The Orphan's Dream (31 page)

‘We'll leave Abraham and Isaac here to look after you,' Hubert said firmly. ‘I insist, Mirabel. You'll do as I say and remain with Gertie where I know you'll both be safe.'

Mirabel said nothing, but she had not travelled this far to be put off simply because her clothing was considered to be unsuitable. She shot a sideways glance at Jack and found him looking at her with a knowing smile. Irritated beyond measure, she turned her head away. He knew her only too well, but she had earned her right to see the ghost orchid for herself and nothing was going to stop her now.

Later, when everyone apart from the man on watch had lain down to sleep, Mirabel raised herself on her elbow, watching the moonlight playing on the silver ripples of the lake. She could see vague shapes on the far bank as animals came to the water's edge to drink, and yellow eyes winked at her from the depths of the cutgrass and cattails. The odd call of the barred owls sounded like weird laughter and the heady scent of the night orchids filled the air, together with the saw-like chorus of the tree frogs. A sudden sound, barely more than a sigh, made her look up and in a shaft of moonlight she saw Jack standing further along the bank, staring into the dark water. Then, as if she had spoken his name out loud, he turned round, and although she could not see his features clearly she knew that he had felt her presence. Oddly comforted even though their situation had not changed one iota, she lay down and closed her eyes, drifting off into the world of dreams she had inhabited as a child.

‘I will go with you, Hubert.' Mirabel faced her husband angrily next morning as he prepared to leave. ‘I've come this far and I refuse to stay here on my own.'

‘My dear, you won't be alone,' Hubert said mildly. ‘Abraham and Isaac are staying to protect our camp and Gertie has no desire to venture into the swamp.' He looked to Gertie for confirmation and she nodded vigorously.

‘I'm staying here, sir. Wild horses wouldn't drag me into that place.'

‘You must do as you please.' Mirabel tossed her head. ‘I came all this way to see the ghost orchid growing in the wild and that's what I intend to do. You promised, Hubert. This was supposed to be my Christmas present.'

He sighed. ‘All right, if you insist, but I strongly advise against it.'

‘I'm a grown woman. I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions.' Relenting slightly, she patted his hand. ‘I will be careful.'

Hunching his shoulders Hubert walked off to join Bundy, who was making preparations for their trek into the swamp.

‘You've upset him now,' Gertie said in an undertone. ‘Perhaps you should have listened to him, Mabel. Cap'n Jack agrees with him, I can see that by the way he's staring at you.'

‘Men are all the same,' Mirabel said lightly. ‘They think they're the lords of creation and we are weak little creatures who need to be protected.'

‘I got no problem with that.'

‘Well I have. I'm not returning home without seeing the wretched ghost orchid in its natural surroundings.'

They had been walking for more than an hour, although most of the time they had been wading through the hot and airless swamp. The foliage was slicked with moisture and the tree trunks appeared to be sweating as profusely as the human intruders in their primeval midst. Mirabel had hitched her skirts up to her knees but at times the water reached her thighs and she was weighted down by her sodden garments. She bunched them up, wishing she had the freedom of wearing breeches like the men, but saying nothing. She would not give them the satisfaction of knowing they were right, and she did her best to keep up with their long strides. Her feet sank into the mud making each step twice as difficult as the last, and they were all plagued by flying insects.

Bundy led the way, using a long pole to test the ground for sinkholes, warning them yet again to keep an eye out for alligators and snakes. Moses and Ephraim had accompanied them and Hubert, with Bodger at his side, walked between them. Mirabel suspected that Bundy had planned it this way in case Hubert should stumble or be overcome by heat and exhaustion. Both Bahamians were big men who could easily carry a lightweight like Hubert should the need arise, although she could not imagine Bodger relinquishing his duty to men whom he considered foreigners and therefore not to be trusted. It never failed to surprise her that someone who had spent most of his life sailing the seven seas was so insular in his outlook, but Bodger was devoted to Hubert and that, in Mirabel's opinion, was all that mattered. She was acutely aware of Jack's presence as he brought up the rear and it was a comfort to know that he was there, even though they only spoke to warn each other of fallen branches or roots hidden beneath the surface of the water.

As the day wore on Mirabel forgot her own discomfort in her growing concern for her husband. Hubert was obviously tiring, and although he had been excited by the variety of the plant life they came across, including many beautiful and rare specimens, they had not found the elusive ghost orchid. When they stopped to rest and take some refreshment she took Bundy aside. ‘My husband is not a young man, Mr Bundy. He's close to exhaustion, anyone can see that. Are you certain this is where we find the ghost orchid?'

He took a swig from his flask. ‘The ghost orchids favour the trunks of pop ash, pond apple and maple. I've never seen one myself, but I had it first hand from the man who discovered them growing hereabouts.'

‘And this is how you make your living? Is there much money to be made out of exotic plants?'

‘There is, ma'am, and feathers too,' he said, patting the sheathed bowie knife. ‘Ladies love their feathers and I've provided bushels of them. You'll see them being paraded in the fashionable salons in London, Paris and Rome, but I'm not averse to bringing back the odd plant specimen if the price is right.' He glanced up into the tree canopy where spiky plants with bright red and green leaves roosted on the branches like flocks of colourful parakeets. ‘They call those bromeliads. Ugly things in my opinion, but there are collectors back home who'll pay well for specimens.'

‘I suppose so,' Mirabel said vaguely. Her attention had wandered and was now fixed on Hubert, who had slumped down on the ground regardless of the moving carpet of giant lubber grasshoppers. Bodger was at his side, flapping a bundle of twigs in an attempt to keep the lumbering insects away from him.

‘It won't be long before the damn crazy plant hunters come here in their hordes,' Bundy said, warming to his theme. ‘You wouldn't believe the lengths they go to in the hunt for rare plants, especially orchids. They'll slit each other's throats without a second thought because there's money in it for them. I prefer to hunt birds.'

‘I had no idea it was like that, but surely this place is safe. It's so inaccessible.'

Bundy gave her a pitying smile. ‘We're here, aren't we?' He strolled off to speak to Jack.

Mirabel was hot, plagued by biting insects, and her wet skirts clung to her legs, hampering her movements. She had never felt so uncomfortable in her whole life. When they stopped at noon she ate the corn pone that Abraham had made that morning. The outside was charred and smoky and the inside soft, salty and doughy, but it was food and she would need all the energy she could muster to keep up with the men.

There was a momentary lull, for which Mirabel was grateful. She was tired but she was not about to give in and prove herself to be a weak female. Men had it all ways, she thought wearily: they dressed appropriately and they had the advantage of height. Bundy was comparatively short, but he was stocky and seemed to have boundless energy. Ephraim and Moses were young, probably in their late twenties or early thirties, and used to hard labour in the sweltering heat. Bodger had been toughened up by years of sailing before the mast, and Jack appeared to be indestructible, she thought with a frisson of pride. He had survived shipwreck and she knew for a fact that since the start of their journey he had slept very little, keeping a constant watch in the long hours of darkness. He was tireless and did not seem troubled by the physical discomforts suffered by everyone else. She had come to realise that beneath the cynical, world-weary attitude lurked a man to be reckoned with; a man to be trusted. She glanced at her husband and saw an elderly man, frail and exhausted, but she could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was not about to give up. He had the fanaticism of a collector determined to achieve his goal, no matter what the personal cost. She felt a sneaking admiration for him, tempered with concern for his well-being.

‘We'll move on,' Bundy said, hitching his rifle across his shoulders as he prepared to step into the dark, tannin-stained water. ‘Keep your eyes peeled for 'gators and snapping turtles. This is where we're most likely to run across the bastards – begging your pardon, ma'am,' he added as an afterthought. ‘Women,' he muttered to himself, although his deep voice carried on the still air. ‘Bloody women, shouldn't be allowed.'

Mirabel stepped into the water. She was already soaked but it did not seem to matter. Her only aim now was to find the orchid and escape from this awful place. Surely hell must be like this, she thought miserably, but as they advanced slowly she could not help being impressed by the untamed beauty of her surroundings. She drifted along in a dreamlike state, ignoring the discomfort and focusing her eyes on the water, ever watchful for the slithery shape of a cottonmouth gliding towards them. Sometimes she stopped, paralysed with fear, thinking something was a poisonous snake only to find it was a dead palm frond, but she was not prepared for the sudden cry of ‘Alligator!' She came to a halt, peering through the leaves on an overhanging pop ash branch.

Ephraim and Moses were suddenly alert and Bodger stepped in front of Hubert, shielding him with his body. Bundy raised his rifle. The resonating percussive sound of the shot echoed off the tropical hardwood hammock, reverberating so that it felt as if they were under fire from an army of marksmen. Mirabel stiffened, watching in horror as the huge reptile thrashed about in its death throes. She could not move. Her feet seemed to be sinking into the mud and her limbs were turned to stone. The horrific scene was about to be repeated as Bundy raised his rifle again, this time aiming it at another of the creatures that had emerged from the mangrove. She barely heard the shot as strong arms scooped her from the water, and despite her protests she was slung over Jack's shoulder as he waded towards what passed for dry land.

He set her down on her feet. ‘There were more,' he said tersely.

‘We can't just leave the others to fight off the alligators.' Mirabel faced him for the first time in days, looking him in the eye.

‘Are you all right?' he demanded anxiously. ‘You should have stayed in camp. If you were my wife I wouldn't have brought you to this.'

‘If I were your wife I wouldn't have wanted to come with you,' Mirabel snapped, her overwrought nerves getting the better of her even though she knew it was a lie.

‘You made your feelings for me very clear.'

‘And you've hardly spoken a word to me since the first day.'

‘You almost got yourself killed.'

‘I suppose you blame me for the alligators too.'

They faced each other, glaring like gladiators about to fight to the death. This was not how it should be, Mirabel thought dazedly. They were on the same side, or so she had thought. She turned away, unable to bear the harsh lines of his set expression or the angry look in his eyes. Perhaps she had imagined that he had feelings for her. She shook out her skirts. ‘I'll never be able to dry my clothes in this steamy heat.'

‘For God's sake, Mirabel.' Jack seized her by the shoulders, twisting her round to face him. ‘Is that all you can think about? You might have died back there.'

‘So might you,' she said softly. ‘We're not safe even now . . .' Her last words were lost as he drew her into his arms and devoured her mouth in a kiss that was savage in its intensity. Her response was instant, and without thought for anything or anyone she abandoned herself to the desperate need she had tried so hard to ignore. It was the first time she had been held in a passionate embrace and the first time she had been kissed in such a way other than in her dreams, but this was infinitely more exciting. She responded with fervour, sliding her arms around his neck so that their bodies were intertwined, fitting together in what felt like a perfect match. The rest of the world ceased to exist: they were the only two people on the planet and at that moment in time. They were two souls who had become as one and she would have given herself to him gladly.

He released her on a sigh and she opened her eyes, drowning in the depths of his gaze, hardly able to breathe. Then the world came crashing in on them as a wild boar emerged from the undergrowth and charged. Jack thrust her behind him, taking the revolver from his belt and firing. The animal dropped to the ground and Moses appeared, wading through the swamp with a grin on his face. ‘Roast pork for dinner, mister.' He was followed by Ephraim, with Bundy and Hubert, who was being supported by Bodger, close behind.

Shaken more by the startling shift in her relationship with Jack than the slaughter of the wild beast, Mirabel said nothing. She shot a sideways glance at Jack and his lazy smile embraced her in a silent caress.

‘Are you all right, my dear?' Hubert demanded anxiously. ‘We heard the shot.'

Bundy stepped forward, prodding the inert body with the toe of his boot. ‘We'll eat well tonight. Let's be done here and make our way back to camp.'

‘But the ghost orchid,' Hubert protested.

‘There's always tomorrow,' Bundy said carelessly.

Back at camp Gertie greeted them as if they had been gone for a week. ‘I thought something had happened to you, Mabel,' she said, holding a blanket up to shield her mistress from prying eyes as she changed out of her soiled and still damp garments. ‘I thought you'd all been eaten by 'gators.'