The Heart is Torn (7 page)

‘If a room has been readied for me then I should like to see it now,’ she said firmly.

Matilda regarded her bleakly, then nodded, and the alert Mrs Fetters rose and walked to the door. Matilda waved a hand in Beth’s direction, dismissing her summarily, and turned her head to gaze through the window. Beth suppressed a sigh and followed the housekeeper from the room.

‘Your trunk will be brought up when Cresse returns,’ Mrs Fetters said as she led the way up the dark oak staircase.

Beth suppressed a shiver at the mention of Cresse’s name and a sense of hopelessness enveloped her as she was shown into a spacious room. A fire was burning in a large grate, and the room was tastefully decorated, showing the touch of a feminine hand. A large bed was situated between two tall windows overlooking the bay.

‘This will be your room until your marriage.’

Mrs Fetters remained aloof both in speech and manner.

Beth turned to look from the window, showing her back in silent disapproval of the situation, and she remained motionless until the door closed behind the housekeeper. Then she sank down upon the bed and looked around the room as if it were a cell. Her hopes sank.

How could she follow Jeremy Traherne’s suggestion of getting evidence of Jonah Peake’s wrong-doing? With those two odious women around, she would have no opportunity to pry into Peake’s affairs. Mrs Fetters seemed more of a gaoler than a housekeeper, and as the thought struck her, Beth arose and went to the door, expecting to find it locked, but it opened to her touch. She peered out into the long corridor, relieved to find it deserted although she feared that Mrs Fetters would not be far away.

Yet she knew Peake had no need to lock her in. She was bound to him by circumstances much stronger than locks and bolts. She thought of her father, and her spirit began to revive. There was much more at stake here than her personal liberty. Her father’s future was dependent upon her determination, and she feared for Adam, who was in mortal danger.

Bolstered by her thoughts, she left the room and walked along the corridor, wanting to familiarise herself with the layout of the big, rambling house. She wondered if she would become the mistress here if her marriage to Peake eventually went ahead, but thinking of Matilda, she feared that the woman would not relinquish her grasp on the household.

She opened door after door, looking fearlessly into rooms to ascertain the roosting places of Peake and his sister. She found the room next to hers had a feminine touch and assumed that it was occupied by Matilda. Almost opposite, overlooking the front of the house and presenting a view of the town itself, was a large room that obviously belonged to Jonah Peake. It was furnished with dark oak furniture, and Beth’s eyes glinted when she saw a writing desk in a corner.

‘What are you doing in here?’

Mrs Fetters had approached silently and was standing at Beth’s elbow, her dark eyes agleam with inner passion.

‘You should stay in your room until Master Peake has returned.’

‘I need to familiarise myself with my surroundings,’ Beth responded. ‘If I am to live here then I need to be able to find my way around without having to bother you. I am sure you have many duties, and I have no wish to be treated like a child.’

Mrs Fetters drew a sharp breath and her lips formed into a thin line. She met Beth’s determined gaze then turned away to descend the stairs, no doubt to report to Matilda. Beth sighed to rid herself of the tension encroaching upon her mind and continued her inspection of the house, half-expecting Matilda to come chasing after her, rattling chains. But the house remained silent, and Beth descended the stairs to wander through the lower rooms on her tour of inspection.

She was particularly interested in the library, and with her ears strained for the approach of the furtive Mrs Fetters, she looked in the drawers of a cabinet, hoping to find some damning evidence of Peake’s nefarious activities. There were business papers in profusion, but nothing to indicate whether or not they related to anything criminal.

She was standing at the window, concealed from the room by a heavy brocade curtain, when the door was opened and she heard Peake’s curt tone as he entered.

‘I tell you, Cresse, it must be done now. We’ll never have a better chance than this.’

‘I disagree,’ Martin Cresse replied, and Beth cringed at the sound of his voice. ‘I’ve been nosing around the town for news, and learned that Adam Traherne has returned to Falmouth. He was seen boarding the ten o’clock coach, and he is not a man to confront. Snark and his crew have failed once. They won’t get a second chance now.’

‘Get you gone to Falmouth and tell Snark to seize
Seagull
. If Adam Traherne is aboard then he must be killed. I need his death now more than I crave the cargo in
Seagull’s
holds.’

‘All I’m saying is it’s too risky,’ Cresse protested.

‘This is the time for being bold. Go and do it, or get back to your farm. I need forceful men around me at this time.’

Cresse departed, and Beth, still hidden, froze in horror at what she had overheard.

7

Beth heard Peake cross the room and open a drawer. She risked a peep around the heavy curtain and saw him standing at his desk, holding a thin sheaf of papers. Her mind was buzzing with what had passed between Peake and Cresse, and a fierce impatience boiled up inside her. She needed to get to Traherne Court now to warn Jeremy of what she had learned. If proof was what they needed then the orders Peake had given Cresse were more than sufficient. Adam was to be murdered in Falmouth!

A degree of calm returned to her when she recalled that Adam had not gone to Falmouth, but she wondered where he was in Polgarron. He needed the warning, not Jeremy, but she fancied that she would not find him, and someone had to be informed of Peake’s ghastly plot.

She cringed back into cover when the door of the room was opened. Mrs Fetters spoke, using an ingratiating tone that offended Beth’s ears.

‘Elizabeth Farrell is here, Master Peake,’ the housekeeper said. ‘She is not in her room at the moment but wandering around the house.’

‘What’s wrong with that?’ Peake demanded. ‘She needs to find her way around. I want her settled in here as quickly as possible, and your task is to ensure her happiness. Just remember that she is a guest here, and soon to be my wife. Where is she now? I need to talk to her.’

‘She was looking in the bedrooms when I last saw her.’

‘Then go and tell her that I wish to see her in here.’ He paused, then said, ‘No, wait. I’ll find her myself.’

Beth peeped around the curtain and saw Peake ushering Mrs Fetters out of the room. He departed with her, closing the door firmly. Waiting several moments, Beth went to the door and opened it a fraction, peering into the hall. She saw Peake disappearing up the staircase and looked around for Mrs Fetters. Thankfully, the woman was nowhere to be seen, and Beth, afraid of being discovered in the library and suspected of eavesdropping, slipped out and closed the door silently.

‘What are you doing there?’ Mrs Fetters demanded, and Beth turned swiftly to see the housekeeper emerging from the nearby drawing-room.

‘I thought I heard Jonah,’ Beth said, her heart was pounding. ‘Is he in the library?’

‘He’s gone upstairs to look for you.’

She turned and went back into the drawing-room, her shoulders stiff as she failed to control her hostile manner.

Beth could hear Peake upstairs, calling her name, and she hurried to the front door. If she was to pass on what she had overheard then she needed to get away immediately. The door opened to her touch, which surprised her, and she turned and ran along the driveway to the street. The wind tore at her, but she ignored the elements and went on, wondering if she should search for Adam or make for Traherne Court to warn Jeremy. She staggered into the doorway of a warehouse, pausing to regain her breath. She looked around, wondering how she could hope to outwit a man like Jonah Peake.

She shivered, not being particularly well dressed for the weather, and was about to go on, intending to make for Traherne Court, when the warehouse door at her back creaked open, startling her. She half-turned, and a cry of consternation escaped her when she saw Martin Cresse emerging, a grin of pleasure on his coarse features.

Beth turned to flee but Cresse seized her by an arm and pulled her through the open doorway into the warehouse. Retaining his grasp, he paused and peered around the street, satisfying himself that they had not been seen. Then he laughed, holding her firmly as she struggled ineffectually to get free. He dragged her inside the warehouse and locked the door.

‘Providence is smiling upon me,’ he said, his eyes gleaming. ‘What are you doing here, Beth? I thought you would be tucked up comfortably with Peake at this moment, instead of roaming the streets like a waif.’

‘Let me go!’ Beth exclaimed and struggled to break his powering grip. ‘How dare you lay a hand on me! Jonah will take a whip to you when I tell him of this.’

‘Does he know you’ve left his house? I’ll wager he doesn’t. Methinks you’re having second thoughts about the marriage, and if you’re feeling that strongly about it I’ll help you get away from him at a price.’

‘Certainly not. I’ve made a pact with Jonah and I’ll stand by my word. You talk as if I were a prisoner in the house, but I am free to come and go as I please. Now unhand me, and I’ll not report this to Jonah.’

‘I’ll not take your word for it, knowing what Peake has told me of the situation. He wouldn’t let you out of his sight for a moment until after the wedding, so you have run away. That’s interesting. My duty is to haul you back to him, but I’m open to bargaining if you’ve no wish to return. Where were you going when I caught you?’

‘Nowhere in particular. I needed air, and Matilda and Mrs Fetters make poor company.’

‘I can tell you’re lying.’

Cresse thrust his face close to Beth’s and she cringed away, pulling against him, but his superior strength told against her, until she suddenly changed her tactics and thrust her slender weight against him.

Cresse went backwards in surprise. His heels found a bale of cloth lying on the floor and he sprawled and fell on his back. His head struck the rough boards with a thud and he rolled against the inside of the door, blocking it. Beth took to her heels, running through the warehouse, dodging around the stacks of merchandise as she looked for another exit.

The interior of the building was dim and she searched desperately for a means of escape, only to discover that there was not another way out. She paused to catch her breath, straining her ears for sound. She heard nothing. She eventually reached the rear of the building and found only a small door in an otherwise blank wall.

Trying the door, which opened easily, Beth peered into an office where dim light entered through a skylight high overhead. She looked around, and saw immediately a ship’s bell standing on a corner of a desk. She approached the desk. There was barely enough light but she managed to read the name
Endeavour
etched into the bell.

The name struck a chord in Beth’s mind and she frowned as she considered. Then it came to her.
Endeavour
was the name of a ship that had been wrecked two years before with the loss of all hands. But how had the bell found its way here? Had the wreckers taken it before the ship foundered? She touched the cold metal, her mind flitting over the dark suspicions that came to her.

Opening a drawer in the desk, Beth saw a number of ship’s log books and lifted them out for examination. The first one belonged to the brig,
Sea
Rover
, which she knew was a Traherne ship that had been wrecked the previous winter, again with the loss of all hands. Frozen with cold disbelief, she checked the other log books, and realised that all of them belonged to ships that had been wrecked in the past few years. What were they doing in Jonah Peake’s warehouse?

She heard a commotion at her back and realised that Cresse was now searching for her, calling her name and uttering threats of what he would do if she did not reveal herself. Beth left the office and found a narrow opening between two tall heaps of sacks. She wriggled in behind them, pressing against the back wall of the warehouse. Cresse sounded very close, and he was angry. She ducked as he passed by.

‘If you don’t come out I’ll lock you in,’ he shouted. ‘No-one knows you’re here. I’m going to Falmouth shortly, and I won’t be back for several days. Come out now or I’ll leave you to rot. It’s your choice, and you don’t have much time.’

Beth held her breath and waited, the silence heavy against her ears. She could feel a cold draught playing on the back of her neck and placed her hand on the wall to find a crack in the woodwork. She glanced around in the gloom, running her fingers over the area and, feeling a slight protuberance, pressed it. A panel slid sideways, permitting a blast of cold air to envelop her. She could hear the sea roaring in the distance, and a dank, marine smell assailed her nostrils as she gazed into the darkness beyond the panel.

Fear stabbed through her and she hastily pressed the spot that had operated the panel. It slid back into position and Beth moved away quickly, her heart pounding. She could hear Cresse making his way back to the exit and left her hiding place to follow at a distance. When she could see Cresse standing with his back to the heavy door, she crouched and watched him, not believing his threat to leave her locked inside. But his patience was ebbing fast, and within a few moments he departed, slamming the door at his back and locking it.

Beth waited, fearing a trick, aware that Cresse was a cunning man. She moved to the inside of the door and pressed against it, listening, certain that he would be outside waiting for her nerve to fail. She heard nothing but the moaning of the wind. The warehouse creaked and groaned under the ferocious blasts of the gale, a frightening place as twilight crept in.

Presently, she heard heavy footsteps approaching from somewhere inside the building and crouched down against the door, her nerve failing. Suspense built up in her mind until she did not know what to expect. Then a tall figure appeared only yards from her and she uttered a scream of terror which was cut off as rough hands seized her and Cresse laughed maliciously. He shook Beth until her senses swam.

‘Did you think I would leave you in here?’ he demanded.

‘How did you get back in? I looked and couldn’t find another door.’

‘I have ways and means. You’re giving me considerable trouble. I’ve a mind to take you back to Peake and tell him I found you running away.’

‘I was not running away! Why would I do that? I entered his house of my own free will.’

‘You looked as if you were running away. Weren’t you planning to wed Adam Traherne?’

‘That’s none of your business. Turn me loose now and I’ll say nothing.’

Beth was still intent on getting to Traherne Court.

‘I’ll walk you back to Peake’s house,’ Cresse decided, ‘and if you try to make trouble you’ll get worse from me.’

‘I’ll go back there when I’m good and ready,’ she retorted. ‘I was on my way to the shops when you dragged me in here.’

He gazed at her for some moments, then, showing great reluctance, opened the door and thrust her outside, his anger clearly apparent.

‘Get you gone,’ he said harshly. ‘It’s lucky for you that I’ve no time to spare today. Anyway, you’re Peake’s business now and it is up to him to keep you in your place.’

Beth stumbled away, unable to believe her good fortune. Daylight was fading from the sky and she lost herself quickly in the gathering shadows. Too much time had been wasted by Cresse and she needed to get to Traherne Court urgently. She almost ran along the street, intent on hiring a horse from Jaime Spencer, the ostler at The Lobster Pot Inn. But, reaching the stable, she faded into the shadows, for Peake was standing there in the doorway talking to Spencer.

‘Watch out for her, Jaime, and if you see her then bring her home to me. I have a feeling she has fled.’

‘I’ll do that, Master Peake,’ Spencer said. ‘If she wants to leave town she’ll have to borrow a horse from me.’

Peake turned to leave but halted when Cresse emerged from the shadows. Beth shrank back, fearing she had been followed.

‘Haven’t you gone yet?’ Peake demanded angrily. ‘What’s kept you? I was thinking you were well on your way to Falmouth by now.’

‘I’ve been in the warehouse, making sure everything is all right in this storm,’ Cresse replied. ‘I can’t start for Falmouth until the coach arrives.’

‘The coach might be laid up inland, with this storm hammering the coast,’ Spencer observed. ‘Have you seen anything of Beth Farrell, by the way, Cresse?’

Not a sign of her.’ Cresse grinned as he glanced at Peake. ‘I thought she’d be snugly tucked up in your nest by now. Haven’t mislaid her, have you, master?’

‘Keep your observations to yourself,’ Peake rapped. ‘Make sure you’re on the coach to Falmouth when it leaves, and if it doesn’t arrive by six then you’d better take a saddle horse and ride. I want my orders to reach Snark before midnight.’

‘It ain’t fit to send a dog out in this weather,’ Cresse grumbled.

Beth drew back into the shadows as Peake turned on his heel and departed. Spencer and Cresse moved inside the stable, talking seriously, and Beth suppressed a shiver as she looked around the deserted street. Usual town activity was non-existent because of the storm.

She kept to the shadows and went to the side doorway of the stable. Peering inside, she saw Spencer and Cresse in the office. Spencer was drinking from a bottle. She sneaked into the stable and began saddling a horse. When the horse was ready she led it out of the stall and mounted, intending to gallop out through the doorway and lose herself in the shadows before anyone could stop her.

She had started forward when Spencer emerged from the office and saw her moving towards the door. He shouted, and Cresse ran out of the office. Beth spurred the horse but both men blocked the doorway and extended their arms, barring the way. Beth kicked the horse with her heels, but, instead of running, the animal halted in its tracks and Beth was sent sliding out of the saddle. She hit the ground on her feet but lost her balance as the horse shied away. The next instant, Cresse had run forward and grasped her, dragging her to her feet.

‘You again!’ he declared angrily. ‘This time I’m taking you to Peake.’