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Authors: Patricia Scott

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BOOK: Dying to Meet You
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The Royalist defenders of Tresco under the command of her father, Colonel Richard Trevenian
, had firmly quashed their Roundhead invaders, and those left alive and taken prisoner would soon be shipped over to St Mary’s and put on trial in the Star Chamber.

But for the moment she wished to leave all thoughts of this behind her. She sighed,
she knew she could not remain in her peaceful cave for long - her father would be worried about her.

She was thirsty and decided to take a drink from the pool before she made her way back up the cliff again. Despite the heat and humidity outside, inside the spacious cave it was cool, damp, and shadowy. She lost little time in seeking out and lighting up the precious candle stump she kept with the tinderbox on a small dry ledge near the entrance to the cave.

Holding the candle up high above her head she could see the light from it reflected in the large pool of water. She ventured across the sandy floor that gleamed underfoot, silvery in the pale candle light, but stumbled and halted abruptly, frozen for a minute on the very edge of the pool. She looked around the empty cave quickly. She’d heard something, a sound that had both frightened and startled her... a sound that came from somewhere quite close by, near the back of the cave - was it a cry of pain? Or a call for help?

The candle dripped thick wax onto the sand at her feet and she heard it more clearly this time, another odd sound like a low moan coming from somewhere close by her.

Her heart thumped hard in her chest when she heard the sound again and her legs moved unsteadily under her. Certainly it sounded louder this time and nearer too. She was no longer alone. Then there it came again. What could it possibly be?

She tried hard to quiet her fast, beating heart and listened carefully.
It could just be a lost seal pup, crying pitifully for its mother. Then there came another, muffled, deeper groan that echoed throughout the cave from deep in the back. It sounded human!

Tamsin smothered her mouth with her hand as she felt alarm fill her up and then she called out, bravely, ‘Who is there? Whoever you are show yourself to me. At once!’

She held up the candle to lighten the shadowy darkness at the back. But no answer came to her call.

As her eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, she realised
she could now see someone lying along a ledge. Moving forward slowly across the cave, one foot at a time lest she alarmed him, Tamsin saw the young man who lay there, stretched out along the wide stone ledge near to the rocky pool underneath. Dangerously close, much too close for safety, she gasped out loud and smothered her mouth instantly with her free hand. Any careless, involuntary movements for his part on the ledge and he could fall over into the deep pool below.

 

Chapter Three

 

Adam Carey wondered whether the next few minutes would be his last when he heard the sound of the slow, deliberate crunch underfoot that came from boots walking over the shell-strewn sand. He knew he lay defenceless, unable to protect himself from whoever sought him out. He was virtually their prisoner. Someone who was obviously familiar with the cave had entered it - someone he was sure would very soon find him. Was it just one person? Perhaps others would soon follow. He didn’t know how long he’d lain there exhausted since he first entered the cave. He couldn’t remember. He’d lost count of time since he’d finally managed to make his way slowly over to the ledge for safety that morning.

He had known that every cave or hiding place would be searched immediately for Roundheads on Tresco
. It appeared almost inevitable that he too would soon be discovered. That could only mean for him certain capture, followed by his death from a firing squad.

He heard someone calling out loud
, clear and close. It sounded like a young woman’s voice asking anxiously, ‘Who are you? Why are you hiding in here? Show yourself!’

Then he knew no more till he recovered his senses at last
to see someone holding up a lighted candle which dripped hot wax down on him where he lay.

‘So here you are, sir! I heard you. You cried out. What are you doing in here? Are you in pain?’

Adam looked up to see that it was a young face that gazed down at him with a look of shock in the golden honey brown eyes
, but when he tried to answer he found he was unable to.

Tamsin bent over him and a gasp escaped her when she saw his wounded arm and head. ‘Oh! I fear that are badly injured, sir. You need help! How did you find this cave? You don’t belong here do you?’

 

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BOOK: Dying to Meet You
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