Melinda Hammond (11 page)

 At the sight of Lady Winter's pale face Megs exclaimed: 'Oh my heavens – Lady Winter.'

 Mr Bannerman crossed the room in two strides and put his arm about his sister.

 'Sally, what is it, what is the matter?'

 'It is nothing – I shall be well again in an instant, but pray look after Verity – sit down child, you look so pale I fear you will faint.'

 Verity managed a wan smile. 'I never faint, but I will sit down.'

 'What happened?' demanded Mr Bannerman.

 'A s-stone fell from the roof, into the shrubbery.' Verity tried to speak calmly. 'It has s-smashed the bench beyond repair, I'm afraid.'

 'Such a fortunate escape,' declared Lady Winter. 'Poor Verity was sitting on that very bench a moment earlier. Thank Goodness that you got up when you heard me calling you, or heavens knows -'

 Mrs Worsthorne threw up her hands, her plump cheeks quite white.

 'Merciful heavens.'

 'Megs, I am not hurt,' Verity tried to reassure her. 'My concern is for Lady Winter – ah, here is Ditton with the brandy. Megs, will you please take charge, I fear my limbs are trembling too much for me to stand up.' She smiled, and fought back a ridiculous urge to cry.

 'Brigg told me there had been an accident.' Mr Worsthorne came striding in. 'Cousin, are you hurt?'

 'No, by the most fortunate chance!' declared his mama. 'Verity has narrowly escaped death!'

 Verity shook her head at her. The brandy had done much to restore her.

 'No, no, Cousin. It is not as bad as all that. A stone fell from the roof – from the chimney in fact. It has destroyed the bench in the shrubbery.'

 'But only think, Luke!' declared Mrs Worsthorne, 'Poor Verity had been sitting on that very bench only seconds earlier, and Lady Winter saw the stone fall!'

 Mr Worsthorne frowned. 'You saw it ma'am?'

 Lady Winter shook her head. 'Only something dropping behind Verity, but it was all so sudden. Rafe and I rode over - I am leaving my hack here for Verity to use, you see. We had arranged for the carriage to follow on and take me back. Ditton told me Verity was sketching in the shrubbery so I thought I would find her while Rafe saw to the horses. Thank goodness I was not a moment later.'

 'A dreadful experience, for both of you,' said Luke.

 'Well, I am much recovered now,' Lady Winter handed her empty glass to her brother. 'But, Verity my dear, you are much too pale, perhaps you should lie down?'

 Miss Shore shook her head.

 'No, no. I promise I shall not fret over what might have been. I shall do very well, if I sit quietly for a little longer.'

 'Well well, what excitement!' Mrs Worsthorne sank down onto a sofa, mopping her brow with a lacy handkerchief. 'Luke, you must go up on to the roof immediately and make sure no more stones are loose.'

 'Yes, please do,' Verity tried to smile. 'I have no wish for any more such accidents. I am sure Megs would not like to inherit Highclough in such a way.'

 Mr Bannerman raised his brows.

 'Inherit Highclough?'

 'Well, yes.' Verity looked at him. 'If I die, surely Megs would inherit everything, as Sir Ambrose's nearest relation?'

 'Nearly everything,' said Mr Bannerman. 'But by the terms of the will, if
you
do not inherit Highclough, Miss Shore, it comes to me.'

Chapter Ten

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room.

 'Forgive me,' stammered Verity, 'I assumed …'

 'A very natural assumption,' Mr Bannerman said. He looked across at Mr Worsthorne, who was pouring brandy into a glass.

 'I take it you knew of this, Luke?'

 'As a matter of fact, no. I did not attend the reading of the will - I was laid up with a sprained ankle at the time, if you remember.' He swore softly as the spirit spilled over the edge of the glass.

 'I am sorry, then, if the news is unwelcome.' Mr Bannerman spoke quietly, his eyes fixed on the younger man.

 Luke turned. 'Unwelcome? Why should it be?'

 The challenge hung in the air. Verity looked at the two men, a slight frown creasing her brow. Mrs Worsthorne flapped her hands.

 'No doubt I should have informed you, Luke, had I thought of it, but if truth be told it seemed of little import, for Mr Reedley and Master Rafe had no doubt they would find Charles's child, and then there was your own legacy, the property at Sowerby - that seemed so generous of Sir Ambrose …'

 Luke shrugged.

 'Pray do not distress yourself, Mama, it is of little matter, after all.'

 Despite his nonchalant tone, Verity was aware of the tension crackling in the room. At that moment the butler entered and Lady Winter rose unsteadily to her feet.

 'Here is Ditton come to tell us my carriage is here. It will be dark within the hour, Rafe. We must go …'

 The spell was broken: goodbyes were said, and Verity accompanied them outside.

 'I hope there will be no lasting damage from this afternoon, Sally,' she murmured as Mr Bannerman helped his sister into the carriage and leaned in to tuck a warm rug over her knees.

 Lady Winter smiled. 'Of course not. I was merely a little shaken. It is
you
we should be cosseting! I hope the incident has not given you a distaste for Highclough.'

 'Not at all, but I shall have the building checked thoroughly before I venture out of doors again.'

 Mr Bannerman turned towards her, smiling.

 'A sensible precaution. Goodbye, Miss Shore.' He took her hand. 'I shall be busy with my own estates for the next few weeks, but I will call when I can.'

 Lady Winter leaned forward.

 'I hope you like my mare, I call her Delphi. She has the sweetest nature. And I shall not be riding again until after my confinement in April.'

 'I think I shall love her!' laughed Verity. 'Thank you.'

 With a final nod Mr Bannerman scrambled up into the saddle and followed as the coach pulled away, leaving Verity to hurry indoors, where she found Mrs Worsthorne in a state of agitation. It took Verity some time to assure that good lady that she had taken no hurt from the falling stone, and only after Luke had promised to go up to the roof himself and check the masonry could Mrs Worsthorne be easy.

* * * *

 A spell of bright days followed, although the sharp frosts at night kept a coating of snow on the higher moors. Verity was eager to try out her new mount, and it was not long before she persuaded Luke to ride out with her. The mare was very different from Mrs Worsthorne's ageing hack and Verity returned exhilarated by her excursion. Her cheeks were still glowing from the exercise when she sat down to dinner, causing Mrs Worsthorne to comment.

 'Well I
did
enjoy myself, Megs,' she responded, smiling. 'Luke was a little anxious because the mare was so fresh, but she is beautifully mannered, and we kept a most decorous pace.'

 Luke grinned across the table at her.

 'Much to your annoyance, Cousin. But you are not yet familiar with the country, the rocky ground and hidden peat bogs make it very easy to take a tumble.'

 'That did not prevent you from racing me to Bridestones.' She threw at him, eyes twinkling.

 'Only because you would have gone ahead on your own, if I had not!'

 'Children, children, pray do not bicker at the dinner table,' cried Mrs Worsthorne, laughing.

 'Very well, Mama, but I would have you support me in one thing: my cousin is determined to ride out alone.'

 'And why should I not?' returned Verity. 'Megs dislikes riding, and you are very often busy with your business - it is nonsensical for me to drag either one of you with me.'

 'I know it seems that way, Cousin, but the moors can be treacherous. If you must go out, promise me that you will take Brigg with you.'

 Verity hesitated. She did not like the taciturn groom with his weasel face and eyes that would never meet her own.

 'Please Cousin,' Luke spoke quietly. 'I would not have you riding out over the moors alone.'

 'Very well. To please you.' She smiled at him. I will take him with me when I ride over to Newlands tomorrow.'

* * * *

 The morning dawned fine and sunny, but when Verity rode out at noon the ground was still hard in the shadows where the sun could not reach. Lady Winter's mare danced and sidled playfully as Verity trotted out of the stable yard with the groom at a respectful distance behind her. As they climbed from the farmland onto the moors the wind picked up and Verity pushed Delphi into a canter. As they reached the Bridestones she saw that the enclosure was filled with pack-ponies. At the entrance, sprawled between the two upright stones was a long-limbed individual in a brown suit. He was wearing a broad-brimmed hat, which he raised as she approached, bidding her good-day in a deep rich drawl. Verity nodded, noting the wedge of ham pie and flagon of ale on the ground beside him. She brought her mare to a halt.

 'Which way do you go?'

 The man touched his hat again.

 'To Derringden, ma'am, then on to Halifax in the morning.'

 'And what do you carry?'

 'Gewgaws for the ladies.' He winked at her. 'Lace and ribbons, combs and love-knots, pinchbeck rings and pewter snuff-boxes for the lads.''

 'And does your route take you past Highclough?'

 'Aye,' he said slowly. 'It could do.'

 'If you call there you may have use of the stables for the night, if you care to sleep in the hayloft.' Her eyes gleamed. 'I have a mind to purchase some ribbons.'

 'Much obliged to you, ma'am.' The man touched his hat as Verity rode away.

 'Master won't be none too pleased at that,' muttered Brigg as her turned his horse to follow her.

 'Oh?'

 'He don't hold with the packmen coming through.'

 'I understood Sir Ambrose always allowed them to stay.'

 'Aye, he did, but Master Luke put a stop to it when the old master was ill. There's shelter enough in the valley for them as needs it.'

 Verity halted. She looked at the groom, then turned her mare back towards the packman, who had finished his pie and was packing away the remains of his meal.

 'If I am not back when you reach Highclough,' she said, 'tell them Miss Shore sent you.'

 'Aye, ma'am. That I will.' The old man looked up at her, a twinkle in his black eyes. 'You be the new Highclough lady then?'

 'Yes,' she said. 'I am the Highclough lady.'

*

 Riding into the stable yard at Newlands a short time later, she found Mr Bannerman coming out of one of the stalls. He was dressed as befitted a country gentleman in a brown coat and tight-fitting buckskins, but there was no speck of mud on his gleaming top boots.

 'Good morning, sir. Are you about to go out riding?'

 'No. Sally was bored and had a fancy to try a little archery and insisted I set up the targets. Then the packman arrived and she found herself obliged to inspect his latest collection of trinkets, so I have been packing everything away again.' As she halted the mare he stepped forward to lift her down from the saddle. 'So you are finding your way around now. Do you like the mare?'

 'Very much indeed. I am so grateful to your sister for allowing me to use her.'

 'Then you may tell her so yourself, for she is in the morning room.'

 'But dare I brave your housekeeper and enter in all my dirt?'

 'I will make sure you wipe your boots before you enter, and find you a joint-stool to sit upon, so that you do not sully the covers.'

 She laughed. 'How ungallant of you! You deserve that I should turn about and leave immediately.'

 'No, don't do that, Sally would be most disappointed.' His eyes turned towards Brigg, who was leading the horses into the stable.

 'My cousin insists that I do not ride alone.' Explained Verity as she accompanied him to the house.

 'Very wise. The moors can be treacherous. Come inside: Sally will be delighted to display her purchases to a more appreciative audience.'

 'This packman - a tall, thin man in brown homespun? I have seen him at Bridestones.'

 'That will be the one.'

 'I have asked him to call at Highclough tonight - I have also said he may stay the night, although I think my cousin may disapprove.'

 'You need not worry, old Jason is safe enough.' He led her into the drawing room, where Lady Winter was reclining on a day-bed. 'Don't get up, Sally, but you have a visitor. Now if you will excuse me, I will go and change, and leave you ladies to talk of fashion and furbelows!'

 Left alone, the two ladies enjoyed a comfortable hour, with Mr Bannerman joining them again when the tea tray was brought in.

 'I thought you had deserted us, brother.' Lady Winter moved towards the fire and began the ritual of making tea.

 'I had letters to write. Besides, I have no interest in fashion.'

 'Considerate of you, then, to stay away,' remarked Verity.

 The gentleman's lips twitched. 'I thought so.'

 Another hour slipped by in lively conversation before the fading light reminded Verity that the short March day was drawing to a close.

 She took her leave of Lady Winter and allowed Mr Bannerman to escort her back to the stables.

 'This clear sky means another sharp frost,' said the gentleman, throwing her up into the saddle. 'Take care on the lanes.'

 'I will. Will you visit Highclough soon, sir?'

 'If the weather remains good I shall bring Sally over again before her husband returns to fetch her home next week.'

 'I shall look forward to it.' Verity waited for Brigg to scramble into the saddle then flashed a final smile at her host.

 'Goodbye, sir.'

 'Goodbye, Miss Shore. The light will hold until you get home, but don't dawdle.'

* * * *

 The sun was already gone from the valley, but as the riders moved up onto the moors it could still be seen low on the horizon, an angry red ball that set fire to the hills and threw the rocky outcrops into strong relief. As they rode clear of the highest enclosures, Verity heard the groom calling out to her. She reined in.

 'My horse is lame, Miss.' Brigg jumped down and picked up one of the animal's feet, inspecting it closely. 'I shall have to walk her the rest of the way, but you should go on - 'tis too cold now for you to wait for me. Go ahead, Miss, if you please, and tell 'em I'll be coming in later.'