Old Sins Long Shadows (16 page)

‘
You could have killed me!’ he accused. He did not scare Janey, she was too angry at him for pretending to be dead.

‘
Well, I didn’t, did I? More’s the pity,’ she shouted back.

‘
Are you usually such a haughty shrew?’

‘You bring the worst out in me.’ She shook her head to try and dislodge the wet strand of hair covering her eye but annoyingly it would not budge. ‘You pulled me into the water on purpose.’

‘
No one tells me what to do.’

‘
I wouldn’t have had to if you had saved the dog in the first place.’

Daniel looked back at the dog who sat watching, wagging his tail, the
n pinned her again with his stare.

‘
And your precious dog wouldn’t have been in danger if you’d kept him on a lead and didn’t keep calling him to you. You were encouraging him into the deep water!’

‘
I was trying to save his life which is more than you were doing.’

He mimicked her voice,
‘It’s alright Charlie. Oh, you poor little thing,’ he tutted, ‘Yeah, that helped a lot.’ She shook her head again trying to dislodge the strand of wet hair that stuck to her face like a limpet. She wanted him to see how annoyed she was; having hair stuck to her face put her at a disadvantage. ‘Will you keep still!’ he blasted.

She gave up and lay still, exhausted from her effor
t of getting out of the river. Tranquillity descended and, as their panting settled, they both looked at each other. After a moment Daniel grudgingly apologised.

‘
I didn’t mean to pull you in. You provoked me and I reacted before I knew what I was doing.’

‘
Is that an apology?’

‘
It’s all you are going to get,’ but his voice had become gentle and his face had softened. He released one wrist and with the crook of his little finger lifted the strand of hair from her face and carefully laid it by her head. ‘You are soaked,’ he murmured, half to her, half to himself. He touched her cheek with the back of his fingers and with a slow downward movement stroked her soft, smooth skin. ‘Are you cold?’ 

Janey shook her head, speechless and touched by his sudden gentleness
. She had not seen this side of Daniel Kellow before. His fingers touched the corner of her mouth and ran across her soft lips. Mesmerised, she followed his eyes as he gazed at each feature, seeing in their deep brown a softness that made her feel the most precious thing in the world. She felt as if she had a million butterflies inside her, tumbling and fluttering, threatening to spill up through her chest into the fresh air, her anger towards him already forgotten.

His fingers left her lips and slid through her hair behind her head as his thumb lined her jaw line and she held her breath as she realised he was going to kiss her
. He lowered his head until he was less than a breath away but came no closer. His face lingered above her, sharing the same air, waiting and giving her time to react to his advance. The butterflies started to melt inside her, pooling in the depths of her body, the desire to be kissed by him was threatening to overwhelm Janey. She waited, wanting him, needing him to kiss her but he did not move. Janey could not wait anymore. She tilted her head and kissed him first.

Whatever Daniel was expecting it was not this and his initial shock delayed his response
. He expected her to turn her head, to slap him or to give him a verbal backlash. The last thing he was expecting was for Janey Carhart to kiss him first. It was more than he could have dreamed of. His delayed response was short lived and like a starved man suddenly given nourishment he drank in her kiss, taking over the lead with his experience and desire.

His kisses, at first gentle and teasing, became hungry and sensual as he held back his growing need for this woman he had wanted for so long
. To his delight she matched his fever and despite her inexperience she followed his lead, playing a sexual kissing game that drowned them in sensations and blocked out the world. Despite his carnal desire wanting to tear at her clothes and bury himself deep inside her, he controlled them with a grip of steel. This bossy, proud, funny, beautiful, enchanting and endearing maid was everything he wanted in a woman and he would do nothing to risk losing her.

Janey was lost, lost in a sea of sensations that made their kissing the centre of the universe
. For that moment in time nothing else mattered and she wanted it to go on forever, so she was brought abruptly down to earth with a thud when Daniel suddenly pulled away from her.

‘
Someone’s coming,’ he whispered urgently. Janey’s eyes grew wide as she heard a man shouting in the distance.

‘
Has he seen us?’  Her question was answered by the man himself.

‘
What’s going on down there?’

Daniel
’s warmth left her body as he sprang to his feet and pulled her to hers.

‘
It’s Billy Bray,’ he said positioning her by her shoulders so she faced him yet stood between him and the man descending down the steep embankment. ‘He’s the village gossip. There’s nothing that goes on that Little Billy doesn’t know about.’ Janey looked horrified. Miss Petherbridge would be furious if a member of her staff was found cavorting in a wood with a man. Daniel slipped his coat on her and started to button it up. The large coat not only warmed her but covered her transparent bodice. Her skirts no longer formed a second skin to her legs and hung limply from her hips. ‘He’s a weird looking fella. You can never tell which way he’s looking but he means no harm. He’s got his cart up in the road. He can give you a lift home,’ he told her quietly.

‘You are going to leave me?’ Janey was taken aback as Daniel plonked Charlie in her arms. One minute they were kissing like passionate lovers, the next he was putting her on a cart with a complete stranger. Daniel turned her around to face the man, put on his boots and started helping her up the steep embankment.

‘
You’ll catch pneumonia if you walk home. Come on.’

As soon as she saw him she realised
why he was nicknamed
Little
. No more than four foot high with wide bowed legs and a limp that reminded Janey of a small boat being tossed on a rough sea, the little man slowed down his descent and waited for the couple to approach.

‘
Billy. How are you?’ Daniel said a little too loudly and with a big smile on his face. Billy Bray was immediately suspicious; Daniel didn’t often smile, leastways not at him.

‘
What’s going on ’ere then?’ asked the little man as he appeared to look at both of them at the same time.

‘
Bit of a mishap with the river, nothing serious.’ The man, who was in his mid forties and had hands the size of shovels, didn’t look convinced. ‘He thinks I’ve been mistreating you.’ Daniel said under his breath as they approached. Janey groaned, ‘Don’t worry, I don’t have much of a reputation to lose but I’ll have a word in his ear to make sure he doesn’t ruin yours.’

Daniel shook his hand but Billy was looking at Janey.

‘You alright, Miss?’ he asked.

Janey knew what he meant and although Daniel had pulled her into the river she didn’t want this man to know.
However, thought Janey, a little revenge would not go amiss and she set about making Daniel feel guilty regarding his actions.

‘
I am now, thanks to this gentleman here,’ she enthused. Daniel looked at her in surprise. Now what was she up to?

‘What do you mean?’ asked the older man.

‘
My dog and I fell in the river and this gentleman saved us both.’ Daniel fingered his collar uncomfortably. ‘I was so distressed, I fainted and my saviour brought me around.’

‘
I bet ’e did,’ smiled Billy showing a haphazard array of teeth.

‘
It’s true,’ gushed Janey who was enjoying making Daniel feel a little ashamed of his actions. ‘Without a thought to his own safety, or clothing, he waded into the river like a hero.’

‘
That’s enough of that,’ snapped Daniel to a smirking Janey. ‘Can you give Miss Carhart a lift back to Bosvenna Manor?’ before I ring her bloody neck, thought Daniel.

‘
Of course, it would be my pleasure.’ The three had arrived at the road where an old cart and horse stood patiently and Daniel lifted Janey into the cart as if she was a bit of lumber.

‘
I know what your game is,’ he whispered to her.

She looked at him with wide innocent eyes,
‘I really don’t know what you mean, Mr Kellow?’

‘
You’re trying to make me feel bad.’

‘
And from your discomfort it seems to have worked,’ she retorted with a triumphant smile. Daniel realised he may have met his match with this woman.

‘
You should keep your dog on a lead next time you choose to walk by a river,’ he added gruffly.

‘
I don’t feel I’ve done anything wrong. How was I to know he would fall in the river?’

Daniel pulled himself up on the cart step and leaned forward until his nose almost touched hers.

‘Are you telling me you don’t regret your actions this afternoon?’ he challenged.

‘
I most certainly don’t, Mr Kellow.’

Daniel smiled,
‘Good,’ he drawled, images of their kiss playing in both of their heads, ‘I was hoping you would say that.’  

Janey shook her head in disbelie
f. He had wrong footed her and had come out on top yet again. This sparring was becoming a habit. He turned abruptly, jumped to the ground and approached Little Billy who was standing at the horse’s head. They were some distance away and Janey could not hear what they were saying. A couple of times Little Billy turned to look at her sitting patiently in the cart. He nodded in response to Daniel’s words, causing Janey’s curiosity to be raised. Soon Billy was up in the cart with her and with a lurch of the horse they were off. Janey, now much warmer in Daniel’s coat, began to relax a little. She stared straight ahead refusing to say goodbye to Daniel Kellow but as they were about to turn a corner, and she knew she would no longer be able to see him again, she turned at the last moment to wave goodbye. To her disappointment he had already gone.

The cart
rumbled over the rough track, for the first few minutes neither spoke, both mulling over the events that had just occurred. Charlie settled down by Janey’s feet while she lifted her wet skirts off her legs and rearranged them more comfortably. Little Billy remained quiet chewing on something in his mouth which Janey thought had probably been in there for some time. Eventually Janey spoke.

‘
Do you know Mr Kellow well, Mr Bray?’

‘
Since ’e was a nipper,’ came the short reply.

‘
How do you find him?’

‘
Bit of a trouble maker when ’e was young but a ’ard worker now.’

Silence lay heavy once more but Janey wanted to learn more about this complex man.

  ‘I have heard rumours, Mr Bray.’

‘That don’t surprise me,’ was his non committal reply. Janey tried another tactic to get the information she wanted so desperately to know.

‘
Perhaps I would learn if there is any substance to the rumours from someone who knows.’

‘
I know all there is to know about this parish. Born and raised ’ere, everyone knows me and I know everyone,’ boasted Billy, puffing up his chest like a cockerel fluffing his feathers.

‘
Is there any truth behind the rumours, Mr Bray?’

‘
Well depends what rumours you’re talking about?’ he replied raising an eyebrow. Mr Bray was not living up to his reputation of being a gossip much to Janey’s frustration. She parried his question with one of her own.

‘
There is more than one?’

Billy shook the reins to gee up his horse,
‘Well, ’e’s a regular visitor to widow Sally until six months ago, that is. She won’t say why but my guess is ’e’s tired of ’er. She’s getting on a bit, you know and Daniel’s good looking enough to want something a bit more young and tender to grab hold of. Begging your pardon m’am,’ Janey blushed. She wondered if she was considered young and tender. She wasn’t sure she liked women being described like joints of meat. ‘’e owns a farm left to ’im by an old man called Zachariah Trebilcock who took ’im in as a boy. As a lad ’e always came out on top of any fight...of which there were many, so no one dares cross him now. ’e doesn’t take kindly to fools, you see. Keeps ’imself to ’imself up on his farm with his brood of waifs and strays. And of course there’s the matter of how Zachariah died.’

Janey was relieved he had brought up the death of the old farmer.

‘Do you think he killed him?’ she asked. Billy scratched his head.

‘Only Daniel, Zachariah and the Lord know that. I think there were a lot of sour grapes that Daniel got the farm, but why would Zachariah, with his ’ands swollen with rheumatism, be up a ladder?  He could barely move ’is ’ands let alone climb fifteen feet ’igh!’