Pencarron will come?”

I was struck speechless at the implication of his words.

“That has shaken you,” he said with a grin. “Of course, he won’t come. He doesn’t know about the little rendezvous. No one need know. Come on, my sweet Rebecca, be a sensible girl.”

My fear must have given me strength. I got to my feet but he still held me. I brought up my knee sharply; he gave a cry of fury and recoiled. I was at the door. I ran through the gallery ... but he was close behind me. I was at the top of the stairs. I stood still, gasping, for someone was in the hall. It was Belinda.

I heard myself stammer: “Belinda ...”

“Oh hello, Rebecca.” She stood staring at me. I realized I had lost my riding hat, that my hair was falling about my face and the buttons on my blouse were undone. She said: “Rebecca ... you look ...”

She saw Jean Pascal and there was a silence which seemed to go on for some time. Jean Pascal recovered himself first.

“Hello, Miss Belinda,” he said. “Have you come visiting me in an empty house?”

“Yes,” she replied. “We went riding. Lucie’s here too, out there with Stubbs. I said, ‘We’ll go to High Tor because I know Rebecca is there. Let’s surprise her,’ I said.” I walked slowly down the stairs.

“I’m glad you came, Belinda,” I said.

“Your hair’s untidy.”

“Is it?”

“Yes, and where’s your hat?”

“Oh ... I’ve put it down somewhere.”

“We’ve been looking round the house,” Jean Pascal explained, “deciding about the furniture.”

“Oh,” said Belinda, looking intently from me to Jean Pascal. “It’s made Rebecca very untidy.”

At that moment Lucie came into the hall.

“Hello, Rebecca,” she said. “We’ve come to see you.”

I said to myself: Thank God you did. I never want to see this monster again and I never will.

Jean Pascal was looking at me with a somewhat cynical smile. He said: “I think I ought to tell you where you left your hat. It was in that bedroom leading off the gallery. I’ll go and get it.”

I went slowly down the stairs. Belinda’s eyes never left my face. I wondered what she was thinking.

“You didn’t mind our coming, did you?” she said.

“No ... no, I’m glad you did.”

“Can we see round the house?” asked Lucie.

“I think it is time we should be going home.”

“Just a quick look,” pleaded Belinda.

Jean Pascal was coming down the stairs, carrying my hat. He handed it to me with a little bow. He seemed completely undisturbed.

“We want to see round the house,” said Belinda. “It is funny without furniture ... well, only a bit anyway.” She called, “Cooee” suddenly. “Listen,” she went on.

“It echoes. It reminds you of ghosts and that sort of thing.”

”But you know it is only because there is hardly any furniture here,” said Lucie.

“Come on,” said Jean Pascal, “I’ll show you round. Will you come with us, Miss Rebecca?”

I wanted to shout: “No, I long to get away from here. I never want to see you again. You have spoiled this house for me.” But what could I do? I had to behave as though nothing unusual had happened.

My thoughts were in a turmoil as I went round the house with them. I was asking myself what I should do. I thought of telling my grandmother. What would be her reaction? I could not say. She would tell my grandfather perhaps. Could I tell Pedrek? What would he do?

I was in a quandary.

I thought: I must do nothing at once. I must think about it. I must never be alone with him again. I would never speak to him unless I was forced to. It could be very embarrassing in the future, his being the brother of my stepfather’s wife. Moreover his family owned the house which we were proposing to buy. I had been a fool to trust him in the first place. I should have remembered that he had tried to coax me into having an affair with him when we had been at the inn. And because I had shown my contempt for that he had endeavored to force me. I was indeed the innocent he believed me to be. That was what was so humiliating. He had laid a trap and I had blithely walked into it.

I imagined that he would say I had come willingly, I had led him on, and then afterwards I had been scared and accused him of rape. That was what was often said on such occasions. That was how such men as he was behaved; they were without scruples and principles. My grandparents and Pedrek would believe me but when this sort of thing happened there were always those to doubt and condemn.

But I had had a lucky escape ... thanks to Belinda and Lucie. I felt sick when we came to the bedroom with the four poster bed. I thought the ordeal would never end.

He stood in the courtyard while we mounted our horses. I would not look at him.

He said: “It has been such an interesting afternoon. A pity it is over so soon.”

He gave me his cynical smile as he spoke. I turned my horse still thanking God for my miraculous escape as I rode Stubbs and the girls into the courtyard at Cador.

What would be for Celeste and for me. I wondered what       smi,e if he were ever.