Sea Gem by Wallis Peel Read Free Book Online Page A

stories for years and I came here on a few trips as a boy. Also, during the past week I’ve done a lot of cycling and
walking about exploring though I’ve not seen the south coast yet. There are some magnificent views from the heights on the south, especially where one can see the Pea Stacks. They are some
weird, high rocks out at sea. I intend to cycle and explore everywhere. You should come with me.’
    Mary ignored this blatant invitation and he did not press her but looked around, finally selecting one particular portion of shrivelled grass. He turned to her, took one hand and supported her
as she sank down gracefully while he followed suit. In this place they were quite sheltered from any wind and the sun had managed to warm the grass. It was quiet and soothingly pleasant. She felt
his eyes riveted upon her and looked into them. Were they violet or blue now? She could not quite decide.
    ‘Tell me about yourself,’ he invited gently.
    Mary gave a little shrug. ‘There’s not much to tell,’ she replied slowly. ‘I’m an orphan, raised on charity,’ her face grimaced. ‘For a short while I
taught at the orphanage before I decided to break away and go into service. I met Duret Noyen when he was stationed in England and he suggested I come here and await his return. I had nothing and
no one in England, so I came,’ she told him simply.
    It was difficult to read his expression and his features were sober while he sat silently mulling over what she had explained, then he gave a huge sigh that puzzled her.
    ‘Duret Noyen, only living grandson of Louise Noyen, relic of Jack. Her mother was Anna Carey and her father was a rebel Englishman called Dan.’
    ‘Goodness me! You know all about the family—more than me!’ Mary exclaimed.
    He shook his head. ‘I know
of
them,’ he corrected slowly.
    Mary frowned and wondered what he meant exactly. She turned and looked out to sea where the sun glimmered on the water in yellow ripples.
    ‘For someone whose home was on another island, I find your knowledge about the Noyens rather strange,’ Mary said carefully.
    His lips went tight and he regarded her frankly as his right hand stole out to imprison her left. ‘If I don’t tell you, someone surely will.’
    Mary was bewildered. ‘Tell me what?’
    ‘Your famous, or notorious, Tante is my grandmère too, though she will never admit to the fact and would cut me dead if she saw me.’
    ‘What!’ Mary gasped. ‘I don’t understand.’
    He threw her a weak grin. ‘My full name is Victor le Page,’ he said and awaited a reaction.
    Mary stiffened and suddenly in a clairvoyant flash understood the conversation she had overheard.
    ‘Go on,’ she encouraged in a whisper.
    ‘Oh! It’s the old story with a variation, I guess,’ he mused and stared out to sea as if his thoughts were so tangled he needed extra time in which to tidy them.
    Mary sat silent astonished by his revelation.
    ‘Louise Noyen had a daughter called Christine,’ he started, half nodding to himself. ‘Christine was wild, headstrong and quite unimpressed with her mother’s authority.
What Christine wanted, Christine took and damned the consequences. I am told she was an outstanding beauty and blessed with a charm which could make the birds fly down from the trees. Even tough,
dictatorial Louise Noyen could neither tame nor control her daughter when she entered her teens and for some odd reason, she set her cap at my father who was older than she—about thirty-five.
He was a Jersey man and was in Guernsey on some business trip where they met. Even though safely married, he was bewitched by her and made an utter fool of himself, which wasn’t a hard thing
to do with Christine, and my father was the original
roué
anyhow. How my saintly, adopted mother put up with him I’ll never understand.’
    ‘Adopted?’ Mary whispered.
    ‘My father’s wife was Sarah Domaille and they had no children. I have no idea how long the affair went on