A Ring Through Time

by Pulman, Felicity

  The copy of the letter ended there. Stunned by its contents, Allie sat still, reliving the last dark hours of Alice’s life. She could imagine only too clearly her end. After all, she had almost drowned herself, and had experienced the horror over and over in nightmares.

  It was another connection between her and Alice. And if her own nightmares were anything like Alice’s end it was clear Alice had not gone quietly into her watery grave. Had she had second thoughts after it was too late to turn back? How had she died? Had she drowned, or …?

  No! Allie clutched the letter tight, crumpling it in her distress. She couldn’t bear to think of it. She almost wished Georgy had failed to find anything so that she could remain ignorant of Alice’s fate. But it was too late for that now. Besides, so much had become clear after reading Susannah’s letter, Allie knew she should feel grateful to Georgy. She smoothed out the paper, feeling close to tears.

  Recalling that there was still Georgy’s note to read, she went back to it. ‘Sherlock Holmes’, Georgy had called herself. Allie realised that her new friend was a worthy recipient of the famous detective’s mantle as she scanned Georgy’s note.

  I’m assuming you have now read the letter? I’m also assuming it was written by Susannah to her brother, William, many years after Alice’s death. What a sad, sad story! And it was just by the greatest luck — not to mention my incredible intelligence AND diligence — that I found it.

  Believe me, I turned the library upside down in my hunt for refs to John Bennett (heaps, but nothing about his family, only what a bloody old tyrant he was). There were a few refs to William Bennett — not many, but they did include the interesting fact that he was educated in England. With Susannah married and his father dead, I suppose he was sent to live with an uncle or aunt or something. Poor little boy. Susannah was right to apologise for abandoning him.

  I found nothing about either Alice or Susannah Bennett, but then I had one of those light-bulb moments and checked out Jack Cartwright. Lots of men of that name, and not a lot to go on, but finally I came across a reference to a Major Jack Cartwright who had died in Hobart. I’ve had to do some long-distance research and then wait for photocopies of stuff, which is why it’s all taken a while, but it all adds up. Jack married a Susannah (no surname) in Hobart, where he stayed with the army until he finally retired. This letter was among his papers, unsigned, so there was nothing to connect it with the Bennett family. But there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind who wrote it, and I’m sure you’re convinced as well.

  So, the questions are answered and the mystery is solved. Thanks for trusting me to sort this out, Allie. I’ve really enjoyed following the clues, although I’m sorry it wasn’t a happier ending. Yeah, I know your friends call me ‘the Geek’, but you came to me rather than them with your problem and I hope that means that perhaps you’ll keep in touch, let me know what you do with this information? I don’t know how long you’re going to be on the island, but so far as I’m concerned, the past is past — every last bit of it — and I’d really like to think of you as a friend.

  Georgy

  Allie smiled at the note, almost as if Georgy could see her. She wasted no time in switching on her computer to email her new friend. There was so much she wanted to tell her: about the disastrous boating accident, as well as the ghostly woman in blue. Maybe she could also ask her what to do about Noah.

  She typed in Georgy’s email address and, in the subject line, wrote: THANKS HEAPS, SHERLOCK.

  Allie found that emailing Georgy helped to clarify her own thoughts on a number of questions. She began with Alice. What Allie really wanted was to organise some sort of commemoration for her; Alice had lived and died on the island and Allie thought she’d been forgotten for long enough. But she couldn’t ask her parents to arrange a headstone unless she showed them the diary, and she didn’t want to share Alice’s innermost thoughts and feelings with her parents. So Alice’s memorial was something she needed to resolve herself.

  And then there was Noah. More than anything she wanted to go out with him, but how could she unless she told him the truth? She felt she owed it to the memory of Alice and Cormac to tell Noah what had really happened so long ago, but there was such potential for disaster if she did. What if he changed his mind about her and dumped her? What if he told everyone else the story?

  Would that be so very bad?

  Allie thought about it. Everyone already knew her ancestor was a ratbag, so no surprises there. As for Alice and Cormac: it was a dreadful story; heartbreaking. And it wasn’t only Noah’s family who had suffered because of their love; members of her own family had suffered too. But the final clincher was the fact that Alice had left the hair ring and her diary as a ‘memorial’ to Cormac. Wasn’t that a sign that Allie should share what she’d found with Noah’s family?

  She sent the email to Georgy, and was pleased when her inbox pinged a few minutes after. She clicked on the message. It was from Georgy, and very short: Tell him.

  And Allie decided that she would.

  FOURTEEN

  Before she could change her mind, Allie flicked on her mobile and scrolled to the photo she’d taken of Noah on the beach, hoping it would give her courage. Giving way to a sudden impulse, she transferred it to her computer and emailed it to Georgy, with Okay, I will in the subject line. Then she checked the directory and punched in his number.

  ‘Hey yorlyi, Allie!’ She took it as a good sign that he sounded pleased to hear her voice. ‘Have you …?’

  ‘No, not yet. But I wondered if you’d come over. I’ve got something I need to show you.’

  She’d kill him if he laughed, or showed Alice’s diary to his mates. But somehow, she didn’t think he would. Anyway, she had no choice. If she wanted a future with him, she’d have to trust him.

  She wandered through to the front of the house. Unlike her, Noah owned a motobike; she knew he wouldn’t be long. The diary was safely tucked into a bag, out of sight, along with the photocopy of Susannah’s letter. She poked her head around the study door to talk to her mother who was busy preparing lessons.

  ‘I’ve got a friend coming over,’ she said. ‘Noah O’Brien.’

  ‘That’s great, Allie.’ Her mum took off her glasses and peered at her. ‘You okay?’

  ‘Yeah, fine.’ Now that she was committed, Allie felt numb. ‘We’re going out for a while.’

  She went outside to wait for him.

  ‘Can we take a ride, go somewhere we can talk?’ she asked awkwardly as he pulled up beside her on the bike. She couldn’t just shove the diary into his hands, and she didn’t want to risk being overheard while she explained its contents to him.

  ‘Sure.’ He looked a little puzzled, especially when he noticed the bag she was carrying. ‘Let’s go.’

  ‘I haven’t got a helmet.’

  ‘No worries. I always carry a spare.’

  He unclipped it from the rack on the back and handed it over. It felt bulky and uncomfortable on Allie’s head. She climbed on behind Noah and, after a moment’s hesitation, clasped him around the waist. He kicked the motor into life and they sped off, spitting a shower of small stones behind them.

  Allie leaned against him, holding tight. This is how Alice must have felt holding on to Cormac, she thought, understanding all over again the powerful attraction that had determined their ancestors’ fate so long ago. Would Noah understand? She knew it was up to her to convince him.

  The motor died into silence and Noah anchored his bike. ‘So … what did you want to talk to me about?’

  Allie looked around. She realised that he’d brought her up to the lookout. It was deserted, to her relief. No-one around to overhear what she was about to say. She hopped off the bike and walked to the edge. The whole of Kingston spread out below her: the line of houses and official buildings along Quality Row, the grassy ruins of the prison and the convict barracks off to the side. Beyond the buildings was the sea, with lines of white foam marking where waves broke against the dark
reef. It seemed fitting that she could see where the story had begun, could point out where Alice and Cormac had met, and the disastrous outcome of those meetings.

  Allie turned to face Noah. ‘I’ve got something to tell you about Cormac O’Brien and why he died,’ she said, and pointed to a nearby bench. ‘It’s a long story, so we may as well sit down.’

  Noah said nothing while she detailed everything she’d learned, leaving out nothing, including her experience with the ghostly young woman in blue, and the violin music she’d heard in the ruins of the old gaol. And he was still silent when she finally ran out of things to tell him. She sat with her head bowed, waiting for his judgment. A thought occurred to her and she held out the bag.

  ‘If you don’t believe me, you can read Alice’s diary. But please, please take care of it! Susannah’s letter is in here too.’

  He looked at her then with a gleam of amusement. ‘You really care about what happened to them, don’t you?’

  Allie nodded. ‘Don’t you?’

  ‘Yeah. It certainly explains why my ancestor was tortured and hanged,’ Noah said. ‘You must have done a lot of research to unravel this mystery, Allie.’

  ‘I had a friend to help me.’ It felt good to say that.

  ‘Okay, I’d like to read all about it. It’s a lot to take in at first go.’ He glanced at her. ‘Does your family know about this?’

  ‘No. Not yet.’ Allie thought about it. ‘Maybe not ever.’

  ‘They wouldn’t be too happy to hear the truth about John Bennett. But I guess you’re convinced now?’

  ‘Yeah. God, what a monster he turned out to be!’

  ‘It’s a really sad story.’ Noah looked at her. ‘But maybe it goes some way towards explaining that sense of connection we feel?’

  Allie felt an embarrassing blush staining her face. ‘Please, don’t tell your mates,’ she begged. ‘In fact, I’d rather you didn’t tell anyone about this. And please don’t show anyone the diary either. It’s personal. Private.’

  ‘These are historic documents. I bet Ms Elliott would kill to get her hands on them!’

  ‘No!’ Allie tried to snatch them away, until the gleam in Noah’s eyes told her he was teasing.

  ‘It’s okay. I’ll keep them safe and give them back to you when I’ve read them,’ he said. ‘But seriously, Allie, maybe you should think of showing them to your parents. They might agree to donate them to the museum. Something like this would give a real insight into what life must have been like on Norfolk during the time of the penal colony. I mean, everyone knows that John Bennett was a horror, so there are no surprises there. But there’s not much written about the commandants’ families, or the officers and civilians who lived here. I’m sure people would find the diary interesting. Of course, the story of Alice and Cormac and what happened to them is terrible. But no-one’s going to judge Alice’s behaviour if that’s what you’re worrying about?’

  Allie kept silent. It wasn’t people judging Alice that bothered her so much as the implications for her and Noah, and how people might snigger when they made the connection. She looked down at the hair ring, and then held out her hand to Noah.

  ‘Your ring must have been made by Alice,’ she said. ‘Will you show it to me sometime?’

  ‘Sure.’ Noah took her hand, then leaned over and kissed her cheek. ‘So now we’ve had true confessions, does this mean you’ll go out with me?’

  ‘You don’t mind — about my ancestor, I mean, and what he did to Cormac?’

  ‘I’m not going to blame you for that, Allie. Get real!’

  Allie grinned. ‘In that case, yeah, I’ll go out with you, Noah O’Brien.’

  ‘Good.’ As his arms came around her, Allie closed her eyes. His lips touched hers and she felt her body turn liquid with wanting, with the need to be closer to Noah. ‘So close it is as if we are in one skin.’ Alice had said that, and Allie understood now just what she meant. But was this real, or was she reliving Alice’s experience with Cormac?

  Worried, she opened her eyes and broke free from the arms that held her. Yes, it was the present, and yes, she was with Noah. And yes, she wanted him just as desperately as Alice had once wanted Cormac.

  Noah was no longer smiling. He looked as shaken as Allie felt. ‘I’d better take you home,’ he said. ‘I think it’s time I read this diary, and Susannah’s letter. I’ll bring them back to you tomorrow. But Allie, if I were you I’d have another think about keeping all of this a secret.’

  Allie hesitated. She knew that Noah was right about these being important historic documents, but Alice’s account was so gut-wrenchingly honest and heartbreakingly sad that she couldn’t bear the thought of making it public.

  ‘Just think about it,’ Noah said.

  He smiled suddenly, surprising Allie. ‘I tell you what. If you confess the truth about what happened between your ancestor and mine, I’ll confess the truth about something too.’

  ‘What?’

  His smile broadened. ‘Something that my parents will hate me telling just as much as yours will hate finding out the truth about old JB.’

  ‘That’s not fair. I’ve told you all our family secrets.’

  ‘But I need something to persuade you to talk about it in public, so I’m going to keep my secret until you tell first.’

  ‘I bet it’s not as bad as what I’ve just told you.’

  Noah put his head on one side, considering her words. ‘No, maybe not. But the thing you should know about my family is that they’re very conscious of their position here, very keen to prove how respectable they are, especially now my dad’s been elected to the Legislative Assembly.’

  ‘So maybe you should keep your mouth shut too?’

  ‘Nah.’ Noah handed Allie her helmet, and strapped on his own. ‘Let’s tell the truth for once and stuff the consequences.’

  Noah took Allie aside just as she was about to walk into Ms Elliott’s class. ‘So what do you reckon? Are you going to talk about the diary?’

  ‘I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it all night, and I still don’t know,’ Allie confessed.

  ‘I read it all last night.’ Noah handed over the bag with its precious contents. ‘It’s a tragic story. I can see why you feel the diary should remain private, but I really think you should tell your parents about it.’

  ‘What about your parents?’

  ‘I kept my promise. I haven’t said anything to anyone.’

  ‘Have you told them you’re proposing to blab the big secret?’

  Noah pulled a face. ‘Nope. And they’re not going to be happy about it when I do.’

  ‘The past is past, remember? That’s what you said to me.’

  ‘That’s what you said too!’ Noah grinned at her. ‘But I reckon there’ve been enough secrets between our families. I think it’s time for the truth, don’t you?’

  Allie walked into class still undecided. She’d come to respect her history teacher, but was still wary after their difficult introduction. However, she knew now that she’d get a fair hearing if she spoke up. So would Noah. What was his big family secret anyway? Curiosity was enough to propel her forwards. As she walked up to Ms Elliott, she became aware that Noah was right behind her.

  ‘Before class starts, I’d really like to say something,’ Allie began. ‘Something about my ancestor John Bennett.’

  ‘Allie, we’ve already —’

  ‘The truth this time,’ Allie interrupted. ‘You see, I’ve found out something that nobody knows.’

  Ms Elliott sighed. ‘Very well then. And what about you, Noah? Why are you up here?’

  ‘Because I know what Allie’s going to say, and I want to add something else to clear up the mystery of the past.’

  Ms Elliott’s eyebrows rose. ‘Sounds intriguing,’ she said, and gestured with her hand. ‘The floor is yours.’

  She went to sit at her desk, while all eyes focused on Allie and Noah.

  ‘You first.’ Noah gave her a nudge.

&nbs
p; Allie squared her shoulders. ‘Let me say first that you were right and I was wrong about John Bennett,’ she said steadily. She pulled the diary out of the bag and held it up for her classmates to see. ‘I know that now, because it’s been confirmed by John Bennett’s own daughter, Alice. My namesake. This is her diary, and I want to tell you something of what it says, because it involves Noah’s family too.’

  As she began to recount Alice’s story, her love for Cormac and their stolen meetings, Allie felt herself grow hot with embarrassment. She knew from the amusement on her classmates’ faces that they, too, had made the connection. Only Nat wasn’t smiling.

  Allie kept on talking, watching as smiles turned to horror and sadness while she recounted how the love affair had ended. There was silence when she stopped talking. Allie held up her hand to show everyone the ring on her finger.

  ‘I found this in Alice’s diary,’ she said. ‘It’s the hair ring that Cormac made for her. She wrote that it and her diary were Cormac’s memorial. I didn’t know then that they’re her memorial too. I only found that out later when I read Susannah’s letter to William.’

  Noah stepped beside Allie and held up his hand. A golden band of hair was pinched between his fingers. ‘This is the ring Alice made for Cormac,’ he told everyone. ‘It’s been passed down through our family since Padraic’s time. Padraic left Norfolk along with everyone else when it was closed down. He went to Hobart with the other convicts, and later won his freedom. He married, had children, and I’m one of his descendants.’

  ‘Jeez, I’m surprised you’re even talking to Allie after what happened!’ Fran called out, loyal to Nat as always.

  Noah put his arm around Allie. ‘She’s not answerable for the past,’ he said steadily. ‘But I have to admit there’s a strong connection between us.’

  A chorus of whistles and hoots broke out. Allie knew her face must be the colour of a ripe tomato by now. She was grateful for Noah’s supporting arm.