The Spellbinder (Tom & Laura Series) (28 page)

Amanda turned towards the teachers who were staring at her open mouthed. She moved to stand belligerently in front of Mrs. Trenchard. “Killed me the real Amanda Pruitt three months ago when she come back from her parents. Me and her are the same size and I’d been practicing the accent for months.
Lot
I’ll do for a hundred thousand dollars, an’ I expect we’ll get even more for bringin’ back the Prince.”

Mrs. Trenchard tried to slap her, but Miss Pruitt stepped back out of range and laughed in her face. She drew the gun and pointed it at Mrs. Trenchard.

“Got a bullet saved just for you. Sure going to enjoy killin’ you.”

“The tunnel’s blocked, Jilly,” the Captain said from behind her. “Might have to settle for just killin’ the Prince instead of ransom, we’ll still get paid plenty.”

“I’ve never led you wrong, have I, Brenton? There’s another way down to the Pride. I heard me talk and found out all about it.”

The Captain hit his thigh with his hand and whooped. “I knew there was a reason we made you boss.”

“I made myself boss, honey. Don’t you remember?” Miss Pruitt said with steel in her voice.

The Captain waved towards the tent.

“The gunners are set to go. The Limey cavalry won’t know what hit them.”

The Captain stepped to Miss Pruitt’s side and put his arm around her.

“Jill, you and me are gonna have us a whiz bang party real soon. Just as soon as we’ve killed ourselves a whole lot of Limeys.”

Chapter 33
   
Ten
O’Clock

It was the sounds of unloading that woke Trelawney. Belinda slept quietly on the seat opposite him, her knitting still in her hands. He slid the compartment window down and stuck his head and shoulders through it to see what progress was being made.

The air was chill with just a hint of salt to it. The sun was rapidly burning off the morning mists and the whole of the train was visible along the straight stretch of track that constituted Hobsgate station. Stevedores from the train company helped the brightly uniformed cavalrymen to off-load the horses and coaches from the carriages.

Trelawney felt he should have been able to recognize the regiment the cavalry belonged to from their red jackets, blue trousers and insignia, but the truth was he could tell they were British and little more. Such things had never interested him

One of the two coaches was already off the train though it had yet to get its horses and men fussed with polishing cloths to make sure it looked its best. There was a certain amount of colorful swearing from those unloading the horses, which mingled with impatient whinnying.

“Are we there yet?” Belinda asked and yawned.

“I believe that we are.”

“Would you be so good as to accompany me to breakfast? I doubt there is anything I can do to make myself look presentable.”

“You look splendid,” Trelawney said courteously and held out his arm.

Breakfast was being served in the dining car. The Prime Minister sat discussing politics with the Prince and they were obviously in disagreement. Trelawney led Belinda to an empty table some distance away from the two men.

“Welcome Miss Mann and Sir Ernest,” the Prince said cheerfully. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather join us than sit over there? We have been arguing over whether parts of the Empire should be returned to the
USA
. I believe that the Empire holding on to the Northern States sows discord and that a truly
United
States would benefit us all. Henry believes that granting independence to the Northern States would precipitate a civil war over the issue of slavery.”

Trelawney bowed to the Prince. “You are probably both right to some extent, but I suspect the revenues in taxes from
New York
and the other states are much more pertinent to Lord Palmerston’s thinking.”

The Prime Minster frowned. However, the Prince seemed delighted with this answer.

“It all comes down to money in the end, doesn’t it? However, I can see you two would rather be on your own.”

“How about you, Belinda?” the Prime Minister asked. “The addition of a pretty face at my table is always welcome.”

“I have to discuss matters concerning security with Sir Ernest, Henry.
 
You would be quickly bored by them.”

The Prime Minister dismissed them with a wave and the Prince winked broadly. The two men restarted their heated discussion. Trelawney sat down at the table with a low sigh of relief.

“What does your Precog talent say about our visit today?” Belinda asked. She could sense his strong feelings of unease, even over all the bright feelings from the cavalrymen outside. The men were eager to be on the road.

“That you and I, the PM and Bertie should stay on this train and take this circus home with us. But I doubt I could persuade them to do it.” There was worry in Trelawney’s voice. “I fear we shall have to rely on Laura and Thomas to save us.”

Before Belinda could enquire further, a cavalry officer entered the carriage and informed the Prime Minister and the Prince that it was time to go. Lord Palmerstone and Bertie would ride in the first coach with Trelawney and Belinda in the second.

“Perhaps we could change the order?” Trelawney suggested.

“It may be your spy school, but I am the Prime Minister of England and the Empire,” Lord Palmerston said haughtily. “And you cannot expect the Prince to arrive in second place.”

“I am thinking of the safety of the two of you.”

Palmerston snorted. “Why? Have you been training your young spies to shoot at us?”

Belinda touched Trelawney’s arm before he could say any more. He looked at her and got the message. He was wasting his time.

As Lord Palmerston and the Prince left the carriage Trelawney tapped the cavalry officer on the shoulder.

“Can we talk for a moment? There are some things you need to know.”

Up on
Hobbs
Tower
tensions were rising among the friends. Mick had positioned himself so he could shoot at the tent and had a clear view of the road the Prime Minster’s party would use.

Laura had written all the partial binds she thought might be useful. Down below, the soldiers in black had taken up positions behind cover, out of sight of the driveway and the country lane beyond. Tom had been shown how to use a sniper’s rifle by Mick and moved its sights from one enemy soldier to another. He was not sure he would be able to pull the trigger when the time came. It felt very unsporting to shoot a man in the back without warning.

They could not see the teachers from where they were, but they could hear them stamping their feet to keep warm and talking. The side of the tent containing the Gatling gun stirred occasionally as men in black moved in and out. The tent looked incongruous against the side of the house.

“Is that Miss Pruitt?” Laura asked as a man in a white cap led the woman out towards the dip in the land with the bushes.

Mick looked where Laura was pointing. “Aye, and that’s t’ Captain with her. See she’s carrying a revolving pistol in a holster.”

Tom swung his rifle into position. “I could shoot him.” Tom was happy to kill the Captain as he knew the man was a monster. Mick reached forward and pushed Tom’s rifle down.

“Nay, Lad. Even if yer killed him yer’d alert the rest and they’d change t’ plan. Likely they’d lay an ambush out of our sight.”

The Captain and Miss Pruitt reached the bushes and disappeared into the undergrowth.

“What do you think they are doing?” Tom asked as he caught a glimpse of Miss Pruitt’s feet rising up through the bushes. They appeared to be shaking.

Laura and Mick gave each other significant looks and Laura giggled, but they left Tom’s question unanswered.

“Do you think
Nan
is safe?” Laura asked a few moments later.

“I hopes so, Lass.” Mick adjusted his position and realigned his rifle on the tent.

Snood stood on the drive near the teachers waiting for the Captain to return. The revealing of Amanda Pruitt as yet another doppelganger had annoyed him. She was another obstacle to him killing the Captain, another enemy he would have to deal with. He had no doubt that the time for action was running out.

The Captain and Miss Pruitt reappeared from the bushes looking somewhat disheveled. Miss Pruitt picked twigs from her hair as they approached. The Captain was laughing as he walked arm in arm with the woman.

The distinctive sound of approaching horses brought everybody to full alert. The Captain had reached the tent and shouted out last minute orders.

“Don’t show yourselves until they’re at the house. Let the Limey soldiers dismount. We want to take the Prime Minister and the Prince alive,” he shouted, loud enough for those on
Hobbs
Tower
to hear him.

The Captain and Miss Pruitt walked around the tent and down the side of the house.

Up on the tower the sounds of the horses were particularly loud. A trick of the wind made it sound as if they were only yards away.

“Get ready, Lass” Mick instructed. Laura’s hands trembled as she prepared to complete the last word of her bind. All she had to do to be able to use it was see the coach.

She saw the lead cavalrymen first. Four riders two abreast appeared out of the wood and then the coach followed. Laura completed her bind on the coach, which instantly changed color to take on the hew of polished steel.

The horses pulling it reared up as they were dragged to a slower pace by the change of weight. Laura took her second bind and changed the horses to cats. Free of the leather straps holding them to the coach they scattered across the fields. The coach kept on moving for a short distance but as it rolled off the drive it stuck fast in the softer ground as its wheels dug deep into the grass.

The second coach pulled to a halt behind the first and the cavalry regrouped around both coaches. The officer in charge ordered his men to dismount.

The Captain shouted an order and the Gatling gun opened fire. The bullets cut through the cavalry, killing men and horses indiscriminately.

When the Gatling gun started to shoot, Tom and Mick took careful aim and shot their bullets through the top of the tent. They couldn’t see the gunners, but they knew roughly where they had to be standing. The Gatling Gun continued firing unabated, sending bullets raking across the steel.

Mick and Tom had two loaded rifles each and changed guns to aim again. Laura bound the other coach and horses using a second set of binds.

Trelawney pushed Belinda to the floor of their coach at the first sound of fire. The coach changing to steel did not surprise him in the least.

Belinda tapped the floor appreciatively as bullets bounced off solid steel.

“The girl has talent. Who do you think is shooting at us?”

“It could be anybody; the Empire rarely makes any friends. I shall have to leave you, my dear. The Prime Minister is an elderly man and may need assistance reaching safety.”

“Should I make my own way to safety?” Belinda asked calmly despite the absurd number of lead bullets hitting the coach. “The enemy seems well equipped with whatever they are using to shoot at us.”

Trelawney thought about the situation for a moment. “Probably the wisest move, there is no telling how long this bind will last, though I suspect it will certainly last for long enough. Do you want to go first?”

Belinda shook her head. “I’ve dropped my knitting somewhere. You go ahead and I’ll follow you as soon as I find it.”

Trelawney opened the door and hit the ground running. Shells from the Gatling gun were getting through underneath the coach, but most of the rounds were being wasted on its sides.

He opened the other coach door and dived in as a number of rounds shot through its window. Lord Palmerston and the Prince were hugging the floor passionately.

“I believe that you two should come with me.” Trelawney remarked.

He took a glimpse out of the window. The cavalry that had survived the initial burst of fire had dismounted and were heading towards Hobsgate using bushes in a dip in the land for cover.
 
Trelawney smiled. They were following the orders he’d given them to the letter.

The gunner was concentrating his fire on the coaches. Other soldiers were shooting at them, but Trelawney was sure the cavalry would reach Hobsgate in sufficient numbers to win. He had foreseen it.

As Lord Palmerston and the Prince got out of the coach the gunfire stopped. Mick had shot one of the Gatling gun’s men, bringing consternation and confusion to the tent.

The enemy soldiers were visible from the tower. Having taken out the Gatling gun, Mick had turned his attention to them and had already killed two while Tom had wounded one. More importantly, the shooting from the rear unnerved the soldiers and they retreated to the front doors. Unfortunately when they tried to open them they found they were locked. They turned to find cavalrymen standing with rifles pointed at them and they raised their arms in surrender.

Some time before, the triplets had become bored with hiding and had been getting hungry. Anne looked at her sisters. She had been born thirty seconds before the others and she had always taken that as a sign that she should be in charge.

“Food?” she suggested. The other two nodded eagerly.

They had no idea where the kitchens were, but had a natural instinct for finding food. Someone familiar with the house would have found it difficult to have charted a straighter route. They entered the kitchen to find
Nan
dragging herself up from the floor.

Anne ran to her and waved her hands at her sisters. They ran to the sink and brought a bowl of cold water. Anne helped
Nan
to sit at the kitchen table.