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The next day, on Christmas day, Euron gave her that look again when they took the horses out to the pasture. She rather enjoyed being outside with the animals because she knew it would not be long before the snow fell.
“You have made my sister and father very glad with your presence here at our home,” Euron said to her as they walked.
“And they have made me happy as well.”
“And where do you come from?”
“I came here from London. I worked in the factories and your family was kind enough to take me in when I left London.”
“Why did you leave?”
“I could not find work or shelter and I thought I would fare better in the countryside to find work. I can cook and sew and clean after all...”
“And read and write. It is not many a factory worker that can do that.”
Adeline grew nervous at his questions. He had every right to question her of course as she was a stranger and he was just protecting his family.
“I mean your family no harm sir if that is what your questions pertain too.”
He laughed. “You are blunt are you not? No beating around the bush.”
“I see no need too.”
“Very well then. I did not see you as the sort to be a danger to my family, by the way. I only wished to know you better,” he smiled.
“Oh, I see,” she flushed and felt a little embarrassed that she mistook his interest in her to be of mistrust.
“I will still see to the tavern for accomadations after Christmas week sir, and you shall have your room back, for Hilda has said you do not mean to return to your post until early Spring.”
“Nonsense. Yes indeed I will return in Spring but I also will not have you put out. I am quite well in the main room for sleeping and will share my father’s room for any privacy I may need during the day. For though I am here until Spring I also have business to attend to and will be gone for days at a time. So there is no need for you to be put out, especially the way I see how happy you have made my family. They need help now that I am gone with the farm side of things and keeping house. The fact that you bestowed an education on my sister is something that cannot be repaid. I am in your debt madame.”
“It is nothing really,” Adeline smiled and felt her shoulders drop. For she was now relieved to know that she was not going to be thrown out of the house. She rather liked the stability of it.
For as the days passed she started to consider Euron more and more like a brother, and had much fun with him and Hilda. She felt right as rain in his presence and indeed found him more handsome as time passed. She did not know how she got so lucky. There was always the question of not knowing what might happen in the future, but for now there was food to eat, and a warm bed to sleep in. All because of the very kind people that she had come across on a very frightening journey.
Another two weeks passed complete and she spent it working in the tavern, teaching Hilda, taking care of the farm animals, cooking and cleaning. Euron held true to his word and he was often gone for days at a time but would not say where he had gone except saying it was for army business that he could not speak of. His father said it was something that soldiers had to do, checking in now and again to prove they had not become deserters.
On a splendid winter morning, Adeline served hot coffee and tea to the patrons in the tavern. It was quite a busy morning because many were travelling through after spending Christmas holidays and new year visiting family and friends.
“We will have coffee here dear, as well as some biscuits,” A man shouted to her.
“Yes of course, coming right up.”
“And hot stew and bread and cheese here,” A woman tapped her on the arm that was seated next to where Adeline stud.
“I'm on my way to the kitchen now, ma'am.”
Adeline went to the back kitchen to gather all the items and set them upon two trays which she balanced on her hands, taking them back to the main room.
“Yes will it would have been much better if I had not lost so much thank notes to that shark, Euron Carson.” A man said to another man seated at a table that she passed.
Adeline was surprised to hear the name Euron Carson, and what did he mean shark? She circled back around serving people in order to listen.
“Yes, he has the luck of the devil when it comes to cards, does he not? I have known many that have lost lots of money to him. We will all be glad when he goes back to Scotland to rejoin his post, will we not.”
“That is if the whore that he visits will allow him to leave. I am sure that she plans to become heavy with his child in order to keep him here.” The man said to the other and both laughed heartily at their remarks.
Adeline stood there completely shocked. They could not be speaking of the Euron Carson, the same gentleman that was brother to Hilda and son of Benson. He a gaming man, gambling away money and visiting whores? They could not be, that was not like him. They must be speaking of another, though they did mention that his post was in Scotland with the army.
“Excuse me Miss, we would like to order some food,” Someone shouted across the tavern to her. She pulled out of her way of the gentleman that spoke of Euron and made her way across the room. Euron did disappear for days at a time. He seemed to have ample amounts of finances, though she assumed it was because of his commission in the army, not because of gambling. She was so overwhelmed but she could not think of it now, there was work to be done. She definitely could not bring it up to Hilda or Benson, for they may not know this about him and she would not be the one to bring them such news.
She spent the next week wondering where Euron was, and wondering if she could bring up the information to Benson. But she could never bring herself to speak ill of the son of the man that had took her in and treated her as his own daughter. So she kept her mouth shut and went about her business. She had made good wages at the Green Tavern and had saved up quite a bit. In early February or March she would be able to journey to Brentwood. But she had a mind to ask Angus if she could just take time off to go see what Brentwood was about and come back and still have a home with the Carson family as well as a job at the Green Tavern, for she had now considered this her home and her life. She did not want to give it up, no matter what clues her past might bring to her.
That evening she took out her coin purse that she had hidden in her room in the cottage. She wanted to count just how much she had and how much would be needed in order to pay for passage to Hertfordshire County, as well as lodging once she arrived for several days, in order to figure out who this Katrina was and what she knew about her and her past. It would take quite a sum have the money to also pay for passage back to the Green Tavern. But she knew that she had worked long and hard and should have more than enough. Taking out the coin purse, something felt odd.
“That is very strange indeed. It feels quite light.” She said to herself. She poured the contents of the coin purse onto the bed. “No.”
For there was barely half of what she knew that she had in the coin purse. This could not be. She checked the coin purse to make sure that there was not a whole that coin could have fallen through. But there was no such thing. She counted the coin confirming that it was not the same amount as the last time she had checked. This was quite shocking indeed.
She could not believe that this was happening to her again. First it had been Patty that robbed her, and now she had been robbed again. She wouldn't dare blame it on Hilda or Benson; she knew exactly who had done the deed. It must be Euron. He had been in his room and had rifled through her things. She could not believe it. He was not there and had been gone for several days, so she could not confront him. Not that she could confront him in front of his family; they would kick her out immediately and take his side, as they should. He was blood after all and she was not. The anger filled her body.
There was not enough coin to travel to Hertfordshire, and do w
hat she needed to do. She should have been smarter than this, after her dealings with Patty, she should always have her coin on her. But she had always been scared of being robbed on her way home from the Tavern, so she kept things hidden in the room. But since this was Euron's room there was no real hiding place. He knew all the nooks and crannies.
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More days went by and her spirit felt crushed. She had been so angry with herself and with Euron, that she could not wait until he returned, therefore she was shocked when he walked into the Green Tavern looking dashing as ever.
“Mr Carson, you have returned.” She said, restraining her anger as he walked up to her while she held a tray of tea in her hand and said it down for the patrons at the table.
“So I have. I was passing through the tavern and thought I would take a refreshment and walk you home. It is a nice day, though a bit of a chill in the winter air.”
“Walk me home?” She said. This was perfect. She would be able to confront him crossing the field where no one could hear them.
“Yes, a gentleman escorting a fine lady, if you will have me?”
“Yes, that would be very agreeable. I am to leave in one hour,” She said.
“Then I shall have tea and a meal while I wait. Bring me your best dish. And perhaps a glass of scotch.”
She nodded her head and he sat at a table. But as she made her way to the kitchen, she overheard Angus.
“Euron my boy! Sit with your old Uncle at the bar. Don't make me drink this bottle of Scotch alone!” Angus waved him over.
“I would not dare do such a thing, uncle. Pour with generosity.” Euron said.
She rolled her eyes as she entered the kitchen. Great, she did not need a drunkard to escort her home. Especially because he would not be coherent enough to listen to her accusations, nor remember them the next day. Annoying indeed.
One hour later, she could smell the scotch on his breath as they walked side-by-side across the field. His step had a swagger to it, he was drunk obviously. She had a mind to trip him and make him fall and then robbed him of whatever money he had on him the way he had robbed her, then leave him in the field to send off the coyotes, she was so angry. But she could not do that to the Carson family. She loved them greatly.
“So, what is Brentwood Manor to you?” He said suddenly.
Adeline looked at him with shock. “ Excuse me sir. What do you mean?” She did not understand how he knew of such a thing. Did his father tell him that she had questioned him many months before about that place?
“I mean this.” He took out a parchment from the lapel of his coat.
“My letter? You took my letter from my things.”
“That does not answer the question, Miss Blakefield, if that is your real name. Who is Katrina Proctor Byers and why do you have a letter addressed to her? She sounds like a fine lady indeed. What would someone from the London factories have with a woman like that?”
“Give me back that letter. It is not enough that you stole coin from my purse but now you are stealing my personal belongings!”
“They are belongings that are in my room. I feel that I am entitled to some of it, if not all that is in there.” He grinned.
“You sir are no gentleman. You think I have not heard of you? Of your gaming and whoring about. That is why you are gone for days at a time.” She said as she reached for the letter. He pulled it back away from her. The grin on his face was gone, replaced with a very dark look.
“I do not know what you know of such things, but ye will keep that pretty mouth of yours shut.”
“Do not think that you can tell me what to do. I will do as I please and tell who I please”
“If you will not keep that pretty mouth shut I will keep it shut for you.” Suddenly Adeline was flung onto the ground, pushed onto her back by Euron.
“How dare you!” she screamed.
“I will take what is mine. You haven't been giving me eyes, batting your eyelashes at me like the horror that you are, Tavern wench.” He shouted as he took off his coat and laid on top of her.
Adeline punched at his chest. “No, get off of me! I hate you! Get off of me! Do not touch me!”
She shouted these words over and over. Panic and fear grew inside of her as flashes of her memory came back to her. She remembered the factory manager trying to push himself on top of her. But then another man, one that she had never seen before flashed in her mind as well. A plump gentlemen, that was pushing himself on her the same way that Euron did now.
She screamed and kicked and tried to get out from under him.
“Get off of her, now!” a voice said, deep and dark.
Suddenly Euron was picked up off of Adeline and thrown to the ground. He was too drunk to stand to his feet.
“Get away from her or I will have you whipped.” The voice said. “ Are you all right?”
Adeline opened her eyes to see William Dawson standing above her. But the moment was fleeting, she had lost her breathing and the vision of William gave way to darkness and it was all black as she fainted.
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William rode on horseback, heading toward the Green Tavern, to settle his tab. He was passing through, making his way to a cousin's, when he knew that he should make a point to stop and pay his bill.
But as he rode, leisurely, it was a very quiet bride; that was until something reached his ears. The scream and shout outs of a woman.
“Whoa, stop,” he said to his horse. He brought the horse to a halt and listened. He heard her again. It was coming from the field beyond the road, he kicked his horse in that direction. Riding toward until he saw a heap of bodies on the ground. He knew what was happening immediately, a man was attacking a woman.
Rage filled William as he did not tolerate such behaviour. Quickly he stopped his horse and jumped off.
“Get off of her now!”
He pulled the man off the woman. Then he punched him in the jaw. “Get away from her or I will have you whipped.” The man stumbled backward and fell to the ground, losing consciousness. He smelled of the drink. William shook his hand out. He had hit him quite hard.
“Are you all right?” he looked at the woman, she took a breath, and fainted. But astonishment took hold of his heart as he looked at her. He could not believe it.
“No. It cannot be. It's simply cannot.” William knelt down next to the woman. He brushed her hair off of her face. Indeed it was her, Adeline. He stared at her with shock, not knowing if he was imagining such a thing. For his mind had played tricks on him before, such as when he spoke to her in the street in London, just to have her tell him that it was not her.
The man that was unconscious stirred. William had no time to make up his mind whether this was Adeline or not, before the man woke. So he scooped Adeline into his arms, and carried her to his horse. He was careful as he positioned her on her belly, swinging her over the saddle. Then he mounted the horse behind her, putting his arm around her belly and pulling her to him to sit upright. Then he urged the horse into a gentle trot, taking them away from the scene of the crime.
Now that he knew it was Adeline that was being attacked by the man, he had a notion to continue to beat the man, perhaps taking his life. It was the first time he had ever felt like doing such a thing, such a terrible crime. But nobody hurt her, not after he had lost her.
But not wanting to lose her again he needed to get her to safety. William had a series of hunting cottages throughout the English countryside. He had one such cottage within ten miles of the region, so he made his way toward it, in order to have temporary housing so that he could figure this thing out. One thing was for sure, it had to be Adeline. No one looked the way she looked, a complete beauty.
He did not want to take her to the Green Tavern, because whoever that man was, her attacker might want to retaliate against her. She would not be safe in such a place, as well as wanting to conceal the attack on her, if she did not wish
it to be known publicly. That information was for her to divulge if she wished it. So he knew that he could not take her back to the tavern.
Half an hour later, he had arrived at the cottage. He carried her from the horse, inside. The cottage had not been used in almost a year, and was quite dusty, but it would do just fine. It was his after all, and they could both be safe there.
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Adeline had a strange sense of floating. She did not know what happened but for some reason she had a feeling of safety with strong arms around her. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but it was very dark indeed. It was not until she felt a soft mattress that she panicked.
“Adeline, do not worry. I have said I am not here to harm you. But I must set you down on the bed, you are injured, your knee is bruised. And as you will see it is only a one-room cottage.”
Adeline felt silly indeed. But no one could blame her for being mistrustful of a man laying her on his bed, a stranger at that! Where the hell was she?
“I am just going to light the fire.” he moved across the room, in the dark.
She stirred, opening her eyes fully. Indeed she could not see anything. A match lit the room, and she watched as the tall stranger lit two candles, finally creating some real light. Then he set to work lighting the fire. He made quick work of it, and the room was fairly bright, considering it was not a lot of space to be lit in the first place. Then he turned toward her.
Shock crossed her face. It was the man from London, the very one that owned the factory she worked at for some time. The man from the carriage that she had been running from. Was this a dream?
“What are you doing here? Where are Hilda and Mr Carson?”
His blue eyes were an almond shape, giving him a mysterious look. A slender nose led down to full pink lips, and a square jaw. He was tall, that much she already knew, and wore a white tunic tucked into black trousers and brown and black riding boots, very elegant and refined.
A Poor Girl's Peril (#4, the Winds of Misery Victorian Romance) (A Family Saga Novel) Page 14