‘Then I offer you my arm, ma’am, and we’ll take a stroll round the grounds.’ Adam barred her way to Kernick. ‘If you have a fall and hurt yourself His Lordship will never forgive me, went forgive myself neither. I’m sorry, but I insist—’
‘I’ll take Jack with me.’ Kerensa glared at him. ‘I will be perfectly all right in his company and I’m not prepared to argue about it, Adam.’ She looked round the side of his shoulder. ‘Jack, saddle up for yourself without delay.’
‘Well,’ Adam pushed his fingers underneath his cap and scratched his head. ‘I s’pose it went hurt if Jack goes with ’ee, just for an hour or so round the grounds.’ He added crossly, ‘I’m not happy about it, mind.’
Kerensa stubbornly set her face, turned aside and was confronted by Nathan. She was vexed with herself for blushing as she read in his broad bushy-eyebrowed face that he shared the opinion of the other two men. He said nothing and this made her feel more cross and guilty; it would have been easier to argue him down.
Adam took Jack roughly by the arm and hissed, ‘Watch over her carefully, boy.’
Kerensa wanted to go further than the grounds and chose a route along the twisting country lanes that had begun life as wide detours to avoid puddles and quagmires, when the ground was common pasture land centuries ago, and now ran between Orchard Hill and Polcudden Farms. Seeing that she wished to be alone, Jack dropped back a few paces on Meryn but did not take his eyes off her back. They next rode the narrow rutted cart track at the edge of Rose Farm and Jack hoped she would soon want to return home, agonising over how much longer he should bite his tongue and remain silent.
Kerensa was beginning to feel lighthearted; the cobwebs of the long weeks spent cooped up in the manor dissolved from her mind and colour seeped into her cheeks. Tall tapering foxgloves grew proudly out of the low hedgerows. Buttercups and daisies vied with each other to fill every available space of the grassy verges and the perimeters of the planted fields. Dandelion clocks danced on a soft breeze. A swallow looking for food in a long-winged graceful flight gave Kerensa a sudden feeling of freedom and she began humming a country song.
When they were in sight of the rowan trees that conveniently marked the ground where Polcudden Farm ended and Trecath-en Farm took over, Jack moved Meryn up to Kerensa’s side and spoke anxiously.
‘M’lady, don’t you think we should be going back now?’
‘Pardon?’ She turned, having heard his voice as if it was part of a faraway dream.
‘We’ve been out nearly an hour, be nearly two when we get back.’
‘It was Adam Renfree who said to stay out for an hour, not me, Jack. You may go back if you wish, I shall carry on.’
‘No, no, I’ll go on with you, m’lady,’ Jack said quickly, worried that her lighthearted mood was blotting out her good sense. ‘Whatever you say is fine by me.’
‘Good, we’ll leave it at that then, shall we?’
They rode on, Jack dropping back as he had before. Five minutes later they rounded a bend in the track which brought them well on to Trecath-en land and there they saw three men approaching on foot.
Kerensa turned round to Jack. ‘Who are they, Jack? Do you know them?’
‘Can’t say I do, m’lady,’ Jack replied, gazing at the men through anxious eyes. ‘Rovers probably by the look of ’em, probably looking for work on the farms.’
They passed the men, giving a brief nod to each one. One muttered, ‘Mornin’ to ’ee, lady.’ Another looked down on the ground without speaking and spat at Meryn’s hooves. The other looked sideways at them through slitted yellowing eyes. All were unkempt and unwashed, their clothes rough and greasy.
Kerensa sank back into her pensive mood and gave them no further thought. But Jack was uneasy. He looked anxiously behind. The three men had stopped and were looking at him and Kerensa with their heads close together as they stood in a huddle.
Kerensa and Jack covered another three hundred yards at walking pace, then again Jack suggested they ought to return home. This time Kerensa passively agreed but not before reining in to peer over the growing wheat, oats and barley of Trecath-en’s fields. A few more minutes passed by before they finally began to retrace their steps. Jack was relieved to see no sign of the travellers but he was still uneasy.
When they reached the ground where they had passed the three men Jack brought Meryn to a halt and lifted himself up in the saddle to look intently all around.
‘What is it, Jack?’ Kerensa asked. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘I dunno, m’lady. I just have this feeling we’re being watched.’
Kerensa swivelled in her saddle as much as her bulging middle allowed. ‘I can’t see or hear anything unusual.’ The nagging ache in her back that had started in the early hours of the morning had steadily increased with the length of the ride. She knew it had been foolish to go riding now she was so big; it was her own fault she was uncomfortable. She longed to rub at the root of the pain but did not want an ‘I-told-you-so’ look from Jack. Instead she smiled brightly to humour him. ‘Come on, let’s get home, I’m ravenously hungry arid I expect you are too, eh, Jack?’
There was no answer.
‘Jack?’
‘I can hear voices,’ he said at last. ‘Could be they men we passed just now. I didn’t like the look of ’em.’
‘Do you think they may wish us harm?’ Kerensa was anxious herself now.
Jack slid off his pony, his eyes searching keenly for anything that would serve as a weapon.
‘What are you doing? Shall I get down too, Jack?’
‘You stay put, m’lady. ’Tis probably nothing to worry about, could be just one of the farmers, but if they others show up again I want you to ride for the manor as fast as you can.’
They listened fearfully for voices and watched for movement. Jack broke off a thick stem from a hazel bush, picked up a large stone in his other hand and took up a defensive stance.
‘What are you going to do, Jack? You must come with me.’
‘No, if there’s any trouble I’ll hold ’em off while you get away. I’ll catch you up.’
A short time later Jack said cautiously, ‘’Tis all quiet, I d’reckon we can go on now.’
‘I’m sorry, Jack.’ Kerensa said humbly.
‘What for, m’lady?’ he asked, looking at her in genuine surprise.
She massaged the small of her back, no longer worried at revealing her discomfort. ‘Because you’re worrying about me, aren’t you? It’s making you jumpy. I should not have insisted on us going so far.’
‘All I want is for you to be happy,’ Jack said, tossing the stone away.
Jack looked so serious Kerensa was touched by his concern. With a shy grin he reached for Meryn’s reins to mount and didn’t fully absorb Kerensa’s sudden shrill scream.
He was hurtled forward by a searing pain across the back of his shoulder that forced the hazel stem out of his hand. Kerensa screamed again as she was roughly pulled off Kernick to the ground. The attack happened so quickly there was no time for her to flee or for Jack to put up a fight. The three men they had seen on the cart track earlier had crept up on their bellies behind the cover of a stretch of wild hedge.
Kerensa’s arms were pinioned cruelly behind her and she was forced to watch as Jack was kicked and punched to the ground. She could hear his bones cracking as two of the assailants laid into him with their fists, their feet and the stick he had dropped. They struck his back, chest, legs and head. She screamed throughout the vicious beating, hearing it echoing back until Jack stopped crying and groaning and lay still.
‘Jack! Jack! No! Oh no!’
A heavy slap across her mouth quietened Kerensa to a whimper. Her hat was torn from her head and a cruel hand grasped the back of her neck.
‘Leave me be!’ she cried, kicking out with her feet.
Her attacker thrust her against Kernick’s flank and looked her up and down. ‘Yer a plucky one,’ he sneered, his watery eyes taking in her heavil
y swollen middle.
‘’Ere, yer not thinkin’ of doin’ nothin’ to ’er, are ’ee, Dando?’ one of the other men growled before giving Jack one last kick in the gut and leaving his inert body to stain the dusty track a liquid red.
‘Naw, t’wouldn’t be much fun with ’er like this,’ Dando replied gruffly, his evil breath swamping Kerensa’s face. She tried unsuccessfully to turn away from him.
‘So she’s stuffed up, that gonna stop either of ’ee?’ the third man sniggered. ‘She’s some beautiful.’
‘You filthy animals, you savages!’ Kerensa shrieked at them. ‘Keep away from me!’
Dando suddenly let her go and clutching her stomach Kerensa moaned and sank to the ground. She kept her eyes rooted in fear and anger on his coarse ugly face.
‘About ready to drop un, are ’ee?’ he asked in mocking tones.
‘Yes,’ she answered defiantly, flinging up her chin, ‘and if you lay a finger on me my husband will have all three of you hung!’
‘Would ’e now and who might ’e be?’ Dando bawled, as he touched Kernick’s saddle. ‘The Lord Mayor of London, mebbe?’
‘He’s Sir Oliver Pengarron,’ Kerensa got out with a snarl.
‘Pengar’n, eh? I’ve ’eard of ’e, a ’ard bugger ’e be.’ Dando pounced on Kerensa and brutally gripped a handful of her hair. ‘But ’e’s not around at the moment, so I’ve ’eard. I ’eard too ’e married a comely young wench. I ’eard right, an’ yer more ’n’ comely, m’dear, yer soft ’n’ smellin’ purty too.’
‘C’mon, Dando,’ urged the second thug. ‘Get ’er jewel’ry and the ’orses an’ let’s get the ’ell out of ’ere. I don’t want no trouble with that Pengar’n. I saw a piece of gentry beaten to a bloody pulp by ’im a few years back along jus’ fer trying to ’ave ’er. ’E’s got some awful temper.’
‘I edn’t afeared of ’e,’ Dando spat out, twisting Kerensa’s head cruelly to the side. ‘’E edn’t ’ere, is ’e, though I don’t know why ’e’s gone off fer so long an’ left this little beauty all alone.’ He caressed the red hair spilling over his hand. ‘Besides, if we’m caught we’ll be ’ung fer killin’ the stable boy anyway.’
An agonised scream ripped deep from Kerensa’s throat. ‘No!’
‘What’s up, me ’an’some,’ Dando jeered. ‘’E wus only a servant – or did ’e stuff ’ee up instead of Pengar’n?’ He turned to his companions and laughed. ‘P’raps that why the bugger went off, eh?’
‘You disgusting—’
Kerensa was suddenly forced back on to her feet. Her wedding ring was ripped from her finger and her clothes torn as Dando performed a humiliating search for more jewellery. There was none to be found and he swore profusely.
‘Leave ’er be, fer God’s sake,’ snarled the third robber. He was mounted on Meryn and his mate was up behind him. ‘Git on that other bleddy pony and let’s git away afore someone sees us.’
A sudden sharp pain made Kerensa stiffen and she groaned heavily. Dando pushed her away and spat on the ground beside her then climbed clumsily on to Kernick’s back, making the pony whinny in fear.
‘Don’t leave me like this!’ she appealed to the two other men. ‘I think my baby’s coming! Please!’
For a moment it looked as if one of them was going to dismount but Dando kicked the pony’s rump and it charged off. He looked down at Kerensa. ‘I ’ope the brat comes right ’ere on the roadside an’ is born dead!’
He galloped after his cronies, sending dust flying over Kerensa and choking her. Coughing violently, she somehow crawled over to Jack. He lay on his back, his head turned to one side with his mouth wide open and his tongue hanging out. She knelt over him and her hands hovered over his body, not knowing what to do or what to touch first. Then she smoothed streaks of dusty bloodied hair away from his battered face and cried tears of hopelessness.
‘Oh Jack, what have I done to you? My poor Jack, it’s all my fault. My poor dear Jack. I’m sorry… I’m sorry…’
Sobbing wretchedly she lowered her head on his chest, feeling sharp edges of broken rib under her cheek. She stayed like that till her tears slowed, then raising her head she pushed back her hair and looked helplessly about. What should she do now? She could do nothing for Jack. He was dead.
She hoped she was mistaken about the baby coming but another strong pain convinced her the birth was not far off. She breathed in deeply in the way Beatrice had taught her until the pain passed. From her experience of giving birth to Olivia and Luke she reckoned she had at least four or five hours. Long before that she hoped help would come from someone travelling along the cart track or out looking for them.
She put her head sorrowfully on Jack’s chest again. Suddenly her body stiffened. There was a faint sound… definitely something… The heady knowledge that she could hear something stirring in Jack’s beaten body brought her fully to her senses.
‘You’re alive! Jack! Oh Jack!’ She gently shook his still body, desperate for any movement, however small. It came in a weak flutter of an eyelid. ‘Oh, thank God, thank God.’
Her mind now crystal clear, Kerensa knew she had to get help for Jack. The day was advancing towards the afternoon and getting warmer but even so Jack could become cold and it would worsen his condition. Taking off her jacket she placed it over him. Carefully she pulled off his neckerchief and dabbed at the blood on his face but it made no difference to his mauled features. She straightened his limp legs, praying it would not make his injuries worse. Then she placed her hat over his head to keep off the sun. She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear.
‘I’m going to get help, Jack, I promise. Just hold on, I’ll make sure you’ll be all right.’
She got shakily to her feet. She would get help. But from where? There was only one answer. The nearest dwelling was Trecath-en Farm. She would go to Clem.
Chapter 25
It was about half a mile through the fields to Trecath-en’s farmhouse. A ten-minute walk in normal circumstances but Kerensa knew it would take her much longer today. She expected to have two or three contractions on the way. There was no need to panic, it wasn’t her first baby. When the pains came she would stop and wait for them to subside, then carry on her way. Alice would be there at the farm. She would know what to do. She had had babies of her own. And it would be hours yet. Time enough for Clem to put Jack on the farm cart and take them back to the manor for the birth and to fetch Dr Crebo for them both.
The trek across country was more difficult than Kerensa had counted on. The ground ran downhill and every step she took was heavy and jarred her tender stomach and persistently aching back. She was in shock from the attack, her mouth was dry, she felt sick and black edges round her eyes threatened to cut off her vision. She stumbled over protruding comers of granite rock, slithered over pebbles. She was brought often to her knees, each time finding it more difficult to get back on her feet.
The contractions were closer together and more painful than she had anticipated. Suddenly she could no longer stand but lowering herself onto the short green corn was an agony she’d never known before. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to breathe evenly. Once, she opened her eyes and looked down and saw the pointed whiskery features of a tiny field vole. It turned its head to the side and sniffed the air, its bright, curious eyes seeming to ask what she was doing there. It was the only sign of life she could see and in her desperation she asked it to go and fetch help. But the field vole only scuttled away. She laughed and cried together when she realised what she had done. Now if the little creature had been a dog it might have worked and she cursed herself for not bringing Bob along.
Then fresh hope brought her to her feet again. She had an idea and shouted ‘Charity!’ as loudly as she could. If Clem was working in the fields then Charity would be with him and, with her sharp ears, would alert Clem. But even though Kerensa shouted until her throat was hoarse and felt fainter as the effort starved her brain of oxygen, no big black retriever came barking and bound
ing towards her voice.
She tramped on, but not for long. She woke up on the ground sweating and cramped all over and she knew she had fainted. She did not know how long she had lain there, her face pressed to the ground.
‘Jack!’ she cried out. ‘I’m going, Jack, I won’t let you down.’
She struggled to her feet in a panic, praying through her tears that the delay had not cost Jack his life.
She dragged herself along, taking one slow, anguished step after another, holding her belly and fighting against the pain. Her whole being consisted now of nothing but pain. Pain in her weakened limbs, the pains of the child making its way out of her body, throbbing pain where Dando had struck her face, and the worst pain of all, the knowledge that if she had not been so stubborn Jack would not be lying, dead or dying, in the dirt.
‘Oh Clem,’ she gasped, ‘where are you? Anybody!’
When she saw the first of the farm buildings, tears poured down her face. She trudged on past the barn and outbuildings and had to skirt round the billy goat on his long tether to avoid it nibbling at her clothes. She was dismayed to find the farmyard deserted. None of Clem’s three children was playing or doing a chore there. Even the wild cats that were usually to be found sunning themselves beside the kitchen wall were absent.
She called out in panic. ‘Clem! Alice! Anyone! Where are you?’
She reached the open kitchen door at the same moment a fierce pain made her cry out and she fell across the doorstep.
‘Who’s there? Is that you, Alice? Is everything all right?’
She recognised the voice of Kenver Trenchard but could not answer him. A strange rolling sound came towards her and she imagined that the house was about to collapse about her. She looked into the kitchen and saw an even stranger sight. Kenver was seated in an upright chair with big cart-like wooden wheels attached to either side, the rims of which were covered with strips of leather. Kerensa was so surprised at the sight she uttered a choked cry.
Kenver was even more surprised. ‘Kerensa! What’s happened to you!’ She had never been Lady Pengarron to him, he had not set eyes on her since before her marriage.
Pengarron Pride Page 31
