‘Well, never mind, you’re here now. Can you wash yourself?’
She nodded. It was such a relief to wash in hot water and put on the clean clothes Ma had found for her. By the time another bowl of stew had disappeared, the men crowded into Elsie’s home, and they were not happy.
‘Who did this to you?’ Pa demanded. ‘We thought you were nicely settled in that job you were so excited about. Tell us what happened.’
They listened in silence, their expressions grim, and when she’d told all, she gave a sad smile. ‘Things didn’t work out. I think the poor lady was ill, and the major was suffering after what he’d been through.’
‘That doesn’t excuse what the man did, and if we ever come across him he’ll be sorry.’ Pa turned to the other men who all nodded in agreement. ‘We won’t have one of our own treated so cruelly.’
‘I don’t believe he’s a cruel man, just a troubled one.’ Feeling better now, a little mischievous smile appeared. ‘You’d have a job dealing with him because he’s a tough military man and over six feet tall.’
‘And riding a huge black horse,’ Elsie remarked.
Chrissie took hold of her hand. ‘Yes, you were quite right about that, but their appearance brought me only grief.’
Elsie gazed in to the distance for a moment, and then said in a puzzled tone, ‘That wasn’t supposed to happen.’
‘Maybe not, but it did, setting off a chain of events that brought me back to you. I was so happy there, and he sent me away.’ Her eyes filled with tears again and she fought them back. It must be weakness making her so tearful.
She yawned and everyone stood up.
‘We’ll leave you to rest,’ Ma told her, ‘and we can talk more in the morning.’
The morning dawned bright and hot, and Ma came to cook eggs for their breakfast. ‘Did you sleep well, Chrissie?’
‘I did, and I don’t think anything would have woken me up.’
‘That’s just what you needed, and we’ve decided to stay here for a few days to give you time to recover completely. It’s a nice spot with a secluded beach not far, and has everything we need.’
‘Oh, but you mustn’t change your plans for me.’
‘We change our minds all the time. If we like a place, we stay, if we don’t we move on. There, you eat your breakfast.’
Ma’s son, Sandy, looked in and smiled. ‘You look better today. We found you some shoes that might fit. Try them on.’
They were a good fit. ‘Thank you very much. I only had the one pair of shoes, but where did these come from? I can’t afford to pay anything for them, but I’ll be happy to work for whoever they belonged to.’
‘Don’t worry about it.’ He winked at her. ‘We still need a fortune-teller.’
‘Goodness, haven’t you found one yet?’
‘Not as good as you, and you’d better stay with us this time, because you get into too much trouble on your own.’
She laughed, and it felt good to be among friends again. ‘What do you want me to do today?’
‘Nothing. There’s a nice beach over the rise, so take a walk by the sea, listen to the waves and relax.’
‘I’d like that.’
They hadn’t reached a big town yet and she was grateful they had stopped here. The beach was empty and she removed her shoes so she could paddle along the shoreline. The water felt wonderful on her poor abused feet, and the gentle lapping of the waves was soothing to her troubled thoughts. The memory of the Frenshaw estate would always be with her, but she would never see it again, so that was something she was going to have to learn to live with. That was how things were and she imagined the pain and disappointment would fade in time. Working for a short time with a barrister had shown her she was capable of doing more than scrubbing floors for other people. Her love of horses would always draw her to that kind of work, but it was doubtful if anyone would employ a girl for that. One man certainly hadn’t liked her working in his stables. Another option was to stay with the Travellers, but as pleased as she was to be with them again, living her life in this way didn’t appeal to her.
She stopped and gazed at the sea, telling herself there wasn’t any need to make hasty decisions. It was a fault of hers, and she didn’t want to make any more mistakes, so any future moves would need to be given a lot of thought. She was with people who cared about her, and after what she had been through, this was enough for now.
Chapter Thirty-Two
It only took Chrissie two days to recover enough to insist she did her fair share of the work, but they watched carefully to see she didn’t attempt any of the heavy jobs. She was touched by their concern, and knew they were still angry at the way she had been treated, but she assured them no one was to blame. Not everything in life works out the way we want it to, she told them with a smile. The only one she couldn’t hide her sorrow from was Elsie.
‘I know you don’t believe it now, but everything is going to work out for the best,’ the elderly woman told her over breakfast one morning.
‘Of course it is,’ she replied brightly.
‘You can’t hide your pain from me, my dear. You were forced to leave the one place you wanted to be, and that still hurts.’
She had to admit that it did. ‘But I have done what I set out to do and put distance between me and the estate. It was foolish of me to get so attached to the place and the people, not to mention two special horses I loved so much. Yes, it hurts, and even my time working for the barrister didn’t ease that pain. However, I’m going to have to start again, and I’m ready to do that now.’
‘Good girl. Now, why don’t you take an early morning walk by the sea, and don’t hurry back.’
‘Aren’t we going to move on today?’
‘No, we must stay here a while longer.’
‘Why? I’m quite fit again now, and I don’t want to disrupt your plans.’
‘We are waiting for someone.’
‘Oh, in that case I will go and have a paddle in the sea.’ She finished clearing up after breakfast and set off for the beach. Her friends always left her alone when she did this, giving her the solitude they felt she needed to recover completely from her arduous journey.
It was going to be another lovely day and she sighed with pleasure as the water gently swished in and out over her feet. A pretty shell was uncovered as the water washed away and she bent to pick it up. It was conical in shape and perfect, so she tucked it in her pocket as a gift for Elsie. Suddenly a brief picture crossed her vision of black and chestnut horses galloping joyfully along the water’s edge – then it was gone and the beach was empty. Placing her hands on her heart to stop it racing, she began to tell herself off. She had been plagued with a vivid imagination from a child, and it was about time she grew out of it. Picturing such things would only bring the loss to mind again, and she had to put that behind her, as she repeatedly told herself. It had been lovely, but it was gone, and she had to look forward, not back. Enough of that, she thought as she wiped the water off her feet and put her shoes back on. What she needed was some good hard work. That would sort her out.
The breeches she was wearing were damp at the ankles but they would soon dry, and she was ready to take on any job that needed doing today, she decided, as she ran over the rise to the camp.
When the camp came in sight she stopped, wondering what was going on. Everyone had gathered at the entrance, and she could hear the raised voices from where she was. Looking closer she saw a tall figure on a horse – a black horse, and with them was another one she recognised. Her breath caught in her throat. What was he doing here? And her friends were furious with him. Oh, no!
She was off and running towards them as fast as her long legs would carry her, and as she got near to them the animals began to stomp and prance, so much so the rider had to work hard to control them.
‘Move out of the way,’ she warned the crowd gathered there. ‘They are trained to fight if they think their master is in danger.’
Skiddin
g to a halt, she reached out to each huge animal. ‘It’s all right, my lovely boys, calm down now. You don’t want to hurt anyone, do you?’
The rider jumped down and she faced him, hands on her hips. ‘What are you doing here? Haven’t you got more sense than to bring these two in to a hostile place?’
‘I didn’t know they wanted to tear me limb from limb. I introduced myself and politely asked if they’d seen you. The horses reacted to the shouting and hostility in order to defend me. It’s what they do.’
‘I know that, and you haven’t answered my question. What do you want here?’
His gaze swept over her, and then back to her face. ‘I’ve come to make sure you are all right, and to take you back with me. That’s why I brought Red with me as well.’
‘What makes you think I’ll go anywhere with you?’ She didn’t have to watch what she said to him now. She didn’t work for him any more.
‘Because my father is worried about you, and so is Stuart, and so is every damned person back at the estate. Even Joe said you would make him a good wife, but we told him to forget that because he is based in London, and you won’t go there to live again.’
Her anger drained away and she struggled to stop a smile appearing, but he noted the change.
‘Now we’ve all calmed down, do you think we could water and feed the horses, and me? I’ve been travelling for days searching for you.’
She glanced at Pa, who nodded, grinned and held out his hands to give her a bunk-up on to Red, then she took hold of Midnight’s reins and they trotted off to the field where they kept the horses.
The youngsters were all running ahead, eager to help with these magnificent beasts. With many hands wanting to do something for the animals, they were soon unsaddled, fed and watered, and contentedly gazing around at the new surroundings.
‘Cor,’ one of the boys murmured, ‘we’ve never seen horses like these before.’
‘They are special. Don’t let them near your horses,’ she warned, ‘and don’t try riding them.’
‘Why? You do.’
‘They know me, but they can be rough if you do something they don’t like. These two are different in temperament from the others at the estate, and need to be approached with caution.’
‘This one’s got scars,’ the eldest boy pointed out.
‘He was injured in a battle and his master nursed him back to health.’
The boys gathered round to examine the animal, and one said, ‘They are very quiet now.’
‘That’s because they have been fed, and I am here. Be careful when I leave, though, because they might bite you,’ she teased, making them all laugh.
Seeing the horses were now content, she kissed both on the nose and told them to behave themselves, then made her way back to Elsie’s home where everyone was clustered around. The major was sitting on the steps with a cup of tea in his hands, and Elsie sitting beside him. He was explaining something to the crowd who were listening intently.
‘What’s going on?’ she whispered to Sandy, who was standing a little way from the crowd.
‘He’s trying to win everyone over to his side,’ he smirked, ‘and doing a good job of it, by the look of things.’
‘Surely Elsie isn’t taken in by him as well?’
‘When we brought him over to her, she studied him carefully, the way she does, then she nodded and smiled, inviting him to sit on her steps while she poured him a cup of tea.’
‘And that was already made, I suppose.’
‘Of course. She’s given him her approval, and everyone is now relaxed and curious about him.’ Sandy gave her a sideways glance. ‘Are you going back with him?’
‘No,’ she declared emphatically. ‘He took the job I loved from me without bothering to find out if I was a good stable lad or not. He disliked me on sight and threw me out. I don’t understand what he’s doing here.’
‘Better consult your crystal ball for the answer.’
‘Not likely. I don’t think I even want to know why he’s been riding around the countryside with two priceless animals, and looking for me. It doesn’t make sense, but I have a feeling Elsie will tell me later.’
‘You can be sure of that,’ Sandy chuckled, and turned to wander off. ‘I think I’ll go and have a look at those warhorses. I’ve never seen such magnificent specimens before.’
‘The young boys are with them and I’ve warned them not to let them near your mares.’
With a look of pure innocence on his face, Sandy walked off, whistling tunefully.
‘Chrissie,’ Elsie called. ‘Come and have tea with us, my dear.’
Torn between going after Sandy to see what he was up to, and staying, she decided it really wasn’t any of her business, and made her way to Elsie and the man sitting beside her – the man she had never thought to see again.
He stood up when she approached, towering over her. ‘Are the horses all right?’
‘They have been looked after and are content,’ she told him sharply, then regretted her tone. She wasn’t usually like this, but seeing him again brought back too many memories.
‘Thank you.’ He moved aside to allow her to get in to the home.
‘Pour us all another cup of tea, my dear,’ Elsie asked, smiling brightly. ‘Harry is thirsty after his long ride.’
Harry? She stared at Elsie in astonishment, who just smiled back.
‘You’ll stay tonight, Major?’ Pa asked. ‘We’ll put on a real feast for you.’
‘I would be honoured,’ he replied.
What on earth was going on? Chrissie thought as she poured the tea. One minute everyone had been ready to attack him, and now he was being invited to a feast and called Harry. In the short time she had been dealing with the horses he had won everyone over to him – except her. There was no way he was going to convince her to return with him because it would only cause her more heartache, and she wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.
When the large pot of tea had been drained the men took the major away, and Chrissie helped Elsie back in to the home.
‘He’s quite a charmer,’ Elsie declared as she made herself comfortable in her chair.
Chrissie snorted in disbelief. ‘That’s not what I’d call him.’
‘That’s because when you look at him you feel the hurt he caused you. This is a different man now, as you’d see if you would only look carefully. He clearly has a good reason for coming to find you, so don’t dismiss anything he offers because you have been hurt. Listen and use your intuition, then do what you really want to. In most cases I would urge caution, but in this case, I tell you to follow your heart. Don’t let the past colour your judgement or you could throw away your chance of happiness. Don’t do that, my dear.’
‘I know I’m being unreasonable,’ she admitted. ‘He was greatly troubled when he arrived home, but I’d been so happy there. Happier than I’d ever been in my life.’
‘That was hard for you, dear, but you will find that happiness again, believe me. Now, what are we going to wear tonight for the festivities? I think you ought to wear a real Romany frock, and so will I. Everyone will be dressed in their brightest clothes.’
She laughed at the thought. ‘That would be fun – two fortune-tellers together.’
‘Exactly. Bring that trunk over for me and we’ll find something that fits you.’
As evening fell they made their way to the beach where the men had a lovely fire going, and game on a spit cooking nicely. Everyone had brought food, and a table was groaning under the weight of it.
‘This is wonderful,’ Elsie declared. ‘We haven’t done this kind of thing for a long time. When I was a child we had evenings like this quite often, especially when there was something to celebrate.’
Settling the elderly woman in a chair where she could see everything, Chrissie gazed at the scene in wonder, and was shocked to see the major with his jacket off, sleeves rolled up and helping the men feed the fire. He was laughing and talking to them
as if this was the most natural thing for him to do.
‘He’s a soldier, my dear,’ Elsie said as if reading her mind. ‘He’s been round campfires, slept on hard ground, been cold, wet, and dirty and weary.’
‘I suppose he has, but I have never thought of him in that way.’
‘You imagined it was all servants, feather beds and gleaming silver services.’
Chrissie nodded. ‘He was born to privilege and a titled family. It’s hard to imagine him suffering hardship like that, and yet he had been fighting in a war and I should have realised.’ She knelt down beside Elsie. ‘I did try to understand what he had been through, I really did, but all I felt from him was anger.’
‘Is the anger still there?’
She watched him in silence for a while, and then sighed. ‘He’s a difficult man to read, but all I can see and feel now is that he is enjoying himself.’
Sandy came to them with a wide smile on his face. ‘My, don’t you two look lovely, and all the girls have chosen more traditional dress for this evening. Come near the fire, because the food is nearly ready. What do you think of the major?’ he laughed. ‘He thinks he’s back with his military pals and thoroughly enjoying himself.’
‘It’s good to see. Being with us might be just what he needs to help blot out the terrible scenes he has in his head.’ Elsie let Sandy support her, and Chrissie followed with the chair.
The men carved the meat and the major brought two plates over to them. He bowed gracefully. ‘Enjoy your supper, Madam Elsie and Miss Christine.’
‘Thank you, Harry.’
That familiar form of address still gave Chrissie a jolt, but he just grinned. His face was streaked with soot from the fire, his hair had fallen over his eyes, and he didn’t seem to be the slightest bit concerned. She was certainly seeing a different side to this complex man, and she had to admit she liked him this way.
‘What can I get you to drink? We have a wide selection, though I wouldn’t recommend the home-made brew. It has a kick as powerful as Red when he is in one of his tantrums.’
‘We’ll have lemonade, please, Harry.’
When Midnight Comes Page 24
