Mistress of Darkness (58 page)

'No doubt it is the prosecutor's business to make the case as certain as possible,' Sue suggested.

'Oh, it is. Although I wonder if he will not be concealing the wood with an overabundance of trees. There is no man here, I'd wager ..:' he waved the letter, 'who can testify to having seen the crimes of which Hodge stands accused. It is all hearsay evidence. Without Manton the case would very likely fall to the ground. And many a heart would beat the more pleasantly should it do so.'

'Yours also, cousin?' Matt demanded.

'Aye, by God,' Robert growled. 'We'll not keep planting what it is by prosecuting every planter who strikes a slave.'

'Strikes a slave,' Matt shouted. 'Why, by heaven ..

'Oh, cease your perpetual quarrelling,' Sue cried, and hugged the two boys closer, one on each side. 'The matter will be resolved close enough.'

The carriage rumbled down the road into Kingston itself, taking the way by the Wesleyan Chapel, where they were to be joined by Coke and Manton. And indeed the chapel was already in sight, and surrounded by a considerable number of people, mostly black. Paul, the coachman, dragged on the reins, as the crowd spread across the road.

'What's this?' Robert shouted. 'What's this, by God?' He spied Coke, having his hand wrung time and again. 'What's this, doctor? A riot?'

'On the contrary, Mr. Hilton; these good people have come to wish us God speed. It is their battle we fight no less than any slave's, you know. Good morning to you, Sue. Matt. I have never seen you looking better.'

'I have never felt better,' Matt said. 'The summons to Nevis was just what my health needed, I suspect. Manton, why so pale?'

The erstwhile overseer climbed into the carriage behind Coke. ' 'Tis the world we are about to shake, Mr. Hilton. Good morning Mr. Hilton. Mistress Huys.'

'By God,' Robert growled, as the carriage once again slowly moved forward, and the Negroes gave a cheer. 'You mean they know where you are going, what you are about?'

'Why, sir,' Coke declared, 'the news is all over Kingston. Has been for some time, indeed. What, Hodge arrested? There can have been no other topic of conversation this last month.'

'Only Hodge,' Matt muttered. 'This Elliott perhaps lacks the backbone we had hoped. Did you not estimate she is by far the worst of the pair, Manton?'

'In my time, she was, Mr. Hilton.'

'Still, it is hard to see any white jury condemning a white woman for ill-treating a black,' Sue pointed out. 'Perhaps the governor acted wisely, after all. Whatever is that racket?'

'By God,' Robert said, and pushed his head out of the window. 'Paul?'

'A lot of people, Mr. Robert,' Paul said.

'Shouting, and waving sticks,' Coke remarked, also looking out of the window. 'There is your riot, Mr. Hilton.'

'By God,' Robert said. 'Drive through them, Paul. Drive through them. They'll know who it is, by God.'

'Them's white people, Mr. Robert,' the coachman protested.

'Scum,' Robert bellowed. 'The sweepings of Kingston, I'll be bound. Charge them, Paul. Charge them. Gad that I had my pistols.'

'No violence, sir, I beg of you,' Coke protested.

'Mama?' Tony asked. 'What can all those people want?'

Sue's face was pale. 'I imagine they disapprove of your father's point of view,' she said.

The noise grew louder. Now they all looked out of the windows at the mass, gathered in the main square before the harbour. Almost all the faces were white, and there were women as well as men in the mob. And while Robert was right in supposing that the main part were poorly dressed, there were a few on horseback, and wearing decent clothing. And all were brandishing at the least fists, with several sticks to be seen waving in the air. What they were saying was mainly a confused babble, but now someone seemed to have obtained a speaking horn.

'The Hilton coach,' he bellowed. 'The Hilton coach.

There go the turncoats. Spill them out, lads. Spill them out.'

'My God,' Manton said. 'They mean violence.' 'Spill me out?' Robert shouted. 'Spill
me
out, by God?' Sue opened the speaking hatch. 'Turn off, Paul,' she shouted. 'There must be a side street. Turn off.' 'Run from a mob?' Robert bawled. 'I have my children,' she insisted.

Matt took Manton's place by the window; the overseer was trembling. The coach began to bear to the right, where the crowd was thinnest, and where there was a side street leading parallel with the harbour. But at the sight of Matt's face a stone struck the coach beside him. Hastily he withdrew, but now the people were massed in front of the vehicle, having run across the square to do so, and Paul was dragging on the reins and on the brake, causing the horses to rear and squeal.

‘Keep down,' Sue snapped at her sons. 'Keep down.'

'By God,' Robert shouted, as the carriage was surrounded by yelling humanity, and swung to and fro by hands on the body as well as on the wheels.

'My good people,' Coke shouted, but his voice was lost in the din.

Sue screamed, and the right side of the carriage was lifted bodily from the cobbles. For a moment it hung there, teetering on its left-hand wheels, while the people on that side ran in every direction, and those inside went tumbling across, desperately trying to save themselves. Then the entire vehicle fell over with a tremendous crash, and Paul jumped from the box with a wail of terror.

The interior was filled with dust, but from the shouts and curses Matt estimated no harm was done to any of them. He groped for Sue, found her, and squeezed her hand. 'We'd best get the boys out,' he said.

'Into that crowd?' She coughed and spat dust.

'They'll not harm you, Sue. Nor the boys. Give me a hand, Manton. Are you all right, Robert?'

'By God,' Robert said. 'By God. I'll have my whip to that scum if it is the last thing I do, by God. Couldn't they see the crest? Didn't they know it is the Hilton coach?'

Coke was also coughing. 'I'm afraid they knew that best of all.'

'Up you go, Manton,' Matt said, shouting to make himself heard above the din for the mob had once again gathered around the overturned equipage, and the frightened horses, still in the traces, were screaming with terror. 'I will pass up Mistress Huys.'

Manton hesitated for just a moment, and then grasped the window and pulled himself up. Instantly there was an even louder howl of execration from the crowd, and stones started to fly. 'Quickly,' he begged.

Sue reached her hands up for him to grasp the wrists; she had lost her hat and her hair was slowly untwining around her shoulders. The overseer seized her arms, and Matt held her round the thighs to lift her up. A moment later she sat beside the overseer, to be greeted by fresh shrieks of anger.

'Tis the whore,' they bellowed. 'The Hilton whore.'

'Stone the bitch,' came a woman's voice.

'Keep the boys,' Sue shouted. 'We'll not get through.'

Manton half turned, and thrust down a man who was trying to climb up the back of the coach.

'Let me up there,' Robert shouted. 'By God, let me up.'

There was a muffled explosion, and a cry from the overseer.

'Got the bastard,' yelled a voice from the crowd. 'Now, for the woman.'

'Oh, my God,' Sue cried, as Manton's head fell across her lap. She slipped from her perch, and Matt had to catch her as she tumbled into the coach. The sound of the second shot boomed across the morning.

But now there came also the trill of a bugle call; the militia cavalry had turned out. With continued shouts of anger and disgust the mob started to disperse, hurling last stones at the carriage, but doing no damage to those within.

'My God,' Sue gasped. 'They wanted to kill me.'

'And Manton ... ?' Matt asked, still holding her close.

'Is dead,' Coke said. 'May God rest his soul.'

'By God,' Robert said. 'The scum. The unutterable scum. Hargrove,' he shouted at the lieutenant commanding the horse, who now appeared on the top of the coach, looking down at them. 'Did you ride them down?'

'No, Mr. Hilton. But I dispersed them.'

'We've a man murdered down here. And I shall bring charges of attempted murder against the scoundrel who fired on my sister.'

The militia men put their shoulders against the coach and restored it to its wheels. Paul pulled the door open. 'You'll identify him?' asked the officer.

Robert stepped down, glared at the empty, litter strewn square; there were loungers on each street corner, obviously recent members of the mob, but not identifiable. 'There must have been witnesses.'

'None who'll testify,' Hargrove said. 'Why do you think we were available in force, Mr. Hilton? Kingston has been in a turmoil since the news of Hodge's arrest was received. The governor feared there'd be a riot.'

'And when there was one, you were late in arriving.'

'You asked for no escort, sir,' the officer insisted. 'And it was felt that to patrol the streets in force might have provoked the very strife we had hoped to avoid.'

'They shot at me,' Sue said, stepping down, accompanied by her sons. Neither boy looked particularly afraid of their narrow escape.

'My most humble apologies, Mistress Huys,' Hargrove said, raising his hat. 'But there is a deal of feeling about this matter. And look there.'

They stared over the rooftops, at the smoke rising into the sky.

'The chapel,' Coke cried. 'They have burned the chapel.'

Now the crowd was again gathering on the far side of the square, hooting at the soldiery, but not at the moment using more than words as missiles.

‘I think we should seek shelter,' Hargrove suggested. 'The church is well gone. You'll not save it now. I will arrange to have Manton's body removed.'

'What, run before that pack of rascals?' Robert demanded. 'You'll furnish me with a sword and a horse, Hargrove. I have no doubt Matt will also use one on such an occasion.'

Hargrove shook his head. 'I cannot permit it, Mr. Hilton. My orders are to prevent strife, not encourage it. In this regard I must insist that you remove yourselves to the City Club, and I will discover when your vessel is ready to sail, and arrange you an escort. Supposing you still intend to travel.'

'What do you mean?' Matt demanded, assisting Paul to regain their boxes from the ground.

'Well, sir, as I understand it, your case is now lacking its principal witness. Some would say its only witness. And be sure your reception in Nevis will be hardly more friendly.'

Matt glanced at Robert.

'Be sure he is right,' Robert said. 'I'll not permit Sue to go, Matt. Nor should you even consider it.'

'You'll not permit?' Sue demanded. 'And do you suppose I'll be in less danger here, seeing what happened today?'

'Aye,' Robert said. 'You're right. You'll go to Rio Blanco for the duration of this trial. Don't argue with me, girl. I have long felt it was important for you and Georgy to get together again, or she will become a totally Frenchified madame. And I want a report from you on those children of hers. You'll take these two brats. On Rio Blanco you'll be safe enough, and once this business is concluded the furore will rapidly settle.'

'I'll do no such thing. Rio Blanco? Why, that would be ...' she hesitated, and bit her lip.

'Matt?' Robert asked.

Matt sighed. 'Robert is right, sweetheart. As is Hargrove. There will be continued strife and insults in Nevis, and how can I do my best against Hodge when I shall always be worrying about your safety?'

Still Sue hesitated.

'Or is Mr. Hargrove not even more right than that,' Coke said dismally, still watching the drifting smoke. 'Will there
be
any cause for strife, with Manton dead?'

'To be sure,' Robert said. 'Your own case is hardly better, doctor. You'll leave Jamaica.'

'What? What, sir? Desert my friends, my cause, in their most difficult hour?'

'Aye, sir, you will, for the sake of those friends,' Robert said. "You can accomplish nothing here now. These people will fight you with more force than you can muster. But do I not hear all the time of how your friends in England are growing? Go home, sir. I will finance your passage. Go home, and tell Mr. Fox and Mr. Wilberforce of what has happened here, of what is happening here, of what will happen here in the future, should men like Hodge be permitted to rampage unchecked. There is your best aid, sir.'

Coke stared at him, and slowly scratched his head.
'Your
advice, sir? Mr. Robert Hilton's?'

'My advice,' Robert said.

'Again sound,' Matt said, and sighed. 'Be sure that we shall accomplish nothing now without real support from Whitehall.'

'What?' Robert shouted. 'What?'

'Hargrove is right again,' Matt said. 'With Manton dead, and Fanny Nelson in England, our evidence is all hearsay.'

'That I would argue,' Robert declared. ‘I have been to Hodges and seen enough.'

'You?' Matt cried.

‘You?' Sue asked.

'My word,' Coke remarked.
"You,
Mr. Hilton?'

‘I,' Robert said. 'Shoot at my sister, would they, by God. Overturn my coach, would they, by God. Seek to trample me would they, by God. Oh, aye, if Hodge's people are responsible for this, I'll give them the pleasure of watching him swing for it.'

'You'll raise your right hand, Mr. Hilton, and repeat after me,' said the clerk of the court.

Matt obeyed, uttered the words as instructed, ‘I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.' And while he spoke he surveyed the crowded courtroom, the endless rows of hostile faces from the visitors' benches, the brooding gaze of Janet Hodge, seated close to the defending counsel, and the contemptuous smile on the thin-moustached face of the defendant himself. It came as some surprise for
him
to realize that this was the first time they had ever seen each other, after all but ten years of unmitigated hostility, at least on his part.