"Oh, on the contrary, Harriet. I think we will. I've not quite decided what to do with you yet, but, rest assured, by the time you're anywhere close to being able to run to Daddy to tell him what's happened, we'll be long gone."
"Long gone where?" she demanded. "Where ever you're going, we'll find you."
"I wouldn't be so sure." It was said with utter confidence. She and Porter smiled at each other, and Harry saw a furtive intimacy in the look. She was quickly distracted, however. The light in the room was increasing by the minute, and now she could see the table properly. In addition to small jewelry boxes, two large antique vases stood there.
"The Beau Château vases!" she exclaimed. "So you've taken those too? You do realize, don't you, the value of those things? Mummy's jewelry may be worth a fair amount, but it's the sentimental importance to us that makes it really priceless. Those vases are in a different league. You take those and I can guarantee that your lives will never be peaceful until they've been retrieved. The jail terms would be lengthy too."
She thought she saw real worry flash in Esther's eyes for the first time, and was rewarded with a small sense of satisfaction that her words had hit home. But Esther recovered quickly.
"The higher the value, the better. Where we're going, no one is going to find us – or the vases."
"What about Giles? Where does he fit in to all of this? Surely you aren't going to run off behind his back?"
A new voice sounded then, as someone descended the stairs.
"I'm glad you finally got around to mentioning me, Harriet."
Giles entered the room. Of course he was involved, thought Harry; he had simply been keeping watch outside. Nonetheless, the sadness came again. If only it were different. At the same time, she had the strong feeling that Esther was the ringleader in all this and that the two men were simply dancing to her tune. She knew enough about women, about a certain type of woman, to sense it was true. It was there in the flick of Esther's head, in the pout of her full lips and in the angry flash of her eyes whenever she looked at Harry, furious that she had dared to challenge her.
"I'm sorry Harriet," he said. In the gloom, he looked older than he was.
"I am aware of what's been going on. You probably won't believe me, but I did try to dissuade Esther. We need money I'm afraid - I'm so horribly in debt, you see." He shook his head sadly.
It was all becoming positively surreal, thought Harry. The old air raid shelter - her childhood playground - was crowded with people she had thought were trusted family, or near family. How wrong she had been.
"How could you do this to Freddy? You must know how he feels about that jewelry."
She gazed at Giles in what she hoped was a beseeching way. Buy more time.
He shook his head. "Harriet, of course I do. But… into each life, a little rain must fall." The words were so lame, she thought. Couldn't he hear himself, hear how ridiculous they were?
"Your father's had it good for a long time. The only way I can justify it is to say that rather more rain has fallen into my life than his. Ergo, perhaps this is due to me – to us."
"But your own brother. Don't you see what this'll do to him? And besides, his life hasn't been without sadness."
She was thinking of her mother of course, and she tried to convey the depth of her feelings with her eyes. It was no longer really anything to do with the jewelry – it was about trust and the betrayal of trust, and the importance of family ties.
Esther cut in before Giles could reply.
"God, Harriet. You don't know how easy your sainted Father had had it, compared to us."
Interesting, she thought. You've only been a part of this family for five years. What do you understand of anything?
Esther finished, "Do you have any idea, any idea at all – how much Giles has suffered over the years, knowing his own brother claimed the woman he was going to marry?" The timbre of her voice changed - dropped lower - as she glanced at Giles.
Blood drained from Harry's face. How dare she? Why was she getting involved in long-buried family issues? At the same time, she understood suddenly that this was how Esther had got Giles to cooperate – by opening old wounds. Predator that she was, she had found his weak spot and exploited it.
Harry looked at her uncle. His face had become a blank screen.
"Giles, is that true?" her voice sounded harsh to herself.
After a pause, he spoke. "Harriet, your mother – Lucy - was the only woman I loved, for such a long time." She could hear the bitterness.
"Freddy knew that, but he took her anyway. Oh, I moved on and married Jennifer eventually, but it nearly killed me. I introduced them, you know."
Harry wondered – but didn't say – why it didn't seem to occur to him that her mother herself might have had some baring on the situation. She thought of Jennifer too, and felt angry on her behalf. Giles spoke of her as if she were some sort of consolation prize, but she had been a good wife who had suited him well – or so it had always seemed.
She tried to reason with him.
"All's fair in love and war, uncle." It was such a cliché, and she winced as the words came out of her mouth. At the same time, she knew it was a cliché for a good reason.
Giles barely seemed to hear her, however.
"How do you think it made me feel," he continued, "watching you grow up, you - so like her. Sometimes it's almost as if Lucy is back with us. Freddy has never apologized for nearly ruining my life. So I'm sorry, Harriet, the view I take is I'm owed something. This is a small price to pay anyway - he got most of the family heirlooms, as well as the Hall."
She looked at him helplessly. It was such warped logic, and she would probably never know the full truth of what had taken place in the years before she even existed. She understood that things are never black and white, but this – it wasn't right. Freddy was an old man and he didn't deserve this betrayal.
Porter stepped forward then, bent and gathered up an armload of the parcels on the floor. He turned and made for the stairs.
"I'll be back soon to collect the rest," he said to Esther. "We need to get going after that, it's almost seven. After we deal with her."
The look he gave Harry over his shoulder as he departed was hate-filled, and she shuddered. All his supposed loyalty to her father over the years had just been an act, and nothing made sense to her any more.