There were letters from all his supervisory people in the far-flung reaches of the Maklin-Parkins empire. Mixed among them, Alana found the report of Edward’s touring mine super-visor, detailing the death of the unknown American. It also named the American smuggler, Frank Tremain, but it did not state at which mine he was serving his sentence.
“But we have the name,” Crystal said hopefully. “Now we can find the mine–although that may still not be enough to free Rafe.”
“If it is Rafe, then we will find a way.”
After Chaco left them, Crystal and Alana continued to talk. Under Crystal’s gentle probing, Alana spoke of her feelings and emotions for Edward. She told Crystal about their life together and of the wonderful and gentle love they had shared.
“If it is Rafe, what do I tell him? That while he has been suffering in prison because of me, I have been leading a life of ease and luxury?”
“Do you think he will condemn you for what you’ve done?” Crystal asked.
“I don’t know. I thought him dead, but I never stopped loving him. Yet I shared another man’s name and bed.”
“He will have to accept and understand what happened,” Crystal ventured, unsure herself of how her brother would react when he learned of Alana’s marriage.
A moment later, Crystal laughed. “And what will happen when he learns his prim and proper sister is a whore? Poor Rafe,” she whispered.
Perhaps she spoke, so secure in her knowledge that Rafe was alive, made them realize that no matter what had happened, just the fact that he lived was reward enough for now. The future would have to take care of itself.
They spent another few minutes deciding whom to speak to tomorrow in the government offices, and then Alana reversed the roles they had been playing, gently questioning Crystal about what had happened to her in New York.
They finally went to bed shortly before three in the morning, and they were up again with the sun. By nine, they had entered the warren-like complex of government offices and buildings that surrounded the governor’s palace, which was the only truly official-looking government building, aside from the courts.
Going through the maze of government offices brought back the memories of those first months that Alana had spent searching for Rafe. She saw the same obnoxious clerks, bobbing their obsequious heads, who knew nothing about anything.
By eleven, Alana and Crystal had learned the name of the mine where Frank Tremain had been sent. At eleven thirty, after an audience with the head magistrate had been refused, and learning the governor was not expected back until that afternoon, Alana and Crystal had returned to Alana’s house.
After a light lunch, Alana had the carriage bring them to the colonial governor’s palace. When they entered the anteroom of the governor’s private office, they found themselves staring into the pinched features of the governor’s chief clerk.
“May I help you?” the small man inquired airily.
“I would like to see the governor,” Alana stated.
The man looked down at the large, leather-bound appointment book that rested in the center of his desk. “Do you have an appointment, Madame?” he asked in a lofty voice. “If not, I’m afraid it will be impossible. The governor is a very busy man.”
Alana smiled then. “Tell acting Governor White that the Duchess of Claymore wishes to speak to him immediately.” The man’s eyes widened, and an instant later, he disappeared into the governor’s office.
Crystal stared at Alana with both pride and amazement. “I never realized what a title could do,” she said.
“Edward taught me,” Alana replied.
The clerk reappeared a few moments later and asked the women to follow him. Once they were inside the large office, the acting governor dismissed the clerk and came from around his desk. He was in his late fifties, paunchy, with a large veined nose that indicated a life of too much drink. He carried about him an air of self-importance that Alana disliked, and it seemed to her that every time she saw him he appeared to be more entrenched in his temporary role. Yet Edward and the man had been friends, and she had never voiced her opinion of the acting governor aloud.
When he reached them, he took Alana’s hand in his and brought it to his lips. “A pleasure, Lady Parkins,” the governor said. Then he turned to Crystal and took her hand.
“Governor Samuel White, may I introduce Elizabeth Montgomery of San Francisco.”
“A pleasure,” the governor repeated.
After releasing Crystal’s hand, he escorted the ladies to two large, ornate chairs, and sat himself on a third. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?”
“Samuel,” Alana began, using his name in a friendly way. “You were a good friend of Edward’s, and I must impinge on that friendship now.”
“By all means,” White replied.
“Do you remember when my husband made certain efforts to locate a man we thought imprisoned improperly?”
The governor nodded his head. “About two years ago, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. The man’s name is Rafael Montgomery.”
“Yes, quite,” White said a little too curtly.
“We know where he is now,” Alana stated, ignoring the governor’s tone.
The governor sat straighter in the chair; his eyes locked on Alana. “So now it all comes out, after Edward is safely in his grave.”
Alana’s blood raced angrily when she realized exactly what the governor had not said. Like the majority of the upper-class people in Cape Town, she saw that the governor also looked upon her as an interloper in their society.
Before Alana could reply, Crystal spoke. Her voice was calm and unemotional. “I am Rafael Montgomery’s sister. And I have learned that my brother is in the Bristol mine. He is listed under the name of Frank Tremain, and I demand his immediate release.”
“As do I!” Alana declared.
“And just who do you think you are?” the governor asked sarcastically.
Alana stared directly into his eyes. “The Duchess of Claymore.”
“By marriage.”
“Nevertheless, I am the duchess, and I have certain rights.”
“Madame,” the governor said in stiff formality, “duchess or not, you are in no position to demand anything.” Fixing Alana with an accusatory stare, the governor continued to speak. “When you first claimed that your fiancé had been abducted, Edward brought your case to me. I personally conducted a thorough investigation because of my friendship for the duke–although I never believed for a moment that such a person existed.” The governor paused, his eyes never leaving Alana’s face.
“My colleagues and I believed that you had blinded Edward by your story of helplessness. When you managed to marry him, we knew we were correct. After concluding my investigation, I was convinced that this Montgomery person had never been sentenced or sent to a mine and that your story was blatantly false.”
Alana stared silently at the governor, unable to make her voice work in the wake of his accusations. Again, Crystal spoke for her.
“Johann Devreeling is the man who arranged for my brother’s incarceration. He switched papers and placed my brother in the Bristol mine under the name of Frank Tremain.”
“Impossible!”
“He is there!” Alana declared in a loud, angry voice.
“What kind of a fool do you take me for, Madame Parkins? I am not as gullible as your late husband. If this man you now call Tremain is in that mine, it is because he deserves to be. If he is not using his own name, that simply means he is guilty. Or is this Tremain your lover, and now that you have gained both title and estate, you want him back?”
Alana tensed. “How dare you speak to me like that?” Her anger flowed too fast to stop. Stiffly, she rose to her feet. “You have made a terrible mistake, Governor White, one that will cost you dearly.”
Alana turned to leave, but Crystal’s hand stopped her. Crystal asked reasonably, “Will you not at least question this man Devreeling?”
>
“Johann Devreeling is a man above reproach. He is a trusted magistrate of the court, and I will not insult him in that manner.”
“I see,” Crystal whispered.
“I certainly hope so. Now you may leave.”
Alana brushed off Crystal’s restraining hand and stared bitterly at the governor. “My husband considered you his friend. He was mistaken, for you are far from that. He was mistaken also when he used his influence to help you gain your appointment to the acting governorship. But Edward taught me much, especially of the power that accompanies my family’s nobility. You shall regret both your words to me and your unwillingness to pursue this matter. I shall see to that, Governor White.”
“Alana,” Crystal whispered, trying to stop her heated flow of words.
Without taking her eyes from the governor, Alana continued to speak. “You are a sanctimonious, envious fool. If you try to interfere with our finding Mr. Montgomery, I will ruin you. Do you understand me?”
“Don’t let your inheritance make you think you have the power your husband had,” White said, his face livid at Alana’s words.
“We shall see about that, shan’t we? Good day, Governor.” Turning regally, Alana left the office, never once allowing the man to see that her hands trembled with the black rage she felt.
In the carriage, Crystal turned to Alana. “That may have been a mistake.”
“I don’t give a damn if it was or not. He had no right to talk to me like that, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s as guilty as Devreeling!”
A heavy silence fell between them as the carriage drove toward her house. It continued until they were inside and seated on the leather couch in the library.
Then Alana sighed as she looked at Crystal. “I’m sorry I lost my temper. I shouldn’t have. But he made me realize how much I’ve depended on Edward and not on myself.”
Crystal wisely maintained her silence.
“That pompous jackass has made a big mistake. I will use everything I have to get Rafe free. Everything!”
“First we must make certain that it is Rafe at the Bristol mine,” Crystal cautioned.
“He is,” Alana vowed. “He has to be.”
They talked for another hour, trying to think of ways to free Rafe without coming upon a workable plan. Then, as if she had been in a dark tunnel for too long, Alana saw the light at its end.
Her breath hissed out, and she closed her eyes in an effort to control her spinning thoughts. “Crystal, we’ve been fools.”
“No, Alana, we’ve–”
“Yes, we have! We’ve been playing under the wrong rules, Crystal. We haven’t yet let ourselves do things the way he does, because we care about people. Allison doesn’t give a damn about anyone except himself and his wealth. It’s time to do things his way. It’s the only way to win.”
Crystal played Alana’s words within her head, and slowly came to the same conclusion. She had played Allison’s game in New York, but since then she had been complacent by comparison. “How?”
Alana stood and paced the confines of the room. “Here is what we have to do. First, and most important, is to free Rafe. Then Devreeling must sign a confession, admitting his role. Only after those two things are accomplished can we go to the governor and present him with a fait accompli. The governor can do nothing against us then.”
“Alana–” Crystal said, her voice holding an edge of doubt.
Alana shook her head determinedly at Crystal’s tone. “No! you taught me how to survive. You’re the strong one, Crystal. Don’t change on me now.”
Crystal shook her head. “It’s not that. After what happened with the governor today, will he not mention our accusation to Devreeling?”
Alana’s breath caught. “And I called him a fool! Of course he’ll tell Devreeling what we said. And Devreeling will–”
“Will have Rafe removed so that there can be no evidence against him,” Crystal finished for her.
“Then we have no time to lose!” Alana exclaimed, galvanizing her mind into action.
An hour later, Alana was in the offices of Maklin-Parkins, where she informed the head clerk that she was leaving immediately on an inspection of the company’s mines along the border of the Orange Free State.
She asked for all the records of those mines, and then told him that no one was to know she had left Cape Town.
When the clerk hesitated, she fixed him with the authoritative glare that Edward had used so often. “You served my husband loyally. I trust you’ll do the same for me.” Softening her tone somewhat, she added, “After all, we are in this business together, Mr. Crawford.”
The head clerk nodded his head silently. Then Alana issued instructions for him to have a supply wagon and the company coach readied for her by that evening.
When the head clerk started from the office, Alana stopped him. He looked at her in question, and she asked him to take a seat.
“Mr. Crawford, you’ve always worked closely with my husband. He believed you were indispensable to him in the running of Maklin-Parkins. I would like to feel the same. In my absence, you are in charge.”
“Very well, Lady Parkins,” Philip Crawford replied.
“And I must ask a favor of you, Mr. Crawford.”
“If I can be of service.”
“Between now and when I leave tonight, I need all the information you can find about the Bristol mine.”
Crawford stared at her for a moment, his brows knitting together. “Have they made you any offers since–since your husband died?” Crawford asked suddenly.
“No.”
“For a moment I thought–” Crawford paused.
“Thought what?” Alana prodded.
“They had approached your husband almost three years ago, seeking financing for their mine. After Mr. Parkins looked into the situation, he declined to invest. But I do believe,” Crawford added thoughtfully, “that we kept all the information that was given us. I shall look for it.”
“It would be a great help to me, Mr. Crawford. Please bring everything you can find to the house.”
Crawford stood, but again Alana stopped him. “Why didn’t Edward invest in the mine?” she asked.
“He didn’t like the way they were planning to run the operation, nor did he like the idea of shaft mining the way their engineer proposed to do it.”
“Shaft mining?” Alana questioned. “I thought all diamonds were surface mined.”
“Most are. Several people have tried shaft mining, but most have been unsuccessful,” Crawford informed her.
“But the Bristol?”
Crawford shrugged. “No one knows. Everything about the mine is secret. Perhaps there is something in the old file.” With that, Crawford left, and Alana went to the docks to meet with Captain Sanders.
After explaining her plan to the captain, she told him what she needed him to do, and he willingly agreed.
Then she returned home to tell Crystal that all was in readiness. Two hours later, Philip Crawford arrived with the supply wagon, company coach, and the information Alana had re-quested. He told both women and Chaco, who stood behind them, about the original offer the owners of the Bristol mine had made Edward. The best information of all was a detailed sketch of the area and a layout of all the buildings as well as the proposed shaft mine itself.
When Crawford finished, Alana took the papers from him. “Thank you, Mr. Crawford. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, but I’m sure that you will take care of everything in my absence.”
Crawford stood, but before he left, he spoke again. “Tim Foster, the supervisor of the Parkins Five, might know more about the current operation of the Bristol, which is only three miles from him. But, I must caution you to be careful when dealing with the people at the Bristol. Your husband believed the men financing the mine to be somewhat unscrupulous.”
“We shall be very careful, Mr. Crawford, and I thank you for your concern.”
At midnight, Alana and Crystal were inside th
e luxurious coach with Chaco seated next to the driver. While most of Cape Town slept, the two women, Chaco, the drivers, and two company guards rode out of town.
Unbeknownst to Alana, her carriage passed a small yet luxurious stone house wherein Johann Devreeling sat across from Harold Rankin, a British ex-colonial officer and the man who was currently in charge of security for the Bristol mine.
The two men had one thing in common: they both secretly worked for James Allison. And, Devreeling just had finished explaining their problem and was waiting for Rankin’s reply.
“I don’t like it,” Rankin stated.
“But you’ll do it. Remember, if anyone learns about Montgomery, we’re both finished.” Exhaling loudly, Devreeling handed Rankin several legal documents. “These are the release and commutation papers for Frank Tremain. Make sure he does not reach Cape Town.”
“He won’t,” Rankin stated. “I’ll take him out of the mine with the next shipment. In ten days, Montgomery will never have existed.”
27
Alana hugged herself against the chill in the night air, carried to them by the ever-present west wind. At her side, Crystal did the same, while both women continued to stare at the dark mine in the distance. They saw only a few pinpoints of lantern light from their vantage point; the rest they pictured in their minds.
“It’s time,” Crystal whispered.
Alana nodded. Then the two women walked to the waiting carriage and motioned to the man who stood next to it.
Tim Foster, the supervisor of Parkins Five, went to the front of the carriage, grasped the horse’s halter, and started him around. The women followed Foster on foot until they reached the curve on the mine’s road that they knew would be hidden from the watchful eyes of the guards at the Bristol mine.
Crystal took two revolvers from her waistband and checked their loads. While she did, Alana stepped close to Foster and said, “Thank you for your help. You must go now.”
“I’ll stay,” he stated.
Alana gave a sharp shake of her head. “You’re a good man, Tim Foster, and that’s why my husband hired you. But I’m in charge now, and I order you back to the mine.”
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