the graveside, as he had struck down old Miss Izzy, and—if only on pretence—struck down Tina herself.
“Greg, darling.” It was Coralie Harrison’s pathetic protesting murmur. “What are you saying to him? Explain to me,” she demanded of Jemima in a voice as low as her own. But the explanations—for Coralie Harrison and the rest of Bow Island—the explanations of the conspiracy of Tina Archer and Greg Harrison were only just beginning.
The rest was up to the police who with their patient work of investigation would first amplify, then press and finally conclude the case. In the course of their investigations, the conspirators would fall apart: this time for real. To the police would fall the unpleasant duty of disentangling the new lies of Tina Archer: she would now swear that her memory had just returned, that it had been Greg who had half-killed her that night, that she had absolutely nothing to do with it … And Greg Harrison would denounce Tina in return, this time with genuine ferocity: “Her plan, her plan all along. She managed everything. I should never have listened to her.”
Before she left Bow Island, Jemima Shore went to say goodbye to Joseph Archer, once again formally, in his Bowtown office. She did not think another tryst on the sands, night or day, would be appropriate. There were many casualties of the Archer tragedy beyond Miss Izzy herself. Poor Coralie Harrison for example, genuinely innocent, was one: she had been convinced that her brother, for all the notorious strength of his temper, would never batter down Miss Izzy to benefit his ex-wife, the woman he detested. Coralie, like the rest of Bow Island, was unaware of the whole deep plot by which Greg and Tina would publicly display their hostility, advertise their divorce and all along plan to kill Miss Izzy once the new will was signed. Greg, officially hating his ex-wife (as he had so ostentatiously made clear to Jemima that first morning by the sunny grave), would not be suspected; as for Tina, sufferingsuch obvious injuries (carefully planned not to be too damaging), she could only arouse sympathy.
Another small casualty, much less important, was the romance which might, just might have developed between Joseph Archer and Jemima Shore. Now in his steamingly hot office with its perpetually moving fan, they talked of quite other things than the new moon and new wishes.
“You must be happy now: you’ll get your museum,” said Jemima.
“But that’s not at all the way I wanted it to happen,” he replied quickly. Then Joseph added, “But you know, Jemima, there has been justice done. Miss Izzy did really want us to have that National Museum, in her heart of hearts. I’d have talked her round to good sense again. If she’d lived.”
“That’s why he—
they
—acted when they did. They didn’t dare wait, given Miss Izzy’s respect for you,” suggested Jemima. “One question, Joseph.” She stopped, but her curiosity got the better of her. There was one thing she had to know before she left.
“Ask me whatever you like.” Joseph smiled: there was a glimmer there of the handsome fisherman who had welcomed her to Bow Island, the cheerful dancing partner.
“The Archer Tomb and all that. Tina being descended from Sir Valentine’s lawful second marriage. That was true?”
“Oh, that. Yes, it’s true. Maybe. But it’s not important to most of us here. You know something, Jemima, I too am descended from that well-known second marriage. Maybe. And a few others. Maybe. Lucie Anne had two children, don’t forget, and Bo’landers have large families. It was important to Tina Archer: not to me. That’s not what I want. That’s all past. Miss Izzy was the last of the Archers so far as I’m concerned. Let her lie in her tomb.”
“What
do
you want—for yourself? Or for Bow Island, if you prefer?”
Joseph smiled again, this time in his most friendly fashion. “Come back to Bow Island one day, Jemima. Make another
“Greg, darling.” It was Coralie Harrison’s pathetic protesting murmur. “What are you saying to him? Explain to me,” she demanded of Jemima in a voice as low as her own. But the explanations—for Coralie Harrison and the rest of Bow Island—the explanations of the conspiracy of Tina Archer and Greg Harrison were only just beginning.
The rest was up to the police who with their patient work of investigation would first amplify, then press and finally conclude the case. In the course of their investigations, the conspirators would fall apart: this time for real. To the police would fall the unpleasant duty of disentangling the new lies of Tina Archer: she would now swear that her memory had just returned, that it had been Greg who had half-killed her that night, that she had absolutely nothing to do with it … And Greg Harrison would denounce Tina in return, this time with genuine ferocity: “Her plan, her plan all along. She managed everything. I should never have listened to her.”
Before she left Bow Island, Jemima Shore went to say goodbye to Joseph Archer, once again formally, in his Bowtown office. She did not think another tryst on the sands, night or day, would be appropriate. There were many casualties of the Archer tragedy beyond Miss Izzy herself. Poor Coralie Harrison for example, genuinely innocent, was one: she had been convinced that her brother, for all the notorious strength of his temper, would never batter down Miss Izzy to benefit his ex-wife, the woman he detested. Coralie, like the rest of Bow Island, was unaware of the whole deep plot by which Greg and Tina would publicly display their hostility, advertise their divorce and all along plan to kill Miss Izzy once the new will was signed. Greg, officially hating his ex-wife (as he had so ostentatiously made clear to Jemima that first morning by the sunny grave), would not be suspected; as for Tina, sufferingsuch obvious injuries (carefully planned not to be too damaging), she could only arouse sympathy.
Another small casualty, much less important, was the romance which might, just might have developed between Joseph Archer and Jemima Shore. Now in his steamingly hot office with its perpetually moving fan, they talked of quite other things than the new moon and new wishes.
“You must be happy now: you’ll get your museum,” said Jemima.
“But that’s not at all the way I wanted it to happen,” he replied quickly. Then Joseph added, “But you know, Jemima, there has been justice done. Miss Izzy did really want us to have that National Museum, in her heart of hearts. I’d have talked her round to good sense again. If she’d lived.”
“That’s why he—
they
—acted when they did. They didn’t dare wait, given Miss Izzy’s respect for you,” suggested Jemima. “One question, Joseph.” She stopped, but her curiosity got the better of her. There was one thing she had to know before she left.
“Ask me whatever you like.” Joseph smiled: there was a glimmer there of the handsome fisherman who had welcomed her to Bow Island, the cheerful dancing partner.
“The Archer Tomb and all that. Tina being descended from Sir Valentine’s lawful second marriage. That was true?”
“Oh, that. Yes, it’s true. Maybe. But it’s not important to most of us here. You know something, Jemima, I too am descended from that well-known second marriage. Maybe. And a few others. Maybe. Lucie Anne had two children, don’t forget, and Bo’landers have large families. It was important to Tina Archer: not to me. That’s not what I want. That’s all past. Miss Izzy was the last of the Archers so far as I’m concerned. Let her lie in her tomb.”
“What
do
you want—for yourself? Or for Bow Island, if you prefer?”
Joseph smiled again, this time in his most friendly fashion. “Come back to Bow Island one day, Jemima. Make another
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