The Black Swan

She was coming closer, holding the gun. It had to be near, as my death must pass as suicide. I believed there were means of testing these things. Now ... at any moment. Her hand was on the trigger. Then Roland made a sudden movement and thrust himself in front of me. I heard the two shots. Roland and I fell to the ground. I was aware of warm blood on my face... and then of nothing more. I seemed to be emerging from waves of mist. I heard a voice say, “The lady’s not seriously hurt. It’s in the shoulder, I think.”

I was in the stable. I saw the light from lanterns.

“Better get them to the hospital... both of them.”

“I heard the shots and came straight over ... me and my cowman,” said a man’s voice.

“Hellman’s Farm... that’s me. Thought it was thieves or something.” I did not remember any more until I woke up in the hospital and learned that it was next morning.

A nurse came into my room. I said, “Roland... Mr. Fitzgerald?”

“He’s here. He’s having attention.”

“He’s not ...?”

She hesitated. “He’s having great care.”

What did it all mean? Why did Phillida want to kill him? I was beginning to realize that I had been in the center of a conspiracy... completely unaware of all the dangers around me. And Roland had been involved.

During the morning a doctor came to see me.

“You were lucky,” he said, looking at me benignly. “The bullet glanced off. It’s just grazed you really. You’ll be all right in a week or so.” I said, “And Mr. Fitzgerald?”

He said, “We’re looking after him.”

“You think... ?”

“We’ll do our best,” he added vaguely yet meaningfully. Then I knew that Roland was very badly hurt. He had taken the bullet which had been meant for me. They came in later and asked me whom they could notify.

I gave them Celeste’s address, Rebecca’s and Belinda’s... then I added Joel’s.

I thought, they will come to me. And I felt a certain peace.

In the late afternoon the sister came and sat by my bedside.

She said, “It’s your husband. He’s asking for you.”

I tried to get out of bed, but she restrained me. “No... no. Don’t try to stand.

We’ll take you to him. He ... er ... is very ill.”

“Is he dying?” I asked.

“He’s not really in a state to see you. But he is very agitated and the doctor thinks that in the circumstances ... it might be best.”

“Then please take me to him at once.”

They wheeled me into the small room where he lay. He looked quite unlike himself.

“Roland ...” I said.

He opened his eyes and I saw the joy in them.

I looked appealingly at the nurse and she said, “I’ll leave you. Only a few minutes, mind.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Lucie...” Roland was smiling at me. “Dear Lucie... you came.”

“Of course I came.”

“There’s not long for me,” he murmured.

I did not answer. I took his hand which was lying limply on the coverlet and pressed it.

He smiled. “You see ... I love you,” he said. “I ... I couldn’t do it.”

“Don’t talk if it’s painful, Roland.”

“I have to. You must know. I’m the brother of Fergus O’Neill.”

“You! Then Phillida is his sister.”

“It was for the cause... freedom for our country. We all believed it was right.

We’d all worked for it ... my father... the whole family.”

“Your father was dead. You told me so. He and your mother died together in the accident.”

“No ...no. He is one of the leaders of our cause. We... his children, have always been brought up to work for it. We intended to kill you when Fergus was hanged. Revenge, you see, and to show the world that our heroes are not to be treated as common criminals. They are the martyrs and must be avenged. Then we thought of this other plan. You were rich. I would marry you and then stage your suicide. The money which I would inherit would come to us ... to the cause. It seemed amusing to them that the money of our enemies should be used to support our cause. It would be used to bring about the extermination of other enemies.”

“It can’t be ...”

“You don’t understand, Lucie. We are dedicated ... all of us. And I was until ... and it will not be the last time... except for me. We wanted the money.” He smiled wryly. “It’s an expensive operation to run. Trips to France... houses in the country. When we found that the money could not come to us ... it was tied up in some trust ... we had to change the plan. We were going to kill you at once. You remember the fire. Phillida was good with her herbs. Her nightcaps were used so that, if she wanted to send you into a deep sleep at any time, she could do so and it would all seem quite natural. At other times they were quite harmless.” My thoughts went back to that night when Belinda had drunk the draught prepared for me. If she had not, of course, I should not have awakened in time to save myself. I murmured, “Belinda saved my life.”

“Yes. If she had not taken the nightcap you would have been in a deep sleep and would not have awakened until it was too late to save yourself... perhaps not at all.