Midsummer at Eyre Hall: Book Three Eyre Hall Trilogy

by Luccia Gray

  I also knew Mummy wouldn’t rescue me. It would be Michael; he’d rescue us both.

  ***

  Chapter VI – Fugitives

  “How much?”

  Jane’s keeper rubbed his finger and thumb in the air in anticipation, staring at my clerical collar. I had used the same disguise I’d used in London to find Helen. Jane’s jailer thought I was an employee of the archbishop’s who had come to see how she was.

  “Sixpence?” he asked, kicking a rat across the corridor. The animal’s squeals, the thumping sound as it hit the floor, then its nails scratching the wooden floor took me to another place; a place where rats’ paws scratched the stone floor. Dozens of them running around the ring, bumping into each other, screeching, followed by the smell of blood and fear and death as the dog ran into the pitiful arena. I was back in the rat-baiting rings I’d seen in Whitechapel as a child. I had almost forgotten the dirt, the violence, and the savagery of such inhuman places.

  “Thruppence?” He pulled his lips open, revealing two long yellow teeth, and rubbed his hands.

  I looked at his shifty, bloodshot eyes. Drooping eyelids, like a dog’s. I remembered the hound who killed the rats. The smell, the blood. Once two rats turned on a dog and ripped his intestines. At first, the dog carried on killing the rats, while his intestines dragged along the floor. Soon after, when he plummeted, the rats devoured the dog in seconds while it was still alive. The rat catcher had smiled at me. “That’s what happens when you underestimate your enemy, son.”

  The keeper nudged me with a bony elbow. “Come on. I’ll hold her for you.”

  I was having trouble focussing. I could feel blood prickling at the back of my eyes, and my fists were ready to break every bone in his face, but I knew I had to keep a cool head.

  “Mind you, she don’t need much holding today. He broke her yesterday.”

  “Who?” I needed to know the name of the man whose skull I’d crush with my bare hands.

  “Master Poole, of course. He gets the pick of the new ones. She bit him and fought hard. Had to chain her in the end. Then he gave her a good beating for her impudence and a cold shower. Don’t think she’ll object to some fun today.”

  I needed to find killer dogs in the vicinity. If I couldn’t find baiting dogs, I’d get hunting hounds; they’d do the job even better. I’d seen them shred rats to mincemeat. The lucky ones had broken necks, but some were still alive, squealing desperately for the relief of death, just like this man would be, sooner rather than later.

  “A tuppeny upright?” His smile revealed two more grey teeth.

  I clenched my fists. “I’d like somewhere more private.”

  Curling black nails scratched his jaw. “Too risky.”

  “I’ll give you a crown if you let me take her outside. I saw a shed in the garden on my way up.”

  I guessed a crown would be a month’s wages. He shook his head. “No, I’d lose my job.”

  “A guinea?”

  “Deal, but I want a go too. She’s a real lady, I heard the gov’ say. Ain’t never screwed a lady afore.”

  I smiled, imagining the dogs tear him to pieces. I’d have to make sure he was bleeding profusely before I threw him in. The smell of blood would spur them on. “Of course. You’ll be first,” I said.

  “A real lady.” He rubbed his hands and laughed. “I knew today’d be me lucky day!”

  I followed him along the winding corridors and watched as he unlocked the door. My heart leapt at the sight of Jane huddled in a corner. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, her head bent forwards, whimpering moans coming from her lips. I took two strides and lifted her into my arms while the jailer unlocked her chains.

  “I’ll take her down.”

  She screamed and kicked me, and I wondered where her strength came from; she looked so weak and beaten.

  “Careful. Told you she bites!”

  I ignored the vile smell and pressed my lips against her ear. “Jane, I’m taking you away from here. Trust me. Do as I say.”

  I felt her body sag as she pressed her head against my chest and cried.

  “Keep kicking me and shouting. We have to get rid of this idiot first. He mustn’t suspect.”

  She obeyed, crying louder. We walked down the stairs and out to the garden. Jane was shivering in a torn flannel dress; she wore no shoes or stockings.

  At last we reached the shed. “I’m going to put you down on the floor and let him touch you one last time. Close your eyes and pretend you’re asleep. It will be over soon.”

  I turned to the man who was about to die. “You first.”

  “Hold her for me. She bit the gov’.”

  “There’s no need. Look, she’s unconscious. Go ahead.”

  Seconds later, I landed a heavy blow on the back of his skull, and he slumped beside Jane, who rolled to the side.

  There was an axe behind the door, where I had left it earlier. I swung it in the air and held it above his head.

  ‘Michael, don’t kill him.” Her voice was barely audible.

  I had to do it. “He wanted to… hurt you…”

  She crawled to my side and grabbed my leg. “But you could be hanged for murder.”

  “He deserves to die.”

  “Please, let’s get away from here, Michael.”

  I imagined the blade cracking his skull. It would be messy and Jane would be distraught. I dropped the axe and crouched on the floor beside her. I would return to finish the job another day. “Can you walk?”

  She nodded. I jumped up and held out my hands to pull her up. She stood, then her knees buckled.

  “We need to hurry. I’ll carry you.”

  I walked around the back of the shed and carried her across the field and into the woods, then behind the warehouses and along the backstreets where a carriage was waiting. Jane was unconscious and as light as a child. I placed her feet on the floor, forced her to stand and shook her until she opened her eyes.

  “Jane, there’s a cab waiting for us. It will take us to a room in an inn near Morton. I’ve told the landlord and the cab driver that you’re my sister, and that your husband is a drunkard who beats you, and I’m taking you away from him. Your name is Mrs. Elliot, I’m Jack Stewart, and we live in Hay.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes again. I was thankful that she was unconscious. She looked beaten, and I wondered the magnitude of her injuries, but I didn’t want to wake her up in the car. Later, at the inn, I saw the extent of her wounds. She had bruises and scratches on her arms and legs. She had lost so much weight that her shoulder blades protruded alarmingly and her hipbones were almost bare of flesh. They had cut her beautiful hair unevenly and almost as short as a boy’s. I cried bitterly, swearing revenge on all of them as I washed her and covered her with a nightdress. I was as gentle as I could be, but she whimpered every time I touched her. I finally convinced her to drink some beef tea laced with rum to help her sleep. I held her in my arms all night, while she shook and spoke incoherently through various nightmares.

  The following morning we continued our journey. I had bought a simple day dress, which was so big it almost hung off her shoulders, but it would have to do. The long cape and bonnet would cover her well enough. I had also bought lace-up boots like the ones she liked to wear. The carriage bordered the marsh and crossed the moor along a muddy track. We passed a knoll and a clump of trees, reached a scattering of small cottages with low roofs, and latticed casements. I told the driver to follow the road until we reached the larger house in a hollow vale, bordering the heath.

  The carriage stopped outside the high stone wall, and I carried Jane up the path leading to the front door of Thorpe House, the home of Jane’s cousin Diana and her husband, Admiral Fitzjames.

  ***

  Chapter VII – Nothing Before Us

  Peggy must have heard the carriage stop and opened the door. She screamed as she watched me kick open the gate and carry Jane along the path.

  “Call Mrs. Fitzjames!” I shout
ed. She closed the door and rushed into the house.

  I recognised Diana’s voice behind the door asking Peggy what had happened.

  “Mrs. Fitzjames, please open the door, Jane needs your help.”

  Diana opened the door and gasped. “What’s happened to Jane? She looks wasted to a shadow.”

  “The archbishop had her committed to Grimsby Retreat.”

  “How appalling!” She waved her hand towards the hall. “Come inside.”

  She pushed the drawing room door open, told Peggy to bring tea and sandwiches, and asked us to sit by the fireplace.

  “Jane, my dear, you look terrible. How long has she been in that dreadful place?”

  “Fifteen days,” I replied. “She’s hardly slept and she hasn’t eaten. We need your help, Mrs. Fitzjames.”

  “Of course, I’ll help you. We had no idea. When was she discharged? Why didn’t you take her to Eyre Hall?”

  “She wasn’t discharged. She escaped with my help.”

  “You took her out of the asylum without permission? Oh dear, but how did she get in there in the first place? Are you in trouble?”

  “I’m afraid we are. Nobody must know we’re here. We are fugitives.”

  She covered her mouth with both hands and gasped.

  “Where is the admiral?” I asked.

  “Of course, let me call Charles. He’ll know what to do.” Peggy brought the tea and Mrs. Fitzjames told her to ask the admiral to join us in the drawing room.

  I was trying to persuade Jane to have some tea when the admiral walked in.

  “What’s all the commotion?” he asked, then fixed his eyes on Jane and shook his head. “What’s this Kirkpatrick? What have you done to Jane?”

  “Admiral, she’s not well. The archbishop had her committed to the Retreat. I had to get her out of there. We need your help.”

  He looked at me with steely eyes. “I knew something like this would happen. It could not be. You should have realised it wasn’t possible.”

  I ignored his reproach. “We have nowhere else to go, Admiral.”

  “You are both outlaws. It’s only a question of time. They’ll find you and take you back.”

  “I can’t go back there,” said Jane.

  “I was going to get our wedding licence. We were to be married in four days’ time, on Christmas Eve.”

  The admiral shook his finger at me. “Well, that’s not happening anymore, is it?”

  Mrs. Fitzjames rubbed her hands and shook her head. “Oh dear, this is terrible, terrible. What shall we do, Charles?”

  Jane was shivering and my arms were wrapped across her shoulder.

  “Jane needs a blanket,” said the admiral. “Not your paws all over her. You’ve done enough damage, don’t you think?”

  Diana rushed out and came back with a tartan blanket, which I wrapped around Jane.

  “Michael,” said Mrs. Fitzjames, “there is no doubt in my mind that you are devoted to Jane, but you must realise that it will never work, not unless you convince John and the archbishop to approve.”

  “It’s too late for that now,” said the admiral.

  I had no wish to argue with them. They would never understand how we felt, so there was no point in explaining. “Jane needs a doctor. Could you send a message to Dr. Carter?”

  Mrs. Fitzjames looked at her husband. “Yes, that’s a good idea. Don’t you think so, Charles?” He nodded and she looked at me with a frown. “Oh Michael, what have you done?”

  Jane was leaning on my shoulder, crying quietly. I put my arms around her again. “I’ll take care of Jane. She’s safe now.”

  Charles walked around the room, pipe in hand, shaking his head solemnly. “You were reckless, Kirkpatrick. You should never have taken what was out of your reach.”

  The admiral turned to Jane. “Look at you, Jane. You let yourself be ruined. You should have known better than to go against your son’s and the archbishop’s wishes. You have powerful enemies.”

  “Cousin, if you knew what I have endured in that dreadful place, the cruelty and inhumanity, you would not speak to me in that manner. Nobody deserves to be treated like that. We were to be married.”

  “You should have gained your son’s approval first.”

  “I tried, but he would not listen. He is bitter and harsh.”

  “And you have been rash and irrational,” he said icily.

  I wondered if we had come to the wrong place, but we had nowhere else to go. I realised we had to leave soon and that I needed time to think of another plan.

  “Admiral, could we stay here for a few days? Jane needs to recover her strength before we can continue our journey.”

  “Your journey? Where do you think you’re going? The archbishop will issue a warrant, and John is no doubt on his way back from Boston.”

  “We’ll find a place, sir.”

  “A place? There is no place! There is nothing before you. This is the end of your journey.”

  Jane looked up at the admiral. “Please help us, cousin. You know we have committed no crime.”

  The admiral walked around the room with his hands firmly clasped behind his back, stopping every few minutes to rock back and forth on his heels before continuing his march. Suddenly he stopped and faced us.

  “There is only one solution, Jane. If Michael leaves, John might forgive you, and you could return to Eyre Hall.”

  Jane held my hand. “I’m not going anywhere without Michael.”

  The admiral shook his head. “Lieutenant Kirkpatrick, if Jane has no sense, then you must do the honourable thing. Leave now and we will see to it that Jane returns to Eyre Hall safe and sound.”

  Jane turned to me, her eyes a mixture of fear and devotion. “I won’t abandon Jane, and I don’t trust the archbishop, or John.”

  “You’re both crazy,” said the admiral and turned away, resuming his walk around the room.

  “What shall we do Charles?” asked his wife.

  “Jane will sleep upstairs with you.” He turned and pointed at me. “And you can stay downstairs in the servants’ quarters.”

  Jane squeezed my hand. “It’s all right, Jane. Let’s do as the admiral says. We are their guests at the moment.”

  “This will not end well. Mark my words,” said the admiral and he stormed out of the room.

  Mrs. Fitzjames asked Peggy to bring some broth for Jane, and I fed her as if she were a child, a spoonful at a time, encouraging her patiently until she had eaten every single drop.

  The admiral returned and spoke to Jane. “I should never have helped you bring him back from Jamaica.”

  Jane looked away from her cousin. “Michael, let’s go. We shouldn’t have come.”

  “You’ll do no such thing,” said Mrs. Fitzjames. “There’s a blizzard out there.”

  The admiral coughed. “This is what you’ll do, Jane. You’ll stay here until Dr. Carter sees you, and then we’ll decide what needs to be done to get out of this mess.” He shook his finger at her. “You’ve disgraced your family, Jane. Now you had better do as you’re told or…”

  I stood and faced him. “Admiral, I don’t care what you say to me, but be careful how you address Jane in my presence.”

  The admiral clenched his fists, but fortunately Mrs. Fitzjames stood between us and pulled her husband’s arm. “Charles, please. Be kind to Jane. Michael is right. She’s suffered enough. Don’t speak to her sternly. You know she’s like a sister to me.”

  “Not any more. She’s chosen to be a fugitive.”

  “Michael, let’s go,” Jane said, but I reminded her that we should wait for Harry to come and the blizzard to pass.

  Diana suggested Jane should rest in bed. “Can you walk upstairs, Jane?” she asked, but I offered to carry her, sliding my hands behind her knees and lifting her effortlessly. She put her arms around my neck, rested her head on my chest and sighed. I kissed the top of her hair and noticed there were tears in my eyes. How were we going to make them understand we would never be p
arted?

  I turned to the admiral before walking up the stairs. “Thank you for your help, Admiral.”

  “Carry her upstairs and come down at once. I want to talk to you.”

  I lay Jane on the bed. Diana spoke gently. “I’ll put her to bed and give her some drops. She’ll sleep well, but I’ll stay by her side for a while, just in case.” I nodded, kissed Jane, and walked downstairs.

  The admiral was waiting for me at the foot of the stairs. He grabbed my arm. “You couldn’t keep your hands off her, could you?”

  I knew I was in no position to argue. I didn’t reply, but he insisted. “You’ve ruined her. I hope you’re pleased with yourself.”

  “Could we move to the drawing room, Admiral? I don’t want Jane to hear us.”

  He huffed and I followed him in.

  “You’ll spend the rest of your days in jail, and Jane will be confined in an asylum. They’ll catch you in the end. There’s no way out. You have to leave Jane. This has to stop now.”

  “I’ll think of something.”

  “You’re out of your depth, both of you.”

  I sat with my head in my hands as the admiral paced relentlessly.

  When Diana came down, I asked her how Jane was.

  “Asleep,” she replied.

  “Thank God. You should have seen that place. She was manacled to the wall…”

  Diana gasped. “Good grief, how did you manage to get her out of there?”

  “I bribed one of her jailers. No one was hurt.”

  There were some moments of silence.

  “Where were you while Jane was at the Retreat?” asked the admiral.

  “The archbishop had me confined at Eyre Hall, first in the ice house and later at the stables.”

  “How did you escape?”

  “I managed to overpower Joseph when he brought me my food.”

  “Poor Joseph! Did you hurt him?” asked Mrs. Fitzjames.

  “No, of course not. I tied him up so he wouldn’t follow me or alert anyone.”

  I didn’t tell them Annette had unlocked my chains and Joseph had let me leave without any opposition, while Fred had been called away on an errand and the archbishop was in bed with flu.