Sally James (31 page)

It was only roughly pushed to, since it hung on just one hinge. She had dragged it open and was outside before Martin realized she had moved at all.

'Kate, come back!' he ordered, and as she fled across the clearing towards the trees he dropped the broomstick and chased after her.

The trees were completely bare of leaves, only the odd pine or holly tree providing thicker cover. There were tangled strands of brambles and other undergrowth, but nothing thick or dense enough to give her a hiding place.

Kate almost groaned with frustration, and then she realized that if only she could put sufficient distance between them her grey cloak would help her to lose herself amongst the bare trunks. She swerved towards the track which they had used to get to the cottage and raced along it.

'Kate, you won't escape me!' Martin was bellowing furiously as he ran after her.

The track wound in and out of the trees and as she ran, her heart pounding with fear, she tried to think what would be her best plan. He would probably catch her long before she could reach the lane, and even if he did not there was little chance of anyone able to rescue her being there. She must hide, and then go secretly until she could reach help.

Suddenly, round a sharp bend, she came across a small clump of pines. Without thought she plunged into the middle of them, standing still and trying to control her rasping breathing so that Martin would not hear her.

He raced past and she began to consider her next move. Was it safe yet to try and go in a different direction? She carefully parted the branches and peered out. There did seem rather more cover to that side of the track, the trees growing more thickly and many saplings providing a hazy blur into which her cloak might merge.

She could hear nothing, and after a further moment of indecision pushed her way cautiously out from her hiding place. Picking up her skirts again she moved as quietly as she could away from the pines.

‘Got you!'

Martin spoke from a few feet away and Kate, startled, began to run again. She could hear his breathing, harsh and fast, and cast a terrified glance over her shoulder. It was her undoing. She caught her foot in a root and fell, rolling over and over until brought up short against the trunk of a tree with a painful jolt which knocked all the breath out of her lungs

'You little fool!' he exclaimed, standing and looking down at her, his expression a mixture of anger and scorn. 'I knew you must have hidden for the track opens onto the road a few yards further on. You might as well forget the idea of escape, for I won't let you go this time, not until I get what I want.'

'I'll make sure you'll never get that!' Kate gasped, and tried to sit up.

Martin bent down and took hold of her arms, and without ceremony dragged her to her feet. As Kate put her weight on them, trying to drag herself away from his clasp, she cried out in pain.

Her left ankle was hurting badly. She must have twisted it when she caught her foot. She could have wept with frustration as she realized that it would make any further attempt at escape doubly difficult. Then a cold wave of fear swept over her. She had failed this time and Martin would be even more on his guard. And soon Harry would be back to make it even less probable that another opportunity would occur.

'It serves you right, you damned little fool!' Martin commented unfeelingly. 'And we've lost the cottage as well, I expect. After all the preparations I made to lay in stocks of food! Never mind, with Harry to share the guarding of you we can go to some isolated inn and have witnesses to the fact you have stayed there, with both of us!' he added, chuckling and suddenly in a better humour.

Kate did not reply. She was so angry with herself for being careless she was afraid of dissolving into tears of fury, and she would not give this beast the satisfaction of believing she was frightened of him.

She admitted to herself though that she was terrified. She loathed the feel of his arm as he helped her to hop back towards the path. He held her more to keep her a prisoner than to support her, she knew, and would have left her to struggle on her own if he had not still believed her capable of making another attempt to escape. She thought bitterly she would have preferred that, painful as her ankle was and difficult though it would have been.

She prayed she had merely strained and not broken it, for she doubted whether Martin would bother to find medical attention for her. Indeed he dared not if he wished to keep her a prisoner.

They had, with great difficulty, reached the clearing. By now the fire had taken a firm hold of the thatch which was burning merrily. Martin thrust Kate down onto a fallen log, and with a triumphant grin tore off his by now dirty and crumpled cravat.

'This will keep you safe,' he growled, and forced her arms behind her back, tying them tightly so that she had no chance of moving them. Then he sat down on another log a few feet away and contemplated her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the thatch burn, and jumping slightly when the roof beams collapsed into the interior of the cottage.

Then Kate, her heart quickening in apprehension, tensed. She had caught the sound of horses' hooves in the distance. They were thundering along the track towards them, and after a few seconds Martin heard them too. With a triumphant grin towards Kate he rose to his feet and turned to greet Harry.

Instead of the curricle he was expecting two men on horseback galloped full tilt into the clearing, dragging their mounts to a sudden standstill as they saw the burning cottage.

'Were you cold?' Adam asked conversationally. 'Rather extreme, wasn't it, setting fire to the cottage to keep you warm?'

'You!' Martin exclaimed, both astonishment and fear in his voice.

'Adam!’ Kate cried, and stumbled to her feet, wincing in agony as she put her weight on the for the moment forgotten ankle.

Adam cast his reins towards the other man as he leapt from the saddle and came striding towards her. She had time to notice that this other man, someone she did not know but who looked slightly familiar, was holding a pistol which was pointed steadily at Martin, before she was folded in Adam's arms and struggling not to burst into tears of relief.

He had discovered her bonds, and released her for a moment in order to untie them, and then laughed slightly as, her arms free, she cast them joyfully round his neck.

'Are you hurt?' he asked, holding her away from him.

'No, just my ankle, I think I've twisted it,' she gasped. Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she moved hurriedly away from him, clasping her hands demurely in front of her, and veiling her eyes in embarrassment.

'Where is the other villain?' he asked in a calm, matter of fact voice.

'He went back to Bath, to collect Martin's things,' she told him.

'Then we will secure this rascal and wait to give him an unpleasant surprise,' he replied and walked across to Martin, taking some strong twine out of his pocket as he did so. 'Put your hands behind you,' he ordered. 'And don't try any tricks because Hedges has orders to blow your head off if you do.'

'I'll meet you for this, Malvern!' Martin blustered. ‘By what right do you threaten me with a pistol and tie me up?'

'Because you are a scoundrel, and because you have abducted Kate against her will, and to prevent you from doing her further harm,' Adam replied almost conversationally as he tied Martin's arms behind his back and then began to secure his feet with another length of twine. 'Are those sufficient reasons?'

'I did not. She came willingly!' Martin blustered. 'She is too afraid of you to admit it, but she did!'

'You are despicable,' Adam said scornfully.

'Name your friends!'

At this Adam laughed outright. 'I wouldn't insult them by asking them to honour you so,' he said contemptuously. 'Nor would I soil my sword with your blood. I will whip you, though, when I have time to deal with you as you deserve.'

He finished his task and moved across to Kate while the other man dismounted and tied up the horses, then came to stand guard over Martin.

'Your ankle, let me see it,' Adam ordered, and meekly she held out her foot. She had removed her shoe and rolled off her stocking, and the ankle was already swelling.

Gently Adam probed it while Kate bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out. 'I don't think it is broken, but it's a bad strain. I'll see whether there's a well somewhere, to get some water.'

A few moments later he returned with a bucket full, not of well water, but rainwater. Using Martin's cravat he bathed the ankle and then fashioned a pad and bound it round her ankle, which already felt easier after these ministrations.

'Thank you,' she said shyly. 'How did you know what had happened, and how to find me?'

'Thanks to Hedges,' he replied. ’I hired him as a groom when I rented the house in Bath. He lives near here and had been to visit his father, who is ill, yesterday. He had one of my horses and was riding back to Bath early this morning when he saw you and recognized you.'

'Of course!' Kate recalled the man who had been having some trouble with his horse.

'He sensibly followed you here, but didn't try to rescue you on his own, for he had no weapons and thought Martin might be armed. He rode to me and we came back as fast as we could.'

Kate sighed.

'I am so very grateful. Hedges, thank you so very much,' she called across to him. 'I thought when you turned away you were trying to ignore me.'

'I didn't want you to recognize me, Miss,' he said, grinning, 'for if you had said anything it might have given the game away, especially if they'd noticed me following you.'

'Hush!' Adam suddenly ordered. Leaving Kate where she was he went swiftly across to Martin and clapped one hand across his mouth while taking a second pistol which Hedges had ready for him in the other.

She could hear the sound of more horses, and this time the slight creaking of carriage wheels as well. They waited in silence and Harry swept unsuspectingly into the clearing, drawing up with a flourish.

'What the devil?' he exclaimed, seeing at the same time the ruined and still smoking cottage, and Martin imprisoned with two large and armed men facing him.

'Get down,' Adam ordered, and Harry, after a moment of indecisiveness, obeyed.

'I wasn't involved,' he began to whine. 'I just helped Martin. The wench was willing. I thought it a lark!'

'You unspeakable worm! Tie him, Hedges.'

Harry was soon secured and Adam faced the two of them.

'I've a good mind to thrash the pair of you within an inch of your miserable lives,' he said in disgust. 'I'll give you today to walk to Bristol and find a ship. Can you escort them as far as the main road and see them on their way?' he added, turning towards Hedges.

'All the way to Bristol if you want,' Hedges replied cheerfully.

Adam considered. 'That might be wise. Very well, take both pistols, and don't untie their hands until you leave them. They can walk while you drive behind in the curricle. Shoot at once if they try to get away, lame them and then get them to a ship.'

Martin tried to bluster, but a sharp word from Adam made him subside.

'You don't deserve it,' Adam went on, turning to them, 'but I’ll pay you a fair price for the curricle and the horses, which will be enough to provide for your passages. You can take your baggage. If I hear a word of either of you ever setting foot in England again I'll both thrash you and bring charges of abduction. With luck you'll hang. If you don't agree to that, I'll drag you back to Bath now, behind the curricle, and hand you over to the nearest magistrate. I've heard one of the Bow Street runners arrived this morning, and is looking for you. Well?'

They did not reply. Hedges climbed into the curricle and turned it ready to drive off, his pistols placed ostentatiously on the seat beside him. Adam untied Martin's horse which had been tethered behind the curricle. Then he checked that the twine securing their hands was tight, and twisted further twine round their elbows and bodies. Finally he untied the bonds round their legs and pointed silently towards the track. Dejectedly, their shoulders drooping, they set off, and before they had gone more than a few yards the watchers heard a low but clearly acrimonious argument beginning.

Hedges grinned, raised his whip in salute to Kate, and followed. She and Adam were suddenly alone.

'And now we must get you back to Bath,' he said briskly. 'I'll lead Shore’s mount. Do you think you could manage to sit on Hedges' horse? He's too tired to run away with you,' he added provocatively, and she glanced swiftly across at the tall beast, swallowed nervously, and then looked firmly up at Adam.

'Of course I can ride him,' she said with more confidence than she felt. It was a very big horse, although it had been contentedly cropping the grass ever since it had been tied up. 'What did you mean about the Runner? Is there really one looking for him?'

'I understand they discovered his mother's other jewels secreted in his lodgings. He stole them, and someone had come forward to say he lost the rubies to Darcy the night before you left London. It seems likely he followed, and in trying to retrieve them killed Darcy.'

'And slipped the locket into your pocket,' she said with a deep sigh.

'The locket?'

'The one you gave me. James found it in your coat and put it with the other jewels, and you thought it had belonged to my grandfather. I managed to open it, and recognized pictures of Martin and Chloe. Oh, poor Chloe!'

'I'll go and see her father and tell him what has happened. They will no doubt prefer to have Martin safely abroad than accused as a thief, from his own family, and a murderer. Which is what no doubt you've been thinking I was, having discovered the locket's secret.'

'I never really believed you were capable of murder,' Kate protested, and he grinned down at her.

'Then your reasoning powers are deficient,' he said briskly. 'If I'd discovered that I'd have thought it. Now, you can sit astride if you prefer, and do not mind your petticoats disarranged. Or I will lead him whichever you choose.'