She looked forward again, but her eyes did not see the moor as it rolled past. Instead they turned inwards, and she was consumed by her thoughts. What had really happened at the castle? Had Lord Torkrow tried to murder his nephew, and had Aunt Hester hidden the boy in an effort to protect him? If so, where had she gone? Had she taken the child with her? And was she alive, or were they both . . . She did not want to finish the thought.
The carriage turned off the main road and she recalled her thoughts from their dark paths. Ahead of her, she could see Mary’s cottage. Never had a sight been more welcome. She opened the door as the carriage rolled to a halt and jumped out. Eldridge looked surprised at her behaviour, but said nothing, merely closing the door behind her.
‘Go on to the stage post and await his lordship’s further instructions,’ she said.
At least, if Sir Hugh had to force his way into the castle, he would find one less man blocking his way.
Eldridge looked dubious, but he nodded his head, and the carriage rolled away. As soon as he had gone, Helena went up the path and knocked at the door. It was early, but she hoped Mary would be awake.
She need not have worried. The door was opened by the maid, and she was shown in, to find Mary sitting in the parlour.
‘Mrs Reynolds,’ said Mary, standing up in surprise.
‘I am sorry to disturb you at such an hour, but I am in dire need of help,’ said Helena without preamble, afraid that at any moment there could be a knock on the door and that Lord Torkrow could walk in.
‘Whatever has happened?’ asked Mary in concern. ‘Has there been an accident? Is someone hurt? Are you ill?’
‘Please, have the trap readied. I will explain everything when it is brought round.’
Mary looked surprised but she hesitated for only a moment, and then she gave the maid instructions to see that the trap was brought round to the front door.
‘And tell Hobbs to make haste,’ she said, as the maid left the room.
‘Thank you,’ said Helena gratefully.
‘I do not know where you need to go in such a hurry, but won’t you have something to eat whilst we wait?’ said Mary. ‘I was just having breakfast, and you cannot set off until the horse has been harnessed. Some food will help sustain you on the journey ahead, wherever you are going.’
Helena accepted gratefully. She had already breakfasted, but it seemed a long time ago. Mary poured her a cup of chocolate and handed it to her with a piece of seed cake. Helena ate gratefully, then accepted a second cup of chocolate, but she left it half finished as she heard the trap outside. She leapt up.
‘I must go at once.’
Mary rose calmly and followed her into the hall, putting on her cloak.
‘I do not know what has happened, but I think you need a friend,’ said Mary. ‘I cannot let you go off by yourself. I am coming with you.’
Helena felt a rush of relief. With the groom and Mary beside her, she would feel much safer if Lord Torkrow should happen to ride after the carriage and come across her on the way.
‘I would be glad of your company,’ said Helena.
‘Then come, let us be off.’
Together they went outside.
‘Now, where to?’ asked Mary, as she followed Helena into the trap.
‘Sir Hugh Greer’s house,’ said Helena. ‘I need to see a justice of the peace.’
‘But isn’t Lord Torkrow the nearest justice?’ asked Mary with a frown.
‘Yes, he is, but I cannot speak to him. It is about him I have to lay a complaint.’
Mary looked surprised, and she seemed about to protest, but then she simply instructed the groom to drive to Sir Hugh’s house.
‘Now, don’t you think you had better tell me what this is all about?’ she asked, once they were safely on their way.
Helena gave a deep sigh.
‘There is so much I have to tell you.’ She could maintain the deception no longer, and she was relieved to be able to tell Mary the truth. ‘First of all, you must know that I am not Mrs Reynolds,’ she said, and then her story came pouring out in a rush.
Mary listened silently, and when the recital was over, she said: ‘So you think Lord Torkrow has hidden his brother’s son, or done something worse, so that he can rob the boy of his inheritance, and keep the title and the castle for himself?’
Helena could hardly believe it, when it was stated so baldly, but nevertheless, it was what she feared.
‘I am afraid it is possible, yes,’ she said.
‘It seems incredible,’ said Mary musingly. ‘And yet you found a hidden room, with your aunt’s plaited lavender and the child’s toy, and your aunt is definitely missing.’
‘Yes,’ Helena agreed. ‘You were concerned as well, weren’t you?’ she asked. ‘You were worried about my aunt? Your story about needing to return a book to her was a ruse, so that you could find out her forwarding address?’
Mary nodded. ‘It was. I thought, if you had an address for her, then I could find her. How did you guess?’
‘I knew the book could not belong to my aunt. She had never had much time for reading, and as far as I know she has never owned a book. Besides, she does not like poetry.’
‘Ah. I see. It was a poor story, but it was the best I could think of at the time. You do not blame me for the ruse?’
‘Not at all. I am grateful to you for it, and for trying to find her. I hope she is all right, but with every passing day and still no word . . . ’ said Helena anxiously.
‘Perhaps word has reached your lodgings?’
‘No, I asked for any news to be sent on to me here.’
‘Even so, things might not be as bad as you fear. Perhaps your aunt managed to escape with the child. If she needed to retreat to a place of safety, where would she go?’
‘I cannot think of anywhere,’ said Helena, as she turned her mind to this new possibility.
‘Does she have any relatives she could turn to?’
‘No, only me, and she did not come to me.’
‘But she must have taken him somewhere,’ said Mary thoughtfully. ‘Can you not think of anywhere?’
‘No. Unless . . . Mrs Beal mentioned that the old butler, Vance, went to live in Hull, when he and his wife retired. My aunt had worked with Vance before, and it was he who had recommended her for the position at the castle —’
‘Of course,’ said Mary. ‘Then that’s where she must have gone. Never fear, you will find her yet. Do you know exactly whereabouts in Hull the butler lives?’
‘No. I never thought to ask.’
‘Why should you? But it is of no importance. We will go there and seek them out. They cannot be hard to find. Someone will know of them by name, or of a woman and a child who are newly arrived in the town. You do not object to my plan? If you wish, we can continue on our way and consult Sir Hugh, but it is not certain that he will be at home, or that he will believe us. And even if he does, he might not like to move against a neighbour, particularly not one of Lord Torkrow’s standing. It seems to me that we would be better finding your aunt and the boy ourselves.’
Helena agreed. For the first time in many weeks she had hope. If only Mary was right, then she might be seeing Aunt Hester before the day was out.
They had travelled some miles across the moor, and were approaching The Dog and Cart. Mary suggested they should change the horse before going on.
‘We will ask for a hamper to take with us, too. We might be delayed on the journey, and it could take us hours to find the right address. It will be quicker if we eat on the road, rather than wasting time looking for an inn once we reach Hull.’
Helena agreed, and when they pulled up in the yard, Mary suggested that Helena go inside to order the food, whilst she made sure the horse was changed for a satisfactory animal.
Helena climbed down and went into the inn. It was a small but respectable establishment, and as she entered, the innkeeper came forward to greet her. She told him what she wanted, and he showed her into
a private parlour until the provisions should be ready.
The parlour had a table and two settles, but Helena was too restless to sit down. She paced the room, anxious to be on her way again.
The innkeeper seemed to be taking a long time with the provisions. She went out into the corridor to find him, but as she did so, she was horrified to see Lord Torkrow walking in at the door.
She shrank back, wondering what he was doing there. Had he followed her, or was his presence there a coincidence? Perhaps he had decided to ride to the stage post when he had discovered the carriage was missing, and perhaps he had stopped at the inn to find if the carriage had passed. Once he had learnt what he wanted to know, she hoped he would be on his way again, but until then she would have to stay out of sight.
She ran back along the corridor and slipped into the parlour. She listened intently, every nerve straining, but she heard nothing and began to relax. And then she heard footsteps coming down the corridor. They made an ominous clicking noise as they crossed the flagged floor, and stopped outside the door. But was it the innkeeper, or was it Lord Torkrow?
She saw the door knob turning, and, suddenly panicking, she leant against the door, but it heaved, and in a moment it was flung open. She was thrown back against the wall, but by good fortune she was hidden by the door. She saw Lord Torkrow stride into the room like a dark creature of the night, intent on finding his prey. Helena shrank back.
He looked round, and for a moment she thought he would not see her, but then his eyes alighted on her and he closed the door, revealing her.
‘So,’ he said menacingly. ‘This is where you are. Then it is as I had suspected. You took a post in the castle under false pretences. Well, your master will be disappointed. You will not be able to tell him anything.’
‘My master?’ she asked in confusion, wondering what he was talking about.
‘Or did you not see him? Has he remained in the shadows? Is it only Maria you have dealt with? Then you are fortunate. And I suppose it is possible, for she could pay you as well as he.’
Helena was perplexed.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she said.
‘No?’
He took her arm and pulled her over to the window. She saw the trap, complete with a fresh horse. Mary’s coachman was climbing up on to the box, and Mary herself was already in the trap. They were ready to leave. She must go to them!
Pulling free of him, she ran for the door and wrenched it open. But then a sound from the yard gave her pause, a clattering on the cobbles, and turning her head she saw that the trap had set off without her. She ran to the window and in a lightning quick move, threw it open, and shouted: ‘Mary!’
Mary turned her head and saw her, but then she turned away and the trap continued across the yard.
Helena was dumbfounded. Why had Mary deserted her? Had Lord Torkrow paid her to leave? Impossible! Mary would not give in to intimidation or bribery, she was sure. But the trap continued, and turned into the road.
Lord Torkrow joined her at the window and cursed. ‘So she was here after all. And where she is, he will not be far behind. Where is she going? What have you told her? You found the secret room, but what more have you learnt? Answer me! What have you told her? Where is she going?’
Helena did not know why Mary had left her, but she knew one thing: she could not answer his question if she wanted her aunt to be safe.
‘I will tell you nothing,’ she said, rounding on him.
‘You will tell me everything I want to know, or it will be the worse for you,’ he said threateningly.
‘Never,’ she said, between gritted teeth.
‘I don’t know what you think to gain by protecting them. They have already paid you – or perhaps not,’ he added appraisingly. ‘Perhaps that is why you are protecting them. Perhaps you are afraid they will go back on their part of the bargain if you give them away.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she said.
‘Tell me, have they paid you?’ he asked roughly.
‘Have who paid me?’
‘Maria and Morton’
‘I don’t know anyone by the name of Maria, but if you mean Mary, why should she pay me? I do not work for her.’
‘Then you work for Morton.’
‘I know no-one by the name of Morton. The only man I have ever seen her with is her brother, and surely even you would not blacken the character of a poor, sick man who was wounded at the Battle of Waterloo in defence of his country?’ she returned scathingly.
He regarded her closely, then said: ‘You are either a very good actress, or they have lied to you.’
‘They have never told me anything, other than that they were living in the country for the good of Mr Debbet’s health. You are either evil or mad.’
He searched her face.
‘And you are either a hapless pawn or a willing accomplice, but it makes no difference,’ he said. ‘Where were you going with Maria?’
‘I don’t know,’ she said.
‘You do, and you will tell me,’ he said brutally.
‘Do you really believe I would deliver a woman and a child up to you, so that you can finish what you have begun? Do your worst. You will never have them,’ she flared.
He looked at her curiously, then asked her the question he had asked her in the gallery. ‘Who are you?’ he said.
‘Your nemesis,’ she returned.
‘Your name,’ he demanded.
She flung it at him defiantly, glad to be rid of the pretence. ‘My name is Carlisle,’ she said. ‘I am Mrs Carlisle’s niece.’
He look shocked, then said, as if to himself: ‘So that is it. The handkerchief - C. Carlisle.’
She saw understanding dawn on his face, and she wondered what he was going to do, now that he knew the truth. Would he imprison her as he had imprisoned her aunt?
Her question was soon answered, for saying: ‘There’s no time to waste,’ he took her hand and pulled her along in his wake as he strode out of the parlour. ‘You are coming with me,’ he said.
She resisted, but he was too strong for her. She looked about her for help, but the corridor was empty. He pulled her towards the entrance, through which she could see his carriage. So! He had caught up with it, and learned of her ruse.
She dug her heels into the gap between the flags, knowing that if she climbed into the carriage she would be at his mercy. It gave her the resistance she needed to bring him to a halt.
‘There is no escape,’ he said, tightening his grip. ‘You are coming with me, and you will tell me everything I need to know on the way.’
‘So that you can find my aunt, and kill your nephew, as you killed your brother?’ she demanded.
‘What?’ he said, rounding on her.
In his surprise he dropped her arm, and she ran, but she had only gone a few feet when he caught her again.
‘You will never find them,’ she said, turning on him. ‘My aunt has hidden the boy, and she will look after him until Mary rescues them.’
Castle of Secrets Page 19
