often.”
Matthew had by now had enough and came out of the barn, hammer in one hand. The wee officer was attempting to intimidate his wife, driving his horse in tight circles round Alex, who succeeded in looking quite unperturbed.
“And what may you want with me?” he called out, striding over to join them, with Ian and Mark at his heels.
“Ah, the elusive Mr Graham. And so we meet at last.” The lieutenant smirked, bowing exaggeratedly.
Matthew gave him a nod, no more. “Not the first time.”
“No, it isn’t, is it?” the lieutenant said. “But at the time, you were… well, how shall we put it… disinclined to converse?”
“At the time I was being unjustly held and beaten – by you, as I recall.”
“Unjustly?” The lieutenant laughed. “I think not.”
Matthew was sorely tempted to pull the smirking fool off his horse and give him a good thrashing then and there. Instead he placed himself in front of Alex, arms crossed, and looked up at the officer.
“What can I do for you?”
Gower shrugged. “You know that, Mr Graham; always on the lookout for people that are attempting to evade the law.” He patted the gleaming neck of his horse and smiled down at the household. “Like Alexander Peden.”
“He isn’t here.”
“No, not today he isn’t, but one day he will be, and then it will fare ill both for him and for you.” He jerked his head at his troop and held his horse until his men were halfway up the hill. “We’ll be back,” he said, bowing in the direction of Alex before spurring his horse into a sedate canter.
“Not much of a surprise,” Alex muttered. “It seems to me they’re here more or less every other day.”
“Aye,” Matthew said, “much more often than elsewhere, as I hear it.”
Simon reappeared from the privy, spat to the side and came over to join them.
“You’ve sworn the oath and yet they come. It would seem they don’t trust you.”
Matthew laughed softly. “It would seem so, aye.”
“Without reason, of course,” Simon said, giving him a penetrating look.
“Of course,” Matthew lied, his eyes on anything but his wife.
Simon made a sound like a disgruntled pig. “I’ve told you, you’re playing with fire.”
Matthew bent down to pick up a discarded horseshoe and grinned. “For luck,” he said airily and left them standing alone in the yard.
“Is he?” Simon asked Alex. “Does he offer them board and bed for a night or two?”
Alex shook her head. “He has promised not to, and I believe him when he says he hasn’t.”
Simon rolled his light blue eyes at her.
“At least not here,” she added, chewing her cheek. Margaret’s cottage! Isolated and on the far edge of the woods it would make a nice little safe house, with the added benefit of being close to the moor. “I swear I’ll kick his balls,” she said and took off in the direction of the barn.
Matthew heard the swishing of her skirts as she made her way down the barn to where he was working on one of the walls and turned towards her.
“What exactly have you promised me?” Alex said.
He eyed her warily; there was a dangerous tone to her voice.
“Promised you? To love you and hold you, to keep you in house and food, to watch over you, to…”
“Not that! What have you promised me regarding Sandy Peden and the others?”
“Do you need to ask?”
“I just want to make sure we’re in agreement,” she said in a mild voice. “So?” she prompted at his continued silence.
Matthew exhaled and threw down the hammer. “I’ve promised not to bring them home. At least not for now.”
“And home is what? The big house? The barn and the stables? “
“All of that,” Matthew said in relief. “The house and the barn and all the buildings.”
“All of Hillview?”
He twisted.
“All of Hillview?” she repeated.
“All of Hillview,” he said, defeated.
“So if I were to go up to Margaret’s cottage later this afternoon, I wouldn’t find anyone there, would
Matthew had by now had enough and came out of the barn, hammer in one hand. The wee officer was attempting to intimidate his wife, driving his horse in tight circles round Alex, who succeeded in looking quite unperturbed.
“And what may you want with me?” he called out, striding over to join them, with Ian and Mark at his heels.
“Ah, the elusive Mr Graham. And so we meet at last.” The lieutenant smirked, bowing exaggeratedly.
Matthew gave him a nod, no more. “Not the first time.”
“No, it isn’t, is it?” the lieutenant said. “But at the time, you were… well, how shall we put it… disinclined to converse?”
“At the time I was being unjustly held and beaten – by you, as I recall.”
“Unjustly?” The lieutenant laughed. “I think not.”
Matthew was sorely tempted to pull the smirking fool off his horse and give him a good thrashing then and there. Instead he placed himself in front of Alex, arms crossed, and looked up at the officer.
“What can I do for you?”
Gower shrugged. “You know that, Mr Graham; always on the lookout for people that are attempting to evade the law.” He patted the gleaming neck of his horse and smiled down at the household. “Like Alexander Peden.”
“He isn’t here.”
“No, not today he isn’t, but one day he will be, and then it will fare ill both for him and for you.” He jerked his head at his troop and held his horse until his men were halfway up the hill. “We’ll be back,” he said, bowing in the direction of Alex before spurring his horse into a sedate canter.
“Not much of a surprise,” Alex muttered. “It seems to me they’re here more or less every other day.”
“Aye,” Matthew said, “much more often than elsewhere, as I hear it.”
Simon reappeared from the privy, spat to the side and came over to join them.
“You’ve sworn the oath and yet they come. It would seem they don’t trust you.”
Matthew laughed softly. “It would seem so, aye.”
“Without reason, of course,” Simon said, giving him a penetrating look.
“Of course,” Matthew lied, his eyes on anything but his wife.
Simon made a sound like a disgruntled pig. “I’ve told you, you’re playing with fire.”
Matthew bent down to pick up a discarded horseshoe and grinned. “For luck,” he said airily and left them standing alone in the yard.
“Is he?” Simon asked Alex. “Does he offer them board and bed for a night or two?”
Alex shook her head. “He has promised not to, and I believe him when he says he hasn’t.”
Simon rolled his light blue eyes at her.
“At least not here,” she added, chewing her cheek. Margaret’s cottage! Isolated and on the far edge of the woods it would make a nice little safe house, with the added benefit of being close to the moor. “I swear I’ll kick his balls,” she said and took off in the direction of the barn.
Matthew heard the swishing of her skirts as she made her way down the barn to where he was working on one of the walls and turned towards her.
“What exactly have you promised me?” Alex said.
He eyed her warily; there was a dangerous tone to her voice.
“Promised you? To love you and hold you, to keep you in house and food, to watch over you, to…”
“Not that! What have you promised me regarding Sandy Peden and the others?”
“Do you need to ask?”
“I just want to make sure we’re in agreement,” she said in a mild voice. “So?” she prompted at his continued silence.
Matthew exhaled and threw down the hammer. “I’ve promised not to bring them home. At least not for now.”
“And home is what? The big house? The barn and the stables? “
“All of that,” Matthew said in relief. “The house and the barn and all the buildings.”
“All of Hillview?”
He twisted.
“All of Hillview?” she repeated.
“All of Hillview,” he said, defeated.
“So if I were to go up to Margaret’s cottage later this afternoon, I wouldn’t find anyone there, would
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