He did come … riding into the stables as though nothing had happened. He came into the house. My grandparents and I were waiting in the hall.
We all stood up as he entered.
There was no sign from him that this was different from any other week-end when he arrived, full of plans as to what we should do.
“Rebecca!” he cried and his smile embraced us all. He stared at us. “Is anything wrong?”
My grandfather said: “Come into the little room. We have to talk.”
Puzzled, he followed us, and my grandfather shut the door.
He said: “Sit down.”
Still seeming bemused, Pedrek sat. I felt as though my knees would give away because I was trembling so much.
“What ever is wrong?” asked Pedrek.
“Belinda …” began my grandfather.
“Is something wrong with her? Is she ill?”
“Pedrek, do you know what is wrong with her?”
His brow was creased. He shook his head.
“Last night … she came running home in a dreadful state. She was molested by the pool.”
“Oh, my God …”
“She escaped … in time. The poor child is distraught. Heaven knows what effect this will have on her.”
“What a terrible thing …”
“She knows the man.”
“Who …?”
There was a brief silence, then my grandfather said in a very stern tone: “You … Pedrek.”
“What?”
“You had better tell us exactly what happened.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She came in and said that you had spoken to her by the pool … St. Branok’s Pool. She said you threw her to the ground, tore her clothes … and told her that you liked little girls.”
“It’s … madness.”
We were all staring at him. He turned to me. “Rebecca … you don’t believe …”
I was silent. I could not bear to look at him. I just covered my face with my hands.
He took a step towards me but my grandfather barred his way.
“This is a very serious matter,” he said. “I don’t know what happened … what came over you … but it is better to come out with it. We might …”
“How dare you!” cried Pedrek. “How dare you suggest …”
“The child said it was you.”
“Bring her here. Let me confront her. She’s lying …”
My grandmother said: “We cannot have her put to more distress. She is in a terrible state. She was desperately frightened. Anyone who saw her would have realized that …”
“I don’t know how you can think for one moment …”
“Look, Pedrek,” said my grandfather. “We don’t want to blow this up out of all proportion. God knows, it’s bad enough already. Was it … was it … just a moment of madness?”
“I tell you I was not there.”
My grandparents exchanged glances.
“If this comes out,” said my grandfather, “it is going to cause a great deal of distress in our two families. I can’t understand, Pedrek. You are the last person …”
“How can you possibly think … Rebecca …?” He was looking at me. I was desperately trying to think of the Pedrek I had known all my life, but I kept seeing his face changing into a monster’s. I felt ignorant of men and their ways. I had recently allowed myself to be duped by Jean Pascal. He had said I was innocent … knowing nothing of the world. I was simple and trusting and I knew little of the inner lusts of men. I had thought I knew Pedrek as well as I knew anyone, but was I too ready to believe what I saw on the surface? I did not look deep enough. Only a few days ago my innocence and ignorance had lured me into a situation which could have scarred my life. And … I could not meet Pedrek’s eyes. I was afraid of what I might see there.
My grandfather went on: “Were you in the neighborhood last night?”
“My God,” said Pedrek hotly, “is this an interrogation? Of course. I came home from college as I always do.”
“Then you would have been with your family …” His face lightened. “You are usually at Pencarron about six o’clock.”
“Yes, but …”
I felt myself go limp with fear.
“But last night you were not?” insisted my grandfather.
“No. I went to see a friend before I left college. It made me late.”
“And what time did you get home?”
“It must have been about seven thirty.”
There was a terrible silence in the room.
“So … you were much later than usual?”
“Yes … about an hour and a half.”
I knew what my grandparents were thinking. It was just after six when Belinda came running into the house.
“And you came later … because you were with a friend. I’m sorry, Pedrek, but would your friend be able to corroborate this?”
Pedrek was growing more and more angry. Could it be the anger of guilt? “This has become an inquisition. Am I in the dock? Do I have to prove alibis?”
“This is a very serious charge. It would be in everyone’s interest if we could clear it … absolutely.”
“I know nothing about it. The child is mistaken. She must have confused me with someone else.”
“It’s the best way, Pedrek. If this friend of yours will confirm you were with him … you see everyone will realize that you could not possibly have been at the pool.”
“I was not with him. He was not at home.”
“So you did not see him … and you came back later …”
“Yes, because my visit had delayed me.”
We all sat quiet, frightened by the implication of his words.
“So,” he cried, “I am judged guilty, am I? Rebecca, how can you believe this of me?”
“I can’t believe it, Pedrek, I can’t …”
He would have approached me but I shrank back and my grandmother said: “We are all very upset. I think we should do nothing at the moment. Belinda … fortunately … escaped what could have been a terrible experience for her. Understand, Pedrek, we have to think about this. Perhaps when the child has recovered from the shock a little we can discover more … but frankly, I should hesitate to question her at the moment.”
“I think you had better leave us, Pedrek,” added my grandfather. “We must have time to think about this.”
He turned abruptly and left us. Through the window I saw him striding to the stables. Something told me that the Pedrek I had known till now had gone out of my life.
The talk continued. Leah was very anxious about Belinda. She said the child was quiet and thoughtful. She kept her in her room for she had nightmares and Leah had to be there to comfort her.
“We should be very grateful for Leah,” said my grandmother. “No mother could be more caring for her child.”
We had tried very carefully to question her, but when we attempted to she would shrink from us and a look of terror would come into her face.
“It is very important that this should not arouse all sorts of fears in her,” said my grandmother. “She is so young and the young are impressionable. It is a dreadful experience for a child to undergo.”
“Granny,” I said, “I do not believe that Pedrek would do this.”
She shook her head. “People do strange things. Nobody really understands another person completely.”
We could think of nothing else. The sordid matter took complete possession of our minds. We should take some action, we knew.
I could not eat; I could not sleep; and my grandparents were as worried as I was.
That evening, after I had gone to bed, but not to sleep, my grandmother came to me.
“I guessed you’d be awake,” she said. She drew her dressing gown about her and sat down close to the bed.
“We have to do something, Rebecca. We can’t go on like this.”