He rubbed their necks. ‘It’s good to see you as well, but what are you doing here? Are you all right?’ he asked the lad as he walked away from the wall.
‘No harm done, sir.’
At that moment they heard the sound of a horse approaching fast, and shortly after that Lord Frenshaw rushed in to the barn. ‘Oh, thank heavens they are here. I’m sorry, son, but they jumped the fence and took off on their own. I don’t think they are happy with me. They want to come home.’
‘It’s all right.’ He smiled, pleased to see his father. ‘They are wilful creatures and can stay here, if that’s all right with you?’
‘Of course. This is where they belong.’
‘I’ll buy them back.’
‘You will not! Those unpredictable animals belong to you and always have done. I happily return them to you – free of charge.’
Red Sunset began stamping his feet and milling around again, then Midnight joined in. They moved to the middle of the barn and stood there looking up.
‘Now what are they doing?’ Harry was perplexed. He knew these animals well, and they could be difficult, except in battle when they never hesitated to obey a command. However, the way they were behaving now was inexplicable.
‘Oh my goodness.’ Charles began to chuckle. ‘They’ve found you and I do believe they are now looking for Chrissie.’
‘Who the hell is Chrissie?’
‘The girl you dismissed. Don’t you even remember her name?’
‘That is ridiculous. You are letting your imagination run away with you. They don’t care who looks after them as long as they get what they need and are well treated.’
‘One never knows what those two are thinking. Now that scare is over I could do with a drink.’
‘Good idea. I’ve got a lot to tell you.’ He turned his attention back to the horses. ‘Come on, boys, let’s get you in a comfy, secure stall,’ he commanded.
They turned and followed him without any further bad behaviour, much to everyone’s relief.
‘You’re looking better,’ Charles told his son when they were settled in the library with large drinks in their hands. ‘How are you sleeping now?’
‘I’m getting some sleep, but the nightmares are still there. They’ve changed, though.’
‘In what way?’
Harry grimaced. ‘I’m still in the front of the charge, but instead of guns I see that girl glaring at me and shouting danger and I’m yelling back that I know it’s bloody dangerous. I wake up in a sweat and wondering how the hell she got in my dreams. Even when I’m awake, if I look out of the window I can see her walking away carrying her few possessions in her hand. It’s ridiculous. I’ve dismissed servants before and it’s never haunted me like this. My mind still must be in a mess.’
‘I liked that girl and she’s worrying me as well. You shouldn’t have sent her away like that. It was unjust. You didn’t even take the time to get to know her and find out how good her work was with the horses.’
‘I know that now, but I wasn’t thinking clearly when I arrived home. I took one look at her and wanted her out of the way. Goodness knows why. Have you any idea where she is now?’
Charles shook his head. ‘I tried very hard to keep her with me, at least until she had found another position, but she’s an independent girl and won’t accept help if she thinks it comes out of pity, or the slightest hint of charity.’
‘Do you think she would go back to London?’ he asked as he refilled their glasses.
‘I really don’t know, but she might have, I suppose. Work as a servant would be easier to get there, but there isn’t anything we can do about it now. She’s gone and all we can hope is that she is all right.’
Harry nodded. His father was right, and there was no point worrying about it. What he had done had been thoughtless and unkind, and that was something he would have to live with – along with all of his other nightmares.
‘You said you had something to tell me,’ his father prompted.
He leant forward, enthusiasm lighting his eyes as he explained his plans for the estate.
‘Good, good,’ his father nodded approval, relieved to see his son almost back to his old self. Even as a child he had been a force to be reckoned with, and had grown into a dynamic man. That was why the military had beckoned him, but that was over, thank goodness. Now he was free to put his energy and talents to better use.
‘Oh, and Edward came to see me,’ he added.
‘Ah, I thought he might show up soon, just to check that you really had survived. I suppose he was delighted to find you fit and well.’
‘That wasn’t the impression I got from him.’
Both men looked at each other, and lifting their glasses, burst out laughing.
Chapter Fourteen
The strawberry harvest had lasted longer than expected, but now it was over and Chrissie really hoped the farmer would find her another job. It was near the end of June now and working in the fields was not to her liking, but she couldn’t make up her mind what to do next. In her spare time she had searched the area, but there wasn’t any work around here. Her options were to set out and try to find the Travellers again, or return to London. Neither of those things appealed to her. The Travellers would be miles away by now, and wouldn’t be returning this way for several months, and the thought of going back to London made her feel sick. No, she couldn’t throw away her dream just because of a setback. That would be weak of her, and she wasn’t going to give up so easily. She would have to find a way to stay in the country, no matter how difficult it would be.
‘Ah, there you are.’ The farmer walked across the field, now completely cleared of fruit. ‘You’ve worked well, and I can give you something for another week if you are prepared to help dig up the first crop of new potatoes. It’s hard work, mind you.’
‘I’d be happy to do that, sir.’ She smiled with relief. It wasn’t long, but it meant another week where she had food and somewhere to sleep. ‘Thank you.’
He nodded and made his way back to the house, and when he was out of sight she spun round and round drinking in the beauty of the countryside. There wasn’t a piece of concrete anywhere, and she knew that whatever happened, the country was the only place she wanted to be. Work on the farm was hard and the days long, but here she felt free. She was aware that was a strange way to look at it when her future was so uncertain and she still didn’t have anywhere to call home, but she belonged here – of that she was sure. And there was always hope that the farmer would keep her for longer than the promised week.
Harry surveyed the scene in front of him with satisfaction. There were men working everywhere, and in only two days fields were being cleared, fences erected and the house was already under way. ‘You’ve done well,’ he complimented his estate manager. ‘Where did you find all these men?’
‘They are all local and grateful for the work, Major. Many have asked if they can stay and work on the farm when it’s ready. I’ve told them we will need workers, but I don’t know how many until we decide on crops and cattle.’
‘Take all their names.’
‘I have already done so.’
‘Looks as if those men could use some help with those fence posts.’ He shrugged out of his jacket and strode over to the workers, and without saying a word he began to work with them, much to their surprise.
‘This hole needs to be deeper, otherwise the first strong wind and it will tumble,’ the man in charge of fencing said as they heaved the thick pole out again.
Harry grabbed the shovel and began enlarging the hole. ‘How far down?’ he asked.
‘Er … another foot, but we can do it, sir.’
He looked up and grinned. ‘Of course you can, but I’m quite capable of digging holes. You tell me how deep you want them and I’ll go along the line while you erect the fence. A bit of physical exercise will do me good.’
‘Well, if you’re sure, sir, only we heard you’d been hurt bad fighting in that war.’
‘I’m quite fit now.’
‘Glad to hear that, sir.’ Then turning to his men he shouted, ‘All right, you heard the major. Let’s get this fence up.’
They didn’t pack up until around seven, and mounting Red Sunset, who had been happily grazing nearby, he headed back to the house. The horse wanted to stretch his legs so they began to gallop. As they rode towards the stables something hit Harry and he fell out of the saddle and crashed to the ground. Winded and dazed he wondered what he was doing there. When he tried to sit up he was even more confused to find that he couldn’t, and turning his head, he saw blood beginning to soak his jacket. Red had stopped and came back to look down at him, clearly agitated.
‘Don’t mill about like that, boy, you’ll hurt me more if you step on me.’ He tried to put as much command into his voice as he could. ‘Go to the stable. Go!’
That last command had taken all of his remaining strength and he sighed with relief when the animal took off, heading in the right direction. He was fighting to remain conscious, trying to recall what had happened. They had been moving quite fast and there had been a sound – a sound he was familiar with. He had been shot, and whoever had done it was a damned fine marksman. Hitting a moving target wasn’t easy. One memory came to him as he drifted in to unconsciousness, and it was that girl again, telling him to be careful because he was surrounded by danger.
Red Sunset thundered in to the yard, foam flecked and obviously upset. A stable hand tried to restrain him while yelling for the head groom. ‘He’s come back on his own, and look, there’s blood on the saddle. The major’s in trouble.’
‘Everyone, mount up!’ the head groom ordered, and the yard was soon a mass of milling horses and men as they prepared to go to their master’s aid.
‘What’s going on?’ The butler arrived on the scene, breathless from running, having heard the commotion.
‘Red’s come back on his own and there’s blood on the saddle! Send someone for Lord Frenshaw, and get the doctor as well.’ He leapt on to his horse and joined the other six who were ready, including two young stable lads, and they left the yard at full gallop.
They knew the direction their master would be coming from, and it didn’t take them long to come across him sprawled on the grass with an alarming amount of blood soaking his jacket.
‘Oh, he’s hurt bad,’ one of the young lads murmured, as he watched the men rush to aid the injured man.
‘We’ve got to stop the bleeding before we can move him.’ The head groom was already at work.
‘Is he alive?’ someone asked.
The head groom nodded. ‘But he won’t be for much longer if we don’t get him to a doctor quickly. Help me remove his jacket and get that towel out of my saddlebag.’
The lad rushed to find the cloth and then handed it to the men working desperately to staunch the flow of blood. They tore his shirt into strips and bound the wound as tightly as they could.
Everyone was asking and wondering what could have happened and were horrified when told that it looked as if he had been shot.
Afraid that the wound might open again if they put him on a horse, they hurriedly made a stretcher using wood from the nearby trees and carried him back to the house as carefully as possible.
Lord Frenshaw and the doctor were already waiting, and the kitchen was a hub of activity, boiling water and arranging bandages, in case they were needed. The moment the doctor saw the condition Harry was in he began barking out orders and had everyone running around to help as much as they could.
The estate manager had stayed much later at the farm and had just arrived. He jumped from his horse and ran over to his lordship. ‘What has happened?’
‘It looks as if my son has been shot.’
In a flurry of anxious activity, Harry was carried to his room and the doctor ordered everyone out apart from a maid who was to assist him by collecting water and anything else he needed.
Charles refused to move and the doctor relented and allowed him to remain in the room as long as he kept out of the way.
The temporary dressing was removed and the wound cleaned before the doctor was able to probe and remove the bullet. ‘Thank goodness he stayed unconscious for that. I don’t think anything vital has been damaged, though it was a close thing. Another couple of inches and he would have died instantly.’
‘Is he going to be all right?’
‘It’s hard to say at the moment, but with rest and care he should recover well. I will have to wait to do a closer examination, though, until the bleeding has stopped.’ The doctor washed his hands in a bowl of clean water. ‘He must be kept absolutely still. The next few hours will be crucial, so I will stay with him tonight. You get some rest, your lordship, and I will call you if there is any change in his condition.’
‘I’ll have a meal sent in for you, and anything else you need.’
‘That will be welcome, thank you.’ The doctor pulled a comfortable chair up to the bed, and settled down to watch over his patient.
‘How is he?’ George wanted to know the moment Charles came out of the room. ‘Everyone is worried. Can we give them any good news?’
‘The doctor is hopeful. I’ll talk to the staff, and then we must discuss what to do about this.’
With the staff reassured that the major stood a good chance of recovering, the two men settled down with a strong drink, and George asked the question they all wanted to know. ‘Who would want to kill the major?’
‘One person comes immediately to mind – Edward. But we need proof, and how are we going to get that? There wasn’t a witness to the shooting, and we must be careful about accusing him.’
‘Would he be capable of such a shot?’ George asked.
‘I wouldn’t have thought so, but he could have paid someone else to do it. However, there isn’t anything we can do tonight, but first thing in the morning we will go and search the area for any clues.’
‘Would you like me to stay within calling distance tonight, your lordship? I doubt any of us will sleep much now.’
‘I agree, but the doctor has ordered me to get some rest, so you do the same. He’ll call us if we are needed.’
Dawn was just breaking when the butler woke Lord Frenshaw, who was still in the armchair. ‘The doctor said the major is awake and asking for you.’
He hurried to his son’s room, relieved to see him propped up against pillows with his eyes closed. ‘How is he?’
‘Better than expected,’ the doctor told him. ‘He’s a strong, determined man.’
‘And I thank the Lord for it.’ He sat on the edge of the bed. ‘I’m here, Harry. The doctor said you’ve been asking for me. We’ll find the person who did this to you.’
Harry opened his eyes. ‘Find that girl and bring her to me.’
‘What are you talking about?’ He shot the doctor a worried glance. ‘You think the girl shot you?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ He gave a weary sigh. ‘I want to see that girl I sent away.’
‘I don’t know where she is.’
‘Then find her.’
‘Why?’ But he didn’t receive an answer; his son was asleep. ‘Are you sure he’s all right, Doctor? He isn’t making much sense and sounds delirious to me.’
‘I’m confident that he is in his right mind, but he’s been asking for a girl, whoever she is, from the moment he regained consciousness. I wondered if perhaps it was his intended and that it might mean something to you.’
‘I know who it is, but she isn’t someone he even knows very well. It doesn’t make sense. His attention should be on discovering who tried to kill him.’
‘There’s only one person it could have been, and you damned well know it!’
Both men spun round to face the bed again, surprised to see the patient awake. Not only awake but with eyes glinting with rage. ‘I can’t do anything stuck in this bed, so I’m relying on you to find proof. But before you do anything I want that girl found and brought here.’<
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‘Why?’ his father asked, thoroughly confused and worried by his son’s strange behaviour.
‘Mind your own bloody business.’ Then he was asleep again.
Charles grinned at the doctor. ‘Ah, that sounds more like my son.’
‘Yes, I would say he is in full command of his faculties, but just who is this girl he wants you to find?’
‘Christine Banner. She was working here as a stable lad when he arrived home, and he didn’t approve so he dismissed her. What he did was unjust and I think it must have been playing on his mind. Having this brush with death has probably made him want to right a wrong.’
‘Maybe.’ The doctor looked doubtful.
‘My son has always been a kind person,’ Charles pointed out, ‘and the way he acted when he returned was out of character. He came home a grief-stricken and angry man.’
‘Then she had better be found. It might make him rest easier.’
‘I agree, but I don’t have the faintest idea where she is now. I’ll put one of the men on to tracking her whereabouts, but I don’t hold out much hope. She could be anywhere.’
Chapter Fifteen
‘How is he?’ the estate manager asked the moment he walked in to the library.
‘The doctor assures me he is going to be all right, but it will take a while before he’s up and about again. He’s angry, though, so we had better find out who the culprit is or he will be moving around before he should.’
‘The place to start will be from where the shot was fired, and hope we can find some clues.’ George pursed his lips. ‘We have our suspicions, of course, but proving it won’t be easy.’
‘Edward,’ Charles said through gritted teeth. ‘That boy has been nothing but trouble from the moment he could toddle. He really wants Harry out of the way, but is he desperate enough to try to kill his own cousin?’
‘That is what we have to find out, and as quickly as possible, because until someone is caught, your son will not be safe. They have failed this time, thank heavens, but they could try again and make sure they don’t fail.’
When Midnight Comes Page 10