by Wendy Bayne
Miles wiped a hand across his face. “He says he’s here to help. He knows Stanhope and says he has some information for us that could be helpful. But I don’t know if we can trust him. He might be here to gather information for Stanhope for all we know. He is also looking for his sister, Marianne, she apparently has vacated her London home and surprisingly Burley who always seemed to be a self-centred prig is genuinely concerned.” He reached out to take my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “He’s in my study waiting to be questioned by Sir Thomas and your uncles.”
“And why not you?”
He chuckled. “That may have something to do with the fact that when Burley first arrived, Sir Thomas found me with my hands wrapped around his throat trying to choke the life out of him.”
I was mildly shocked. “I take it that was in retaliation for him hurting me the night my father was stabbed?”
He smiled and looked at me through half-lowered eyes. “Hmmph…that might have had something to do with it; that and he’s a pompous ass, he wasn’t invited, and I don’t trust him.”
I squeezed his hand in return, trying to quell my natural fear where the Burleys were concerned. “Does he know what we have planned?”
He smirked. “Not when he arrived, but he was very surprised to see the small contingent of soldiers camped next to the garden.”
I righted my teacup and poured myself some more tea after wiping up the spill. “Can he be trusted?”
Miles was looking out the window at the soldiers milling around their camp. “I seem to recall that the old laundry room was a very secure cell…well, except for Timber, he still likes it in there for some reason.”
“Timber the cat?!” We both chuckled and were lost in thought about the last time we had made a stand in this house and the different conditions we faced then.
He avoided my question by leaning over to kiss my hand, “Now, eat something, I don’t want you fainting at the alter which is being set up in the entry hall.”
I looked at him like he had lost his mind. “Why?”
He sighed lowering his head as he if trying not to laugh, “A journey to the church has been overruled. To accommodate all of our additional guests, we will have to open the drawing room doors and the entry hall was the only space left for the alter.” He looked back at me with a mischievous grin. “Remind me to add a ballroom or enlarge one of the barns before we hold another celebration here.”
I was fine with being married in the house and the entry hall was so beautiful and ancient that it would suit my gown perfectly. But I was curious why the original plan had changed. “Why are we not using the church?”
“That would be my cousin Derek’s doing, he says it’s in consideration of your father. But in fact, it was also sound judgement, we won’t be caught out in open spaces. He collected vicar last night to sleep here for his own safety. Surprisingly he was most amenable to the idea and is currently tucking into a good English breakfast under the watchful eye of Angel in the small breakfast room.”
“Miles, what are we doing? It seems like all we do is go from one fight to another. What if Stanhope is just another person being used?”
He stood up pulling me into his arms. “Then we keep fighting, Lissa.” He kissed me leaning me back against the table. We were lost in our own world until someone coughed. Looking up, Miles groaned. “Go away, William, and you too, Edward.”
Miles kept me pinned to him until William said, “Come now, cuz, are we not entitled to breakfast? This is where we were directed to find the morning repast.”
Suddenly the room behind us was full of noise as our other guests came in along with servants carrying additional platters of food to add the already burgeoning sideboards. I extricated myself from Miles and he proceeded to introduce me to the officers in Captain Bruce’s company. Then an impeccably dressed gentleman walked in; he looked familiar, but it wasn’t until he smiled that I recognized him. I gasped and clapped my hands, “Jibben!”
He leaned over me. “Shush, little one, it’s Stephen today, Stephen Locke.” He looked the perfect gentlemen, and most of the maids as well as many of the women of his own people followed him with their eyes, smiling with admiration as he passed, but it was useless, he ignored them all. “I’m afraid that once I’m married this spring my life will be that of a country gentleman living in seclusion surrounded by sheep. So, I need the practice.”
I rolled my eyes. “Really, Jibben… I mean, Stephen? I had it from a very good source that you’ve purchased a home in Mayfair, that hardly makes you a poor country gentleman.”
He gave me a cheeky grin. “I thought that anything you told a doctor was held in the strictest confidence. It was supposed to be a surprise.”
Dr Jefferson came up behind him and slapped him on the shoulder. “It’s only confidential if it concerns your health, my friend.”
The room filled quickly so Miles and I decided to remove ourselves. We found his cousins Douglas and Maurice in the hallway arguing with their father while their mother stood by with a hint of a smile on her face. I gave Miles a look of concern but he only chuckled. “It’s tradition, my dear. The day isn’t complete for a Bruce without an argument of some kind.”
“What could they possibly find to argue about so early?”
He tossed his head back and rolled his neck. “Just about anything. But with those two it’s usually about Maurice wanting to move to Italy to attend university and study art. My uncle and Douglas, however, want him to go to university in Scotland. They’re under the impression that you can’t get a decent education anywhere outside of Scotland, the only exception to that is Cambridge in deference to my aunt.”
I caught Lady Bruce’s eye as we made our way upstairs and shook my head, she smiled and with the look of the long suffering interjected to support her son’s choice of Italy. But before we had gone more than a few steps Robert and Murphy came crashing through the front door. Miles stopped, waiting for them to catch their breath, then they yelled in unison, “THEY’RE HERE!” Then Murphy crumpled at Miles’ feet. He had been shot and blood was pouring down the far side of his face.
Miles grabbed my shoulder. “Lissa, get Jefferson.” As I started to go after him Dr Jefferson came out of the breakfast room. “I’m here, Miles! We’re going to need to use the drawing room for our hospital.” Then he yelled, “MRS DAWSON!”
She came scurrying in, took one look at Murphy, “I know, I know, doctor. Angel and I’ll get it all set up, you just tend to Mr Murphy.” She looked up at me. “Will be you shooting, miss, or nursing today?”
Miles spun around and said, “Nursing! But she’ll be armed to protect you as well.” I smirked at him, he was trying to protect me without stealing my need to be involved, the clever man.
I nodded and raced upstairs to get my pistols. Father and Mother were standing in the doorway to their room, they both grimaced at the look on my face. “So it’s begun?”
“Yes, Papa, and Murphy’s been shot.” Mother gasped and grasped my father’s arm as I quickly added, “It only grazed his head, but he’s lost a lot of blood.” It was then that I noticed Lettie at the end of the hallway holding onto to James’ hand. She had gone white as a sheet and tears were forming in her eyes. I whispered, “Lettie…”
My mother walked up to her and took James’ hand. “Go to him.” Lettie started to rush forward but my father reached out to touch her arm, “Do you have a weapon, Lettie?” She nodded, patting her pocket. James was holding onto my mother’s skirts, so he tugged on them looking distressed when he said, “Murph okay, Mama?”
She stooped with a groan to look into his eyes, saying, “He will be, darling. Now why don’t you come with me and Papa into our room? We have to shoot at some bad men.”
It stunned me that she told him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. But she had never lied to me when I was growing up and never sugar-coated anything. James kissed her cheek. “I be good, Mama, and not get scared.”
I was so proud
of my baby brother. But my mother worried me, she looked ill, “Mama. Do you need anything?”
She sighed as she reached out to my father, taking his hand. Both of my parents looked ill, but my mother by far looked the worse. Father was the one to answer me, “We have all that we need, my sweet. Take care of yourself and Miles, he tends to be reckless.” Then he and Mother disappeared into their room, closing the door behind them. It struck me then that this could be the last time that I would ever see them again. It almost brought me to my knees, but I could hear my little brother saying in my head that Turners never give up.
I pulled myself together and found Meg with Beth in my room, they were setting out their crossbows with rows upon rows of bolts ready to be loaded as they fired. They both blanched when I told them about Murphy. Emilie’s maid Gwen came rattling through the door carrying three rifles with shot and powder, huffing and puffing as she dropped them next to where Beth and Meg had set up. “It is just like Paris, mon dieu!” She blew a tendril of hair back from her face glanced up at the three of us staring at her then she beamed, “We fight…oui?” We all nodded and gave a nervous chuckle.
As I collected my pistols and changed into more suitable clothing I told them that my parents were across the hall with James. I asked for them to keep an ear out for the three of them.
Meg was staring at the doorway while clutching at her chest, “Robert?”
“He’s fine, Meg, he brought Murphy home…he’s alright.” She took a deep breath and nodded before returning to help Gwen load the rifles.
Gwen smiled at her and winked, “Have you seen the Mr Bruces?”
Beth rubbed her eyebrow with one finger obviously trying to puzzle out what Gwen meant, “Which one?”
Gwen looked askance at the question. “All of them, of course! Mr Maurice, he is a romantic, Mr William is so…he makes me laugh, Mr Douglas will be a milord one day and Mr Derek I think he will not always be in the army, he has not the heart for it, he loves the land.”
I was puzzled. “How do you know that about Captain Bruce?”
“I listen and watch him, he talks with Lord Tinley and his father a lot, and to Mr Dawson too. I don’t think he will stay with the army for long.” She smiled shyly, and I felt a knot in my stomach. I wondered if I should I warn her or Derek? Granted she was a perfectly respectable school master’s daughter and had been raised as a gentlewoman. But I could see that Beth and Meg were astonished by her remarks, they had been born into the serving class, it only made sense that they would be surprised that she might set her sights so high. Gwen on the other hand had been forced into service for reasons of survival while Beth and Meg had risen above their parent’s station. I decided to leave it, if we made it through today who knew what might be possible.
As I stood there contemplating a future that was by no means assured, a volley of gunfire could be heard coming from the vicinity of the stables and barns. I gathered my things and raced down to the drawing room. The windows were shuttered and bolted tight. The centre of the room had been cleared and feather beds now occupied the floor while the furniture was being used to barricade the many windows. Lettie sat with Murphy who was still unconscious, and Dr Jefferson had his instruments out of his bag placing them into a cauldron of boiling water on the hearth, nearby there was a stack of towels, linen and lint that Mrs Cripps was organizing for him. While Mrs Dawson and Angel were bustling about bringing in jugs and buckets of fresh water and bottles of brandy. As she passed me Mrs Dawson muttered, “Bless the person that thought of having a well inside the house, it must have been a woman.” I smiled and agreed. I looked back out into the hallway, but Miles was nowhere to be seen. I went in search of him and made my way into the library where I found Lord Burley trussed up like a Christmas goose and lashed to a chair. I grinned at him. “I assume that they decided not to trust you after all, milord.”
He grimaced at my remark. “It would seem so, Miss Turner. But may I say that I do owe you an apology for how abominably I treated you at your parents’ home. I was very confused about things that my father had told me about my brothers and it went contrary to what I thought I knew myself.”
I crossed my arms and glared at him. “Really, Lord Burley? I assume it was all just a mistake and you didn’t order the attempted murder of my father?”
He looked like a beaten man until I mentioned my father then his head snapped up and he looked up at me astounded. “Never! I’ve known Colin since our days at Cambridge, he and your uncle were much admired upperclassmen when I was there.”
I wasn’t about to believe a word that came out of his mouth. “Jealous, were you?”
“No, on the contrary I was very grateful for your father on more than one occasion. I was not popular with my fellow students being rather bookish and I was ripe pickings for hazing, but your father would not have it. He was my saviour on several occasions, he even taught me how to fight for myself.” He tried to move but flinched, his bonds must have been very tight. “Your father is a very patient man, unlike your fiancé who tends to let his emotions rule him especially where you are concerned. Yet for some unfathomable reason your father and Sir Thomas think highly of him.”
I was angry and unsure that I could believe anything he said, so rather than speak my mind and say something that I might regret later I turned and left the room without another word or backward glance. I reached for Dalton as he walked past me coming from the kitchens. “Where is Lord Tinley?”
He sighed looking down at his feet then back over his shoulder. “He’s with Captain Bruce, Mr Locke and some of the soldiers and gypsies.”
I was losing patience. “And where might that be, Dalton!”
“The stables, miss.” My heart plummeted into my boots and I had a tough time breathing. I started to walk towards the back hall and kitchen when he called out to me, “Miss, you promised him that you would guard the wounded, he told everyone to keep you out of the yard.” I pulled up short as he reached out for me then pulled back before touching me. “You can’t, miss! If he sees you there, you’ll distract him, and he’ll get hurt for sure.”
That stopped me dead in my tracks; he was right, Miles could get hurt because of me. I needed to focus and do what I promised. I about-faced and headed back into the drawing room. As I entered I noticed that three more people had been added to the wounded. Lettie and Angel seemed to have it under control and Matthew was involved in digging a piece of shot out of the shoulder of a private from Captain Bruce’s command, so I went to check the windows. All of them seemed to be sound until I came to the one nearest to Matthew. As I examined it I saw the barrel of a rifle aimed at a chink in the shutter. I jumped back and yelled at the doctor as it discharged. The shutter shattered, and I felt a piece graze my arm. I stepped forward and fired out the window into the smoke beyond and with some satisfaction I heard a grunt and hoped that I had at least wounded the bastard. Then I called for help to move a hutch to block the aperture created by the shot. After pushing it into place with the aid of young corporal I turned to find the doctor sprawled on his side with a piece of the shutter embedded in his right arm. While not life-threatening it would seriously impede his ability to help the wounded. I panicked until I saw that Maurice come into the room and rush to the doctor’s side, immediately assessing the damage and calling for Mrs Dawson’s assistance. I approached him. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
He never turned away from Matthew who was trying to direct him as to what should be done. “Aye, miss, you canna live in the Highlands six months out of the year and not have a fair understanding of surgery and physic. My mother I dare say is the equal of most university educated physicians and she made sure the lot of us at least knew the basics.”
“Where is your mother, perhaps she could help?”
He chuckled. “Oh, she’ll be along at some time, but she and my father were off to the stables before all hell broke loose.” My heart was in my throat. “But, Maurice…”
“I’m
aware, Miss Turner, that it started in the stables, but it wouldn’t surprise me one wee bit if it was one them had fired the first shot. If I know them, they’re in the loft shooting down at any sneaks trying to work their way in behind us. They’ll be fine, miss, don’t you worry.”
The shooting, yelling and screaming continued for some time. Maurice was right, his mother and father did appear once the stables had been secured and they both stepped in immediately to aid the wounded which surprisingly only amounted to about ten and most of them were Captain Bruce’s men. Mrs Cripps and Mrs Dawson started passing out soup and bread to the wounded and those in the various rooms about the house that had been sent in to rest for a bit. I decided to take something to Lord Burley but when I entered, I found him lying on his side on the floor. “Good God, are you hurt?!”
He chuckled. “Not for lack of trying, but no, I’m fine. Someone tried to gain entry by shooting out the window and shutters. Your father’s young valet came in and took care of the bastard then pushed that bookcase in front of the casement. He decided it might be better for my health if I was lying on the floor rather than sitting up since being upright made me an easy target. I agreed with him, but he declined to release me and only pushed me out of the chair then left. Is that food I smell?” I righted the chair in which he had been seated and with the assistance of a passing maid got him back into an upright position leaning back against the chair. I was at first inclined to unbind his wrists but with the thought of the bruises he had left on my arm still fresh in my mind, I thought better of it. I dipped the bread into the soup and offered it to him. He thanked me and could reach up just enough with his hands to consume the bread as I continued to dunk pieces of it and hand it to him. “I suppose using a spoon might be dangerous?”
“Yes, I think it would be in my case, I still might want to hurt you, Lord Burley.”