hand between the sheets. I took hold of her again, and we pressed close. Her mouth was sweet as crushed strawberries.
'Enough.' Caro ducked out of my arms. I thought of grappling her to me directly, and the guests be damned. She went on, 'For every minute we stay, there will be a jest at us. It might be they are in the stillroom already.'
Reluctantly, I straightened my garments.
'Giving of gifts comes next.' Caro examined the bandaged finger. 'See, the blood is— O, what's that?'
She was staring out of the window. I went to it and saw a dust-cloud moving towards Beaurepair, along the hill road which led to the village and further on, to Champains.
'Jacob, what is it?' Her voice trembled. 'You look—'
I punched the windowsill, making her jump. 'It is Patience. And Biggin. And Tom Cornish.'
'Patience!' Caro's smile flared an instant and died. 'With Cornish? That man who — spies?'
I nodded, trying to make out the faces of their companions.
Caro tugged at my sleeve. 'What should she do with him?'
'Quiet.' I watched the distant woman's skirts rise and fall with the horse. Zeb had been right, then, and it struck me that they were hoping to catch all of us at a swoop. This was why they had lain so quiet: Patience had told them of my betrothal day, and they had waited, knowing that on this day, of all others, we would not be away from home.
I turned to Caro. 'Listen, wife. There is not time to explain. These people mean us harm. We must leave.'
'What - what harm?' she stuttered. 'How can we leave - the gifts-'
'Run away.'
Caro gaped, then laughed. 'You'll not make a fool of me. You can't see them from here.'
I took her by the shoulders and spoke into her face. 'It may be that you cannot, but I can. Go get all the money and jewels there are, put them under your gown.'
'I have none but—'
'Hers, get hers,' I cried. 'These men are come for me. Then go the long way round to the stable, and wait.'
'But they are not— how are they come for you?'
'Come to hang me. Shape yourself! Stand here losing time, and you'll see me kicking my heels.'
'That can't be. A man can't just come—'
'And then it will be you. Don't you see? She has told them of our reading!'
Caro stared at me stupidly. 'To be hanged? For that? Nay, they—'
'Must I spell it out? They'll put the boy's death on us now.'
She flinched away in terror.
'Get her jewels,' I repeated, feeling myself in a nightmare wherein I was running for my life and everything conspired to hold me back.
'But she has been—'
'Obey your husband,' I shouted. Caro whirled about and ran
through the door. I heard her high-heeled shoes thud along the corridor in the direction of the Mistress's chamber.
One of the cupids was taking off his wings by the fountain. I hurried to the lad, bade him find the groomsmen, that was Mister Isaiah Cullen and Mister Zebedee, and say they should come at once, on a matter of great importance. 'And don't shout it out,' I urged, showing him a penny. 'Whisper in their ears, and fetch them back here.'
He ran off and I paced the grass, moaning with impatience. I had not told Caro the entire truth. The three persons I had named were indeed making towards us, but so were a larger group of men from Champains. It seemed my eyes were very much better than hers, for I had also seen muskets, and, hanging from one saddle, a chain.
My brothers arrived together, hot and breathless.
'Is Caro hurt?' Izzy panted as I handed the boy his penny. 'Or is this some jest?'
I waited until the lad was out of earshot before saying, "There is an armed party coming along the Champains road: Patience, Walshe and Cornish. With reinforcements.'
Never had I seen Zeb look so terrified. His warm colour drained at once. 'Coming for me?' he faltered.
'Why you?' Izzy's voice was sharp.
'Patience - the boy - but that's none of my doing! You will bear witness, I gave of my tobacco—'
'Friends do fall out,' I said. 'Can you prove you were not with him when he went
'Enough.' Caro ducked out of my arms. I thought of grappling her to me directly, and the guests be damned. She went on, 'For every minute we stay, there will be a jest at us. It might be they are in the stillroom already.'
Reluctantly, I straightened my garments.
'Giving of gifts comes next.' Caro examined the bandaged finger. 'See, the blood is— O, what's that?'
She was staring out of the window. I went to it and saw a dust-cloud moving towards Beaurepair, along the hill road which led to the village and further on, to Champains.
'Jacob, what is it?' Her voice trembled. 'You look—'
I punched the windowsill, making her jump. 'It is Patience. And Biggin. And Tom Cornish.'
'Patience!' Caro's smile flared an instant and died. 'With Cornish? That man who — spies?'
I nodded, trying to make out the faces of their companions.
Caro tugged at my sleeve. 'What should she do with him?'
'Quiet.' I watched the distant woman's skirts rise and fall with the horse. Zeb had been right, then, and it struck me that they were hoping to catch all of us at a swoop. This was why they had lain so quiet: Patience had told them of my betrothal day, and they had waited, knowing that on this day, of all others, we would not be away from home.
I turned to Caro. 'Listen, wife. There is not time to explain. These people mean us harm. We must leave.'
'What - what harm?' she stuttered. 'How can we leave - the gifts-'
'Run away.'
Caro gaped, then laughed. 'You'll not make a fool of me. You can't see them from here.'
I took her by the shoulders and spoke into her face. 'It may be that you cannot, but I can. Go get all the money and jewels there are, put them under your gown.'
'I have none but—'
'Hers, get hers,' I cried. 'These men are come for me. Then go the long way round to the stable, and wait.'
'But they are not— how are they come for you?'
'Come to hang me. Shape yourself! Stand here losing time, and you'll see me kicking my heels.'
'That can't be. A man can't just come—'
'And then it will be you. Don't you see? She has told them of our reading!'
Caro stared at me stupidly. 'To be hanged? For that? Nay, they—'
'Must I spell it out? They'll put the boy's death on us now.'
She flinched away in terror.
'Get her jewels,' I repeated, feeling myself in a nightmare wherein I was running for my life and everything conspired to hold me back.
'But she has been—'
'Obey your husband,' I shouted. Caro whirled about and ran
through the door. I heard her high-heeled shoes thud along the corridor in the direction of the Mistress's chamber.
One of the cupids was taking off his wings by the fountain. I hurried to the lad, bade him find the groomsmen, that was Mister Isaiah Cullen and Mister Zebedee, and say they should come at once, on a matter of great importance. 'And don't shout it out,' I urged, showing him a penny. 'Whisper in their ears, and fetch them back here.'
He ran off and I paced the grass, moaning with impatience. I had not told Caro the entire truth. The three persons I had named were indeed making towards us, but so were a larger group of men from Champains. It seemed my eyes were very much better than hers, for I had also seen muskets, and, hanging from one saddle, a chain.
My brothers arrived together, hot and breathless.
'Is Caro hurt?' Izzy panted as I handed the boy his penny. 'Or is this some jest?'
I waited until the lad was out of earshot before saying, "There is an armed party coming along the Champains road: Patience, Walshe and Cornish. With reinforcements.'
Never had I seen Zeb look so terrified. His warm colour drained at once. 'Coming for me?' he faltered.
'Why you?' Izzy's voice was sharp.
'Patience - the boy - but that's none of my doing! You will bear witness, I gave of my tobacco—'
'Friends do fall out,' I said. 'Can you prove you were not with him when he went
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