by Dilly Court
Judy rose from the table. ‘I’ll go and change into my work clothes, Ma. I’m sure there’s a lot to do.’
‘I had plenty of help. Molly seemed to enjoy working here for a change, and it was lovely to have time to chat with Nell Pearce.’ Hilda smiled and the lines of worry on her face relaxed.
Judy went to her room and changed out of her travelling costume. Her work clothes felt even shabbier now than they had before she went away, but she tied on a clean apron and went downstairs to attack her tasks with renewed vigour. She had enjoyed her time with Rob, but she must put all that behind her and get on with the life that fate had handed out to her.
She swept the bar and polished the tables ready for the usual influx of customers later in the day. The workmen at the building site usually came for a drink when they had finished their shifts, and the aroma of cheese and onion pies and rabbit stew wafted through the building. It was late afternoon and getting dark outside when she realised that the scuttle was empty, and Nate had gone to the village on an errand for their mother. Judy picked up the brass scuttle and went outside to fill it with coal. She was on her way back to the kitchen when she heard footsteps behind her and something was clamped over her nose and mouth. She struggled and lost consciousness.
Judy opened her eyes and licked her dry lips. Her head ached and her whole body was being rocked from side to side with the motion of the fast-moving carriage. She attempted to sit up but a sudden bout of dizziness made her subside onto the stale-smelling leather squabs. It was dark inside and out, and she could hear the thunder of the horses’ hoofs as they pounded on the road surface. Although she called out, her dry throat turned her voice into little more than a croak and she realised that she could not make herself heard. Moreover, her wrists and ankles were bound and movement of any kind was restricted. She closed her eyes, saving her strength for what might come when the journey ended. Who had abducted her and the reason for such a crime was a mystery, but she was too angry to be scared. The journey seemed to last an eternity and she fell asleep only to awaken when the vehicle came to a halt. The door was wrenched open.
‘I’m sorry about this, Judy, but there was no other way.’
‘Jay? Is that you?’
A hand pulled her to a sitting position. ‘I’ll untie your ankles if you promise to do as I say. You can’t run away because we’re in the middle of nowhere and it’s pitch-dark. Do as I tell you and all will be well.’
‘I won’t run, but I want an explanation.’
‘All in good time.’ Jay cut the rope binding her ankles and he lifted her to the ground. ‘As I said before, don’t even think about trying to get away.’
It was a moonless night and a bitter east wind whipped at Judy’s hair, dragging it free from the pins that had kept it neatly in place. She was wearing a linsey-woolsey dress, but the chill cut into her bones like knives. Jay dragged her across rough ground and she stumbled over stones and ruts in the lane. She could hear the sound of waves crashing on the shore and she could smell the sea, but she had no idea where they were. Eventually she saw a pinprick of light, which grew nearer and nearer until she could just make out the shape of a house, standing on its own.
‘Where are we?’ Judy demanded angrily. ‘Why have you brought me to this place?’
‘Shut up,’ Jay snapped. ‘All in good time. I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to get you here.’ He dragged her to the front entrance and kicked the door open.
Judy found herself in the dimly lit kitchen of what appeared to be an old farmhouse. A fire burned feebly in the ancient range, issuing gusts of soot-laden smoke at intervals, and not a lot in the way of warmth. Jay pushed her down onto a wooden chair at the table.
‘Sit there and don’t move.’ He strode over to the range and riddled the coals, sending sparks flying in all directions. ‘The bloody chimney needs sweeping. In fact the whole damn building needs razing to the ground. However, it’ll serve its purpose.’
‘What is this place?’ Judy demanded. ‘Where are we?’
‘This, my dear, was bought by my late father many years ago. I believe he used to entertain certain ladies here where he could be sure of complete privacy. Hardly anyone knew about it apart from the old woman who kept house for him, and she died some time ago.’
Judy twisted round in the chair, staring at him in disbelief. ‘What’s happened to you? I don’t remember you being like this before you left for Australia.’
‘You were a nipper then and a servant. You didn’t know what was going on, any more than you realise what’s at stake now.’
He was angry and Judy sensed danger. She decided to humour him. ‘I might understand if you would only talk to me.’
Jay took off his greatcoat and tossed it over the back of a chair. ‘Here’s what you’ll do, Judy Begg. You’ll stop asking questions and keep your mouth shut.’
She met his irate gaze with a straight look. ‘You could at least untie my hands. I can’t go anywhere, as you said, and you’re twice my size, so I’m hardly likely to overpower you.’
He opened a drawer and took out a knife, which he used to slice through the cords. ‘There, now you can shut up. I’ll speak to you when I’m good and ready.’ He stood back, glaring at her for a moment. ‘You can cook, can’t you?’
‘Yes, of course I can. You must know that I trained under Mrs Pearce.’
‘I can’t be expected to remember every servant we employed. Anyway, I’m damned hungry. There’s food in the bag. See what you can make of it because we might be here for some time.’
Judy followed his gaze and in the dim light she saw a bag spilling its contents onto the deal table. She was hungry too, or she might have refused, although she knew from experience that a good meal had a soothing effect on a bad-tempered man. There were potatoes, onions and carrots together with a large chunk of bacon, a loaf of bread, and a wedge of cheese.
‘I can make a meal of this,’ she said carefully, ‘but I’ll need water. Is there a pump in the yard?’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’ He caught her by the sleeve as she was about to make for the back door. ‘No, you don’t. I’ll go – you stay here.’ He picked up a bucket and went outside.
Judy could hear him stamping around in the dark and cursing, but then there was the swooshing sound of water hitting the pail, and she sighed with relief. At the bottom of the bag was a poke of tea leaves and another of sugar. That might sweeten Jay’s temper a little.
He stamped back into the kitchen and put the bucket down with a thud.
‘There you are. Now get on with it.’
Judy filled the kettle and placed it on the hob. She began to prepare the meal by peeling the vegetables. ‘There’s no need to be so surly, Jay Tattersall. I’m not your slave and I’ve no idea why I’m here, or why you’re behaving like this.’
Jay sat down and put his feet up on a second chair. ‘You caused my young brother a lot of misery. All he wanted was for you to accompany him to Australia, but you decided to stay at home. Perhaps you had your eye set on the next master of Creek Manor.’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about. I was heartbroken the first time Jack went off without a word. You planned it that way, didn’t you?’
‘Watch your tongue, girl. You’re nothing to me and I don’t give a tinker’s cuss for your good opinion. You’re here because I’ve got a use for you. You’ll find out in good time – now get on with the cooking.’
Judy did not like to push him too far. This was not the Jay she remembered from childhood days. When he had first married Daisy he had been kind and cheerful and generally well liked. Even when he had lost his memory after his return from a long period of absence, he had been a polite, if slightly distant master to the servants at Creek Manor, but this man was a relative stranger, and an unpleasant one at that.
Judy prepared the vegetables, adding them to the pot together with chunks of salty bacon and topping it up with water. She made the tea and handed Jay a steaming mug, sw
eetened with a little of the sugar. He drank it in silence, staring moodily into space, and Judy occupied herself by searching the drawers and cupboards for bowls and cutlery. The items she found were in need of a wash, and she was glad of having something to keep her busy. All the while she was plotting her escape, but she would have to wait until Jay was asleep. It was true that she had no idea where they were, but when she went to the back door and opened it just a crack she could hear the sea. A walk along the coast would almost certainly bring her to a village or habitation of some sort. It was a cold night, but dry, with very little wind. All she needed was a shawl or a blanket to wrap around her shoulders and she could walk for miles. While the soup was cooking she had a good look round the scullery and found a lantern beneath the stone sink. There were a few candles in Jay’s bag, together with a box of matches. He seemed to have thought of everything.
Judy closed the cupboard door and went back to stir the soup.
The sweet tea had done much to restore Jay’s good humour, and he demolished two bowls of soup and a large slice of bread covered in slivers of cheese. Judy had tried to be economical in case they needed to stretch the food out to last a couple of days, although she did not intend to wait idly to find out what Jay had in mind for her. She had to force herself to eat, and her throat seemed to close up when she attempted to swallow. At the back of her mind she knew that her sudden disappearance would make Ma and Nate frantic with worry. She wondered if Rob would come in search for her, but he would not know where to start.
She waited until Jay had finished his meal. ‘Why are you keeping me prisoner?’
He sat back in his chair, eyebrows raised as if the question had taken him by surprise. ‘You’re not a prisoner, Judy. You’re what I would call an insurance.’
‘An insurance against what? What are you up to, and how do I fit in?’
‘I want my birthright back,’ Jay said slowly. ‘I am the rightful lord of the manor, and that upstart has taken it away from me.’
‘If you wanted to keep the manor house, why did you sell it in the first place?’
‘I needed the money, you stupid girl. Why else would I put my ancestral home up for sale?’
‘But you’re doing so well in Australia. I don’t see why Creek Manor is so important to you.’
‘Robert Dorning is an imposter and his family are criminals. I’ll pay him a fair price, but I want the Creek Manor estate for my son.’
Judy gave him a searching look. ‘You’re doing all this to hurt Rob?’
‘I regretted my decision the moment the estate was sold. Had I known that one of the Dorning family had his eye on the estate I’d have returned sooner.’
Judy eyed him curiously. ‘I think you know more about the fire than you’re saying.’
‘I was on the other side of the world. You told me about the fire when I returned to Little Creek.’
‘You couldn’t have started the fire yourself, but you might have paid someone else to do it for you,’ Judy said slowly. ‘Did you plan it all, Jay? Did you hope to get the estate cheaper because the house was a ruin?’
‘Why don’t you mind your own business, girl?’
‘You brought me here against my will. That makes it very much my business.’
‘All right, since you won’t shut up, I’ll tell you. Yes, I arranged for someone to start the fire. I didn’t want the old ruin of a house; I wanted the land and the title for my boy, and I would have got it cheaply if Dorning hadn’t turned up.’
‘Did you know that the squire had a son by his first marriage?’
Jay thumped his fist down on the table. ‘No, I did not. Now stop asking bloody silly questions and clear this mess away. Then you can get to bed. I can’t stand the sight of you any longer.’
Judy rose to her feet, leaning her hands on the table. ‘If you feel like that why did you bring me here? What do you hope to gain by all this?’
‘Dorning has received a ransom note. If he doesn’t agree to let me buy back the land and the title at my price, he’ll never see you again.’
Judy stared at him aghast. ‘You plan to kill me for a stupid title?’
‘Nothing so dramatic. If he agrees to my terms you’ll go free, if not you’ll be coming with Jack and me to Australia.’
‘You can’t do that. I won’t go with you.’
‘You won’t have any choice. Jack isn’t in Southampton, he’s on board the Lazy Jane, just waiting for me to join him. He’s not party to this, by the way. Now do as I said and tidy up, then you can go to bed. There are plenty of rooms upstairs – take your pick.’
‘This is outrageous,’ Judy said angrily. ‘You can’t do this.’
Jay narrowed his eyes. ‘Dorning has taken a fancy to you, so I have a hold on him.’
‘I refuse to be a pawn in your devious plans, Jay Tattersall. Rob and I are friends, that’s all.’
‘I don’t believe you. Anyway, time will tell. If he doesn’t turn up at the meeting place tomorrow I’ll know you’re telling the truth.’
‘And you’ll let me go?’
‘Maybe. Or perhaps I’ll let Jack decide. If he still wants you then he can have you.’
Judy held her tongue with difficulty. It was obvious that arguing with Jay was a waste of time and she was in no position to bargain. She cleared the table and placed the dirty crockery in the stone sink.
‘You can leave that until morning.’
She spun round to find Jay standing behind her. Her heartbeat quickened and she was suddenly afraid, but she faced him with a defiant stare.
‘I’d prefer to leave everything tidy.’
He grabbed her by the arm. ‘And I’d prefer it if you were safely locked in your room. I’m not going to sit up all night keeping watch in case you try to make a run for it. Without you I haven’t any bargaining power, so come quietly or I’ll toss you over my shoulder and carry you.’
Judy shook free from his grasp. ‘There’s no need for that. I’ll follow you.’
Jay shook his head. ‘I’m not stupid, Judy Begg. You’ll go upstairs first. Take any room you like. They’re all much the same.’ He lit a candle from the one burning in the centre of the table and thrust it into her hand. ‘My patience is limited so don’t try me too far.’
There seemed little choice other than to humour him, and Judy climbed the stairs. She hesitated on the landing. There was a distinct smell of damp and it was bitterly cold away from the kitchen range.
‘In there.’ Jay pushed past her and flung the nearest door open.
A gust of icy air almost took Judy’s breath away as she entered the room. ‘I’ll need coal for the fire,’ she said crossly. ‘You can’t expect me to sleep here.’
‘You’ll have to make do.’ Jay backed out onto the landing. ‘I’ll let you have the candle, but I’m locking you in. I’ll let you out at dawn.’ He slammed the door and the key grated in the lock.
Judy held the candle high so that she could get a clearer picture of her prison, for that was what it felt like. Jay had her trapped in this isolated house, and there seemed to be little likelihood of escape. She spotted another candle on the mantelshelf, and she lit it from the one in her hand. The extra light was comforting, and she crossed the floor to check the window. It opened easily enough, but it was a dark night and she could not see the ground below. Shivering violently, she closed the window and drew the curtains, but the material was rotten and they fell to pieces in her hands.
The bed did not look inviting. The bare mattress was lumpy and felt damp, but by this time Judy was exhausted and she knew that there was nothing to be done until morning. A search of the cupboards revealed very little other than dead cockroaches and mouse droppings, but in an old sea chest she found a horse blanket, which was coarse and smelly, but infinitely better than nothing. Still fully dressed, she lay down on the bed and curled up beneath the rough woollen cloth. The old timbers of the house creaked and groaned, as if it too were settling down for a night’s sleep. The wind
whistled through the ill-fitting windows, thrashing the branches of the trees like an irate schoolmaster. Judy closed her eyes, shutting out the world in which she had found herself. She would find a way to escape from Jay but she would think about that in the morning.
Chapter Twenty-One
Judy was up and sitting on the edge of the bed when she heard the key turn in the lock. There was no telling what sort of mood Jay might be in, and she braced herself to face whatever might happen that day.
The door opened. ‘You’re awake. Good – I want my breakfast.’ Jay stomped off and she could hear his booted feet clattering on the stairs.
Judy decided to play along with him, but at the same time she would look for a way of escape, and she followed him downstairs to the kitchen. He went to the range and began riddling the ashes, cursing loudly.
‘Here, let me do that.’ She edged him unceremoniously out of the way. ‘Is there any coal outside, or some logs?’
‘I’ll go and look. You stay here and don’t even think of trying to get away. The front door is locked and I have the key.’
Judy set about clearing the ashes away from the embers and she used the bellows to coax them into flames, adding what was left of the coal. There was a decent blaze by the time Jay returned with a basket of logs and a bundle of dried furze. Minutes later the kettle was on the hob and bacon sizzled in the pan.
Jay took his place at the table. ‘You’d be useful on board ship,’ he said, grudgingly. ‘Our cook should be tossed overboard for the rubbish he serves up.’
Judy turned the bacon and added a couple of slices of bread. ‘I’m not volunteering for that job.’
‘You might not have much choice if your friend doesn’t turn up at the meeting place. If I can’t get what I want we’ll be setting sail sooner than planned.’
Judy served the food and slapped his plate down in front of him. ‘So all this will have been a waste of time. Why don’t you give up and be satisfied with what you have in Australia? It sounds like a good life over there.’
‘If I don’t get my way you’ll find out for yourself.’ Jay attacked his food with obvious enjoyment.