Rosa's Island (41 page)

Byrne smiled. ‘Oh, yes! And do you know what he's saying? I know what he's saying.' He continued to stare at Drew and added before he could answer, ‘He's telling me to hurry up before the land is flooded. Before the river breaks through and we're all drowned.'

Drew gasped. ‘The spades! You've broken through 'embankment!'

‘That's right. And the dyke, and the ditches and the drainage channels. The sluice gates are open and the dams are broken. It's amazing just how much digging two strong Irish labourers can do when they set their minds to it.'

Drew looked round. The dyke was full, as were the ditches along the sides of the fields, which he'd noticed as he'd walked here earlier. He lifted his eyes again towards the river and saw the fast tidal flow of water gushing through the embankment, down into the lower land and towards them.

‘You devil,' he shouted. ‘I'll lose my sheep and cattle. 'Land'll be waterlogged. I'll not be able to plough!'

‘That's right.' Byrne nodded. ‘That's what I'd planned. Well, I'll be off! I'm so glad we met again, Mr Drew. I said to Seamus that what I wanted more than anything in this world was to see your land flooded. Perhaps the river will take it back! That's where it came from, wasn't it? From the bottom of the Humber.' His eyes glittered. ‘Perhaps that's where it really belongs, and you with it.'

He turned away and bent his head against the onslaught of wind and rain. There was a sudden
flash and the sky was lit by sheet lightning, illuminating the whole of the land. Drew saw the widening flow of water as, spilling over the already overflowing dyke, it rushed in their direction. ‘Look out!' he shouted and turned to run, but Byrne kept on walking, his head bent to the ground.

Drew turned again as he lumbered away and saw the rush of water knock Byrne into the flooded dyke. He made no attempt to save himself but simply threw up his arms as the waters of the dyke covered him.

‘He's gone then,' Drew panted, as heavy-footed, he rushed away. ‘He'll not get out of that dyke. It's too deep and too wide for anybody to save himself. I couldn't have helped him. No chance of me getting him out, no matter how I tried.' Already he was making up answers that he could give if he should be questioned.

He looked back again. The rush of water was heading fast towards him. The tide was exceptionally high and the embankment, once weakened, would break through in other places, flooding not only Marsh Farm land but Home Farm land too, which was divided from it only by ditches and sparse hedges.

He tried to run faster towards Home Farm house and safety, but his heart was beating rapidly and his breathing was laboured. Another burst of forked lightning and he blinked. Did he see someone in the distance? Was someone coming to rescue him? He shouted, but his voice came out weak and pitiful. Another flare, simultaneous with a clap of thunder, lit up the
sky and yes, there was someone on horseback. Two people.

He stopped and held his chest. He had such an excruciating pain. He turned around and saw the sweep of water behind him and knew he must get out of its path. He looked up. The man was dismounting. Drew put his hand to his head. The rain was running down his face, he could hardly see. Was he hallucinating? The young man looked so familiar, and the woman he was helping down in the long raincape and hood – why! It was Ellen!

‘Ellen!' he called. ‘Ellen!' No, how could it be? But yes! Of course. The man he was looking at was himself. He remembered such a time when he had ridden with Ellen behind him. He had laughed at her old raincape and promised her another when he had grown rich. She had been so lovely then, he had told her she deserved something better. ‘I'll get you another coat, Ellen,' he shouted. ‘I promise, I will this time.' She ran towards him and put out her arms as if pleading with him. ‘I've been wicked, Ellen. So very wicked. Forgive me!'

The water rushed behind him, knocking him off his feet and sweeping him along towards the dyke. His head went under as the waters claimed him for their own, and as he came up for the final time he called with his last gasping breath for absolution of his sins, not to God in heaven but to his long-suffering, compassionate wife. ‘Ellen! Forgive me for I know not what I do.'

As the waters washed over him in a final baptism, and his lungs filled, he saw the women
of the night smiling and beckoning to him. He saw his son Henry, drunk on smuggled brandy and dead from drowning, and remembered, with his last spasm of breath, that someone else shared his watery grave. Carlos! And he reached out to push the Spaniard away as his skeletal bones bumped against him.

A lone figure stood for a moment on the high embankment with the tidal waters raging below him, and saw his brother swept away into the dyke that they had damaged. He knew that his brother could have saved himself, but had chosen not to. His face was blackened and ravaged by the fire and his hands were so badly burned that he knew that he would never have been able to face anyone or work again. Only a life of pain and disfigurement lay in front of him. Seamus crossed himself and turning towards Stone Creek he put his head down and walked away.

MATTHEW HELPED ROSA
down from the mare and saw that Fred was struggling to move a flock of sheep from a field of stubble but couldn't control them. In the distance there were groups of men running towards them, farmers who had been alerted by Jim and who were attempting to move all the livestock to safety.

Another flash of lightning and a crack of thunder, but not so loud and the sky seemed to be lighter, showing that the storm would soon be over. ‘Get those strays, Rosa,' he urged, ‘they're sheltering under yonder hedge. I'll give Fred a hand.'

Rosa set off to where the sheep were huddled together, her raincape billowing as the wind caught it. It was then that she saw Mr Drew. He was running as if the devil was after him, but it wasn't the devil, it was a swell of river water rushing across the land. ‘Mr Drew!' she screamed. ‘Watch out! Come this way! Away from the dyke.'

Instinctively she ran towards him, her arms stretched out. ‘Mr Drew! This way!'

He seemed to hear her for he stopped and looked up, and it was as if he was smiling at her and calling something. ‘Hurry,' she shouted. ‘Hurry!'

But it was too late, and she screamed for Matthew to come as the rushing waters swept James Drew off his feet and carried him towards the swollen dyke. ‘No,' she cried, and thought of Henry and how the waters of the dyke had claimed him. ‘Not another Drew!'

She splashed towards him, the water almost up to her knees, but now there was no division between field and dyke or ditch as the river poured in, covering the fields and tracks and footpaths and making a lake over James Drew's land. The ground disappeared beneath her feet and she fell forward into deep water. ‘Matthew!' she screamed. ‘Matthew! Help me!'

Matthew heard her cries as he was halfway across the field and turned swiftly. He stood for barely a second as he watched her run towards a man, indistinguishable in the gloom and rain, and saw him swallowed up by a rushing torrent of water and disappear. As he sped towards them he saw her stumble and fall.

‘She's in the dyke! Oh God! She's fallen into 'dyke. Jim! Fred! Hurry.' He was frantic with fear as he ran, his boots kicking up sprays of water from the flooded fields. ‘Rosa! I'm coming. I'm coming.'

She was still struggling as he reached her, but then her head went under the water and he could only see the top of her rain hood. He tore off his coat and jumped into the dyke, reaching
for her, pulling her up by the hood. He gathered her into his arms and trod water, hampered by his heavy boots, calling to her and crying, ‘Rosa! Rosa. Don't leave me. Don't leave me!'

Jim plunged to the ground. ‘Give her here,' he called, and the water lapped around him as he lay flat on his stomach reaching out his arms. ‘Come on! She'll be all right Come on! Just tread water. That's it, this way.'

Matthew felt that he was dreaming as he did as he was bid, and it was as if he was reliving a former scene, when they had pulled Henry from the ditch. Only this time it was Rosa, his only love, who was being dragged from the deathly waters.

‘She's all right. She's all right!' Jim had tears streaming down his face as he spoke, and Matthew knew that he too was thinking of Henry as they bent over Rosa, who was retching up river water.

The other men had rushed across when they heard the commotion and on seeing that Rosa was safe, turned to reach and recover the other person in the dyke. ‘It's Mr Drew!' someone said. ‘We can do nowt for him,' said another. ‘He's a goner.' The men took off their caps and gazed down at James Drew. ‘Was he trying to save her?' the question was asked.

‘No.' Jim got up from Rosa's side and left Matthew holding her close. He looked down at his father. ‘I saw what happened. She was trying to save him.'

The Drew family gathered once more when news of their father's death reached them. The twins, Lydia and Nellie, came, Flo came with her Tom, and Maggie and Fred came with the baby, bringing Delia and Mrs Jennings with them.

Rosa hugged her grandmother. ‘I've missed you, Gran,' she whispered. ‘I'm so sorry about the fire.'

‘It's nowt,' her grandmother said. ‘It'll soon mend. It's onny brick and timber. As long as you're all right. That's what matters.' She had heard the details from Fred on his return home to Hedon.

‘Maggie and me have got summat to tell you,' Fred began.

‘Not another babby already?' Flo said slyly.

Maggie blushed. ‘No, silly! Not yet anyway. But we shall have another bairn.' She gazed down into the crib where the baby was sleeping. ‘We're so happy with little Ellen that we want to give her a sister or brother.'

‘Go on then,' Fred urged. ‘Tell 'em 'news.'

‘Give Rosa her papers first,' Maggie insisted. ‘We're dying of curiosity.'

Fred handed Rosa a large thick packet. ‘It's from 'lawyer,' he explained. ‘He said would I apologize for 'delay but he had a lot of searches to do.'

Rosa took the packet and, glancing at Matthew and then at her grandmother, she broke the seal and opened it as Maggie started to speak.

‘You'll never guess,' she began.

‘No, we won't,' said Flo, ‘so hurry up and tell us.'

‘Fred and me,' Maggie had a big smile on her face, ‘we're coming back to Sunk Island! Fred's got tenancy of that smallholding near to North Channel.'

‘It's got sheds and barns where I can work and store all my tools. There's plenty of work on Sunk Island and we'll be near enough to Patrington for me to work there as well.' Fred too seemed pleased with himself. ‘Maggie wanted to come back,' he said, and looked affectionately at her. ‘Since we had 'babby, you know. She's wanted to come home.'

Jim and Matthew were pleased, and Delia already knew about it. ‘We'll be like a proper Sunk Island family again,' Flo said with a catch in her voice. ‘Even though Ma and Da won't be here. Don't you think so, Rosa? Somewhere we can allus come back to.'

Rosa looked up from the papers. Her head was in a whirl. The lawyer had apologized for the delay in his letter which was enclosed with the original documents. He explained that he had had the papers translated and that it was a last Will and Testament of her father Decimus Miguel Carlos, which left all his worldly goods, including his ship, the
Rosa
Maria
, to his wife, Mary Carlos, formerly Jennings, or on her demise to any children which they might have. There was also a letter within the documents which gave details of his family in Spain, with the request that they should be told of his death if they did not already know.

‘I have been informed by the Customs and Excise department,' the letter went on, ‘that the
ship was requisitioned and then sold, some years ago, and the balance of money raised from the sale is deposited in a bank account. Proof of identity is required in order to release this money, which I do not expect will be difficult in this instance.'

‘Yes,' Rosa said vaguely and cleared her throat. ‘I'm so pleased for you, Maggie, and for you too, Fred.'

They will be a whole family again, she thought, just as Flo says. Maggie and Fred will be the head of the family, even though it will be a different name. She looked at Mattthew, who was gazing at her. He hadn't wanted to let her out of his sight since the flood. Jim seemed to have had a weight lifted off his shoulders and was more sure of himself, making decisions and carrying them through, though he was quiet in her presence as if his conscience was still troubling him. Only Delia seemed to be pensive since her return home from Hedon and Rosa saw her now looking down at the baby Ellen, with a sort of longing on her face.

There was to be a triple funeral today, for there had been three inquests and three bodies were to be conveyed to the churchyard. Firstly Mr Drew, who had taken many secrets with him, those which were known to some members of his family never being spoken of. Secondly John Byrne, escapee from the law, with his face so blackened that he was hardly recognizable, who had drowned with no family to mourn him. His brother Seamus had gone, no-one knew where, but Rosa had guessed, when Harry had come in
just after the flood and remarked that he had seen something he had only ever seen twice before, even though he had lived all of his life by the river.

‘What's that then, Harry?' Jim had asked.

‘I saw a ship with its sails scandalized!'

‘What's that mean then?' young Bob had asked.

Harry had drawn himself up in self-importance at imparting knowledge. ‘It's when a seaman drowns,' he said. ‘They let all 'sails hang loose and fly 'flag at half mast. It's a form of respect. I saw a cutter doing that down at Stone Creek on day after 'flood. I reckon somebody was lost overboard during 'storm.'