The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo by Catherine Johnson

Author:Catherine Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448197583
Publisher: RHCP

8

CAPTURED IN OILS

Knole Park House

May 1819

Fred did not go down for breakfast the next morning. For the very first time in his eighteen years he was at a loss as to what to do next. Edmund, if he knew – and Fred thanked the Lord he did not – would laugh enough to shake his bones. Fred leaned over the banister at the top of the stairs and saw Finiefs let in Mr Barker, the artist. He could not bear to go down and join his Mother in glad-handing and smiling.

He sighed. He knew Ed would suggest having it out with the fellow, fists up in the corridor. Or even better, let Finiefs deal with him and throw him out. And that had been his instinct, after hearing Caraboo sobbing like that, so quietly, so sadly. The thought of what he had done afterwards made him flush, and he turned away, trying to block it out . . .

Fred had hared after the captain, who, after a shaky few days, now moved as nimbly on land as anyone half his age, and found him at last, relaxed as you like, finishing off another decanter of Father’s rum and about to tell another tale of the South Seas to Mama.

‘The Penanggalan,’ the captain said as he refilled his glass, ‘is a most terrible thing, madam.’

Mrs Worrall frowned. ‘Surely, Captain,’ she said, ‘such fancies are but native superstitions and folk tales, like our ogres or the Black Dog of legend.’

‘Ah, but don’t some folk swear blind they’ve seen them? Didn’t I hear of an old man, when I was a boy down in Rye on the coast, whose heart stopped dead after he’d seen that dog? Chased him to his grave, they say . . .’

‘Captain Palmer?’ Fred said coolly.

The captain drained his glass.

‘I wonder if I could speak to you?’ Fred paused. ‘In private.’

‘Fred, darling, the captain was about to begin a tale.’

‘I assure you, Mama’ – Fred’s voice was tight – ‘this won’t take long.’

Captain Palmer nodded, and Fred waited while he rose unsteadily and made his way over to the door.

If Mama had not been sitting there, Fred thought, he would have knocked him down there and then.

Once he was in the hall, Fred took the captain’s arm and led him out onto the dark terrace.

‘You can let go of my arm, young man,’ the captain said, trying to pull away.

‘Just what are you up to?’ Fred slammed him up against the wall. ‘I saw you! Outside her room. Are you interfering with her – with the Princess? I ought to have you thrown out this instant!’

The captain said nothing for a moment; then, ‘I see.’

‘You see what? You see what exactly?’

‘Keep your powder dry, young man,’ he said softly. ‘The Princess was merely missing her home island. The sun, the warmth’ – he paused – ‘her family.’

‘It was more than that.’ Fred couldn’t see Caraboo going to the captain for comfort. Of any kind.

‘Oh,’ the captain said, looking

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