‘Ah, that’s different – and good news indeed. Open the door for us, Tom, and you had better come in with us.’
‘Yes, Miss Langton.’ He slid in front of them and pushed the door open after knocking softly first.
The doctor and James were playing chess when they walked in. Beth shook her head. ‘I thought your patient was supposed to be resting?’
The doctor shrugged. ‘This was the only way I could keep him in bed. Good, you’ve brought us some food; we are very hungry.’
Tom edged forward, bobbing his head to the men. ‘I got a message for you, sir. Mr Edgemont said to tell you they’ve caught both the men.’
‘Thank the heavens for that!’ James sighed with relief and rested his head back on the pillows piled up behind him. ‘Has anyone else been hurt, Tom?’
‘A few bumps and bruises, sir, but nothing serious, Mr Greenway said.’ Tom was so excited he couldn’t stand still. ‘Mr Greenway said it was quite a scrap. Wish I’d seen it, but Cook wouldn’t let me go out there.’
‘And quite right, young man,’ James told him sternly. ‘Those men are dangerous, and they had guns.’
‘Yes, sir. Er ... we’re all sorry you was hurt, and hope you get better quick.’
‘Thank you, Tom. If you hear any more news, I want you to come straight up here and tell me. Will you do that?’
‘Yes, sir!’ The boy beamed with pleasure. ‘I can do that, sir.’
‘Good lad. Now you go and get something to eat. It smells wonderful.’
Thrilled to be included in these exciting events, Tom bobbed his head again and hurried out.
‘Now eat.’ Helen put her tray in front of James.
Beth put her tray on a small table which she pulled over to the doctor. ‘It looks as if we won’t be requiring your services again tonight, Doctor Gregson, thank heavens, but eat before you leave.’ She then walked over to have a look at James, noting how pale he was. ‘And you really must rest after you’ve finished your meal, James.’
He didn’t have time to reply because the door swung open and Alice came in, followed by her father and Alex. ‘My apologies for disturbing your patient, doctor, but these two insisted on seeing James. Just look at them!’
The girls gasped at the sight. They were filthy dirty; Alex had a cut lip and his grandfather had the beginnings of a black eye.
Doctor Gregson was immediately on his feet. ‘Let me have a look at you.’
‘We’re all right,’ the elderly man declared, grinning. ‘You finish your meal. I haven’t had so much fun for a long time. They put up quite a fight, James, but we were too much for them.’
‘So I can see,’ James said, his mouth twitching at the corners. ‘Where are they now?’
‘In the barn, tied up nice and tight. Dan is with them.’
‘Have you sent for the constabulary?’ Beth asked.
‘Not yet.’ Alex walked over to the bed, examined James’s tray and pinched a piece of pie. ‘Dan wants to talk to them first.’
The grandfather sniggered, helping himself to something from the doctor’s tray.
‘Leave that food alone! There’s plenty in the kitchen for you.’ Beth was watching the men with a frown on her face. They were all smiling at each other in a strange way, making her suspicious. ‘What do you mean Dan wants to talk to them first?’
‘He’s just going to ask them who hired them.’ The grandfather took something from his grandson’s tray this time. ‘Won’t take him long. Our Dan’s a very persuasive man.’
They were all laughing now. The doctor picked up his bag. ‘I think it’s time I left, Miss Langton. I’ll come by in the morning to check on my patient.’
‘Thank you for staying. I’ll see you out.’
Beth opened the door and turned her head to look at the others in the room. It was quite crowded, and they didn’t look as if they were going anywhere. ‘I assume you are all remaining here?’
‘We’ll entertain James for a while,’ Alex told her.
‘He’s supposed to be resting,’ Helen sighed. ‘But I’ll have food sent up to you.’
‘That would be welcome.’ Alex gave them one of his engaging smiles and winced when his cut lip hurt. ‘We are very hungry.’
‘So I have noticed,’ Beth said dryly. ‘James has hardly had anything to eat. You have eaten most of it, and I don’t believe you left much for Doctor Gregson, either.’
‘Would you like to eat downstairs before you leave?’ Helen asked the doctor. ‘Cook has prepared plenty for everyone.’
‘No, thank you, Miss Langton. I’ll be on my way now my services are no longer needed. Try not to let Lord Sharland’s family tire him too much.’
‘We’ll try, Doctor Gregson, but I doubt they will listen to us.’
‘Do what you can,’ the doctor said as they made their way downstairs. ‘The bullet wounds and loss of blood would have left most men unconscious for hours, but he’s a strong, determined man.’
‘Don’t you mean stubborn?’ Beth asked.
‘That too.’ The doctor laughed quietly. ‘Ah, splendid – my horse is ready and waiting for me. Thank you, young man.’
‘We couldn’t put him in the stables because of what’s going on, sir,’ Tom explained. ‘But I rubbed him down, and fed and watered him, so he’s been quite happy – and safe.’
‘You’ve done well.’ The doctor slipped a couple of coins to Tom, and then mounted and rode away.
Beth caught hold of the boy before he scampered away. ‘Have you heard what is going on in the barn, Tom?’
He shook his head. ‘We’ve all been told not to go there. Mr Edgemont’s with the men they caught. And they ain’t sent for the law yet.’
Beth and Helen gave each other worried looks but said nothing. Tom tugged at Beth’s sleeve, his fingers to his lips.
‘He’s a spy and trained in things like this – so Charlie says,’ the boy whispered. ‘Because he’s quiet-spoken and a real gent, people think he’s harmless – but he ain’t. Wouldn’t do to make an enemy of him, as I expect these men are finding out. Do you need me any more, Miss Langton?’
‘No, thank you, Tom; you can go now.’
‘Oh, dear,’ Beth said, shaking her head as the boy tore off, eager not to miss anything. ‘I do hope this is all the imaginings of young boys.’
‘I’m sure it is,’ Helen assured her. ‘They’ve been building up stories ever since they arrived. A mystery excites them.’
‘Of course you’re right.’ Beth linked her arm through Helen’s. ‘We had better see about the food. Then we really must change our gowns and have something to eat. I do declare I am feeling quite famished after all the excitement.’
An hour later, clean and with a substantial meal inside them, the girls were feeling drowsy in the warmth of the kitchen when Dan strolled in. They leapt to their feet, anxious for news.
‘Is everything all right? Did they tell you anything? Have you sent for the police?’
A slow smile spread across Dan’s face. ‘The answer to all your questions is yes, Elizabeth. They are being taken off to gaol at this very moment.’
‘Thank goodness for that!’ Beth studied him, trying to find any signs of injury, but nothing was visible. He looked tired and strained around the eyes but was otherwise his usual self.
‘You must be hungry.’
‘I am.’ Dan smiled at Cook. ‘Would you mind if I took my food upstairs? I have to talk to the others.’
‘That will be quite all right, sir.’ Mrs Howard smiled back. ‘They are all up there, so I’ll send up trays with enough food for all of you. I expect they are still hungry.’
As Dan left the kitchen, Helen nudged Beth. ‘Look at Tom’s face. He’s found a hero to worship.’
Beth nodded and turned away to hide her smile, not wanting the boy to see them amused by him. He was such an engaging youth, and she was very fond of him.
‘We’ll take the trays up, Mrs Howard,’ Helen said.
‘Me too!
I can help, please, Miss Langton!’
‘Thank you, Tom. That will be a great help.’
The moment Dan entered the bedroom he was bombarded with questions, with everyone talking at once. He held up his hand to stop them. ‘I’ll tell you everything; just give me a chance. First, I want to know how James is.’
‘I’m all right. The doctor doesn’t believe there will be any permanent damage, but I’m going to be out of things for a couple of days.’
‘More than that,’ Alice declared. ‘You are to stay in that bed until the doctor declares you fit enough to move around again.’
‘I can’t! The school is nearing completion, and we’ve still got Gresham to deal with.’ James sighed in exasperation and turned his attention to Dan. ‘Please tell me it is Gresham, and we haven’t been pursuing the wrong man.’
‘Yes, it’s him. Edward was right to suspect him.’ Dan handed James a sheet of paper. ‘Those men didn’t want to talk at first, but I was patient, and after a while they began to talk freely. Their orders were to set fire to the smaller outbuildings and scatter the horses. Gresham told them that they could sell any animals they stole and keep the proceeds. I wrote down everything they said, but they refused to sign it, I’m sorry to say. It won’t be a great deal of use to us in court, but it is something we can hold against Gresham.’
‘And it does confirm our suspicions about the man. It took you more than an hour, Dan, and perhaps another hour might have made them eager to sign.’ The grandfather was smirking as he peered at the paper his grandson was holding. ‘Their confession is rather short.’
‘Long enough for what we want.’ Dan took the paper and slipped it back into his pocket.
‘Can we have Gresham arrested?’ Alex asked, looking doubtful. ‘After all, he didn’t shoot James.’
‘True, but he paid someone else to do it, and we would have to prove that. If that’s what we want to do.’
‘What do you mean by that, Dan?’
‘I think we should try your grandfather’s plan first, James, and if that doesn’t work, we can have him arrested. But we’ll have to move fast.’
‘Splendid! We can hold the threat of gaol over his head.’ Grandfather gave Dan a respectful glance. ‘You’re a clever boy, but we’ll have to watch Gresham carefully or he will run again. He’s obviously got a good hiding place, because we couldn’t find the rogue all these years, and we know Edward never gave up looking for him. We wouldn’t have caught up with him now if he hadn’t inherited that estate from a relative. Wonder where the devil went?’
‘Australia.’
‘What?’ everyone exclaimed together, staring at Dan in astonishment.
‘How do you know that?’ Alex asked.
Dan merely smiled.
‘Daft question – of course you won’t tell us. So, he was on the other side of the world,’ the grandfather muttered. ‘No wonder we couldn’t find the bugger.’
‘What do we do next, Dan?’ James leant his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. ‘I’ll be glad when this is all over and I can settle down to running my school.’
‘Won’t be long now,’ Dan assured him. ‘You leave everything to us.’
‘I’ll have to.’ James started when there was a loud thump on the door. ‘What the devil is that?’
‘Open the door, please!’ they heard Beth call.
Alex rushed over to the door, swung it open and grinned at the sight, calling over his shoulder, ‘Food – and lots of it.’
A dressing table and chest were quickly cleared and the trays put on them, with sighs of relief from Beth, Helen and Tom.
‘My goodness!’ Alice exclaimed when she saw the amount of food loaded on the trays. How did you manage to carry those up the stairs?’
‘It wasn’t easy,’ Helen laughed, ‘but Cook insisted that you would all be very hungry. You must help yourselves; the only one we are serving is James. Tom, will you hand round the plates, please?’
They were soon happily eating, and Beth took the opportunity to ask Dan, ‘Is it all over?’
‘Not yet, but it shouldn’t be long now.’ He smiled kindly. ‘But you can tell your buyers that they will not be troubled by these men again.’
‘They will be relieved – thank you.’ Noticing that Tom was still in the room, obviously eager to stay, Beth was about to say he could go to bed now when James called the boy over.
‘Yes, sir.’ He hurried to the bedside. ‘Can I do something for you, sir?’
‘Indeed you can. I am going to be stuck in this bed for a couple of days and will need some company. I’d like you to come and visit me every afternoon for an hour or so. Do you think you could do that?’
The boy shot Beth a beseeching look, and when she nodded, he said excitedly, ‘Yes, sir. I’d like that, sir.’
‘Good.’ James nodded his thanks to Beth for giving the boy permission. ‘I’m sure we can find plenty to talk about. What are you interested in?’
‘Horses, sir.’ Tom was now leaning on the bed. ‘My dad was the stable master here before he died, and that’s what I want to do when I’m old enough.’
‘He’s excellent with the animals,’ Beth told James, ‘and seems to know if they are not feeling right. I think they know he loves and cares about them.’
‘They tell me if they ain’t happy.’ He gave a bashful smile. ‘Sounds daft, but they do.’
‘I believe you, Tom. Can you read and write?’
‘Oh, yes, sir. Miss Langton insisted I learn my letters, but I ain’t as good as Charlie. He’s clever. He can run his finger along a line of numbers and he’s added them up.’ Tom shook his head. ‘Don’t know how he does that. He told me you’ve been teaching him lots of things.’
James nodded. ‘It’s true Charlie has promising abilities, Tom, but everyone has different talents. Charlie is good at reading and arithmetic, but he can’t care for horses and talk to them like you do. That’s a talent to be proud of, young man.’
‘Gosh! I never thought of it like that. So, you mean we’re all different?’
‘That’s right, and everyone’s talents should be cherished.’
‘Cor, you mean Charlie’s good at some things, and I’m good at others.’ Tom shot Beth a wide grin, and there was a gleam of confidence there she had not seen before.
‘That’s right. So, when you come and see me tomorrow, I’ll tell you about the history of horses. And it would be helpful for you to know more about their anatomy.’
When Tom gave him a puzzled look, James explained. ‘Their inner workings and bone structure’
‘Ah, yes, I’d like that, sir.’ The boy’s face was shining with pleasure and anticipation. ‘What time do you want me to come?’
‘Let’s say two o’clock, shall we? Can you manage that?’
‘Yes, sir. Two o’clock – I’ll be here.’
‘Good.’ James smiled at him. ‘Now, I believe it is past your bedtime, don’t you?’
Tom pulled a face. ‘Suppose so, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep, with all the excitement going on tonight.’
‘I agree it might be difficult, but I think you should try.’
‘Yes, sir.’ He beamed at everyone in the room, nodded his head and practically ran out of the room, eager to tell the others downstairs what he was going to do.
‘Tell me about him? Where are his family?’
‘His mother died when he was born, and his father was killed in a riding accident five years ago. They had both been with us for many years. We are Tom’s family now. Mrs Howard took the place of his mother and Jenkins of his father. He’s a good boy, and we try to see he is brought up well and is happy.’
James nodded. ‘I’ll see what I can do for him.’
Beth studied James carefully, seeing a different side of his character. This man had had an upbringing of wealth and privilege, and yet he was going to open a school for boys from a poor background. ‘You care about children like Charlie and Tom, d
on’t you?’
‘I do. Why should only the wealthy have access to a good education? There are hundreds of bright children who have their education cut short because they are poor. I can’t help all of them, but I’ll give as many as I can the opportunity of a better life.’ He leant his head back and closed his eyes. ‘I’m so damned tired.’
‘It’s time you rested.’ Alice came over and took the tray from him. ‘I’ll sleep in the chair tonight in case you need anything. Now, everyone out!’ she ordered.
‘Helen, before you go, would you do something for me?’
‘Of course.’
‘The inside rooms of the school are to be finished this week, so would you oversee the work for me? I want a comfortable, bright look to the rooms. Don’t let the men turn it into a bleak place.’
‘I will be delighted to do that, James.’
‘Thank you.’ He opened his eyes and gave a slight smile. ‘I’ll expect a full report every evening.’
‘Of course.’
Twenty-One
‘How are you this morning, James?’ Dan asked.
‘I hurt and I’m feeling helpless, frustrated and worried, Dan. Don’t you think we should get Gresham locked up so he can’t do any more harm?’
‘We can, if that’s what you want. But he will serve a short sentence, if that, and then he will be around again. And he will be even more determined to cause you as much trouble as possible. Remember, I told you it will be just about impossible to send him to the gallows for a crime committed thirty years ago. We haven’t any witnesses or hard proof. The only two people who could have testified are dead, so all we can get him for now will be hiring those men.’
‘And he might not even be put in prison for that?’
‘A very real possibility. It will only be his word against the two men we caught. We can prosecute him, but I cannot guarantee success.’
James shook his head and ran a hand over his face. ‘I can’t risk that, Dan. You know why I’m here, and what my father feared as soon as Gresham appeared again.’
‘And it looks as if Edward was right. Gresham has already made a couple of clumsy attempts to undermine the Langton estate so that he could step in when things were desperate and buy for a ridiculously low price. Thank goodness we’ve managed to put a stop to him. He must want this land very desperately. All the time Edward was alive, Elizabeth was safe, because he dealt quickly with any attempts to disrupt the smooth running of the estate. He told me that had happened more than once since Gresham turned up as a neighbour.’ Dan perched on the edge of the bed. ‘This man is evil, James. He’ll try again if we don’t stop him once and for all.’
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