Cherrybrook Rose (29 page)

He did. And she heaped the straw over him in what she hoped was a more natural fashion.

When the guards came to the door of the loose box, what they saw was a young woman kneeling down by a pretty golden dog while another bedraggled specimen leapt playfully about her. When she rose gracefully to her feet and turned to them, revealing the obvious dome of her pregnancy, a soft and enquiring expression in her beautiful violet-blue eyes, they stepped back in humble deference, stunned by the unexpected vision of loveliness with her dark, loosened hair cascading about her shoulders in a glorious, shining cape.

‘Yes, officers?' she asked, not needing to put the alarm in her voice as it was already there! ‘Is there something wrong?'

The most senior of the group, for there were several of them swarming over the yard, cleared his throat and put his hand up to the brim of his soldier's hat. ‘An escaped prisoner, ma'am, I'm afraid.'

The gasp that came from her throat was genuine. ‘Oh, dear!' she choked, and turned her eyes desperately on her husband, who had come up behind the guard. ‘Oh, Charles, how dreadful!'

‘No need to be alarmed, ma'am. We'll catch the devil soon enough!' the sergeant assured her, preening himself proudly. ‘Always do under my command. Ran off from the prison farm yesterday. Crafty bugger . . . if you'll excuse my language, ma'am. Always pretended to be the model prisoner, and then when that fog came down yesterday, he was off! My men shot at him, though,' he smirked gleefully, ‘and one of them got him. Unfortunately, only winged him in the shoulder as far as we know, but it'll slow him down. Trouble is, though, we've been searching all night and haven't found a trace of him.'

‘Perhaps he were swallowed up in Fox Tor mire,' Rose suggested with a frown. ‘Either that, or he's well away across the moor by now.'

‘More like hiding somewhere and licking his wounds. Which is why we must search everywhere, ma'am, so if you wouldn't mind standing aside . . .'

Rose's heart lurched into her throat, and for one horrible, sickening moment, she thought she was about to faint, but then Amber lumbered against her leg and pushed her snout into Rose's hand.

‘I'd rather you didn't, officer,' she heard herself say. ‘You can see my dog,' and here she smiled sweetly down at Amber, ‘is about to have her puppies, and I should rather she wasn't disturbed. I'm certain I'd know if there were someone in here.'

Dear God, her heart was positively bucking in her chest, and she was sure that the fellow must be able to hear its thunderous beat. But he seemed to hesitate. ‘Well, I really ought to . . .'

‘I'm sure my wife is right, officer.'

Rose stared in amazement. Charles, unwittingly, was defending Seth Collingwood, whom he would have kicked into the gutter if he'd known the truth! The irony of it was astounding, but there was no need for any further deliberation as Gospel, objecting to the stranger who as far as he was concerned was molesting his beloved mistress, stamped up behind her and stretching his long neck over her shoulder, ears laid back and eyes rolling, proceeded to bare his huge teeth and aim them at the guard's person. The man leapt back, a flush of terror and embarrassment colouring his face.

‘Er, well, of course, sir,' he muttered, and Rose had the desire to laugh, though she knew she mustn't.

‘Is this prisoner dangerous?' Charles was asking, his face a picture of consternation.

‘Very much so, sir. And certainly a slippery customer. So be on your guard. And you, too, ma'am.'

He dipped his head at the magnificent young woman and the great horse beside her that shook its head irritably and looked as if it was just waiting for another opportunity to try and take a bite out of him! His dignity, though, was rescued in the nick of time by one of his men reporting that there was no one lurking about the house, its gardens or outhouses, and with another polite warning, the group of guards took their leave.

Rose felt her knees weaken as the bravado drained out of her, but it was far from over yet.

‘You'd better come inside, Rose, if this felon's on the loose,' Charles was insisting, and Rose's desperate mind spun in a nauseating spiral.

‘Yes, of course, Charles,' she answered, her voice anxious, though not for the reason Charles believed! ‘I'm just going to move Amber's basket round the corner out of the way, so as Ned won't disturb her when he comes to muck out,' she told him loudly so that Seth would hear her. ‘'Tis quite clean round there. So it doesn't need doing.'

‘Let me do it, then. It's too heavy for you.'

Rose's heart nearly exploded as Charles stepped into the loose box, eyeing Gospel warily as the massive animal stamped his hooves in agitation. What if Charles . . .?

‘Don't be silly!' she laughed nervously, for indeed he did look somewhat comical. ‘You're still in your dressing gown, and you don't want to step in something nasty in your slippers! Look, I'll just drag it.'

And firmly grasping one end of the basket, she did just that, leaving it across the dog-leg, effectively barring the entrance to where Seth lay. It was still taking one hell of a chance, but what else could she do? Her face broke into its most enchanting smile as she came back to her husband, and though it seared at her to do so, she deliberately took his elbow, leaning her head against his shoulder as if craving his protection. He responded at once, putting his arm defensively about her.

‘Oh, Ned!' she called casually as the young man appeared from the tack room, nodding his head politely at his master. ‘When you muck out Gospel's box, I'd be obliged if you don't go round the corner. I've put Amber's basket there. She's behaving so oddly this morning, I think she must be about to have the puppies.'

‘Knows her time's coming, I expect, Miss Rose . . . er, Mrs Chadwick,' he corrected himself under Charles's stern gaze.

‘And will you be turning Gospel out into the field later? 'Tis a much better day than yesterday.'

‘Yes, I were going to, ma'am, if he'll let me put his halter on.'

‘Well, just call me if he gives you any trouble.'

‘Will do, ma'am.'

They turned back to the house, Rose almost sagging with relief. The first hurdle was over, but it was only the first. And the Civil Guard might return at any time over the next few days, few weeks even. Dear Lord, what had she got herself in to? Why was she putting herself at risk, trusting this stranger about whom she knew next to nothing? Following her instincts alone?

And as they went into breakfast, she found she had very little appetite indeed.

‘M
y dear, I really ought to go into Princetown and send some telegrams,' Charles frowned with a heavy sigh as he flicked over the correspondence in his hands some time later. ‘But I don't like leaving you, not with this felon still at large.'

‘Oh, 'tis not as though I'm alone,' Rose shrugged, her mind leaping at his words, for she hadn't yet found an opportunity to go out to the stables again. ‘Cook and Patsy are here, and Mrs Robbins today. And there's always Ned. And Dr Seaton is due to see me this morning. Besides, I don't imagine any escaped prisoner would stay around so close to Princetown. You wouldn't if you were in his shoes, would you? He'll be well away by now.'

‘All the same.' Charles raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘You heard what the sergeant said. He's highly dangerous.'

‘Oh, I'm sure we'll be perfectly safe. You'd keep away from people during the day, wouldn't you? You can't neglect your business affairs on the off-chance that this fellow will turn up here when there's over three hundred square miles of Dartmoor to hide in! No, you go. How long do you think you'll be?'

‘Yes, I suppose you're right. I'll take Tansy to be quicker, but I will need to await replies, so I could be a little while. But promise me you'll stay in the house.'

‘Absolutely,' she assured him, though she had no intention of doing so!

‘I'll tell Ned to saddle Tansy, then.'

‘Yes, dear.'

She caught his hand as he passed her, kissing it softly and looking up at him with her dazzling smile. He smiled back, squeezing her shoulder before striding out of the room, and Rose leaned back in her chair, releasing her breath in a steady stream. So far, so good. Ned must have mucked out the stables by now, and there had been no sudden cries of discovery, but it was a daily task, and how long would Seth have to wait for his broken ankle to mend? Six, eight weeks? Dear Lord, could he possibly remain there in secret for so long?

Rose watched from the window as Charles cantered off down the driveway, and before he had turned out of the gates she was skating into the kitchen. There was some bacon left over, which she took on the pretext that it was for the dogs, and then she poured a mug of coffee for herself, or so she told Cook.

‘There's just a drop of cream left to put in it,' the kind woman said. ‘I could really do with some more, mind.'

Rose's face lit up. ‘I'll send Ned.' And then, armed with the coffee and the bacon, she stepped out into the spring sunshine.

Ned was crossing the stable yard, whistling tunelessly, his hands in his pockets, believing his morning's work was over.

‘Ned!' Rose called, and he came over, ever hoping – though in vain – that his luck might be in with her. Still, this was a good job, and he was in no hurry to lose it! ‘Did you have any trouble with Gospel?'

‘No,' he answered, taken aback. ‘Good as gold he were this morning. He and Merlin are romping round the field like a couple o' rabbits now!'

The smile that shone from Rose's face shimmered in her eyes – as she had meant it to. ‘Good! Now, be an angel and walk over to Tor Royal for some cream, would you, please, Ned? Ask the dairymaid to put it on our account.'

Ned went to scowl, but then remembered that the dairymaid was a pretty wench, not slight as a cowslip like Miss Rose normally was, but a homely, buxom sort, and he was not averse to that! ‘But what 'bout this yere convict? Maister said I'm to protect all yer women folk.'

‘Oh, get away with you, Ned Cornish! He's hardly likely to come here, is he? And I promise I won't tell the master if you won't.'

Ned seemed to consider for a moment, a moment in which Rose felt her nerves jangle on a knife-edge, and then he was pulling on his worn jacket and striding away with a noticeable skip in his jaunty gait.

Rose was in the loose box within seconds. The door had been left open so that the dogs could roam in and out, and clean straw had been shaken out over the floor. Scraggles was scampering about at Rose's feet, but as she came round the corner, Amber hardly lifted her head from the basket, which hadn't been moved.

‘Seth, 'tis all right,' Rose whispered as she stepped around the dog's bed. ‘You can come out now.'

She waited as Seth moved slowly and stiffly, cautiously pushing his head up through the straw and brushing it from his face. ‘Are you sure?' he croaked.

‘Yes. My husband's gone out and I've sent Ned on an errand, and Cook and the maid and the laundry woman are all busy in the house. And 'tis not one of the gardener's days, so we're quite safe.' She paused for breath, realizing her tongue was careering as fast as her racing mind. ‘But we've no time to lose. Sit up and drink this, and I'll fetch the things to take the shot out of your shoulder. And here's some bacon. 'Tis cold, I'm afraid, but 'twas the best I could do.'

He glanced up at her, his forehead pleated with anxiety as he shifted position. A tormented wince escaped his lips as he leaned back against the wall, and Rose's heart squeezed with sympathy.

‘Thank you, ma'am,' he said, but as he took the cup from her, she saw that his hands were trembling and his face was shadowed with agony. He took a gulp of the coffee, then dropped his head back, his eyes closed. ‘Oh, that tastes good.' He seemed to savour the moment for several seconds before looking up at her again. ‘God, I've never been so terrified in all my life as when those guards came in. I really thought they'd find me. You were wonderful! And then when your Ned was mucking out, well, he only needed to be a little more thorough. I hardly dared to breathe.'

‘Well, you're safe for a while now,' she assured him. ‘You get that down you, and I'll be back in a few minutes.'

‘You know . . . you don't have to do this. I'd fully understand if—'

His voice cracked with emotion, and Rose felt her heart tear. ‘But I want to,' she answered simply, and as she spoke the words, she knew it was the truth.

It only took her a few minutes to collect up all she needed and hurry back to the stables. The yard, as expected, was deserted, but she shut the lower section of the door so that if anyone should happen to cross the yard they wouldn't be able to see in unless they deliberately peered into the loose box.

‘Seth, you'll need to come round the corner into the light,' she told him as she set the bowl on the floor.

She heard him draw in a shaking breath, and then he was dragging himself across to her. As he emerged from the shadows, she saw his teeth were fiercely gritted, and his face, which she could see now was strikingly handsome despite the convict crop, was ravaged with pain.

Rose frowned deeply. ‘Is it worse, your ankle, I mean?'

He nodded, looking up at her beseechingly. His eyes were large and expressive, a soft hazel with darker flecks near the edges which merged into a brown outer rim. They seemed to reach into her, touching some depth in her soul that had lain undisturbed all her life and which now burgeoned and blossomed in an instant. A warm tide flowed into her, calming and yet tingling with excitement. She turned away, driving the sensation from her mind, recognizing the same intense feeling she had experienced by the quarry tunnel, confused and bewildered . . .