Annie

by Val Wood

‘We’ll have to wait until after the next run, Annie,’ Toby reminded her. ‘The Breeze is due in on Friday. We’ll get the goods distributed and then go. I’ll go with you, don’t worry.’

  But she did worry, she couldn’t help it. She also worried when Josh appeared on Friday morning and said that soldiers had arrived in Hessle and that Bernard Roxton had booked in at the Admiral Hawke Inn.

  ‘They’ve got wind of ’Breeze arriving,’ he said, his round face scowling. ‘Revenue ship’s moored at ’river mouth, but I reckon they’ll try to nab her up river and us with her.’

  ‘They won’t catch us.’ Toby was cheerful and optimistic. ‘Their ships are not fast enough, and their cobbles were not built for the Humber, we can outrun them any time, and besides the mariners on board them couldn’t care less, they never get their prize money even when they make a capture.’

  ‘Aye, and some of soldiers’ll take a bribe,’ Josh conceded, ‘only not Sergeant Collins, so I hear. He’s straight as a die.’

  It was as Toby and Annie were stepping out from the warmth of the cottage into the cold darkness to go to the river that he took her arm. ‘Annie. Everything will be all right, I’m convinced of it—, but, if anything should go wrong, then you must get away as fast as you can. Go to the Trotts first, they’ll look after you until you decide what your future is.’

  ‘Toby! What are you saying?’ She was horrified by the seriousness of his tone,

  His mood changed and he laughed. ‘I’m saying that we shall have great sport tonight. Roxton is out to catch me or my brother. He knows nothing of you or Josh or any of the others, and he must be as mad as can be. But,’ he took her by the chin and looked into her eyes. ‘If, by any chance things should go wrong, you must take over from me. Run the team as I do. Josh will help you. Take what you need from this house. You’ll find money, clothes, cloth, everything you need to start afresh. Fetch your children and make another life.’

  Tha’s frightening me, Toby.’

  ‘What?’ He smiled at her.

  ‘You’re frightening me,’ she repeated.

  He nodded. ‘We need to be frightened, then we’ll take more care. Come on, tonight we’re seeking our fortune.’

  There was a sudden exhilaration in his words, a feverishness in his manner and as she gazed closer at him in the darkness, there was, she thought, a spark of madness in his eyes.

  ‘There’ll be brandy and geneva, coffee and tea, maybe a roll of silk or two if Matt was able to make the contact, but that’s for us, not for the others, they wouldn’t know where to distribute it.’

  She caught his enthusiasm and smiled. Silk. She’d love to have the feel of that between her fingers. ‘Right then,’ she laughed. ‘Let’s be off.’

  * * *

  While the men loaded the boats, Annie and Toby went with Matt to his cabin. Matt handed her a list of goods written in large bold handwriting.

  ‘I understand you’re going to help Toby with the distribution! Well, you’d better make a start. You’ll find the number of ankers of geneva and brandy, and the amount of tobacco brought, the amount I’ve paid for it and the price it’s expected to bring. Josh will be counting and his list should tally with this one.’

  His voice was curt. He’s still not happy about me being here, she thought. He gave them each a glass well filled with brandy and invited them to sit down.

  ‘It’s going to be a long night,’ he said, and rubbed his hand over his eyes. ‘And there’s going to be trouble, I can feel it. There was another cutter, not as old as those the customs normally use, just off Spurn Head.’ He scratched his beard thoughtfully. ‘She made no attempt to confront us. That can only mean that there is some kind of plan afoot. They’re probably hoping to trap us in the river. Have you heard of any customs ship being moored up at Brough?’

  Toby shook his head. ‘No. And the men have been very active up and down the river, we would have heard if a ship had been seen,’

  ‘Then they’re coming down from the Trent. God help them, the waters are treacherous enough in the day, even when you know them, but for them to attempt the mudflats in the dark is madness.’

  ‘But you do it, Captain.’ Annie had been dismayed by his news.

  ‘But I know the waters, Mrs Hope. And though the mud and sand have a habit of shifting when least expected, I have a feeling for these home waters. Not like the mariners employed by the revenue who are often strangers to these parts.’

  ‘Well we, too, have a scheme if needs be.’ Toby drained his glass and stood up. ‘We’d better be going on deck, the men will be almost finished.’

  ‘Your plan?’ said Matt.

  ‘We have six boats which will carry only a small amount of goods. If there should be trouble, they’ll draw away from the rest of us and hinder the customs from reaching us. Then when we are safely away they’ll draw to shore, they’ll be able to move swiftly, being lighter, and hopefully the customs will follow. Once they’re on shore they’ll abandon the boats and run. The Customs are sure to stop and search the packages, and it’ll be worth the loss of a pound or two of tobacco if the rest of the goods are safe.’

  Toby put out his hand to Matt. ‘God go with you brother. I wish you a fair wind and a full sail.’

  Annie thought she caught a fleeting look of apprehension on Matt’s face, but then it was gone and he grinned. ‘Who knows, God might well be on the side of Roxton and his comrades tonight. We shall see. But whatever happens we’ll give them something to tell their grandchildren. ’Tis a pity we can’t do the same.’

  He glanced at Annie, staring into her face and then down at her bare feet, and then back to her face again. ‘And you, Mrs Hope? Perhaps you will have a story to tell your children and grandchildren!’

  ‘Aye,’ she replied quietly. ‘Perhaps I will. God willing.’

  He grasped her hands. ‘Don’t leave it all to God. Life is in our own hands too.’

  For a moment it seemed as if they were alone in the small cabin, as if Toby had gone, though he still stood by the door watching them. The muffled sound of barrels being moved above them, stilled. Then he suddenly released her hands and gave a small bow. ‘Take care.’

  Annie counted up to fifty small boats clustered around the Breeze, bumping against the hull and waiting for the signal to pull away. She climbed down the ladder behind Toby and clambered into the waiting coggy. Josh was in a boat next to them, his was one which was only half laden.

  A light flashed from on shore. ‘There we go,’ whispered Josh. ‘There’s ’signal.’

  ‘Bear away,’ Toby called softly. ‘Safe home lads.’

  The boats pulled towards the shore and Annie turned her head back to the Breeze and saw Matt standing on deck. He raised his arm in farewell and she did the same, and then turning her back pulled hard on the oar in unison with Toby.

  They were halfway to the bank when they heard a warning cry from the Breeze. They both looked back up river and saw a fleet of small boats heading towards them, and behind them, outlined against the night sky, the three-masted white sails of a frigate, the cannons on her gun decks clearly visible, was moving fast towards the Breeze.

  ‘Damnation,’ Toby cursed. ‘What happened to the lookout? He was supposed to be watching up river.’

  ‘I reckon he didn’t see them,’ Annie panted. ‘Look where they’ve come from, they’ve rowed from Brough, there’s a bend in the river, and ’tide is high so lookout’s watching from the bank, not the shingle.’

  When she had been on watch, she had stepped up to her knees in water so that she could look up and down river, but if the tide was very high it would be impossible to do that for fear of being swept away.

  The crack of a firearm made them duck low. ‘It’s all right,’ Toby assured her. ‘They’re aiming above us. They’ll not shoot to kill.’

  Annie didn’t believe him. She had heard the whine of the shot far too close to be reassured that the revenue men didn’t mean them any harm.

  ‘Change course.�
�� Toby gasped. ‘We’ll make for the mill. There are people waiting there.’ He steered away from the bank and pulled strongly down river towards the Hessle shore.

  Several of the other boats were doing the same, the men on board pulling furiously to avoid capture, while behind, as Annie looked back, the revenue boats were chasing Josh and the other half-laden boats towards the shore, at the same time there came a sharp exchange of gunfire from the Breeze and the frigate.

  ‘I think your plan’s worked, Toby. They’re chasing Josh and the others. Oh, what if they catch them?’

  ‘They won’t,’ he breathed heavily. ‘That area’s low lying and marshy for one thing, and full of small creeks and reed-beds. They won’t even attempt to follow. And for another, didn’t you see that they’re using Flamborough cobbles? They’ve a pointed stern, they have to moor them afloat and that means getting their feet wet if they want to give chase. No, they’ll simply confiscate the goods and try again next time.’

  ‘But what about the Breeze,’ she said desperately. ‘I can still hear gunfire. Why doesn’t Matt heave to? There are no goods on board.’

  ‘Yes, she’s empty, but Matt won’t trust the revenue men not to plant goods on board. He’ll not let them set foot on her decks. He’ll fight first.’

  As they scrambled onto the pebbled shore, lanterns flashed in the darkness and men and women appeared from behind the old horse mill and within minutes the contraband was unloaded from the small boats. Tea and coffee, geneva, brandy, snuff and pepper, were loaded into donkey carts and panniers, wheelbarrows and back-packs, and were spirited away into the night.

  Again came a crackle of fire and the sky was bright as if lit by lightning.

  ‘Come on. We’ll go back along the shore,’ Toby said as they finished unloading their cargo and gave it into the charge of a man and woman. Annie peered at them. The man was unknown to her, but the woman, yes, it was, it was Mrs Trott. So she hadn’t given up after all. She was still involved.

  She picked up a lantern and as they turned to run along the shore they both stopped in their tracks. Coming up river from the direction of Hull was a revenue cutter, the Mayfly. It moved only slowly for the tide was turning against it, but its sails were full as the wind freshened.

  ‘’Breeze will be trapped! Toby! She won’t be able to get away.’

  Toby didn’t answer but turned to run swiftly along the shingle. Annie followed him, stumbling in her haste. They ran as far as they could until the shingle ran out and they had to climb up onto the bank, pushing their way through scrub and scurvy grass to reach the path.

  ‘There she is,’ Annie panted. ‘She’s had some damage.’

  The hull of the Breeze was blackened by gunfire and several holes were torn into her, but the revenue frigate had come off worse in the fight, one mast splintered in two and her sail flapping towards her decks.

  They heard a shout from the frigate’s captain. ‘Captain Linton! You can’t get away. Heave to or it’ll be the worse for you.’

  An answering reply came in the form of thunderous gunshot aimed not at the frigate but at the dark foaming water beneath her keel.

  ‘Give me the lantern. I’ll try to warn him.’

  Toby snatched the light from her and gave two swift signals. ‘They’re not watching the shore or the river. They’re too busy watching the frigate. She’ll be caught.’ Again he signalled, but there was no answering response.

  ‘Keep trying,’ Annie said urgently. ‘Don’t stop.’

  Again and again he signalled until finally there came an answering light. ‘She’s seen us, but what good will it do. Here comes the cutter.’

  But the Breeze had also seen the cutter and they heard the rattle of the anchor chain and the shout of command as she prepared to sail.

  ‘He’s left it too late.’ Toby shook his head. ‘That’s not like Matt.’

  The sails unfurled and filled as a sudden gusty wind blew and the Breeze moved towards the frigate.

  ‘She’ll crash into her,’ Toby shouted. ‘What’s he playing at?’

  They heard the shout of the frigate captain as he saw the Breeze bearing down on them and they watched as the tattered sails were raised on the remaining masts and it swung out of reach of the prow of the Breeze.

  ‘Where’s he taking her? Is he heading for the Trent?’

  Toby shook his head. ‘I don’t know what he’s up to. But I have a feeling that he was expecting this. I don’t believe that he was surprised by the cutter at all. He’s a crafty one, that brother of mine.’

  The Breeze kept close to the Lincolnshire shore as she turned, followed by the frigate with the cutter not far behind to her windward side, each sending out bursts of gunfire towards the Breeze.

  ‘They’re gaining on her,’ Toby muttered. ‘Why doesn’t he increase sail. She could easily lose them.’

  It was as if the Breeze was in no hurry at all as she led the ships up river, even though the shot scorched her decks and a gaping hole appeared in the hull and she retaliated with occasional gunfire.

  ‘I’ve got it,’ Toby shouted, and Annie looked round anxiously, wondering if anyone was around to hear. The land above the bank was open, the ground chalky and dry and easily accessible for horsemen coming down from the hill above the meadows. A stone barn stood there, apparently deserted, but she worried that it could hide a legion of customs men or soldiers.

  ‘He’s drawing them onto Redcliffe Sands.’ His voice dropped. ‘If they get caught on there they won’t be able to get off until the next tide!’

  ‘But he might get caught too!’ Annie bit at her fingers as she watched the ships moving steadily away from them.

  ‘No. He won’t. Not Matt.’

  The Breeze suddenly started to pull away from the other ships and drew towards the middle of the river. The cutter, which had been lagging behind the frigate, seemed to become aware that the Breeze might get away and moved swiftly until it was in front of the frigate and heading towards the Breeze.

  ‘Heave to. Heave to, or we fire.’ The warning shout came from the Mayfly, but the Breeze with all her sails drawing moved steadily away and the shot fell into the water beyond its stern. Again came the rattle of gunfire and as the cutter chased towards her, the Breeze suddenly changed tack and beat to windward, sailing swiftly towards the windward shore.

  The Mayfly, its impetus carrying it forward with no time to trim its sails to change tack, sailed on and came to a grinding halt as it hit the hidden sandbank and the frigate, following straight after, was unable to hove to and with a splintering of timbers crashed headlong into its stern.

  Above the noise and confusion of men shouting and the crack of gunfire, Annie became aware of some other sound. She and Toby had lain flat out on the bank to watch the fray, and she thought she felt a tremor on the ground beneath her.

  ‘Toby? I keep thinking that I can hear hoofbeats.’

  ‘No. I don’t think so. The soldiers won’t come so far up here.’ Toby was still engrossed in watching the floundering of the two revenue ships as they battled to free themselves from the sandbanks in the middle of the river, while the Breeze sailed impudently away beyond their range of gunfire.

  Annie turned her head to look over her shoulder. She was nervous. Was that a shadow by the barn, or were her eyes playing tricks? No, there it was again.

  The sky was brightening in the east. A pale streak heralding the dawn, while from the dark copse of trees across the meadow came the first faint twittering of birdsong.

  ‘There’s somebody, Toby, I’m convinced of it,’ she whispered.

  Toby turned towards her and smiled and reached for her hand. ‘You’re just jittery, that’s all. And no wonder, it’s been quite a night.’ He got to his knees. ‘Come on, let’s get off home. I’m ready for my bed. Matt can look after himself.’

  The musket shot that rang out echoed in her ears, resounding in its intensity and she flung herself to the ground, and Toby with a grunt did the same.

  ‘
I told thee, Toby, that somebody was there.’ She heard the sound of hoofbeats again and lifted her head. The dark shapes of two horsemen were galloping from the shelter of the copse towards them. ‘Toby! What shall we do?’

  He didn’t answer and she turned towards him. He was lying on his front, his back curiously hunched, and she put her hand on his shoulder. ‘Toby? Tha’s not hurt? Oh, say tha’s not hurt.’

  She looked up across the meadow, the horsemen were still coming but their pace had slowed, someone was shouting an order and they were looking back across their shoulders towards the barn.

  ‘Toby, rouse tha self, we’ve time to get away.’ She shook his shoulder. It was wet and sticky and in horror she looked at her hand. It was covered in blood.

  She turned him over. The fear and trauma which she thought she had at last left behind, returned, chilling her to the marrow as she gazed at the bloody brown patch seeping through his coat in an ever widening stain, while his brown eyes, such deep brown, gazed sightlessly back at her.

  17

  She stared and stared, then as shock set in she felt a scream rising from her gut, bursting through her chest and compounding in the back of her throat. Her temples throbbed so violently that she thought her head would explode.

  Then through a throb of beating heart and pulses she heard again the sound of a single horsebeat. She didn’t look up but gathered Toby into her arms, wrapping her cloak around him. ‘They’ll not take us, Toby. They’ll have to kill me first.’

  With her arms clutching him tightly she rolled to the edge of the bank and looked down. The chalk bank was covered in scrub and sea lavender and was merely a ten or twelve foot drop, down to the shingle shore which now lay exposed as the tide retreated.

  She curled herself into a ball pulling him on top of her, and with a huge heave launched them both over the edge. They bounced and rolled, crashing into the prickly scrub which broke their fall and which almost parted Toby’s body from her. Frantically she pulled him back and rolled again and they landed with a thud, scratched and torn, on to the shingle.