by Nancy M Bell
“I’d sooner mate with the devil himself than you!” Bella twisted away from him, trying to break free.
“Keep up the teasing, Bella. I can be a devil if you like. There are some that like it rough, you know.” Bella recoiled from the strange lights that seemed to ignite in Daniel’s eyes.
The man pulled her against him and grabbed her jaw, his hand leaving her waist. His fingers dug deep under her jawbone and Bella tried to twist her head away from him in vain. Her arms were trapped between their bodies and Bella couldn’t free either one of them. Daniel lowered his face to hers and kissed her fiercely on the lips. He ground his teeth against her lips, bruising them, and forced her mouth open with his thumb. Bella gagged on Daniel’s tongue as he forced it into her mouth, and she was sure, halfway down her throat. Daniel let go her arm and made a grab for her breast. Bella wrenched her arm free of its constriction and jabbed at Daniel’s eyes with her fingers. He let her go and stepped back, breathing heavily.
“It’s going to be like that, is it little Bella?” Daniel’s eyes gleamed in the bit of light that came down the hall from the kitchen.
“Never touch me again!” Bella hissed at him.
“Oh, but I will Bella. Again, and again, and again. You’ll beg for my touch by the time I’m done with you,” Daniel said quietly.
Bella thought her heart would stop. What did Da promise Daniel for him to be so sure of himself? The door to the kitchen opened and Brian came through into the hall.
“I see you’ve found her, Daniel,” Brian said.
“That I have,” Daniel said without taking his eyes off Arabella.
Arabella took the opportunity to step as far away from Daniel as she could in the small hallway. Quickly, she slipped past Brian, and with a last death stare at Daniel, Arabella escaped back into the kitchen.
Chapter Three
“Did Daniel find you, my girl?” Barney asked loudly as she entered.
“Don’t you ever send him after me again!” Arabella said hotly.
“Why ever not? Daniel’s a fine lad.” Barney’s words were slurred slightly from the drink.
“I think Daniel was taking liberties with Bella,” Brian said dryly before Bella could open her mouth.
Barney nodded his big head and smiled. “Jumpin’ the gun a bit, eh then. What did you tell him, Bella? Aye or nay?”
“I didn’t tell him anything except to never touch me again,” Bella shouted at Da.
“That’ll be a might difficult once you’re married to him.” Barney’s head nodded on his stout neck.
“I am not marrying Daniel, not now, not ever. Even if he were the last man on earth.” Bella enunciated every word carefully and loudly. “Do you understand me, Da?”
“You’ll do as you’re told, girl. You’re a good girl. Not like your mum.” Barney peered at Bella through bleary eyes.
Brian reached out and put his hand on Bella’s arm as she prepared to start a roaring fight with Da. He caught her eye and shook his head slightly. Barney’s forehead dipped down and rested on the table. In another minute his cheek was flat against the oilcloth and he was snoring gently.
“Let me speak to your Da when he’s sobered up some, Bella,” Brian said gently.
“There’s no chance that you could fancy Daniel, then?” Eileen looked anxiously at Bella.
Bella shook her head emphatically. Shudders ran through her as she recalled the incident in the front hall. Daniel was the most repulsive man she could imagine; the thought of being married to him and having to allow him those liberties as his right was more than she could bear to think about. Bella would sooner throw herself off the cliffs of Lamorna Cove than live like that.
“He’s not as bad as all that, you know. He can be a right good bloke when he wants,” Brian tried again.
“Not so bad! He had his hands pawing all over me just now, heaven only knows what would have happened if you hadn’t come out into the hall!” Bella was enraged.
“Maybe I should have just stayed put then,” Brian said quietly. “If he’d had his way with you it would have been all settled just like Barney wants.”
“If he had, I would be throwing myself off the cliffs come morning!” Bella headed for the door with her head held high. She would not cry in front of Brian and Eileen so they could go home and tell Daniel all about it.
“Don’t be so dramatic! It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened in the village, you know.” Eileen tried to defuse the situation.
“That doesn’t make it right though. I won’t stand for it, and I won’t be party to it!” Bella marched out the back door into the rainy night and stopped in the middle of the yard.
“Now what?” Bella muttered. “I will not sleep under Da’s roof another night if he thinks so little of me that he would sell me to the highest bidder like a prize broodmare!”
Quickly, Bella roused Raven and saddled her. She waited until Brian and Eileen left by the front door and then sneaked back into the house, being careful not to wake her snoring Da. Every little sound made her jump; Bella was sure Daniel was lurking behind every dark door and hiding in the heavy shadows of the hall. She packed what she felt were necessaries and tucked the precious King’s College acceptance letter inside her blouse. Bella snatched her waterproof coat and a hat from the mudroom and fished out some gloves from the pile by the door. With one last look around the only home she had ever known, Bella turned on her heel and firmly shut the door on the kitchen leaving her da face down on the table.
It was a long cold windy ride out to Sarie’s but Bella’s anger kept her from feeling the cold too much. Bella was glad when Raven turned up the long narrow lane to the Waters’ farm, the brambly hedges cut the wind and the footing was marginally less mucky than the verge of the main road that Bella had followed northeast out of Penzance. Bella headed straight for the low stone barn behind Sarie’s house before going to the kitchen door. Once inside the shelter of the barn Bella stripped off Raven’s tack and settled her for the night in an empty box stall. Gradually Bella’s hands stopped shaking with cold and she felt some warmth sneaking back into her chilled body. With the warmth came the tears. Bella sank down on a bale of hay and buried her face in her hands. How could Da think that she would want to marry Daniel? Da had never talked to her about the possibility at all, and why would Daniel be so interested in her. Bella had never given him any encouragement, none at all.
Bella remembered something Da said just before he passed out, not like your mum. Bella snorted through her tears. Did Da really think that she was going to run off and get pregnant with someone she hardly knew at some dance? Hadn’t Bella heard enough about how her mum had trapped Da into marriage from her Gramma Angarrick, and from Grampa Raginnis all she heard was how Da had ruined Grampa’s darling Lily by getting her with child and forcing her to live on the wages that a fisherman brought home. As far as Bella was concerned she thought that the house they lived in was fine and they always had plenty of whatever they needed. Besides, it was her mum that had dumped Bella, and her da that looked after her. Which made it hurt all the more! Tears ran unchecked down Bella’s cheeks, making cold shiny tracks where they fell onto her jacket. A cold blast of night air swept across the barn floor as the door opened quickly. Bella looked up into Sarie’s concerned face.
“I thought it must be you when I saw the light from the house,” Sarie said simply as she sat beside Bella on the bale of hay.
“I need a place to stay tonight, and then tomorrow I’m going up England to London and ask Head Sister if I can start a week early,” Bella said through her tears.
“What’s happened then after I left?” Sarie sighed.
“Daniel. Handling me in the front hall like he owned me.” Bella shivered at the memory.
“What did your da have to say about that? Didn’t he set Daniel straight?” Sarie frowned.
“Da wants me to marry him. He promised Daniel I don’t know what, and Brian and Eileen think it’s a good idea too.” Fresh tears
ran down Bella’s cheeks.
“My stars! I can’t believe your da would do that without talking to you about it first.” Sarie was dumbfounded.
“Well he did! Can I stay the night here? Da is passed out on the kitchen table so he won’t be coming out to look for me until morning,” Bella pleaded.
“You know you’re always welcome here, Bella. Come up to the house and get warm. Mum was wetting the tea when I left.” Sarie put her arm around Bella and pulled her to her feet.
The bright warmth of the Waters’ kitchen was wonderful after the howl of the wind and the bite of the rain. Sarie and her mum exchanged worried looks over Bella’s head as she huddled in front of the hearth trying to get some heat back into her bones.
Sarie explained everything that Bella had told her to her mum in quiet whispers as they prepared the tea and set out some biscuits.
“Did you have any supper, child?” Mrs. Waters asked Bella.
“No.” Bella shook her head.
“Would you like some tomatoes and toast with cheese then?” Mrs. Waters offered.
When Bella nodded, Sarie got up and got the makings out of the cupboards and soon had a pile of sandwiches on the table. Mrs. Waters sat with Bella and then gently took her hand. With her other hand Mrs. Waters gently took Bella’s chin and tilted her face up to the light.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened, child,” Mrs. Waters invited. Her fingers gently probed the purple bruise on Bella’s jaw that Daniel’s heavy fingers had left.
By the time Bella related to Sarie and Mrs. Waters everything that had happened and been said, the plate of sandwiches and the teapot were empty. Bella felt better for talking about it all, but was still adamant that she was never going home again. Mrs. Waters allowed that she couldn’t blame her at all. Sarie sat with a thunderous look on her face that didn’t bode well for Barney Angarrick or Daniel Treliving the next time she ran into them.
“I don’t think that you should go up London tomorrow,” Sarie said suddenly into the silence.
“Oh I’m going, and the sooner the better.” Bella said emphatically.
“Sarie may be right, Bella. The first place your da will look for you is at King’s College,” Mrs. Waters told her.
“Da doesn’t know about King’s College,” Bella said, startled.
“Mrs. Bude told your Da this afternoon that you had a letter from King’s College Nursing School last week and wasn’t he proud. You know there’s nothing that goes through the post office that she doesn’t scrutinize.” Mrs. Waters smiled slightly.
“The old bag of wind! Now she’s ruined everything! I bet that’s why Da made whatever deal he made with Daniel. He doesn’t trust me to be in London on my own.” Bella was furious.
“Maybe you could just hide out here until next week, Bella,” Sarie offered.
“This is the first place Da will look!” Bella snorted.
“What if you’re not here, exactly?” Sarie smiled.
“He’ll be off up to London to King’s College quicker than you can say Jack Sprat,” Mrs. Waters said.
“Exactly, but what if Bella’s not there either? You haven’t rang Matron yet, have you, Bella?” Sarie said.
“Well, no. I was going to ask if I could use your phone,” Bella said.
“That’s brill, then. Matron will honestly say that she hasn’t heard from you about coming up to London earlier and that she is still expecting you next week,” Sarie said.
“But where will I be?” Bella was mystified. She hadn’t a clue about what Sarie was planning in her devious little head.
“You could hide in that cave out by Lamorna Cove, you know where we like to picnic? It’s big enough to keep out the weather, the winds are strong enough that no one will see or smell your fire,” Sarie said.
“It’s easy enough to get to that Raven could stay there, too. I can use her to pack in what I’ll need. It would only be for a few days. You’d come out and visit me and bring me the news, wouldn’t you?” Bella was beginning to like the idea of camping out and scaring her da silly.
Bella was thinking of Vear as well. She had forgotten in all the upset of the evening that she agreed to meet him at Lamorna Cove on Saturday. Well, this way she could see Vear again before she went up England to London. A pleasurable shiver ran through her as Bella thought about Vear’s big strong gentle hands on her shoulders. Having him touch her in the way Daniel attempted to would be as different as night and day from the mauling Daniel thought passed for lovemaking.
“We need to go early tomorrow before first light and we’ll have to take the long way around. No need for anyone to see us and happen to mention it to Barney or someone,” Sarie planned.
Morning came sooner than Bella would have thought possible. She was stiff and sore from her escapades of the previous night. In the pitch black of early morning Sarie and Bella packed up Raven and Tristan with supplies. When the girls pulled on their dark coats and mounted the black ponies they were all but invisible in the windswept pre-dawn. They set off a brisk trot and were soon passing to the west of Penzance with no one being the wiser. Once they were well past the towns they cut back to the east and followed the coast down to Lamorna Cove. The steep track down to the cave was fairly dry and they managed it without incident. Once inside the big cave the wind was considerably less and Sarie found a couple of big iron rings embedded in the wall of the cave. She used them to tether the two ponies while she and Bella sorted out the things they had brought. There was an old ring of blackened stones near the back of the cave and when the girls lit a small fire there they found that there was a natural fissure in the rock above that drew the smoke out and away from the interior of the cave. The floor of the cave was deep with sand and Bella had brought lots of quilts to keep out the damp and chill. There were even a couple of makeshift shelves at the back of the cave for Bella to store her things up off the floor.
“I wonder if this was a smuggler’s cave,” Sarie mused as she finished placing the last of the food on the shelf.
“As long as they aren’t using it in the next week, who cares?” Bella dropped down on the sand by the fire.
“Do you want me to stay and help you gather some driftwood for the fire? I should be getting back before it gets really light out.” Sarie looked worriedly at the increasing light coming into the mouth of the cave.
“It’ll give me something to do.” Bella laughed. “Lord knows it’s a good thing your mum lent me some books and I have the nursing texts that I got from Joseph.”
Sarie untied Tristan and hugged Bella before she headed up the steep track back to the headland. She used a bit of gorse to wipe out her tracks and then headed in the opposite direction from home. Sarie wanted to be seen heading back towards Long Rock from a totally different direction, just in case someone was watching and remembered seeing her when the news got out that Bella was missing.
It rained the next day, all day. Bella was warm and bored. The rain fell in sheets outside the cave and the rocks vibrated with the impact of the huge waves crashing against the foot of the cliffs. With a blanket around her shoulders Bella sat just inside the cave entrance and watched the patterns the wind created in the heavy rain as it blew it up the face of the cliff and then caught it in a downdraft and threw it back at the foaming waves below. There was no way Sarie would be able to come and see her today.
Hopefully Da hadn’t stormed out to Sarie’s and created a scene; with any luck he’d jumped the next train up England. There was no going back now, she had defied Da and there would be no reasoning with him. If he caught her, there would be no King’s College Nursing School, she’d be married to Daniel before she was old enough to do anything about it. No sense in thinking bad thoughts, Bella reasoned. She got to her feet and gathered the blanket around herself. Shivering, she threw some more wood on the smouldering blaze and settled herself close to its warmth. Out of the big satchel she had loaded on Raven, Bella pulled out one of the nursing texts and spent the rest of the day hap
pily reading about the proper way to make a bed and take a temperature. In between, Bella dreamed about the dashing and handsome young doctors who would be so admiring of her nursing skill that they would fall immediately in love with her. Raven stood by the back wall with one hind leg resting while she browsed through the pile of hay Bella had put out for her. Raven didn’t care if she was in a proper barn or a drafty cave as long as Bella was with her. Bella glanced up from her place by the fire and smiled at the big black mare. A frown creased her forehead; hopefully Raven would be happy at Sarie’s place. If all went well, maybe Bella could come down and visit her on her days off.
It was getting dark outside the cave and the rain showed no sign of letting up. Bella sighed and laid her book down beside her, drawing her knees up and she rested her chin on them while gazing into the fire. It would be so brill to have Sarie to talk to, she could always make sense of things when the world got crazy. But maybe it was better if Sarie wasn’t seen heading this way for a bit. No sense giving Da, or worse Daniel, a path to follow straight to her.
Presently Bella got up and shook the sand from her clothes, picking up some dry driftwood that she and Sarie gathered last time they were at the cave and pitched some onto her fire. The flames burned bright and almost smokeless. Her stomach rumbled, reminding Bella she should see about getting some dinner for herself. She opened a can of pork and beans and set the tin in the ashes at the edge of her fire to warm up. There was plenty of water from the little spring Bella discovered earlier at the back of the cave. If this was a smuggler’s cave, hopefully it was no longer in use. The last thing Bella needed was a visit from some blokes who would be very unhappy about finding their hideout occupied.
Bella glanced out the cave entrance at the rain and the darkening night. There wasn’t much chance of any fishermen returning to Penzance harbour being able to see her fire from the sea in the driving rain. Hopefully, if someone did see something they would just think it was one of the ghosts or haunts the old fishermen were so fond of telling tales about. Bella took an old wool sock and used it shield her hand from the heat of the can as she pulled the tin of beans out of the fire. The liquid was bubbling and the beans smelled delicious. Lord, she must be really hungry if a can of slightly charred beans smelled like a feast. Bella used the fork from the pile of supplies she and Sarie dragged down to the cave to shovel the warm food into her mouth. The beans tasted inordinately good for such run of the mill fare. Bella giggled. Just as quickly the smile faded from her face. Raven pricked her ears and shifted to look out the front of the cave. There it was again! The unmistakable scrape of boot leather on rocks accompanied by a small scatter of rocks falling from the ledge above the cave mouth set her heart racing. She gathered a large handful of sand to throw on the fire and then in the next instant let it slide through her fingers. Whoever was coming had already seen the fire anyway. Instead she hurried to the back of the cave and hid in a deep fissure in the cave wall behind the few piles of hay and straw she and Sarie managed to get into the cave.