Chapter XIII.The LastThe sun was sparkling on the sea, and all nature was rejoicing as though pleased that the black shadow had been lifted at last.Southgate and his wife were setting luncheon in the old timbered room at theBlack Horse, with great care. There were flowers on the table, and a row of bottles on the sideboard.“That will do I think,” he said, standing back to admire his work. A sound of voices outside announced the coming of the guests, and the Southgates melted away to smarten up.Ena and her brother came in with Lord Reckavile and she looked a pretty sight in the sunlit room, a picture of happiness, now that the clouds had gone. In Reckavile also there was a subtle change. He appeared younger and the sad look had given place to a merry twinkle of the eye. He walked more briskly, and with a self assurance unknown before.Sefton was thoroughly contented. There was a very good prospect of being able to go back to the Hospital to qualify, and his experience had taught him that his father’s discovery was no idle dream. They took their seats and waited for Sinclair who was due to complete the party.Reckavile rang the bell, and Southgate appeared.“Have you no servants?” asked Reckavile in mock anger.“Yes, sir—I mean, my lord,” stammered the landlord.“ ‘Sir’ will do Southgate, for the present—why do you not do as I asked you?”“What was that, sir?”“Lay two places more for yourself and Mrs. Southgate.”“Oh sir! We couldn’t.”“Nonsense, either you lunch with us, or we don’t have any meal at all.”“Very good, sir,” said the gratified man “I will tell the missus.”A car drove up to the door, and Sinclair came in.“I hope I’m not late,” he said shaking hands.“Not a bit, you’re just in time,” said Reckavile.Soon they were gathered round the table, as merry a party as one could wish to see.“How are things going, Lord Reckavile?” asked Sinclair, when Southgate had uncorked the bottles.“It will take some time to get these matters settled, as the whole question will have to come before the House of Lords, but my lawyers think there will be no real difficulty, and have been very good in covering my temporary needs. Now tell us all about the case, as you promised to do, you know we all want to know how you managed to solve the problem.”“There is no magic about it,” said Sinclair modestly. “You see from the very first I saw clearly that, as we do not live in the age of witches and magic, there was only one man who could have had access to Reckavile, and that was old Giles, however much the problem was surrounded with difficulties. When I got Fletcher’s report, I saw the whole thing. Don’t misunderstand me. It is a matter of experience, not of cleverness. Fletcher had all the clues in front of him. The mention of a Dictaphone told me all I wanted to know. I had given him a broad hint when I told him the history of the Reckaviles, and I will admit that I thought he had committed suicide, a diabolical suicide to get his half brother hanged. I am not at all certain even now that that was not his real intention. He would have hidden the record, and swallowed the poison—you saw how quickly it worked—and things would have looked very bad for you, Lord Reckavile.”“I wonder,” said the latter. “I saw something in his eyes at the last interview which made me suspicious of such a plot.”“Well,” Sinclair continued “my mind being set on Giles, I pursued the usual practice, for which I take no credit, in hunting up his antecedents, and traced him as Wheatland. Then the whole thing was clear as daylight, but there was not a shadow of real evidence.”“You remember,” said Reckavile, taking up the tale, “Southgate came to your bungalow, Ena, with important news that Sunday morning. The police had been down there making enquiries about me, and things were getting warm, so I thought the wisest course was to go to London and see Sinclair, and tell him the whole story. That was why he came down, but of course I knew nothing of his suspicions.”“I see,” said Sefton “that was why you disguised yourself the second time.”“It was my suggestion,” said Sinclair “if my theory was correct I saw that he was in very great danger from Giles, and the only way was to keep up the disguise till we had forced a confession from him, or got hold of such evidence that we could obtain an arrest. The record, which I was certain had not been destroyed, as Giles had no chance of doing so, and the certificate, were the things we were after, and I was so convinced that they were in the desk that we were prepared to break it to pieces if necessary, but Fletcher interfered, and afterwards Giles saved us the trouble. That I think explains the whole thing. I can only say how thankful we ought to be to have come out without another tragedy. But come, let’s talk of something more pleasant.”Southgate rose at a signal from Sinclair, and filled their glasses with a very extra special champagne.Sinclair rose. “To the health of the future Lord and Lady Reckavile,” he said.The toast was drunk with enthusiasm. Sinclair set his glass down with deliberation, and said musingly “Good stuff that. I wonder how much it paid towards the revenue,” and he grinned broadly at Southgate who looked sheepish.“Come along,” he said with a wink to Sefton “let’s examine Southgate’s cellars,” and with a laugh they went out, leaving Reckavile and Ena alone.“We will go to Italy, dear,” he said taking her hand.“Yes, I want to see your mother’s grave, and the little cottage where you were born. How happy she would be if she knew everything had come right,” and her eyes were wet.“Perhaps she does. If you will take me as I am, we will get married, and get away from this place with its evil memories.”“Yes, Mr. lord,” she said, making him a curtsey “but don’t forget it was here you met me, is that one of the evil memories?”“That is the happiest memory I have ever had,” he made answer, catching her to him. “I came here in winter, and now spring has come, and soon it will be summer. When another winter comes it will find us together. The Curse has died out in one fiendish act of evil, and revenge, but by God’s grace we will establish a new line with nobler thoughts.”He kissed her then, and she hid her blushes in his passionate embrace.
The sun was sparkling on the sea, and all nature was rejoicing as though pleased that the black shadow had been lifted at last.
Southgate and his wife were setting luncheon in the old timbered room at theBlack Horse, with great care. There were flowers on the table, and a row of bottles on the sideboard.
“That will do I think,” he said, standing back to admire his work. A sound of voices outside announced the coming of the guests, and the Southgates melted away to smarten up.
Ena and her brother came in with Lord Reckavile and she looked a pretty sight in the sunlit room, a picture of happiness, now that the clouds had gone. In Reckavile also there was a subtle change. He appeared younger and the sad look had given place to a merry twinkle of the eye. He walked more briskly, and with a self assurance unknown before.
Sefton was thoroughly contented. There was a very good prospect of being able to go back to the Hospital to qualify, and his experience had taught him that his father’s discovery was no idle dream. They took their seats and waited for Sinclair who was due to complete the party.
Reckavile rang the bell, and Southgate appeared.
“Have you no servants?” asked Reckavile in mock anger.
“Yes, sir—I mean, my lord,” stammered the landlord.
“ ‘Sir’ will do Southgate, for the present—why do you not do as I asked you?”
“What was that, sir?”
“Lay two places more for yourself and Mrs. Southgate.”
“Oh sir! We couldn’t.”
“Nonsense, either you lunch with us, or we don’t have any meal at all.”
“Very good, sir,” said the gratified man “I will tell the missus.”
A car drove up to the door, and Sinclair came in.
“I hope I’m not late,” he said shaking hands.
“Not a bit, you’re just in time,” said Reckavile.
Soon they were gathered round the table, as merry a party as one could wish to see.
“How are things going, Lord Reckavile?” asked Sinclair, when Southgate had uncorked the bottles.
“It will take some time to get these matters settled, as the whole question will have to come before the House of Lords, but my lawyers think there will be no real difficulty, and have been very good in covering my temporary needs. Now tell us all about the case, as you promised to do, you know we all want to know how you managed to solve the problem.”
“There is no magic about it,” said Sinclair modestly. “You see from the very first I saw clearly that, as we do not live in the age of witches and magic, there was only one man who could have had access to Reckavile, and that was old Giles, however much the problem was surrounded with difficulties. When I got Fletcher’s report, I saw the whole thing. Don’t misunderstand me. It is a matter of experience, not of cleverness. Fletcher had all the clues in front of him. The mention of a Dictaphone told me all I wanted to know. I had given him a broad hint when I told him the history of the Reckaviles, and I will admit that I thought he had committed suicide, a diabolical suicide to get his half brother hanged. I am not at all certain even now that that was not his real intention. He would have hidden the record, and swallowed the poison—you saw how quickly it worked—and things would have looked very bad for you, Lord Reckavile.”
“I wonder,” said the latter. “I saw something in his eyes at the last interview which made me suspicious of such a plot.”
“Well,” Sinclair continued “my mind being set on Giles, I pursued the usual practice, for which I take no credit, in hunting up his antecedents, and traced him as Wheatland. Then the whole thing was clear as daylight, but there was not a shadow of real evidence.”
“You remember,” said Reckavile, taking up the tale, “Southgate came to your bungalow, Ena, with important news that Sunday morning. The police had been down there making enquiries about me, and things were getting warm, so I thought the wisest course was to go to London and see Sinclair, and tell him the whole story. That was why he came down, but of course I knew nothing of his suspicions.”
“I see,” said Sefton “that was why you disguised yourself the second time.”
“It was my suggestion,” said Sinclair “if my theory was correct I saw that he was in very great danger from Giles, and the only way was to keep up the disguise till we had forced a confession from him, or got hold of such evidence that we could obtain an arrest. The record, which I was certain had not been destroyed, as Giles had no chance of doing so, and the certificate, were the things we were after, and I was so convinced that they were in the desk that we were prepared to break it to pieces if necessary, but Fletcher interfered, and afterwards Giles saved us the trouble. That I think explains the whole thing. I can only say how thankful we ought to be to have come out without another tragedy. But come, let’s talk of something more pleasant.”
Southgate rose at a signal from Sinclair, and filled their glasses with a very extra special champagne.
Sinclair rose. “To the health of the future Lord and Lady Reckavile,” he said.
The toast was drunk with enthusiasm. Sinclair set his glass down with deliberation, and said musingly “Good stuff that. I wonder how much it paid towards the revenue,” and he grinned broadly at Southgate who looked sheepish.
“Come along,” he said with a wink to Sefton “let’s examine Southgate’s cellars,” and with a laugh they went out, leaving Reckavile and Ena alone.
“We will go to Italy, dear,” he said taking her hand.
“Yes, I want to see your mother’s grave, and the little cottage where you were born. How happy she would be if she knew everything had come right,” and her eyes were wet.
“Perhaps she does. If you will take me as I am, we will get married, and get away from this place with its evil memories.”
“Yes, Mr. lord,” she said, making him a curtsey “but don’t forget it was here you met me, is that one of the evil memories?”
“That is the happiest memory I have ever had,” he made answer, catching her to him. “I came here in winter, and now spring has come, and soon it will be summer. When another winter comes it will find us together. The Curse has died out in one fiendish act of evil, and revenge, but by God’s grace we will establish a new line with nobler thoughts.”
He kissed her then, and she hid her blushes in his passionate embrace.