Without a Mother's Love (21 page)

Jared ignored Hesley.
^‘
Olivia, you need not stay here,’ he said to her. ‘You may come with me to our house.’

Her eyes widened and she nodded.

‘Look here,’ young Hesley began, ‘who do you think you are to walk in here and carry off my wife?’

Jared ignored him and addressed the master.‘This is your doing, isn’t it? How could you? Did you ask Olivia what she wanted?’

Old Hesley’s lined face, flushed with drink, now darkened with anger. ‘What business is it of yours? She is my responsibility, not yours, and your meddling family is not welcome here. Leave now.’

‘Come with me, Olivia.’ Jared watched her glance at the governess, who was concentrating on her plate.

The older man rose to his feet and raised his voice.‘I ordered you to leave.
Now!
’

‘Or what? You’ll summon your farmhands to beat me? You excel at that, I’m told.’

‘Guard your words, Tyler,’ old Hesley snapped. ‘You may be as tall and broad as my men but that does not mean you have become one yet. Get out of my house.’

Young Hesley was holding the door and blocking his way, but his eyes were glazed and Jared smelled the drink on his breath. He answered, ‘Not while you behave like this towards Olivia.’ He turned to face her. ‘Come with me, Olivia. I’ll take you to my home.’ He held out his hand towards her.

Olivia half rose from her seat and smiled, but was stilled by the governess’s hand on her arm. Confused, she bit her lip and sat down again.

Young Hesley followed his grandfather’s example: ‘How dare you make such a suggestion? She is my wife!’

‘You do not deserve a wife. You are a drunkard, a gambler and a user of women.’

Hesley grinned. ‘And you are the grandson of a shopkeeper who must brush his own jacket and attend church each week with his parents.’

Jared ignored the taunt and turned back to Olivia. ‘Does he beat you?’

‘It is no concern of yours if I do!’ young Hesley yelled. ‘She is
my
wife!’

‘Does he hurt you, Olivia?’

‘Of course I do not!’

‘You do,’ Olivia said loudly.

‘Hush, ma’am,’ Miss Trent interceded sharply.

But Olivia was not to be silenced. ‘At night, you—’

‘
Madam!
’ Miss Trent interrupted, in her strongest governess tone. ‘Quiet.’

Olivia’s mouth closed and she appeared to shrink before Jared’s eyes. Clearly the governess continued to have influence with her. And clearly he was right about the woman’s position here. She was not just Olivia’s companion in this household. She was more than that. Much more. What on earth was going on in this God-forsaken place?

Jared could restrain himself no longer. His fist was already clenched by his side and within a second he had raised it to connect with young Hesley’s jaw. Hesley staggered back and retaliated with blows from both fists, the first missing and the second catching Jared on the side of his head. He reeled, but he had suffered worse in his pugilistic sessions at school. However, Hesley knew what he was doing and Jared guessed he had been in many a fist-fight himself.

As they grappled with each other, he was dimly aware of chairs scraping along the floorboards.They fell against the sideboard and he heard the cutlery and china rattle inside. Then the pair were rolling on the floor, each unwilling to let go of the other until Jared was able to raise his fist again and bring it down hard on Hesley’s nose. He let out a yell.
That
’s for Olivia, Jared thought.

He would have repeated the action if the barrels had not appeared in front of his eyes.Two.The twin barrels of a shotgun. He looked up, tasting the blood on his lips.

Old Hesley continued to point the gun at his head. ‘I said get out of my house.’

Olivia had moved with the governess to the window at the far end of the room. She gave a high-pitched squeal, more like a squeak than a scream, and Miss Trent turned her head into her bosom.The master’s face was as black as thunder and Jared saw that he was capable of anything. He staggered to his feet, and as he did so young Hesley stopped nursing his bleeding nose to kick him hard in the leg, causing him to yelp.

Old Hesley gestured to the door with his gun
^‘
Go,
^’
he ordered.

Jared looked at Olivia, who had now pushed herself away from Miss Trent. She was staring at him in a strange way. Her brow was furrowed and there was uncertainty in her eyes, yet a half-smile trembled on her lips. It was similar to the way she had looked last Christmas when she had twirled for him in her new gown. He gave her a painful, bloody grin and would have spoken to reassure her if he had not felt the cold steel of the gun against his temple.

He weighed up his options. He did not think old Hesley would use the weapon. He would be sure of that if the man were sober, but he was not. He mouthed,
^‘
Friend,
^’
to Olivia and was consoled by a barely perceptible downward movement of her head.

‘This isn’t finished, Mexton,’ he growled, staggering to his feet.

‘Yes, it is.’

Jared felt the metal barrel push into his ribs, and then at his back as he turned to the door. He moved reluctantly, eyes on the floor. He dared not even glance at Olivia now.

Old Hesley followed him outside and kept the gun trained on him until he had mounted his horse. ‘Keep away from here, you and your family. I don’t want any of you Tylers on my land again. And that includes your mother.’ He fired the gun into the air, startling Jared’s docile mare into a gallop. Jared had to use all his strength to slow her.

His face hurt and his leg ached where Hesley had kicked him, but he did not regret his actions. He could not change what they had done to Olivia, but he hoped he had shown her that he had meant what he said. He would not abandon her. The governess was a paid servant and her loyalties were with the master. Olivia needed a friend more than ever now. As his mare slowed to a canter, he reflected that he would be back. Neither Hesley Mexton nor his gun would stop him.

Harriet and Olivia jumped at the sound of the shot, then ran to the kitchen and into the yard. They were in time to see horse and rider disappear down the track.

‘I wanted to go with him. Why did you stop me?’ Olivia demanded shakily.

‘You are married to Hesley now. Your great-uncle would have brought you back and locked you away while Hesley was abroad. I could not let that happen to you.’

‘But Jared is my friend, my special friend.’

‘It is not wise for you to make a friend of Jared. It is too dangerous.You saw how your uncle reacted to him.’

‘Oh, Miss Trent, I hate this place - and I should hate it even more without you.’

The master turned to them with a satisfied smirk. ‘That should teach him not to play his youthful games with me.’

He was angry yet, Harriet saw, he seemed excited by the dining-room spectacle. He laughed harshly and waved his shotgun with a display of the burgeoning energy he showed when he returned from hunting hare. His blood was up and her heart sank.

‘Hesley, take Olivia for a walk,’ he ordered.

‘What about my nose?’

‘The bleeding has slowed.’

‘But it will soon be dark, Grandfather.’

‘Then entertain your wife in the drawing room.’

‘Me? That’s
her
job, isn’t it?’ young Hesley replied, with a nod at Harriet.

‘She has an urgent matter to attend to with me.’

‘Very well.’ He grinned.

Olivia watched and listened. Her uncle thought she didn’t know what he meant. She may not have been a wife for long but she was aware of what went on between him and Miss Trent. Now he called to her companion.

‘There’s brandy in the library, Miss Trent. Bring it to my chamber.’

Chapter 15

‘Miss Trent! What is the matter?’ Olivia had heard the weeping in the butler’s pantry where the silver plate was kept. The key was in the lock and she had opened the door quietly.

‘Oh!’ Miss Trent was sitting on an old chair. She wiped her tears hastily. ‘It’s nothing.’

Olivia took her own clean handkerchief and went to kneel beside her. ‘Tell me what is wrong.’

^‘
Oh, madam, I don’t know how I can go on here any longer. I’ve tried so hard, but—’ Her face crumpled and she was crying again.

The only times Olivia had seen Miss Trent weeping in this way had been in the middle of the night, in her narrow bed next to the schoolroom, when Uncle Hesley had used her. She hadn’t fully understood her distress then. But now she did. Miss Trent no more welcomed the attentions of her uncle than Olivia did those of his grandson.

She put her arms round her governess’s waist and hugged her. ‘My uncle is a wicked man. He uses you without any regard for your wishes.’

Miss Trent sniffed.‘You sound quite adult when you say that.’

‘I have a husband and I have had to grow up quickly. I am an adult now.’

‘And a very capable mistress of Hill Top House.’ She rested her cheek on top of Olivia’s head, then turned it to kiss her hair. It was an unusually intimate gesture from Miss Trent, who always took her responsibilities as companion so seriously.

‘Indeed I am.’ Olivia snuggled closer.‘I have your wise counsel to thank for that.’ She laughed lightly. ‘Without you I should still be building mud castles in the garden and pretending to be a cat.’

‘But you were happy then. I have failed you in that respect.’

‘No, Miss Trent, you have not.’ Olivia could not imagine Hill Top House without her now, and added, ‘You make an unbearable situation tolerable for me.’

‘You do the same for me. I should have left months ago if it were not for you.’

‘And I should have turned into a drunkard like my husband if you had. How else would I get through my days?’

They sat in a silence broken only by an occasional shudder from the older woman as her sobs continued. Suddenly Olivia knew why Miss Trent was enduring such unhappiness. It was for her sake. She was glad that her companion could not see her frown. She said, ‘Miss Trent, you do not have to stay with me. My life here will improve when Hesley leaves for the West Indies, and—’ She had been going to say that his grandfather was becoming an old man but realized that mere mention of him might increase the other’s distress.

‘Will it?’ Miss Trent replied. ‘Will it be easier for you?’

‘Oh, yes, I shall be much happier when Hesley leaves.’

‘Then so shall I.’ Miss Trent smiled at her shakily.

Olivia released her hug and breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Why don’t we do an inventory of the plate while we are here? Perhaps it will distract us both from our woes.’

As they worked together, Olivia demonstrated to Miss Trent how much she had learned about plate and china from her books and journals. She was determined to make her see that she did not have to endure her uncle’s disgraceful behaviour for her sake. She had no money to give Miss Trent, but she could show her how independent and strong she was as Hesley’s wife, and in doing so allow Miss Trent her freedom to leave.

 

‘Wake up, Miss Trent. Stir yourself, woman!’

Several nights later, the household was disturbed in the grey light before dawn. Young Hesley was shaking her roughly by the shoulder.
Young
Hesley? What did he want at this hour?

‘She needs you. For God’s sake, come and quieten her.’

Harriet pulled on her dressing robe and hurried after him.

‘Madam? What is it?’

Olivia was in the large four-poster bed. Her skin had a ghostly pallor and her long fair hair was tangled and awry.‘Help me, Miss Trent,’ she whimpered.‘It’s never been like this before.’

Harriet looked at Hesley.
^‘
What has happened?’

He shrugged. ‘How should I know? I’ll be downstairs.’

‘It hurts,’ Olivia moaned. ‘I have the cramps each month, but this is much worse.’

‘When did it start?’

‘Last night. It felt like my courses and I tried to tell Hesley I was unwell but he wouldn’t listen.’

Harriet pulled back the bedcovers.‘How long have you been bleeding like this?’

‘Since last night after - well, when Hesley fell asleep.Tonight it was so bad I got up to wash and fetch some calico. I even drank some brandy but the pain came back and I yelled and woke him up. It has never been like this before.’

Harriet laid a reassuring hand on hers. ‘I’ll fetch help.’ She hurried out of the bedchamber and leaned over the banister rail. ‘Mr Mexton! Sir! Fetch Mr Harvey at once!’

Hesley appeared from the library with a glass in his hand. ‘I’ll send Matt,’ he answered.

‘Hurry, sir.’ She woke the maids to fetch more linen and heat water, then did what she could to clean up the blood and make Olivia comfortable until the apothecary arrived.There was too much for a monthly show, although Olivia’s body had not settled into regularity yet. She sat with her in her pain until after daybreak when Mr Harvey came galloping up the track.

He stayed until dinner time the next day. Olivia’s pain had eased and the bleeding had slowed. Harriet did not leave his side as he administered his potions.

Eventually Olivia slept and he turned to Harriet. ‘These things happen. She is young to be a wife but she is healthy, and a week of rest with her usual nourishment will see her well again.’

‘Was it a child, sir?’

He nodded. ‘Where is her husband?’

‘In the dining room.’ Harriet looked directly at him. ‘He - he demands too much of her. Would you speak to him, sir?’

For a moment Adam Harvey stared at her seriously. ‘I see. I’ll do what I can, but she is his wife.’

Harriet stayed with Olivia until she woke that evening. Since their conversation in the butler’s pantry, she had been elated that Olivia could survive as mistress of Hill Top House without her and had dreamed of her escape from the master. But now she knew how alone Olivia would be without anyone who would consider her welfare. How could she leave her now?