"I told him, Miss Susannah, that I would not disturb you at breakfast," said Chaston, "but he said it was so important and about his wife, so he prevailed on me to come to you."
"His wife!" I cried. "Oh, certainly you should disturb me. I'll see Jack Chivers at once."
"Very good, Miss Susannah. Should I bring him in?"
"Yes, please. Immediately."
Jack came into the hall. I took him at once into one of the small rooms. I thought he had come to tell me that Leah's pains had started, and I was worried because the baby was by no means due.
"What is it, Jack?" I asked.
"It's Leah, miss. She's quite upset."
"The baby ..."
"No, not the baby, miss. She says she must see you. She says will you come as soon as you can."
"Certainly I will, Jack. What is it about?"
"She wants to tell you herself, Miss Susannah. If you could come ..."
I was dressed for riding so I said we should go at once, and I rode over to the cottage with him.
Leah was sitting at the table looking very pale and frightened.
"Why, Leah," I asked, "what has happened?"
"It's my father," she told me. "He got it out of me."
"Got what, Leah? What do you mean?"
"He threatened to beat me, Miss Susannah. I would never have told ... particularly now. ... I wouldn't have. But I was frightened ... not so much for me as for the baby. I told him everything and he said he'd get even... ."
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him about you ... and Saul."
"What about me ... and Saul?"
"Miss Susannah, he said he'd just about kill me if I didn't tell. I had to tell, miss. I had to because of the little 'un."
"Of course you had to ... but what?"
"I can't make it out, miss. It's like someone else come in her place. It's like you ain't Miss Susannah any more. You're good. I can see it, miss. It must have been a devil what possessed you. It's been drawn out now, ain't it, miss? I know they can do that. You're good now, miss. I ain't never going to forget what you done for me and Jack ... and the baby. Nor will Jack. But I had to tell him. ... I had to tell him what you was while you had them devils in you."
"But what did you tell him, Leah?"
"All I knew... . My Uncle Saul was tormented, he was. He said his soul was lost. He'd go to hell. He used to talk to me. He always talked to me. He's saved me many a beating. He was good, Uncle Saul was ... but there's no standing against the Devil, miss ... and you had the Devil in you then."
"Please, Leah, will you tell me what you told your father."
"It was what Uncle Saul had told me. I'd seen you ... I'd seen you go in the barn together and stay there ... and then you'd come out and you'd be all laughing. It was the devils laughing, I know now, but then I thought you were just a wicked ... wicked witch. And Uncle Saul would be all shining in the face and looking as though he'd been with the angels ... till he remembered and then he was well nigh fit to do away with himself."
"Oh, God help me," I murmured.
"He used to talk to me. He talked to me the night afore he did it. He was in the field working and I took out his cold tea and bacon sandwich. We sat by the hedge and he said to me: 1 can't stand it, Leah. I'll have to get out... I've sinned. Most terrible I've sinned. I can't see no way out. The wages of sin is death, Leah, and I've earned them wages.' That's what he said to me, miss. The Devil tempted me,' he said. And I said, 'Yes. Miss Susannah. She is the Devil.' Then he started to tremble and he said, 1 can't turn away from her, Leah. When she's not there I know it's wicked and when she's there it's only her.' I said to him, 'Ask forgiveness and don't sin again.' He said, 'But I've sinned, Leah. I've sinned as you don't know.' I said, "Yes, you've sinned, but people do sin like that. Look at Annie Draper. She got a baby and after that she married Farmer Smedley and she goes to church regular now and she's reckoned to be quite good. It's what they call repenting their sins. You can repent, Uncle Saul.' He kept shaking his head. Then he said it had gone too far. I had to find some comfort for him. I kept saying, 'It's the same thing, Uncle Saul. Whether it was with Miss Susannah like you ... or a passing peddler like Annie Smedley.' But he wouldn't have it. Then he said this terrible thing. He said, 'It's worse than that. It's worse than fornication and that's enough to send me to hell. It's murder. Leah, that's what it is. She's asked me to help her do away with Mr. Esmond. She can't abide him. She's not going to marry him. You see, she wants the castle but not him.' I said, 'What do you mean? What's castle folks' affairs to do with you?" And he said, 'It's Miss Susannah. I've got to do what she asks. You don't understand. I've got to. I've done it. And there's only one way out.' I didn't know quite what he meant, miss ... not until next day when they found him hanging in the barn."
I said faintly: "And this is what you have told your father?"
"I wouldn't have told, miss. Not after what you done for Jack and me. I wouldn't have told ... but for the baby. I know it was devils in you, miss. I know it now. I know that without them you're good and kind. I wouldn't have told ... but for harm coming to the baby. But I had to tell you what I'd done."
"Thank you, Leah," I said. "Thank you. I'm grateful."
"Miss Susannah," she said earnestly, "it was the devils in you, wasn't it? You're not going to be wicked again. You'll always be your own true self, won't you ... kind and good so as we can all feel safe with you?"
"I will, Leah," I cried. "I will."
"Miss Susannah, my father ... he can do terrible things. He's too good a man not to fight what he thinks is evil ... no matter where it is. He says he'll not let this rest. He's going to avenge Saul. He's going to do something ... I don't know what. But he's a terrible cruel man ... when he has to set wrong right."
"Leah," I said, "you mustn't get upset. Think of the baby."
"Oh, I do, miss. I think of all you've done for us. It was terrible when he come here. But I was frightened, miss, not for myself but for the baby."
"Don't fret. Everything will be all right," I said. I wanted to get away to think what this meant
I left the cottage and went into the woods. I was trapped now. I had thought to take on the custodianship of the castle and in doing so I had put on the mask of a murderess.
I was numb with fear, unable to plan. I did not know which way to turn.
Revengeful Jacob Cringle knew why his brother Saul had committed suicide. He knew that murder had been planned at the castle, and it had later been carried out.
He would not let the matter rest. He was going to pursue the murderers and bring them to justice. He was going to have vengeance for his brother's death.
I knew that murder had been planned. I had proof in the letters which I had found in the secret drawer. It was all beginning to fall into shape.
Unwittingly I had taken on the part of the murderess.
I was trapped in Mateland Castle.
As Cougaba had said: "Dat ole Debil" had been at my elbow. He had tempted me. He had spread out the glory of the castle before me and promised me it should be mine ... in return for my allegiance to him.
And I had succumbed to temptation. Now I was here in a position growing hourly more dangerous. Caught in a trap of my own making.
I don't know how I got through the day. I could eat nothing, so I stayed out, pretending to be on estate business and that I had eaten at one of the inns.
I came in late in the afternoon. I would have to plead another headache. I could not face them that evening. I did not want to see Malcolm. He was as much involved in this as I was and when I thought of the letters I was nauseated. It was clear from them what his relationship with Susannah had been and what I could not understand was why he was leading me on to believe he accepted me. He must have known from the very beginning that I was an impostor. What game was he playing? I needed time ... lots of it... to try to make sense of this.