Diamonds Fall

by Rebecca Gibson

"Yes, just a little scared I guess."

  Daniel's arms tightened as he held her for a few seconds. The warmth of his breath caressed her hair. "So am I."

  Patsy went outside first, checking the villagers were all still in the square. The report was all clear so, with Daniel and Billy each leading a horse, they set off.

  They couldn't have looked more suspicious if they tried; looking around them every step they took. Billy, giddy on Genevieve's miraculous recovery, had her in a makeshift sling across his chest. They were all thanking their lucky stars that she was finally fast asleep.

  Daniel led Buck with one hand. His pale mane matched Daniel's own hair colour incredibly well. His other hand was tightly clasped in Annabel's.

  Patsy was walking quickly out in front, her eyes darting into every crevice, jumping when the wind caused the shadows to sway.

  Once inside the trees they each let out a massive sigh of relief. Billy and Daniel secured one foot in the stirrup nearest them without missing a beat and swung their legs over the huge horses with ease.

  Patsy held onto the back of Troy's saddle and, with Billy's help, was hoisted up after him. Annabel took her lead and scrambled up behind Daniel, who sniggered when she was a little less graceful than she would have liked. She nudged him playfully and he laughed, breaking the thick tension of their situation. Of course Annabel knew how to ride, there were many horses back at the manor, but she had always used a mounting block and ridden side saddle. This new way of riding however, felt a lot more secure.

  "Hold onto me as tight as you can and don't let go." Daniel told her. She wrapped her arms immediately around his waist, knowing they needed to get away as quickly as they could and rested her cheek against his shoulder. She saw Daniel's cheeks move and knew he was smiling. Off to their right Billy kicked his horse into action. Just before they rode out of sight, Daniel looked back, taking one final look at the only life he had ever known.

  Chapter Seventeen

  They galloped through the forest as if they were flying, weaving in and out of trees with perfect efficiency. Annabel could feel the muscles working beneath Daniel's jacket as he steered the horse, urging it on with gentle squeezes of his thighs.

  After a few hours however the horses had become slow, froth foaming at their mouths and sweat sliding off their hair.

  Billy stopped Troy, making Patsy jump down before following her to the floor. He led the horse to the stream and undid the saddle. Daniel drew Buck up beside him. His head bent down sharply towards the water making Daniel lurch forwards onto the horse's neck.

  "Troy tired," Billy stated.

  "Everyone's tired, we can't stop."

  "Troy tired," he repeated anxiously. "Buck too."

  Daniel seemed to know this was a lost battle so jumped down, lifting Annabel after him and undid the saddle as well.

  "I guess it's as good a time as any to eat." He sighed, breaking off tiny bits of the bread and handing them around.

  The horses grazed for a while in the darkness before they once again secured the saddles and set on their way, slightly slower this time.

  "See, that's how you ride," Daniel said proudly, glancing back after they had ridden in silence for about an hour. "Lookin' good."

  Annabel smiled, resting her cheek back against his shoulder as the gentle movement of the horse made her eyelids droop. They were both exhausted, having stayed up most of the night. Annabel felt herself slipping off into sleep several times, only to be jerked awake again when Troy lost his footing on concealed burrows or tree roots and stumbled.

  By noon the next day they found themselves in a very dense part of the forest which they deemed a safe enough distance away from the village to afford them some rest. Annabel removed Troy's saddle and bridle, whilst Daniel limped off into the thick trees to set snares.

  They would have to wait a number of hours before they could check them again so they decided to sleep, curled up together beneath the blankets. Too used to sleeping rough and far too exhausted for it to matter anyway, they were all out cold in seconds.

  Daniel shook them awake just as twilight was settling back in. Warmth radiated from a freshly lit fire off to Annabel's left and the smell of cooking rabbits filled her nostrils, making her mouth water. The juxtaposition between this scene and the similar one on her first day with this family was remarkable.

  Once the rabbits were cooked they tore the meat off the bones greedily. It burnt their hands and tongues but they were too hungry to care. Once the bones had been licked clean and they had filled themselves with as much water as they could, they climbed back onto the horses and rode further into the trees.

  The density of the greenery increased until they were forced to slow the horses to an idle walk. As the darkness drew on, the bank of the stream became too narrow and slippery to continue along. It was with one last drink and a heavy heart that they moved away from it, vowing to find it again when the sun had risen.

  There was a sense of mourning among them as the stream got further behind them. Genevieve started to whimper and then scream whilst, in stark contrast, the others walked in silence but for the breaking of small twigs beneath their feet.

  They had set out so full of excitement they hadn't really thought about what a few days in the forest would be like. They were finding out all too quickly how brutal it could be.

  Their muscles ached. Their bodies were fatigued from the exercise whilst their skin was clogged from their own and the horses sweat. Dirt caked their legs from the muddy ground.

  Their progress was slow but Billy insisted the horses have a few hours rest. The humour that had laced the air on that first day had disappeared completely, in place of sharp tongues and tense silence, broken only by the hungry cries of the tiny baby in Billy's anxious arms. Patsy led Troy now, pulling on his reins impatiently when he tried to bend towards the lush grass at his feet. This slight mistreatment of his oldest friend had Billy stomping after his sister, shouting insults at her and thus making her even more irritated. Annabel found it best not to say anything. She knew better than anyone the hurt she could inflict with words when she was angry.

  Annabel and Daniel kept their hands loosely linked together, desperate to prove their commitment to each other. In the thick silence Annabel couldn't help thinking about her life back at the manor and with it, the fiancé she would have to deal with...if he hadn't already been betrothed to someone else.

  She hoped he had.

  She couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen when she told her parents she wanted to stay with Daniel. They wouldn't see him as the beautiful boy who had taught her everything she knew about life and love, they would just see the poor boy who was taking away their best business asset. Her grip on Daniel's hand strengthened and he gave her a tight smile.

  "What's wrong?" he whispered, as if afraid to disturb the heavy silence too much.

  "Nothing. I'm just, I'm a little worried."

  "About what?" Daniel's brow creased in confusion. "You're goin' home."

  "I know, and I'm pleased about that, but then, part of me doesn't want to. It's just...I can't explain it properly, not even to myself. I'm afraid of returning to the person I was, the person that is supposed to appear perfect. Yet, I'm not perfect, not even close...not now anyway."

  Daniel let go of her hand, instead wrapping his arm around her shoulder and bringing her closer, so he could place his lips to the top of her head.

  "You're perfect to me an' I think it'll be fine, you'll fit back in tha' world quicker than a blink."

  "But, what if I don't? Seriously what if they don't like either of us? I couldn't stand it if people didn't like you. You mean so much to me."

  "Exactly, I mean so much to you. No one else matters to me Anna. So long as you still love me, nothing else matters."

  "I wish we could just build a house here. Grow our own vegetables, eat rabbits every day and live as one big happy family. Just you, me, Billy, Patsy and Jen."

  "Annabel, your home has no
thing to do with its place, it's the people you fill it with. You're heading t'ward your family - a proper family. They'll love you jus' as much as they did when you left."

  Annabel smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked.

  "I love you," she whispered.

  "I love you too. We will be together Anna. I promise you."

  At that moment, shattering the peaceful atmosphere, Patsy stopped Troy. Billy, taken by surprise, almost collided with her back. She tightened the girth of Troy's saddle and jumped on. Billy screamed.

  "No, Troy resting!"

  "No Billy, Patsy resting! Troy's been resting for hours. If we can't ride `em, why are they here?"

  Billy began to sulk, deliberately refusing to get up onto the horse as Daniel and Annabel mounted Buck. Annabel got bored of listening to Billy and Patsy's fighting. Pressing her ear as tightly as she could into Daniel's back she closed her eyes and tried to drown it out. Daniel, as if sensing her mood, started to hum softly. She could feel the sound vibrating through him. She pressed a kiss onto the bare skin of his neck and listened to his soothing song. The music calmed both Patsy and Billy down and soon they were all singing along to a song Annabel had never heard before...although, like all the songs Daniel sung, it fit perfectly into their surroundings.

  Caving into his own exhaustion Billy clambered onto Troy, apologising to him and stroking the hair of his back, with the stubby fingers that were almost identical to his younger sisters and the complete opposite to Daniel's.

  Annabel rested her palms over Daniel's heart so she could feel its steady beat. He gathered the reins into one hand, steering the horse with practiced ease, then lifted her hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over her pale skin. The earlier tense silence was lifted completely as pure contentment filled Annabel. She thought, if she could stay in any moment, this would be the one she would choose. Right there, on that horse with Daniel, she was the happiest she had ever been.

  The light of a new day was now upon them, the sun shining through the thin leaves, reminding Annabel of her and Daniel's first kiss. Troy had taken Billy, Patsy and Genevieve a little further ahead into the woods so Annabel could no longer see them. She could still just about hear the heavy falls of hooves somewhere up ahead so knew they couldn't be too far away. They had also trodden a path in the leaves so there was no chance of losing them. Things were far from perfect but Annabel and Daniel were each lost in their own private universe. Daniel turned his face, briefly brushing his lips over hers. Annabel's hand slid into his hair to hold him there for a second longer. He broke away, laughing under his breath as she leant against him again and he turned to look forwards, checking they were still heading in the desired direction. Blissfully unaware of her surroundings, apart from the tender touch of Daniel's hand touching hers and his low, powerful song filling her ears, she didn't hear the extra hooves falling just out of sight in the darkness until the shot reverberated through the forest.

  Buck reared in fright. Annabel and Daniel, taken unawares, were flung to the ground whilst Buck ran into the growth, carrying with him everything they needed to make it home. Both the riders were winded, gasping on the ground for several seconds. Annabel lifted herself half up into a sitting position to look at Daniel, whose face was contorted in pain.

  "Daniel, what happened?"

  "I dunno," he coughed, wincing.

  "We've got to move. Could it be Tom? It sounded like a gun."

  Sitting up, he ran a finger down Annabel's face, searching her to make sure she was okay. A small amount of blood smeared on her cheek where he touched. Annabel grasped his hand and looked at the blood on his fingers.

  "You've been shot," she exclaimed, stating the obvious.

  "I'll be fine, looks worse than it is." He tried to stand up but his ankle gave out beneath him and with a howl of pain he collapsed on the floor once more, clutching his arm where a red stain was growing outwards over the white fabric of his shirt.

  Annabel searched the trees with her gaze, whilst simultaneously flinging her arm around Daniel's waist. She tried to help him stand but she was weak and bruised as well. They both stumbled back to the floor.

  There was no sign of Troy anywhere. Annabel closed her eyes for a split second, hoping he had taken his charges far away from here. Startled, Annabel heard a voice through the growth and clutched onto Daniel's waist tighter.

  "HALT!"

  She looked down at Daniel, wondering how soon they could hide. Although, even as she thought this she knew it would be futile; they were unarmed and had already been seen. The panic evaporated when she saw who was walking towards her and a small smile broke out on her face. It was a group of police officers, flanked by someone in the familiar blue uniform of Hoddington Manor.

  "Officers, thank goodness," she started before she saw their pistols, pointing directly towards Daniel's chest.

  "No!" she cried, realising how they were viewing this scene. "Don't hurt him."

  She pulled his injured body closer to her own, trying to get in front of him but he kept shifting so she wouldn't be in the line of fire.

  The officers ran forwards. They moved around her, forcing Daniel's face into the mud. He howled in agony as they wrenched his injured arm, pulling it behind his back. A boot came down on his head to keep him on the ground.

  "No - please." Annabel begged, still on her knees, the panic re-surfacing to a dangerous level.

  One of the bigger officers bent down as she started clawing at them in desperation. Grabbing her shoulders he pulled her back and into the air. She kicked out her legs, letting out an ear piercing yell.

  "DANIEL!" she screamed over and over again. "Let him go!"

  She began to sob as they hauled Daniel to his feet with another cry of pain. The officers caught him roughly, throwing him onto the back of a small trap sitting in a slightly clearer area of the woods. The trees in its path had all been recently cut down, to form something of a road. The officer released his hold on Annabel.

  "It's okay miss." He bowed his head slightly. "You're safe now."

  Chapter Eighteen

  Annabel heard Daniel call after her as the trap jerked into action.

  "I'm so sorry," she sobbed in his direction. She could see the frown in between his eyes and the hard line of his mouth as he tried unsuccessfully to reassure her.

  "I love you."

  She saw his lips move over the words but couldn't hear them uttered. The trap disappeared into the trees before she had the time to respond.

  "Why - why are you doing this?" she sobbed.

  "We were ordered by your father to bring in the man you were found with. It's over now Miss." There was feigned loyalty in his voice.

  "I can take you to the real kidnapper. I know where he is...please."

  "No Miss, we have to get you home."

  "NO! Let him go! I - I order you to let him go! LISTEN TO ME!"

  She heard the officer laugh as she pummelled his chest. He lifted her with ease onto the back of his horse and kicked it as hard as he could. Annabel wanted to jump down but they were now galloping through the woods at break neck speed, such an endeavour would have been suicide.

  After a while she gave up fighting. These men had said they were taking her home. Her father would surely sort out the misunderstanding in a matter of seconds.

  "Look Ma'am," said the sergeant, breaking through the heavy silence as they slowed to a gentle trot about half an hour later. There was no trace of amusement or enthusiasm in his voice. "You were kidnapped, believed murdered, we were told - and paid handsomely for it - to get you back and arrest the man that took you. We're just doing our job."

  Annabel saw it all now; they needed a scapegoat to get their money. Going to the village would take them another few days. Why would they bother when they could just blame Daniel and save themselves the work? Annabel spit in the officers face, he laughed in hers.

  "Well I can see all the hype surrounding you was wrong, you're not much more than a peasant. I'm
sure your fiancé will be very excited to get you back. "

  "You must have forgotten your place officer. I will ruin you!"

  He laughed again and seized up her wrists with one hand, holding them firmly around his waist. The experience of riding with the officer was completely different to riding with Daniel. This man's flesh was softer with too many rich meals. His uniform scratched her face as it bounced against his shoulder. Daniel's carving dug painfully into the skin just above her heart.

  Annabel must have imagined her homecoming thousands of times over the past few weeks. In all of those fantasies she had been seated in one of her family's fancy carriages, dressed from head to toe in silk and jewels with Billy, Jen, Patsy and Daniel at her side.

  This was as far from that daydream as possible.

  The officer let go of her hands as they reached the edge of the forest, emerging into a sudden burst of morning sun shine that made Annabel squint. The journey back had been significantly shorter than the journey there, suggesting Trevor hadn't really known where he was going, or had ridden for much shorter bursts of the day.

  The officer made her jump off the horse and remount so she was sitting side saddle.

  "As befits a lady of your station, of course," he remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  Annabel tried to rearrange the ratty trousers and ripped dress that she had on so she at least resembled the former queen of high society but gave up almost immediately, seeing the effort was futile. The officer, back on the horse as well, combed his fat fingers through her tangled hair, pulling loose a few strands on several occasions.

  It was an ironic twist that, in that moment, she felt exactly the same as when she had been taken...vulnerable and violated.

  However, just before they were about to turn towards the centre of town the officer seemed to change his mind and led her, not towards Hoddington Manor, but towards the police station.

  It being a clear day, Annabel spotted the big house seated on a large, steep hill off to their right and got a sudden thrill of anticipation.