The Ragged Heiress (8 page)

She buried her face in her hands, attempting to conjure up the face of Sam Cutler, the man who had stolen her heart and for whom she had risked her reputation, and it would seem, her life. She could not exactly describe his features one by one, although she remembered the way his hazel eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, and the way her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice. He had awakened something within her that threatened to consume her and had made her reckless with the need to see him again. Would he still be searching for the escaped convicts? Or would he and his men have given up and returned to the
Caroline
? Did he know that she was missing, and if he did, would he come to her rescue?

It was pitch dark now and she could not see Guthrie
even though he lay just a few feet from her. The rustling sounds in the undergrowth seemed to be even louder and growing closer minute by minute, and she felt as though they were being watched by unseen predators. The foolhardiness of her escapade sat on her shoulders like a heavy mantle. Her pampered, protected life had not equipped her for survival outside the walls of her comfortable home. She had never had to do anything for herself; there had always been servants at her beck and call, ready to carry out the simplest of tasks. She had never felt so lost or so alone in the world. She even found herself wishing that Stranks would return. He was a villain and a ruffian but at least he was human. Who knew what horrors lurked behind every bush and tree?

Lucetta opened her eyes. She could see a faint glimmer of light filtering through the ghostly grey trunks of the trees and she could hear the sound of men’s voices, the heavy tramp of booted feet, the splitting of cane and the crack of broken twig. It was, of course, just another dream: she had been dozing fitfully all night and then waking with a start as the pain in her cramped limbs became unbearable. Each time she opened her eyes it had been to suffocating darkness, like being stone blind. The noises that she had heard had been the night sounds of the rainforest, punctuated by feverish moans from Guthrie, but this time it was different; the men were speaking English. She pinched herself and it really hurt; she was not dreaming. She was wide awake and help was close at hand.
She opened her mouth and tried to call out, but no sound came from her dry throat. For a dreadful moment she thought the rescue party were going to miss them and she reached out with her hands, feeling for a branch or a stone, anything that she could throw to attract their attention. Then her fingers curled around the hard, hairy shell of a coconut and she scrambled to her feet, flinging it with all her might. She heard a soft thud followed by a loud curse and raised voices.

‘Where did that bleeder come from? It hit me square on me head.’

‘It came from over there. Bring the torches, men.’

Dazzled by the sudden bright light of a flaming torch, Lucetta shielded her eyes. She could just make out the dark silhouettes of men breaking through the tangle of banana palms and tree ferns. Someone called her name and her heart leapt against her ribs as she recognised Sam’s voice, but relief quickly turned to humiliation as she realised what a sight she must look. The once beautiful songket clung damply to the natural contours of her body and her hair must be in a terrible mess. She was filthy, exhausted, and she knew that she must smell absolutely terrible.

‘Lucetta! Thank God.’

Recognising her father’s voice, Lucetta leapt up and flung herself into his arms. ‘Oh, Papa, I’m so glad to see you.’

‘Are you all right, Miss Froy?’ Sam asked anxiously.

Tears of relief flooded down Lucetta’s cheeks and she buried her face against her father’s shoulder.

‘My little girl will be all right now, thank you, Cutler.’ Henry wrapped his arms protectively around his daughter’s trembling body. ‘I’ll take her back to the consulate. You’d best set about catching the villains who abducted her.’

It was dawn when they reached the consulate and the stucco was tinged rose pearl by the rising sun. Lucetta was still dazed and disorientated and she was stunned to see her mother and Lady Boothby waiting for them on the veranda. Mama never left her bed this early; it was unheard of. She was even more astonished when her mother ran towards her.

‘Oh, my poor child. What have they done to you?’ Eveline threw her arms around Lucetta but then stepped away, wrinkling her nose. ‘You must have a bath immediately.’

‘She is quite obviously in a state of shock, Eveline,’ Lady Boothby said, eyeing Lucetta critically. ‘I’ve sent for the doctor and I think he should examine her first, if you know what I mean.’

‘Oh, no. You don’t think …’ Eveline paled alarmingly and dropped her hands to her sides.

Lady Boothby nodded emphatically. ‘Virgo intacta, my dear. We must ascertain the truth.’

Lucetta had not paid much attention in Latin classes and she had no idea what virgo intacta meant, but she could tell by the expression on Mama’s face that it must be something quite serious. ‘I’m not hurt, Mama. I’m just tired and dirty and I would love a bath.’

Eveline sank down on the nearest rattan chair,
fanning herself vigorously. ‘You must do as you’re told, Lucetta. Henry, please tell her that we know best.’

‘Pa?’ Lucetta turned to her father and was shocked by the fury in his normally gentle brown eyes, and the white lines around his tight lips.

‘Best if you wait, poppet,’ he murmured, giving her a hug. ‘Do as your mama says, there’s a good girl. I have some unfinished business with Sir John.’

Lady Boothby took Lucetta firmly by the shoulders. ‘I’ll look after her. You will find Sir John in his office, Henry.’

With a curt nod of his head, Henry strode purposefully into the house.

‘What did those brutes do to you, my darling?’ Eveline asked faintly. ‘Did they – did they molest you in any way?’

Lady Boothby pressed Lucetta down on a cushioned chair. ‘You must tell us the truth, my dear. We know that they must have been lurking in the grounds just waiting for the chance to abduct you. No one is blaming you, Lucetta, and you mustn’t be afraid to tell us everything, so that those criminals can be brought to justice for their appalling crime.’

Lucetta closed her eyes as the bougainvillea-drenched roof of the veranda began to swim dizzily towards the balustrade. She was faint with hunger, fatigue and emotional exhaustion. ‘Please, I don’t want to talk about it,’ she murmured.

‘I think I’m going to swoon,’ Eveline said, clasping her hand to her forehead. ‘I can’t bear to think what you must have suffered.’

Lady Boothby snatched up a bottle of sal volatile from the table and waved it beneath Eveline’s nose. ‘Get a hold on yourself, woman. Having a fit of the vapours won’t help the situation.’

Eveline coughed and spluttered as the potent fumes had their effect. ‘I’ve suffered terribly but then you wouldn’t understand, Pamela. Only a mother could know what I’ve been going through.’

‘Poppycock! You’re just being hysterical and that’s the last thing the girl needs.’ Lady Boothby turned to a male servant who had been standing mutely by the door. ‘Kadek, go and see if the doctor has arrived, and tell Nyoman to have a warm bath prepared for Miss Lucetta. We will also need salve and lint. Those cuts and scratches will have to be attended to soon or they will suppurate. And fetch Miss Froy’s wrap from her room,’ she added, staring with obvious distaste at the flimsy sarong which left little to the imagination. ‘We can’t have you running about the consulate in that state of undress.’

Kadek bowed and slipped silently into the dark interior of the house.

Lucetta stared down at the tattered songket which had been destined for better things, and she was even more acutely aware of her unsightly appearance. ‘I would like to go to my room, if you please, ma’am.’ She attempted to rise from her chair but was overcome by a bout of dizziness.

‘Stay where you are,’ Lady Boothby ordered in the commanding tones of a general addressing his troops. ‘You’re as white as a sheet. Are you in pain?’

Lucetta shook her head. ‘Do you think I could have something to eat and drink, please?’

Lady Boothby stared at her as if she were asking for something outrageous. ‘Not until you’ve been seen by the doctor.’

‘I can’t bear it,’ Eveline cried, shuddering. ‘My poor baby girl. I feel quite faint at the thought.’

‘Hush, Eveline. Don’t frighten the child.’ Lady Boothby angled her head, holding up her hand for quiet. ‘Hush, I hear carriage wheels. It must be the doctor. Lucetta, I’ll help you to your room. Eveline, if you can’t control your emotions, you had best remain here.’

‘I don’t understand,’ Lucetta said, rising unsteadily to her feet. ‘What is going to happen to me, Lady Boothby?’

If her experiences in the rainforest had been terrifying they vanished into the realm of a bad dream when compared to the shock and embarrassment of the examination by an elderly English doctor, who smelled disturbingly of brandy and stale tobacco. He performed the most intimate of medical procedures without telling her what he was going to do or explaining the reasons why it was considered necessary, leaving Lucetta stunned and on the verge of tears. He washed his hands and pronounced that she was indeed virgo intacta, which seemed to come as a disappointment to Lady Boothby who had stood at the bedside throughout, grim-faced and seemingly ready to pounce on Lucetta and hold her down if she dared to resist the doctor’s probing fingers.

Naomi fluttered into the room after they left and she made sympathetic noises as she helped Lucetta into the hip bath filled with warm, scented water. She bathed her mistress as gently as if she had been a small child, washing her hair and drying it with a towel. Even though they could not communicate verbally, it was quite obvious to Lucetta that the servants were well aware of her ordeal, and Naomi’s gentle doe-eyes were brimming with concern.

Despite her recent trials, Lucetta had not lost her appetite. She ate a hearty breakfast of buttered eggs, toast and fresh fruit, washed down by several cups of strong black coffee. Although she had intended to get dressed and behave as though nothing had happened, she was overcome by a feeling of lassitude and she decided to lie down and rest for a few minutes before getting dressed.

She slept dreamlessly and awakened at noon feeling refreshed and surprisingly free of any ill effects from her time in captivity. The scratches on her arms and legs were sore, but the salve applied by the doctor had eased the pain, and even at this early stage they showed signs of healing; unlike her conscience. What had happened yesterday had been almost entirely her fault. If she had not ventured out alone in that feeble attempt to disguise herself as a Balinese woman, she would not have stumbled into the path of the escaped convicts.

She lay in bed weighing up the pros and cons of confessing everything to Papa, or of taking the easy way out and going along with the fiction that Stranks and Guthrie had abducted her from the consulate grounds. After all, it would be her word against theirs, and they were already in such deep trouble that no one would believe them. She tugged at the bell pull to summon Naomi and she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Her plan to see Sam might have gone disastrously wrong, but in the end it was he who had come to her rescue. She was certain that she had not imagined the relief in his voice when he had found her in the rainforest. The knowledge that he really cared
for her was balm to her soul, and an irrepressible bubble of excitement rose to her throat, making her want to sing for joy. It was a pity that she had been in such a sorry state, but perhaps he had not noticed; after all it had been quite dark and no one could survive a night in the bush without looking a complete fright.

She rose to her feet and ran lightly across the room to fling the French windows wide open. The steamy heat of midday enveloped her in a warm embrace as she stepped outside onto the veranda. Above the chatter of the starlings she was suddenly aware of gamelan music and the babble of voices emanating from the servants’ quarters. She could feel the excitement in the air and it matched her own, for today she knew that she would see Sam again. Now he had a valid excuse for visiting the consulate, as Sir John would want to be certain that the prisoners were safely under lock and key.

She held her arms out to the sun and felt its soft caress on her cheeks. If the truth came out she was prepared to take the consequences, but she was certain that Sam loved her as she loved him. Whatever the outcome, she felt it was a truly wonderful day, although she might still have some explaining to do. Mama and Lady Boothby might be content to know that she had suffered no long-lasting physical harm, but Papa would not be so easily satisfied. She pushed the niggling worry to the back of her mind. She would cross that particular bridge when she came to it. She rang the bell for Naomi again. The most pressing problem now was to decide what to wear.

In the end and after much deliberation, she chose an afternoon gown made from white muslin sprigged with forget-me-nots. It had a quite daring décolletage and the wide crinoline made her waist look even tinier than the eighteen inches Naomi had achieved by lacing Lucetta’s stays so tightly that she could hardly breathe. Satisfied that she looked a completely different person from the frightened and dishevelled girl the search party had discovered in the rainforest, Lucetta went in search of her parents.

The reception rooms were deserted and echoing with silence, although there seemed to be much activity in the servants’ quarters and outside the compound it sounded as though there was a huge party in progress. Mystified, Lucetta sought out Jackson. She came across him in the entrance hall, and if he knew about her ordeal he gave no sign of it. When questioned he informed her that Mr Froy had gone inland to organise the retrieval of the consignment of furniture from the bottom of the gorge. Sir John was out somewhere on official business and Lady Boothby had left earlier for the charity hospital. Mrs Froy had taken to her bed with a migraine and was not to be disturbed. He turned to walk away but Lucetta called him back.