The Straw Halter (19 page)

As Rosa, Bill, Daniel and, a short distance behind, Richard, rushed through the woods towards the sound, Betsy’s assailant was fighting what seemed to him like a madwoman.

The other villain caught them up but before he could join in
and help subdue the fiery Betsy who was flailing out with arms and legs, Richard, Daniel, Bill and Rosa burst through the trees. With four against them the two men soon ran off towards the horses, leapt on their backs and went thundering back through the woods and towards the fair.

Meanwhile Agnes, who had found and had been shadowing Richard Choicely for a while, saw him disappear through the trees behind the caravan. She panted along in his wake. It was now or never. She would
make
him listen and believe her and the future would be secure, no more scraping and bowing. She was sure he would listen when she threatened to tell his fiancée and her family about the child his brother had sired and how the Choicely family had treated her. Especially when she revealed that this offshoot was even now working for them. Oh yes, the revenge would be sweet for her.

She couldn’t keep up with him, then she too heard the screams and stood still for a few moments to get her breath. The riders, galloping wildly back through the woods ploughed straight into her.

The accident at the fair which left Aunt Agnes dead shocked them all. None would have wished that kind of death on her, although Richard did see the justice of it more than most. An eye for an eye, he thought. He vowed to himself never to tell Betsy the truth about his brother’s death. It would do no harm to let her believe it was a real accident and not murder. The only person still alive now who knew the absolute truth was himself and he would take the secret to his grave.

The knowledge that Betsy had been working at Clover Court surprised both Richard and Daniel.

‘Although,’ Richard said to her much later when Agnes’s
body had been taken away and they were all sitting in Rosa and Bill’s caravan, ‘the person I saw near the stables that night looked familiar, I did not know it was you. For a moment I thought it was the ghost of my mother and wondered whether I had perhaps imbibed a little unwisely.’

Some time later, their arms wrapped round each other, Betsy and Daniel walked to the stable-yard and climbed into their farm-cart to return home. Before they left Richard Choicely said he was going to Clover Court from the fair and he would explain what had happened and why she would not be returning.

‘Later,’ he said, ‘we must talk properly because you are part of my family, Betsy and,’ he turned to Daniel, ‘you also because she is your wife.’

‘There is nothing I need,’ Betsy said to him, her eyes shining and smiling in spite of the tragedy of a few hours ago. ‘I only wanted to find the truth.’

Sir Richard bade them all farewell. ‘Nevertheless, keep in touch,’ he said.

Once clear of the fair Daniel reined in the cart and they kissed. ‘My love,’ he whispered tenderly, ‘let’s go home.’

An hour later, back at Redwood Farm Daniel stabled the horse then came into the room where she was making a fuss of Dumbo.

‘Betsy, my dearest,’ he whispered, taking her in his arms, ‘I love you so.’

‘And I love you, Daniel. I’ll never leave you again. I was only half a person without you, my love.’

Suddenly he released her from his embrace. ‘Wait, there’s something I have to do, my darling, something I should have done a long time ago.’ He took the straw halter from its hook in
the kitchen, threw it into the grate and set light to it. As it crackled and burned he drew her once more into his arms, while the circlet of straw hissed and sparked before crumbling into ashes.

Tin Hats and Gas Masks