A Certain Threat (The Merriman Chronicles Book 1) (7 page)

“
Oh aye Sir, just like ‘e said.”

“
Thank you, sit down now.”

The
’judge’ upended the small bag and two golden coins fell onto the floor in front of the prisoner, where they lay twinkling in the lantern light.

“
Now then fellow, we don’t pay you in gold and a man like you wouldn’t be paid in gold for whatever work you do, so where did this gold come from.?  Have you anything to say for yourself?”

“
It’s all lies, I didn’t do it, these two put the money in my shirt, I wouldn’t betray you.”  But his voice was drowned out by the shouts of the men round him.

The
‘judge’ pounded on the table again and as silence fell he asked the men what should be done with the prisoner.

“
Kill him, cut his damned throat, drown him, break his bloody neck, the suggestions came thick and fast but all really meaning the same, - death.

The leader raised his arms to quell the noise, looked at the miserable sobbing
wretch in front of him and said “There it is then, you are sentenced to be executed without delay  for your treacherous activities.”

“
Who among you will carry out the sentence?”  There was no rush of volunteers, just a murmuring among the men as they shuffled their feet and looked askance at each other or at the floor.

“
Very well then, I shall choose.  We have a new man amongst us who has yet to prove himself to be one of us,” and he pointed at Owen. “Come forward Owen, you shall be the instrument of this court’s justice.”

Owen had no choice.  If he refused he would probably be killed himself and the man would still die anyway.  He hardened his heart, thinking of h
is brother who had died because of this man’s misdeeds.  The man deserved to die and in truth Owen had no serious qualms about doing it.  He had killed many men in the course of his service in a King’s ship, men who were armed and trying to kill him, but to kill a man who had his hands tied behind his back, that was different.

A cutlass was thrust into his hand which he swung round with practiced ease before plunging the blade into the floor where it stood upri
ght, swaying gently.

Surprised at
himself, he heard himself say, “I’ll not murder a helpless man in cold blood.  Cut him loose and give him a sword.”

A roar of approval followed his words as the men saw the prospect of entertainment.  The difference betwee
n the big bronzed seaman and his smaller opponent was so marked that there seemed to be no possibility of an even contest, so the leader nodded and the prisoner’s hands were released.  He stood for a few moments trying to rub some life back into his fingers before taking the cutlass handed to him.

It was as though he was determined to make a fight of it although he must have known it was hopeless, even if he beat Owen he would never leave the barn alive.  The two men faced each other and the condemned man i
mmediately attacked.  From the outset it was clear that he had no real ability with a cutlass, Owen parried his furious slashes with ease and quicker than the eye could follow his blade thrust into the man’s stomach and up into his heart.  He was dead before his body hit the floor, his blood forming a pool round him.

The men crowded round Owen, congratulating him and slapping him on the back, one of them offered him a drink of rum from a small flask which Owen was only too pleased to accept.  The leader of
the men still in his seat of judgement, called out, “That was well done Owen, though I suspect you have a streak of chivalry which may be unsuited to our business.”

The Friday of the Simpson’s visit finally dawned and Mrs. Merriman was all fuss and bother, making sure that Annie and the servants knew exactly what was expected of them, directing Matthew on what to wear and to mind his manners, discussing with Emily which of her new dresses to wear and in general, acting just like any mother when guests are expected.

“
Mother,” laughed Merriman, “It’s not nobility coming. Why all the fuss?”

“
I know who it is,” retorted his mother, “But the Simpsons are travelled people and Captain Saville has moved in society circles in London.  I will not have them think that we are only rough country folk.”

The soldier was the first to arrive, riding up on a big bay horse..  A stable lad took charge of the horse and led it away.   Shortly afterwards the Simpsons arrived and Merriman
was soon busy making the necessary introductions. As he did so he wondered where his sister Emily and young Matthew were, as neither had appeared.

The doctor
’s sister Jane Prentice proved to be a quiet lady of middle age and she and her niece Helen were very soon engaged in conversation with Mrs. Merriman who quickly whisked them off to see some of the new things she had purchased in Chester.

Meanwhile, Captain Merriman ushered the men into another room., sat t
hem down and provided them with drinks.  The conversation soon turned from generalities to the Doctor’s experiences in India.

“
For most of my years on the sub-continent I was in the employ of the East India Company and situated at their fort in Calcutta.  It’s a completely different way of life, as I am sure you know if you have ever been there in the course of your service, strange and colourful. Colourful in respect of the natural surroundings and clothing, but strange in the matter of customs and habits, religion, medicine and much else.  I confess that I grew to love the life and people, as did my dear wife.  Most of my contemporaries treated the people as nothing more than troublesome children and inferiors, but I found that they responded well to kindness and several of our servants became devoted to us. Because of this I was able, over time, to study their medical ideas, and it came as a bit of a shock to find that in many ways they were ahead of our European knowledge.”

The doctor laughed,
“I think I was looked on as a bit of a fool for it, but I also think many people are too bigoted to benefit from new ideas.  However I certainly learnt a lot from my experiences.”

“
Have you had occasion to use any of your new-found knowledge Sir,” asked Captain Merriman.

“
Not here Sir, for I’ve had no opportunity since we returned, but I
have
used it many times in India with remarkable results.  One must not forget that Eastern peoples were civilized far earlier than we were in the past, and have much to teach us if we will only listen.”

“
I don’t doubt it Doctor, I don’t doubt it. But tell us about your daughter if you will.  I understood my son to say that she was your assistant, which seems to me to be an unusual occupation for a young lady?”

“
Indeed it is Sir, but Helen is not one to be satisfied with the empty life so many European ladies lead in tropical places.  She has an intelligent enquiring mind and although I know it isn’t fashionable, I’ve always encouraged her to take an interest in everything around her.  From a very early age she used to travel round the villages with me and from then on, gradually developed her interest and knowledge.  I taught her almost everything I know and she has been of immense help to me as an assistant.”

“
She certainly seems to know her own mind,” commented Merriman ruefully, thinking about their earlier meeting.

“
Yes, there is no doubt about that, but for all that she is a daughter to be proud of.  Many of the empty headed young men in the Company service would come to the house like bees round a honey pot, including officers from the garrison, but she treated them all with courtesy and sent them on their way.”

Robert Saville, who had been sitting in silence the while, stood up and moved ove
r to a cabinet containing a number of swords and daggers.

“
This is a fine collection of weapons Captain Merriman. I see that you have some from the far East.  That dagger with the wavy blade is from Malaya I believe.”

“
Yes it is. It’s called a Kris.  This is my little hobby which I started many years ago when I was a midshipman.  I tried to find something different wherever my ship called.”   He opened the cabinet and took out a big curved sword.  The hilt was covered in gold and a ruby glowed in the pommel.

“
This is my favourite one.  I took it off a pirate in the Arabian Sea. You see the nick in the blade?   My sword did that. His swordsmanship consisted of wild slashing, I parried the blow and my point was through his throat before he could recover.  It’s a fine weapon and must have belonged to some rich eastern prince or the like.  There must be an interesting story behind it if we only knew.”

The men were soon engrossed in the subject of swords and their preferred weapon. The soldier was expounding on th
e virtue of the rapier against the curved hanger or the short cutlass and saying that whilst a longer curved blade was alright for a man on a horse he preferred the long straight blade.

“
The long blade is fine in its place,” said Captain Merriman, “if you have room to move, but the shorter weapon is more easily managed if you are climbing a ship’s side or fighting on a crowded deck.”

“
That I heartily agree with, although I think it would be to advantage to learn some of the skills needed in the effective use of the long blade,” said the younger Merriman.

“
There is a fencing master in Chester that I have heard of,” observed  Saville, “He is a Frenchman and is reportedly very good.  I’m going to go to him for some lessons, perhaps you would like to accompany me James?”

The conversation on the merits of the different types of sword continued and the men, except the doctor, were demonstrating various parries and thrusts until interrupted by the arrival of the ladies.

“Joseph my dear, please put those horrible things away,” said Mrs. Merriman, “I’m sure that Mrs. Prentice doesn’t want to see them.”

“
Very well my dear,” said her husband and the men rather sheepishly returned the weapons to the cabinet.

The conversation th
en became more general and Merriman took  an opportunity to quietly ask his mother where Helen and his sister and Matthew had disappeared to.

“
Shh! James.  Matthew came in covered in mud. He told me he had been down at the duck pond you used to play in, showing his friends how you fought the corsairs.  I told him not to show himself until he was fit to be seen in company.”

“
And Emily?”

“
She is dressing herself up to make a grand entrance, and Helen is helping her.  I think your friend the Captain has made quite an impression on her,” she whispered.

Matthew presented himself, scrubbed and dressed and looking quite the young gentleman and was duly introduced to the doctor
’s sister, she being the only one he had not met.

Then, as Annie announced that the table
was ready, Emily made her entrance, followed by Helen. The men all rose and Merriman stood there with his mouth open.  Was this lovely young lady really his skinny little sister?  Then he reminded himself that she was seventeen going on eighteen years old and he had been away for five years.

She was wearing one of the new mantuas recently bought in town, a sort of tawny brown which perfectly complemented her eyes and hair colour.  Her hair was done in one of the latest fashions of the day, all ringlets, pil
ed up with an ornament of fruit set at a jaunty angle on top. It was obvious that she had prepared herself for this moment as there was no trace of the blushing girl  who had been so taken by surprise by the soldier’s  speech when they met in Chester.

But when Merriman
’s eyes fell on Helen his breath was really taken away and he felt his heart give a great throb.  She too had changed and was wearing a simple dress of some dark material with little in the way of ornamentation but which perfectly complemented her dark hair and complexion.  The  decolletage revealed that she was not lacking in those attributes men find most attractive and it was with an effort that Merriman tore his eyes away from her full breasts which swayed and trembled as she walked across the room.

As the introductions were made, Merriman caught sight of his friend
’s face.  Saville couldn’t take his eyes off Emily and as the party moved into the dining room, he hastened to offer her his arm. Merriman was amused to see that she pretended not to notice and took Matthew’s arm instead.

After an enjoyable meal with the soldier once again entertaining them with his tales of London life, the ladies left the men folk to their brandy and cigars. As they left the table, Merriman saw his mother nod
to his father who nodded back  He wondered what that was about but he didn’t have long to wait to find out.

Once they were settled down again, the doctor asked to be excused.  He returned a few moments later with something in a cloth bag.  Bowin
g to Captain Merriman he said, “ In return for your hospitality Sir, I would be pleased if you would accept this gift as a small token of our thanks.  You will see that it is a bottle of unusual shape.  It contains a liqueur of exceptional quality, a few bottles of which I brought back from my travels in India, though I believe it originates from even further East.”

“
Well thank you Sir, most generous of you I must say, most generous.”  He beamed at the doctor and passed the bottle round for the others to see, calling for fresh glasses to be brought to the table.

“
Small glasses if you have them,” said the doctor, “this is best taken in small sips.”

At the first taste, Captain Merriman
’s eyes opened wide.  “By God, Sir. This is exceptional, what say you gentlemen?”

They
all signified approval except for poor Matthew.  His face went red, his eyes watered and he gasped for breath.

“
Powerful stuff, Matthew,” said his father with a grin. “Sorts the men from the boys eh?  Thank you again Doctor. I’ll keep the rest of it for special occasions.”

“
Now Doctor, I hope you won’t mind if I mix a little business with pleasure. My wife and I are of a mind that if you are agreeable we would like you to be our doctor.  Our previous doctor has recently passed away and we have not yet approached any other.  What do you say Sir?”

“
I had anticipated that you might ask, Captain, after your son touched on the matter when we last met.  As you know, I  came home to retire, but I am prepared to take a few patients and would be happy to count your family amongst them.”

“
Capital, capital, Doctor.  And your first patient shall be James here.  Be silent James, your Mother and I are most concerned about your wound.  It’s several months since he was wounded Doctor and it still troubles him.  As you see, he still keeps a bandage on it and won’t let anyone see it.  Now James, no more protests, we insist on it being seen.  Doctor?”

“
I am more than willing to examine it, perhaps tomorrow morning would be suitable if the Lieutenant -----?”

“
Oh, very well then,” said Merriman with an ill grace, “if I must, I must.”

“
It’s for your own good James,” said his father.  “let us say no more about it for now.  Captain Saville, I would like your opinion of this excellent brandy, and yours Doctor.  I wouldn’t be surprised if duty hasn’t been paid on it as we found it on the doorstep some six months ago.”

The conversation turned to the subject of smuggling and the awful fate of the Revenue cutter
’s crew.  Captain Merriman told the visitors as much as was known of the affair although Merriman noticed that he was careful not to mention anything about his man Owen.

“
Now Gentlemen, I think we have kept the ladies waiting long enough. Shall we join them?  I know that Emily has been practicing on the harpsichord and hopes to entertain us.”

Merriman was surprised to see how fluently his sister
’s fingers moved over the keys.  She played well and he noticed how quickly Robert placed himself to be able to turn the sheets of music for her.  He also noticed that his father was keeping an eye on the young soldier.  The rest of the evening passed pleasantly enough, Mrs. Merriman sang and the soldier surprised everyone by quoting passages from plays by the Irishman Richard Sheridan.

In the morning, the Doctor sugge
sted that he and Merriman find a quiet room upstairs so that he might examine the wound.  As he unwound the bandage, he asked how it had occurred.

“
I was told that it was lead shot and nails from some kind of blunderbuss.  I didn’t see the man that fired it, but I believe I was lucky in that most of the shot missed me and killed one of my men.  One piece hit my head a glancing blow, and my arm and hand, which must have been raised at the time, took the force of several other pieces.”