Dangerous Waters (24 page)

Mr. Bretherton held up a hand.
“
Don
’
t let us be hasty, Pete. It is always good to talk matters over before one acts! In looking into this very peculiar case of yours, I discovered something; it
’
s unique—it has no precedent.
”

“
You legal people are always looking for precedents, but I could have told you it was unlikely you
’
d find a similar chain of incidents to those which led to our signing that bogus certificate in Vinan.
”
He smiled.
“
What do you think of this mock-wife of mine, now that you
’
ve met her?
”

The old man peered at Terry.
“
She
’
s very sweet, and too young. I am sorry for you, Miss
...
er
...
”

“
She didn
’
t have such a bad time,
”
scoffed Pete.

“
But I
’
m most relieved,
”
said Terry,
“
that we
’
re now going to see the end of the certificate, Mr. Bretherton. It
’
s existence has worried me, rather.
”

“
And so it should,
”
he answered abruptly.
“
Tell me
,
young lady—wouldn
’
t you have liked
the
marriage to be legal?
”

She went scarlet.
“
Of course not. I didn
’
t know Mr. Ste
rn
ham then!
”

“
But you have come to know him since. How would
y
ou feel about it now?
”

Terry cast a hot, pleading glance at Pete, and he said to the solicitor, calmly,
“
Don
’
t embarrass the girl. She
’
s got her eye on som
e
one else.
”

This shook the little man. His voice sounded like a hacksaw as he said slowly,
“
Neither of you has any right to make even an engagement contract with anyone else
.
That marriage in Vinan was legal!
”

The
silence
was sudden and complete, like the electric
pause before a first salvo is fired at the enemy. Pete stood stock still, his face a tight, incredulous mask. From scarlet Terry had gone dead white and clammy. Mr. Bretherton, for some reason, looked cross.

“
I must explain,
”
he said.
“
I put this case to a Malay lawyer in Kuala Lumpur, and he immediately said the certificate was worthless. It was only yesterday, as I was preparing to return here, that he got in touch with me and told me he
’
d discovered that the headman at Vinan had been given absolute powers seven years ago, when the start was made on the railway. It seems that many laborers came to the district and he was afraid for the young girls. In order to protect them he wanted permission to banish, imprison and fine, and also to marry those who were not of similar religions. He and his family have always been respected, and the powers were granted. As he is an educated man, it must have been he who had those certificates printed and the seal made.
”

“
It
’
s fantastic,
”
said Pete.
“
How can the headman of a Malay village have the power to marry white people? He may have thought he was all-powerful, but he certainly had no right to perform a marriage between an English man and woman. At the time, I half thought he realized it and was going through the paraphernalia to impress the witnesses with his own thoroughness during the cholera scare!
”

Mr. Bretherton lifted his harrow shoulders.
“
Unfortunately, it seems that when the powers were granted there was no mention of color or race. Vinan, as you probably know, is only a small strip of land—fifty miles long and no more than two miles wide at any point. There your marriage is valid, even if it is not legal elsewhere. I might add that to prove whether or not the certificate is
valid elsewhere than in Vinan might bring unpleasant publicity.
”

“
But good heavens, man, something has to be
done
!
Neither of us for a moment believed in that ceremony. There was nothing to it! We simply went through the business to give Miss Fremont clearance and her passport.
”

“
I understand that. But one
’
s reason for marrying is not important once it is legally established that the marriage exists. I am telling you, Pete, that in Vinan, if not in the whole of Malaya, you and Miss Fremont are married.
”

“
I don
’
t believe it!
”

It was only then that he looked at Terry. She sat back, her blue eyes staring darkly from an ashen face, her lips parted as if she could not draw in sufficient air. He came to her side, touched her head and spoke in the way that was peculiarly Pete.

“
Don
’
t you pass out on us at a time like this! The whole business is crazy, and I
’
ll put it right if I have to go to the High Commissioner myself. Snap out of it, do you hear me!
”

“
Pete,
”
remonstrated Mr. Bretherton,
“
that
’
s not the way to treat a young woman who is suffering from shock, particularly when that young woman happens to be rather ... ah, close to you in some ways. Let us be reasonable about this. There is a way of escape, of course. There always is.
”

“
There
’
d better be,
”
he almost snarled.
“
I
’
ve never heard anything so ridiculous in all my life. When some petty chief can tie legal knots there
’
s certainly something screwy about the law. You
’
d better make further enquiries!
”

“
There is no need. One must accept the facts as they are. You know how it is that one can be married in certain states of America and yet remain unmarried elsewhere? That is how it is with you.
”

“
We
’
ll tear the paper up and forget the whole thing!
”

“
That
’
s the fine, strong man way of handling it, but would you then feel free to propose marriage to Miss Harmsen?
”

Pete looked at him, glanced fleetingly at Terry, and said more evenly,
“
I want the whole thing cleared up, and you know it.
”

“
Good.
”
The little man turned to Terry.
“
And you must feel the same if you wish to marry someone else?
”

Slowly, Terry was recovering from shock; her mind began once more to function.
“
I just want to be free of it—quite free,
”
she whispered.
“
Though I still can
’
t believe that those few words and the certificate can be binding in any way.
”

Mr. Bretherton took his glasses from an inner pocket and put them on, looked at them both over the half-lenses.
“
Tell me, young lady, how would you feel if you had married in Gretna Green? Would you feel truly married?
”

“
No. No, I wouldn
’
t.
”

“
Quite. But once the little ceremony had taken place there, would you feel married
?
”

Terry drew in a dry lip.
“
No ... I wouldn
’
t feel that, either.
”

“
That is what I thought. Unless we deal with this properly you
’
ll never feel truly free. Annulment in this case should be a fairly simple procedure.
”

“
Annulment! But that
’
s admitting the marriage really existed!
”

“
It will be easier if we do admit it. I notice the young lady wears no ring.
”

“
There
was
a ring,
”
said Pete, non-committally.

“
So? A pity.
”
Mr. Bretherton shrugged it off.
“
Well, I must send an extensive report to the authorities together with your affidavits. Every detail of your reasons for contracting the marriage must be given
...
”

“
Contracting the marriage!
”
Pete swung savagely across the room.
“
Do you think I
’
d normally propose to a girl a couple of days after I
’
d met her?
”

Terry
’
s fingers tightened on the arm of her chair.
“
And do you think I
’
d have accepted Mr. Sternham
’
s offer if I hadn
’
t been in a position where there was no other way out? If I hadn
’
t been so worried about my sister
...
”
Her voice cracked, and she broke off.

Mr. Bretherton coughed politely and drew a notebook from the inside pocket.
“
There is no doubt at all that an annulment is your only course. It can be accomplished privately and without fuss.
”

“
But people will have to know,
”
she said desperately.
“
My family and ... others.
”

“
I
advise it,
”
he stated,
“
but whether you keep your own counsel is your own affair—yours and Pete
’
s. You have never taken his name
...
”

“
Oh, stop it!
”
she cried, and dropped her face into her hands.

Pete stood over her, his hands dug into his pockets.
“
Please a grip on yourself,
”
he said.
“
I don
’
t want this any more than you do, but if it
’
s the only way to get free I
’
m going right ahead with it. If you disintegrate it won
’
t help a bit.
”

She lifted a haggard face, drew a deep breath and pushed back her hair.
“
I
’
m sorry. I feel as if my life has fallen about me in pieces. It doesn
’
t seem possible that something we entered into so lightly could have such appalling results.
”

“
Ahem, yes,
”
said Mr. Bretherton
’
s dry voice.
“
Then just a few questions. Pete may answer them for both of you.
”
He fiddled with an ancient fountain pen.
“
You entered into this
...
arrangement because it was the only way to get Miss Fremont away from Vinan?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
And she agreed to it because she was anxious to reach her sister?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
You could not have left her in Vinan and brought a message to the sister? Why not?
”

“
She would have been the only white person there—and a woman, at that. It was proposed that Miss Fremont go back to Shalak on the next steamer, but there would have been no white people on that, either.
”

“
That is a good point, taken in conjunction with the cholera scare. You did not wish to leave a young woman who was a complete stranger to the country among people of a different race who were a little excited by circumstances.
”
He wrote, pedantically, then asked,
“
This is a delicate question, but it is one which must be answered in my report. You have not taken advantage of this
...
er
.
.. marriage contract, in any way at all?
”

“
In no way at all,
”
said Pete in tight, distinct tones.

“
Then I think I may promise you an annulment within, say, three months.
”

“
Three months!
”
echoed Terry faintly.
“
By then I shall be in England.
”

“
That will make no difference. You will be notified,
”
the lawyer said flatly.
“
It
’
s a very clear case and you have nothing to worry about. I will get out the papers within the next day or two, you may call at my office or I will bring them here, for signature, and after that your fate will be in the hands of the authorities. Your reason for entering into the marriage is perfectly obvious and I doubt if you will even be questioned by anyone else.
”
He gave a cackling laugh that sounded relieved.
“
I must apologize for shocking you both, but no doubt you were better able to stand it after dinner than you would have been before it. I give you my word that no one here—not even my clerk—will know about this; I will even type out the documents myself.
”

“
Thanks,
”
said Pete, with an unpleasant smile.
“
Like a drink before you go?
”

“
No, my boy.
”
The little man stood up, slipped his notebook and pen back into his pocket and took off his glasses.
“
I
’
m afraid I must give you a word of warning. There is no harm in your remaining friendly with this young lady, but
...
well
...
you must be circumspect.
”

Pete didn
’
t let him say anything more. He almost hustled the man out of the house. Terry stood up, surprised that her legs would carry her. She felt frail and washed out, too sickened and overwhelmed to think clearly. She went to one of the windows and leaned her brow against the cold pane. The night was still beautiful, tauntingly so; the crescent moon was slipping down behind the trees and innocent stars winked against the smooth dark sky and penetrated the spear-like branches of the palms. Mr. Bretherton
’
s car roared softly and moved away. Then Pete came back into the room.

He crossed straight to the cabinet and poured two drinks. One of them he placed in Terry
’
s hand.

“
It
’
s whisky,
”
he said.
“
You need it.
”

The stuff burned her throat but she swallowed it automatically. She put down the glass, rubbed her fist against her neck, closed her eyes momentarily, and then stared at the rug.

“
I suppose you think I ought to have guessed this might happen,
”
he said brusquely.
“
I had no idea
...
and neither had Bretherton when I first mentioned it to him. You heard him say the case is unique.
”

She nodded and kept her head bent.
“
It seems incredible that such a small thing can spoil one
’
s whole life.
”

“
What do you mean by that?
”
he asked sharply.
“
There
’
s no need to tell anyone—not for a while, anyway.
”

“
It
’
s there, isn
’
t it?
”
she said dully.
“
Even after we
’
re free neither of us could
...
become engaged to anyone without telling them about it first.
”

“
What of it?
”
He was cold and sarcastic.
“
If you
’
re fretting about Roger, he won
’
t be difficult to convince, and if it turns out to be some other chap, you can tell him to get in touch with me. After all,
”
with that cold sardonic smile,
“
he
’
ll only have to kiss you to be sure that you
’
re perfectly innocent.
”

She moved towards the chair where her stole lay.
“
You
’
re being cruel about it won
’
t make me feel worse—nothing could. I know it
’
s just as ghastly for you as for me, but you can handle almost anything. I can
’
t.
”

His voice was still hard as he answered,
“
At the moment you don
’
t have to handle a thing. Bretherton
’
s a greedy old windbag with dust in his veins, but you can trust him absolutely. No one but we three need know a thing about it till we hear the result of his petition. It would be ridiculous to wear yourself to rags while you
’
re waiting for it, but you hadn
’
t better forget that we
’
re tied, either.
”