Midsummer's Eve

"Yes," he went on, "suddenly it changed. I thought sadly, She's growing up. She's not a child any more. She's more discerning. And I didn't like it at all. I did not come so much to Cador because I could not bear the change in your attitude towards me. I told myself that children were fickle and I was hurt.”

"It was after that Midsummer's Eve," I said.

"That Midsummer's Eve," he repeated. "Ah, I remember. There was an awful tragedy.

The house in the woods was burned down.”

"Yes. With Mother Ginny in it. They were very cruel to her on that night. I was there ... with Jacco. It was intolerable.”

"You saw it! It must have been horrific.”

"They set fire to her house. They dragged her to the river. I can never forget it.

I didn't believe in anything after that. People I had known ... doing that. I felt I could not trust people any more.”

"I understand," he said slowly. "My father was greatly shocked. He told me about it when I came back.”

"When you came back?”

"I had gone away on the afternoon of Midsummer's Eve. I went to a friend who was in my college. He lived near Bodmin. You remember how interested I used to be ... well, I still am ... in old customs and superstitions.

He had found some old papers in his family's attics and he wanted me to look at them.

I was going to miss the bonfires but old papers interested me more, so I went off.

I was rather glad that I wasn't there in view of what happened.”

"You weren't there?" I stammered.

I could see it all so clearly; the figure in the grey robe leaping over the bonfire; leading the mob on to harass the poor old woman.

Floods of relief were sweeping over me. It must have been someone else in the robe.

Could the truth be that which I had always tried to convince myself was so?

Why had I not spoken before? How foolish I had been. I could have learned this long ago.

"Oh, Rolf," I cried. "I'm so glad you were not there. It was horrible ...”

"You shouldn't have been there.”

"My parents were away. Jacco and I went on our own.”

"My dear child ...”

"We thought it was adventurous ... at first. But I am glad we were there. I think we saved Digory.”

I told him then how we had gone out, witnessed the horror of that night and hidden Digory so that his fate should not be that of his grandmother.

"I learned something that night," I said. "I learned about people. I suppose those are the sorts of things one ought to know.”

He put his arm round me and kissed me. Then he said: "I've always loved you, Annora.”

I did not answer. I felt almost happy-as I had never thought to feel again, sitting there with his arm about me and the wonderful knowledge that he had not been there on that terrible night. It had been someone else in that robe. Why had I not thought that there could be more than one robe? I had come to a hasty conclusion which had embittered me for years and had changed my life in a way. Who would have believed that such a thing could have happened in one night? But I had already been made aware of how suddenly tragedy could strike and how quickly life could change.

He kissed me gently.

"I have been thinking a great deal about us, Annora. What is going to happen when you return?”

"I am dreading it. I can't imagine the place without them.”

"It is something you will have to face. It will be hard at first.”

"I know.”

"I shall be near," he said. "I'll be there to help you. You'll need help in many ways. You have inherited Cador. Do you realize what that means?”

"I haven't thought much about that side of it.”

"I guessed not. In a way it will help you. You'll have so much to think about. You've got to forget the past. You have to realize that everything is going to be different now. Your father cared a great deal about the estate once he came into it, and Jacco was being trained for when his time came. Now you have to take that responsibility.”

"I was always interested in it...at one time more than Jacco was. I used to go round with my father .. “

"It will not be easy for you, but I am there ... close. I want to be even nearer.

Annora, we could be married.”

I was silent. I was still thinking: he was not there. All these years I have misjudged him. I ought to have known he couldn't have been there. I wanted to make up to him for all the years of mistrust.

I thought of all the loneliness of returning to Cador without my family, and I saw at once that I had to stop brooding. I had to go on. And here was the way. I had lost my dear ones but I should not be alone.

I turned to Rolf and said: "Yes, we could be married.”

Now that I had made the decision I felt better. I had a new life opening before me.

Everything would be different but I should have someone to love me.

I used to say to myself, It was what they wanted. They had always been fond of Rolf.

Rolf would know what should be done about the estate. His own lands bordered on Cador.

We should join up. We should be as one.