HF - 03 - The Devil's Own

by Christopher Nicole

  'Did you summon me to hear a tirade, madam?' he asked. 'You yourself commanded me from your bed, if I would not cease opposing your father. Any further relationship between us can only come under the guise of corruption, at least until this affair is concluded.'

  'Then sit down,' she said. 'I beg of you, dear Kit. Be sure that I shall keep my distance, on this side of the cabin. I but wish to have this conversation with you, as it is a matter which so greatly affects us all, and be sure that this will be the last occasion on which we shall discuss it, if you will not admit me to your love.'

  Kit sat down, on the far side of the cabin. He gazed at his wife, so strangely uncertain of herself, as her fingers plucked at the cushion beside her, so unutterably beautiful.

  'I ask you now,' she said, 'without coquetry or subterfuge, but as your wife and as Philip Warner's daughter, to abandon this peculiar vendetta against my father. Hear me out, Kit, please. In your eyes he has committed an abominable crime, and you have taken all possible action against him. He has been removed from his position as Deputy Governor of Antigua, a misfortune which affects him keenly. I have read his letters to Aunt Celestine. Nor is he likely to be reinstated, whatever the outcome of this trial. In addition, his fame has been dragged in the dust, as this event has been discussed wherever civilized men get together. He has been pilloried before the English public, and now is returned to Barbados, a place where he has never attained much popularity, to be tried like a common malefactor. This is the man whose father founded these colonies, who bears a proud name, a name which will surely ring as long as these islands remain above water. Be sure that Philip Warner's will ever remain associated with the death of that Carib monster. So, I ask you, what more can he suffer? Yet would you hound him to his death. But he is already past his middle age. I doubt he has more than ten years left before him, at the best of things. Is that, then, too long for you to wait?'

  Kit sighed. 'I understand your plea, Marguerite, and I respect it. No man could wish for more devotion from his daughter. Yet must I follow this path, because there is too much at stake. I do not speak of my good name, my reputation. God knows, that was sufficiently compromised long before I ever set foot in Antigua. But these colonies which are your, and my, pride and joy, do we not hope and expect to see them grow, and become even wealthier, and of more importance in the world? Do we not hope and trust that they will spread, to take in St Lucia and St Vincent and indeed all the Windwards, perhaps even Dominica itself? Must we be subjected always to the taint that there go a band of coldblooded murderers? Why, the acceptance of your father's deed brands us as worse than the Dons, and they at least were always actuated by mindless religious fervour. Where was your father's fervour? Only a certainty that he had already wronged his brother and the Princess Yarico so grievously that his stomach rebelled against accepting them in friendship.'

  'The Princess Yarico,' she said contemptuously. 'Aye, I have heard tales enough of that whore. So you visited her hammock. Was her body sweeter than mine?'

  'I had supposed we intended to conduct this conversation in a civilized fashion,' Kit said.

  Marguerite's turn to sigh. 'I apologize. I will retain my temper, I do promise you.'

  'Well, then, let it be certain that a great deal depends upon justice being done in this sad event, and even more, a great deal rests upon justice being seen to be done. Or who, be he Carib or Frenchman, Dutchman or Don, will ever attend a conference with us again?'

  Her shoulders rose and fell. 'You persist in seeing life in these large canvasses. I can see only the figure of my father, on trial for his life. Tell me this, Kit. Do you despise me for attempting to defend him?'

  'Rather do I honour you for that, Meg.'

  'Well, then, would you not do die same for your own father, regardless of the crime he had committed?'

  'No doubt I should.'

  'And suppose I could convince you that this is a family affair, for you as well.'

  He stared at her, Yarico's words bubbling in his brain.

  'Aye,' she said. 'You have thought on that score, Kit. I can see it in your face. But does it not occur to you every time you use a mirror?'

  'Then would we have sinned beyond measure,' he said.

  'What nonsense. If indeed Edward Warner coupled too successfully with Susan Hilton, as is generally accepted, then your father was my first cousin. But you cannot be more than my second cousin.'

  'Still too close. I shudder for our children.'

  'I still say, nonsense,' Marguerite insisted. 'Do not kings and queens marry within such constrained limits? I would declare before any court in the world, that knowing this as I did, when first I elected to pick you from that ditch in which you lay, I yet had not the slightest doubt that it was you I should take to my heart and my bed. What, marry anyone other than a Warner? There was the crime, so to weaken the blood.'

  Kit's shoulders were hunched. 'So there is more drawing us together than either love or lust. I never doubted that, Meg. Yet are we now burst further apart than you can have imagined possible. So Philip is my great-uncle, as he is your father. Yet must I send him to the gallows if I can. For do you not realize, that if indeed he is my uncle, then so was Indian Tom?'

  'That ... that bastard?'

  Are you not a bastard? And am I not descended from one, certainly?'

  Her eyes shrouded him, and he remembered the sparkling angry determination with which she had looked at Philip himself on the day she had announced her intention of marrying. Oh, God, he thought, to turn back the clock that far and exorcize all of this bitterness, all of this hate.

  Knuckles drummed on the door, and still she stared at him. He was glad to turn away, and open it. A midshipman waited there. 'Begging your pardon, Captain Hilton, but Captain Holgate presents his compliments, and says the Careenage is now in full sight.'

  'I will be there in a moment,' Kit said. And frowned. 'There is more?'

  'The Captain begs me to inform you, sir, and the lady, that there appears to have been some misfortune. The signals flying from the fort indicate that we are again at war with France.'

  'By God,' Kit said. 'That was a brief interlude.' 'War,' Marguerite said softly.

  He turned to her. 'You think this will make a difference?'

  She smiled at him, and held a handkerchief to her nose. She seemed to have caught a slight cold. 'Wars make men more aware of reality, and less of abstract notions. Will you stand there the day, boy?'

  'I beg your pardon, madam.' The midshipman hastily withdrew. Kit closed the door.

  'Then is your father perhaps fortunate,' he said.

  'Yet your duty remains clear.'

  'More than ever.'

  'And nothing I can say or do or beg or promise will alter your resolution?'

  'Nothing,' Kit said. 'For me to turn aside now, for fear of punishment or in hopes of reward, for love or for hate, would be to make myself a party to that crime. I will not do that, Marguerite. I am sorry. More sorry than you know, perhaps.'

  She stood up. 'Then be sorry, Kit Hilton,' she said. 'And suffer. For be sure you will find in me an enemy you shall fear.'

  'I trust these lodgings will prove satisfactory, Captain Hilton.' Mr Sergeant Pratt could not speak without apparently considering himself in a court of law. Now he held the lapels of his coat, one in each hand, and peered around the bedchamber with a censorious frown.

  'They will do very nicely, sir, thank you.' Kit went to the window, looked out at the palm-trees and the beach. Barbados was indeed remarkably like Antigua, lacking mountains or volcanic springs and being entirely devoted to cane-growing. Even the little town of Bridgetown was reminiscent of St John's. But there was no true harbour here, and no protecting ring of islands. Barbados was exposed, lonely in the Atlantic swell.

  'I will have one of my own blacks attend you, of course,' the lawyer said. 'And you shall be the guest of my wife and myself once the trial is concluded. I but wish we could similarly express ourselves to your good lady, but
I understand that is not possible.'

  'We maintain separate positions in this affair,' Kit said.

  'And yet you came to Bridgetown in the same vessel.'

  'In separate cabins, Mr Pratt. Nor do I see that our domestic differences are any concern of yours, or the court's.'

  'Indeed, sir, I wish to agree with you, were this whole affair not a domestic one. Brother against brother. Niece against uncle and husband. Husband against wife and father-in-law. Oh, Her Majesty's Commissioners did this island no great favour when they commanded the trial to be held here. But justice will be done, Captain Hilton. You may rest assured of that.'

  'I have no doubt of that, Mr Pratt. What of the man Bale?'

  'Ah.' Pratt took a turn up and down the room, his hands clasped beneath the tails of his coat. 'We have had no fortune there, I am sorry to say. We have hunted for him in Jamaica, and in the Caymans, and even as far afield as the Virgins. Most know of him in those parts, but none have seen him in these past four weeks, it seems. There is the problem with relying upon a pirate as a witness. Yet we shall be permitted to read his deposition, I do assure you of that, Captain. And we have Hamblyn.'

  'Now, there is good news,' Kit cried. 'He was present at the conference in St John's when our plans were agreed. There was also a Captain England.'

  'Aye. Pirates all. But England has himself vanished. 'Tis said that he seeks a fortune in the Indian Ocean, sailing out of Madagascar, and endeavouring to follow in the footsteps of that rogue Avery. We shall not have him back from there, and must do our best with this Hamblyn. However, these are but corroboratory witnesses, Captain. We may liken them to the icing upon the cake which is your case. The substance, sir, the substance stands before me. You have no doubts?'

  'Should I have?'

  'I assume that pressure has been brought to bear upon you, in Antigua, from your family no less than your friends, to withdraw.'

  'I cannot very well do that, Mr Pratt, having been served with a subpoena.'

  'Indeed. Indeed. But there will be other pressures to withstand, even here. There are some gentlemen now waiting to see you.'

  Kit frowned. 'Why did you not say so sooner?'

  'I wished to have this talk with you myself, first. It is a matter of some importance, you know, Captain Hilton. As the eyes of the West Indies will be upon our courtroom here in Bridgetown, be sure that the eyes of the world will be upon this small island of ours. I would have us receive nothing but praise for the way we handle this unfortunate affair. Now, do you wish to receive these gentlemen?'

  'Should I not, as I must live in their midst these coming weeks?'

  'Oh, indeed, sir. Indeed. Then, if you will permit me, I will take my leave now, and make my way out by the back door. It would not be good for us to be found together at this juncture. I will see you in court, Captain Hilton. Until then, may I wish you Godspeed.'

  'I thank you Mr Pratt.' The Attorney General was frightened, he thought. But surely the affair could not so concern the Barbadians? They had but to supplv judge and jury. He went downstairs, and was greeted with a nervous smile by the young woman who managed the hotel for her father.

  'I hope your chambers are satisfactory, Captain.'

  'Indeed they are,' Kit agreed. 'I was informed that there are some gentlemen waiting to see me.'

  'Oh, yes, sir,' Miss Blaine said. 'They are in the parlour.'

  Her face was pale, and her lip trembled. Kit smiled at her. 'Then show me the way.'

  'Yes, sir. Through here, sir.' She hurried in front of him, opened the door. 'Captain Hilton, gentlemen.'

  The three men turned to face him. They were obviously planters from their dress, and straight from the fields, although he noticed that they wore swords for this visit to Bridgetown.

  'Good morning, gentlemen,' Kit said. 'It is good of you to call. I am Christopher Hilton, of Antigua.'

  'The pleasure is ours, sir,' said the first of the men, the smallest of the three, with swarthy features and a large belly. 'Rodney Alleyne, at your service.'

  'Percival Browne, Captain Hilton.' This man was taller than Alleyne, fair, and with blunt, friendly features, now severely composed.

  'Arthur Harrison, Captain Hilton.' The tallest of the three, with lank black hair and an ugly pout to his lips.

  'Gentlemen,' Kit said. 'I imagine we can procure some punch. I will summon Miss Blaine.'

  'If you would be so kind, sir, as to speak with us first,' Alleyne said. 'Then, no doubt, we can all take a glass together to celebrate our mutual understanding.'

  'Certainly, if that is what you wish. Sit down, gentlemen, sit down.' Kit sat himself by the door. 'Well?'

  The three Barbadians exchanged glances. 'You'll understand that the coming trial is the sole subject of conversation in Barbados, sir,' Alleyne said. 'Why, even the renewal of the war pales into insignificance beside it.'

  Kit waited. He did not suppose a comment was required at this stage.

  Alleyne cleared his throat, glanced once again at his companions.

  'Sir,' Browne said. 'We are convinced that this is no good thing.'

  'Indeed, I agree with you,' Kit said.

  'Thus we feel that there must be some considerable misunderstanding at work to have brought things to this pass,' Harrison said.

  'After all, Captain Hilton, you are a planter, as is Colonel Warner, as are all of us. Upon our prosperity, sir, depends the prosperity of these islands. And upon our unity depends the prosperity which is so important.'

  'Believe us, Captain, when we say that it was no decision of ours that your late expedition to Dominica was assisted by no Barbadian contingent. We were more than willing to participate, and it was the will of our Governor, a scurvy rascal if ever there was one, which prevented us. And now sir, we cannot help but feel that this whole affair has been magnified out of reasonable proportion by the governments of these islands, oh, and of Whitehall too, you may be sure of that.'

  'Therefore, sir,' Alleyne resumed, 'we feel it incumbent upon the planters of all these islands to forget the narrow bounds of self-interest which have separated us in the past, and present a united front against this overseas' and governmental encroachment upon our rights and privileges. Do you, as a planter, not agree with us?'

  'I am entirely for a united plantocracy, gentlemen,' Kit said. 'I agree that it is most necessary, for our protection and our prosperity.'

  'Well, then ...'

  'But I cannot concede that the mere fact of being a planter places me, or you, or any one of us, above the laws of God and of morality.'

  'Expedience, sir. Expedience. Unity demands expedience,' Harrison declared.

  'You had best speak plain, Mr Harrison,' Kit said.

  'Why, sir, our purpose is simply this, since you will have it so. We would have you abandon this trial, and leave it to us here in Barbados to settle the matter to our own satisfaction.'

  'And my subpoena, sir?'

  'A minor matter, I do assure you, Captain Hilton,' Alleyne insisted. 'What will they do, impose on you a fine? They can do no more. We guarantee that every penny will be paid by public subscription.'

  'And my own honour?'

  'Is due first of all to the plantocracy, Captain, rather than any red-skinned savage.'

  'Then would I consider myself a blackguard, sirs. Believe me, I have been subjected to considerable pressure, from quarters where I place more importance than any represented by you three gentlemen. I understand your motives, and you may believe that I respect them. So I am entitled to request you to extend to me a similar courtesy. I came here to see justice done, and by God, I will see justice done.'

  'You refuse to co-operate with your fellow planters, sir?' Browne demanded.

  'I refuse to co-operate with anyone who seeks to pervert the course of justice.'

  'Then, sir, believe me, but we shall put a stop to your nefarious game,' Harrison cried, getting up.

  'Indeed?' Kit asked. But he was as angry as they, and also stood up. 'How do yo
u propose to do that?'

  'By calling you, firstly, a coward and a blackguard, sir,' Harrison said. 'And secondly, by drawing my hand across your face.' He was as good as his word; the buffet was so forceful Kit stepped back.

  And smiled. 'Ah. You seek to murder me, I think, Mr Harrison.'

  'I have my own concept of justice, Captain Hilton, and you lie beyond it.'

  'Very well,' Kit said. 'Allow me to repay your challenge.'