Chapter Nine

‘Tegenn, Tegenn, I just can’t believe it!’ Jack hugged Lizzy tightly to him, his voice choked. ‘After all this time, I’ve finally found you!’

They were both in the boat. Jack had lowered the foresail and dropped the anchor, and Silvie bobbed gently, close to the cliffs where the water was quieter. The dolphins had gathered round them and were happily watching the reunion, nodding their heads and making odd little creaking sounds that seemed to express their delight.

At last Jack released Lizzy and they both sat back, breathless. ‘There’s so much to tell you!’ Lizzy was so overcome with excitement and emotion that she was almost babbling. ‘I was found abandoned, and I was adopted and taken away, but then we moved here, and I met Kes and…’ She took a huge gulping breath as the words ran out. ‘I’m not making much sense, am I? I just don’t know where to start!’

She was laughing and crying at the same time, and Jack laughed too. ‘It doesn’t matter!’ he said. ‘We’ve got all the time we want now. Let me look at you again.’ He took hold of her shoulders and gazed at her with shining eyes. ‘You’re so pretty. You look just like your mother.’

‘Do I?’ Lizzy felt a warm glow. ‘I think she’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.’

He smiled. ‘So do I. I’ve missed you all so much! Has it really been eleven years since I went away?’

Lizzy nodded. ‘Kes says you went to search for me.’

‘I did. When you were stolen, we believed you’d been taken far across the sea.’ Jack frowned. ‘The person who stole you laid a false trail, because she thought that if I were out of the way –’

Lizzy interrupted quickly. ‘She? You mean… Taran?’

He frowned. ‘Do you know about that?’

‘I know about her,’ Lizzy said fiercely. ‘Kes told me that she’s wicked and cruel, and hasn’t got the right to be Queen at all. But he doesn’t know any more, because Morvyr – Mother – won’t talk about it.’

‘She’s right not to. But now I’m back, things can be different.’ Jack looked around at the sea. ‘Where are your mother and brother now? Are they nearby? I so much want to see them!’

Amid all the excitement Lizzy hadn’t had a chance to tell him about Morvyr and Kes’s disappearance. Quickly she described her encounter with the giant eel when she was searching for Kes, and how the dolphins had intervened and driven him away.

‘Arhans tried to explain what had happened, but I haven’t learned to understand her properly yet. There was a word I sort of picked up… Tull-something, or Toll…’

Jack’s eyes narrowed. ‘Tullor?’

‘Yes! That was it – Tullor.’

‘Ah, so he’s still around, is he? I might have guessed.’

‘Do you know him?’ Lizzy asked uneasily.

‘Oh, yes. He’s Taran’s most trusted servant, and as evil a creature as you could wish not to meet. Thank goodness Arhans and the others found you in time!’ Jack was frowning deeply now. ‘Did you understand anything else that Arhans said?’

‘I know she was warning me to stay away from the sea – and I think she said Morvyr and Kes are in hiding for some reason. I don’t know why, or where they’ve gone, but I’m sure they’re in danger!’

Before Jack could reply, Arhans swam up to the boat and whistled urgently. Jack frowned at her. ‘What’s that, Arhans?’ The dolphin whistled again and he shook his head. ‘It’s been so long since I’ve tried to talk to her; I’m not sure… but I think she’s saying that Taran has ordered Morvyr and Kes to be arrested!’

‘Arrested?’ Lizzy was horrified. ‘Why? What have they done?’

‘I don’t know. But I’ve got an idea…’ Suddenly he swung to face Lizzy again. ‘Tegenn, when you were a baby, you had a mother-of-pearl locket. Do you know what happened to it?’

‘I’ve still got it,’ said Lizzy. ‘It was round my neck when I was found abandoned.’

‘Where is it now?’

‘At home. Morvyr told me never to wear it when I go to the sea.’

He nodded slowly. ‘Good. Then, with luck, it’s not too late…’ He turned again. ‘Arhans, do you know where Morvyr and Kes are?’

Arhans chittered eagerly and tossed her head.

‘Can you take a message to them without Taran or her servants knowing?’

The dolphins seemed to confer together, then Arhans whistled what Lizzy thought was agreement.

‘All right. Then tell them that I’ve come home and I’ve found Tegenn. Ask Morvyr if she can meet me somewhere – anywhere – and, if that’s not safe, bring word to me from her. Will you do that?’

Arhans whistled again. Jack reached out and stroked her back. ‘Thank you! And, Arhans – tell her that the ninth one is still safe with me!’

Lizzy was puzzled by these last words, but Arhans seemed to understand. She and the other dolphins turned in the water with flicks of their powerful tails and surged away. Jack and Lizzy watched until they were out of sight, then Jack sighed.

‘All we can do now is wait,’ he said.

‘Will the dolphins find them, do you think?’

‘Yes, they will. Arhans knows where they are, and she says it’s a safe place where Taran and her henchmen would never think of looking – not even Tullor.’

Lizzy shivered. ‘If the dolphins hadn’t rescued me from Tullor, what would he have done?’

‘My guess is that Taran had ordered him to capture you and take you to her.’

‘But why? What could she possibly want with me?’

‘That’s easy to answer. She wanted you as a hostage.’

Lizzy’s eyes widened as she began to understand. ‘You mean, she’d have used me to make Morvyr and Kes come out of hiding?’

‘Exactly. Because, you see, she thinks that one of you has got something she wants. And maybe she’s right.’

‘Wh-what is it?’

‘It’s –’ Then Jack stopped. ‘No. It isn’t safe to talk about it here.’ He glanced uneasily towards the cliffs. ‘You can never be sure whether someone might be listening. Tegenn, I think we should go back now. Come with me in the boat. I’ll take you to shore, then we’ll meet again tomorrow –’

‘Tomorrow?’ Lizzy said, aghast. ‘I can’t wait till then!’

He shook his head. ‘You must, little one.’ He blinked and his face grew sad. ‘Because we’ve got to keep our secret, haven’t we? We can’t just go back to the town and tell everyone that I’m your real father. It wouldn’t be fair.’ He gave her a wry smile. ‘They probably wouldn’t believe it anyway.’

Lizzy realized he was right. Slowly, reluctantly, she nodded.

‘Don’t fret,’ said Jack. ‘Tomorrow’ll come soon enough. And then I’ll have something to show you. Something very important. Now, try and cheer up! I’ll teach you a bit about sailing on the way back, if you like. And you can tell me all the things I don’t know about you!’

By the time the boat approached the marina, Jack Carrick knew most of Lizzy’s story: how she had been found abandoned as a baby and adopted by the Baxters, who had taken her away to live in another part of the country. There was one bad moment, though, when Lizzy was explaining about the family’s move to Cornwall. ‘They’d always wanted to live here, then Dad was offered a teaching job at –’ She stopped in sudden dismay as she realized what she had said. ‘I mean, he – Mr Baxter – I’ve always called him Dad, you see –’

‘Of course you have, and so you should,’ said Jack gently. ‘He’s the only dad you’ve known until now, Tegenn. That won’t change. It can’t.’

His eyes were sad and Lizzy felt tears welling. ‘I’m not even called Tegenn any more,’ she confessed in a small voice. ‘They named me Elizabeth. Lizzy. I only found out my real name when I met Kes.’

‘Then Lizzy it’ll be,’ said Jack. ‘I like it, anyway. It suits you.’ He saw her face and smiled. ‘Don’t worry. We’ve both got a lot to get used to. But we can do it, can’t we? Now, tell me all about that first meeting with Kes…’

The outboard engine chugged gently as Jack steered Silvie into her berth on the pontoons.

‘Make her fast,’ he said to Lizzy, and watched as she tied and secured the mooring rope with the knot – a Fisherman’s Hitch, he called it – that he’d taught her on the way home. ‘Very professional!’ he added with a grin when she finished. ‘You’ll be a proper sailor before you know it!’

Lizzy smiled back, pleased by his praise. She wished they could have stayed out at sea all day. There was so much still to talk about – she hadn’t heard anything of his story yet – and she just wanted to be with him, and enjoy getting to know him for the very first time.

Jack jumped ashore and held out his hand to help Lizzy. As she stepped from the boat, a familiar voice called cheerfully, ‘Hi, Mr Carrick! So my sister managed to meet you, did she? You sneaky thing, Lizzy!’

‘Hello, Rose – hello, Paul.’ Jack smiled as Rose sauntered up, with Paul a few paces behind her. ‘Yes, Teg– Lizzy and I have met. In fact we’re already getting to be like old friends.’

‘What did you do, fish her out of the sea?’ Rose joked.

‘That’s about it. Just like a mermaid.’ He winked at Lizzy, and Lizzy flushed scarlet.

Luckily Rose didn’t notice. ‘Honestly, she’s been so curious about you – she even wanted to come with me to Paul’s yesterday. Hope she hasn’t been asking loads of nosy questions!’ She raised her eyebrows at Lizzy, who turned even redder and looked away.

‘We saw Silvie coming in,’ said Paul, ‘so we came down to meet you. Rose wants to try her hand at sailing. I said I’d take her out for a bit, if you don’t want the boat any more.’

Jack was still smiling. He was so calm and quick-thinking, Lizzy thought; Rose surely wouldn’t be suspicious. ‘Good for you, Rose,’ he said. ‘Well, enjoy yourselves. I’ll see you later, Paul.’

‘OK.’ Paul helped Rose into the boat, and Jack and Lizzy walked away.

‘Thanks,’ said Lizzy after a few moments. ‘When I saw Rose, I didn’t know what to do.’ She looked up at Jack. ‘It’s going to be hard when I get home. I’ve got to pretend not to be excited.’

‘I know, love. But you can do it. After all, you haven’t told anyone about Kes and Morvyr, have you?’

‘No-o… But this is different, somehow. They live in the sea, but you’re here. And if we meet when there are other people around, like just now, it’s so hard to act as if you’re no one special.’

He nodded. ‘It’s hard for me too. But we’ve got to keep the secret, Lizzy. You understand why, don’t you?’

She nodded, blinking. ‘I couldn’t tell Mum and Dad – I mean, them – the Baxt–’

‘Shh! “Mum and Dad” is fine, I told you that. No, of course you can’t tell them. It wouldn’t be fair on them, or you. Now, listen: we’ve still got a lot to say to each other – and there are things you don’t know that I need to tell you. Let’s meet up tomorrow.’ He paused. ‘Have you got any favourite places that you like to go to?’

Lizzy thought. ‘The headland where the lighthouse is,’ she said.

‘That’s good; it’s quiet, and it’s on land. That’s important – I’ll explain why tomorrow. How about having a picnic lunch there?’

‘Yes!’ said Lizzy eagerly. ‘That would be great!’

‘All right. Say, half past twelve, then. I’ll bring the picnic. And I want you to wear your locket.’ She looked at him curiously, but he put a finger to his lips. ‘No more now. I’d better get back to the Treleavens’. See you tomorrow – and maybe Arhans will have some news for us by then.’

He touched her arm lightly and hurried away. Lizzy watched as he walked past the lifeboat station. There he paused, looked back and waved. She waved too. And she continued to watch until he was out of sight.