Oh, no, she thought. She could not run from him. ‘I am nearly home, sir.’
‘Where is that?’
She looked away silently. Already the lacing on her boot felt uncomfortably tight. She couldn’t even get to her feet without help.
‘Will you permit me to examine your injury?’
‘Very well.’
He knelt beside her, gently removed her boot and manipulated her ankle.
She gave a squeak of pain.
‘There is swelling but it is not broken. You are new here, are you not?’
She nodded. ‘I was making for the inn.’
‘Alone?’ He held out his hand.‘Let me help you to your feet.’
He took a step back and stared at her. ‘The inn, you say?’
‘I have no money. My purse was stolen.’
‘Then you may stay with me until you can walk again.’
‘No, thank you.’ He was not a young man for he had greying hair, but she guessed he had expected her to trust him because he looked hurt by her refusal. ‘What will your wife say, sir?’ she asked.
‘I have no wife, ma’am.’
She realized he was not like Hesley or his friends. He was a kindly gentleman. His horse was from good stock and well cared-for. Silently she picked up her boot.
‘I have a sister,’ he added, ‘who will welcome you.’
‘Then thank you,’ she replied. He was educated and polite. But his dress was not that of a gentleman. He was more of a countryman, she thought. Perhaps a farmer.
He lifted her on to his saddle and mounted behind her, holding her between his arms as he took up the reins. She panicked when they reached the lock and he turned the horse’s head from the canal towards the distant winding gear of the pit. ‘Where are we, sir?’
‘Mexton Lock. Do you know it?’
‘Where do you take me?’
‘To my home, as I have told you.’
‘But you are riding towards a pithead.’
‘Indeed I am. I shall turn off the track shortly. I live in a disused farmhouse a short distance from the pit village.’
He was taking her to within a stone’s throw of Mexton Pit! No matter, she thought. Hesley never visited the mine and the manager she had known as a child had died. A younger man had taken his place and did not visit Hill Top House.All Hesley
’
s mining dealings were done through Jessup’s legal office in town. She smiled at the irony in this turn of events.
Chapter 23
‘Have you news from Hill Top House, Father?’ Jared had come home from Manchester to install new steam hammers at his father’s forge. Sir William had released him from his position at Kimber Deep to study and he had used his learning to help his father expand their thriving concern.
During his absence from the South Riding he had tried to forget Olivia but could not. Finally he had asked after her in his letters home and had received news of Hesley’s return. ‘But what of Olivia?’ he had asked again. ‘She is mistress of Hill Top House,’ was all his father would say. Neither would his mother be drawn. He guessed they knew of his affection for Olivia and feared for the safety of both. He recalled his father being very persuasive about Manchester and at the time it had seemed the right thing to do.
Now Jared was an assured and confident gentleman, respected among local ironmasters, but - oh, how he regretted leaving Olivia. Yet what else could he have done? He had no doubt that old Hesley would have locked her away if he had even suspected a liaison. Perhaps now that her husband was at home they might meet openly on social occasions. He wondered how Hesley would react to that.
Jared was living with his family again. They were drinking coffee in the drawing room after dinner. It was new to the household: Jared had acquired a taste for it in Manchester. His mother and sisters didn’t like it, and had gone to help the maid put away the china.
‘No,’ his father replied,‘but it’s interesting that you should want to know. Old Samuel Mexton’s lawyer has asked to see me.’
‘Mr Withers?’
‘Yes. It’s about your mother’s half-brother, I believe.’
‘I had heard he was very ill, Father.’
‘Who from?’
‘I met the pit manager from Kimber Deep. He knows Hesley’s man at Mexton. I asked about Olivia but he had no other knowledge of the family. Do you know anything, Father? I’m worried about Olivia.’
His father gave him a long, hard look. ‘So is your mother. She heard from the vicar’s wife that Olivia had stopped going to that little church. Leastways, no one’s seen her for a month.’
‘Didn’t they call on her to find out why?’
‘No one goes to Hill Top House without they’re invited, these days.’
‘Well, I shall. She may be ill too.’
‘Wait, son. Come with me to the lawyer tomorrow. He will have news.’
‘She left on her own? Why? What happened to make her go? I must find her! She will be in danger. Why has Hesley made no effort to look for her? Why haven’t you?’ Jared had leaped to his feet in the lawyer’s office.What kind of husband did not search for his wife? Hesley didn’t deserve her. Nobody did! She was too good for all of them.
Withers was frowning. ‘Hesley Mexton doesn’t instruct me now. He uses Jessup.’
‘Then how do you know about old Hesley?’ his father asked.
‘He is dying and his apothecary asked me to visit. I’m still a trustee for the pit.That was in old Samuel’s will.Young Hesley will take charge of his grandfather’s mine.’
‘He has a manager,’ Jared said.
‘The new one is not much older than you and he does as he’s told.’
‘Well, Hesley’s university education will come in useful after all,’ Jared went on wryly. But he didn’t want to waste any more time worrying about Hesley or his grandfather. He was anxious to be away making his own enquiries for Olivia. Somebody must have seen her when she left. She couldn’t just have disappeared. ‘Have you finished with us, sir?’ he added.
‘Rum lot, the Mextons,’ his father commented, as they left the office.
‘Mother’s one of them.’
‘Aye, she is. Blood’s thicker than water, and Mr Withers was right to tell us. She’ll be wanting to see old Hesley before he passes on.’
‘I’m going there now. I want to know what’s happened.’
‘Wait until after dinner, son. We’ll all go.’
‘No. It’s been too long already. I’ll ride ahead and meet you there at tea-time.’
‘Good day to you.’ Jared slid down from his horse and walked her towards the old walled garden.‘Are you from Hill Top House?’
The servant girl glanced towards him. ‘I might be. What do you want?’
‘Is your master at home?’
She tossed her head in the direction of the house. ‘You’ll find him there.’ She sat on a rock to unlace her boots and ease her aching feet.
He led his horse into the yard, expecting Matt to appear from the stable. He tethered the animal himself, uneasy with the silence. No one answered the jangling bell at the front door so he walked unannounced into the kitchen where another girl was stacking crockery on the dresser.
‘Who are you?’ she demanded, startled.
‘I’d like to see the master.’
‘You’ll have to ask Mrs Cookson.’
‘Where is your mistress?’
The girl’s eyes took on a guarded expression. ‘She’s gone.’
‘Gone where?’
‘Left. She took the trap into town one day and never came back.’
‘That’s enough, Mary.’ Mrs Cookson had walked into the kitchen, carrying a foul-smelling pail covered with a pile of soiled linen. ‘Take this bucket to the privy and find Eliza to wash these.’ She turned to Jared. ‘I wondered when you’d show your face again. Is she with you?’
‘Olivia?’ Jared felt anxious.
‘
No, she isn’t.When did she leave?’
‘A few weeks ago. I’d thought she’d gone to her aunty Caroline.’
‘We haven’t seen her. Why did she leave?’
‘Not for me to say. I don’t interfere between man and wife. But things weren’t right, that’s for sure.’
Jared remembered some of the things Olivia had said about Hesley. ‘Did he beat her?’
‘You stay away from him. He’s got enough with his grandfather. ’ Jared caught the firmness in Mrs Cookson’s tone and remembered how loyal she was to this household. His eyes followed the girl as she went outside with the linen. ‘How is old Hesley?’
‘He’s dying. He won’t admit it, and won’t have it said outside the house, but it’s true enough. Never been right since he took the rock in his back at the pithead.’
‘I didn’t know. Neither did Mother, I’m sure. Where’s his grandson? I want to talk to him.’
‘I don’t advise it, sir. He’s quiet at the moment, but you never can tell with him. The least thing sets him off.’
‘Is that why Olivia left?’
‘Couldn’t say, sir.’
‘Tell me, woman! What happened?’
‘Honest, sir, I don’t rightly know. I were over in t’ stables wi’ Matt. But it were after one of his late-night gambling parties.’
‘And nobody has seen her since?’
Mrs Cookson shrugged. ‘That governess was supposed to look after her and all she did was lead her astray. I knew about you two meeting of a Sunday, even if her husband didn’t.’
Jared detected a sneer in her voice, which he ignored. ‘You should have sent word to my mother. She’s old Hesley’s sister, for God’s sake!’
‘I had my orders, sir.’
‘What does Adam Harvey say about old Hesley?’
‘He says nothing to me or Matt, except when to give him his medicines.’
‘You should have told us,’ he said again, angrily, but his thoughts were with Olivia. Where had she gone and who was she with? The governess, maybe? He had no idea where Miss Trent was either. But maybe he could find out. A woman travelling alone would have been noticed.
Had they planned their escape together from Hill Top House? He thought not. Olivia had been devastated when Miss Trent had left. Perhaps they had corresponded since and Olivia had made up their quarrel. He wished he knew.Why had he listened to his conscience and stayed away? He could have helped her - he’d wanted to. But his misplaced respect for her sham of a marriage had kept him away. He had to find her, and prayed she would be in good health. He hoped he was not too late.
He tried the curate’s wife at the little church. She had not seen Miss Trent or Olivia so he rode across the moor to Blackstone. Neither woman had been there either. It was past five in the afternoon when Hill Top House was in his sights again. As he approached the farmyard he saw his parents’ trap making slow progress up the track from the town.
‘I’ll be in as soon as I’ve seen to the horse.’ Jared held the mare’s head as his father helped his mother down from the trap.They were anxious about this visit and pleased to see him. As he led the horse to the barn, he wondered again why Matt had not appeared from the stables. Another horse was already stabled there. Jared recognized it. Mr Harvey, the apothecary, was visiting too.
He went into the hall through the empty kitchen.The dining-room door stood open and he saw Mary sweeping up broken china. The chairs were all over the place. He was reminded of a time in his youth when he had been the cause of such destruction. She looked up in alarm as he stood in the doorway and surveyed the congealing food on the table and the floor.
‘They’re all upstairs, sir,’ she said nervously.
As he went up he remembered his fight with Hesley and his anxiety for Olivia increased. He prayed she had come to no harm. He followed the hushed voices to old Hesley’s bedchamber. He had not seen his uncle since he had run Jared off his land with a shotgun and was shocked by his gaunt features and sallow colour, yellow against the bed linen. His eyes were closed and his breathing rattled in his throat.
Matt was here, and Mrs Cookson. Mr Harvey was talking quietly to Jared’s father, while his mother stared at her half-brother.
‘Where’s Hesley?’ Jared asked.
His father steered him out of the chamber.
‘What’s been going on, Father? There’s been a fight downstairs. ’
‘Not a fight, son. It’s young Hesley, he takes too much drink.’
‘He smashed the china?’
‘Mrs Cookson says it’s happened before.’
‘Where is he now?’
‘Sleeping it off.’
‘Dear God, he’s a drunkard. No wonder Olivia left him.’
His father was shaking his head. ‘It’s not only that. It’s—Well, the apothecary says it’s due to the heat in the West Indies. His brain was overheated . . . He has fits of anger, loses control and . . .
’
‘He’s going mad?’
Benjamin covered his eyes with a hand. ‘It comes and goes, apparently. But don’t tell your mother. Her brother is dying and she worries for Olivia.’
‘I should think Olivia is best away from this,’ Jared said bitterly.
‘Perhaps that was why she left. Matt confirmed what Withers said about the trap.’
‘Where is she, Father?’
‘I don’t know, son. I am as troubled as you.You may be right about her going to the governess. That woman had a good head on her shoulders.’
‘She was old Hesley’s mistress.’
‘Calm yourself, Jared. Olivia has covered her tracks. I think she knew what she was doing.’
‘Her life here must have been unbearable for her take to such action. I must find her. I must!’
‘Hesley might know something. He’s in his chamber. Matt put laudanum in his wine to calm him.’
‘I’ll talk to him now.’
The stench hit Jared as he opened the door. Young Hesley was slewed across the bed, his shirt front covered with spilled food and vomit. One of the stable lads was with him. He had removed his boots and trousers, which were wet and soiled. He had placed them in a laundry pail and was attempting to wash the emaciated body and legs. Jared picked up the bowl of water from the washstand and held it closer to the bed.
‘Thank you, sir.’
‘How long has he been like this?’