She paused midway along the aisle, turning to look up at the gallery pew that presided over everything from the rear of the church. It was known as the Amberley pew because it had been endowed by one of her ancestors, another Lionel Amberley, and it was always occupied by her family. The light from the altar was too weak to shine on it, but she knew it so well that she could recall every festoon and angel carved so richly upon its ancient oak. She could also recall the Christmas boughs that she and Hannah had brought to the church only the day before to decorate the pew. They’d spent two hours carefully arranging the seasonal leaves, and had retired feeling well pleased with their efforts. Blanche remembered how happy she’d been then, looking forward to all the yuletide celebrations, and to singing carols at the Christmas services. It was Sunday the day after tomorrow, and until the arrival of Roderick Neville she’d had every intention of attending the morning services, but now, with things as they were….
She lowered her glance to the stone-flagged floor. So far it was unlikely that the story of Jonathan Amberley’s fall from grace had spread beyond the barracks in Cheltenham, but soon, as Roderick Neville had so spitefully predicted, it would be all over the country. The name of Amberley would be linked unfairly with scandal, and all because of a vile conspiracy by two people Jonathan had placed his faith in.
With a heavy sigh she went to sit in the front pew, gazing toward the slowly moving candleflame on the altar, then she leaned her head back against one of the greenery-entwined columns and closed her eyes as she went over and over all that had happened.
Outside, Jake was beginning to feel very cold. A snowflake melted against his cheek, and he glanced up at the sky. A heavy fall of snow had been in the offing for days, and there was a subtle change in the air that told him it wouldn’t be long now, probably before morning. They were in for a hard winter in the new year, that much was certain. He hunched his shoulders, turning up his collar and wishing that advancing years hadn’t brought with them a variety of niggling aches and pains. His mind was as nimble as it had been when he’d been twenty, but his body wasn’t anywhere near as youthful.
Suddenly he sat up more in the saddle, turning to look back down the lane in the direction of the fishing house. He could hear a horse approaching, moving at a slow walk up the lane toward him. Every sense was alert as his sharp eyes raked the darkness. Who could it be? Master Jonathan wouldn’t leave the fishing house, and besides, there hadn’t been any sign of his horse. Whoever it was must have come over the footbridge from the Bishop of Gloucester’s land, and the only sort of person who’d do that was a person that was up to no good, like a poacher….
It wasn’t wise to stay out in the open by the lychgate, and so Jake turned his horse quickly toward the village, riding it and leading Blanche’s toward a field gate a short distance away. But as he was about to ride into the field, Blanche’s horse suddenly resisted, tossing up its head and pulling its reins from his hand. Jake uttered a curse beneath his breath as the animal trotted back up the lane, its trailing reins bringing it to a halt again by the lychgate.
‘Damn you for a flea-bitten nag,’ he muttered beneath his breath, maneuvering his own horse into the field and positioning it behind the hedge, from where he would be able to see the unknown rider pass by.
The other horse came slowly closer, and Jake strained to peer through the hedge. At last the rider came into view, a man in a cloak and a cocked hat. A military cocked hat! Jake’s breath caught. Lord above, it was Sir Edmund! He must have come out of the park through the postern gate! He was bound to see the riderless, side-saddled horse in the lane by the lychgate and draw the obvious conclusions that its lady rider was in the church. Would he just ride on by, or would he go inside to see why she was apparently out on her own in the dark? Jake instinctively knew it would be the latter, but there was nothing to be done about it.
Sir Edmund rode closer, and then saw the horse. He paused for a moment before urging his own mount toward the lychgate and dismounting. Tethering both animals to a holly tree that hung over the wall beside the gate, he then pushed through and went up the path toward the porch. From his hiding place in the field, Jake could only watch in dismay, for the last thing Blanche Amberley needed now was another meeting with the new master of Amberley Court.
In the church, Blanche knew nothing of what was happening outside. She was about to get up to leave when the door opened suddenly and Sir Edmund stepped inside.
Startled, she rose swiftly to her feet. ‘Sir Edmund?’
‘Miss Amberley?’ He closed the door and tossed back his cloak so that he could tuck his cocked hat beneath his arm. ‘Forgive me for intruding, but I saw your horse by the lychgate, and guessed there would only be one lady to whom it would belong.’
‘Wasn’t Jake there too, Sir Edmund?’
‘Jake?’ He came down the aisle toward her, a rather thin smile on his lips. ‘Let us be honest, Miss Amberley, the last thing Mr Cutler would do would be to wait around for me to come upon him in the dark. The natural instinct of any poacher is to make himself scarce when a landowner hoves into view.’
She was glad of the darkness, for her cheeks had colored. ‘I-I don’t know what you mean, Sir Edmund.’
‘No? You do surprise me, Miss Amberley.’ He halted a few feet away from her and leaned back against the side of a pew, folding his arms as he studied her. ‘Tell me, Miss Amberley, do you often come here at night?’ ‘Do you?’ she countered, thinking that it was very strange that he should be out on his own on his fiancée’s first night at Amberley Court.
The faint smile continued to play on his lips, as if she amused him in some way. ‘What a very surprising young lady you are, to be sure. First I come upon you standing up to Lady Hetherington’s rage, then I have to virtually pull you out of a ditch, and now I find you sitting alone in a deserted church. Are all the young ladies of Gloucestershire cast in the same remarkable mold?’
‘I’m glad you find me so amusing, sir,’ she replied a little coolly. ‘No doubt I seem very rustic indeed compared with Lady Hetherington, but thankfully we cannot all be great London ladies.’
‘Don’t misunderstand, Miss Amberley, for I wasn’t laughing at you. On the contrary, I find you refreshingly different.’
‘Don’t patronize me, Sir Edmund, for I do not appreciate it,’ she said stiffly.
He smiled again, but this time it was a warm smile that reached his eyes. ‘I’m not patronizing you, Miss Amberley, I’m paying you an honest compliment. Is that so hard to believe?’ He straightened. ‘I realize that you and I got off to a very bad start when first we met two years or so ago, but as I said earlier this evening, I would prefer to be on amiable terms with you, if that is possible.’ Pausing, he looked at her in the candlelight. ‘Is your heart engaged, Miss Amberley?’ he asked suddenly.
Her lips parted in astonishment. ‘I-I beg your pardon?’
‘I believe the question was clear enough.’
‘The state of my heart is no concern of yours, sir,’ she replied coldly. How dare he ask such a question!
‘It may not be my concern, Miss Amberley, but I have an excellent reason for asking. I haven’t been here in Amberley St Mary for very long, and I haven’t met many people, but I’ve been careful to keep my finger on the local pulse. It’s come to my attention that your name is being secretly linked with the son of a Gloucester banker by the name of Mortimer. Is that true?’
She stared at him. ‘Sir Edmund….’
‘Is it true?’ he interrupted. ‘And if it is?’
‘I do not profess to know the young gentleman, but I have had dealings with his rascally father, of whom I formed a deeply unfavorable impression. It would sadden me to think that you were, er, involved in some way with the Mortimers.’
‘You have no business telling me….’
‘I’m making it my business.’
‘By what right?’ she demanded angrily.
‘By the right of being concerned about you, madam,’ he
replied in a clipped tone. ‘An alliance between the Amberleys and the Mortimers would be a disaster, for the two families are worlds apart, and you would be the one to suffer most.’
‘Sir, I find your prying most offensive, and would point out that you would be most indignant were Ito presume to advise you against marrying a creature as odious as Lady Hetherington!’ Even as she said it, she knew she’d gone too far. Her lips closed abruptly, and she looked swiftly away. ‘Forgive me, I shouldn’t have said that.’
He was silent for a moment. ‘I suppose you had as much right to express your opinion as I had to express mine,’ he said then.
‘Nevertheless….’
‘For Heaven’s sake don’t apologize again, Miss Amberley. Let us just agree that we were both well and truly out of line, and that if any blame must be attached, then it is to me for commencing the business in the first place.’
‘I think perhaps I should be going, Sir Edmund,’ she said pointedly. He offered her his arm.
After she’d extinguished the candle on the altar, she very reluctantly returned to place her hand over his sleeve.
They left the church, stepping out into the bitter cold of the night. Jake was waiting by the lychgate, having rather sheepishly realized that his presence would by now have been made known to Sir Edmund, who eyed him severely as they reached him.
‘Cutler, I find your conduct tonight very poor indeed.’
‘Poor, Sir Edmund?’ Jake’s eyes widened.
‘It ill became you to leave your mistress alone with me.’
‘But I saw that it was you, sir, and anyway, I came to the porch to listen a little, to see that all was well.’
‘Did you indeed? The stealth of the poacher, I’ll be bound.’
‘I wouldn’t quite say that, Sir Edmund.’
‘No? Well, I would, and as to knowing that it was me, let me remind you that you don’t know the first thing about me. I may have had dastardly intentions where Miss Amberley was concerned – indeed, I could have been determined to make an assault upon her virtue while you lingered discreetly out here.’
Jake gaped at him. ‘You, Sir Edmund?’
‘Yes, damn it! Me! In future you are to pay more attention to your responsibilities, Cutler, or it will be the worse for you.’
Blanche turned anxiously to Sir Edmund. ‘Please, it was hardly Jake’s fault that I insisted upon going alone into the church.’
‘True, Miss Amberley, but he still should not have permitted me to walk in. As it is, I am indeed a gentleman, and no harm came to you, but it is never wise to presume that someone is a gentleman, simply because he looks like one.’
‘Oh, I couldn’t agree more, sir,’ she replied, thinking of Roderick Neville.
Sir Edmund’s attention returned to Jake. ‘What’s more, Cutler, if any Amberley Court venison, pheasants, salmon, or hares are to be enjoyed at Orchard Cottage, it will be because I choose to send them. Is that clear?’
Jake nodded. ‘Perfectly, Sir Edmund.’
‘Good.’ Sir Edmund turned to assist Blanche into the saddle. She looked down at him. ‘I truly am sorry for what I said in the church.’
‘We both said things we shouldn’t have, so let us both forget it.’ He took her hand suddenly, and drew it to his lips. ‘Good night, Miss Amberley.’
‘Good night, Sir Edmund.’ She turned her horse away, and rode down the lane toward Amberley St Mary, with Jake following a few yards behind. She didn’t look back, but she could feel Sir Edmund’s eyes upon her until she passed from sight around a curve in the lane.
CHAPTER 10
They found Hannah and Mr Amberley waiting anxiously in the kitchen at Orchard Cottage. Blanche’s father had been too disturbed to remain in his bed, and too agitated to eat the roast salmon that Hannah had so painstakingly prepared, and it reposed on a plate in the pantry to be eaten cold the next day. Hannah had persuaded him to at least drink a soothing posset cup, and this he had reluctantly agreed to. Hannah occupied herself with darning some of Jake’s woolen socks, for she couldn’t just sit there while she waited.
The kitchen was a rambling, whitewashed room with low beams from which hung strings of onions, dried mushrooms, bunches of herbs, several cured hams in muslin bags, a bread cage, and a sugar loaf. Against one wall stood a tall dresser laden with copper pans and the blue-and-white crockery that was to be found in so many country cottages. Against another wall stood a stone sink with a pump that drew water from a well beneath the floor, and next to it was the door of the little stone-shelved pantry where the butter, milk, eggs, fresh meats, and jars of pickled and bottled fruit were stored. The cold roast salmon had been placed next to the round plum pudding Hannah had made the previous month in readiness for Christmas Day, and in a corner was the covered bowl of mincemeat she intended to use for the mince pies everyone found so delicious. Above the lime-washed back door, where the air was cooler, hung several single Gloucester cheeses in protective cloths. Hannah prided herself on the quality of her cheeses, as indeed she could pride herself on the quality of all her culinary efforts, but as she sat jabbing the needle into Jake’s old sock, she felt tears stinging her eyes, for how much enjoyment would there be this Christmas? How tasty would the goose be? How delicious the plum pudding and mince pies? How would anyone be able to enjoy the festive food with this dreadful business of Master Jonathan hanging over them?
A large fire crackled in the hearth, its flickering light dancing over Mr Amberley as he sat on the high-backed settle that had been placed between the back door and the fireplace to keep out the draft. He wore his purple paisley dressing gown, Turkish slippers, and tasseled black cap, and his bony hands were clasped anxiously on the handle of his walking stick as he too pondered the nature of the Christmas that lay so very few days ahead. Would his beloved son be with them, his name cleared of these dreadful accusations? Or would he still be a hunted felon, the victim of a diabolical conspiracy? The old man had no doubt that Jonathan was the prey, and Roderick Neville and Deborah Jennings the predators, for as a loving father he believed the long letter his son had written, and therefore discounted absolutely all that Roderick Neville had claimed.
Hannah heard the horses return and got up from the scrubbed table where she’d been working. She went to the window, holding the curtain aside to peep out into the dark yard, then she turned back to shake her head sadly at the old man by the fire. ‘Master Jonathan isn’t with them, Mr Amberley.’
He sighed and nodded slightly. ‘I didn’t really expect him to be,’ he said heavily.
Blanche left Jake to attend to the horses, and went into the cottage, going straight to her father. ‘He’s all right, Father, but doesn’t feel able to come out of hiding yet.’
‘My poor boy….’ Mr Amberley blinked as tears stung his eyes.
‘Oh, Father …’ Blanche knelt before him, hugging him close. ‘We’ll clear his name, I promise,’ she breathed.
Hannah touched her shoulder. ‘Sit down and drink this hot milk, my dear, for you’ve been out in that cold for far too long. You should have had a quiet evening and a good warm bath, instead of going out again like that.’
Mr Amberley patted the settle beside him. ‘Sit with me, my dear, and tell us exactly what Jonathan said.’
She did as he bade, and when she’d finished, her father gave a long, despairing sigh.
‘They’ve been clever, for there is no way at all that Jonathan can prove his innocence.’
‘I’m going to see Miss Jennings tomorrow, to see if I can persuade her to tell the truth.’
‘A vain hope, I fear.’
‘Maybe, but it has to be tried.’
He looked at her. ‘And when it fails, what then?’
‘Father, Jonathan knows he must face the charges, and he is prepared to do so, but he just needs a little time first. If we can use that time to prepare a case for his defense, then so much the better.’
He was silent for a moment. ‘A man does not need to have a fellow office
r to defend him at a court-martial, does he?’
‘I really don’t know. Why?’
‘Sir Benjamin Holden is a very old friend of mine.’
‘Sir Benjamin Holden? The famous barrister?’
He nodded. ‘He and I went to school together, and then on to Cambridge. He owes me a favor from those days, and I never thought I’d be calling upon him to repay it, but I think that that time has now come, don’t you? With an advocate as persuasive and talented as Sir Benjamin, we will at least know that we have done the very best for Jonathan. I will write to Sir Benjamin first thing in the morning, and the letter carrier can take the letter into Gloucester. Yes, that’s what I’ll do.’
Blanche didn’t say anything, for she knew that her father was just giving himself something to cling to. It didn’t matter how brilliant a man of the law Sir Benjamin Holden was if he didn’t have any evidence that would prove Jonathan’s innocence.
She sipped the hot milk, and gazed unhappily into the fire. How she wished Antony was with her now, instead of in Gloucester, which suddenly seemed a world away from events in Amberley St Mary. She wanted to tell her father how she felt, but couldn’t, for both he and Hannah thought her attachment to be more than a little ill-judged; why, even Sir Edmund had presumed to advise her against it…. But they were all wrong, as time alone would prove.
No one heard anything happening outside in the yard, they knew nothing until Jake suddenly burst into the kitchens. ‘It’s the army come back again!’ he cried, but was almost immediately pushed aside as Roderick Neville strode in once more, followed by some of his men.
Blanche leapt to her feet, almost spilling the cup of milk. ‘How dare you force your way into this house, sirrah!’ she cried, alarm surging through her.
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