by Kit Berry
‘Just so. Buzz will be dealt with appropriately. In the meantime I apologise on his behalf. Rosie was ill-treated.’
‘And no punishment for Yul,’ she said, looking straight into Magus’ dark eyes. ‘’Tis plain he were only defending his sister. You can see that.’
Magus nodded curtly.
‘As you say, Maizie. Yul was blameless in this incident.’
He flicked a glance to where Yul stood upright and taut, protectively close to his sister. Yul glared at him.
‘I’d like to say something,’ he said.
Magus’ eyes narrowed.
‘Well?’
‘Buzz did this to get at me. Rosie’s honour and welfare mattered nothing to him at all. So I want this known. If Buzz ever crosses me like this again I’ll finish him properly.’
‘Yul!’ cried Maizie in horror. ‘Don’t say such things! I’m sorry, Magus. The boy’s upset. He don’t know what he’s saying …’
‘Oh I think he does,’ said Magus quietly. ‘He knows exactly what he’s saying. And he’d do well to curb his tongue before I do it for him. Take your children home, Maizie, but send Yul up to the Hall when you’ve cleaned him up. I want him checked over by the doctor. I think he may’ve damaged his hand.’
Yul had indeed hurt his hands; one finger broken, another dislocated, and a sprained wrist as well, all of which were strapped up. But as the doctor said, he would soon mend and it was nothing compared to Buzz’s injuries. Hazel frowned at Yul, whom she remembered as a pleasant boy from their encounter in the cottage after Alwyn’s seizure.
‘It was a really vicious attack. Buzz is much heavier than you. How did you beat him so severely?’
Yul shrugged, shaking the dark curls from his face, his mouth hard.
‘He’s had it coming a long time. Those who stand against me will fall, one by one.’
Word spread around Stonewylde like wildfire. Magus had led Buzz back through the Village after the fight and many people had seen the state of him. At first, the Villagers thought it was Magus who’d beaten him and were horrified. But then the truth came out – Yul had done it defending his sister. People were shocked. Like the doctor, they found it hard to believe Yul had caused such damage to someone so much bigger than him, and virtually without injury to himself.
They didn’t understand Yul had been fuelled by pent-up rage, his desire for revenge, his toughness and fitness and, above all, his first-hand knowledge of exactly where to hit to make it hurt the most. Buzz had never stood a chance. Yul was hailed as a hero for defending his sister’s honour so bravely. That night he was carted down to the pub again and toasted with cider. People looked at him with a new respect; it was about time someone stood up to the Hallfolk. They waited to see how Magus would deal with Buzz.
‘You bloody fool!’ spat Magus, standing over Buzz’s bed. The youth was now back in his own bedroom and in a terrible state. Both eyes were swollen almost shut, the puffy skin a deep, dark purple like a pair of plums. His nose was in a splint, having been badly broken, and his mouth was bulbous and raw. He’d lost a bottom tooth, although with his lips so swollen the loss hardly showed. He had to keep very still because of a cracked rib and was in agony from the deep bruising all over his body. He wasn’t used to pain and made a great deal of fuss about it, whimpering in distress whenever the painkillers wore off.
‘What the hell were you thinking of, having a go at a Village girl? And one not yet an adult? Have you any idea of the trouble you’ve caused me? I’d already had to deal with your previous incident, when you jumped Yul with your gang. Don’t you understand how much I hate having to pander to the Villagers? Having to stand there and kow-tow to them, demean myself,’ Magus ranted.
He banged his fist hard against the wooden shutter at the window, unable to contain his rage.
‘It’s the worst thing, the very worst thing in the world, to have that bloody boy looking at me like he’s beaten me! Touching my damn horse as if he owns it, not showing me any respect in front of all those men, and then having to let the little bastard get away with it! I could have slashed his face to ribbons the other day on the Green. That was all your fault. And now this!’
He paused for breath, spitting with anger. His eyes sparked as he paced the room, his great body taut with controlled rage as he avoided looking at the pathetic wreck on the bed. Buzz moved a fraction, groaning, and tried to speak through bruised and puffed up lips.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘I should bloody well think you are sorry! Trying to force a girl – a child! – is one of the most serious offences there is. There are only two punishments for it. Public whipping or banishment. I can’t make it anything less.’
‘No, no please, Magus,’ he whimpered. ‘Please don’t.’
‘You should’ve thought of that before you had a go at her. Why the hell did you do it? You can have any of the older Hallfolk girls you want. They seem keen enough on you. Goddess knows why, the way you behave.’
‘It was because of Yul, to get back at him. You shouldn’t have made me apologise to him. It’s your fault.’
‘MY FAULT?’
‘For humiliating me in front of all those stupid, ignorant Villagers.’
Magus growled in exasperation and strode to the window, looking out over the sunny lawns. He saw a group of Hallfolk children running around playing a game and two gardeners working, bent over in the flowerbeds. He turned back to the pulpy face before him.
‘You are the stupid, ignorant one, Buzzard. I’m ashamed to admit you’re my son. How can you be so bloody dense?’
He sat down on a chair next to the bed, visibly trying to calm himself down.
‘Look, you idiot boy, do you really not understand how Stonewylde works? The whole community here only functions because of the Villagers. They grow all the food, provide all the labour, keep everything running smoothly. They make our lives very comfortable indeed and we need their goodwill. There are more of them living here than there are of us. They may not realise it now, but it only takes a couple of bright ones and there could be a revolution just like in Russia, in France. You know your history.’
‘You’re not scared of the Villagers, are you?’
‘Goddess, you are stupid! No, I’m not scared of them, but I put a great deal of effort into ensuring they’re happy, that they respect me and actually want to serve me. They consider it an honour to bend their backs for me and they’d all willingly do anything I asked, just to please me. I’ve worked very hard, both here and Outside, to ensure that Stonewylde is a perfect society and that everyone shows me the proper honour and obedience, not because they fear me but because they respect me. And I’m not going to let an arrogant young fool like you destroy everything I’ve achieved over the past years with your thoughtless, selfish actions.’
He shook his head, looking disdainfully at his son. Buzz struggled to sit up a bit.
‘But I didn’t actually do it. So you don’t need to punish me.’
‘You intended to! And with the beating Yul gave you, every person on the estate knows about it. It can’t be hushed up, and once again, he’s the bloody hero. Have you seen yourself in a mirror? How could you let him do this? He’s given you a professional work over and you didn’t even scratch him! There’s not a mark on him, other than his knuckles and wrist, and they’re only damaged because he hit you so hard.’
‘He’s a madman! You should banish him, not me. He’s vicious and violent and a danger to the community. He’s inhuman.’
‘Oh come off it! He’s only fifteen and he’s nowhere near your weight. You should’ve at least put up a fight. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a pathetic display of cowardice before.’
‘He didn’t give me a chance to fight back. And he knew what he was doing, exactly where to hit me.’
‘Yul learnt the hard way from his father. I’ve had several run-ins with that boy over the past few months and I thought I’d broken him, but clearly not. He’s even tougher than I imag
ined and I’ll have to deal with him again, once and for all. But even so, to be honest I can’t blame him for beating you. He was only defending his sister’s honour and he had every right to. More importantly, that’s what the Villagers will think and they’ll be after your blood.’
‘I still don’t see what all the fuss is about. She’s just a stupid Village girl and I didn’t do anything to her!’
‘But you meant to. You deliberately assaulted a child! You know how important it is to wait until a girl is sixteen. Nobody at Stonewylde ever breaks that rule.’
‘But what’s the big deal? She may be fourteen but she’s not a child. I’ve seen her at the festivals chatting with the boys. In the Outside World lots of people do it before they’re sixteen and I should know – I spend time out there every year. Why have you got such an obsession about sixteen?’
Magus sighed and stood up, moving to the window again. He’d calmed down, his anger turned to exasperation and disdain. It was baking hot outside and the brilliant light fell on his face, etching the lines around his mouth, the hollows under his cheekbones. His deep brown eyes gazed at the rolling parkland that surrounded the Hall from this view. The raucous rooks caught his eye, circling above their old nests in the trees, gossiping like a queue of noisy women. He recalled Sylvie once laughing at the way they stole each other’s twigs.
‘Girls do grow up quickly and look older than they are. But there has to be a cut-off point, a time up until which they’re treated as children and are off limits. Otherwise mistakes can happen and a young girl could end up being coerced before she’s ready. That’s one reason, and it’s as valid in the Outside World as at Stonewylde.’
He came over to the bed again and stared down at the disfigured young man. Buzz obviously believed that Magus would smooth it all over for him. He wasn’t in the least contrite.
‘There’s another reason I’m adamant about observing the Rite of Adulthood and making everyone wait until they’re sixteen. If there were ever even the slightest whiff of underage sexual activity here, however common it might be in the Outside World, we’d see the end of Stonewylde. Can you imagine what the gutter press would make of a sex scandal here with underage girls? The police involved, questions asked … we’d all be arrested, every child here taken into care and there’d be a complete witch-hunt. That’s why I’m so unwavering in upholding that law and why I can’t forgive what you’ve tried to do.’
‘But I didn’t—’
‘Don’t take me for a fool, Buzz. We both know that if Yul hadn’t intervened you’d have raped that girl, knowing full well that she was only fourteen. You’d have jeopardised our entire way of life and you deserve everything that’s coming to you.’
His stare was unrelenting and cold, showing no sympathy whatsoever for his badly injured son. Buzz’s voice cracked with self-pity and fear and his swollen eyes oozed tears.
‘Please, Dad, please don’t have me publicly whipped. Don’t banish me. You always said that one day I’d be magus after you. Don’t let that little bastard Yul spoil everything. It’s all his fault anyway. Please!’
Magus looked at him with cold distaste, his lip curling.
‘For Goddess’ sake, stop your snivelling – you have no backbone whatsoever! And I’ve never once said that you’d be magus after me. You may have wished it or assumed it, but I’ve never said it. As for this being Yul’s fault – you need to take responsibility for your actions. Like he does.’
‘But—’
‘I’ll be dealing with Yul once and for all before the next solstice, but that’s in connection with other matters and nothing to do with you. This is entirely your fault, not Yul’s. You need to face that fact and deal with it. You may’ve reached adulthood, Buzzard, but you’re certainly not yet a man.’
With a final look of contempt, Magus turned and left the room. Buzz simply didn’t get the point, but he had a while to decide on a course of action as Buzz was in no fit state to be up and about. He’d see how opinion stood in the Village, and maybe it would all blow over. He’d have to lay off Yul for a while too. The boy was something of a hero at the moment and that’s what really made him angry. Yul was once again getting ideas far above his station and needed to be brought to heel. The way he’d proprietarily handled Nightwing during Buzz’s apology still rankled. Magus had warned him before about the consequences of touching the stallion, but in his arrogance Yul had ignored it. Magus smiled grimly as he strode down the long corridor towards the stairs. He’d have to bide his time, but Yul’s insolence on the Green in front of all those Villagers would not go unpunished.
12
The talk amongst the Villagers was all of Buzz and his expected punishment. There was much speculation about which Magus would favour; whipping or banishment. Most agreed that whipping was more likely, for Buzz hadn’t actually forced Rosie and he was after all Magus’ eldest son. Yul had his doubts and wasn’t convinced that Magus would do anything at all, despite his reputation for justice. In which case, Yul decided, he’d have to take matters into his own hands. Amongst the young Hallfolk the sympathy naturally lay with Buzz, particularly after the beating he’d received at the hands of a Villager. Buzz had locked himself in his room, taking his meals in there and seeing only Fennel.
‘I think it should be both,’ said Marigold firmly as she dished up the servants’ lunch early one afternoon. ‘A good whipping and then banish him. What that young man done was terrible.’
‘You’re right, my dear,’ said Cherry, sitting at the head of the table. ‘Why should he get off lightly?’
The sun streamed into the cavernous kitchen, gilding the heads of the troupe of servants as they ate. The enormous scrubbed table was packed as everyone enjoyed a hearty shepherd’s pie, their morning’s work done. With Lammas over the atmosphere was more relaxed; nobody had time to chat during the festival periods when the Hall was crowded with visitors. Copper pots and pans gleamed on the walls above the enormous cast-iron range. Pots of lavender lined the windowsills to keep the flies at bay during the hot weather, and the huge door was open onto the sunny courtyard outside, where some servants had taken their lunch. Most however preferred to squeeze in at the table and join in the gossip.
‘They say ‘tis not the first time Buzz has had a go at a Village girl,’ said Meg, one of the chamber-maids.
‘Wouldn’t surprise me,’ said Cherry. ‘He’s got no manners at all, that one. Reminds me of his grandfather.’
‘Aye, Magus’ father was the same. Any girl that took his fancy.’
‘We’re lucky that Magus isn’t like that,’ said Rowan warmly. ‘He’d never force anyone.’
‘Wouldn’t have to, would he, Rowan?’ said another laundry maid with a sly grin. ‘Not with girls falling over themselves to bed him. Girls just happen to bump into him every time he turns around.’
‘Now, now!’ said Marigold. ‘None o’ that sort of talk at my table, thank you.’
‘And what about the beating Yul gave him!’ said Harold, his eyes shining with admiration. ‘Have you seen the state of Buzz? Yul did him over good and proper!’
‘Aye, Yul put him in his place, right enough,’ agreed Cherry.
‘They say if Magus hadn’t turned up when he did, Yul would’ve killed him,’ said Harold. ‘They say our Yul were like a mad bull and he’d lost his reason altogether.’
‘Well, ‘twas about time our Yul got his own back on them that’ve bullied him all his life. When they were younger, that Buzz used to …’
‘That’s enough of your idle gossip!’
All eyes turned to the door where Martin stood glaring at the sea of faces around the table. He walked into the great kitchen and stood with his arms folded, a grim look on his dour face.
‘We was just saying about Buzz and—’
‘I heard what you were saying, Marigold. ‘Tis not our place to question the business of Hallfolk. Magus is the judge and we can be sure that he’ll be just.’
‘Well of course!’ said
Cherry, a little pink. ‘We know that. We was only saying—’
‘I think you’ve said far too much! I’d like a word with you two women after lunch, in my office.’
‘Silly old fart!’ muttered Marigold as she and her sister made their way to the cubby-hole by the pantry that Martin liked to call his office. ‘Who does he think he is?’
‘Always been like this, though,’ said Cherry. ‘Never hear a word against any Hallfolk. Goddess knows why. He’s more cause than most. ‘Tis plain as your face he’s a Hallchild – everyone knows ‘twere Master Clip’s father, Basil – but look at him! Never given any Hallfolk treatment – just a servant like you and me, sister.’
When they entered the tiny room, Martin stared sternly at them and indicated for them to sit down. They squeezed their ample bulk onto two chairs squashed into the corner and crossed their arms over their bosoms in unison, their mouths obdurate.
‘I was very unhappy to hear the way you were both talking today. You have positions of authority here, as the cook and the housekeeper. ‘Tis our duty as the senior servants to set a good example,’ he began.
‘As we do!’ said Marigold indignantly. ‘There’s no need for you to get so pompous, Martin.’
‘Aye, Martin. You’d do well to recall we two’ve been serving here at the Hall even longer than you,’ said Cherry. ‘A good many years longer. We know our duty well enough.’
‘Your tone was disloyal,’ said Martin.
‘We said nothing against Magus!’
‘But you spoke badly of Master Buzz. It’s the same thing.’
‘’Tisn’t the same thing at all! What Buzz did was wrong and we can say so if we want.’
Martin tapped his pen on the desk.
“Tis not our place to sit in judgement. We know nothing of what led up to his … involvement with the girl.’
‘Rubbish!’ cried Cherry. ‘What he did was wrong whatever way you look at it. ‘Tis against the laws to force a girl, and against the laws to go with a girl under the age of sixteen.’
