by Dilly Court
‘No, it is not. You must see this through with me, and Sadie is my maid, so naturally she will remain with me.’ Lady Alice narrowed her eyes, gazing speculatively at Essie. ‘I will make it worth your while, but only if you promise not to leave me in the lurch.’
Essie thought quickly. She did not relish the thought of travelling home on her own, and it was not every day that a girl from Limehouse was given the opportunity to see a bit of the world. ‘All right,’ she said slowly. ‘But I need to send a message to my father, letting him know that I am safe.’
‘I’m sure Raven could organise that. Do I have your word that you won’t abandon me?’
‘I promise to stay with you until we return home.’
Lady Alice uttered a sigh of relief. ‘Thank you. Now, please, do as I asked and fetch me something to eat or I might faint from lack of nourishment.’
Essie collected Sadie on her way downstairs and they found Raven and Falco seated at one of the large pine tables, which was spread with a selection of foreign-looking cheeses, sliced sausage, bowls of glistening black olives and crusty loaves. Green and black grapes spilled over the side of a terracotta platter, which was filled with oranges, lemons and purple figs.
‘Come and join us,’ Raven said, raising a glass of red wine to them. ‘Where is my cousin?’
‘Lady Alice would like to eat in her room,’ Essie said tactfully. She turned to Captain Falco. ‘Maybe you could ask the maid to take her something?’
‘Why won’t she leave her room? She was not so shy on board my ship.’
Essie could see that he already knew the answer and was enjoying Lady Alice’s dilemma. Perhaps he had deliberately chosen the ugly gown, although Essie could not think why he would want to humiliate Lady Alice. ‘I think you know why, Captain.’
He rose to his feet. ‘We can’t have the beautiful lady eating on her own. Leave it to me.’
‘Can’t you do something?’ Essie demanded, glaring at Raven, who was refilling his glass from a carafe.
‘Alice can look after herself. It’s time she met someone who could get the better of her in an argument. Sit down, both of you, and eat. The food is very good indeed.’
Sadie had been eyeing the food hungrily and she threw herself down on the bench, making a grab for a chunk of sausage and a slice of bread. Essie hesitated, wondering if she ought to go to Lady Alice’s aid, but she decided against it and took a seat beside Sadie.
Minutes later Falco reappeared, rubbing the side of his face. ‘That lady is a wild cat.’
‘I warned you,’ Raven said smugly. ‘You’re lucky to have escaped with a slapped face. Alice has claws and she’s not afraid to use them when she’s really angry.’
Falco resumed his place at table. ‘I’ve sent Filomena upstairs with a tray of food. Perhaps her ladyship will be in a better humour when she’s had something to eat.’
Raven shook his head. ‘You’ll learn, my friend.’
‘I am ready to take on the challenge. There isn’t a woman alive who can resist Enrico Falco when he sets out to charm.’
Essie gave him a withering glance. ‘You think a lot of yourself, Captain. Maybe you’ve met your match.’
He shrugged, smiled and raised his glass to her. ‘We will find out on our way to the monastery. I am to be your guide.’
‘We’re going to a monastery?’ Essie looked to Raven for confirmation.
‘My purpose for coming here was to see Freddie. I want to make certain that he’s being treated well and that he has everything he needs.’ Raven downed the last of his drink and stood up. ‘I’m going to have a word with Alice. We’ll be leaving early in the morning, but she can remain here if she doesn’t feel like travelling on.’
‘What happens then?’ Essie asked anxiously. ‘Will we return to England?’
‘That’s a decision my cousin has to make.’ Raven headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Essie turned to Falco. ‘What does he mean by that?’
‘Don’t ask me, I am merely the captain of the ship. Raven hired my vessel to take him to London and back to Australia, with a stop here in my native Puglia.’
Essie stared at him nonplussed. ‘But Lady Alice lives in England. We have to return home.’
‘That is for Lady Alice to decide.’
Essie leaned across the table. ‘Are you telling me that we will be taken to Australia, whether we like it or not?’
Captain Falco shrugged, holding his hands palms facing upwards. ‘Who knows?’
Chapter Seven
The journey along the coast to the monastery was undertaken on sure-footed donkeys with Falco at the head of the small procession, followed by Raven and Lady Alice, who was still in a sulk and refusing to speak to anyone. Her argument with Raven had resounded throughout the inn. Essie had been able to make out the odd word, but it was obvious that her ladyship was not happy.
‘What’s happening?’ Sadie asked, drawing her donkey alongside Essie’s as the path widened. ‘Why is everyone so cross?’
‘It’s probably the heat,’ Essie said vaguely.
‘But the captain said he was taking us to Australia. It’s on the other side of the world, where convicts go. That can’t be right.’
‘Yes, he did, but Lady Alice wants to return to London, and I’m sure she’ll make alternative arrangements for us as well as for herself.’
‘I want to go home,’ Sadie whispered. ‘It’s too hot here and I don’t like the food. I miss London.’
‘I suppose I do, too. Although it is beautiful here and the sea is such a wonderful colour, and the air is fresh and clean, but London is home.’
‘Stop chatting and keep up, or you’ll get left behind.’ Raven turned in the saddle, beckoning to them. ‘That goes for you, too, Alice. And you can take that look off your face. We’re not school children now, and you can’t expect to have everything your way.’
Lady Alice responded by urging her sturdy little animal to a trot so that she passed Raven and was second in line to Falco. She glanced over her shoulder. ‘The same to you, Raven. If you think you can ride roughshod over me, you’re very much mistaken.’
Essie and Sadie exchanged knowing looks and encouraged their donkeys to walk on a little faster.
It was midday and the sun blazed down from a clear sky that was so blue it hurt Essie’s eyes to look into its azure depths. There was not a cloud in sight and silence was broken only by the sound of the donkeys’ hoofs on the hard-baked ground, and the gentle swish of the waves on the shore. The tussocky grass was burned brown in places, but clumps of pink and white rockrose and blue bellflowers had managed to survive, adding welcome bursts of colour to the sun-bleached landscape. It was hard going on the rough terrain, even riding animals that were used to such conditions, but the sight of the monastery perched high on the cliff top, gleaming golden white in the sunshine, was more than welcome. The donkeys seemed to realise that rest and shade were near and they raised their heads and quickened their pace.
As they drew nearer Essie was confused to see that half the building appeared to have collapsed into the sea, but a plume of white smoke rose high into the sky, confirming that what remained of the monastery was inhabited. An olive grove straddled the hillside and trees studded with bright yellow lemons softened the harshness of the landscape. As they neared the high stone walls there were goats tethered by the roadside, munching on anything within their reach, and hens scratched in the reddish brown soil of the open courtyard.
Falco reached up to tug at a rope and the metallic peal of a large bell rang out as if announcing the angelus. A monk came towards them, walking at a leisurely pace, and exchanged words with Falco. He motioned them to follow him and they were ushered into the cool and echoing silence of a cloister, which surrounded a quadrangle spilling over with greenery. Grapevines clambered up the stonework and in the centre a large fig tree was laden with purple fruit, but even more surprising was the fact that one section of the cloister had been dem
olished, leaving the building open to the elements. Beyond its fractured walls Essie could see the cliff top and a wide expanse of the Adriatic Sea.
‘Barbary pirates,’ Falco said as if reading her thoughts. ‘They raided and sacked all along the Mediterranean coast and beyond, capturing vast numbers of people and selling them as slaves. The monks resisted and the pirates subjected the monastery to an intense cannonade before they moved on to a more profitable area.’
Raven studied the ruins, shaking his head. ‘They could have rebuilt, or at least made an attempt.’
‘It’s a poor order,’ Falco said grimly. ‘They live a simple life devoted to prayer.’
‘You sound as if you envy them.’ Lady Alice eyed him curiously. ‘What a strange man you are, Captain.’
He bowed from the waist. ‘I am not a barbarian, whatever you might think, Lady Alice.’ He turned to the monk, speaking in rapid Italian. ‘I’ve just asked Brother Ignacio if we might see Frederick, but apparently he is still unwell.’
‘I want to see him right away,’ Raven said impatiently. ‘Maybe you ought to stay here, Alice.’
She gave him a withering look. ‘If you think I’ve travelled all this way on a dirty little screw steamer without the benefit of a change of clothes, only to be told I cannot see Freddie, then you have another think coming, Lord Starcross.’
Essie stared at him open-mouthed. She had not given a thought as to whether Raven was his first or last name, but hearing him addressed in such a manner made him seem like a different person. He gave her a sideways glance and a wry smile curved his lips.
‘Forget the title, Essie. It carries no weight in the Antipodes. Muscle and tenacity are all that is called for in the goldfields of Victoria.’
‘Utter nonsense,’ Lady Alice snapped. ‘Don’t believe anything my cousin says, Esther. He likes to hide the fact that he inherited an earldom and a large country estate.’
‘Add convicted criminal to my names and there you have it,’ Raven said sharply. ‘Now stop all this, Alice. The reason we’re here is to see Freddie. Lead on, Brother Ignacio.’
Brother Ignacio looked to Falco, who nodded, adding a few words in Italian, and the monk led them along the cloister to a doorway that opened onto a narrow spiral staircase. He said something to Falco as they came to a sudden halt.
‘Brother Ignacio and I will remain here while you go and see your cousin. There is not much room for all of us, according to the holy man.’
The tower, complete with arrow slits, seemed to have been built many centuries earlier as a defence against marauders from the sea, and it had survived against the odds. It was dark and the stone stairs were worn by the passage of time and constant use. Small white moths flitted about their heads and Sadie’s cries of distress bounced back off the limestone walls in a wailing chorus. Eventually, just when she thought her knees were going to give way beneath her, Essie arrived at the top, finding herself in a circular room with tall, unglazed windows on all sides. It was bright and breezy with views of the surrounding countryside as well as an uninterrupted view of the coast and a vast expanse of sea.
Raven and Lady Alice went to the bed where a young man lay propped up on pillows. Essie stood back, holding Sadie’s hand. She could feel her trembling and whether from fear or exhaustion it made little difference, and she gave her an encouraging smile.
‘You see,’ she whispered. ‘That must be Raven’s brother, Freddie. He looks a bit poorly.’
‘How are you, old chap?’ Raven went down on his knees at his brother’s bedside. ‘What’s laid you so low?’
Lady Alice perched on the edge of the bed. ‘How would he know?’ she demanded angrily. ‘Have you seen a physician, Freddie?’
‘Still arguing? Now I know I’m on my way home.’ Freddie smiled feebly.
‘I’m afraid not,’ Raven said softly. ‘Not yet anyway, Freddie. I’ve got my solicitor working on the case. He’s going to appeal against both our sentences, although I don’t hold out much hope.’
Freddie turned his head away. ‘Then why have you come here?’
‘You sent word that you were ill and needed funds,’ Alice said impatiently. ‘Good heavens, Freddie. Have you any idea what you’ve put us all through? Raven risked his neck to return to London in an attempt to clear your name as well as his own. It wasn’t my intention to come all this way, but I didn’t have much choice in the matter.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Freddie’s thin fingers plucked at the faded coverlet. ‘I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I’ve been sick with fever.’
Essie released Sadie’s hand and moved closer to the bed. She had seen many cases of typhoid, dysentery and cholera in Limehouse and she had treated her father for countless attacks of the ague. ‘You’re obviously over the worst,’ she said boldly.
He gave her a curious look. ‘Who the devil are you? And who’s the child standing by the door? She looks scared stiff.’
Essie kneeled down at his bedside. ‘My name is Essie and my friend is called Sadie. We were in the boat with Lady Alice when it sank, and we had to climb on board Captain Falco’s ship.’
‘And we might all have drowned,’ Sadie added. ‘But we ended up here.’
Freddie’s blue eyes, so like those of his brother, lit up with amusement. ‘I’d like to hear the story.’
‘And so you shall, but not at this moment.’ Raven patted his brother’s hand. ‘We’ve brought funds so the brothers will have plenty of money to buy food and anything you need.’ He rose to his feet. ‘We will stay here tonight. I’ve spoken to Brother Ignacio and arranged it, but we will have to leave tomorrow morning.’
‘No, don’t go so soon. You’ve only just come,’ Freddie protested weakly. ‘You can’t abandon me again, Raven. I’ll die if I have to stay here any longer.’
‘Don’t be silly, Freddie.’ Lady Alice took his hand in hers and stroked it gently. ‘You can’t return to England unless you get a full pardon, and that’s going to take time. I thought you were happy here. Surely there’s everything you could possibly want. You’re free to take your paints and go into the countryside, and live a quiet life away from temptation.’
‘That’s just it, Alice. I’ve been in Italy since I was twenty, and that’s five long years ago. It was all right until I ran out of money, and that was why I came to the monastery. They took me in and let me stay here for next to nothing. I helped them till the land and I picked fruit and made myself useful, but I missed life in the town.’
‘Surely you could visit Brindisi occasionally?’ Raven said, frowning. ‘The monks must go into the town, if only to purchase absolute necessities.’
‘I made a few mistakes when I was living in my studio. I was popular amongst the locals while I had money to buy drinks, and I painted portraits of their wives and children. I even painted a parrot once, for a retired sea captain.’
‘Would your mistakes have anything to do with young Italian women?’ Lady Alice said bluntly. ‘I know you of old, Freddie. You always had an eye for the girls.’
A faint smile lit his eyes. ‘There were a few, Alice. Such dark-haired beauties as you can only imagine, and they were eager to please me. They all wanted their likenesses saved for posterity, but then their fathers began making their presence felt. I had to leave town in a hurry, and that’s when the monks found me, collapsed on the cliff top a mile or so from here.’
‘You are a magnet for trouble, Freddie,’ Raven said, laughing. ‘How long have you been living in the monastery?’
‘A year or two, I think. Nothing much happens and I’ve lost count of time. Everything is ruled by that damned bell. They get up in the middle of the night for prayers and it goes on all day and well into the evening. Sometimes I think they want me to join their order, but the life of a monk is not for me.’
Essie had been listening intently, but cramp and sore knees forced her to stand. She gazed down at the pale, handsome young man whose long dark hair curled around his head and shoulders in a way that would ma
ke any woman jealous. ‘It seems to me you got your comeuppance,’ she said unsympathetically. ‘You led those girls on, so it serves you right.’
‘Enough of the moralising, Esther.’ Lady Alice leaned over to kiss Freddie’s cheek. ‘I dare say she’s right, but it’s hardly helpful in the circumstances. We’ll have to decide what’s best for you, cousin. I’m not even sure how I’m going to get home.’
‘We’ll sort that out, Alice,’ Raven said firmly. ‘But you haven’t much choice, Freddie, old chap. You can’t return to England yet, and it seems that you’ve burned your boats as far as the townsfolk are concerned. I can give you money, but knowing you it will soon be gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.’
‘Think of something, Raven,’ Freddie pleaded. ‘I will die if I have to remain here. There’s no doubt about that.’
Lady Alice eased herself to a standing position. ‘That bed is very uncomfortable. The monks obviously believe that suffering is good for the soul. Anyway, I’m starving so I’ll go downstairs and ask Falco to arrange food for us.’
‘Falco?’ Freddie asked dazedly. ‘Who is he?’
‘He’s the captain of the ship I chartered in Geelong to take me back to England, and he brought us here. Falco takes work wherever he can find it, and as long as I can pay he’ll do anything I ask, within reason.’ Raven turned to Essie and Sadie, who was still hovering by the door. ‘You girls had better go downstairs first. I’ll follow.’
‘I’d like to stay and talk to your brother, if you don’t mind,’ Essie said boldly. ‘I might be able to make a concoction of herbs that will help him, but I need to ask him more questions.’
‘Good God! Are you a witch, Esther Chapman?’
‘No, sir, but in Limehouse people can’t afford to send for a doctor every time they have bellyache or the squits. I can’t pretend to cure cholera or typhoid but I can help relieve the symptoms and maybe speed a patient’s recovery. The rest is in the hands of the Almighty, but I’d say that your brother is on the mend.’
‘Well, well.’ Raven stared at her as if seeing her properly for the first time. ‘You are a young woman full of surprises. All right, I’ll have some food sent up for you and Freddie.’ He turned to his brother, smiling. ‘You seem to have a volunteer nurse, so I’ll leave her to it. Be nice to her, Freddie. She’s been a great help to me in London.’