The Gallows Bride

by Rebecca King

  As the silence had grown along with the tension, he had eventually confessed that he would be very glad when the next day was over. He had then drawn her into his arms, but despite their physical closeness, the distance between them could have been a hundred miles.

  She had woken just after dawn, so tired and listless she may as well not have bothered to go to bed. It didn’t surprise her to see Peter already up and dressed.

  She eyed the men warily and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, waiting as Hugo collected another high-backed chair from the window, and another rickety chair from beside the table.

  “Who are they for?” She had no sooner asked the question than there was a soft knock at the door. She turned around just as Edward poked his head around the door, a rueful look on his face as he stood back and waved Eliza in before him.

  “Eliza!” Jemima cried, delighted at the sight of her slightly dishevelled sister. They hugged for several long moments before Peter’s gentle cough forced her to release her hold.

  She reluctantly stood back to allow Peter to hug Eliza, before greeting Edward with a bear hug and a lot of back-slapping.

  “You made it!” The relief in his voice was palpable, and was proof that his worry wasn’t just for Jemima and Hugo, but for Edward and Eliza too. Jemima’s heart flipped at the strain he must feel carrying such a heavy burden, and she was consumed by guilt for dragging him into her problems once again.

  “All right, let’s settle down and I’ll bring everyone up to date now we are all here,” Hugo suggested, having greeted the new arrivals. He had placed the two trays of food the maids had recently delivered on a small wooden table, and suggested everyone eat while they talked.

  Outside, dark storm clouds were roiling threateningly and it had already started to grow dark. Jemima lit several candles, sighing with relief when the dark shadows were lifted by their gentle flicker. She was busy positioning the last candle and didn’t notice the slow shake of Peter’s head to stop Eliza’s query. The room was overly bright, given there was still some daylight outside, but clearly it was too dark for Jemima’s peace of mind.

  Hugo, having seen what she had been subjected to in the condemned cell, remained quiet. He could fully understand her need not to be in the dark again, and shared a sympathetic glance with Peter, his lips twisting in regret.

  Eliza frowned and studied her sister in concern for several minutes but wisely remained quiet. Although she was delighted that Jemima had clearly been eating properly, undoubtedly under Peter’s tender instruction, there was a tension in her. The shadows in her eyes matched the solemnity on her face as she returned to them and took a seat beside her on the bed. Eliza wanted some time alone to talk properly to her sister and learn how she had fared throughout the journey, alone with Peter.

  She sat back and watched the couple, a sense of unease settling over her at the distance between them, which they made little attempt to hide. With a sigh, she made a mental note to get her sister alone at the earliest opportunity to find out what was going on. Peter clearly adored her, so something had happened to create a rift. If the distress on Jemima’s face was anything to go by, she was as heartbroken as he was.

  Eliza watched as Hugo eased back in his chair, waiting for everyone to finish.

  “We need to go through what is going to happen tomorrow,” Hugo began when everyone was listening.

  Although he was still hesitant to tell them too many details about the activities of the Star Elite, he knew that if any of them had any chance of getting out of Padstow alive, then it was imperative they all understood just how much danger they would be in, and not only from Scraggan.

  “Jemima, Peter; we will leave here about two in the morning and walk to Padstow. On foot, we can keep to the fields and away from roads and prying eyes. We will be in Padstow in about an hour. Eliza -” he looked first at Edward, then Eliza, his gaze solemn, “you and Edward will need to leave about three o’clock in the morning, and will also walk, directly to Harriett Ponsonby’s. You should get there just after four o’clock. Dawn here is about four thirty to five o’clock, so you need to be at Harriett’s and out of sight before first light gives you away.”

  He turned almost stern eyes on Jemima. “You need to go back to your home and retrieve the papers from your father’s hiding place. Then you need to high tail it over to Harriett’s. Don’t take a direct route, and stay out of sight.”

  His eyes met and held Peter’s. “By the time you need to be in Padstow, the smuggler’s will still be moving their cargo up from the caves, unfortunately, so for God’s sake be careful. Although they don’t use the main roads, they are really close to Jemima’s house and if you look carefully you may be able to see their lights in the bay. Don’t, ever, light any candles. Nobody must know you are there.” His eyes turned almost feral as he stared at Jemima, then Peter. “If you are seen, by anyone, you must head toward Tintagel. Don’t come back here, and don’t under any circumstances try to meet up with Eliza.”

  “The same thing goes for you too, Eliza and Edward. If you are seen, then don’t go to Harriett’s: you also need to make your own way to Tintagel. Once in the village wait by the post master’s house. Keep out of sight until you see me and don’t approach until I signal.”

  “How will you signal?” Jemima interrupted, intrigued by the subterfuge of it all.

  Hugo shot her a mysterious smile. “You’ll know. Until you see me signal, don’t show yourself, just in case I am being followed.”

  “Why do we need to go to Tintagel?” Eliza asked. The Cornish coast was littered with small villages. She was curious to know why Tintagel was so important.

  Hugo hesitated and took a deep breath. What he was about to do next went against every instinct he had, and everything he had been taught. The lives of the men deep undercover depended upon secrecy. By telling anyone, they were jeopardising men who had sworn to protect their country. But he also knew that if the four people before him were going to stick to his plans, he had to tell them everything.

  “There is a large battalion of Redcoats camped at Bodmin as we speak. They will be making their way over to Padstow as soon as it grows dark and will be forming a tight line around Padstow ready to sweep in at first light, when the smugglers will be looking to go to bed after their night’s work. We know where most of them have stashed their goods, and can use that to arrest them for their crimes.”

  Jemima shot a look at Eliza, unable to keep the shock from her face.

  “What is it?” Hugo’s frown was suspicious as he stared at the two women.

  “I just don’t like the idea of the villagers being convicted. I mean, I know they have been committing crimes, but they were doing so to provide for their families. We have known these people for a long time and most of them are just hard-working, simple folk who are out to make a living. Most of them have been conscripted into Scraggan’s gangs,” Jemima frowned at Hugo, knowing the necessity of bringing Scraggan’s reign to an end, but hating the idea of anyone being confined in the same way that she had been in the condemned cell.

  “Most of them won’t be condemned, Jemima. That will be saved for the ones we know have committed murder, and forced innocent men to become involved by force.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “Believe me when I say that the Star Elite have done their job well. Only the men who are guilty of heinous crimes will face the severest punishments. Those who have been conscripted will have to face some sentence - they have been committing crimes, after all - but they won’t be hanged, and they will be allowed to return to their families afterward.”

  Jemima wasn’t mollified by his explanation. After all, she knew just how difficult it was for a family to survive even with a man in the house earning some money. Take that man out of the equation, and it was damned near impossible for a woman to raise her family alone.

  Sensing the doubt on her face, Hugo could do no more than offer her an apologetic smile and carry on regardless.

  “The Redcoats are
under orders to start to move into Padstow at five o’clock. They will search every house, and arrest the men we are after. We have arranged for two naval war ships to remain in the Camel Estuary in case anyone tries to make a run for it by sea.” He shot Jemima and Eliza a small smile of reassurance.

  “The line of men will work their way down to Padstow harbour, leaving no house unsearched, no cave untouched, no road unmanned. Nobody will be able to get in, or out, of Padstow until everyone, including Scraggan, is behind bars. When the men have been taken to Bodmin to await sentencing, the Redcoats will locate the hidden goods before doing a final sweep, picking up anyone who is hiding. Then, and only then, will they set up camp on the cliffs overlooking Padstow, where they will remain until they receive further instruction. Nobody will remain to fill Scraggan’s boots, believe me.”

  “The Redcoats will be a visual deterrent to anyone hiding, and anyone considering resuming smuggling once Scraggan is arrested,” Peter added, impressed with the planning and forethought that had gone into the operation. He felt vastly relieved that his and Dominic’s error would at last be corrected.

  “What about the Star Elite?” Eliza queried, enthralled by the complexity of the plans.

  Hugo smiled at her. “They will not break cover. They too will be arrested, but won’t go to Bodmin. They will be held back until the perpetrators are taken away, then they will return to London for debriefing before going on to their next job.”

  “Don’t they have time off to go home, or anything?” Eliza gasped, wondering at the inhumanity of such a life.

  Hugo shook his head. “We are at war, I am afraid, so we cannot rest. The men understood the requirements of the job when they signed up.”

  “So why do we have to go to Tintagel?” Peter asked, mentally recounting Hugo’s explanation for anything he had missed.

  “Because there is a group of about twelve men on that side of the line who have been told to look out for us and let us pass. We haven’t told all of the men, as we don’t want to risk anyone getting through the line, or news of your presence in the village getting back to Scraggan. The fewer people who know you are here, the better. We have to head toward Tintagel,” the look he gave each person individually was grave, “do you understand? Don’t go anywhere else.”

  Edward sighed and raised his brows. “Looks like Tintagel it is. I hope you ladies know where you are going, because I haven’t a clue.”

  “When you have passed, the line will close and that will be it: you cannot go back. Padstow will be sealed off. If you do go back, then you are likely to be arrested. It will be brutal, as we fully expect Scraggan’s closest men, even Scraggan himself, to put up a fight. If the officers are in any doubt, they are under instructions to arrest everyone. Several prisoners’ carts are scheduled to arrive mid-morning to begin taking the first of the prisoners away.”

  Jemima sat in shocked silence for several moments, feeling slightly sick. Although hearing Hugo explain the details was impressive, it hadn’t really sunk in that this was indeed real. Scraggan was going to be brought to justice.

  “Are you sure he is in Padstow?” She couldn’t hide the hint of fear in her voice.

  Hugo nodded slowly, hating to frighten her. “He’s there. I had word from Jamie when we arrived here. He was down at the pub this evening, making plans with his cronies for the night’s smuggling. Unfortunately, he doesn’t realise that the captain of the frigate that is due to drop anchor just after midnight, is a Navy officer, there to witness who removes the cargo. The French spy due to land has already been offloaded.”

  “Good heavens,” Eliza gasped, “you are certainly very thorough.” She shot her sister a look, not failing to miss her pale cheeks and the fear lurking in her eyes.

  “Don’t worry, Jemima, please believe me when I say that Scraggan is definitely going to meet justice.” The promise in Hugo’s voice rang out loud and clear.

  If only I could be so confident, Jemima thought dolefully. She was glad that Peter was sitting beside her, and reached out for his hand.

  Despite their distance, he didn’t hesitate to offer her reassurance, clasping her cold fingers warmly in his large hand. The physical contact immediately made her feel more secure, but could do little to chase away the nerves that loomed.

  “I will be so glad when this is over,” she whispered quietly.

  “It will be soon darling, not long to go now,” Peter murmured, sliding an arm around her.

  “All you two need to do, is keep the ladies together and get them into Padstow as quickly as possible,” Hugo’s matter-of-fact declaration made the task seem so simple. In reality, it was going to be anything but. “I’ll meet you at Harriett’s”

  “What do we do if Harriett won’t come?” Eliza asked, shooting Edward a searching glance.

  Edward snorted. “Don’t worry. Believe me, she is most definitely coming with us.”

  Peter fought a laugh, knowing that Edward would probably bundle the woman up, despite her screams, and throw her over his shoulder.

  Jemima glanced at Eliza, not convinced.

  “There is something you need to know about Harriett,” Eliza shifted uncomfortably.

  Silence settled over the men as they waited. Jemima shared a long look with Eliza and gently shrugged her shoulders.

  “She has someone else with her. Someone who is going to put up a fight.” Jemima chose her words carefully. She knew what she was about to say sounded ridiculous, but the threat was very real.

  Tension rose within the room. Jemima tried not to squirm under the men’s stares. She struggled to find the right words so the men wouldn’t dismiss her concerns, and was still searching for inspiration when Eliza said,

  “She has a cat; a wild thing with a fierce temper. He is akin to a guard dog, although slightly more aggressive. Well, a lot more aggressive.”

  “It’s a cat!” Edward scoffed, shaking his head at them.

  Jemima snorted. “Ignore us at your peril,” she warned, thinking of the huge fur ball with its penchant for ankles.

  “Harrold is more than just a cat,” Eliza warned, ignoring the smirks of masculine arrogance the men shared. “You’ll learn.”

  “Where will you be?” Jemima asked Hugo as she shared a cautionary look with her sister. They both knew that one of them needed to keep an eye out for the feral beast.

  “I’ve got to meet with the officers running the operation, and then will join you at Harriett’s and help escort you through the line. Once you are on your way to Tintagel, I’ve got to go back and make contact with the Star Elite. I am going to be there when Scraggan is arrested, and escort the man personally to the prisoners’ cart. Then I’ll catch up with you and escort you out of Cornwall,” Hugo explained. He’d gone over the plans so many times, he was positive they had covered all possibilities.

  There were so many things to do, so many places he needed to be, that even he wasn’t sure it was possible to do it all in one morning. He had to rely on Peter and Edward escorting the ladies to Tintagel as instructed, and Harriett going along without a fight.

  It should all go according to plan. As long as Scraggan understood he was outmanned, outmanoeuvred, and outclassed and gave up easily.

  Hugo fought a growing sense of unease. He would have preferred not to be involved in escorting Harriett out of Padstow, but had agreed that he would when he had asked Jemima to become involved back in Leicestershire. Given everything they had done to get this far, he could hardly fail to keep his side of the bargain now. He tried not to let his concerns show and rose stiffly to his feet.

  “You all need to get whatever rest you can because it is going to be a long night, and an even longer day tomorrow. Once out of Padstow, the journey will be tiring and, to be safe, you cannot really stop until we get to Willowbrook in Oxfordshire,” Hugo added, casting Jemima a worried frown.

  Although she looked considerably healthier than she had when she began the journey, she was still pale, and had not had time to rest si
nce the day of the executions. He wondered if she was up to the task ahead of her, but it was too late to turn back now. They were committed to going, and whatever lay in store for them, they had to stick to their ultimate goal.

  Jemima slept fitfully that night. She knew Peter didn’t sleep all that well either; his tossing and turning kept interrupting her fitful slumber until she eventually gave up and stared at the ceiling. Neither of them had undressed or climbed between the sheets. With only a couple of hours before they had to leave, it didn’t seem worth the effort. But as the time to go drew close, Jemima felt the gritty pull of tiredness begin to weigh down her eyelids.

  When Peter finally rolled over to look at her, she was wide awake and fighting the growing knot of nerves in her stomach.

  “We will get through this,” Peter whispered, trailing a fingertip down her nose.

  It was the first sign of affection he had shown her in two long days and Jemima revelled in the moment.

  “I have to admit that I’m scared,” she replied, eagerly sliding closer when he drew her into his arms.

  “That’s good,” Peter replied, staring absently at the wall as he played Hugo’s plans out in his mind.

  Over and over, he considered the day ahead, planning for every eventuality. Although Hugo hadn’t admitted it, when it came to getting Harriett Ponsonby out of her house, it was clearly up to them.

  Or rather, Jemima and Eliza were responsible for getting Harriett out of her house, and that bothered him. What if their friend had changed, and they didn’t know her as well as they thought they did? What if she absolutely refused to go with them? He knew that Eliza and Jemima wouldn’t want to leave without her. What then?

  He slowly became aware that Jemima had tipped her head back and was studying him closely.