Pauper's Gold (40 page)

‘Daren’t? Why “daren’t”?’

‘My father. He’d disown me. I’d lose my inheritance – the mill – everything.’

‘But we’d be together. We’d have each other. We could work.’

Adam gave a wry laugh. ‘Work? What do you suppose I could do? I’ve never lifted a finger to work in my life.’

‘But you work here. You help run the mill. Surely you could get a job as a manager or an overlooker in another mill.’

‘My father and Roper run the mill. I just put the time in. And not even that sometimes, if I’m honest.’

‘But you must know something about what goes on? You come round the mill. You talk to the workers.’

‘Even if I did what you say – even if I applied for a job somewhere else – how long do you suppose it’d be before my father found out where I was and got in touch with
the owners? They’d sack me as soon as look at me, if my father asked them to. Perhaps you don’t realize just how powerful my father is in the district. And beyond, if the truth be
known.’

I think I do
, Hannah wanted to say bitterly. If a man can be the cause of a boy’s death and get away with it just because he has friends in high places, then anything is possible.
Instead, she murmured, ‘I hadn’t realized,’ adding sadly, ‘then there’s nothing to be done.’

‘But I must see you. I must hold you. Please, Anna. I think about you all the time. I can’t sleep at night for thinking about you.’

‘We can see each other. We can meet.’

‘But I want so much more. I want you.’

Was this how his father seduced the young girls? How he’d seduced Nell? With flattery and empty promises of love?

Hannah was resolute. ‘Then put a ring on my finger.’

Adam’s only answer was a deep groan. He buried his fingers in her hair and rained kisses on her forehead, her eyes, and lastly, her mouth.

*

It was as dark as pitch in the lane from the mill to the farm with no moon to light her way. She crept into the yard, closed the gate quietly and tiptoed across the yard. Near the back door, the
Grundys’ collie came out of his kennel.

‘Shh, boy. It’s only me,’ she whispered, and the animal wagged his tail and licked her hand. The back door key was kept hidden just inside the dog’s kennel and Hannah felt
around until her fingers found it. With one last pat on the dog’s head, she inserted the key in the lock, turned it and opened the door. To her horror, it only opened a few inches and then
rattled against a chain.

Hannah had forgotten that last thing at night Ollie looped a chain across the inside of the back door.

‘Serves you right if you was locked out,’ was all Lily Grundy had to say next morning as Hannah appeared sheepishly through the back door, heavy eyed and with bits of straw in her hair from a night spent in the hayloft. Lily clicked her tongue in irritation and disapproval. ‘I don’t know what you think you’re up to, lass, but you’ll come to a bad end if you don’t mind. Oh, go on with you. Into the scullery and get washed and come and get your breakfast.’

As she sat down at the table moments later, Ollie winked at her. ‘I heard the chain rattle and I was coming down to let yer in, but ’er,’ he gestured towards his wife with a nod, ‘wouldn’t let me.’

‘I should think not an’ all,’ Lily said, banging a dish of thick porridge in front of Hannah. ‘Coming home when decent folks are all in their beds. My Ollie works long, hard hours, m’girl. He doesn’t want his sleep broken by you traipsing in at all hours.’

‘No, Mrs Grundy. I’ll mind it doesn’t happen again.’

Lily sniffed and disappeared to the scullery. Ollie leaned over. ‘Don’t worry, lass. When I know you’re out, I won’t put the chain on. You know where key is?’

Hannah nodded. Ollie winked and tapped the side of his nose. ‘What the eye doesn’t see, eh? But just take care of yourself. I wouldn’t want you getting hurt.’

‘I won’t, Mr Grundy, I promise you that. And I’m sorry for disturbing you.’

‘That’s all right. We’ll say no more about it.’

And no more was said, but Lily was not quite so forgiving, and Hannah had the uncomfortable feeling that it was more to do with her rejection of Ted than with her late homecoming.

‘You’re wanted in the office.’ One of the young girls approached Hannah at her machine. ‘I’ll take over here.’

‘Who sent for me?’

The girl shrugged. ‘Dunno.’ She eyed Hannah, who was smiling. ‘Don’t know what you’re looking so pleased about. We only get called up to the office if we’ve done summat wrong. What have you been up to?’

‘Nothing,’ Hannah said airily. But of course she had been up to plenty and with the young master. He was becoming more possessive, more ardent in his demands with each passing day, and she knew that her refusal to let him make love to her was driving him insane with desire.

As she hurried down the length of the workroom, she saw Daniel glowering at her. ‘Can’t wait till night, eh?’ he mouthed at her. Folks who worked in the mills became expert at lip-reading, and whilst she couldn’t hear his words, she knew exactly what he had said. She stopped and moved closer. ‘What do you mean?’

‘What I say. We all know about you and the young master. You can’t keep secrets round here, Hannah, you should know that.’

‘Don’t call me that, my name’s—’

‘I’ll call you whatever I like.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘I could think of one or two names that would fit you nicely.’

‘How dare you?’

‘Oh, I dare. D’you know something, Hannah – and I never thought I’d hear meself say such a thing – but I’m glad that my brother isn’t alive to see it.
To see how you’re behaving. It’d’ve broken his heart.’

Tears sprang to Hannah’s eyes as she blurted out, ‘If Luke was still alive, I wouldn’t be doing it.’

Then she whirled around and ran, and did not stop until she opened the door to the outer office and, breathless, almost fell into the room. Without taking any notice of Mr Roper, bent as always
over his books, she ran towards the inner door. Her hand was on the doorknob when he spoke.

‘There’s no one in there,’ came Josiah Roper’s silky voice.

Hannah turned to face him, the tears of anger at Daniel’s words still brimming in her eyes. ‘What . . . what d’you mean? I was sent for. Adam—’

‘Oho, Adam, is it?’

Too late, she realized her mistake. ‘I mean Master Adam,’ she stammered, but the damage was done.

Slowly, Josiah put down his pen, slipped off his high stool and regarded her for a moment over the top of his small oval spectacles perched on his beak-like nose.

‘You needn’t worry. Everyone here knows about you and Master Adam. Including me. Especially me.’ He paused. ‘But what no one else knows – except me – is . .
.’ He paused and then added with an ominous threat in his tone, ‘Exactly – who
you
are.’

Standing in the office facing Josiah Roper, Hannah gasped, the colour fleeing from her face. ‘What . . . what do you mean? My name’s Anna Morgan.’

‘Don’t play your devious games with me, girl. You’re Hannah Francis. I knew you the minute you walked through that door.’ He flung his arm out to indicate the office
door. ‘Think dying your hair that ridiculous colour is going to hide your identity? It’s not quite as easy as that. Oh, I’ve no doubt you’ve fooled a few here. The ones who
didn’t know you that well. Master Adam, for one,’ he added pointedly. ‘But wait till Mr Edmund decides to come home. He’ll know you. Oh yes, he’ll know you all
right.’

Hannah’s shoulders slumped. ‘So you’re going to tell Adam?’

A sly look came over Josiah’s face. ‘No, actually, I’m not.’

Now Anna was surprised. ‘You’re not?’

He shook his head. ‘I don’t quite know yet what devious game it is you’re playing or why – and I don’t expect you’re going to tell me.’ He paused a
moment as if giving her time to do just that. When she remained silent he gave a little shrug and went on. ‘I assume you’re setting your cap at Master Adam. And,’ he raised his
eyebrows, ‘by all accounts, it seems to be working. Trying to get him to marry you, are you?’

‘I . . .’

Josiah nodded. ‘I thought so. Well, the master won’t like that. He won’t like that at all.’

‘So,’ Hannah asked carefully. ‘Why aren’t you going to tell Master Adam who I really am?’

‘Because,’ another pause whilst Hannah waited, holding her breath, ‘it suits my purpose not to.’

‘
Your
purpose? Whatever d’you mean?’

His thin smile did not reach his eyes as he said silkily, ‘Because anything that
dis
pleases Mr Edmund
pleases
me.’

Hannah’s eyes widened as she stared at him. ‘But . . . but I thought . . . I mean you’re Mr Edmund’s lackey,’ she blurted out. ‘You’re forever toadying
up to him.’

Josiah’s features twisted nastily. ‘You know nothing, girl. Nothing about me.’

‘But you told on me when you thought I was running away. Dragged me back here to be thrown in the punishment room. Why? If you’re not bothered about Mr Edmund, why didn’t you
just let me go then?’

‘Because it was my duty. Because it was what he expected me to do. What he pays me to do. Just as now I shall have to write and report to him that, in his absence, his son is keeping
– er – undesirable company.’

Hannah was still puzzled. ‘So this time you’re giving me time to get away before he comes back?’

Josiah shook his head. ‘Not at all. I’m giving you time to bring whatever it is you have to do to fruition. That’s if you can manage it.’

Hannah shook her head wonderingly. ‘Why? I just don’t understand.’

‘Why is my business,’ he snapped. ‘I’m just giving you fair warning what I’m going to do, that’s all. I needn’t write immediately,’ he said. Now
he was thinking aloud, laying out his plans. ‘He’s abroad, so the letter will take quite a while to reach him. Then it’ll take him a few days to get back here. I reckon
you’ve got about a month all told.’

Why, she wanted to demand again, but knew he was not going to tell her. ‘Are you going to tell him in your letter who . . . who I am?’ There was no point in her trying to carry on
the deception further. At least, not with Josiah Roper.

Josiah didn’t answer immediately. He turned and perched himself back on his high stool and picked up his pen. He twirled it between his fingers and than glanced back at her over his
shoulder. ‘No. I think it would be . . . amusing – see if he recognizes you for himself. Don’t you?’

Then he turned back to the open ledger on his desk and calmly began checking a long column of figures.

Hannah stood staring at him in bewilderment for a few moments before she turned and went quietly out of the office without another word.

A month. For some devious, twisted reason of his own, Josiah Roper had given her a month to get Adam to marry her.

Hannah pondered how much to tell Adam. She didn’t want him to know her true identity, and whilst she couldn’t understand why he was doing it, she was grateful that
Josiah Roper was for the moment keeping her secret. But there was another way she could put the pressure on Adam. Hannah smiled as she ran back across the yard to the workroom, another devious
twist to her plan beginning to take shape.

‘Darling,’ she said, winding her arms about his waist as they stood together beneath the cliff on the narrow path beside the river. ‘Everyone knows about
us.’

Adam sighed. ‘You can’t keep secrets in a place like this.’

How true that was, Hannah thought ruefully. Even she had been unmasked by two people already and it was surely only a matter of time before either Daniel or Mr Roper told someone. Or someone
else recognized her as a face from the past. She was surprised that Ernest Scarsfield hadn’t realized who she was. He’d always been kind to her – as he still was, even though he
thought she was a totally different person. And yes, she was a very different person to the innocent, naive child she’d been then. She shuddered, realizing with searing clarity that she did
not like the new person she’d become.

Aloud, she said, ‘What will happen when your father comes home? Because someone will tell him about us.’

‘I don’t know,’ Adam said worriedly. ‘I’ve been thinking about that. Roper will tell him for sure, if no one else does.’ He was thoughtful for a moment before
murmuring, ‘I suppose I could sack Roper before Father gets back.’

‘No,’ Hannah said at once, afraid that if he did, the vindictive Josiah Roper would reveal her true identity. ‘If Mr Roper doesn’t tell him, someone else will.’ She tried to be light-hearted. ‘You can’t sack everybody.’ She bit her lip and sighed dramatically. ‘Your father will no doubt throw me out.’

‘Then he’ll have to throw me out too.’

‘No . . . no, he wouldn’t do that to you. Not his own son. Not if . . . not if you promise to give me up?’

‘Give you up?’ His arms tightened about her. ‘I’ll never do that. How can you even think it?’

Hannah pulled a wry face. ‘You’ll have to if you don’t want to lose your inheritance.’

Adam groaned. ‘I’d rather lose that than lose you.’

‘You don’t think he’d really do that, do you? Cut you off, I mean.’

Adam was thoughtful. ‘He’d probably use it as a threat more than . . . than actually do it. You see, I’m the only heir there is. I’ve no cousins nor even more distant
relatives that I know of.’

You have a little half-brother, Hannah wanted to say. Maybe more than one if the truth be known. But she held her tongue.

‘And Father’s very proud of the Critchlow family and its traditions. He wouldn’t want to see the mill that my great-grandfather started pass into other hands. He’d do
anything to stop that happening.’

‘Well, I’m going to have to go when he comes back. I don’t fancy ending up in the punishment room like—’ She stopped, appalled that she had dropped her guard.
Flustered she added, ‘Like they say used to happen.’

Despite the seriousness of their conversation, Adam laughed. ‘I can’t imagine anyone being able to put a fiery redhead like you into the punishment room. Besides, it was only used
when we had the pauper apprentices. And all that stopped a few years ago.’

Here was her chance to ask questions that had been puzzling her. ‘The pauper apprentices? What do you mean? Who were they?’