Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall (26 page)

“How many shares, Mrs. Mason?” the
villain asked.

“The shares are worth one pound each.”

“Mrs. Mason, I beseech you to be
judicious. Think of the estate. Those shares are used as a guarantee for
purchases. You cannot forfeit it rashly.”

“How dare you suggest I am behaving
rashly!”

“I am the Rochester family lawyer, and I
must look after the interests of the estate.”

“How many shares are there, Mrs. Mason?”
asked the criminal.

“Thirty thousand,” she said slowly, “and
they are all yours, if you tell me where Lieutenant Kirkpatrick is.”

“I am afraid that is not how it is done.
I will take the shares to my father, he will free your lieutenant, and then I
will bring him back to you.”

“If you think I am going to sit here and
wait while you take my shares and leave England, you are mistaken. On the
contrary, if you do not want to remain in England and be hanged like a thief,
you will tell me where he is and we will both travel to Jamaica to bring him
back.”

“My instructions are to…”

“Your instructions will be of little use
to you when you are dead. Where is he?”

“He is in Jamaica, but if I do not
return soon with the money, he will be killed.”

She jumped up from her chair and faced
the kidnapper defiantly. “I will give you the shares, because I am an honest
negotiator, Captain King, but you will tell me exactly where he is, because if
you do not, then I will go to Jamaica, find your father and all your family,
and have them flogged to death by the British Governor, for kidnapping and
killing a naval officer. I am quite serious and quite capable of carrying out
my threat. I have friends and relatives in the admiralty and in the government.
If Lieutenant Kirkpatrick dies, my only reason for living will be to see you
all dead.”

She paused, and there was such an
absolute silence, I fancied I could hear the snow falling on the windowpane.

“It is a good deal, Captain King, for
both of us,” she told him.

Simon entered opportunely with the tea
tray, and I made my way to the door. Her plan was not yet over.

“Thank you, Simon,” she said. “Where are
you going Mr. Smythe?”

“I am returning to London. I will have
none of this mad plan.”

“Simon, make sure Mr. Smythe does not
leave Eyre Hall until I give you instructions that he is allowed to leave.”

Simon nodded and left. Mrs. Mason said
the magic words, at last.

“Mr. Smythe, as negotiator you are
entitled to part of the ransom. Will one thousand pounds be enough? And of
course you will keep your job and your reputation.”

I nodded in relief. It was over.
“Naturally, madam,” I said as I returned to my seat, untied my binder, and took
out the false deeds, which I handed to her.

She read one carefully aloud. “The
British Australian Gold Mining Company, full stop. In two hundred thousand
shares of one pound each, full stop. Five hundred shares from number 22,345 to
22,845, full stop. The holder of this certificate is the proprietor of a
hundred shares in the above company on which the sum of one pound per share has
been paid subject to the conditions herein endorsed, full stop. Signed, Richard
Ward, Secretary of the Committee, full stop. Offices at 26, Moorgate Street,
London, and 481, George Street, Sydney, full stop and the end.” She shuffled
the pack of documents in her fingers and added, “There must be sixty more
documents exactly like this one here in my hands.” She turned the documents
upside down and turned the final piece of paper. “The last one reads, let me
see, from 51,854 to 52,345. Here you are, Captain King,” she said handing him
the document she had read.

Mrs. Mason and I moved to the table by
the fireplace and drank our tea as the pirate examined the deed. My hands were
still shaking, but Mrs. Mason smiled and shocked me by squeezing my trembling
hand. “You have made the correct decision Mr. Smythe. The gold mine means
nothing to me if Lieutenant Kirkpatrick does not return.”

The pirate walked towards the hearth.
“The rest?” he asked.

“They are all yours, except two which I
have promised Mr. Smythe, of course.”

“Good,” he smiled and extended his hand
greedily.

“Not yet. Please sit down, Captain King.”
She waved to a chair by the hearth. “Where exactly is Lieutenant Kirkpatrick?”

“I will take you there when we arrive.”

“I have no doubt you will, but I would
like you to draw a map and tell me where exactly he is being held. I will also
need your family’s real name.”

He drank tea and ate cake in silence for
some minutes, too many for my liking. I dreaded to think what might happen if
he discovered our bluff.

“I will need a pencil and paper,” he
said at last.

Mrs. Mason asked him to sit at her desk
and gave him the necessary equipment. Meanwhile we returned to our chairs by
the hearth. Mrs. Mason wisely offered me a brandy, which I threw back
thankfully and held out my hand for another, too dazed to behave civilly and
decline a second glass. I would have gladly drunk the bottle and slept for two
days, but she shook her head. “There is still work to be done, Mr. Smythe.”

The pirate called us to the table and
described his picture. “This is my island. You see it? It is Jamaica,” he said proudly,
pointing at the outline of the island he had drawn.

“Here is Port Royal, near Kingston,
where many of your ships arrive, and here is Spanish Town, further inland.” He pushed
his finger further up the piece of paper. “And this is Montego Bay, where my
family live.” He pointed to a spot on the north–western tip of the island.

“It is very far from Spanish Town,” observed
Mrs. Mason who was looking at the map intently.

“Over a hundred miles. It is a big and
beautiful island.” He smiled tracing the outline with his finger.

“But we can sail straight to Montego Bay;
there are docks there. It is an important sugar port,” he said drawing a cross
on the spot.    

“Very well, we sail to Montego Bay, and
then where do we go? Where is Michael?”

“My family name is Rey, it means ’king’
in Spanish. My ancestors were Spanish Conquistadores, explorers of new
territories in the 16
^th
century. Since the English have taken over
the island, their property was confiscated and they had to flee into the
mountains. However, my family has worked hard to regain respectability. We
would like to buy a plantation and export sugar, as our ancestors did, but we
lack finance. It is all in the hands of your countrymen. It is unavailable to
us on our island, so we have to look further out. Shortly before the ship was
wrecked, there was a rebellion in Jamaica, so nobody wanted to help a British vessel.
They are the enemies of the people. Kirkpatrick was lucky we caught him alive
and did not kill him. Now, with your money, we can buy the land and pay the
labourers.”

“The West Indies were cleanly won from
the Spanish at war,” Mrs. Mason told him, and I started sweating again, fearing
they would get into a dangerous argument.

“When the English invaded Jamaica,
defeating my ancestors, the Spanish colonists, they enslaved Africans and made
Jamaica a place for pirates and privateers to become wealthy. My family
benefitted for a time. Then, when sugar became more lucrative than piracy, we
were not able to buy land or take part in the trade, so we have to continue
with our piracy, don’t we?”     

    “What happened to the HMS Helena?”
Mrs. Mason asked.

“It was badly damaged, in a storm, and
wrecked near Montego Bay. There were few survivors. Lieutenant Kirkpatrick was
one of them. He had your chain around his neck when we captured him, and I
presumed that the lady who wrote such lovely words would like to have him back,
safe and sound.”

“How did you find out my name and where
I live?”

“That was more difficult. He would not
tell me, of course, so I had to torture the captain. Carrington, I believe his
name was.”

“Was?”  

“He died soon after the accident, but
not before telling me how the lieutenant’s bride–to–be would pay any price to
have him back. It is fortunate for him that I found you.”

“You still haven’t told me where he is,”
she said calmly, as I pressed my hand over my trembling knee.

“Near Montego Bay, there is a house.
Once it was a great and beautiful house, but now it is abandoned. Nobody wants
to live there anymore. It was partly burnt during the rebellions when I was a
child, and its owners left the island. It is too big to repair, too expensive
to keep, and they say there are ghosts who feast on children at night, but my
family have made it comfortable enough to live. Its stone walls are strong and
defensive. We are safe, but we cannot plant sugar because we have no slaves to
work on the land.”

“Lieutenant Kirkpatrick is in this
house? What is it called?”

“Rosewood Castle has three stories with
many ample rooms and a basement. The basement is damp, sometimes water seeps
in…”

She sprung from her chair and grabbed
the stoker, shaking it at the dumbfounded pirate.

“Very well, you miserable fool. Just
remember one thing. If Michael is not alive when we arrive, I will personally
cut you up into tiny pieces, a few inches every day, so that the fish on
Montego Bay will be feasting for weeks on your flesh.”

“Mrs. Mason, please,” I said, wondering
how she could have summoned such strength and violence so abruptly.

“He will be alive,” Rey replied, “if we
leave immediately. However, I do not know if he will be well. My family has
barely enough to eat for themselves. We cannot feed guests.”

“He had better be well, or you will be a
very rich cripple, Mr. Rey,” she warned, poking his chest with the stoker,
which burnt holes in his overcoat.

“Mrs. Mason…” I started in protest,
worried that if he retaliated I would have to fight, and I was no match for the
pirate.

“Call Simon and Philip, Mr. Smythe. They
will be taking Mr. King back to the ice house.”

I ran out faster than my legs could
carry me, bumping into the doorframe first, and Miss Annette and Dr. Carter next,
on my way out.

“Mrs. Mason wants Simon and Philip to
take him back to the ice house,” I told them as they rushed in.

During dinner, later that evening, Mrs.
Mason told Miss Annette and Dr. Carter how we had discovered where Lieutenant Kirkpatrick
was held. She asked them both to accompany her on her trip to retrieve her
betrothed. The doctor was needed because the lieutenant would no doubt need
medical attention, and Miss Annette had lived on the island for many years, so
she would be a great asset on their arrival. Mrs. Mason planned to travel to
Morton the next day and inform her cousin, Admiral Fitzjames, who would help
them charter a ship and inform the British authorities on the island of their
arrival.

She thanked me profusely for being so
helpful in the success of her ploy, and promised me a financial reward on her
return. She asked me to prepare a marriage contract because she would be
marrying the lieutenant at Christmas. She finally instructed me to visit Mr.
Jackson in Millcote for the sale of certain lands for an extension of his mill.
When she reminded me not to reveal what had happened at Eyre Hall, I said, “Who
would believe me, Mrs. Mason?”    

I had heard many rumours about the
Mistress of Eyre Hall, but none of them came close to describing her tenacity
and character. I had not yet met her betrothed, but I wondered how any man
could handle such a determined woman.

***

Our carriage stood at the gates of
Thorpe Hall laden with our trunks. We instructed the surprised driver not to
unload and to watch the pirate. Rey was sitting by the door, his feet chained,
and his fingers busy counting the deeds to the gold mine. I didn’t trust him to
flee with the ransom, and I wanted him with us in case we needed to exchange
him for Michael. Annette and Dr. Carter kept Diana busy while I spoke to her
husband about my plans.

“Admiral Fitzjames, I have come because
I need your help. Please forgive me for not giving you all the information at
this moment. I must ask you to trust me, because I have a very serious problem.
It is so serious that I wished to speak to you alone first.”

The admiral, who had never been a
patient man, raised an eyebrow and twirled his moustache warily. “Proceed, my
dear.”

There was no time for civilities or
lengthy explanations. “I need to go to Jamaica, at once, and I need a ship to
take me there.”

He repeated my words slowly, staring at
the carpet, as if he were speaking to himself. “A sail ship to the West Indies,
indeed.”

“I cannot turn to anyone else. You must
help me, cousin, if you value my life.”

“Jane, speak no more. I do not want you
to beg, but I do want you to be sure of what you are planning to do.”

“I have no choice. They have kidnapped
Michael and I am going to get him back.”

Another long moment passed while he
nodded and thought about my words. “I presume you are going to pay a ransom?”

“That has been taken care of.”

“Why do you not deposit the money and
wait for his return?”

“Because I cannot trust a pirate to keep
his word, and I want Michael back alive.”

“I see.” He walked around the room,
hands held behind his back, examining the carpet yet again. “Diana will be so
upset, and I cannot imagine what Mr. and Mrs. Wharton will think about your
plans.”

The tears rushed down my cheeks and I threw
my arms around him. “Please help me.”

“I will help you, but it is madness, and
you know it, Jane. Diana will hold me responsible if anything happens to you.”

“Thank you, cousin. I assure you,
nothing will happen to us.”

“What do you know of Captain Carrington?” 

“I fear it is not good news. According
to Rey, the pirate, he died.”

“Another good man claimed by the sea.” He
raised his eyes to the ceiling, mumbled a short prayer, and turned back to me.  “Now,
tell me what has happened.”

“It is not clear, but from what I gather
from Rey, it seems their frigate was caught in a storm near the northern coast
of Jamaica while the island was overcome by an internal rebellion, and instead
of saving the crew, they were captured. Many died, a few escaped, others were
killed, and Michael and Captain Carrington were taken as prisoners. Cousin, I
am greatly distressed. Will you help me, please?” I threw my arms around him once
more.   

“Only if you stop crying and hugging me.
It is most inappropriate.” 

“What am I to do?”

“Sit down, my dear. Let us plan your
journey.”

I was far too anxious to sit, but I
thought it best to humour him.

“I will travel with you to Southampton.
You could charter a sailing ship to take you from there to the West Indies. I
have heard that some of the older Royal Mail Ships, like the RMS Harvey, are on
sale as they are renewing the fleet with ships with steam engines and iron
hulls.”

“Will it be safe?”

“It will be safe, my dear. The wind has
been sailing ships for centuries.”

“But an old sailing ship?”

“The RMS Harvey has been travelling from
Southampton to Jamaica for years. The Royal Mail has money to burn, so they’re
having new ships built, that’s all, but the Harvey, or another one like her, is
perfectly adequate.”

“I must admit, I am rather terrified of
the journey. I have never travelled across the ocean.”

“Not to worry. I will make sure you
employ an experienced captain and a strong, loyal crew.”

“How many sailors will we need?”

“You’ll need two sailors per four hour
watch and two to help maintain the ship. The rigging has to be repaired, and
the masts have to be oiled. Then they need to scrub the decks and help the cook.
The ship will almost certainly have leaks, so they will have to be pumped every
day. They will be alternating four hour on and four hours off, so you will need
at least eight, and hope they do not get ill or sleep on the job.  You’ll need
a cook and kitchen help, a captain, a mate to help him, and a cabin boy, at
least.” 

“Annette and Dr. Carter will be coming,
too.”

“Annette knows the island, so she will
be an asset, and the doctor will be no doubt be useful. That makes sixteen of
you. I am sure you’ll manage very well.”

“Rey is coming with us.”

“You are taking a pirate with you?”

“We may have to exchange him for
Michael.”

“Very well, but you must be careful.
You’ll have to keep him tied up in the ship’s hold. A man like that could cause
havoc on board. The crew will have to take turns to watch him. Where is he
now?”

“Chained in our carriage.”

“Jane, Jane,” he shook his head as he
spoke. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Michael means a great deal to me.”

“So it seems.”

He stood and strolled to the window
where our carriage stood.

“You’ll be seventeen, then.” 

“Will you not be coming?”

“Out of the question. I am afraid I have
retired, my dear. I am in no shape to make a sea voyage. Aches and pains all
over, swelling joints, incontinence. I am as useless as a baby.” He forced a wistful
smile. “And I am afraid Mrs. Fitzjames would never allow it.”

I told him I understood, realising that Diana
would never forgive me for persuading him to embark once again.

“You’ll need provisions. Make sure you
all have everything you need in your trunks. It is not a pretty ship for
passengers to travel. It is a mail ship. Functional. No luxuries. You will have
to bring towels, sheets, mirrors, soap, even pillows and cushions, not to
mention food. We will get everything we require at Southampton, there are
plenty of suppliers.”

“How long will the journey take?”

“Twenty–five to thirty days if you’re
lucky. It is a merchant sail ship, not a clipper.”

“Twenty–five days! That is an eternity.
How lucky do we have to be?”

“If you don’t traverse too many storms
or get waylaid, or lost, then you are lucky! But don’t worry, that is unlikely
with a good crew.”

“Can’t we get a clipper?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it. They are
faster but more dangerous in the West Indian waters.”

“Michael will have been held prisoner
for more than three months by the time we arrive. It is such a long time. I am
so distressed.”

“Michael is a strong boy. He is a
foolish boy, a very foolish boy.” He stared at me sternly. “But he will survive
the torture and imprisonment.”

“Torture? Why would they torture him if
they will be earning an enormous ransom?” I wondered what they would do if they
suspected I had tricked them. I dared not tell my cousin that I had bought
Michael’s freedom with a non–existent gold mine.

“Well, I do not imagine he will be
staying as a guest at an inn, will he?” He looked at me gravely. “But I know
him well, and I knew his father. He will survive.”

I cried and hugged him again.

“Nevertheless, he may not survive the
gossip or my scolding when he gets back, not to mention your sisters’
reprimands.”

“Please do not remind me. I will think
about that when I return. At present, I can only think of bringing him back.” I
dared not even mention the word ‘alive’.

“There, there.” He patted my hand
gently. “Not to worry. You will need to keep your spirits up. It will be a long
journey.”

“Could we leave right away?”

“As soon as Diana packs my bags.”

He called to his wife, and Diana, Annette
and Dr. Carter appeared instantly.

“Annette has told me you are going to
Jamaica, Jane. Are you sure?” asked Diana.

“Sister, I beg you, do not try to
dissuade me. I am distraught enough as it is.”

She approached me and kissed my cheek. “Under
the circumstances, and if you leave on such a long journey, I believe I have
something for you, but I am not sure.”

“Diana, I am most distressed, have you
or have you not something for me?”

“Michael gave me something before he
left.”

“Michael?”

“He stopped on his way to Liverpool,
before embarking. He said that if anything should ever happen to him, that I
should give you something, but only if he did not return. What am I to do,
sister?”

“Keep it. He will return and give it to
me himself if he so wishes.”

“Sea voyages are long, cruel, and
unpredictable. Maybe you should take it now. Read it when you see fit. He will
understand.” She was close to tears. I had not considered the possibility of
not surviving the journey. Perhaps I should carry it with me. In any case, it
would remind me of him.

“You are right, sister. Give it to me,
please. I have no doubt that Michael will return with me, and I shall give it
to him myself, so he can decide what to do with it. Will that be acceptable to
you?”

 She nodded and handed me the letter. I
recognised his handwriting on the envelope and just one word: Helen.

“May I ask who Helen is, Jane?” asked
Diana, her voice unsteady, suspecting there was another dark secret behind the
name.

“I am afraid I cannot answer that
question at this moment, sister, but I can tell you that it is good news.”

“Then I am satisfied that you have it.”
I rubbed my fingers across the word Michael had written, ‘Helen’, and his words
came to my mind like a jolt. “We must return to Eyre Hall before we go to
Southampton!”

“Very well, Jane,” said the admiral, “but
we must not lose any more time.” He turned to his wife, “Diana, will you have
my luggage prepared at once please, dear?”

“What is the matter, Jane?” asked
Annette. “Why are we returning to Eyre Hall?”

“I promised Michael I would never
abandon Nell. She must come with us. I cannot leave her behind.”

“A child on a boat? Are you sure, Jane?”
asked Diana.

“She’s almost eleven. She must come. She
shall come.”

I folded the letter and slipped it into
my satin drawstring bag, tying the knot carefully.

***

The first week had been the worst. Nell
and I had been seasick all day every day, and Dr. Carter observed us with
growing concern, forcing us to drink more liquid, which we promptly vomited
until our sides ached and our throats burned. Gradually our health improved and
we were able to take walks along the deck.  

I asked the captain about our prisoner,
who had been safely stowed away in the ship’s hold.

“Dead,” he said.

“Dead? What happened, captain?”

“He tried to escape. Attacked one of the
crew.”

“Where is he?”

“Food for the sharks.”

“Couldn’t the doctor do anything?”

“The pirate was killed during the fight.
He wouldn’t surrender. Said he preferred to die than return a prisoner.”

“Oh dear,” I said, worried that we no
longer had anything with which to bargain.

“It could have been worse. He could have
attacked any of you if he’d escaped. It’s a blessing in disguise. The admiral
told me to take no chances with the criminal to ensure your safety, so we
didn’t. We had to kill him. It was for the better, madam.”   

I had no choice but to believe the
captain’s account of the pirate’s death. I hoped his family wouldn’t demand his
exchange.

“Don’t worry, madam. The Governor of
Jamaica will have been informed by the time we arrive. There will be
reinforcements waiting for us, and we know where Lieutenant Kirkpatrick is
being held prisoner. We’ll bring him back safe and sound.”

I hoped he was right.

The following twenty days passed
uneventfully. Dr. Carter spent much time with the captain and the mate,
inquiring about the workings of the ship, and Nell and I read the Bible and a
book by a recently deceased American author, James Fenimore Cooper, called
The
Last of the Mohicans
, which Nell was thoroughly enjoying.

Annette had taken to writing a detailed
diary of our journey, as her mother had done of her early years as a young girl
in Jamaica. I asked Annette if she had brought her mother’s diary.

“I always carry it with me, Jane. It is
the only thing I have that belonged to my mother. It is pleasant to read. She
speaks mostly of carefree youthful times. That is how I like to think of her,
as a happy young girl growing up almost on her own in a difficult time for her
family. I do not wish to remember her as an imprisoned and abused madwoman who
took her life at Thornfield Hall.”