by Janet Woods
Knowing he was losing money by hanging around waiting when he should be digging up cockles whilst the tide was out, Josh shrugged. ‘It’s no worse than what everyone else does. Even the squire does a bit of smuggling on the side.’
‘He’s our benefactor. If it wasn’t for him we’d be in the workhouse.’ Josh was growing out of his clothes again, she thought despairingly, noting the expanse of bare ankles above his boots. ‘You’d better let me have those trousers so I can let the hems down.’
‘You’ve already let them down. I’ll hafta buy a new pair.’ He looked gloomy at the thought of spending money for a moment, then he smiled. ‘There’s been a couple of funerals lately. The widows will be cleaning house. I’ll be able to pick up a secondhand pair next time I go to market. Shouldn’t cost me more than thruppence if I wait till the end of the day.’
‘Get them on the big side, our Josh, then they’ll last. I can always turn them up.’
‘And you a lady of leisure, our Siana,’ he mocked. ‘Shame on you. Your fancy man will have a fit if he knows you’re still acting like a peasant woman.’
His tone of voice brought her looking sharply at him. ‘And what exactly do you mean by that?’
His lip curled slightly. ‘D’you think I’m deaf as well as daft? Whilst you’re acting the toff the whole district is talking about you and the squire.’
Dismay filled her heart. So Josh had heard the rumours. ‘Whatever they’re saying, it’s lies.’
‘Is it, Siana? I’ve got eyes in my head. The squire follows you around like a dog on a leash.’
‘He wants me to marry him.’
‘Christ! That I didn’t expect.’ Josh sat down heavily on the chair. ‘My sister married to that old man. You’re not telling me fibs, are you?’
‘No. But I haven’t agreed to his proposal yet.’
A grin chased across his face. ‘No wonder he let me off then. Fancy being the lady of the manor, do you? Ma would turn in her grave.’
‘I said I hadn’t yet accepted his proposal, so don’t you go telling anyone.’
‘Not me. I’d never live it down.’ Josh burst into gales of laughter.
But it died on his lips when a thunderous knocking came from the front door. A few seconds later, Rosie came in, her face pale. ‘A message from the squire. Miss Siana. He wants everyone to assemble out front, except Miss Daisy and the nursemaid.’
Instinctively, Siana stood in front of Josh. ‘Me as well?’
‘Especially you, miss. He said to tell you to bring Josh out.’
She turned to gaze at her brother, fear in her eyes. ‘It seems you have not been let off, after all. Shall I try and talk to him first?’
Josh attempted a smile. ‘It might queer your pitch and you’ve got Daisy to think of.’ He took in a tremulous breath. ‘It won’t be the first flogging I’ve had and I reckon he ain’t going to kill me in front of witnesses.’
So saying, he marched off towards the door. Snatching up her skirts, Siana ran after him, catching him up at the front door. They went through it together.
There were two of them. Edward on an indifferent-looking horse she’d never seen him ride before, and his overseer, Jed Hawkins.
‘Edward,’ she said, hurrying forward. ‘Please forgive Josh. He’ll not do anything like that again. I promise.’
Edward’s face was set in stern lines. ‘Josh Skinner handled stolen goods for profit. On the first count of killing game without a certificate the fine is five pounds.’
There was a gasp from the servants and Josh muttered, ‘I didn’t take the damned fish or kill them.’
‘For the second charge of trespassing on private property, the fine is two pounds, or five pounds if in the company of others. An additional sentence of transportation could be imposed if I decide to put the matter in the hands of the magistrate.’
Siana paled at the thought of Josh being sent away.
‘And the alternative?’ Josh asked him.
The squire slapped his riding crop into the palm of his hand. ‘A beating here and now, witnessed by the people present. Then we will forget it. What say you, Josh? Will you take your punishment like a man?’
‘No!’ Siana burst out. ‘I beg you, Edward. Please don’t beat him.’
The amber eyes turned her way were ruthless. ‘Be quiet, girl. This is between him and me. The lad must be taught not to steal from me.’
Josh shrugged. ‘I’ll take the beating. It can’t be worse than our Tom used to give me.’
Not a word was spoken as Jed Hawkins tied Josh to the trunk of a tree. Josh twisted his head and gave his sister a faint, brave smile. His bottom lip was trembling and Siana couldn’t see him as a man, only a terrified boy.
Edward was tall and powerful and, despite his abundance of silver hair, had the look of a man in his prime. He wore a dark coat and dark trousers tucked into black riding boots. They gave him a sinister air as he stood with legs slightly apart, slapping the crop gently against his thigh whilst Hawkins readied his victim.
The crack of the riding crop against her brother’s back was sudden, and terrifyingly loud. Siana jumped when Josh gave a surprised yelp. Then she saw him close his eyes. His body tensed and his mouth clamped shut. He said not another word as the beating continued with ruthless efficiency.
Soon welts appeared and blood trickled.
Josh moaned softly in his throat.
Tears filled Siana’s eyes. Stop it, stop it, she silently prayed.
The next stroke criss-crossed a welt. The moan was louder.
Edward was perspiring slightly. The crop rose and descended. Blood ran. Josh screamed.
As if she were sleepwalking Siana pushed between them, catching the next downward stroke at the junction of her neck and shoulder. The leather tip stung her just below the line of pearls. Her skin burned like fire as she turned to face Edward, her palms spread in supplication. Behind her, Josh was whimpering like an injured dog.
‘I beg you to stop,’ she whispered.
Edward’s eyes were frightening, almost predatory, certainly calculating. She shivered as she suddenly realized what this was all about, knowing with absolute certainty that Edward would beat Josh to death unless she put a stop to it.
‘If you want me to wed you, cease this punishment, Edward.’
He stared at her for a long moment, the darkness in his soul revealed to her. This man would always have his way. As her words sank in, the turbulence in his eyes cleared. He nodded. ‘The first Sunday in May?’
She touched her fingers to the welt he’d raised across her neck. They came away sticky with blood. Her eyes were filled with disdain as she gazed at him, needing desperately to burst into tears. Whether it was from pain, shock, or the absolute helplessness of seeing her brother so cruelly beaten, she didn’t know. But she knew she was loath to display such weakness in front of Edward, and felt such hate for him at that moment she wanted to kill him.
Jerking the pearl necklace from her throat, she hurled it at him. The pearls, stained red from her blood, landed at his feet. He stared at them for a moment, then ground them into the earth under his heels.
Giving a faint smile, he threw the bloodied crop to one side. ‘See to Josh,’ he said to Hawkins and started towards her.
She couldn’t trust herself to speak to him and turned to run towards the house. Dizzy from shock and pain, she felt the world begin to fade. Her knees crumpled and she staggered forward. The last thing she saw before she fainted was the concern in his eyes as he caught her.
‘What kind of man are you?’ she whispered, as soon as she came round. Edward was seated by her bed, a cloth soaked in witch hazel held against her neck. It was soothing.
‘I’m sorry, my dearest Siana. I wouldn’t have hurt you for the world.’
‘Josh—’
‘Will be all right in a few days. I didn’t use excessive force.’
She struggled to her elbows. ‘Am I supposed to feel grateful for that? He’s just a small boy.
’
His expression assumed a touch of hauteur. ‘Had it been anyone but Josh I’d have shown them no mercy at all. He came along at the wrong time and I couldn’t allow him to get away with stealing from me. Let me explain what happened.’
Shocked when he related the fate of his mare, she shuddered and the tears she’d been valiantly holding back began to trickle down her face.
He brushed the hair back from her face and smiled down at her, his gaze openly adoring. He said in a voice so tender she could hardly believe the change in him, ‘You will never regret agreeing to marry me.’ Leaning forward, he kissed her with more passion than he’d previously displayed.
She hated herself for responding, for wanting such attention from him. When his mouth slid to kiss the swell of her breasts above her bodice, she trembled with pleasure. His thumbs brushed over the hardened nubs just once, leaving them tingling unbearably.
‘Don’t,’ she entreated, for she couldn’t trust herself to say no if he continued, when it was obvious his cruelty had aroused him.
He was breathing heavily as he drew away, his eyes slumbrous. ‘It’s all right, my dearest. I can wait until our wedding night. I’ve already discussed this with Richard and we’ll start calling the banns the Sunday after next. I will announce our engagement at your birthday gathering.’ A glass of brandy was held to her lips. ‘Sip this, it will strengthen you.’
‘Is this one of the bottles which came straight off the ship from France?’
He chuckled at that. ‘Come, Siana, do not berate me for my peccadilloes. Another’s sin is my birthright. That is something Josh will learn when he’s achieved his dream of unlimited wealth – and he will, but not at my expense. Take a sip.’
The brandy warmed her, making her feel weak, so when he kissed her again, it felt as if he would possess her utterly.
‘Come, tell me you love me,’ he murmured.
A moment ago she’d hated him. Wonderingly, she touched his face. ‘Yes . . . I love you, but sometimes I don’t like you very much, Edward. How can that be?’
‘You will like me better when you begin to know me.’ He placed the glass on the table and straightened up.
‘I’m sorry I ruined the pearls.’
‘They’re not ruined. They can be cleaned and restrung. They’re unimportant. I’ll buy you diamonds.’
‘I don’t want diamonds.’ She reached out to entwine his fingers in hers. He kissed each knuckle and placed her hand back on her stomach. Whether by design or accident, he caressed her in a most personal manner, briefly kissing her mouth at the same time.
‘You shall have them anyway,’ he promised, his voice a soft caress against her ear.
She watched him go, everything inside her flaming with desire. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait for their marriage to take place.
As April progressed, the landscape took on a bright new verdancy as the soft showers did their work. Oats, barley, carrots and clover were sown. Potatoes were planted and yard muck spread over the turnip fields to add a rich, ripe pungency to the air.
As the planting work commenced, the local trouble lessened. Word filtered down from London that the unionists’ petition had been refused by the Home Secretary, Lord Melbourne.
The peasants went about their work, sullen-faced.
Ben Collins, responding to the demands of Isabelle’s flesh, began to neglect Croxley Farm. Hannah did her best to keep the labourers working but the planting soon fell behind. She complained at great length to her husband, her remarks becoming ever more virulent until Ben could stand it no more and clouted her in the mouth, knocking out her front teeth.
‘I’ve got a new woman, one who knows how to treat a man real nice,’ he told her. ‘I be going off to live with her.’
Incensed, because she’d chosen to ignore the rumours and felt like a fool, Hannah bundled George into a ragged sack and thrust him into his father’s arms. ‘Take your good-for-nothing son with you then, Ben Collins. He be stupid like you, and the bastard does nothing but eat, crap and bawl, anyway. See if the fat whore wants him too.’
To Hannah’s surprise, Isabelle did.
When Isabelle first set eyes on the smelly little creature called George, she felt a moment of revulsion. But by the time she’d bathed him, fed him, tended his sores with salve and cuddled him all clean and warm against her, she was as besotted with George as she was with his father.
Young George felt the same about Isabelle. Here was a woman such as he’d never known, soft and loving. Being male, he instinctively responded to her attention and, smiling with contentment, he laid his claim.
Placing his hand on her breast he wooed her by softly murmuring, ‘Ma,’ and falling asleep on her shoulder.
Josh, resilient in his youth, recovered quickly from the beating. He hadn’t been left with permanent physical marks.
The absence of scars left Siana feeling indebted to Edward for being as lenient as he’d said he’d been. She noticed Josh had lost his cocky manner and seemed more grown-up. Good food had now laid a healthy covering of flesh over his bones and his physical work had produced muscle.
Josh spent time looking for ways of making money, hoarding every penny he earned. He continued to transport the squire’s trout, raising his fee to a level that made the risk worth while. He guessed the squire wouldn’t search him again now he’d dealt him a beating.
Had Edward known it, the only lesson Josh had learned from the beating was to find a better place to stash the fish. He’d built a false floor into the cart.
Elizabeth returned from London a few days later. After spending more time in the capital than she’d first expected, she was bubbling over with news. ‘It was such an exciting place to visit. I met several useful people and made some good friends amongst the wholesalers.’
Siana took her into the drawing room and spoke to her before she lost courage. ‘I must tell you this straight away, Elizabeth. Edward has asked me to marry him and I have accepted.’
Elizabeth appeared shaken for a moment, then treated her to the serenest of smiles. ‘My dearest Siana, I have noticed the regard Edward holds for you and have watched you grow to love him. You have my blessing.’
She made no mention of Daniel, which only served to confirm what Siana had read in the letter – that Daniel was involved with someone else.
‘But I thought you might be upset.’
Elizabeth kissed her on both cheeks. ‘I value your friendship too highly to allow this to come between us. We must forget the past, which is gone and cannot be undone. You must allow me to prepare you for your wedding day. Your gown will be my gift to you.’
‘You are the most generous of women, Elizabeth. I love you dearly,’ Siana told her, and her words came from the heart.
Elizabeth was inclined to believe Siana was right. She was the most generous of women, because right at that moment her heart was breaking into several thousand pieces. She’d sensed Edward’s growing interest in Siana, but hadn’t imagined he’d had marriage in mind. Still, if Edward and Siana loved one another, there was nothing she could do about it. She would have to accept this marriage and hope, for the sake of these two people she loved, that they’d succeed in finding happiness together.
As the night of her birthday drew near, Siana was beset with nerves. What if she failed Edward and his friends didn’t accept her?
Her gown was fashioned from silk tinted the colour of hyacinths, with delicate, paler embroidery to discreetly emphasize the scalloped hems of the triple-tiered skirt. A matching lace collar dipped across the slope of her shoulders, the draped full sleeves ended at the elbow, where her evening gloves would begin. Her silk shoes were dyed a deeper shade to match the ribbon bow at her waist and the flowers Elizabeth was fixing to the crown of her head.
Elizabeth smiled at Siana’s reflection. Her glossy dark hair had been parted in the middle and drawn up to the crown with just a few curls left to bunch at her ears. The strong blue of her gown was reflected on the surface of he
r eyes, lending them a dramatic and mysterious darkness. But there was a worried expression on her sweet, heart-shaped face.
‘I wish I hadn’t damaged the gift of pearls Edward gave me,’ she said.
‘Pearls would not suit this gown anyway.’ Elizabeth smiled at her and proceeded to the door. ‘Please try not to look so worried, my dear. The expression produces unpleasant lines on the face over time. I promise you, this will not be the ordeal you expect it to be.’
Panic raced through her. ‘You’re not leaving me to go downstairs by myself?’
‘Of course not, but I must fetch my fan and, as hostess, must not neglect my guests.’ Elizabeth smiled at someone outside the door. ‘Siana is ready to see you now, Edward. I will expect you downstairs shortly.’
Edward looked distinguished in a black cutaway jacket, the contrasting revers matching his embroidered waistcoat. A frilled shirt and stirruped trousers completed his evening ensemble. His amber glance scrutinized her from head to foot. He smiled as he crossed to her side. ‘You are exquisite.’
She let out as much breath as her tightly laced corset would allow. They were excruciatingly painful garments to wear, but Elizabeth said they must be endured to present a fashionable waistline.
Edward spanned her tortured waist with his hands, bringing her closer without crushing her skirt. He teased her mouth with a tantalizing kiss. ‘Happy birthday, my dearest love. Close your eyes, and don’t open them until I instruct you to.’
She quivered with happiness when he clipped something to her ears, then placed a cold band around her forehead. He turned her round, whispering against her ear. ‘Now you may open them.’
Diamonds sent out blue sparks as the facets caught the light. The headband dipped to a point just above the juncture of her brows, where a larger single diamond matched the drops quivering amongst the curls.
‘Oh, Edward,’ she breathed, her voice revealing the awe which threatened to overwhelm her, ‘I don’t deserve such a fine gift when I’ve been so mean towards you.’
Her reaction seem to please him. He kissed the back of her neck, sending shivers racing along her spine. He extended his arm to her. ‘Your pleasure is mine, Siana. Shall we join our guests?’
