I was silent, thinking of stormy nights when Colum was about his business. I wished that I could have confided in my mother, but I resisted the temptation to do so.
She went back to Lyon Court in September and it was on the last night of October, the 31st and what we called Hallowe’en, that the woman from the sea came into my life. That was a night which was to influence my whole life. There was always a certain amount of excitement at Hallowe’en. In Cornwall the weather was usually mild and damp at that time of the year. The spiders’ webs seemed to be festooned over every bush and little globes of moisture clung to them like glittering jewels. In the lanes there were carpets of leaves, all shades of brown from gold to russet, and the trees lifted their denuded branches to the sky to form a delicate lacy design making them as beautiful as when they were in leaf.
Jennet chattered a great deal about the excitement in the servants’ hall. Hallowe’en was the night when witches rode on their broomsticks to attend the Sabbat only they knew where and woe betide any who walked out at midnight and strayed into their coven.
It had happened, said Jennet, to one of the Seaward women years ago. She had never been seen again in the form by which they knew her, but there was a black cat who haunted the place looking for someone who would sell her soul to the devil in exchange for certain favours.
“So, Mistress, don’t ’ee go out on Hallowe’en.”
“I’m not likely to,” I replied.
“’Twill be a thorough stormy night, I do believe,” prophesied Jennet with a shiver, “but witches take no heed of weather.”
When it was dark a fire was lighted on a hillock outside the castle precincts; I wrapped my cloak around me and took the children to see it, but I would not let them go near it for the wind was rising fast and the sparks could prove dangerous. Connell, now three years old, was an adventurous boy and I took Jennet with me to help me look after them lest they should be too bold.
The servants danced round the fire and when it died down they picked up the ashes which they would treasure.
“They’ll bring luck,” said Jennet. “Protection against the evil eye. I’ll get you some, Master Connell, and you too, Mistress Tamsyn.”
The children watched round-eyed and Connell asked questions about witches. I wouldn’t let Jennet answer them for fear she instilled some terror in them. I told them there were good witches—white witches who cured people who were sick.
“I want to see a black witch,” declared Connell.
It was difficult to get them to sleep that night. The wind was rising and making ominous whistling noises throughout the castle.
I felt uneasy because a storm was brewing.
It was one of those nights when Colum was out and I knew that that meant there was a ship in distress.
This had happened before. I lay in bed experiencing a dreadful unrest. It was near midnight and I knew that I could not sleep. I thought of the people on the sinking ship, and of Colum and his men rowing out to pick up the salvage.
Why were there never any survivors?
I felt that I was propelled by an irresistible impulse. I could not lie here waiting, letting my imagination conjure up a scene. I must know what was happening. I got out of bed and put on a cloak with a hood, and heavy boots. I went out of the castle.
The wind caught at me, buffeting me. Walking close to the castle walls I came out to the path. It was difficult to stand up and I almost crawled down to the shore. In the lee of the castle there was a little shelter. I saw dark figures running hither and thither. I stood as close to the water’s edge as I dared go. The waves rose like giant monsters and came thundering on to the sand. I heard Colum’s voice shouting: “We can’t go out yet. Wait awhile.”
There was a ship out there, I knew. Caught, held fast on the Devil’s Teeth. The wind caught my hood and threw it back; my hair flapped about my head. The wind and rain lashed at my skirts. It blinded me.
As I cowered there a figure loomed up before me.
“Good God,” cried Colum, “what are you doing here?”
“There’s a ship out there,” I cried. “Can’t we do something?”
“Do what?” shouted Colum. “In a sea like this. What, in God’s name? Go back. Go back at once.”
He took me by the shoulders. I could not see him very clearly but from what I could I thought he looked satanic.
“Don’t dare come out again. Go back. By God, do as I tell you.”
“I want to help …”
“Go back. That’s the way to help.” He pushed me from him and I stumbled towards the castle.
I knew there was nothing I could do by remaining there. If I could have done something to help those people on the ship I could not see but knew to be there, I would have defied him. But there was nothing.
I made my way to the shelter of the castle and leaned against the wall. The sharp stone cut into my hand. I was shivering with the cold for my clothes were saturated with rain and sea water from those gigantic waves.
And as I stood there I saw the men with their donkeys; they were coming towards us and each man was carrying a lantern. They did not see me standing there. They walked round the path to the Seaward Tower.
I went into the castle. I took off my wet clothes and rubbed myself dry. I felt sick with horror. Something told me that I did not know everything of what happened on nights like this.
I wrapped a cloak about me and went to the window. I could see nothing but the darkness. I could hear nothing but the groaning and shrieking of the wind and the sound of the waves pounding against the rocks in their fury.
I did not go to bed. I knew I would not sleep. Colum did not come home all night. With dawn the storm had abated. The wind was screeching in a lower key; the waves were washing against the castle walls, their anger spent.
I knew that down there the little boats would be going back and forth. They would be bringing what they could find from the vessel. They would carry it stealthily into the Seaward Tower and in a few days Colum would go away and find a buyer for what he had to sell. Then a little later Jennet would be told she was not to go to the Seaward Tower to her lover because he had other work to do than entertain his mistress.
And out there in this fierce malignant sea men would be dying and there would be no one to save them. It was not men’s lives they were interested in; it was the ship’s cargo; and if they saved lives what complications that might bring. What if the saved ones demanded to keep what was salvaged from their ships? So it was to the interest of Colum and his men that all perished.
It was this that I could not forget.
Soon after dawn I dressed myself and again went down to the shore. It was there that I found her. She was lying in the shallow water; her long dark hair floating about her. Her face was pallid and I thought she was dead.
I waded out and caught her arm. When the wave had subsided I dragged her nearer to the shore. The next wave came and nearly carried me out with her, for the sea had not yet calmed down and the waves were still strong. But I managed to drag her free of them.
She was lying on the sand and I knelt beside her.
She is dead, I thought. Poor woman.
I took her wrist and felt a pulse fluttering. Then to my horrified amazement I realized that she was heavily pregnant.
My father had taught me a form of artificial respiration. I turned the woman’s body so that she was lying face downward, her head turned to one side. I knelt and placed my hands on her back and keeping my arms rigid I pressed with the weight of my body—thus I drove the water out of her lungs and I believed saved her life.
I waited beside her, I rubbed her hands and wrapped her in my cloak. I watched her lest she should need further attention and in due course was rewarded for I could see that she was breathing more naturally.