Free The Black Swan by Philippa Carr Page A

with us up the stairs. My room was next to that of Celeste. It was the one I always occupied on my visits to High Tor.
    Rebecca was looking at me anxiously. She had been aware of my preoccupation on the train. I was thinking of the number of times I had stayed in this room. Everything will be different now, I reminded myself. We can never go back.
    “Come along, children,” said Nanny Billings.
    Alvina looked as though she were about to protest. Rebecca knelt down to kiss her and whispered that she would come along to tuck her in … and perhaps tell her a story, and that seemed to satisfy her.
    When Rebecca and I were alone in my room, she said, “Something’s happened, hasn’t it?”
    I looked at her in surprise and she hurried on, “I mean yesterday … last night. I felt there was something. …”
    I nodded.
    She said quickly, “Tell me later. I’ll come along tonight for a chat.”
    I felt suddenly relieved. I had been wondering whether to share my misgivings with Rebecca, and now I knew that I would.
    “I’ll have to leave you now,” she went on. “See you downstairs in half an hour.”
    When I had dressed I tapped on Celeste’s door. She was ready and waiting.
    “How does it feel to be in your old home?” I asked.
    “A little strange,” she replied.
    “It must be very different now.”
    “Very different.”
    “I suppose it was rather grand when your parents had it … all that Gobelin tapestry which Leah came to repair. …”
    “There were some fine pieces, but here … there is … love.”
    I was silent as I went downstairs with her. Lucky Rebecca! I was wondering whether Joel and I would be able to build ourselves a life like this.
    Joel was my hope now. It was a sad quirk of fate that he should happen to be out of the country at the time when I needed him so much. But he would soon be home, and it would be different then. We would start at once to build a new life together.
    I fancied the conversation at dinner was a little labored. I guessed that Pedrek had made up his mind not to talk of my father’s murder and, as all that had followed as a result of it must be uppermost in our minds, a restraint was put upon us.
    I think we were all relieved when the meal was over.
    “It has been a long day,” said Rebecca. “We shall all feel better after a good night’s sleep.”
    I had not been in my room more than five minutes when there was a tap on the door. I knew it was Rebecca who had come for our talk.
    I was at the dressing table brushing my hair and she came and sat in the armchair facing me.
    “What’s happened, Lucie?” she asked.
    I told her and she was clearly shocked.
    “But … who could it have been?”
    “I don’t know, but I have a terrible feeling that they have hanged the wrong man.”
    “But you recognized him. You picked him out. He had the sort of appearance which could be easily recognized. The way his hair grew was enough and then there was the scar. All that is not very usual. And he was known to the police as a terrorist. He had been involved in that sort of thing before.”
    “I know. It seemed certain. But if he were dead and buried, how could he have been down there in the street?”
    “Let’s try and look at this clearly. I think you may have imagined you saw this man.”
    “But, Rebecca, he threw pebbles at my window. He was down there. He took off his hat and bowed to me … as though he were mocking me.”
    She was silent for a few moments, then she said: “You were … still are … in a highly emotional state, Lucie. Most people would be. That sort of shock has its effect. You were actually there. You saw the whole thing … and you and your father were very close. You were closer to him than anyone else. It’s bound to have a deep effect.”
    “Rebecca, if you think I imagined I saw that, you must also think that I am unbalanced … mentally.”
    “Of course I don’t. It could happen to anyone.”
    “Do you mean to tell me I imagined I heard