A Captive Heart (3 page)

Chapter Five

Tamsin had left Adam alone in the cave to think. She was determined that she would not be swayed by his vulnerability, however much it affected her. After he said his name, she had suddenly realised why she recognised him. He was Adam Carey, a boy she had known from her early childhood, though he had changed a lot since then. This man was once a friend but she must remember he was now their enemy and her prisoner and he should only be treated as such. But she could not let him die.

She
had to get assistance from elsewhere immediately. She needed someone she could trust to keep silent, as Adam could be killed if he was discovered. She knew that she had her answer in Reuben Ellis, her foster brother and childhood playmate. He was her Nurse Martha’s son. Born deaf and mute, he conversed most ably in sign language and would serve her loyally and keep his silence. Big, dependable and strong, he could help her deal with Adam’s shoulder. He would know how to cut out the lead musket shot in his arm and stem the bleeding before it could endanger Adam’s life still further. But would he be willing to help? She didn’t know. Perhaps not, but she could not lie to Reuben - he had to know the truth about Adam.

Her
father she knew would be kept busy all that day at the King Charles’s Castle, their home on the Isle of Tresco for the past two years. He would talk to the wounded from both sides; arrange for the boats to take prisoners over to St Mary’s Star Chamber and for clearing up generally on Tresco.

She found Reuben in the stables, awaiting her return anxiously because she had saddled her chestnut and ridden off without a word that morning. He had been worried for her safety ever since.

Although it had been only a small skirmish in the south of the island between the two sides it had taken its toll on the defending Royalist force on Tresco, despite their victory. The enemy already knew that it was more than probable that they would win next time, and there was possibly the danger of some still left in hiding on Tresco who might seek to take her as a hostage. Reuben would know this.

Tamsin
knew that Reuben wished that she would listen to reason and go back to live at Treganna House. He too wished to return there with his mother to live. But Tamsin had been determined to stay on with her father on Tresco as long as he needed her. He missed her dear mother as much as she did.

‘Reuben,
it’s important. I need your help,’ she said quickly dismounting her mare in the stable, and she signed to him with her hands the problem she had found awaiting her in the Piper hole.

He
looked shocked when he realised what she wanted him to do.

‘It
is most important; someone’s life is at stake here. I found a wounded man hiding in the Piper Hole. I know him, Reuben, he’s Adam Carey and he could die if we don’t assist him.’

His
sharp bright blue eyes showed his alarm immediately. He shook his head and signed back to her instantly. ‘You cannot do this. You must tell your father.’

‘No!
I cannot not yet.’

‘You must!’ He emphasised this by shaking his head but she insisted that he heard her out.

‘Reuben,
he is young, badly wounded and a gentleman. And I knew him when we were both children. I played with him. His father is my father’s friend. I cannot allow him to suffer any longer in there than necessary. Without food and care he will most surely die. I shall tell my father about him when he is well enough to be moved and not before.’

She
really believed that she would be able to do this all with his help.

Reuben
tried hard to make her change her mind, but he could see by her face that she was determined, and no matter how difficult, she would do it with or without his help.

This
man she told him about could take her hostage if he chose to hold her there by force. She was much too trusting. So he agreed at last to go with her and see what could be done for this wounded man whose welfare worried her so.

Chapter Six

Out of sight in the stables they packed the provisions on a pony; blankets, food, clean clothing; she brought one of her father’s clean linen shirts, and another one Reuben had to spare. They rode out quickly over the Downs and cliff tops to the cave, Tamsin praying inwardly that Reuben would do his best for Adam as he had promised.

Reuben
brought a fresh candle and a lantern for them to see by in the cave. It was growing late in the day and quite soon now all natural light would be gone so they had to act quickly.

It
would not take Reuben long to see that the wound needed immediate attention. If the lead musket shot was not removed and fast then infection would set in and if amputation threatened it would be impossible for them to handle it on their own in the cave without a surgeon’s skills.

They
left the horses tethered safely on the cliff top and Tamsin clambered down while Reuben lowered the provisions carefully on a strong hempen rope over the cliff side to where Tamsin waited to save them from the venturesome waves lapping the seashore around the rocks below.

Reuben
followed quickly and joined her safely at the bottom. They then entered the cave slowly together. She could well imagine how apprehensive Adam would be feeling when he first heard their arrival.

She
warned Adam of their approach, calling out softly, ‘Adam. It is I - Tamsin. Trevenian - I have brought along a friend of mine, Reuben, to help you. He is deaf but can lip-read so he does know what you say to him. He is my most dear childhood friend and can be trusted. He is going to remove the lead shot out of your shoulder and will do his best not to hurt you any more than necessary.’

Then much to her relief he said, ‘Thank you, it is better than I deserve, Tamsin Trevenian.’

When
they came closer into the cave Adam struggled to sit up and greet her as she walked towards him and then, gritting his teeth and wincing with pain, he fell back on the ledge and groaned heavily as he did so.

‘I
have to warn you now, Adam Carey, I will have to inform my father soon of your presence here on the island.’

Reuben’s
keen blue eyes stolidly took in Adam’s presence on the ledge in the cave. His hand lay on the hunters knife he wore in his leather belt as he came up to the wounded man, but he could see plainly now that Adam was badly in need of attention and if sensible would not attempt either to attack them or escape.

After
Tamsin introduced the two young men she held up the lighted lantern while Reuben carefully examined the raw, weeping flesh wound. The musket shot remained deep in the bloodied flesh. Tamsin, following Reuben’s quick instructions, soaked some of the linen sheeting she’d brought with her into the fresh water from the pool and washed the bloody, suppurating wound carefully and gingerly. Adam then drank down the mug half filled with French brandy which Reuben offered him from the food and provisions.

‘Does
he know what he is about to do with that?’ Adam said observing the knife in Reuben’s steady hand as Tamsin took hold of his arms to hold him back down on the ledge.

‘He
does. His father was a renowned Cornish healer. I promise you, you can trust him.’

He
groaned and said, ‘Then I have little choice but to do so too. You can start now, Reuben.’

Reuben
nodded. He had summed up quickly the bad state that Adam’s shoulder and arm were in, the shot ripping into and through the shoulder muscle and bone. After giving Adam a thick wad of linen rag to bite hard on Tamsin held him down as best she could. Reuben probed deep and dug out the musket shot skilfully and swiftly with the knife. The wound bled copiously at first then stopped and Adam gasped collapsing against her and into her arms before losing consciousness for a few minutes.

Tamsin winced as she saw the size of the bloodied lump of lead in Reuben’s hand and tasted blood in her own mouth where she had bitten sharply into her bottom lip when she saw it quickly removed from Adam’s shoulder.

Ad
am came round and managed to say afterwards in a dry husky whisper, ‘Thank your friend for me, please. I am eternally grateful to you both,’ before losing consciousness once again.

‘I
thank you too, Reuben, for all you have done. We could not have managed without you, dear friend.’ Tamsin told him as she waited to bandage up Adam’s arm and shoulder.

*

An hour or so later their patient Adam was sufficiently recovered and able to sit up and eat some of the food she had brought him. He ate slowly, enjoying every satisfying mouthful of the piece of roast chicken and cooked pasty - the first solid food he’d eaten for a good while. Tamsin meanwhile went to Reuben who knelt down by the freshwater pool, slowly washing away carefully the blood on his large, capable hands and the sweat from his pleasant face; it had been quite an experience and a strain for her young friend too.

She
placed her hand on his shoulder gently. ‘Thank you.’ He looked up, smiled at her and caught her hand in his. ‘I can never thank you enough for what you have done today. Will you promise, me, Reuben, please that you will not let anyone know of this? Not my father, or your mother, till I am ready to say something to them?’

He
answered her quickly with a warm smile and a firm nod of agreement.

She
trusted him implicitly. Whatever Tamsin had in mind, she knew that Reuben would never let her down. If he had further doubts he would be sure to tell her what he intended to do before he did it.

She
went back over to Adam. He had eaten his fill of the fresh crusty baked bread, chicken and the cold mutton and vegetable pasty. His face had renewed colour in it and she could see that the doubt that had filled those cool sea green eyes at first was no longer there. His mind surely able to think much clearer now, and she hoped he would trust them for a while longer at least.

Chapter Seven

Adam had already decided that when he was fit again he would try to leave the cave under the cover of darkness. Tamsin had said she would bring her father’s men to help him back up the cliff. She had given him fair warning, she could do no more than this.

‘You
must learn to trust us.’ A dark brow rose quizzically at this and a smile quirked his generous mouth. ‘If you had been fit and well when I found you it could have all ended so differently.’ She shrugged her slender shoulders. ‘Then perhaps I might have told my father immediately. I shall have to find the right moment to explain this to him and it is possible that he might spare you, Adam. He is a just, kind man.’

He
laughed and it echoed throughout the cave. He obviously thought that she lied. She could see the doubt clouding his eyes even now. There was only one possible ending for him if he was given away and they both knew it.

‘But
now you must rest and regain your strength.’

She
made him up a more comfortable bed with the extra blankets on the ledge, placed a soft feather pillow under his head. It was one taken from her own bed that morning. He would perhaps realise this when he smelt the sweet scent of lavender, and roses coming from it. Martha wouldn’t notice it missing for a while, she hoped. She wished that she could bring him back to the castle to sleep safe and sound in a bed where he could recover more fully. But that was impossible. If found he would be put with the other prisoners, brought to trial and executed.

She
did not want to leave him there on his own now that she had found him. But today he was the enemy and must be treated as this. She knew that he would have been forced to be unforgiving too, if she had been discovered by the Roundheads spying for the Royalists and their King. They were at war and as far as she knew they would never be otherwise.

But
she wanted to know so much more about Adam. What did he feel about her? She didn’t know what made her behave so foolishly, filling her with such indecision. They had been children together before. He was so much older than her of course and had teased her mercilessly. Oh how he’d enjoyed that. For the first time in her life these thoughts made her wish that she was wearing a silk gown, instead of the stout fustian jacket and breeches, to please his eyes and paint a different picture of her for him.

She’s studying
me now closely. Oh yes I think she does remember me well. So will she give me away? And when? She really has no other choice if she chooses to be wise instead of foolish.
These thoughts ran willy-nilly through Adam’s throbbing head as he eyed her closely while she placed a cool hand on his forehead. He could hardly blame her. This lovely young girl who so trustingly believed that the use of boys’ clothing as a disguise would protect her from all harm seemed so naively innocent, despite the tangle of glorious copper hair which could denote a similarly fiery temper. He must make no mistake that she had a will of her own too. And courage. She had shown it to him already.

He
also knew that she was prepared if necessary to give him up. Because she must. In her eyes he was the enemy, one of those Roundheads who had vanquished the Royalists, and held their King prisoner.

She
was vastly attractive to any full blooded man’s gaze and to
his
eyes especially appealing at the moment. He found he could not get her out of his thoughts, or out of his mind. He knew full well that she represented all the good and beautiful things in his life he could still remember, and might have had if the country hadn’t become entangled in this war.

He
knew that he must fight hard against his feelings. It was wartime and for the moment he represented the enemy to Tamsin, and there was no room in his life for anything else but the work he had still to do. But he also knew that from now on she was going to mean so much more to him than anyone else had ever done before...

She
was risking so much for him already and until he recovered his fate remained in her hands entirely. He laughed softly, for the first time in his life he had listened to his heart rather than his head, which had ruled all his dealings of late.

‘I
would not think any less of you if you tell your father about me. As you must certainly do soon,’ he said quietly to Tamsin, his eyes on Reuben, who stood by the pool of water wiping his face and hands on a rough linen towel now. ‘Or your young most resourceful friend there. He is obviously sorely troubled by my presence here and what you are doing for me. And I cannot entirely blame him. No one else would have behaved so kindly and generous towards me given the same circumstance. I owe you both so much...’
And dear heart, I have fallen deeply irrevocably in love with you
he added to himself silently and smiled as she studied his face anxiously attempting to read his thoughts. He sighed. ‘I can only thank you for coming to my rescue therefore I will leave you to make up your mind what to do about me. I am in your hands entirely… and Reuben’s.’

‘Reuben
will not say anything, Adam. Unless I tell him to.’

She felt choked up now by her emotions. What else should she do? Should she turn him over to her father, a good kindly man, and hope that he would be merciful?