The Gallows Bride

by Rebecca King

  “Don’t you dare,” Harriett snapped, grabbing hold of the back of his cloak with more force than was necessary. “I will water my plants.” She glared at him as she stalked past, her small pert nose high in the air.

  As she passed him, Hugo caught a whiff of roses and something alluringly unusual. Despite her fairly dainty stature, her glare was fierce as she silently challenged him to stop her as she swept past. The fact that she had to tip her head back to sniff haughtily at him was not lost on him.

  The tip of her head barely reached his shoulder, so she would have to stand on tiptoe when they kissed. He abruptly snapped off that thought and shook his head, more disturbed than he cared to admit. He didn’t object when Edward brushed past him to keep a careful watch on her while she tended to her beloved plants.

  “What about Harrold?” Harriett asked moments later, when Hugo tried to usher them out of the house.

  “Leave him here,” Hugo snorted, rubbing his chest absently.

  “I will not leave my cat to fend for himself!” Harriett snapped, her eyes burning orbs of temper as she glared at him in outrage.

  “Do you have a box or something for him?” Edward asked, wondering if they could squeeze the huge beast into the small box the papers had been kept in.

  “Harrold doesn’t like tight spaces,” Harriett replied.

  “That rules out a grave then,” Hugo growled, ignoring her glare of contempt. Right now he didn’t care if she put a hex on him; he had to get her to leave the cottage.

  “We’ll have to carry him,” Eliza suggested, looking at the group for a volunteer.

  That was enough for Hugo, who snorted rudely and stomped out, slamming the door behind him.

  Peter chuckled and watched him go, then turned to look questioningly at Edward who shook his head, his hands held out defensively as he backed toward the door.

  “Not in this lifetime,” Edward snapped, shooting Harriett an apologetic glance. “I know he is your pet, but he’s feral and that makes him dangerous.”

  Harriett couldn’t really blame him for not wanting to get acquainted with Harrold; he hadn’t really shown himself in a good light, after all. But he was still Harriett’s pet and only companion, and she simply couldn’t leave him behind.

  “Can we go now?” Hugo snapped, having shoved his head back through the door to glare at everyone. “We will be arrested if we don’t get going.”

  Peter rolled his eyes and shook his head ruefully at Jemima. “The things I do for you,” he grumbled, moving to the front of the cottage to the small bedroom in which he had deposited the cat earlier. The feral beast sat waiting patiently as Peter walked across the room. He didn’t give the cat the opportunity to move before swinging him into his arms and marching back through the cottage.

  “Let’s go,” he ordered the ladies, sweeping past a started-looking Edward with an arrogant look.

  “What the -?” Hugo’s brows shot skyward as he caught sight of the black bundle sitting calmly in Peter’s arms. “How?”

  “You will never know,” Peter announced smugly, holding out the cat for Hugo to take, only for the other man to back away warily.

  “I’m busy,” Hugo argued, moving to the front of the group and pausing long enough to study the landscape carefully from the protection of the cottage walls. After a few moments he signalled to Edward, who was walking alongside the ladies as they slowly made their way along the short road leading away from the cottage.

  As they left, Harriett seemed to have lost all her anger, and had withdrawn into a worried silence.

  “Are you all right Peter?” she asked, staring in surprise at Harrold, who was now purring contentedly in his arms. “I didn’t even know he could purr,” she muttered eyeing her one-time protector balefully, and Peter with a wary respect.

  Jemima watched him absently stroke the thick fur at the back of the cat’s neck as he strode along, and wondered at the depth of his capacity to care for others. He had given everything for her: risked his reputation, his life, his fortune to keep his promises and protect her from harm, asking for very little in return other than her trust. Despite his reluctance to go to Padstow, he had nevertheless gone along with the plans and accompanied her without protest, enduring fights, a carriage accident, fear and worry along the way in order to protect her.

  Now, he had even managed to tame a feral beast in an attempt to ease the worries of a woman he didn’t even know, purely because she was Jemima’s friend.

  She loved him more than ever and felt certain that her future lay with him, wherever he chose to live. If she was honest, although it was wonderful to be back in her home town again, she longed for the easy-going close-knit village of her youth. The Padstow it had become was foreign to her, and she would be glad to leave it behind.

  She wondered if Eliza felt the same way, and watched her sister as she walked alongside Edward. To look at her, so relaxed and carefree, she could be out for a Sunday afternoon stroll rather than outrunning a skirmish between smugglers and Redcoats.

  It was as though Harriett had read her mind.

  “Do you think we will ever have the old Padstow back?” Harriett paused, and looked back for a moment to study the village she had once considered home.

  “I think it will take a while to heal, for locals to resume their lives, and people who have been forced out to understand that it is perfectly safe to return, but I am sure that their own love for the village will make them come back at some point,” Jemima replied gently. If she was honest, she wasn’t sure that the Padstow they had grown up in wasn’t already gone for good.

  “I think smuggling has had its day,” Edward added from beside them. “After today, I think the memories of what could befall them will stop even the most determined fisherman from smuggling anything.”

  “This way.” Hugo paused beside a gap in the hedgerow and waved everyone through into the field beyond.

  “Wait!” Peter whispered suddenly, frowning as he studied the hedgerow surrounding the field. Every hair on his body stood on end, his senses screaming that something was amiss. Harrold began to squirm in his arms, his hackles rising as he glanced toward the same corner of the field in which Peter had detected movement.

  “What is it, boy? Do you sense it too?” Peter murmured, rubbing the cat’s ears.

  Although everything looked still and quiet, he had the distinct feeling they were being watched, and he was clearly not alone. Harrold’s steady yellow gaze was locked firmly on the hedgerow only a few feet away.

  Hugo moved to stand by him, sensing Peter’s concern. He knew that Peter had a very long service history, having earned many medals for bravery during his time in the army, and that was enough for Hugo. If Peter decided something was amiss, they all needed to pay attention.

  “We’re being watched,” Peter muttered directly into Hugo’s ear before turning and gently placing Harrold in Harriett’s arms.

  “Stay with the ladies,” Hugo ordered Edward, not waiting for his agreement before Peter scurried off in one direction and Hugo the other. They circled the field, disappearing through the thicket as silently as the gentle breeze that teased them.

  Tension and fear hovered over the group as they waited, cowering against the meagre protection of the bushes.

  Jemima sighed with relief when Peter eventually reappeared through the thicket a few feet ahead of them, a frown on his face. Hugo joined them from the opposite direction.

  “We are being followed,” Hugo whispered softly. “He isn’t one of Scraggan’s men as far as I am aware, but we have got to get moving.”

  “Who is he?” Jemima asked, shooting Peter a worried frown. Immediately her thoughts turned to the wheel on the cart that had nearly killed them.

  Peter knew what she was thinking and hastened to offer her some reassurance, even if he wasn’t entirely convinced himself.

  “We don’t know at the moment, it could just be someone being nosy. But we can’t take risks. The sooner we are through the line of R
edcoats the better.” Hugo shook his head, wishing he had more men. He motioned for everyone to start moving, quietly moving to walk beside Harriett, while Peter moved to Jemima’s side and Edward walked with his arm around Eliza.

  They were tense as they stumbled through field after field before eventually breaking out onto a coastal path. Although clearly visible, they couldn’t see Padstow anymore and felt relatively safe that, as long as they stuck to the path they could see all around them, and notice anyone approaching before they actually got close enough to pose a threat.

  As they crested the brow of a small hill, Jemima gasped at the sight that met her eyes. Directly ahead lay a group of at least fifty Redcoats, fully armed and formed in a line that stretched as far as she could see. Jemima had never seen so many soldiers in her life, much less in such stunning display.

  “Oh lordy,” Harriett whispered, drawing to a halt and staring openly at them.

  “Wait here,” Hugo ordered, leaving them for a moment and approaching a man in an officer’s uniform. From their position on the path they couldn’t hear what was being said, but Jemima watched as the officer glanced across the fields toward Padstow before nodding.

  Then Hugo beckoned them to walk between two of the soldiers, who made no attempt to break ranks or even glance at them as they passed.

  Their unblinking stares as they stood to attention, accompanied by the huge guns they carried, scared Jemima, and she instinctively sought Peter’s comfort. Moving to him, she didn’t hesitate to clasp hold of his hand and sidle close to him as they walked past. Peter glanced down at her, sensing her disquiet, and immediately curled an arm around her waist as they walked. Once again, the shadows were in her eyes, and he hated it.

  As they passed him, Hugo studied the blatant fear in Harriett’s face. To him, the sight of the men was commendable. Despite their basic accommodation, each man was highly polished, each gun glistening with readiness. An air of expectancy hung over the men as they waited for the conflict for which they had trained so hard. To anyone who wasn’t used to such a sight, it was terrifying and overwhelming. Glancing sympathetically at Harriett, he slowed down to walk silently alongside her.

  They had gone only a few feet when a loud crack directly behind them made the ladies gasp in alarm. Harriett spun on her heel in fear, her round eyes staring in shock as she struggled to absorb what she was seeing.

  The soldiers had snapped to attention and, as one, positioned their weapons. Under the orders of the sergeant, they began to move forward.

  Their mission, it appeared, had begun.

  Harriett turned worried eyes to Hugo, who stood watching them silently for several moments.

  “Sorry they frightened you.” He offered her a gentle smile. “I didn’t think to forewarn anyone what they were going to do. Edward and Peter have been soldiers, so knew what to expect. I forgot you ladies wouldn’t be used to the ways of the army.”

  “It’s all right,” Harriett murmured, staring at the rapidly retreating backs of the Redcoats with something like fear in her eyes.

  “What is it?” Hugo asked with a frown. Something about her behaviour hinted that she wasn’t being entirely honest with them. Was there someone in the village she was worried about? Was her informant really a smuggler? “Worried about someone?”

  Harriett jolted suddenly, snapping out of her thoughts. Quickly shaking her head, she turned away from the forbidding sight of the soldiers with a shudder and followed the others along the path, aware that Hugo was still watching her and waiting for an answer.

  “I’m fine,” she whispered, refusing to meet his gaze for fear of revealing the truth.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Although they had continued to walk, Jemima couldn’t forget the forbidding line of soldiers moving toward the small fishing port of Padstow. It seemed that Harriett and Eliza were equally disturbed by the sight they had just witnessed.

  “Hugo,” Harriett hesitated to ask the man anything, but wanted answers before they moved too far away from her house. “When they sweep through the village, will they do any damage?”

  “They are under instructions to check every house thoroughly. Unfortunately, that will include your house, but the captain -” he glanced at Harriett, wondering if she knew he had been speaking to the captain a moment earlier, “the captain is under strict instructions to ensure that any damage caused by their forced entry into your house is repaired and the house secured before they leave it. He knows and understands he will be severely reprimanded if he doesn’t ensure it is done.” His voice left everyone without doubt that he meant every word.

  Jemima felt sorry for the captain, and hoped he succeeded in his mission.

  “Do you think they will catch the person who has been following us?” Jemima asked after several moments of silence.

  Hugo smiled at her. “Oh, most definitely. He will be rounded up and questioned along with everyone else.”

  “He?” Harriett’s voice was sharp as she stared at Hugo. Realising everyone was staring at her, she flicked Jemima a quick smile before turning toward Hugo. It took a lot of effort to appear relaxed and mildly curious about his answer. “What makes you think it is a man?”

  “Because no woman would be hiding in bushes,” Peter replied. Although he had nothing against Jemima’s friend, there was something about the woman that warned him that she wasn’t being totally honest with them.

  He wondered if Jemima had realised. One glance at the thoughtful look on her face assured him that Jemima was also suspicious.

  Mentally applauding her for not allowing her logic to be tainted by old friendships, Peter clasped her hand tightly in his and lengthened his stride, silently urging the group onward. He suddenly had a burning desire to get the trip over and done with before something went wrong.

  Clearly visible further around the coast, he could see the stark outline of the ruins of Tintagel castle. He wanted to hurry even more but, in deference to the ladies’ shorter stride, slowed his pace to walk more patiently alongside them.

  He could sense the tension in Hugo, and knew the man wanted to go back and join his men. He smothered a smirk as Hugo shot Harriett a dark glare that included Harrold, and sympathised with him. As a man who had lost his heart many months ago, he wanted to advise Hugo that he couldn’t outrun his emotions; they would catch up with him.

  “Look, we can carry on by ourselves. I assume you have arranged for some transportation for us in Tintagel?” Peter stopped walking and saw the brief flicker of relief Hugo tried to hide.

  “There is a carriage due to arrive around eleven o’clock. The driver is under instruction to take you directly to Willowbrook and only stop to change horses. Two Redcoats will be riding on the box seat to give you more protection.”

  He was interrupted by Harriett, who lifted a hand to interrupt.

  “What do you mean, not stop until we get to Willowbrook? I’m not going to Willowbrook,” she objected. “I’m going home.”

  “You have to come with us,” Peter argued gently, trying hard not to lose patience. He couldn’t believe the ease in which everything had happened. If he was inclined to be a suspicious man, he would be tempted to think that it had almost been too easy to get out of Padstow, literally under Scraggan’s nose, unchallenged.

  “I don’t have to go anywhere or do anything,” Harriett reminded him, her temper rising.

  “When he is arrested, Scraggan is going to be angry and looking for someone to blame Harriett. His men are going to be desperate to get away from that lot,” he nodded backward in the direction of the Redcoats. “Do you really want to be stuck in your home, alone, without protection, with a vengeful Scraggan, and a desperate gang of smugglers on the loose?”

  Harriett’s stomach churned at the thought of being at home alone, when the Redcoats came calling, but was torn by the need to be at home in case she was needed. But she realised that, even if she was at home, there was little she could do to help now. It was far too late for everyone concern
ed.

  “Where is Willowbrook anyway?” Harriett asked, carefully considering the options available to her.

  “Oxfordshire,” Eliza replied softly, watching in consternation as Harriett stared at her, nonplussed.

  “Nobody is going to be around to protect you if you stay in Padstow, Harriett,” Jemima stated boldly, knowing from the look in Harriett’s eye that she was still considering going back.

  “I’ll be in my home, where I want to be. Please believe me when I say that I don’t mean to cause anyone any offence; I just don’t want to leave Padstow and venture so far.” Although nobody said anything, Harriett felt their suspicion and felt she needed to explain her reluctance to leave Padstow behind. For the first time, she felt a distance between herself and Eliza and Jemima, and wondered if their friendship was as strong as she had once thought it was.

  Their lives had gone in opposite directions since the simpler days of their youth. The events that had happened to each of them had changed them all, turning them into the people who now stood on a windswept cliff top on the outskirts of Tintagel.

  Jemima glanced at Peter, stuck for a way to convince Harriett to come with them.

  “Thank you for taking the time to come and reassure me that you are indeed alive and well.” Harriett was torn. She had to protect her life in Padstow, but also felt driven to try to close the chasm that had opened up between her and her only friends. She moved forward to clasp her friends’ hands in hers. “It is wonderful to see you again, and I know you will go forward into the future with a heart full of love. You deserve nothing less.”

  “What about you, Harriett? What if Scraggan takes a chance and drops by to seek vengeance before he is arrested?” Jemima asked, staring down at their clasped hands. She felt the instinctive jerk of slender fingers in hers and knew she had struck home.

  “You need to come to Willowbrook, if only for a short while. Hugo and his men will clear the area, and rid Padstow of the lawlessness that has plagued it for the last several months. Give yourself a chance at future happiness, and come with us,” Eliza added, sensing Harriett’s hesitation.