June Francis

by Convenient Wife Rebel Lady

  ‘That’s an excellent notion. Do you have any other suggestions to make?’

  ‘I have thought of giving Philippe one of my parchments if you approve,’ she said.

  ‘That is extremely generous of you, Anna,’ he said, sounding startled.

  ‘I want Philippe to know that I regard him as a son.’

  ‘That is what I want, too,’ said Jack, drawing her into his arms and kissing her. ‘But leave it until we reach home,’ he murmured, longing to make love to her, but not wanting to wake the boy.

  Anna guessed what was on his mind. She looked forward to reaching England and sleeping in a proper bed with him, just the two of them, once more.

  The voyage to Kingston-on-Hull was very different to the outward journey to France. The sea was much rougher and Philippe showed a worrying tendency in a future merchant venturer to succumb to the mal-de-mer. Anna tended him, but he was miserable and several times was convinced he was going to die. Jack assured him that during all his time spent at sea he had never known anyone to die of seasickness. She played her lute and bid Jack tell tales to the boy of his travels and so she learnt of how he had been shipped to Africa and crossed a mighty desert there in chains to be sold in the market place of Arabia. He spoke of the Venetian ship he sailed on and of a battle with pirates. But, of course, that was not the only story that Jack told his son. He spoke often of the markets of Europe, of people and the legends of the various countries, of saints and sinners.

  But, although storytelling helped pass those stormy days when they were blown off course, it was a relief when the weather changed, the sun came out and the air was tempered by a light breeze that blew them towards the English coast. With better weather conditions everyone’s temper improved and Anna and Philippe were able to spend more time on deck.

  Jack expressed concern that his son could not read French, never mind English. ‘A condition that must be remedied,’ he said, frowning down at the boy.

  Philippe jutted his chin, obviously displeased to be found wanting by his father. Even so, he proved willing to learn and soon a start was made on improving Philippe’s grasp of the English language and teaching him the alphabet, a task in which Anna helped the boy. Now the sea was calmer and Philippe had his sea-legs, he also took an interest in the sailing of the ship and navigation. Jack was secretly pleased with his progress, although sometimes his son got into places where he had no right to be and received a scold. This resulted in him muttering that he wanted to go home. Jack and Anna decided to ignore such mutterings.

  More than two weeks after leaving Calais, the Hercules sailed up the River Humber and into Hull and tied up at one of the quays. Anna was so thankful to see her own country again that she could not wait to set foot on English soil. She brought her baggage on deck and left it there until Jack told her what to do with it. Then she hurried ashore, followed by Philippe. It seemed an age since she had left England. So much had happened that she felt a different person, once more able to cope with the problems that faced her. She gazed about the bustling waterfront, noticing goods piled up on the quayside. She presumed they were there to be inspected, taxed and then removed by cart or wain to warehouses or their owner’s homes. The port was larger and busier than she had imagined it to be and she was looking forward to becoming acquainted with the town. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Jack’s serious face.

  ‘I’m going to have to leave you, Anna. I must speak to the harbour master and I don’t know how long I’ll be.’

  ‘Do I wait here for you?’

  Jack hesitated. ‘No. You could go straight to the house if that’s what you’d prefer. I’ll have Joseph show you the way.’ He turned towards the ship and bellowed an order to the nearest mariner. Then he added, ‘Take Philippe with you. I don’t want him getting into mischief whilst I’m busy.’

  ‘You’re too late,’ said Anna with a wry smile. ‘Look over there!’ She pointed to some piled-up crates.

  Jack swore when he spotted his son climbing up them. He shouted to him to come over here. Anna was thankful that Philippe’s understanding of English had improved and so he had no excuse for acting as if he did not understand the simplest instructions. In the last few days of the voyage he had learnt some of the mariners’ more salty phrases and Jack had had to discipline him for swearing in Anna’s company. Naturally, the boy had resented his father’s actions and had been prickly towards him ever since.

  When Philippe made no move to do as he was told, Jack went along the quayside and fetched him. Anna watched him drag the boy from the top of the crates by the scruff of his neck and scold him. A man suddenly appeared and Anna guessed that he was the owner of the cargo. There followed a brief heated dialogue before the two men shook hands and Jack hustled his son towards Anna. Philippe’s expression was sulky as his father thrust him towards her.

  ‘Will there be someone at the house to let us in?’ she asked, holding Philippe firmly by the hand.

  ‘You should find William there. He’s a retired sailor and I left him in charge. It’s likely that you’ll find men still working on an extension to the house.’ He took a key from a pocket. ‘But in case no one is there, here is the key to the house.’

  Anna took it and thanked him, saying she would see him later. He gave her a nod before hurrying away. Joe joined her and Philippe. He was carrying their baggage, including her lute. Anna looked down at the boy and indicated that Joe should hand the musical instrument to him. ‘Why don’t you carry this, Philippe?’

  The boy’s face brightened and, wrenching himself free from Anna’s grasp, he took hold of the lute. When Joe moved off, Philippe walked alongside him. Anna followed them, curious to see the house and hoping that Philippe would settle down soon here in Yorkshire.

  They had left the port some way behind them when Joe pointed to a greystone house standing on a knoll. The building backed on to fields. ‘That there is Master Milburn’s house,’ he informed. ‘Good view of the river, but yours is a goodly way from the rackety goings-on at the waterfront. Near enough to town, though, to call in every day if needs be.’

  Anna gazed at her new home with interest, but could see no sign of labourers and presumed that was because the extension to the building was out of sight on the other side of the house. She was impatient to get there, so quickened her pace. Joe called to Philippe to keep up. Anna paused and looked back at the panting boy and realised he was having a struggle to carry the lute now. Her face softened, for he had not complained.

  ‘Shall I take it now, Philippe?’ she asked, reaching for the instrument.

  He shook his head and clutched it against his chest. She’d had experience of male pride from a young age, but did not want to risk his dropping her lute.

  ‘Philippe, please give it to me.’ She put her hand on the shaft of the instrument, but he refused to surrender it and muttered something in his own tongue. No doubt he was cursing her, thought Anna, frowning.

  She tugged and suddenly he let go of the lute. She did not have a firm enough grip on it and it slipped through her fingers. She let out a cry of distress and bent and picked it up. Part of the decorative wooden inlay round its rim had been damaged and one of the pegs had broken off, so that a gut string hung loose. ‘Oh, no!’ she cried.

  Before she could say anything else, a frightened Philippe ran off after Joe. She gazed mournfully at her precious lute, then picked up the broken peg and hurried after the man and boy, wanting to reassure Philippe that it was just an accident and the lute could be mended. By the time she reached the front gates, Philippe and Joe were out of sight. She pushed the gates wide and went up the path leading to the front door. She immediately became aware of men’s voices coming from the rear of the house. She decided to go round the back and see what was going on. The sight that met her eyes filled her with dismay.

  There must have been a garden of sorts once, but it had been trampled down. The stable yard was partially concealed beneath blocks of stone, wooden planks,
piles of tiles, sand, cement and buckets. Joe and Philippe were standing next to a grizzled-haired ancient with a peg leg. Those three were gazing at a group of men who were arguing. To Anna’s surprise she recognised one of them as Jack’s twin, Matt. He carried more weight than Jack and looked older, but there was no doubting it was him. It gave her an odd feeling coming upon him so unexpectedly like this. She scarcely knew Jack’s brother and, not knowing exactly what her husband had said to him in his missive about her, she was uncertain how to approach him.

  Suddenly she noticed that one of the men was looking at her. He nudged the man next to him, who stopped in mid-sentence. It was then that Matt became aware of her presence. She saw his eyebrows shoot up and then he dismissed the men and came over to her.

  ‘Are you who I think you are?’ he asked curtly.

  The lack of welcome in his voice made her feel as if an icicle had been slipped down the neck of her gown and slithered down her back. ‘Who do you think I am?’ she asked.

  ‘The Lady Anna Fenwick. What are you doing here? Where’s Jack?’

  ‘He has matters to deal with regarding his ship down at the harbour,’ replied Anna, tilting her chin. She decided Matt had no right to speak to her in that tone and she was not going to wither beneath it. ‘Jack told me to go on ahead. Did you receive his missive? I presume you must have from your mentioning him and me in the same breath.’

  Matt looked surprised. ‘I received no missive from my twin. When did he send it?’

  ‘The same time as I sent one to Owain. Jack told me that his explained to you some matters he had kept from you, but wished you to know about if aught should happen to him,’ she said.

  Matt looked baffled. He squared broad shoulders beneath the fine wool of his doublet. ‘I know that Owain received your letter. I had a visit from his brother, Hal, and Sir Giles’s nephew, Will.’

  ‘What!’ Anna paled. ‘What did they say to you about me? For I tell you now that they have borne false witness against me before. Their accusations are untrue.’

  Matt’s expression was uneasy. ‘They were worried about you. Concerned about your state of mind because of the depth of your grief after you lost your husband and son. They feared that you were in danger of harming yourself and bringing shame on the family. The only accusation they made against you was that you set fire to your house.’

  Anna was astonished. ‘I don’t believe it! Why should they come to you and tell you this?’

  ‘They said that Jack had taken pity on you and helped you, ignoring their warning that you were a danger to yourself and him. They wanted to seek my help in protecting Jack, suggesting that I come immediately to his house in the hope that he had returned home. I was coming here, anyway, to see how the men were progressing with the building work. So now you know all.’

  Anna’s mouth fell open. For a moment she did not speak, but then she gathered her wits together and her eyes flashed with annoyance. ‘They are both crafty and evil. They hate Jack for coming to my aid and spoiling their plans. Will wanted me dead, believing then he would get his hands on Fenwick Manor. He was furious because Giles had made it clear in his will that if aught happened to our son then I would inherit. I think it was because the dowry that Owain gave to him on our marriage was an extremely large one. Giles left his nephew a goodly sum, but Will was not satisfied.’

  Matt’s brow knitted. ‘Jack can vouch for this? You appear to me to be in your right mind. I just wish I had received Jack’s missive.’

  ‘You will be seeing him soon, so he will explain all to you,’ said Anna, relaxing a little. ‘I only wish that you had consulted with Owain. He would have explained to you the kind of men Hal and Will are. I told him all when I wrote to him.’

  ‘They said your beauty had bewitched Jack.’

  Anna laughed. ‘Do you believe your twin to be so easily led astray?’

  ‘Jack has a warm heart and an over-developed sense of chivalry,’ said Matt seriously.

  ‘I would not deny that,’ said Anna, glancing down at Philippe and placing her hand on his shoulder.

  Matt stared at the lad and his mouth dropped open. ‘That boy! He’s the image of Jack! Where did he come from?’

  ‘His name is Philippe and he has come from France,’ said Anna. ‘But do not ask me any more, for it is up to Jack to explain.’

  Matt could not tear his gaze away from the boy. ‘So he is the secret that my twin has been keeping from me,’ he said angrily. ‘I have known for a long time that Jack was troubled in his mind, even before he went missing, but I never thought it would be a child. Come here, lad!’ he commanded, holding out a hand.

  Philippe did not move, staring at him apprehensively.

  Matt made a move towards him. Philippe ducked from beneath Anna’s arm and, avoiding his uncle’s outstretched arm, ran.

  ‘He’s frightened,’ said Anna, making to go after him, only to get her lute tangled in her skirts and went tumbling over.

  Joe dropped the baggage and both he and Matt bent over Anna and helped her to her feet. ‘I must go after him,’ she said, freeing herself from their hold.

  Anna wasted no more time, but picked up her skirts and ran round the side of the house. She paused a moment on the front path, her eyes searching for the boy. Then she saw him. He was already out of the gateway and had crossed the track towards the river. She hurried through the gates and went after him. He had disappeared into the undergrowth, but she guessed most likely that he would follow the course of the river. But in which direction? Towards the town or away from it?

  Then Anna heard a twig snap behind her and she turned. She could scarcely believe her eyes when she saw Hal. She would have run, but it was too late. He moved and cut off her way of escape. Straight away, she realised what he and Will’s intention had been in seeking out Matt’s help. They had wanted to know where Jack lived and his twin had led them straight to him.

  ‘No mask, Hal? What are you doing here?’ asked Anna, scared but playing for time in the hope that Matt and Joe would come after her.

  ‘I saw you arrive. I never thought we’d be so lucky as to have you land on the doorstep so soon,’ said Hal, smirking. ‘Owain wore the mask, you know. I was with him on the raid to rescue your mother and Kate’s brother.’ A giggle escaped him. ‘You’ve no idea how exciting it was, hiding in trees with our bows and arrows and all the masked figures below intent on worshipping old Nick. When Owain suddenly appeared out of the Devil’s Graveyard, it caused quite a stir. Your mother put a blade through his shoulder, but she received an arrow in the back for her wickedness. She died in his arms. Despite his losing so much blood, he insisted she was taken home to be buried at Rowan.’

  ‘So that is how my mother died,’ said Anna, feeling as if everything was unreal.

  ‘Owain killed your father, you know.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘Oh!’ Hal looked disappointed. ‘How did you find that out? Did Davy tell you?’

  Anna shook her head. ‘My half-brother, Raoul, discovered the truth. He was curious to find out how his father met his death.’

  ‘So you have a real half-brother.’ Hal did not look pleased. ‘I suppose you found that out in France? I wasn’t pleased about what you wrote to Owain about me, Anna.’ His eyes glinted dangerously. ‘That’s when I decided that you and Jack had to pay for what you did. I’m an outcast. I can never return to Rowan.’ His hands curled into fists. ‘Jack should never have interfered in our plans. I aim to marry you, so I can inherit Fenwick. Will’s in favour of it. But he still wants to see you burn. He’s even found a place for you. A labyrinth up in the fells, supposed to be a trap for evil spirits.’

  ‘A labyrinth! He must be crazed!’

  ‘It’s the sort of place Will gets really excited about. But don’t you worry, I won’t let him burn you. Once we’re married…’

  Anna clamped down on her fear and said lightly, ‘You’re too late to marry me, Hal. Jack and I are married. If aught were to happen to either of
us, then his son will inherit Fenwick. You didn’t know he had a son, did you?’ She smiled.

  Hal’s expression turned even uglier. ‘I don’t believe you’re married to him and he has a son. You’re only saying that to make me change my plans,’ he snarled, lunging towards her, only to trip over a tree root and land heavily on the ground.

  Anna gazed about her wildly for a weapon. Then suddenly Philippe appeared. He looked scared, but was carrying a broken branch that he handed to her. ‘Hit him, maman!’

  She brought it down on Hal’s head. He tried to get up, so she hit him again. The branch snapped, but he had slumped to the ground. She bent over him. Then suddenly she heard Philippe give a warning cry. But before she could turn round she was blinded by a cloak. A knee dug into her back and she was forced to the ground. She yelled to Philippe to run, adding in French, ‘Tell Papa, the labyrinth!’ She heard Philippe cry out again and then silence. A cord swiftly pinioned her arms to her sides and then she was kicked to one side. She could hear heavy breathing and then a noise as if something was being dragged along the ground. Then there came a splash before she heard the thud of feet again. Terrified that Philippe had been thrown into the river, she struggled to free herself, but it was useless. She was dragged upright and then slung over a shoulder and carried away.

  Jack had finished his business with the harbour master. Doubting there would be much in the way of food and drink in the house and making the decision that Anna was going to need a woman to help her in the house, he decided to go in search of both. So Jack busied himself, hiring servants, a wagon and horses and buying in provisions. It came as a shock to him to be hailed by his brother just as he was setting out for home.

  ‘We’ve got trouble, Jack,’ said Matt, stern faced, reining in his horse next to the wagon.

  ‘What are you doing here, Matt? And what kind of trouble are you talking about? Haven’t the men finished? Is Anna vexed with the state of the place?’ fired Jack.