'I do not wish to be betrothed, ever!' he declared, vehemently. 'I am going to be a soldier, and I do not want a wife.'
Caroline's excitement evaporated. She had expected Geoffrey to be as excited and pleased as she was herself at the thought of the celebrations. She had not thought much beyond that.
'But there might be a betrothal feast, with singing and dancing, as there was in the village when Betty was betrothed,' she began to explain, pleadingly, but he interrupted her.
'Caroline, do not be stupid. Your uncle does not approve of feasts and singing, except for the singing of psalms. And as for dancing, he regards that as the invention of the devil! He would never permit it at any celebrations there might he. Besides, I will not be betrothed to you. They cannot force me. My father will not insist when I explain to him I do not want to be married.'
Caroline stared at him in dismay. She did not believe he really could persuade his father to stop the betrothal, but the thought of losing the celebrations she had envisaged was a bitter blow.
'What would they do then, to celebrate our betrothal?' she asked in a small voice.
'We shall not be betrothed,' he insisted, 'but when your uncle has something to celebrate, he orders more services and prayers of thanksgiving.'
'Oh,' said Caroline in a smaller voice. There was a pause, while she considered the joyless times this betokened. 'Then I don't think I want to be betrothed, either,' she said at last.
'Do not be over-concerned. We will not be. I must go and see my father at once.'
'You must not do that!' Caroline said hurriedly, catching at his arm as he turned away.
'Why not? The sooner he knows that I will not do it, the sooner it can be stopped.'
'But then you will have to tell him how you found out.'
'Of course.'
'I shall be punished for telling you, as well as being punished for listening,' she explained.
'Oh, confound it! I had not thought of that.'
'Please do not tell your father.'
'But I must prevent this.'
'I shall be whipped if they find out. Will you not just wait until he tells you about it, and then say you do not wish it?' asked the girl.
'I suppose I shall have to, unless I wish to punish you,' the boy answered at length.
'Oh, thank you!' she breathed with intense relief, and would have embraced him had he not moved briskly out of reach.
She soon recovered her spirits, and after a few minutes of silence, turned to him again.
'I think I am glad. I do not think it would be much fun to be married to someone with such stuffy ideas of propriety about listening to other people's conversations!'
*
With that, she climbed back over the stile and began to make her way back to her uncle's house. But as she got nearer, her footsteps dragged. It had been such an eventful morning, she could not face seeing anyone yet awhile. She decided to go deeper into the woods which ran alongside her uncle's farmland. She would be punished anyway for having missed her lessons, and she might as well make the most of her freedom while she had it.
She wandered amongst the trees, picking early blackberries, since by now she was somewhat hungry. She knew the woods well, and slowly made her way to a favourite clearing, through which ran the same stream that bordered the orchard. When she reached it, she flung herself down on the grass and idly began to chew blades of grass.
She had been there for about ten minutes when she heard the sounds of breaking twigs, and looking round, saw a man leave the shelter of the trees and go to the stream, where he bent down to drink. She did not know him, and strangers were rare in that part of the country. He splashed water over his face, then stood up, and turned in her direction. He began to walk towards her, though he could not see her, hidden as she was by the long grass. But he would soon be stumbling over her! She sat up, and was startled to see the look of terror that crossed his face. He half-turned, as if to run away, then seemed to realise she was but a child, and his terror subsided, and he smiled.
Caroline considered him closely. He was young, perhaps eighteen or nineteen, of above average height, with long dark curling hair and sparkling brilliant blue eyes. His clothes were bright and of good quality material, though they were sadly torn and very muddy. There was an improvised bandage round his arm, brown with dried blood. She was curious, and unafraid.
'Who are you?' she asked. 'How did you hurt your arm?'
He sat down beside her and rested his head on his hands. Instead of answering her questions, he asked if she lived nearby, and whether she could direct him to Stafford.
'I live just over there,' she informed him, 'and you may get a coach for Stafford from Lichfield, which is the nearest town, over there.' She indicated the direction vaguely.
'I am afraid I have no money for a coach,' he replied. 'I shall be compelled to walk.'
'Why, what are you doing? How did you hurt your arm?'
'There was a battle,' he answered, 'two days ago, and I received a sword cut.'
'But you must have it attended to!' she cried. 'Come home with me, and my aunt will bathe and dress it. She is clever with all sorts of wounds.'
'It is not serious,' he replied, hastily.
The look of terror had come back into his eyes. 'Please, do not tell anyone you have seen me. I do not wish to have anyone see me. That is another reason I could not travel by coach, even had I the money.'
'Are you running away? Did you lose the battle?'
'Yes, I'm afraid we did. And now we must try to get out of the country, because if we are caught, we will be killed. I saw it happen to many of our men, but fortunately I was able to hide, and so escaped.'
Caroline suddenly recalled odd scraps of conversation she had heard from the adults, about an army led by the exiled Prince Charles, son of the executed King, which was ready to invade the country from Scotland. This man did not look like one of the Roundhead soldiers, in his bright, though bedraggled clothes. Perhaps he was one of the Prince's soldiers.
'Are you a Cavalier?' she asked, her eyes open wide with expectation.
'I support the King,' he answered proudly.
'And you were with the Prince's army!'
The man smiled at her awestruck face. 'To me he is the King. He was crowned, at Scone, and is only being kept from his rightful inheritance by these rebels who control the country.'
'I will not tell anyone about you. I wish we had a king sitting on the throne. Life is so dreary, surely a king would make it merry!'
The man smiled again. 'Charles Stuart would, and will, if ever he comes into his own.'
'I hope he does, then!' Caroline replied vehemently. 'But you said you lost this battle. Where is the – King, now?'
'I know he escaped from Worcester with a few followers. I came north, because I have friends in Stafford who will help me to get to Ireland, where my estates are.'
'Are you walking?'
'My horse was killed, and I have not been able to obtain another. Besides, I dare not travel by day, since Cromwell's men will be searching the entire country for the King, as well as for us fugitives from the battle. Until I can change my clothes, I must hide by day in the woods, and travel by night, away from the main highways. I was sleeping for the day in these woods, hoping not to be discovered. But I am weary, and became careless. May I hope you will not betray me?'
Caroline smiled at him, but was silent, her thoughts whirling with this adventure, and with ideas for helping the man, whose romantic plight appealed to her vivid imagination.
'I think I can get you some clothes, and some food,' she said abruptly.
His eyes momentarily lit up with hope, then he shook his head.
'It is kind, but you must not endanger yourself for me,' he replied.
'There would be no danger. Uncle John, that's who I live with, has just discarded some of his old clothes, to be given to the poor in the village. I know where they are, and could easily steal some for you.'
'But you might be seen and questioned.'
'No. They are in the servants' quarters, waiting for one of the men to take them to the village. I often play in those rooms, and no one will ask what I am doing.'
'They would think it strange to see you taking some old clothes.'
'I will say I am taking them to old Benny, who is a special friend of mine. They will not be surprised. And so that it is true, I will indeed take him something.'
'The risk is too great for you. I ought not to accept it.'
'It is not!' Caroline almost stamped her foot with annoyance. 'I want to help you, and I want to help the King! Why, even my real name is for him! It is Caroline, but they call me Prudence, which is detestable!'
The Cavalier laughed at her vehemence.
'Very well, then. I see I am to have little choice in whether you help me or no. However, you must promise me faithfully that if there is any danger of discovery, you will forget me.'
Caroline looked rather dubious.
'There will be no danger.'
'Mayhap not. Yet you must live up to your name, and be prudent – for if you do not, they may catch me by following you back here.'
Caroline had not thought of this, and to his relief she stopped taking the adventure quite so lightly, and began to plan in earnest how to secure the clothes and some food.
'I can slip into the kitchens when the servants are having dinner, and find some food for you. That will be easy. Then when I have the clothes as well, I will come back here as soon as I may.'
'Can you be sure that no one will follow you?'
'Yes, I can be sure. But this is not a very secret place. I will show you a much better hiding place, a hollow oak tree, where you can wait quite hidden until I return.'
'You are an excellent accomplice to have in my present need.' He smiled at her, and his smile lit up his tired face.
'Oh, I am good at hiding from people, especially my governess and my uncle,' she confided artlessly. 'They don't like me and force me to do boring lessons.'
*
He wondered what strange people they were not to like this pretty, delightful child, then recollected she came from a Puritan family, judging by her adopted name and her severe grey dress. But he had little time for musing, for she took his hand and led the way through the trees until they came to the hollow tree surrounded by clumps of bushes. It was an excellent hiding place, since without going right through the seemingly impenetrable bushes, no one would know the hole was there. She pushed him inside, then with a brief farewell was off, soon lost to view.
The next hour seemed an eternity to the hidden Cavalier. At first he congratulated himself on having found help so unexpectedly, when he might just as easily have been betrayed through his own carelessness in not remaining better concealed. If he had come upon someone else, they might not have been so kind.
Then he began to worry that Caroline might be caught, and punished, and he be discovered. He scarcely thought one so young could succeed in the tasks she had set herself. Alternately, she would not be able to keep his secret if she were caught.
He was so weary, however, having walked some fifty miles through the previous two nights, and slept only fitfully during the days, that he was soon half asleep, propped up in the hole in the tree.
*
Caroline, meanwhile, had run the half mile back to the house. She made her way cautiously round to the stableyard, seeing with relief from the clock on the wall that it was exactly the hour when the servants would be in their dining hall. No one would see her. She would find some food first, while the kitchens were empty.
Quickly and carefully she made her way into the kitchens. She found a large basket, and put into it meat and bread, and the remains of a pigeon pie. Then she crept along the empty passages to the room where her uncle's cast-off clothing was.
Her uncle was much larger than the young man in girth, but they were about the same height, so he would be able to manage. She hastily selected some of the better clothes, grey breeches and a plain black coat, a shirt with a small lace collar, stockings, and a tall steeple hat. She remembered to add an extra coat for Benny, and bundled them all on top of the food in her basket. Then she heaved a sigh of relief. It remained only for her to escape again from the house, and all would be well. There was a small door at the end of the passage which gave on to the garden. She prayed it would be unlocked, and so it proved to be. Slipping through, she skirted the hedge which surrounded the garden until she was safely out of sight of the house. Then, tucking up her skirts, she made her way as fast as she could to the woods.
She met no one. It was a hot day, and those who were not indoors at dinner were taking the opportunity of resting. Once safely in the wood, she thought of the orchard, which was only a short distance away, and decided to risk going to pick some fruit. Hiding the basket under a bush, she made her way to the orchard, and collected as much fruit as she could carry in an improvised basket made from a hitched up skirt. Returning to the wood, she retrieved the basket, and now, heavily and awkwardly laden, her pace was slow. She eventually reached the bushes round the hollow tree, and after making sure no one was in sight, called gently. There was no reply. Caroline's heart missed a beat. Had the Cavalier been discovered? Or had he mistrusted her and departed, without waiting for her to return?
Putting down the basket, and allowing the fruit to fall round it, she pushed her way into the bushes, and was relieved to see that the Cavalier had only fallen asleep. He must have heard some noise she made in approaching, for he started up, reaching for the sword he did not carry.
'Don't be afraid,' she called softly. 'It's only me, Caroline.'
He peered anxiously out of the tree until he saw her, then he cautiously emerged.
'I must have dozed,' he said, apologetically. 'I have had so little sleep these past two days and nights I can scarce keep my eyes open.'
'I have brought the clothes and the food,' Caroline said. 'Come, you should eat and change your clothes before anyone sees you.'
He smiled gratefully at her, and she led the way back to where she had left the basket. He was ravenous, and fell on the food with a hearty air. Caroline was hungry herself, not having eaten for several hours, and having been too preoccupied while collecting the food for the Cavalier to think of eating then. Her pity was roused by his so obvious hunger, and she smilingly refused when, somewhat shamefacedly, he paused and offered her a share of the pie he had just been about to devour.
'I can eat when I return to the house,' she assured him, though she was far from certain she would be able to do so. If she were caught after being absent all morning, her uncle would undoubtedly send her to her room for the rest of the day, and she would eat only if one of the maids took pity on her and risked his anger to bring food to her room.
Soon the Cavalier's hunger was appeased, and he began to examine the clothes.
'I shall look such a dull Puritan in these clothes,' he grimaced. 'No one would ever dream they hid a Cavalier.'
'They might almost hold two,' giggled Caroline as he tried on the coat, and wrapped its voluminous folds round his slim figure.
'They will do wonderfully!' he cried. 'I shall still travel by night and along paths rather than high roads, and they will deceive anyone I am likely to meet.'
He crammed on the steeple hat, which luckily was not too big, and his mood changing to one of jubilation, he caught her hands in his and twirled her round in a wild impromptu dance. They looked, in their severe Puritan style clothes, a very unlikely pair for such caperings. She was laughing and breathless when he stopped, her cheeks flushed and her hair disordered. He caught her to him and kissed her full on the mouth. Then he held her away from him and looked seriously down into her eyes.
'Thank you for your very great kindness to a desperate man. It was brave and chivalrous of you to help and not betray me. I would that more of your countrymen had your spirit, and love of our King.'
Caroline smiled up at him. The kiss had be
en given and received perfectly naturally and spontaneously, yet it had delighted her, for it was the first she had experienced for a very long time, her uncle having forbidden the nurses and her aunt from giving such displays of affection. If Cavaliers could be so merry, and enjoy life so much, even when in adversity, she longed for the time when the King might rule, and the whole country throw off its solemn cloak of Puritanism and Republicanism. Then her mind turned to immediate practical issues.
'You can sleep quite safely here in the oak,' she told him. 'People rarely come to this part of the wood. Then, when it is dark, if you go along that path over there for about two miles, you will come out on to a cart track. Turn left, and follow it, and it will bring you into Lichfield. It is not a much frequented way, and you will meet no one after sunset, for all the villagers will be abed. I do not know the way to Stafford, as I never go further than Lichfield.'
'I shall be able to discover, once I reach Lichfield,' he assured her. 'Now I must change the rest of these clothes, and return your basket.'
He retired behind some bushes, and she waited, sorry that she must soon say farewell to this young man, who had, despite his weariness and bedraggled appearance, given her a glimpse of a different way of life with his gaiety and charm. A way of life that was infinitely preferable to her own, and one she was determined would some day be hers as well.
Soon the disguised Cavalier reappeared, having changed the rest of his clothes, and they laughed together at the ill-fitting, sober attire. He was able to stuff the rest of the food and the apples in bundles slung round his waist, and the voluminous coat hid to some degree these odd bumps.
He handed the basket to Caroline with a smile and a bow, and she took it with a curtsey.
'What have you done with your old clothes?' she asked. 'Shall I take them and throw them away?'
'I will bury them here,' he replied. 'It will be safer than risking their discovery, and how would you be able to explain them away if they were discovered in your possession?'
Caroline grinned, and with more thanks from the Cavalier, and assurances that he would now be able to escape detection, he made his way back to the hollow oak, to rest and await darkness.
Cavalier Courtship Page 2
