“Let go, you brute, how dare you!” she spat at him.
“No, I won’t let go and you’d better not scream either, Ina Fairweather,” Henry hissed almost inaudibly.
“But you’re hurting my arm, please.”
“I’ll let go when you listen to me. We had a life together once, remember? We lived on an island to which we time travelled and we were husband and wife. We lived there with six other children and we had our own little baby boy …” They could hear that he was getting quite upset when it came to talking about the little baby.
“I can understand that you could forget about me but how could you forget about him?” There was complete silence for what seemed like the longest time and it seemed as if Bobby and David could almost hear the cogs turning in Ina’s mind as she took it all in. Then, there was a sound, as if Ina had swooned and Henry had caught her, or at least that was the scenario that played out in Bobby’s mind.
“You remember, you remember, Ina. For a moment then I thought I would lose you forever. But I see it there in your eyes that you remember too.”
“Henry … my husband, oh my God! My baby, oh my God!” Bobby peered around the side of the chimney for a split second and saw Henry’s big hands and arms wrapped lovingly around Ina’s slender form. Her face was as white as her pretty white dance dress, as she had received such a shock and her dress was now trailing in the dirt. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck and her cheek was pressed to his cheek and in that moment Bobby thought that she had just witnessed the most tender and intimate moment that could exist between a man and a woman and that she would ever witness; she felt something she recognised as envy for what existed between the two of them.
“What on earth is all this?” demanded a very angry Robert Clyde, who had obviously come looking for his fiancée. “Get your hands off her this instant! Good grief, who do you think you are, you – you big ape? How dare you. I have a good mind to have you arrested.” Bobby and David pressed themselves right back against the wall so they couldn’t be seen. There was a scuffling sound as he lifted Ina to her feet.
“And you’ve made her cry, too. What have you been saying to my fiancée, you brute? I have a good mind to punch you on the nose only I don’t want to start something and get dirty and sweaty right before the dance.”
“It’s not his fault, Robert; please come inside and I’ll explain everything to you. Really, it was nothing, I … I fainted and he caught me.” There was silence as Robert digested this information. Bobby secretly hoped that the men would start fighting. It would serve that idiot right, she thought, for acting so high and mighty and besides, it was obvious who would come off second-best. Henry was big and strong and could probably hold his own whereas Robert was little and puny and looked like he’d never done a day’s manual labour in his life.
“You won’t be marryin’ her; not if I have anything to do with it,” Henry muttered almost under his breath.
“What did you say to me, farm boy? Not too smart, are you? Are you foolish enough to try and make me even angrier?”
“Please stop it, both of you,” Ina said weakly but even Bobby could see that it was useless to try and stop them. She knew from the books she had read how fragile the male ego was and how Robert would now have to defend his fiancée’s honour and Henry could not now allow this very irritating person to come between him and the love of his life, especially as she had just recognised him for who he was – someone from her own past.
“Yep, you might say that,” said Henry and then he spat on the ground, “cause guess what dweeb? You and all your friends in high places and your fancy laws don’t frighten me. I love Ina and I always have and you can’t stop me.” Henry stood with his feet planted firmly on the ground and his arms crossed over his chest. He was the only one who was calm and not agitated.
“You just made the biggest mistake of your life, Neanderthal. Hold this Ina,” he said in a high, nervous voice and Bobby and David could tell he was taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. “But actually, now that I think of it, I see that even rendering you unconscious with my savage blows would not change this situation. The best punishment for someone of your limited intelligence, lies in a carefully constructed plan of revenge – come on Ina,” and Bobby and David stared at one another in astonishment. It sounded as if he had backed down and was walking away from Henry. They couldn’t resist peering around the edge of the chimney again and just in time, too. Snap – Robert slammed Henry on the side of his face so that his head was now looking to the right even though his feet were still planted firmly on the same spot and his arms were still crossed across his chest. A coward’s move, thought Bobby.
“You just made the biggest mistake of your life,” Henry said, grabbing Robert by his shirt collar and pushing him down onto the ground on his back.
“How dare you! You can’t do that, let me go – I’ll – I’ll call the police.”
“Will you? I’d like to see you do that,” said Henry and then he sat on top of Robert so that his legs straddled him on either side and started to punch him first on one side of his face and then the other, over and over again.
“Stop it Henry. You’re hurting him,” yelled Ina. “This isn’t the way, this will only make everything worse – stop – stop.” She threw herself down on the ground and put her face where Henry’s hand was about to slam into Robert’s face again. There was already a lot of blood and Robert looked as though he had lost consciousness.
“What’s this then?” Bobby and David heard another male voice, a voice of authority. “Good Lord, what have you done, boy?”
“Just go; just go and don’t look back,” Ina whispered to Henry and she pushed at him to get him to run.
“Okay. But I’m coming back for you tonight,” he whispered back. “Sorry sir, but I was just trying to help the lady here and this person came and started to hit me. It was self-defence, sir.” Henry stood up and tucked his shirt back in.
“Well, that’s not good enough boy, I mean, look at the state of this fellow. What have you done? I’m going to need a full report and … and …” but by the time he had stood up from checking Robert where he lay on the ground, Henry was nowhere to be seen.
“Well, I never,” he said, “what a strange thing to happen. Do you know who that boy was and why they were fighting?” he asked Ina.
“It was all a dreadful misunderstanding, I’m afraid,” Ina said. By now Robert had come around and the two of them helped him onto the porch and into a seat.
“Can you believe that?” said David enthusiastically. “Kapow … did you see the way Henry was pummelling him? I’ve never seen a fight like that before,” he said, with wide eyes.
“I know,” Bobby said, “that guy had it coming to him all right.” But then she heard her own voice and she blinked at David and frowned. “I don’t condone violence in any way though, but geeze that was a good fight.”
“I know, but it wasn’t really a fight. Henry had the upper hand all along …” David said, staring into space. “Gosh, he must be so strong.”
“Or in love,” Bobby offered. “Love does strange things to people or so I’ve read in books anyway.”
“Bobby Fairweather,” David said, teasingly.
“What?” she said.
“I don’t know – just hearing you talk about love like that. I didn’t think you were the sort to even believe in it. You’re always going on about being free and single and stuff like that.”
“I know,” Bobby said. “Don’t worry. I’m surprised too, but the love that was between them … I could feel it. It was so – so intense.
“I know,” he agreed. “But right now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I can keep crouching here like this. Let’s go back into the woods before we’re seen,” so the two of them made their way back to the trees.
“What are we going to do now?” Bobby asked.
“Well, he said he’s going to come back for her tonight so I guess we wait
and see what happens then. Right now though I need something to eat and drink. I bet you have something in your backpack for us.” They sat down on the leafy ground and ate some fruit and nuts and drank juice from the new backpack the professor had handed her prior to them leaving the island, and into which she had packed new provisions.
“I’ve become so completely immersed in the lives of Ina and Henry that I almost forgot what we were here for,” she said between bites of her apple.
“Me too, but I just thought that the Blue Seal, whatever it is, must be at Henry’s house, since it’s to do with my side of the family,” said David confidently.
“Yes, you’re probably right. What bugs me though is that we don’t even know what we’re looking for and we can’t very well go around asking people, can we?”
“No, so all we can do is take up our position next to the chimney again and wait for Henry to come back. I say if we don’t have an answer after tonight, then we head back to the island and think of a new plan. Maybe it’s a different time frame that we need to be looking in.”
“Yes, maybe we were guided to this spot at this time so we could see for ourselves what became of our grandparents and their lives. I was curious about that. Maybe it’s not about the Blue Seal at all,” Bobby said.
“Right,” David said, “although I hope you’re wrong. I dread to think what will become of our island and Crone if we don’t find it tonight.”
“I shudder at the thought,” Bobby agreed, a shiver running through her whole body.
Chapter 6
The Elusive Blue Seal
Bobby and David took up their positions again next to the chimney.
“This is no good,” David finally said. “If Henry does come back, we won’t be able to see him from here. Why don’t we go over to where the cars are parked and wait?”
“Okay,” Bobby agreed. They went around the back of the hall and made their way through the trees to where the cars were parked. David told Bobby to get behind a tree quickly because as they approached, Henry was getting out of his old Ford pick-up and walking toward the hall. There were many other cars parked there as well but all of the people had gone into the dance and so David took hold of Bobby’s hand and they ran to Henry’s car. They climbed onto the back tray under an old tarp and next to some bales of hay and farm machinery.
“What are we doing?” Bobby asked.
“We’re waiting for Henry to come back because I’m pretty sure we’ll be going back to his place next and we can have a look around the house.”
“How can you be so sure?” Bobby asked.
“I’m not; I’m just hoping.”
Bobby took her head out from under the tarp and looked in the direction of the hall. There was Henry standing with Ina out the front of the hall. They were talking and Henry seemed to be pleading with her about something. Someone else came out of the hall and, not wanting to be seen, Henry grabbed Ina’s hand and led her towards his car the same way that David had with Bobby only moments before. The pair got into the car and the next thing Bobby and David knew, they were being driven off down the road. The car pulled up outside a house. Ina and Henry talked about something in a hurried fashion and then Ina went into the house. Five minutes later she came back to the car with a bag containing something. Before they knew it, Bobby and David found themselves at the mighty oak, the same tree they used to reach the island. They watched from the back of the truck as Ina and Henry held each other’s hands and ran into the tree.
“Oh, great. We could be stuck here for ages now,” Bobby said, feeling quite worried.
“Don’t worry because I don’t think they’ll be that long. Remember one week here is the same as one year there and, if I know your grandmother, she is not going to want to be away from that dance for too long. She’ll be afraid that people will start talking.”
“How do you know? They could go into that tree and never come back for all we know.” Bobby wasn’t convinced.
“Think though,” David said. “She does go on to marry that guy and they produce a child together – your mother. We know she has a life here in Queensborough because you have talked about it in the past. She may have led a double life – you know, married to one guy but seeing the other guy on the side …”
“How dare you,” Bobby fumed. “How could you even hint that my grandmother was that kind of woman? She just wasn’t the sort to do something like that. No, it doesn’t make sense. Why would she marry if she was in love with Henry?”
“Um – because she didn’t want to be a farmer’s wife. She said as much herself; you heard her,” David persisted.
“That’s ridiculous. As if my grandmother would let a silly little thing like that separate her from the man she loves. I mean, they have a history together.”
“Okay, well maybe she’s already pregnant with your mother,” David said, staring down at his nails.
“If you don’t take that back, David Game, I’m going to thump you. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Bobby threatened but David apologised. He seemed to be enjoying himself, she thought to herself.
“Besides, what are they doing back at the island anyway? Why go there when they could just as well say what they want to say to one another here? I just don’t get it.”
“Well, for one thing they have more time together there than they do here. The other thing is that maybe at the island they can find out what happened to their baby.”
“Oh, the baby; I’d forgotten about that,” Bobby muttered. They didn’t have to wait long to have their questions answered. Within the minute Ina and Henry were back and standing right next to the car.
“I know the Blue Seal said that our baby was being well taken care of but that doesn’t stop me wanting him back,” said Ina and, with that, she burst into tears. Henry gave her the handkerchief from his pocket.
“Please don’t cry, Ina, my love. If you want to get him back, then just say the word and we’ll go and get him and leave this place together. We can go to a new town and be a family again. You just say the word – just please don’t cry anymore – please.”
“I know how much I loved you but I can’t help thinking how much you must not love me. Why didn’t you leave me with the amnesia? Why did you have to make me remember all of this? And now, no matter what I do, no matter which way I go, the result is going to be disastrous. Not just for me but for those poor people who adopted our little boy. We can go and get him back but we’re breaking the law and running away from my parents. I love my parents and I love Robert. It may not be the same kind of love I have for you but I love him regardless of what you think of him. But now, how can I marry him, knowing that you’re right here – and – and …” By now, she was beyond consoling and Bobby wished she could just reach out from her hiding place in the back of the car and tell her, “It’s going to be all right,” and hold her. She quickly brushed away her own tears and David looked at her as if to say, “Be quiet”, tapping his finger to his nose.
“I’m sorry Ina. I thought I was doing the right thing. I love you so much and seeing you every day and not being with you …” Henry began.
“Just take me home, Henry. And don’t come and see me and don’t talk to me again until I’ve thought this through,” and with that Ina got into the cab of the truck and was driven home. It was a slow and tedious journey back to Henry’s house. Not so much because it was a long way, Bobby thought, but because the grief hung in the air like a heavy weight pressing down on them. Even David looked lost for words and just stared into the space in front of him. It wasn’t long before Henry was at his home and had gone inside.
“Gosh, what a mess!” David said at last.
“Yeah, I’m starting to see how she ended up being married to Robert.”
“I suppose being able to time travel is a blessing and a curse. But I think the thing we have to concentrate on now is saving our island. Did you hear them talking about the Blue Seal?” David asked.
“Yes, but I do
n’t understand because it looked like it was something that they talked to on the island so how can the Crone not know more about it?”
“Good question,” David said. “I was thinking that too. But it looks like whatever the Blue Seal is, it is something that gives help and advice; much like a sage. So, it used to be on the island but isn’t anymore,” and again David rubbed his chin and was thoughtful.
“There’s no point looking in Henry’s house then,” said Bobby, trying to understand what it could be. “But what if we use the crystal ball to go to the island from here and look for the Blue Seal – yes, it would be the on the island but only in Ina and Henry’s time and so therefore …”
“Brilliant! You’ve done it again, Bobby. Why didn’t I think of that? There’s only one problem though; we have to make our way back to the tree from here.”
“Oh, I’m sure it can’t be that far. He didn’t make any turns so it must be straight back down that road,” she said pointing to the highway. “But maybe we should get some sleep first. I don’t know about you but I’m really tired.”
“Good idea,” said David and with that they both lay down and went straight to sleep. They were going to need all the strength they could muster for their next big adventure.
Chapter 7
Outback Australia
Bobby and David woke up while it was still dark and after having a light snack decided to make their way back to the tree. Finding it was easy enough. Just as they were saying the words Oracle in the Mist and holding the ball, they noticed the dawn start to creep over the distant mountain and heard the sound of a farm tractor starting up somewhere close by. They both agreed that it was lucky they hadn’t left coming to the tree any later or they would have been seen for sure. They prepared themselves to enter the tree. They were both quite excited to be on the island in the time of Ina and Henry, even if they weren’t there. They would still be seeing their old friends.
The Blue Seal of Trinity Cove Page 4
