A Captive Heart (4 page)

Chapter Eight

Tamsin’s mind was made up for her later that evening, purely by chance, when her father confided to her thoughtfully at the dining table: ‘You know, my dear, a day or so ago, I could have sworn that I saw Philip Carey’s eldest son, Adam, here in Tresco.’

‘Adam
Carey! Here, Father?’

‘Yes, child, I thought I saw him on horseback on the hillside overlooking the harbour, before the Roundheads landed in their boats and invaded us. He rode off quickly when I came into view. It looked as if he was expecting them.’

‘Are
you sure of that Father? You could be mistaken - it’s some time since we last saw the Careys, isn’t?’

He
sighed heavily, shook his head and looked troubled. ‘I’ve heard rumours that Adam has fallen out with Philip and his family over his beliefs. And worst of all I fear now that he could be a spy for Cromwell. Why else would he be here today of all days? And why would he not have made known his presence to us?’

‘A
spy!’ Her knife clattered on her dish. ‘You cannot be sure that it was Adam Carey, Father. You could be mistaken.’

He
nodded. ‘I only wish that this was true. But I am sure it was him.’ He sighed, ‘You played as children together. I found him to be a pleasant, handsome young lad. Some years older than you of course. I hoped that one day a marriage might be arranged between you.’ He shook his head. ’He recognised me, I am almost sure of that.’

Adam
had not mentioned this incident to her. He obviously thought that it was better that he did not. Was this the time to tell her father what had really happened to Adam Carey since then?

‘I
have heard you speak of the Careys often, father. And yes of course I recall that I met and played with them. Mother was with us still then and we visited their family home often.’

Her
father smiled. ‘They were the best of days to remember, it’s good that we still can, my dear.’

She
hoped that he could not read the guilt that she felt was plain to see in her eyes. But luckily he was still deep in thought, obviously worried and no longer observing her reactions to what he had told her.

‘I’m
sorry to hear that Adam has fallen out with his father. I remember he seemed headstrong to me.’

‘That
is right. Quite a bit.’ He nodded his face grave now. ‘Yes - you may well remember much more about him than I do.’ He stayed deep in thought for a moment or so.

Tamsin knew that a further attack on Tresco could be imminent before long. Richard Trevenian, a good Royalist, soldier and father, could not pay as much attention as he wished to his only child, Tamsin, and he knew he had to insist that she was kept safe and out of danger at Treganna for as long as possible.

‘I
want you to leave Tresco as soon as possible, Tamsin. I will arrange for you to stay with your Aunt Phoebe at our family home in the Helford passage on the mainland. She will be pleased to have you there for company while your uncle Bevil is away with prince Rupert at Oxford.’

‘Father,
I cannot leave you. I do not want to go.’

So
far he had not persuaded her to leave. But now he had decided her fate for her. She had little choice but to listen and obey his wishes. What could she do about Adam? She could not leave him till he was completely recovered, or hand him over to her father. No she had to give him a chance to get back to the mainland if he gave his word never to return to Tresco or use the knowledge he’d obtained to help the enemy. She decided she would have to confess all to Martha and get her assistance over this.

Martha and Nancy, Tamsin’s maidservants, were her only woman companions in the castle. Martha was strict, but kind and attempted in vain to keep Tamsin in order. She highly disapproved of Tamsin riding around Tresco on her mare Bella, especially when she went out dressed as a boy.

Martha
was at that moment busy with Nancy and the Army doctor, caring for some of the Royalists’ sick and wounded and some of the badly injured prisoners, who were mostly untrained youths or schoolboys.

Tamsin
found herself perfectly at liberty to take food and supplies from the kitchen pantry and clean linen for Adam without being questioned, at least for the moment. But for how long could she manage to do this without discovery?

Chapter Nine

Tamsin wanted to know so much more about Adam. She didn’t know what made her behave like this, or what provoked the feelings inside her that were so strange and overwhelming. He was the first young man she had encountered for so long - her father had not encouraged her to meet any of his young officers other than formally. He did not wish her to fall in love with any young men that would give her cause to weep for their loss in this terrible conflict.

Her
father spoke out about Adam again that evening at dinner.

‘
I am sure now that Adam was not injured or killed in the fighting. I have looked out for him amongst the prisoners that we have taken in here since today, but he has not been found anywhere on the island as yet.’

Could he have guessed that she was involved with Adam in some way? She hoped not. She knew he must have been thinking long and hard about Adam. More than likely he had worried about him as much as she had.

‘And
what if we do find him alive or dead here on Tresco? What then?’’

He
shook his head and looked troubled, ‘It will not be good for either us or him. I pray that we do not meet again on the field of battle.’

‘You would have to take him prisoner then, Father? If you should find him anywhere here on Tresco?’

He
nodded. ‘Alas, yes child. I would be forced to hand him over to the Star Chamber on St Mary’s where he would no doubt be charged and executed immediately as a spy.’

He
spoke out frankly and her heart reacted as she knew it would. She had to get Adam away.

‘Father!
That is terrible. How could you do it?’

He studied her worried face. ‘Philip I know would never forgive me if I allowed anything to happen to his only son, whatever he may have done.’

‘Perhaps
he got away in the boat that he came over in. Some must have done. Is that possible do you think?’

‘Perhaps.’
He took hold of her hand and patted it gently as she reached out to him across the table. ‘Philip was once so proud of his dear boy. He must be so gravely troubled now about him.’

If only he knew. Did her trembling hand held in his betray her? So she had done the right thing after all. She must not give Adam away. It would be almost certain death for him and desolation for both their families in years to come when this terrible war was over and done with.

She
held onto his hand tight. ‘Father - you will always have me.’ She sighed. ‘I only wish that I were the son and heir that you always wanted. Instead Treganna will go to someone else in the family if you should inherit the house and estate after Uncle Bevil. He has no heir to inherit Treganna other than you now that his only son Jago is dead. And I am truly sorry. This war has taken so much that we treasure away from us.’

He
smiled. ‘You are so like your dear mother. I have always thought that. I would never wish to change you for a son. Be content with that but you must do as I say and leave soon, Tamsin, for your own safety. You cannot stay here any longer.’

She
cried out in alarm, ‘Must I, Father? I do not want to leave you ever. I might never see you again.’

He
kissed her hand, ‘Hush now child, you must do what I ask and leave.’

‘Tresco
could be attacked again any day. Cromwell will not give up his purpose to take over all of Cornwall.’

‘If the worst comes and Cromwell takes Tresco with the other islands here then I shall have to leave immediately for Jersey, and to France to join the Queen’s court in Brittany. As a serving officer I cannot come back here to the mainland.’

‘Then
I shall go with you by passage to France, Father. Please say you will take me with you.’

He
shook his head. ‘No, child, you can mean no harm to the Cromwellians. You must make a new life for yourself in Cornwell. You are young, Tamsin. You must marry, have children and be happy. This war cannot go on for ever.’

She
could not shake him from this. With this in mind she went sadly to her bed that night thinking about Adam, taking a picture of his face into her dreams, and wondering how she could help him to leave Tresco. But could she trust Adam not to give away what he had learnt already about the true strength of the Royalist forces on Tresco? She tossed and turned on her feather bed and slept little that night.

Chapter Ten

To enable Adam to escape, Tamsin, after a great deal of thought, reasoned that it would have to be by boat and after dark to cross the seas over to the mainland. She could pretend she was going fishing with Reuben. That way she had an excuse to take to sea in the daytime. Then they could get Adam from the cave into the boat but she couldn’t leave her father without some good explanation and if she did this she was sure that Reuben would tell his mother and Martha would stop it all instantly. It would be very dangerous attempting the crossing in a small boat on their own.

Thinking long and hard about Adam’s family, she wondered how the Carey’s had come to be divided by the Civil War which had hurt so many already with its conflicting loyalties.

How
must his mother, Lady Margaret, feel about the rift between her two sons, and his father? And how did his brother Benedict feel about him for changing sides? Would they, could they, ever forgive Adam?

But
had she not done the same? Had she not betrayed her father and the rest of the Royalists on Tresco by her own actions when she took Adam’s life in her hands? When she had promised to save him? Their enemy. She had to remember that because that’s what he was. She was still not sure what had made her do it. She only knew that she could not leave him there to suffer alone, friend or foe.

She
made up her mind then, whatever lengths she had to go to, once Adam had recovered sufficiently enough to travel, she would help him get away by boat back to the mainland, and then she must forget him, hard as it might be afterwards.

Chapter Eleven

Adam in his turn lay wide awake that night on the stone shelf listening to the loud, crashing echoes in the cave of the waves pounding up against the rocks outside. The throbbing pain in his shoulder was partly to blame for his insomnia, but so was Tamsin. His heart was behaving in the same foolish fashion as it had been when he had first hear her voice and seen her bending over him. She had to be a part of his life from now on - he was hers and hers only for ever.

She
had captured his heart and soul entirely and she stayed with him in his thoughts constantly now. When she wasn’t close by he missed her desperately, wanted to reach out to take her hand and kiss away the tears he’d seen fall on her cheeks when she thought he wasn’t looking.

Tamsin
had risked so much for him; she was so young and so innocent, she did not want to see bad in anyone, not even in her enemy. Although she had declared how she felt about his seeming betrayal and shown anger she certainly had not treated him badly as most loyal Royalists would have done.

But
would she give him away eventually? He had to be on his guard. Reuben could also give his presence away. Or Tamsin’s father could become suspicious about her trips out if she made too many during the next few days. For her sake and his own he would have to leave as soon as he could.

Chapter Twelve

Two days later Adam sat on the ledge waiting for Tamsin and Reuben. Good food, and having his arm bound up in a linen bandage sling, rested and healing, had helped to put the colour back in his cheeks. This made everything seem more than worthwhile to Tamsin, whatever the cost in the future.

‘You
are very young, Tamsin, and you must surely know that I also have a sister like you at home. I doubt though that she would help a Roundhead, even if he was her brother,’ he said as he finished eating a roast chicken leg with obvious pleasure. ‘I hope for your sake that your cook is not suspicious about this missing food. This fowl was delicious by the way,’ he chuckled quietly. ‘I would say give the cook my compliments were you able to do so.’ He smiled at her then as he heard her low sigh and realised that she was troubled by this gesture. ‘I am sorry you have gone to such great lengths to help me and I hope saving me does not lead to punishment in the future for you. I cannot allow this to happen.’ He shook his head. ‘I must give myself up to avoid any of this. I knew that this could be my fate when I became an agent.’

‘No - no! You cannot!’ She shook her head. ‘It is no matter. But I must tell you, my father believes that he saw you here on Tresco. And said that your father Philip Carey will not acknowledge you now as his son, Adam.’ She saw shock sharpen his handsome features and flare a warning in his so bright green eyes.

‘That
I believe is true,’ he accepted with a wry smile.

‘As
you well know they are old friends, and he could let your father know about your safety. After you have gone from here of course.’

‘Of
course, he could.’ He laughed scornfully. ‘If he did my father might wish to hand me over too! He has no feelings for me at all now, apart from anger and disappointment.’

‘You
cannot mean what you are saying, Adam. Your father must love you still.’ She attempted then to ease him from his dark mood. ‘You might think I am silly and childish but when I first came across you in here, I think I have told you, I first thought I might have found a Merman.’ She smiled. ‘A childish fantasy perhaps. But I have always believed in them. ‘Tis sometimes said that this cave was once used by Mermaids, but instead I found you, Adam.’ After a pause she said, ‘Will you not let me get in touch with your father? May I not tell your family?’

‘That
I am a self-confessed spy! Never!’ He frowned, then shook his head and laughed again. ‘You cannot change how things are with my father! As you know he already thinks of me as dead. I only hope your own family or the good people of Tresco do not learn of this,’ he said as he drank down the pewter pot of good ale appreciatively that she had brought to him. ‘I would not wish for this to happen. They would be far from happy if they knew that you have been harbouring a Roundhead in this cave. Am I not right? And it can mean only danger for you.’

‘There
is no one else but my father here with me. And my nurse, Martha. My mother is dead. The rest of our family live at Treganna House in Helford Passage. You could be like my own brother if I had one,’ she said bravely then as quickly wished she had not said it. He was much more than that to her now. Much more… she wished she could put into words what she could only say silently now.
Because I am in love with you, Adam
.

He
shook his head, mischief dancing a merry jig in his green eyes. He had not changed much after all. ‘Never think that, Tamsin. What I feel for you now it could never be a brother’s love, I can promise you that,’ he teased, and reached out to take hold of her hand in his.

‘No!
You know it cannot be.’ She flushed with colour as she felt the strength and warmth of his hand enclosing hers and snatched it away quickly. ‘Remember you are still our sworn enemy, Adam Carey. Pray do not forget that and I must treat you as such. If I help you at all it is because I wish to save my father further pain and your family too.’