concluding woman serial by Margaret Summerton . illustrated by Walter Wyles . the sea house . out of violence and fear love could still flourish . for now love was theirs . a moment after the kitchen dresser had swung to and left us in the darkness of the secret passage , there was a sudden , blinding light . Ivor had switched on a torch . Esmond grunted : bolt the door . it &apos;ll give us an extra half hour while either Mark or Adkins gets hold of a crowbar . then go ahead , shine the light backwards . there was the long , sustained whisper of oiled metal moving , and then Ivor stumbled over my feet . my wrists , stinging with cramp , were free from Esmond &apos;s grasp . do n&apos;t start making a fuss all over again Charlotte , there &apos;s a good girl , Esmond said . save your breath . you &apos;ve got a long climb . follow Ivor . I &apos;m right behind you . the steps went on and on ; sometimes steeply , sometimes on a wide , low incline , and the depths of the treads varied . after ten minutes , Ivor had gone so far ahead that it was dark . my head struck rock , my feet misjudged the step and I fell with a scream . Esmond &apos;s arm came round my waist , but there was no resilience left in me to help him . I can n&apos;t breathe , I whispered . I &apos;m choking . no , you &apos;re not . this is the worst patch . you &apos;ve only about another hundred yards to go . come on . he heaved me upright , and half carried me to a point where the steps ended . Ivor had set the lamp on the floor . he stood over it , visible to his waist , the rest of him a formless shadow . we were in a cave . as Esmond put me down , I lifted my arm . I could just touch the roof . the air was a little sweeter but it was still heavy and my breath came in gasps . I would have given ten years of my life for sight of the sky . I began to beat my hands against the slime-covered walls . I cried out one word repeatedly : it was Mark . do n&apos;t , Charlotte . you &apos;ve got to stick it out for another few minutes . with hands that had suddenly grown protective , Esmond turned me round , pushed the hair from my forehead . you and Mark have got the rest of your lives to fix yourselves up . but this small piece of you belongs to me . if you do n&apos;t stay with me until I get into the open , I &apos;m finished , Charlotte . you &apos;ve no chance , I said , repeating Mark &apos;s words . there is n&apos;t a yacht waiting for you &amp;hellip; . probably not . he shrugged his shoulders . but if I can get clear , make the beach , I &apos;ll find some sort of boat &amp;hellip; . I glanced over my shoulder . Ivor had moved a little out of the range of the light . why did you come in here ? if you &apos;re afraid of what he might do ? I asked Esmond . he would n&apos;t have given me a chance to do anything else . he &apos;d have shot us all down , made his own getaway alone . what &apos;s he doing ? do n&apos;t panic . he &apos;s clearing the way ahead . except for an air passage , the way out of this cave is blocked with stones and old rubbish . after that , there &apos;s a low tunnel , one last cave &amp;hellip; . from there , out on the cliffs , the odds are against him , not me . I know every foxhole a darned sight better than he does . I &apos;ll leave you there , Charlotte , and you can double back to Mark . he &apos;ll have the door down by then . he raised his voice that he had held to a whisper . all clear , Ivor ? as he pushed me forward Ivor moved into the light . there was a glint of metal in his right hand . Esmond laughed , and in the same second pulled me back hard against him , a living shield between him and the threat of the gun . just as I thought , he said shortly . my insurance has paid off . I froze against him , as Ivor , giant-size in that low cavern , moved one step , then another towards us . I felt Esmond &apos;s left hand move down to grapple in his pocket . then he shouted : if you want to kill me , you &apos;ve got to kill her first . you &apos;re at the end of the line , Elliot , Ivor said in a voice of steel . Esmond screamed : you &apos;ll have to shoot her first . Lisa will n&apos;t be so keen to have a double murderer on her hands , you &apos;ll find . their voices overlapped and were trapped in the echo . Lisa &apos;s finished with you . you &apos;re a wastrel , a sponger , Ivor hissed . you never meant me to get out of here alive &amp;hellip; Webster ... and the boat , they were a pack of lies &amp;hellip; Mark was right . Esmond was now gasping for breath . of course he was right &amp;hellip; . you &apos;re going to die , Elliot , and the girl can go with you &amp;hellip; . the gun in Esmond &apos;s hand spat . the light was gone . in the sudden , blinding darkness I managed to wrench myself free of Esmond &apos;s grasp and dive to the ground . there was a tumult of noise and the spatter of fire . something struck my arm . there was no pain after the first searing blow , only numbness , and sticky warmth trickling over my hand . for a moment I crouched there , dazed , then I stood up and shouted as loudly as the breath in my lungs would allow . almost immediately I heard the scraping of heavy , stumbling feet , a voice choking in curses , a fall that sent stones tumbling . then silence again , and after timeless seconds , a long-drawn-out gasp . Esmond ! Esmond ! the echo mocked my cry . I fumbled frantically in the darkness , bending double , brushing the wet , filthy floor with my hands &amp;hellip; . then I fell over the prone figure that was still moaning and dropped to my knees . I whispered : Esmond ! not sure in the blackness whether it was he or Ivor . he breathed the first syllable of my name . I shifted his head to my knee . it was heavy , and when I felt his face it was wet &amp;hellip; or was it my fingers that were coated with my own blood or slime from the cave ? my hands on his shoulders moved down to his chest , and then dropped away as he gave a terrible scream . I bent my head until my face was over his mouth , trying to make words out of the senseless mumble that followed the cry of agony . but they made no sense . and then , behind me , I heard another sound : slow , dragging , tortuous . I froze , my body bent over Esmond , my hand grasping the gun that was , miraculously , lying on the ground beside my finger tips . Ivor was moving . then he was on me , his foot tripping over my leg ; my teeth bit my lower lip to stem the scream , and my free hand covered Esmond &apos;s mouth . beneath the weight of his body I willed my limbs to stay stiff and waited to feel the touch of his hand that would tell him Esmond and I were n&apos;t dead . in that moment my finger found the trigger of the gun . would I have pulled it ? I do n&apos;t know , because the weight gradually heaved itself from me . footsteps , scuffling , uncertain , dragged themselves away , and finally , there was utter silence . I lifted my shoulders , eased the burden on my knees , and waited &amp;hellip; . I fought hard not to wake up . desperately I clung to the remnants of unconsciousness , burrowing in the thinning layers , trying to ignore the pain in my arm and a voice that called my name . but the voice and the pain were winning . a hand on my shoulder scattered the last fragments and I cried out . the voice said : I &apos;m sorry , but it &apos;s time you woke up , Charlotte . odd , I thought , it sounded like Edwina &apos;s voice . I opened my eyes . the room was full of daylight . there ! you &apos;ll be perfectly all right now . her voice was relieved . I pushed myself up on the pillows . what time is it ? I asked . almost ten o&apos;clock . she glanced at my arm . you &apos;re not to worry about that . it was only a simple flesh wound . Dr Farnes stitched it up for you last night . I was still only half awake . could I have a cup of tea ? I said . Ivy is bringing you your breakfast as soon as she can manage it , but she &apos;s all behind this morning . nothing has been done properly . it &apos;s all extremely upsetting . I stared at her . the memory of the afternoon and evening before came faltering back to me , in patches . I could feel the dazzle of the torches as Mark , Adkins and the others reached me in the cave . are you hurt , Charlotte ? Mark had gently eased me upright , away from Esmond . Adkins had bent over the body that I had guarded , and a whole world of tortured waiting passed before Adkins said : I &apos;m afraid there &apos;s nothing else we can do for him . Mr Halliwell , I suggest you help Miss Elliot back to the house . I &apos;ll follow you . even now , I could hear my own voice crying out , and Mark saying : hush , darling . he &apos;s dead . I &apos;ve got to get you out of here . I could remember nothing after that but a close-up of Dr Farnes &apos;s face as he bent over me , and his cheerful voice saying : now do n&apos;t worry , young lady . this is n&apos;t going to hurt you . you &apos;re going to have a nice , long sleep . I twisted round , so that I could look fully at Edwina . her face was grey and pinched , but from the light in her eye I could tell she was on the brink of reading me a lecture . I cried out accusingly : Esmond need never have died if you had n&apos;t given him away . you came straight back here yesterday afternoon and telephoned Inspector Adkins . how could you be so cruel ? she shook her head at me , patiently admonishing , as if I were a child . if you commit murder , Charlotte , you must be punished . I said : why did you play that horrible cat and mouse game if you knew Esmond was there ? I did n&apos;t know he was there until I saw the way that dog behaved , that the dresser hinges had been mended and oiled , and the attic was bolted . when that meddlesome policeman forced himself on me in the morning with his story of Esmond being alive , I did n&apos;t believe him . she leaned forward , said fiercely : and do you know why I did n&apos;t believe him ? I shook my head . because if he were speaking the truth it meant that all of you , and you in particular , Charlotte , had wilfully deceived me . do you think it &apos;s pleasant to learn that a granddaughter to whom you &apos;ve given nothing but kindness , whom you &apos;ve tried to love , is sheltering the murderer of &amp;hellip; . she broke off , as if Danny &apos;s name was too precious to be spoken before me . for a moment her eyes closed and then she recovered herself . I &apos;d never have believed you were capable of such deceit . however , it is Mark I blame for the way you behaved . I shall never forgive him . he &apos;s to leave this house &amp;hellip; . I broke in on her tirade . that &apos;s not how it happened at all . I found Esmond . Mark wanted to go to the police . I would n&apos;t let him . let him ! let him ! she burst out . a grown man should be the keeper of his own conscience , not at the mercy of a silly , sentimental girl . and a fine help he was to you ! you might have been killed . where is he now ? I asked . where you &apos;d expect him to be ! explaining his conduct to the police . there was a fumbling at the door , and Ivy came in , breathless , awkward . when she &apos;d gone , Edwina bent over me . you &apos;ve got an egg . I gave orders for it . and there &apos;s some honey . that &apos;ll do you good . I just want the tea , I said . oh , no , she protested . you must eat a good breakfast . I can n&apos;t promise you what the rest of the meals will be like today . Mrs West has left , you know . 