The others agreed and encouraged the visitors to move on to the next town and try their luck. Anthony was prepared for this. He knew mines were closing.
“Show us the abandoned mines. Perhaps we could gather some loose coal and sell it along the way.”
“That’s mean work,” said the man. “You may find enough to make it worth your while but don’t expect riches from that.” The others laughed and all took a long draw from the Ale.
“We’d like to try anyway,” said Miles. “We are desperate for work.”
Faces changed from scorn to empathy. They were directed to a mine a mile from the town. “That’s probably your best bet since it was the last one to close.”
After thanking their hosts, Miles and Anthony walked toward the mine as directed. When they were away from the men they looked at one another.
“Did you bargain for all of this, My Lord?”
Miles shook his head. “No, but I suppose we will soon find out what it is like to gather coal remnants.”
‘Edward’ and ‘Richard’ became familiar figures in the town. No one mentioned the previous visits of the Horse Guard and people cautiously emerged once again in the afternoons. They presumed Lord Spencer had given up his search for Isabelle Sanders. Lord Spencer had hope again that this plan would be the one that worked. Each evening after gathering coal, they went back into the opulent office and became the Regent’s men once again. When everyone was out of the Stable area, Anthony dumped the coal near the door and the next morning it was gone.
Isabelle Sanders visited the children and Madeline daily but she had to be very careful. She knew Lord Spencer had specifically asked her whereabouts. This frightened her considerably but she chose the right moments to escape to the hut. One day on the way back to her house she heard Louisa’s voice. She spoke with her neighbor.
“I am sure it is one of those street children. They stole the pies from your windowsill.”
The neighbor agreed with her. “I do not understand why Isabelle befriends them.”
Isabelle caught her breath. She had never told her aunt of her daily interactions with the children knowing she would forbid her to spend time with them. Louisa knew sometimes Isabelle took them to watch the Troops pass but was sure that was not something she dared do regularly.
“She tries to entertain them sometimes but not often. It is because Parson Swift expects us to take our turns looking after them.” Isabelle could almost hear her aunt shudder. “Of course, I cannot bring myself to be near the dirty little waifs. I do look after the elderly in our town as you know.”
Again, Isabelle imagined the neighbor nodding in agreement who clicked her tongue. “I guess you know Lord Spencer has been looking for Isabelle.”
Isabelle held her breath. Silence followed. Her aunt must not have known the Regent’s top man searched for her. “Why is he’s looking for her? What has she done that the Court wants her?”
“I do not believe she has done anything wrong. We can’t figure out why he is searching for her. Don’t worry, Louisa, no one is giving him any information at all and everyone is keeping their children at home in the afternoons when he comes.” She told Louisa of the day Lord Spencer ordered candy to be tossed at the children. She did not leave out the aftermath.
Louisa sucked in her breath rapidly and went back inside her house. Isabelle hesitated to enter but knew she must face her aunt sooner rather than later. Now was as good a time as any.
“Why is Lord Miles Spencer looking for you?” Louisa’s face was ashen. She attempted to tie her apron twice before it dropped to the floor.
“I have no idea what he wants of me,” said Isabelle. She looked imploringly at her aunt. “I am very nervous and wish for the answer as well as you do.”
“I will discuss this with your uncle this very evening. We cannot allow the Palace to be at odds with us. Your Uncle Edward will be shocked to learn of this.”
Being a Shopkeeper, Isabelle felt sure he already knew she was being sought after but had not let his wife know this. He had not discussed it with his niece either. Everyone laid low about the matter in hopes it was a passing thing with Lord Spencer.
Isabelle could not bear the thought that because of her, Louisa and Edward Sanders were in danger. There was only one answer and she knew she must find a place to hide out for a while. After dinner that night, she gathered the remaining rolls from the sideboard and put them into her deep pockets.
“What are you doing with those rolls,” asked her aunt.
“I will crumble them for the birds so in the morning they will have a treat.” Isabelle knew this was a way to sway her aunt from delving further into the matter. Her aunt was an avid bird watcher and enjoyed watching them in her garden.
“It’s all right this time but make sure you give them day old rolls from now on.”
“I will,” said Isabelle.
She escaped to the loft. The bedroom was the only one on the second floor and it was her haven. She put the rolls in a small burlap bag and then retrieved her diary from behind the broken board in the small closet and began to write the mysterious events of her life of the past few days. She wrote that the children were deprived of the one distraction to their dismal days thanks to Lord Miles Spencer. After she scribbled her feelings in detail she closed the diary and stuffed it between the boards. Then she hung her cloak on the hook above the hiding place.
Isabelle spent the first few hours of the night trying to formulate ideas on where she should go. Then it struck her that perhaps the children were in danger as well. What if Lord Spencer wanted to do harm to the children and to get to them through her? Everyone knew that those in power did not wish to have orphans who blighted the countryside. Her breath caught in her throat and she sat upright in bed.
Above all, she must figure a way to protect the children.
A Faint Pathway
“I am ready to despair,” said Miles. “We have been picking up coal for a week now and no signs of the children or the woman.”
“I think we should give it another day or two and see what happens,” said Anthony. “If we go after this coal much longer I believe we will look suspicious to everyone. When you consider how much coal we continue to gather, will the townspeople start wondering about our motives?”
“I have thought about that. Perhaps we should skip a day before resuming.”
When the men returned to Brookwood two days later, they greeted several townspeople familiar to them and headed for a third abandoned mine they were told about. It was deep in the woods and they walked approximately two miles before reaching it. At one time, Miles stopped to listen. He thought he heard voices but couldn’t be sure.
“I am sure hunters are out in these woods,” said Anthony. “I see the clearing ahead so we must be getting closer.” Beads of moisture dotted his forehead.
The men sat down to rest. There was no real reason to actually pick up coal. The people in town barely noticed if they returned with any in the bags or not. Anthony picked up a few small rocks and twigs and put them inside his bag and then handed a few to Miles. They laughed at the devious way of avoiding backbreaking work. When Miles leaned back to gaze at the cobalt sky he took a drink of water from the flask. As he put it back on his belt, he noticed grass beaten down a few yards from them.
“It looks as if someone has made a pathway here at one time.” Anthony followed his gaze. They stood up and looked beyond the flattened grass. “Do you hear that?” asked Miles. “I knew I heard voices and they are not the voices of hunters. They sound as if they come from children.” Anthony picked up on his animated tone.
They decided to follow the faint pathway and hopefully discover the source of voices. The path was rough and uneven. Small pebbles covered tracks in places and it wound in different directions several times. They came to a clearing and watched from the trees. The familiar greeters gathered around a beautiful young woman who held them spellbound with a story. Miles held his breath and then motioned for A
nthony to stay quiet.
Nearby, an old woman stirred something in a kettle over an open fire. Wafts of its contents reached their nostrils and both men recognized it as a thin gruel they were subjected to when food was scarce during battles. For the first time, Miles noticed the thin arms and legs of the scantily clothed children. He watched as the younger woman opened a bag. Slender fingers reached in and she handed each child a large roll. The old woman dipped the hot watery mixture into well-worn bowls and handed one to each of the children. Miles watched as they eagerly drank the gruel and ate the treat. One young boy picked off a small portion at a time and popped it into his mouth as if savoring the taste for as long as he could make it last.
“I do not see how they all fit into that shack,” said Anthony. His whisper seemed to shake the leaves on the trees but Miles knew only he heard the words. “It is just about ready to cave in, too.”
Miles whispered agreement. The conditions were deplorable. More than anything, the beauty who so attracted him appeared right at home there but something told him this was not her permanent home. He motioned for Anthony to back up and they turned and went back the way they had come. At last he had found the treasure he searched for.
When they were far enough away, Anthony looked at his friend. “Now that you found her, why not speak with her?”
“I cannot chance running her off again. Let’s go to the Parson’s cottage. I notice it every time I ride into town near the merchant district.”
The two men walked back into town. The men sitting outside the Pub spoke to them.
“Looks as if you didn’t have much luck today,” said the man who had invited them inside the Pub the first day.
“I believe this is our last trip here. We have been lucky so far but as you say, today did not yield as much as desired.”
“Perhaps you will be back another day,” said the man. His voice sounded hopeful.
“Perhaps,” said Miles.
They walked past the Parsonage when Miles told his companion to keep walking. “We will return in our usual kingly attire tomorrow.”
The decision was made but Miles knew twenty-four hours would seem much longer. They returned to his office where once again they donned appropriate dress. Lord Spencer told Anthony he was going home and would see him before the parade through town the next morning. Once home, he sent for his housekeeper and cook.
“I wish for you to gather several baskets and fill them with food, washcloths and soaps. When ready, come back with two of my most trusted men and I will give further orders.”
The women curtsied and left wondering what their master could possibly want with such a request. While they followed his orders, Miles leaned back in his chair. He could not believe the poverty he witnessed at the hut in the forest. Surely those children had parents who could provide better than that. The more he thought about it, the more he realized such destitution existed in the kingdom. Miles had paid little attention when the mines closed down and left trails of poverty. He now knew that the woman of his dreams was the children’s only salvation. The wizened woman who stirred the thin soup was no better off than the children. He could not shake the visions of wide eyes sunken into sallow faces. Bony arms reaching for the scant provision handed them. How could this exist?
When Miles began to notice the children saluting and waving along the street, he saw sheer happiness. He did not give attention to their physical neglect. Instead, his eyes focused on the young woman and her beauty.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his study door. He looked up to see the two women who told him the baskets were completed and two men waited for his orders. He summoned them and told the women to return to their duties. Miles instructed the men to ride to the cottage and leave the baskets for the occupants. They must go around the town and through the backwoods so not to be seen. Everything must be kept confidential and they were to speak to no one, not even those who were at the cottage. Miles then summoned Anthony Greene.
“I want you to follow the two men who just left with bounty for the poor children and the old woman at the cottage. Let me know how quickly they come and go. I insist everything be done as efficiently as possible.”
“Do you want me to let you know if the young beauty is there as well?”
Miles searched his Aide’s face for signs of teasing and found none. “Yes, that is important as well.”
* * *
Madeline glanced quickly through the smoky window. She was sure she saw two men outside. She hurried to gather the children into the small back room.
“Stay as quiet as you have ever been,” she said.
She closed the door on the wide-eyed waifs and returned to the cramped kitchen. Creeping toward the back door she peered out to see the backs of two uniformed soldiers. She gasped in dismay and realized Isabelle had been right. They were all in danger. Isabelle had told her she found a cave and had bedded there the last two nights. She had promised the children she would return this day. Somehow Madeline must get a warning to her.
Isabelle stretched to loosen her limbs. She wondered how long it would be before Lord Spencer and his men stopped looking for her. She yearned for her comfortable home but then admonished herself for being so selfish.
“I must gather berries and other foods for the children.”
She thought of the daily rolls Louisa baked and formulated her plan to sneak home for a few minutes to beg her aunt for some. She knew Louisa would not agree if she knew that Isabelle cared for the orphans. Suddenly, she heard hoof beats. Shrinking back into the cave she watched as two soldiers raced beyond the thicket. They had come from the hut. Her heart caught in her throat and she raced toward Madeline and the children once the men were out of sight.
From his vantage point, Anthony watched the lass run. He shook his head in bewilderment. Surely she did not live in a cave, he thought. He crept back toward the hut and spied from the spot he and Miles first discovered the sight. He watched as the old woman skipped in joy. The waifs ran around each other laughing and crying with exclamations of joy. Anthony smiled. His Commander rarely showed his soft side. If only he could see how his gifts were received.
“What is it? What happened?” asked Isabelle. She was breathless from her run. Her eyes darted from Madeline to the children and back again.
“Look, Miss,” shouted Elizabeth. “There are all kinds of goodies left for us. Just look, Miss. There is fruit and meats. Oh, the meats, Miss. Just take a look.”
Isabelle did look. She could hardly believe her eyes at the overflowing baskets before her.
“Where did it all come from?” she asked.
“Two soldiers on horseback left it. They were two of the King’s men,” said Madeline. “I did not get a good look but I saw them ride away. They left the baskets and just raced that way.” She pointed a gnarled finger toward the woods. “They said not a word. I cannot believe it.”
Isabelle did not want to spoil the excitement but she felt suspicious of the event. Perhaps Lord Spencer decided to lure her and the children to him this way. His inquiring of the villagers did not pay off. Was he now bribing them with this abundance of food? Fear clutched her heart.
“Madeline,” she said. Madeline was immediately alert to the lowered voice. “How did the soldiers know where to find the orphans?”
Madeline’s joy switched to consternation. “I do not know, Isabelle.” She gestured toward the children. Their mouths watered waiting for word to start eating. “Let us not deprive them of this happiness now. We will talk later.”
Isabelle agreed. Baskets were carried inside and a real dinner spread before them all. Isabelle felt as hungry as the children after spending time in the cave without Louisa’s succulent meals. After a short and enthusiastic prayer of thanks, the feast began.
* * *
When Anthony returned to Lord Spencer’s house he gave a full accounting of what he witnessed. “She is living in a cave. It is the entrance of one of the abandoned mines a distance
from the ones we visited.”
Miles wrenched his head around. “She is living in a cave? How is that possible? She appears healthy and well-groomed.”
“I saw her run from one of them. I swear it is the truth.”
Lord Miles Spencer began to pace. Then he stopped and snapped his fingers.
“There is one person held to truth as well. Today we will visit the Parson in Brookwood. I am surprised I did not go to him in the first place. He will be bound to telling the truth.” He paced a few steps. “Anthony, prepare for town. Dress as our stations demand. We are off to visit the Parson.”
Spencer’s excitement was infectious, and his aide hurried off to prepare for the visit.
Parson Swift
Miles sat erect on his horse and his splendid uniform enhanced his handsome physique. Anthony rode a pace behind him but to his side. They reined their horses in to the Parsonage where they alighted with ease. Looping the reins over the post, the men walked to the door.
Parson Thomas Swift caught a glimpse of the men from his small study window and got up quickly. His heart beat fast knowing why they were there before he opened the door. He invited the men in while bowing low. Their stance overpowered all feelings of comfort for the man of God. He stood approximately five inches shorter than either of them and as hard as he tried he could not fully straighten his shoulders. His housekeeper appeared at the door when he called. Taking many deep breaths, she began to prepare the tea.
“We are here on official business,” said Lord Spencer. “I wish to inquire about the hut in the deep woods and its occupants. How is it that they live like that?”
The stout woman who came into the room set the large tray of tea and morsels on the low table between the King’s men and Thomas. It was noted the china rattled and two wafers slid from the plate before she left them.
The Lass & The Baron: A Cinderella Story: Regency Fairytale Romance Page 2
