The pool of St Branok

"When they don't catch him ... ?"

"They'll think he's got away. It will be as easy as that." Ben was beginning to regain his confidence. There was even a look of excitement in his eyes. "We'll do it. But we've got to plan very carefully. He's gone. He won't be able to murder any more young girls ... never again. We've done a good thing. No one will ever know that he is at the bottom of the pool. His clothes will be water-logged. He's right down at the bottom. He'll never be found. We've saved him from the hangman's rope, and that was what he deserved and what would have come to him. We've done him a good turn. We've done all those little girls whom he might have murdered a good turn... ."

Cold and shivering as I was I felt better. Ben was so convincing. I began to believe that if he decided what we must do was the best thing for us, it would be for everyone else too.

There was nothing I wanted more than to get away and forget.

He was talking coaxingly. "You see, Angel, how awful it would be for us and our families if it were known. I don't know what they would do to us. They wouldn't let us go off scot free. When people are killed there is always trouble. But we mustn't stay here. What are we going to do? You're wet through ... and so am I. We can't say we've been in the pool. We'll have to say we were wet through by the sea. Look. It happened this way: You were galloping along the beach. You know how you like to do that. Glory stumbled over a boulder and threw you. You were close to the sea and the waves washed over you. You hurt yourself on a rock. That will account for the blood. You just went over Glory's head. You lost consciousness for a few seconds. Thank goodness I was with you. That's how it will have to be. Can you do it?"

"Yes, Ben, I think I can."

"Then let's get away from here. The sooner the better."

He took my hand. I was still trembling.

"You'd better not ride," he said. "We'll get you up on Glory and I'll walk you home."

He was right. I realized I could not have ridden. There were times when it seemed as though the earth were coming up to meet me and I was shaking all over.

Ben murmured soothingly to me as we walked along. "The thing is not to talk too much about it. Make yourself believe it happened the way we said it did. You can come to believe it... ."

"I'll never forget it ... the way he looked at me. Oh, Ben, it was so horrible."

"You've got to forget it. It doesn't do any good to go on remembering that sort of thing. We did the best possible thing ... the only possible thing ... and now we've got to forget it and make our story the real one. When the truth is too distressing to contemplate it's not a bad idea to substitute it with fancy."

"You'll be there to help, Ben?"

'Til be there."

"I think I can do it then."

"Angel," he said, "you know I love you."

"Oh really, Ben? I love you, too."

"When I think of that man ... and you ... dear innocent Angel ... I'm glad I did it."

"I wish someone else had. I wish he had never escaped out here."

"It's no use wishing it away. It won't go that way. It's our secret and, dear Angel, you will be all right. It will be better as time passes."

"I feel very strange, Ben. Everything seems far off."

"It will be all right."

He held me firmly. I was hardly aware of the road as we traveled along.

I vaguely remember my mother as she rushed out crying: "What is it? What's happened?" And Ben replying: "Angelet's had an accident. Glory threw her."

"My darling child!"

I was so relieved because my mother was there.

My father came running out, fearful and horrified to see the state I was in.

"We'll get her to bed quickly," said my mother. "She's had an accident ... riding."

"Riding? Riding Glory?"

"I don't think she's in a fit state to talk," said Ben.

My mother took me up to my room. She took off my coat and for a second or two studied it in consternation, and putting my hand in the pocket of my skirt, I felt the ring I had picked up.

"What's that?" asked my mother.

"Oh ... nothing ... something I picked up."

"Never mind that now," said my mother, and I opened a drawer and put the ring into it, vaguely wondering why I had bothered to pick it up except that I had always been interested in things I found and did it automatically.

"We'll soon have you comfortable," said my mother. "You're soaked to the skin. We'll get you out of just everything."

She wrapped me in a blanket and put me into bed. I still could not stop trembling.

"Your father has sent one of the men to get Dr. Barrow," said my mother.

"I'll be all right."

"The doctor is going to have a look at you. You never know when you have a fall like that. I don't think anything can be broken."

I lay in my bed. My mother sat beside me and in due course the doctor came.

He examined my head. There was now a vivid bruise on my cheek.

"Did you fall on your face?" he asked.

"I ... I can't remember. It is all so confusing."

"Hm," he said. "Open your mouth. You've bitten yourself, I think. You must have done that as you fell. You've got some good bruises."