Calico Road (41 page)

‘I’m not going anywhere without lanterns. I’m not a horse and I definitely can’t see in the dark!’

Jad bit off a sharp reply. His master was causing delay after delay. It would be fully light in an hour or two and he’d have trusted the horses to find their way safely on such a well-used road. It wasn’t as if they’d be galloping or riding across open country, after all. But there was never any use arguing with Mr Beardsworth.

‘Hurry up, man!’

As they left the village, each carrying a lantern on a pole, Andrew gave a nasty chuckle. ‘I’d like to catch up with them before there are too many folk up and about – if things are to happen as I wish. We don’t want anyone mistaking what’s happening, do we?’

If there was so much hurry, why the hell had his master caused so many delays? Jad wondered. But Andrew Beardsworth always went his own way, and so far it’d paid off. Ah, what was he worrying about? They were on horseback and would catch the silly bitch easily enough.

Curtains, or the sacks many folk used for curtains, twitched at windows as they passed by, but only Jad noticed that. Let them peep out, he thought contemptuously. They’d not see what happened up Calico Road. And they would still be toiling in the mill while he was living a comfortable life, with power over others and money put by for his old age. What more could a man want?

Breath rasped in Harriet’s throat as she struggled on. Each slope seemed steeper than the previous one and Jane heavier. She had to stop every now and then for a rest, and sometimes Jane hobbled along for a while in her ill-fitting shoes, but could not keep going for long. The inn showed up in the distance now, a black outline against the grey of the pre-dawn sky, but behind her the bobbing lanterns were halfway up the hill and moving far more quickly than she could.

When a man strode down the road towards them she was so exhausted all she could do was stand there panting, waiting to find out who he was and what he wanted. She let Jane slip down and sag against her, then reached inside her pocket for the knife. She wasn’t going back to Andrew, not under any circumstances.

The stranger stopped a couple of paces away from them. ‘Who are you?’

‘None of your business.’

‘I can see someone’s coming after you,’ he said curtly. ‘If it’s who I think it is, I might be able to help.’

Harriet was so surprised by this she couldn’t speak for a minute or two, then quickly explained their plight.

He looked at the little girl, waif-thin and even in this dim light showing the marks of a severe beating. ‘It’s wickedness, that’s what it is, beating young childer like that. I’d not send mine to work in that mill, not for anything.’ He cast another glance down the hill and stepped forward. ‘Come on. I’ll carry the little lass. Can you manage on your own?’

‘Yes.’

He set Jane down on top of a drystone wall. ‘Jump down, love. Good thing the ground’s too hard to show your footprints, eh? We’ll go across the field here. It’s quicker. It was lucky my dog heard you coming and growled to warn me.’ He looked sideways at Harriet and his voice grew gentler. ‘Not far now.’

‘Why – are you – doing this?’

‘Because I hate folk being ill-treated, an’ as for that cruel sod down the hill . . . I’d like to see him under the ground where he can’t harm folk any more.’

She walked on in silence then managed to say, ‘I’m – grateful.’

‘Better save your breath for walking, love. We mun move as quickly as we can so that we’re out of sight afore they get here.’

Ross led her towards a small house, square and whitewashed, showing up like a ghostly presence in the grey half-light. Glancing back over his shoulder at the road which lay slightly below them, he grinned. ‘They’ll not catch up with you now, eh?’

Opening the door he ushered them inside to reveal a room where firelight glowed a welcome. ‘Essie love, can you hide these two in the attic?’

A woman who’d been swinging a kettle over the fire turned and looked at them. ‘More runaways?’

‘Aye. They’ll tell you their story. I’ve got to go out again, keep an eye on them sods. They’ll not find it so easy to bully an’ beat folk here in Calico.’

Meg heard the sound of horses’ hooves just as grey light was starting to reveal the world. She went into the public room to peep down the road and saw two men riding towards the inn. What were they doing out at this early hour? She ran upstairs, feeling suddenly anxious, hesitated outside Toby’s room then rapped on the door.

He came and opened it so quickly he must already have been awake. ‘Is something wrong, love? I was woken by the sound of horses.’

‘Two men are coming up the hill. They’ll be here in a minute. It’s not light enough to see who they are, but it’s a strange time to ride out, isn’t it?’

‘Aye. I’ll just get dressed, be with you in a minute.’

But before he joined her, he went into her bedroom and looked out of the window. It was getting lighter by the minute, that false light of pre-dawn still, not the true dawn, but if your eyes weren’t dazzled by candlelight, it was enough to see by.

It wasn’t hard to recognise Beardsworth and his overlooker. There was only one reason Toby could think of for them to be out on the tops at this hour: chasing more fugitives. Unfortunately the fugitives hadn’t reached the inn this time. He wondered where they were, how they’d managed to hide from their pursuers, and spared a few seconds to wish them luck.

He slipped down the stairs. ‘Put out that candle, Meg. We’ll go back up to our bedrooms and pretend they’ve woken us up. I’m in no hurry to let
them
in.’

‘Who are they?’

‘Beardsworth and his overlooker, the one as beats young children.’

Andrew and Jad rode up to the front door of the inn, pausing to study the place.

‘No lights showing,’ Jad commented.

‘Well, there wouldn’t be, would there? They’d know better than to let us know they’re awake. Knock on the door! We’re not leaving till we’ve found my wife.’

Jad grinned as he dismounted. This was going to be very enjoyable. He’d taken a dislike to Fletcher on sight and his various visits had only reinforced that. Soft, that’s what the fellow was, and Jad hated soft folk, especially ones who’d fallen lucky and not had to work hard for what they owned. He hammered on the door. When nothing happened he thumped his clenched fist on the wood again. ‘Hoy there! Open up!’

A window opened above their heads and a man’s voice asked, ‘Who is it?’

‘Mr Beardsworth. Get that door open, you!’

Toby said in a slow, stupid voice, ‘Eh, I never expected anyone to turn up at this hour. There’s no food ready. We haven’t even got the fire going.’

Impatient with this, Andrew yelled, ‘Open this door or we’ll break it down. It’s not food we want.’

Toby put his arm round Meg. ‘I’ll have to open up. I don’t like the sound of this, though.’

When he unlocked the front door, Jad thrust it open so roughly that Toby stumbled backwards.

‘Bring her out.’ Jad held up his lantern so that its horn pane was directing the light at the innkeeper.

‘Bring who out?’ Toby blinked as the light shone into his eyes, casting everything else into a blur of shadows. Anger rose in him at this rudeness. He was just about to push the lantern aside, and the fellow holding it as well if he resisted, when the other man walked past them both into the public room.

Another lantern was shone in Toby’s direction. ‘Bring out my wife.’ Andrew’s voice was rough with anger. ‘It’s no use pretending you haven’t got her here because there’s nowhere else she could have gone.’

‘There’ve been no carriages here since—’

‘She’s not in a carriage. She’s run mad and is wandering round the moors. We’re trying to find the poor creature before she does herself harm.’

Toby said nothing, wondering how best to deal with two men, both of whom had the look of fighters.

‘Answer my master, you dolt!’ Jad poked a finger towards his chest.

Toby saw surprise on the man’s face as he sidestepped to avoid it. Did the fool think he’d stand still and let them treat him like that?

A woman’s voice interrupted them. ‘Who is it, Toby?’

He saw Meg standing in the doorway, candlelight shining behind her in the house place now. ‘A man looking for his wife. You get on with your work, Meg.’ He didn’t want her putting herself in danger.

But she didn’t like the way the two men were standing as if threatening Toby. ‘I thought you might need me.’

Jad laughed scornfully at the idea she could help her master. He moved across the room before she’d realised what he was doing and caught hold of her arm, swinging her round to shine his lantern in her face.

Furious at this, she slapped him before he could stop her and stamped on his foot for good measure as she wrenched herself away. ‘Get off me!’ She stepped quickly backwards out of his reach, her eyes wary now. This was like the times she’d faced angry customers in the pawn shop, only worse. This man exuded confidence and something else, something evil. She wished she’d brought the poker with her.

‘Shut up and keep out of our way, you stupid bitch!’

‘Leave her alone.’ Toby moved across to Meg’s side. He wasn’t having them ill-treating her.

Andrew said, ‘Go and search the place, Jad. Harriet’s got to be hiding somewhere.’

Toby tried to use words to protect them, always his favourite tactic, but his patience was almost at an end. Anger such as he hadn’t felt for years was welling up in him. ‘I keep telling you, we’ve seen no one.
You
woke us up hammering on the door.’ As Jad turned towards the house place, he blocked the entrance. ‘And no one is searching my inn.’

‘I’ll have you up before the magistrate for this,’ Andrew yelled. ‘Get out of my man’s way.’

A voice from the outer doorway startled them all. ‘I were up with a sick sheep and saw the horses, wondered who was out at this hour. You can’t be too careful, can you? What’s going on, Toby lad?’ Ross Bellvers stepped forward from the shadows, his expression grim.

‘Mind your own business, fellow!’

Toby answered. ‘Mr Beardsworth is looking for his wife. Seems she’s run away.’ He turned back to the millowner. ‘I’ve heard of your operatives running away, but what did you do to make your own wife flee from you?’

Andrew gave him a look that said he’d regret that remark, but Toby merely smiled at him and waited to see what they’d do.

‘As I’ve already informed you, landlord, my wife is in a disturbed state of mind and doesn’t know what she’s doing. For her own safety I need to find her.’

‘Well, she’s not been here.’

‘I’m not taking your word for that. I intend to search the place myself. She may be hiding in one of the outhouses.’

‘I’ll come and search the outhouses with you, but the inn has been locked up all night and the only door that’s unlocked is the one you came in by, so I know for certain she’s not in here.’ And, he thought, even if she was, I’d not give her up to you.

‘I’d prefer to search the inn as well. People whose wits are troubled can be very cunning.’ Suddenly there was a pistol in Andrew’s hand. ‘In fact, I insist.’

Toby thrust Meg behind him. ‘Go into the house place, lass. Leave this to me.’

She did as he asked but was shocked by how sharp her anxiety was for him. If that man killed him . . . if
anyone
harmed her Toby . . . She stopped just inside the house place as she admitted to herself what she’d been trying to deny: she loved him, loved him so dearly it hurt even to think he might get hurt.

So much for her saying she’d never let anyone get close to her again. She stood listening to the men talking, every sense alert and watchful.

‘It seems I’ve no choice but to let you search the inn, but you’ll find I’m speaking the truth,’ Toby said.

‘And I’ll come round with you,’ Ross added, ‘just to see fair play done.’

Toby gave him a nod of thanks. He wouldn’t have put anything past these two after what he’d seen of the fugitives he’d helped.

For a moment Beardsworth stared at Ross, the issue clearly in doubt, then gave a curt nod. ‘Make sure you stay out of our way.’

The two men searched every room, every cupboard in the inn, beginning with the house place, where Meg stared at them resentfully and Phoebe sat clutching a shawl round herself looking terrified.

‘Make sure you two don’t leave this room!’ Jad warned the women as they left. ‘Mr Beardsworth would be very angry with you if you did.’

Meg opened her mouth to protest, caught Toby’s warning glance and shrugged. They could take her silence for acceptance or not, but she was going to keep an eye on them.

As they went round the various rooms, Ross and Toby leaned against the nearest wall and watched them, and always either Jad or Beardsworth would position himself to see that no one slipped past while the other searched.

When they got to the rear building, Beardsworth looked round scornfully. ‘Places like this should have been pulled down years ago. It’s clearly unsafe.’ He still had the pistol in his hand.

‘We only use it for drying the wet washing so who’s going to get hurt?’ Toby asked, managing with an effort to sound his normal genial self, though he was itching to kick these two out of his inn. If Mrs Beardsworth had run away, he was sure it wasn’t because she had lost her wits, but because she’d regained them. Who in their right minds would marry someone like this? Eh, she must have been desperate, poor woman.

He remembered seeing her in Halifax. For all her fine clothes, she’d seemed downtrodden and nervous, faded-looking compared to her sister, Jethro’s wife, who’d been in vibrant blooming health.

Jad went into every room of the rear place while his master kept the pistol trained on Toby and Ross. He studied the cupboard and thumped the back of it, but the old timbers sounded solid and he came out of it shaking his head to signify he’d found nothing there.