Beneath the Major's Scars (20 page)

‘Very well, then, impress upon them that no one must know what
we are doing. And put it about that Miss Pentewan is confined to her room.’

She met his eyes in a fleeting glance that held the hint of a
smile.

‘I am of course exhausted after the ball.’

‘Can you do it?’ asked Reginald. ‘It is Thursday tomorrow. Can
you get to Beston and back before the hearing?’

‘We will do our level best.’ Dominic held out his hand to him.
‘Keep that paper ready to produce at the hearing, Buckland. With luck we will
beat Evanshaw at this!’

* * *

By the time they arrived back at Rooks Tower Zelah could
not see anything in front of the horses and she wondered just how Dominic kept
the curricle on the road. Jasper had stabled his horse and was waiting to hand
her down.

‘All our guests have retired, so we do not need to offer any
explanations yet,’ he said, escorting her into the hall. ‘I took the liberty of
asking Mrs Graddon to make up a bed for you, Miss Pentewan. She tells me the
tower room is ready. And I have ordered refreshments to be served in the morning
room. I hope you don’t mind, Dom?’

‘Of course not.’

His tone was curt, but she was used to that. She did not think
he was angry with her, merely that he did not want to take her to Beston Quay.
When Jasper excused himself and went off to change out of his muddy clothes,
Zelah followed Dominic into the morning room.

‘I promise I shall not hold you up,’ she said, ‘if that is
worrying you.’

He walked over to the window and closed the shutters. ‘I know
that. I have seen you ride, Miss Pentewan.’

She winced at his formality. ‘You had begun to call me Zelah,’
she reminded him gently.

With a smothered oath he swung round. ‘I am doing my best to
protect you, madam, and at every turn you thwart me!’

She raised her brows. ‘Do you think I am doing this to thwart
you?’

He looked up at the ceiling, exhaling. ‘No, of course not. But
this could leave you open to gossip, when it becomes known.’

She lifted her shoulders. ‘It does not matter. I will soon be
gone from here.’ He did not contradict her. Another blow, but she shut her mind
to it and said fiercely, ‘Besides, rescuing Nicky is far more important than any
reputation.’

* * *

They set off at sunrise, riding away from the moor,
through wooded valleys towards the Devon border. Zelah rode between Dominic and
his brother, Jem Sawley following behind on a large dappled roan. Jasper had
laughed when the groom had brought it into the yard.

‘Good God, Dom, do you have only ugly horses in your
stable?’

‘Aye.’ Dominic grinned. ‘They are a good match for their
master!’

Jasper winked at Zelah before scrambling up on to his handsome
bay gelding. The exchange had lightened the mood a little—until then Dominic had
behaved with numbing politeness and she was relieved that he had now returned to
his usual habit of barking orders at everyone.

On they rode, mile after mile, down ancient tracks and across
open land, following the route Dominic and Jasper had memorised the previous
night. They skirted towns and villages for the first part of their journey, only
coming on to the main routes to cross the rivers. The last major crossing was at
Torrington, and as they trotted across the bridge Dominic gave Zelah an
encouraging smile.

‘Not long now.’

She nodded, easing her aching thighs on the saddle. At any
other time she would have relished the challenge, but for now her mind was fixed
on rescuing Nicky.

They followed a narrow lane and soon found themselves
travelling across a desolate plateau of bare fields and scrubland. Ahead of them
was the sea, a deep grey line between the edge of the land and the heavy grey
cloud bank on the horizon. Zelah could taste the salt in the fresh breeze as
they rode on, skirting the village itself and heading directly towards the quay,
which was a mile or so to the west. Then, suddenly, their goal was in sight and
they reined in their horses as the ground fell away sharply before them. On each
side the black, ragged cliffs dropped into the choppy grey waters, while
directly below them a haphazard collection of buildings straggled across a
promontory. The inn was easily identified, a low stone building with its blue
sign and a row of barrels standing against the wall.

‘I think it best if I go down alone first,’ said Jasper. ‘It is
possible that some of Evanshaw’s people might be there and they could recognise
one of you.’

Zelah gazed down at the little hamlet.

‘It looks a very poor, isolated sort of place. What will you
say?’

Jasper grinned. ‘No need to worry, I am quite adept at playing
the eccentric traveller.’ He pointed to a small stand of trees. ‘Wait for me
over there, where you will not be seen.’

While Jasper set off down the winding track, the others moved
back into the trees, where only the sighing wind and the distant cry of the
gulls broke the silence. It was impossible to ride into the small wood because
the overhanging branches were too low, so they dismounted and Sawley led their
horses along a narrow path. Zelah was thankful that the thick canopy of leaves
sheltered them from the hot sun. Their path led to a small clearing. The groom
took the horses to one side while Zelah and Dominic found a convenient tree
stump and sat down.

‘This reminds me of the first time I saw you,’ said Zelah,
removing her bonnet and wiping her hand across her hot brow. ‘You had been
working in the woods and you were carrying a fearsome axe.’

‘With my wild appearance I must have been very
frightening.’

She considered for a moment. ‘No, I was never really frightened
of you.’

‘Not even when you attacked me with that tree branch?’

She laughed. ‘A mere stick, which you disposed of quite
summarily!’

He looked at her, the faint smile in his eyes causing her heart
to beat a little faster. ‘You were very brave, you know, to stand your ground
against me. You did not know who I was, or what I might do.’

‘But I could not leave Nicky.’

‘No, you are very fond of him, are you not?’

‘He is like my...’ She stopped, shaking her head a little.

‘Go on,’ Dominic urged her gently.

Zelah drew in a long, steadying breath.

‘He is like my son, the baby that n-never lived, that I never
held in my arms. I shut it out, all the pain and loss, until I came to West
Barton and met my sister’s little stepson. He was so bright, so very much
alive—I could do nothing else but love him.’

Dominic gave a short laugh. ‘I know what you mean. He soon
found his way past my defences!’

‘And now he has been snatched away—’ She gripped her hands
together tightly in her lap. ‘Do you think Jasper will find him?’

Dominic’s heart lurched when she spoke his twin’s name. Were
they on such good terms already? He tried to dismiss the thought and concentrate
upon her question.

‘I doubt it will be quite so easy. If they have the boy, you
may be sure they will keep him out of sight. But he may glean some useful
information. Then we will act.’ She shivered, instinctively leaning closer.
Dominic put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Try not to worry. If the boy is here
we will find him.’

She leaned against him and he lowered his head until her
honey-brown curls brushed his chin. Desire stirred, but Dominic knew it was more
than that. He wanted to protect her, to wipe away the anxious frown that creased
her brow. It was a jolt to realise that her happiness was the most important
thing in the world to him. With a sigh she reached for his hand, twining her
fingers with his.

‘Thank you. It is such a comfort to have you here. You really
are a true friend to me.’

The knot in Dominic’s stomach hardened. There was that word
again. Friend. She kept insisting it was what they should be, but it was a
million miles away from what he wanted from her.

They sat thus for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts.
Behind them was the quiet snuffle and chomping as their horses nibbled at the
tender young shoots pushing up through the ground.

Chapter Sixteen

‘L
isten!’

Dominic’s soft hiss brought Zelah’s head up. She sat very
still, straining to hear. Someone was approaching, whistling a jaunty tune that
mingled with the sighing of the gentle breeze through the leaves. Minutes later
Jasper appeared, leading his horse through the trees. Dominic jumped up to meet
him.

‘What did you discover?’

‘There’s the usual customs house, some warehouses and a few
cottages down by the quay, and the inn of course. The Anchor. It’s a rundown
tavern used mainly by the fishermen, so it’s pretty quiet at the moment because
all the boats are out.’ He stripped off his gloves, grinning. ‘Landlord’s name
is Miller—’

‘The bailiff’s brother!’ declared Zelah.

Jasper nodded. ‘Very likely. He and his wife run the place, but
they were not very welcoming, told me they had no rooms to spare and suggested I
should try the Ship in Beston village.’

‘You saw no sign of Nicky?’ Zelah questioned him anxiously.

‘No, but I thought I heard a child’s voice coming from one of
the upper rooms.’

‘Then we must go back immediately,’ she said quickly. ‘If Nicky
is there we must rescue him—’

‘I intend to,’ replied Dominic, ‘but we won’t go rushing in.’
He nodded towards the coast. ‘We are less likely to be seen once the rain sets
in.’

A bank of cloud was rolling in from the west. The minutes
dragged by but at last it had enveloped the fields and as it crept ever closer
to the trees, the gentlemen unstrapped their greatcoats from the saddles and
prepared themselves for bad weather. Jasper and Dominic pushed their cuffs out
of sight and each wrapped a muffler around his neck to conceal the white linen.
Zelah, shrouded in her enveloping cloak and with the capacious hood hiding her
face, thought they would look like grey wraiths riding out into the swirling
mist that had swept in from the sea.

Zelah picked up Portia’s reins. ‘Will one of you help me to
mount?’

‘It would be best for you to wait here with Jem,’ stated
Dominic.

‘I am coming with you.’

‘You are not!’

‘But—’

He flung up his arm. ‘I do not have time to argue, Zelah. We
need to concentrate on finding Nicky and getting him away safely, not protecting
you from danger.’

She opened her mouth to protest, but Jasper put his hand on her
arm.

‘Dominic is right,’ he said quietly. ‘You would distract us. We
would both be far too anxious for your safety if you come with us. Let Dom and
me rescue the boy. Besides, if anything should go wrong, you and Sawley will be
free to raise the alarm.’

She closed her lips against further protest—it would only add
to their belief that she was a distraction, she thought bitterly. With a nod
Jasper began to lead the big bay out of the clearing. Dominic stepped in front
of her, hesitated, then briefly placed his hands on her shoulders.

‘Don’t worry, if the boy is there we will find him and bring
him back to you.’

Silently she nodded.
I am a
distraction
, she thought, and fought down the desire to throw her
arms about his neck and kiss him, to wish him good luck and urge him to be
careful. Instead she tried to keep her worries hidden as she watched them walk
away. They were soon swallowed up by the mist and she was left with only Jem
Sawley for company.

* * *

Dominic followed Jasper down the narrow track. The
drizzle and mist enveloped them and within minutes their outer clothes were
dusted with tiny water droplets. When they reached the small promontory Jasper
led the way to a derelict barn. The door had disappeared, but the roof was
almost intact.

‘We’ll leave the horses here,’ said Jasper. ‘The inn lies at
the other side of the quay, but it’s not far.’

‘Good.’ Dominic drew his pistol from its saddle holster. ‘You
go to the inn and call for service, I’ll slip in the back way and search the
rooms.’

‘I shall go to the front door and make a lordly fuss.’ Jasper
looked at Dominic, his eyes unusually sombre. ‘Be careful, Brother.’

He slipped away and was soon lost to sight between the
straggling buildings. Dominic waited a few minutes, then set off after him. The
whole area was deserted, no fishing boats were tied up at the quay, the houses
and outbuildings were empty and an air of quiet desolation hung over everything.
He kept close to the buildings, the rain splashing from the roof tiles onto his
hat and shoulders as he hurried along the muddy lane and into the narrow alley
that led to the rear of the inn. The long, low building formed an L-shape around
a cobbled yard. On one side the roof was extended to form a covered way, which
looked as if it had once been a skittle alley, but was now filled with empty
beer barrels stacked untidily against the back wall.

He could hear Jasper’s voice, loud and bombastic as he shouted
for the landlord. Dominic moved cautiously towards the open doorway. He found
himself in a narrow passage. An open door immediately on his right led to the
kitchen and a set of narrow stairs ran up to his left. He slipped up the stairs,
which mercifully did not creak. A series of doors led off the landing. Boldly he
put his hand on the latch of the first one and walked in, prepared to apologise
and retreat if it was occupied, as if he was a genuine guest.

The room was empty, shabby but clean with the bed made up and
ready for use. The second and third attempts revealed similar empty rooms.

‘Hmm,’ he muttered to himself, ‘that gives the lie to their
being full.’

The next door was locked and a heavy bolt had been fastened to
the outside, the freshly splintered wood evidence that it had been fitted very
recently. He knocked softly and heard a sobbing whimper.

Dominic took out a pocket knife and set to work on the old
lock, which soon gave way.

Cautiously he opened the door. The room was as sparsely
furnished as the others, but Nicky was there, alone, sitting disconsolately on
the edge of the narrow bed. As soon as he saw Dominic he threw himself at
him.

‘Thank God,’ muttered Dominic, laying a hand on the boy’s
shoulder. ‘Come now, let us get out of here—’

‘Not so fast, my fine friends.’

The rolling West Country vowels made Dominic’s head snap
around. The landlord was at the door, a shotgun held menacingly in his
hands.

‘Ah. I thought I heard a noise up ’ere.’

Dominic stepped in front of Nicky. ‘Don’t be a fool, man. Put
the gun down. The game is up now, unless you mean to murder us.’

The landlord shrugged. ‘Murder, abduction, it makes no odds.
We’d hang anyway if we was found out—and keep yer hands where I can see ’em,’ he
ordered, as Dominic reached for the pistol in his pocket.

‘Dan’l, what’re you doin’...?’ the landlady’s shrill tones
preceded her up the stairs. A slatternly looking woman with untidy hair and a
greasy apron appeared beside her husband, who sniffed.

‘We got a visitor, Martha. Come to get the boy. Do you check
’is pockets, and see if he’s carryin’ a weapon.’

The landlady wiped her hands nervously on her apron and
approached Dominic, keeping well to the side so there was no possibility of
blocking her husband’s aim. She lifted the pistol from his pocket and the man
called Daniel gave a satisfied nod.

‘I thought as much.’

‘So are you going to shoot ’im, Dan’l?’

‘No!’ cried Nicky, clinging to Dominic.

‘It’s all right, Nicky,’ said Dom quickly. ‘Don’t worry,
lad.’

‘Aye, that’s right, you tell ’im,’ leered the landlord, waving
the shotgun menacingly. ‘If you are wise, you’ll both behave yerselves.’

‘And if
you
are wise, you will let
them go.’ Jasper’s cool drawl came from the landing, a pistol in his hand.

‘Is that right?’ The landlord spat on the floor. ‘Seems to me
that pop gun o’ yers might get me, but not afore I’ve pulled the trigger, and
one blast from this would send the nipper
and
yer
friend to kingdom come. And it’s not to say that Martha here might not loose off
yer friend’s shooter, too.’

A cold chill ran down Dominic’s spine. He wondered how quickly
he could drop down and shield the boy. If he was quick enough, he could take the
force of the blast and Nicky might survive.

‘So what’s it t’be?’ the landlord demanded. ‘I ain’t gonna
stand here all day. Either you comes in here with yer friend and the boy, or
I’ll shoot ’em both.’

‘Don’t ’ee be too hasty, Dan’l.’ The woman placed her hand on
the landlord’s arm. ‘If we has trouble here then we’ll have the Revenue men
crawling all over the place.’

‘She’s right,’ agreed Jasper. ‘You cannot fire that thing
without an almighty disturbance that will bring every Revenue man for miles down
upon you.’

The landlord shrugged. ‘No matter. They ain’t found nothing yet
so I reckons I’ll tek my chances, if I ’as to. And as to shooting anybody...’
his lip curled, displaying a mouth full of yellow, rotted teeth ‘...a man’s
entitled to defend his property. No, my fine buck, I thinks you’d better give
that pretty pop o’ yours to my good lady, afore my finger gets itchy on this
trigger and I shoots the boy.’

Through the open doorway Dominic met Jasper’s eyes and read the
message there. The risk was too great. Jasper lowered his pistol.

‘Well, fellow, it seems you have me there.’

The landlord stood away from the door. ‘You come on in here,
then, where I can see thee. And, Martha, you go and fetch some cord to tie up
these fine gennlemen!’

‘I’m sorry, brother,’ murmured Jasper as he came to stand
beside Dominic. ‘Perhaps we will have another chance.’

‘Perhaps.’ Dominic shrugged.

Faced with the shotgun pointing at them, they could do nothing
but wait until the landlady returned with a length of thin rope, with which she
proceeded to bind their hands behind their back.

‘Tight, mind,’ ordered Daniel. ‘They’s big divils and I don’t
want no messin with ’em.’

‘Aye, but what now?’ said Martha, when she had finished. ‘Do
you want to leave ’em all here?’

‘No, the boy can stay—the lock’s bust, but the bolt on the door
will hold’n.’ He looked up suddenly. ‘Where’s your horses?’

‘Back at the village,’ said Dominic. ‘At the inn.’

‘Aye,’ added Jasper. ‘We told them we were here to paint the
landscape.’

The landlord’s face twisted into a cruel grin. ‘Well, then,
they won’t think nothing of it if you takes a tumble off the cliff into the sea.
We’ll put you in the cellar ’til nightfall, then tek you out to sea an’—’

‘No!’ shouted Nicky, ‘You shan’t hurt them, you shan’t.’

The landlady pulled him against her greasy skirts. ‘No, no,
they won’t be ’armed, my babby.’ She glared at her husband. ‘Do you want to have
the nipper bawling and troublesome all night? Will said we was to keep ’im
safe—no marks, ’e said.’ She looked down at the little boy. ‘Don’t ’ee worry, me
lad. We’re jus gonna put yer friends into the cellar for a while, till William
comes to take you all home, ain’t that right, Dan’l?’

‘Aye,’ growled Daniel. ‘So you two get yerselves downstairs,
now, and don’t try anything, I ain’t afraid to deal with you.’

‘No, of course not, now we have our hands tied behind our
backs!’ retorted Dominic. He turned and nodded at Nicky. ‘We will see you later,
Nicky.’

Daniel waved the shotgun again. ‘That’s enough, now get
yerselves down them stairs.’

The landlord kept a safe distance behind them and the landlady,
waving Jasper’s pistol in her hand, informed them that she was quite prepared to
use it.

A door under the stairs led to the cellar. The landlord waved
them forwards, waited until they were both on the stairs, then kicked his foot
into Jasper’s back, sending them crashing down into the darkness.

* * *

Zelah paced up and down the clearing. The light within
the trees had faded to a grey dusk. Surely Dominic and Jasper should have
returned by now? It was still raining, but the mist had lifted a little and she
could see where the lane dropped away to the quay. There was no one in sight.
She felt quite sick with apprehension, imagining the most horrendous scenes. It
was almost too dark to see now and with grim determination Zelah made her way
back to where the groom was sitting with the horses.

‘Help me to mount, Sawley. We will go and find out what has
happened.’

‘Nay, madam, the major said—’

‘The major should have been back by now,’ she retorted
fiercely. ‘Now it is up to you—either you come with me, or I shall go to the
quay alone!’