The Devil on Horseback

by Виктория Холт

“Minelle, where are you? I heard you come in.” Then she saw me.

  “What’s wrong? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”

  I said, my teeth still chattering: “Someone has just tried to kill me.”

  She sat on the bed and stared at me.

  “What? When? Where?”

  “In the path from Gabrielle LeGrand house to the chateau. Half-way down the path I felt I was being stalked. It was lucky that I did. I leaned forward to urge Fifine on just as a bullet came whistling past my head.”

  “It must have been someone shooting birds.”

  “I think it was someone who wanted to kill me. There was a second shot and it was aimed at me.”

  She had turned pale.

  “So,” she said, ‘they are tired of throwing stones through our windows. Now they have decided to kill us. “

  “I believe it was someone who wanted me out of the way.”

  That’s nonsense. Who would? “

  That,” I said unsteadily, ‘is what I have to find out.”

  To face an attempt on one’s life is an unnerving experience and the shock is greater than one at first realizes.

  Margot had spread the news. She was flatteringly concerned and horrified. We discussed it at table.

  Etienne said, as Margot had: They have substituted guns for stones.”

  Leon was unconvinced. They have no weapons. If they rose theirs would be scythes and pitchforks . not guns. Where would they get guns?

  They haven’t enough money to buy bread . let alone guns. “

  “But why Mademoiselle?”

  She is reckoned to be one of us now,” answered Etienne.

  They went on speculating and I could only believe that Etienne was right. One of them had procured a gun. Why should not one of the servants have stolen it from the gun room? After the behaviour of Bessell and Mimi I knew that even those whom we had misguidedly trusted were no friends of ours.

  A subtle change had crept over the household. They knew of the attempt on my life and sometimes it seemed as though they regarded it as very significant. It was as though it were a sign of the changing mood. The time when they threw stones was passing; they were ready to take stronger action. There was a brooding tension inside the house which I had not noticed before. That such existed outside, I had been well aware, but now it seemed to be creeping closer.

  When I saw Mimi she would cast down her eyes as though she were ashamed, as well she might be. It was different with Bessell. His manner had become almost truculent. There was the implication: You have to think twice about giving me orders now. I know too much.

  I think that perhaps the most distressing of all was NouNou. For most of the time she was shut away in the rooms she had occupied with the Comtesse. She would not allow anything to be touched in those apartments and the Comte had said that she was to be humoured. The servants said they could hear her talking to the Comtesse as though she were still there; and on those occasions when I saw her she would look at me with wide staring eyes seeming to see nothing. The Comtesse’s death had unbalanced her, it was said.

  Leon and Etienne were greatly concerned about what had happened to me.

  Etienne blamed himself. T should have been there to bring you back to the chateau,” he said.

  “I intended to come and half an hour later would have been there. I thought you would stay longer.”

  I did not wish to explain to him that I had found his mother’s insinuations so offensive that I had no alternative but to leave.

  I merely said: “The shot might have been fired from the bushes if you had been there.”

  “I suppose so,” he admitted.

  “Of course it wasn’t meant for you personally … just anyone who was not a peasant. But if I’d been there I should have been through those bushes and caught the villain. You must be careful. Never go out unattended again.”

  Leon was equally concerned. He waylaid me once when I was in the garden alone and said quietly: “I want to speak to you. Mademoiselle Minelle.”

  As we walked away from the chateau together he went on:

  “I think you may be in danger.”

  “You are thinking of the shot?”

  He nodded.

  “Etienne thinks it was not meant for me personally. I suppose we are all in danger.”

  “It’s the gun that puzzles me,” he said.

  “Had it been a stone … or even a knife thrown at you, I could have understood it more. I don’t think it was merely a sign of the times.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think that you should lose no time in getting back to England. I wish I could take you.” He looked at me quizzically.

  “Dear Minelle, you should not be involved in all this.” He waved his arms.

  “It is too unsavoury.”

  “But who would want to kill me? No one here really knows me personally.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. There has been a death at the chateau and there are unpleasant rumours. “

  “Don’t you believe that the Comtesse took her own life?”

  Again that lifting of the shoulders. Her death was opportune. The Comte is now free. It is what he has wanted for a long time. We do not know what happened. Perhaps we shall never know, but people talk. I can tell you that they will be talking of the death of the Comtesse in the years to come and there will always be speculation. That is how legend grows up. Do not let it concern you. Go away. Put it all behind you. You do not belong in this decaying society. “

  “I have promised to stay with Margot.”

  “She will have her own life. You will have yours. You are being caught up in matters which you do not really understand. You judge people by yourself, but let me tell you-all people are not so honest.” He smiled at me frankly.

  “I would be your friend … your very good friend. I have a great admiration for you. I would come to England with you but I am chained here and here I must remain. But please go. You are in danger here.

  That is a warning which should not be ignored. Good luck was with you once. It may not be again. “

  “Tell me what you know. Who would want to kill me?”

  “All I know is that you must suspect everyone … everyone until you have proved them to be innocent.”

  “You know something.”

  “I know this: You are a good and charming young lady whom I admire and wish to see in safety. While you are here you are in danger. Please go back to England. There is still time. Who knows, very soon it may be too late.”

  I turned to him and looked into his face. There was real concern in those vivid blue eyes and his smile was not jaunty as it usually was.

  I liked him very much. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry I had once thought I saw his face at the window when the stone had been thrown into the ballroom.

  Then a terrible feeling of insecurity came to me. He had said: Trust no one. No one. Not Leon, Etienne, not even the Comte.

  He looked at me rather wistfully and said softly: “Perhaps … when this is over … I will come to see you in England. Then we may talk of … many things.”

  Margot was greatly concerned.

  “Just suppose that bullet had killed you. What should have done?”p>

  I couldn’t help smiling. That was a typical Margot remark.

  But she was anxious on my account as well as her own. I would often find her watching me intently.

  “It’s frightening you, Minelle,” she said.

  “You look different.”

  “I’ll get over it.”

  “I’ll swear you didn’t sleep well last night.”

  T kept dozing, half awake, half dreaming I was back in the lane. Once I thought I saw a face in the bushes. “

  “Whose face?” she asked eagerly.

  “Just a face…”

  That was not quite true. It was a face I had seen before.

  The face which I saw on the night of the ball. Leon’s face . and yet not Leon. It was as t
hough a mischievous artist had sketched a few lines on Leon’s face-distorting it with rage, envy and a desire to harm. It was so unlike the Leon I had known that somehow I could not connect the two. Leon had always been kindly and during our conversation had been deeply concerned. I knew that he was tolerant more so than Etienne. He saw the people had a case but while he believed great concessions should be given to them, he did not believe in the destruction of a society. It seemed to me that Leon more than any of them understood what was needed and this was natural enough since he had an opportunity of seeing both sides of the case.

  Margot talked a great deal about Chariot and her satisfaction that she had discovered him. She was in a rare euphoric mood. It was well, she said, that she had found out Bessell’s true nature. She did not believe Mimi was to blame. She had been influenced by Bessell, but she would be glad to be rid of them both.

  “How long is the period of mourning?” she asked.

  “It’s a year in England, I believe,” I replied.

  “It’s probably the same in France.”

  “A year … what a long time!”

  “It seems unnecessary to set a time for mourning,” I commented sadly.

  “When one has lost someone who is dear, the mourning goes on through one’s life. It is not so intense as it was at first, of course, but I don’t believe one ever forgets.”

  “You’re thinking of your mother again. You were lucky to have such a mother, Minelle.”

  “But if she had not been as she was, if she had been less good and kind and understanding, I shouldn’t be missing her so sorely now.

  Sometimes I think she is still advising me. “

  “Perhaps she is. Perhaps she told you to duck your head when you did so and saved your life.”

  “Who knows?”

  Margot said: “Minelle, you look exhausted. That’s not like you. You always have ten times more energy than the rest of us. You should go to bed and sleep and try not to see faces in the bushes.”

  I did feel tired though I doubted whether I should sleep.

  But I wanted to be alone so we said goodnight and she went to her room.

  I lay in bed very tired yet sleepless. I could not stop myself going over every moment of that afternoon from the moment when I had said goodbye to Gabrielle to the time when I came riding into the chateau stables. I felt again the first uneasy tremor when I had fancied I was being watched and the mounting terror when I realized that someone was trying to kill me.

  I started up in alarm when I heard a sound at my door. It was a sign of my state that my heart began to hammer against my side as I stared in fearful anticipation at the door. Margot came in. She was carrying a glass in her hand. Tor you, Mineue,” she said, setting it down by the bed.

  “Nou-Nou’s special concoction, guaranteed to make you sleep.

  I got it from her. “

  I lowered my eyes. I thought of the Comte’s going into Ursule’s room, taking the bottle from Nou-Nou’s store. Was that what he had done? Had he given it to her before I saw him leaving by the terrace doors? But surely if he had she would not have been asleep so quickly, for she was almost asleep when I entered. And Nou-Nou could not have been far off. What had they said to each other during that last interview? Had she taken her own life and should I ever know? Was it possible that he . I would not let myself think it. But what did I really know of him? That potent spell which he cast over me lulled my common sense to sleep and I could only make excuses for him.

  Margot was looking at me enquiringly. You’re dreaming. Still seeing faces? Drink this up and you’ll be all right by morning. “

  “I’ll take it later I said.

  “Stay and talk awhile.”

  “You need sleep,” she said firmly and set the glass on the table by my bed. Then she sat down on the chair near my dressing-table on which stood three candles-only two of which were alight.

  “Only two,” she said.

  “It’s gloomy in here.”

  “One was blown out when you opened the door.”

  “As long as the three don’t go out. That’s a sign of death. One of ‘the servants said that on the night my mother died three candles in their room went out… one after the other.”

  “You don’t believe such superstition, Margot!”

  “None of us believe them until we prove them to be true, do we?”

  “Some people are very superstitious.”

  “It is usually those who have something to fear … people like sailors and miners. People who run certain hazards.”

  “We all run hazards.”

  “But not such obvious ones. Look, another candle has gone out.”

  “You blew it.”

  “I did not.”

  “Light it again.”

  “Oh no, that would be unlucky. We have to wait and see if the third goes out.”

  There’s a draught coming from somewhere. “

  “You always have to have a logical explanation for everything, don’t you!”

  “It’s not a bad idea.”

  “And you don’t believe in the candle legend?”

  “Of course I don’t.”

  There was silence for a few moments, then she said: “I have a feeling that something is going to happen soon. Do you think we can go and visit Chariot?”

  “Of course we can’t. You have seen what disaster our first visit brought.”

  “Disaster! When I found my baby! Oh, you’re thinking of that horrid Bessell. Well, I’ve settled him. Mimi is quite ashamed of him. She can’t do enough for me.”

  “I don’t like it, Margot.”

  “If only there wasn’t this waiting. It’s so silly. I don’t mourn my mother any more because my marriage has been postponed. These are not normal times, are they? That’s why we have to live dangerously … because we never really know how much longer we’ve got to live. You poor Minelle. You look so tired. I’m going to say goodnight now. Take your potion and sleep well.”

  As she went out, shutting the door with a bang, the third candle went out. I had laughed at the superstition but I could not repress a shudder. For a moment I was in complete darkness but as my eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, familiar objects began to take shape. I looked at the glass beside my bed. I picked it up but I did not put it to my lips.

  The Comtesse had died from a draught. Someone had tried to kill me.

  But it was Margot who had brought this and I knew she would never harm me.

  I got out of bed and taking the glass with me went to the window. I threw out the contents. I would not want Margot to think I had been suspicious of a draught she had brought.

  Now I was really wide awake. It was true I was very tired. My body needed rest but my mind was in no mood to grant it.

  I lay down while thoughts chased themselves round and round in my head. I heard the tower clock striked twelve and one. Still I could not sleep.

  Perhaps I should have taken the draught but it was too late for that now.

  I dozed but I did not really sleep. My senses were too alert to allow me to. Then suddenly I was wide awake. I heard footsteps in the corridor footsteps which paused outside my door. Then my door was slowly opening.

  At first I thought it was a ghost-so strange was the figure which came into my room. It was grey in the gloom hair streaming about the shoulders. A woman.

  She came and stood by the bed looking down at me. She took the glass and smelt it. Then she leaned forward and saw that I was watching her.

  “Nou-Nou,” I cried.

  “What are you doing?”

  She blinked and looked puzzled. She said: “What are you doing here?”

  I rose from the bed and taking my robe wrapped it round me.

  “Nou-Nou,” I said gently.

  “What’s wrong? What do you want with me?”

  My fingers were trembling as I lighted the three candles.

  “She’s gone,” said Nou-Nou.

  “She’ll never come back. Sometimes I t
hink I hear her. I follow her voice. It leads me to odd places … but she’s never there.”

  Poor Nou-Nou. The death of her beloved charge had indeed unbalanced her.

  “You should go back to your bed,” I said.

  “You should take one of your sleeping draughts.”

  “She died after taking one,” she said.

  “Because she took too much. You must not brood. She was ill, wasn’t she? You know how ill.”

  “She didn’t,” cried Nou-Nou shrilly.

  “She didn’t know how ill she would become.”

  “Perhaps she did … and that was why …”

  “He killed her. Right from the time the little girl was born he started to kill her. He wanted her out of the way and she knew it. She hated him … and he hated her. I hated him too. There was a lot of hatred in this household … and in time it killed her.”

  “Nou-Nou, you can do no good by brooding on this. Perhaps it was best for her …”

  “Best for her!” Her laughter was a shrill cackle.

  “Best for him.” Then she turned her piercing gaze on me.

  “And best for you … so you think. But don’t be too sure. He’s the devil, he is. No good can come to you through him.”

  “You are talking without understanding, Nou-Nou,” I said.

  “Please go back to your room.”

  “You were awake when I came in here,” she said suddenly, the wildness dropping from her and being replaced by a certain cunning shrewdness which was more terrifying than her hysteria.

  I nodded.

  “You ought to have been asleep.”

  Then I shouldn’t have been able to talk to you. “

  “I didn’t come here to talk to you.”

  “Why did you come here, then?”

  She didn’t answer. Then she said: “I’m looking for her. Where is she?

  They buried her in the vault, but I don’t think she’s there. “

  “She is at peace now, NouNou.”

  She was silent and I saw the tears slowly flowing down her , cheeks.

  “My little mignon ne my little bird.”

  “Don’t fret any more. Try to be reconciled. She was ill. She would have suffered a great deal of pain in time.”

  “Who told you that?” she demanded, shrewd again.

  “It was what I heard.”

  “His tales … his excuses.”