Journey to the River Sea

Chapter Nineteen

Miss Minton woke in a four-poster bed and found herself staring at a picture of a Russian nobleman on a sledge being chased by wolves.

She was lying in a spare bedroom in the Keminskys’ house. Her head ached for she was not used to wine, and a lot of it had been drunk the night before at Mademoiselle Lille’s farewell party. The Keminskys’ governess was returning to France on the following day and Miss Minton had agreed to come and work for the Russian family, and teach Olga and Maia.

In spite of her aching head, Miss Minton was content. Maia would be happy here in this easy-going and friendly house, away from the ill temper of the twins and their parents’ strangeness. She had said nothing to Maia till Mr Murray had given his permission, but yesterday his cable had come. He had not only agreed to let Maia go and live with the Keminskys, he had arranged to send Maia’s allowance direct to Miss Minton at a different bank. It seemed that the British consul had already warned the old lawyer that the Carters were in trouble.

Miss Minton got up and dressed. Downstairs in the breakfast room, the countess was sitting over a big samovar, pouring out glasses of steaming Russian tea. Olga was beside her and got up to curtsy, but Mademoiselle Lille was still in her room.

‘She is having her breakfast in bed — she is a little… tired after last night,’ explained the countess.

Miss Minton smiled. Mademoiselle Lille was probably very tired — she had been so sad about leaving the Keminskys that she had comforted herself with an amazing amount of wine.

Nothing less like breakfast at the Carters could be imagined. The light, luxurious house, the friendly servants, the Keminskys themselves. Sergei had already left; he now went to the cadet school in Manaus. To teach only Maia and Olga would be a delight.

‘But I must hurry back,’ said Miss Minton now. ‘I don’t like to leave Maia too long with the twins. Professor Glastonberry has kindly agreed to store my trunk, so Maia and I will be able to come down on the rubber boat next week.’

‘No, no — my husband will send a boat for you,’ said the countess.

Miss Minton had not planned to spend a night at the Keminskys. Mademoiselle Lille had begged her to stay for her farewell party, but Miss Minton had stood firm until the count had pointed out that if she stayed, she could sign her contract with his lawyer the following morning, naming her as their new governess.

Knowing how little the Carters were to be trusted to pass on messages, Miss Minton had sent the note for Maia to Furo, and one of the count’s servants was ordered to take it to his hut.

Good news, Miss Minton had written. I’ll tell you everything in the morning. I’m staying overnight at the Keminskys’ because I have some business to see to in the morning. Tell the Carters I’ll be back at midday — but tell them nothing else!

Furo would make certain that Maia got the note. She had seen how the Indians guarded Maia since Finn went away.

She was rolling up her napkin when there was a commotion at the door, and the count, who had been supervising the loading of one of his ships, came quickly into the room, followed by Professor Glastonberry, already badly out of breath.

The count went straight to his wife and spoke to her hurriedly in Russian — but Miss Minton had caught the word ‘Carter’ and risen to her feet.

‘Oh, my dear,’ the countess turned to her. ‘It’s bad news, I’m afraid. There has been a fire in the Carters’ bungalow; the house is destroyed — but everyone has been rescued, I understand. They have been taken to the Municipal Hospital.’

Miss Minton was already by the door. Every trace of colour had vanished from her face.

‘The count’s carriage is waiting to take us to the hospital,’ said the professor.

Miss Minton turned to the count.

‘Thank you,’ she managed to say, before she followed the professor out into the street.

The twins were crying. Their beds in Ward C of the hospital were close together because the ward was very full, and they lay on their sides facing each other, and gulped.

‘It’s gone; it’s just gone!’

‘All of it’s gone. There’s nothing left; not a single milreis.’

The nurses had at first been very kind. Neither of the girls was badly hurt. Beatrice’s hair was singed, she had a small burn on her leg; Gwendolyn had fallen on the gravel path as she ran out of the house and had sprained her ankle. But there was always shock and smoke inhalation to consider, and for a while a nurse sat by their beds and tried to comfort them.

‘Your mother’s safe; she’s going to be all right. She’s in the next ward; you can go and see her.’

But the twins were not crying for their mother.

‘It’s our money,’ sobbed Beatrice.

‘The money for the reward. Twenty thousand milreis each — and it’s all burnt!’

‘Perhaps you will get it again, from the insurance?’

But the Carters, of course, were not insured, and the twins went on snivelling till the nurse became impatient and walked away.

Mrs Carter was in the next ward. Her arm was bandaged and she had inhaled a lot of smoke. Even so, she found time to complain about the way the hospital was run, the lack of hygiene, and the patients whose young children were allowed to visit them and run all over the ward.

‘And there’s a fly on my water jug,’ she said fretfully. ‘Two, in fact.’

She was still complaining when a smartly dressed Englishman came to her bedside. He was the British consul’s assistant.

‘Mrs Carter, the consul has asked me how we can help you to return to England. There seems to be little future for you here.’

‘You mean you’d pay our fares?’

‘For you and your daughters, yes. Do you have anyone you could go to in England? Relatives or friends?’

Mrs Carter frowned. She did not actually seem to have any friends. Then her face cleared. ‘Lady Parsons, in Littleford. She would take us in, I’m sure. She is my mother’s cousin… well, almost. Her address is Grey Gables, The Promenade, Littlefordon-Sea.’

The young man wrote this down. Then he said, not meeting her eye, ‘Your husband won’t be returning to England, just yet, I’m afraid.’ And as gently as he could, he told her that when he came out of hospital, Mr Carter faced a trial and possible imprisonment for fraud and embezzlement. Just as he had cheated the bank in England, so had he done out here. It wasn’t only Gonzales to whom Mr Carter owed more money than he could ever hope to repay.

Miss Minton ran up the hospital steps and the professor, mopping his brow, ran behind her.

‘The Carter family,’ she said at the desk. ‘The girls from the fire. Where are they?’

‘Ward C,’ said the receptionist, and they hurried up two flights of stairs.

The twins were still whimpering, but they stopped to stare at Miss Minton.

‘You’re not badly hurt, I understand,’ she said. ‘I hope you’re not in pain.’

‘Our money’s gone,’ sniffed Beatrice.

‘Yes. But you might have lost your lives.’ And then: ‘Where’s Maia?’

The twins shrugged. ‘Daddy went back to find her. We don’t know where she is. She didn’t come in with us.’

Miss Minton’s heart began to pound. The professor put a hand under her arm. ‘I’ll go and ask the Sister.’

He made his way down the corridor and came back with a set face.

‘She said there were only the two girls and their parents in the ambulance. She didn’t know there was another girl.’

Miss Minton took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

‘But Mr Carter went back for her, the twins say. She must be here.’

The Sister had come out of her office to join them. Now they all hurried to the men’s ward.

Mr Carter’s burns were serious. His hair and eyebrows were singed, his face was swollen, both arms were bandaged. He lay still with his eyes closed. But Minty had no thought to spare for him.

‘Mr Carter, where is Maia? Your daughters say you went back for her. Did you bring her out safely?’

‘I… tried…’ lied Mr Carter. ‘I went right to her door, but it was impossible. An inferno…’

Miss Minton swayed. ‘I am not the kind of person who faints,’ she said as the Sister moved towards her.

But there she was wrong.