I thought about the hole I’d found, covered by the metal grille. The thought of people being held down there made me shiver. “Were they held underground?’
A nod. “I believe so.”
“But that was hundreds of years ago,” I said. “Surely people aren’t afraid for that reason?”
Isla gave a little laugh. “Ah, well . . . when one of the witches was being burned at the stake, she cursed the island. Soon after that, things started happening that were . . . frightening. And folk have been wary ever since.”
I frowned. “What things?”
“Look, I don’t think the bones are anything to worry about. I tend to know most of the goings-on in this place and I’m fairly sure there’s no one who poses a threat to you. It’s probably animals. Maybe some kids having a lark.”
“What about a young child?” I said, thinking back to what I’d seen in the lantern room the day that I pushed Saffy. “Would a young child from the island be deterred from going inside?”
“No wains live near the bay,” she said, puzzled. “Are you sure you saw one?”
I faltered. I couldn’t say I was sure.
“You mention that people here are still wary,” I said. “That the island was cursed. You don’t believe that, do you?”
She flicked her hair. Isla could be direct all day long, but wasn’t keen on receiving it. “I can appreciate that a ‘curse’ sounds very dramatic from the outside, but when you start to see the evidence . . .”
“What evidence?”
She lowered her eyes. “About thirty years ago, a child went missing on the island. My wee brother, Jamie.”
“Oh, Isla,” I said, horrified. “That’s terrible.”
A small sigh, and I could she was growing upset. “I was sixteen. We all adored him. He was only two. We were playing in the rock pools on the bay all afternoon. One minute he was there and the next . . .” She pressed her fingers to her mouth. “We searched everywhere. Every inch of the island was covered. My parents never got over it.”
“I can imagine,” I said. “What a terrible thing to happen.”
“Sadly, it wasn’t the first time a child went missing. And it wasn’t the last. About a year after we lost Jamie, another child went missing. A German family. The husband was here doing research at the Neolithic site. Little girl.” She moved her eyes to a corner of the room, lost in a memory. “And then, another child. Wee Cam Maguire. Bonniest lad you’ve ever seen. Seven years old. Mother went out of her mind looking for him. But they never did find him.”
I took this in. “Can I ask a personal question?”
“Of course.”
“If these things keep happening, why do you still live here?”
I asked it gently, hoping not to offend her. She raised her eyebrows. “Well, you can see for yourself how beautiful Lòn Haven is. And I think I inherited some of my mother’s stubbornness. My family has lived here for centuries. If you think I’m going to let something as small as a witch’s curse send me packing, you’ve another think coming.” She rallied, clapping her hands together. “Now then, how about that dram?”
III
I avoided the lantern room after that, with the exception of a quick dash inside to retrieve the paintbrushes I’d left there. I spotted the bones, still on the floor, and darted out again, as though I might be able to erase the whole incident by simply closing my eyes to it.
Finn was already at the Longing when I arrived. He was dressed in overalls, prepping plaster in a bucket. A small radio played heavy metal music. He turned it down as I entered.