Lessons in French (19 page)

Jock striding toward the house and garden, Trev and Barton scaling the ladder. Trev

followed his companion across the dusty boards to the open loft door. Down in the walled

yard, he saw an enormous black bull lift its head from a pile of hay, chewing calmly as it

watched them.

"Barton!" Trev hissed, dropping from the bale hook to land on both feet. He stared at

the black animal and then put his face into his hand in despair. "You infernal imbecile.

That's the wrong bloody bull."

Callie trotted along rapidly, only vaguely aware that Major Sturgeon's horse kept pace

behind her. She had taken the shortcut into Shelford, jumping two stiles and a hedge and

trespassing on Farmer Dauncy's orchard to reach the lane. She left word with everyone

she passed, calling Mr. Rankin out from the Antlers and informing him of the emergency

without even dismounting.

Colonel Davenport lived at some distance from the village, several miles along the

Bromyard road. As she rode she scanned the autumn landscape, searching for a familiar f

lash of red and white hide among the laden apple trees or across the fields. It shouldn't be

difficult to locate something as large as a bull, but they could be amazingly easy to

overlook. Hubert would be enticed by the countless orchards or any fencerow that

contained sweet grass, still green under the holly and hawthorn this late in the year. He

could manage to obscure himself quite nicely behind an overgrown hedge.

A brief pause at Colonel Davenport's house discovered only the empty paddock. The

colonel himself was not at home. A stable lad showed her where Hubert had cracked the

rails right through, tearing them out of the posts. Callie had dressed the boy down, quite

unfairly, for the flimsiness of a fence that would not have held Hubert when he was a

yearling, much less as a full-grown bull. It wasn't the lad's fault that Colonel Davenport

didn't keep sturdy fences, but she was incensed. The boy seemed to think that Hubert

must have smashed the rails with his horns, which would have alerted the whole

neighborhood to his escape, but Callie knew better. All that would have been required

was a long, slow, steady push by a bull that preferred to be outside the paddock rather

than in it.

Whether he had been ready to go home or just stretching for that farthest blade of grass,

she didn't know. From the colonel's house she took the route that the drover would have

followed from Shelford. This led her back toward the village by a longer, more level way

where a cart might ford the streams, in the direction of Dove House.

"Black henna, sir!" Barton whispered. "Not a bad job, eh? Started as soon as I had any

light. For a while I didn't know if it would come up to cover the white, but he's turning

pretty sleek now." He ran his hand down the bull's hind leg. "I see I missed a spot there

on his left hock."

"Christ, where'd you get that much dye?" Trev demanded in a low voice. He saw now

that there was blue-stained hay concealed under the fresh layer at the bull's hooves.

"Tanner, sir," Barton said solemnly. "Got thick with him over a pint of bitters."

"Naturally." Trev watched the dog, Toby, sniff at the bull's knee. "Now what the devil

do you expect me to do with this animal?"

Barton looked anxious. "I dunno, sir. You didn't tell me I'd need to think o' what to do

with 'im. I reckoned you knew your own mind on that, sir."

"I did," Trev said dryly.

"You was gonna give 'im to that lady, sir?"

"That was the plan. But she would be expecting a red pied bull, you see, with a bill of

sale. This seems to be a black bull of uncertain origin."

"Hmm," Barton said, pursing his wide mouth. "So it does, sir."

"Quite."

"I didn't steal 'im, sir! I found him."

"We aren't going to argue the point with a constable, Barton. We're getting myself and

my fellow fugitive here out of sight before anyone searches the premises."

"Yes, sir." Barton grabbed the lead attached to the bull's nose ring. "I know a way

round the lane to the millpond. We can walk him down the stream and tie him up. Come

along, old fellow." He clucked to the bull. "Toby, get him!"

At Barton's voice, the dog barked and nipped at the animal's heels. The bull turned its

head and gave a half hearted kick, but appeared to find the dog no more persuasive than a

large f ly. It blew a gust of air and lowered its nose, taking up another mouthful of hay.

"Quiet!" Trev snapped, as Toby began to bark and growl. "Do you want to advertise us

to the whole county? Move along, you beast!" He picked up a pitchfork and waved the

handle at the enormous bull. He'd seen drovers in the army hustling their animals along

with staffs.

The bull blinked at him, all four feet planted solidly amid the hay, its jaw working in

unhurried rhythm.

"Come along," Trev said in exasperation, bran dishing the fork. "What's your name?

Hubert. Hyah, Hubert!"

The animal turned fully at the sound of its name. With slow majesty, it lifted one hoof

and then another, ignoring the pitchfork and ambling toward Trev. It lifted its massive

nose to snuff le at his clothes, as if searching for something in his neck cloth. It was

purported to be a shorthorn bull, but Trev could have sworn that the tips of its horns were

as wide as his arm-span.

Trev backed away. The bull followed. "Hubert," he said, walking backward toward the

gate. Hubert moved faster after him, deliberate now, his great hooves thumping in the

dirt. He made a low sound, a sort of groaning, smothered bellow that made the hair rise

on Trev's neck. He hoped to the devil that the thing didn't decide to charge.

"
Hubert
!" Callie pulled her horse to a halt in the middle of the lane. Major Sturgeon

came up behind her. She waved at him to stop, straining her ears to hear over the sound

of the horses and her own breath. She could have sworn that she'd caught Hubert's

distinctive bellow, a deep rumbling sound almost below hearing.

They had just passed Dove House. The garden gate was ajar, and the front door stood

open. She had not forgot Trev, but the strange encounter in the night seemed so far from

reality that today she was hardly certain it had even taken place.

A dog was barking furiously somewhere in the back of the property. She dismounted,

throwing her reins to Major Sturgeon. It wasn't impossible that Hubert had wandered off

the road and found his way inside the small stable yard, where she knew there had been

some fresh hay put out for Trev's team. She was about to hurry round to the rear when a

figure came skulking out the front door, pulling his hat down over his eyes. Trev's big

manservant walked out behind him, pulling the door closed with a firm hand.

"Constable Hubble!" Callie said, relieved to see that Colonel Davenport must have set

the parish officer on the hunt for Hubert. "Is he here? Have you found him?"

The constable looked up, recognized her, and pulled off his hat. "No, my lady." He

glanced back at Jock uneasily and lowered his voice to a lugubrious whisper. "I ain't

going to disturb nothin' further now, ma'am. I'm told there's mortal sickness in the house."

"Mortal?" Callie stopped short, feeling a wave of alarm for Madame. She looked

toward Jock. "No… the duchesse is not worse?"

The manservant shook his gleaming head slowly and bowed it down. "She's real poorly,

my lady." He spoke English with strong traces of a drayman's accent. "Mortal poor. She

ain't got long, Doc says."

Callie had known this was coming, but not so soon. And Trev… where was Trev? She

stared in dismay at Jock. "Is her son here?"

"On his way, my lady," Jock said gruff ly.

"No one is with her?" Callie moved toward the door. She couldn't leave the duchesse

alone if she was failing. She turned to the constable. "I must go in. But I think I may have

heard him in the back, behind the stable," she said. Major Sturgeon came up and stood by

her shoulder, but she only glanced at him. "Please do look, Constable, and send word up

to me immediately if he's here. Then you can secure him and wait for Colonel

Davenport."

"You're mistaken, beggin' your pardon, my lady!" Jock said strongly. "He's not in the

stable, I assure you! I've had a message sent to him to come as soon as he can."

"A message?" Callie drew in her chin in confusion.

Constable Hubble twisted his hat in his hands. "Is my lady lodging a complaint too?

Because I don't much like to make an arrest at such a moment."

Callie blinked. "Arrest?" Then she shook her head. "There's no one to arrest. You can't

arrest a bull." She bit her lip, envisioning what damage Hubert might have done while he

was on the loose. "Can you?"

The constable gave a hawking laugh. "Nay, my lady, I'm not here to arrest no bull. I

reckon you mean the colonel's animal? I've kept a lookout for 'im this morning, certain

enough, but I've a warrant here for—" He pulled a document from inside his coat. "For a

duke of Mon-serks, says. Of French origin, residin' at Dove House, village of Shelford,

hundred of Radlow, union of Bromyard, county of… etc., etc."

"That French fellow?" Major Sturgeon spoke at her elbow, a sharp note in his voice.

"This is where he lives?"

Constable Hubble glanced up and nodded at Sturgeon. "Aye, sir. I'm after 'im, I can

assures you. But his mama's in her last mortal coils, her man here tells me, and he's been

called to come to her side. I'd as soon wait a little while sir, beggin' your pardon. There be

no hurry to take the gentleman up. It can wait until his mama's left this world, god bless

'er."

"The duke?" Callie took a trembling breath. "I don't understand. You have a warrant for

the duke?"

"Aye, my lady. Arrest warrant."

"Arrest!" She gasped. "For what?"

"Assault on an officer of the king's army, ma'am, and on a justice of the peace. That

was Colonel Davenport himself, my lady, and this here military gentleman, if I'm not

mistaken."

Callie turned to Major Sturgeon. She looked at his swollen jaw, and thought of Trev's

swollen hand. With a speechless burst of insight, she apprehended that they had not, after

all, fallen off their respective horses.

"Breakin' the king's peace, riot, and threatenin' behavior," Hubble added, reading from

his warrant. "Attested to by John L. Sturgeon, Major, Mr. Daniel Smith, proprietor of the

Bluebell tavern, list of other witnesses, statements taken on the spot, etc., etc."

She was still staring at Major Sturgeon. A warrant for Trev's arrest.

She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them. Trev had said she would

understand today why he had to go away.

Her heart sank. It was a shock, but not entirely beyond comprehension. Ever since she

had known him, Trev had played over the edge of safe and lawful conduct. He seemed to

glory in discovering just how far he could go, how much he could get by with. She was

probably fortunate to escape having a warrant for her own arrest, merely for having tea

with him at the Antlers.

Major Sturgeon seemed vexed, as well he might if Trev had assaulted him. There had

been an instant antagonism between the two of them at their brief meeting, a hostility that

Trev had certainly done his best to encourage. She felt blood rising to her cheeks. Had it

been over her? She could not imagine that two gentlemen had exchanged blows over

Lady Callista Taillefaire. They would be more likely to consult one another on novel

methods to escape her spinster clutches.

"I didn't wish to burden you with the details of a rather sordid encounter, Lady

Callista," the major said, his voice still slurred by the swelling at his jaw. "I beg your

pardon if I've bent the truth regarding my injury."

"Oh no," she said, turning away hurriedly. "I'm sure it's no business of mine how you

came to be injured."

"Perhaps someday you'll allow me to tell you a bit about this 'duke,'" he said, speaking

with considerable bitterness. "He claims to be your friend, but I don't think you should

depend upon it, my lady."

"Indeed," Callie said. She was having a little trouble breathing. "Perhaps someday you

will tell me. But now I really must go in to the duchesse." She turned and went quickly

up the path to where Jock stood at the door.

"Let's just take a look in the stable yard, Constable," Major Sturgeon said behind her.

"For this bull—and anyone else who may be there."

Ten

CALLIE HURRIED UP THE STAIRS OF DOVE HOUSE. SHE did not pause to knock

at the bedroom door but went straight in, fearing to find the duchesse in very grave

condition. Instead she found Madame sitting up in a chair, sipping at a cup of tea while a

nurse changed the bedsheets with competent efficiency.

"Lady Callista!" Madame said in her soft, struggling voice. "Do come in. I am so…

pleased to see you." She had to pause a moment in the midst of the sentence to catch her

breath, but she was attired in a dressing gown, her hair arranged neatly and her color

good.

Callie dropped her hand from the door knob. "Good morning, ma'am." She halted

uncertainly. "I'm sorry to burst in upon you. But I thought—they told me below—I was

most concerned, ma'am! I thought you were left alone."