Riverbreeze: Part 1 (20 page)

Jamie heard her and looked sharply in her
direction. “Get your bloody dogs out of here!” He yelled.

“I’m trying.” She shouted back.
How dare he
! “Fleurette! Papillon!” She called
again.

“Damn it!” Jamie shouted as the dogs ran by
one more time, spooking the horse. The horse reared and almost
knocked Jamie over, almost trampling him. He had to throw himself
into the corner.

Evelyn screamed. “Jamie!”

Walter hurried over to him, frantic. “Master
James! Master James! Are you all right?”

The horse reared again, causing Walter to
promptly step back. Jamie was able to right himself and he assured
Walter he was uninjured.

Evelyn had been so focused on the scene
before her that she hadn’t noticed the servant who was supposed to
be watching the dogs move beside her. The custom leashes and
harnesses hung from his hand. “Mistress Tyler.” He said
miserably.

She turned sharply towards him. “Where have
you been?” She demanded. “Why are the dogs loose?”

“I’m sorry, Mistress, I was walking them by
the river and I felt sorry for them, not being able to run free so
I took the harnesses off them. I’ve been looking for them down by
the river. I didn’t know they had come up here.”

Evelyn grabbed the leashes from the servant’s
hand. “Give them to me.” She ordered. “I will have my uncle deal
with you later.” Once again she called sharply for the dogs and
this time they came to her. Somehow the rabbit had escaped through
a hole in the wall of the stable and the dogs hadn’t been able to
follow. They sat before her, panting, their tongues hanging out of
their mouths, their big brown eyes bright, looking exasperatingly
adorable.

Jamie came storming out of the stable. He was
furious. He must have heard what the servant had said because he
faced the man, his hands in fists at his side, and shouted at him.
“You let those dogs loose, you stupid moron? Did you even consider
what havoc your negligence might have caused?” He was breathing
heavily, his hair hung down on his shoulders in tangles and he was
covered in sweat and dust and straw.

Evelyn looked up at him from her kneeling
position while she fitted the dogs with their harnesses, thinking
that even among the dirt and dust and the flushed angry look on his
face, he was still the most attractive man she had ever seen. Dear
Lord, she had to have him. According to Elizabeth’s dream,
Elizabeth was destined to marry Robert and since Evelyn needed to
be close to her sister, marrying Robert’s brother was the perfect
solution for all of them. She had to make that happen.

“I’m very sorry, sir.” The servant said,
standing as straight as he could. He was a rugged-looking man but
shorter than Jamie and Evelyn guessed that the servant didn’t like
that so well.

“What is your name?” Jamie demanded. “I do
not know you.”

“Edward Blockhaws, sir.”

“How long have you been here?”

“One month, sir.”

“Long enough to know your duty. Stand over by
that tree.” Jamie ordered, pointing to a large oak tree that stood
behind and to the left of the stables. And then brushing dust and
straw from his sleeves, he went back into the stables.

When he came back out, he was carrying a
riding whip and Evelyn gasped. He was going to punish the servant
right now? She had not even considered that Jamie could do such a
thing. She had told the servant that she would have her uncle deal
with him later, but Jamie was a member of this family and he did
have the right to avenge his horses…and his uncle’s horses…and her
dogs, she remembered with indignation.

“Please, Jamie…” The servant pleaded,
forgetting himself. He had not moved toward the tree. Jamie glared
at him, his fists on his hips. “Please, Mas’r James, sir…”
Blockhaws corrected himself, but it galled him.

Evelyn wondered how Blockhaws had known Jamie
since Jamie hadn’t known him. Oh well, Blockhaws should have known
to never address his superiors as he had. What a stupid man he
was.

Jamie was clearly infuriated by his pleading.
He grabbed the servant’s arm, dragged him to the tree and threw him
against it, face against the rough bark.

Walter, quiet as a subdued servant should be,
followed. Evelyn moved along with him, leading the dogs with their
leashes. She was just as quiet and thoughtful as were the many
guests who gathered around this scene that was providing them with
so much entertainment.

Blockhaws tried one more time to plead his
case. “You cannot do this! You ain’t the mas’r.” He bawled, turning
to face Jamie. He was starting to sweat. “You do not have any
authority over me!”

Jamie snorted cruelly. “Do you want to go
into that house right now and explain to my father how those dogs
got loose in the stables nearly sending Peasblossom into an early
labor? Do you think he would show you any mercy?”

The servant gulped. “I know not. This is the
first time I’ve ever been in trouble.”

“Well, I can tell you he will
not
show you any mercy. Those horses are very valuable
to him.”

“Yes, sir, I do know that.” Blockhaws
mumbled.

“So be it, Edward Blockhaws.” Jamie said in a
denouncing voice. “You have been grossly negligent. You have put my
father’s horses and my own horses
and
Mistress Tyler’s dogs in grave danger and now you will stand in
front of all these people…” Jamie swept his arm encompassing the
guests that had gathered around, “…and receive your punishment.

Evelyn nodded her head once, pressing her
lips together. She was in total agreement with Jamie to punish this
most slovenly servant. In the household where she grew up, it was
believed that servants needed to be punished on a regular basis;
that one couldn’t get too soft on them or they would become lazy
and rebellious, just as this one was now. Yes, it was best that
Jamie punish him swiftly and harshly, not only for his negligence
but also for his insolence.

Blockhaws closed his eyes in surrender, but
with great dignity asked, “Will you allow me to remove my shirt,
sir? If it is torn I will not get another until next year.”

Jamie nodded, his own mouth tight with
purpose. He watched and waited, tapping the whip along his thigh,
as Blockhaws removed his shirt, folded it neatly and laid it on the
ground by his feet. Then Blockhaws turned back to face the tree and
pressed his forehead against the rough bark. Slowly he raised his
arms and hugged the tree and awaited the first strike.

Evelyn tried to watch dispassionately as
Jamie landed the first strike, but she flinched nevertheless. From
behind her she heard several muffled gasps from the crowd. While
she admired Jamie’s strength and his ability to wield authority,
and even though she agreed that servants needed to be punished,
deep down she had always wondered how a man could whip another man,
how a man could draw blood from another and then walk away
unaffected.

Jamie held the whip clenched tightly in his
hand; his teeth were clenched and his eyes burned with anger and
she supposed that is how he could do it. That is how he could bring
the whip down onto the man’s back over and over again, drawing
blood and grunts from the servant’s mouth. He was so angry he could
have possibly killed the man.

But finally he did stop. And he was shaking.
He opened his hand slowly and let the whip fall to the ground.
Breathing heavily, he stared at the servant, who had stood
stoically through the whole ordeal, hugging the tree, his fingers
clawing the bark, grunting after each strike. Blood was running
down Blockhaws’ back in thin rivulets, soaking into the waist of
his breeches. And he was trembling uncontrollably.

Jamie looked like he might be sick and Evelyn
sighed.
Ah, he is affected. Good, good. He is not
a cold-hearted brute after all.

“Go…” Jamie said, almost too low for anyone
to hear. Blockhaws raised his head slowly in response. “Go on…get
out of here!” Jamie bellowed suddenly, to anyone and everyone
around. He turned on his heel and strode away in the direction of
the river.

Little by little the crowd broke up and
started to move away, chattering like gossips. The servant stayed
where he was, waiting for who knew what? Orders? The trembling to
stop? His dignity to return?

Walter turned to Evelyn. “Mistress Tyler,” He
said, “May I tend to him, please?”

“Yes, Walter, thank you.” Evelyn said,
feeling that something should be done for the tough, little
servant. She had only met him yesterday and hadn’t appreciated the
way he had eyed her, but he did deserve to have his wounds looked
at. “See that he is cared for. I must speak with Master James. He
seemed…very upset.”

“Yes, Mistress.” Walter said, nodding, then
quickly added, “If you will, Mistress, please tell Master James
that I will also see to the horses.”

“I shall tell him. Thank you, Walter.” She
said. Walter nodded to her before heading towards the tree where
the servant was slowly picking up his shirt.

Evelyn tightened her grip on the leashes and
looking down at her innocent-looking beagles, said to them in a
sing-song scolding voice, “You were very naughty little dogs today.
You did not make a good impression on Master Jamie. He is not going
to like us, you know.”

The dogs just looked up at her with their
big, brown puppy-dog eyes. Each of them barked once in
response.

She laughed. “Come on, you two. Let’s go say
our apologies to Master James.”

* * *

Evelyn followed the path down to the
riverfront, looking for Jamie. She found him off to the left
standing on a narrow strip of pebbly shore amongst huge old cypress
trees, just out of reach of the gently lapping water. He was
flinging rocks far into the wide river, throwing them so hard it
appeared his arm would fly right off along with them.

Seeing him in this isolated place, she
suddenly had second thoughts and stopped about twenty-five feet
from him at the crest of the riverbank. She wasn’t sure now if she
should have come. They had only just met, had only said hello,
really. He had shown some interest in her though, and it was this
aspect of their fledgling relationship that gave her hope.

On the other hand, maybe he wanted to be
alone. She knew that some men didn’t like to show their emotions in
front of others, especially weakness; and maybe he hadn’t wanted
anyone to see how that whipping had affected him. But she had seen
it; she had seen his discomfiture at the end. Otherwise, she didn’t
think he would have run away like he had.

She almost decided to turn around, but the
dogs had spotted him and they started barking. She yanked on their
leashes and shushed them, and they did quiet down, but it was too
late. Jamie had already heard them.

He turned sharply, a fierce frown on his
face, but at the sight of her, his expression changed. “Mistress
Evelyn!” He exclaimed. “What are you doing here?” He blurted
out.

That wasn’t exactly the welcome she had
expected, but really, what had she expected? Had she expected him
to run to her with open arms and sweep her off her feet? No, that
was being fantastical. But at least he had recognized her and had
gotten her name right. “I have come to apologize for the behavior
of my dogs. I’m sorry they have caused so much trouble.” She said
with genuine sincerity.

He seemed to relax. “You needn’t have come
here to apologize to me. In fact, I should be the one apologizing
to you. I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier.”

She fluttered her hand in a dismissive
manner, but inside she was so pleased he didn’t blame her and her
dogs. “You were angry…and worried about the horses. I understand
that now.”

“Well, it wasn’t very gentlemanly of me.” He
admitted. “And I do apologize.” He put his hand on his heart and
bowed. When he straightened he was grinning. “Will you join me by
the river? The view is beautiful from here.” He added, holding out
his hand in welcome.

Evelyn returned the smile, blushing slightly.
“I would love to, but I’ll have to bring the dogs with me. I dare
not let go of them.”

“Amen to that! Come. I’ll teach you how to
skip rocks.” He said, his hand reaching out to her.

“All right.” She said, not really looking
forward to the rock throwing, but wanting to be near him.

With one hand, she lifted her skirt and
started making her way past two giant bald cypress trees. She
wished he would have offered some help, perhaps taken the dogs’
leashes or held her hand, but instead he just stood where he was
and watched her as she slowly and carefully stepped over the
exposed roots. The dogs followed slowly, their noses to the ground,
smelling every inch of dirt, moss and vegetation along the way.

Finally when she was within perhaps three
steps of him, he finally moved towards her with his hand
outstretched, but the dogs started barking again and darted forward
so they could smell his boots. Jamie jumped back and Evelyn yanked
on their leashes. “Stop!” She scolded them. “You’ve already made a
bad impression on Master James. I’m sorry.” She added, her face
growing warm with embarrassment.

He smiled gently at her. “’Tis all right. At
least they’ve obeyed you.” He commented, eyeing the dogs as they
settled down by Evelyn’s feet.

“They’re usually very well-behaved.” She
said.

He raised an eyebrow at that. “They’re
beagles, aren’t they?”

“Yes, pocket beagles. How did you know?”

“When I lived in England our neighbors in St.
Wenn had several packs of beagles. They were bigger than these and
they used them for hunting, but you don’t appear to be a huntress.”
He ended with a slight teasing twinkle to his eye.

“No, I’m not.” She said flushing slightly.
“They’re just our pets, although they did go after that rabbit.
I’ve never seen them act like that before. Again, I’m sorry.”