The Rebel’s Daughter (18 page)

“
Exactly, Henry.” Samuel nodded in admiration. “Which
suggests more must have escaped Sedgemoor than originally believed.
As I said, don’t give up hope on your father yet.”

Outside in the corridor, Henry avoided his
sister’s goodnight kiss, and announced he would find Bayle and
suggest Samuel’s theory to him. “Samuel could be right, Helena.
They could both be alive somewhere.”

Helena nodded, but said nothing. She
didn’t want him to hold on to false hopes. If either of them still
lived, wouldn’t they have sent word by now?

She watched Henry walk away. His shoulders
had broadened and his stride seemed slower, less boyish.

Helena turned in the other direction and
emerged into an empty yard bathed in watery sunlight.

Susannah sat on a low wall throwing handfuls
of grain to six fat geese, which nudged her and scrabbled at her
feet.

Untying the cords of her cap, Helena pulled
it free, and lifted her face to the sky and let the wind take her
hair, blowing it around her head. She pretended to chase the
indignant geese as they flapped and squawked in panic, while
Susannah laughed in delight.

Coming to a breathless halt, she turned her
gaze to the soft green hills around them beneath a clear sky. For
the first time in weeks, she felt her future held hope.

As for finding happiness, she would have to
wait and see.

* * *

A week after the
assize
s,
Samuel settled into his customary chair at Molds.

“
The
whole city must know of Blandness betrayal by now.” Samuel
addressed his companion. “I doubt he’ll keep the few friends he has
here.”

“
He’s
taking occupation of Loxsbeare in a few days,” Tobias said from his
chair opposite. “And before you ask, I left last night.”

Samuel nodded. “Have all the servants
gone?”

“
Most of
them. I’m staying with my parents at
The Ship
.”

“
You
surprise me. I did not imagine inn-keeping was to your
taste.”

Tobias ran a finger between his collar and
his neck. “My thinking as to what suits me and what doesn’t has
changed of late, Master Ffoyle.”

Samuel watched as first anger, and then
resignation crossed Tobias” handsome features. “I sought to improve
your life, Tobias. Not make you dissatisfied.” Samuel sighed. “For
that I apologise.”

“
I don’t
blame you for Sir Jonathan’s political loyalties.” Tobias lifted
his coffee cup, downing half the contents with a
grimace.

“
Why
don’t you order ale if you hate coffee that much?” Samuel
smiled.

“
I’ve
attempted to develop more refined tastes of late.” Tobias sniffed.
“It seems they’re somewhat redundant now.”

“
Sir
Jonathan was proud of you.”

“
Not
proud enough to ask me to go with him.” Tobias’s eyes flashed fire,
hurt twisting his face.

“
Had he
done so, would you have gone?” Samuel peered at the younger man
over the rim of his cup.

“
I don’t
know.” Tobias folded his arms and stared out of the wide leaded
window that looked onto the cathedral. “He entrusted me with his
women instead.” He released a harsh laugh. “And I allowed one to
run off to Somerset and the other…”

“
I am
more to blame than you.” Samuel gave a dismissive wave, unwilling
to discuss such a raw subject.

“
Still,
at least he managed to preserve some of his assets for his
remaining children. I hear Helena and Henry will be going to
London.” Tobias’s voice held no bitterness.

“
There
are still arrangements to be made, but that is a possibility. Tell
me, Tobias, what would you like to do?”

“
With my
position as steward terminated?” He arched a well-shaped eyebrow.
“What I want is not the issue. But I’ll never tolerate Blanden as
Master.”

“
Your
father would applaud your loyalty.”

“
My
father is most probably dead.” Tobias’s tone held regret. “My
foster father, on the other hand, has asked me to take over the
Inn.” At Samuel’s surprised look, he went on. “My brothers are too
young yet to be of much use.”

“
Will
you take up his offer?”

Tobias sat back in his chair. “He brought
me up. I owe it to him, now that he is no longer healthy
enough.”

“
He’s
ailing?” Samuel was surprised. Jim Lumm had seemed the same as ever
when they last met. Some illnesses, he knew, could creep up on a
body and drain the lifeblood. He resolved to call on Master Lumm
soon.

“
Aye.
And then there’s Mother.” Tobias cocked a brow to indicate she was
yet another problem, but one about whom he had no
illusions.

Tobias had always been ambivalent about
his step-father, but he adored his mother. Pretty, wanton, fickle
Emily of the sensual walk and inviting smile. She had made no
secret of the fact that the kindly, if Jim Lumm was not her eldest
son’s father.

Samuel reached into his coat, removed a
folded parchment and held it out.

“
What do
you have there?” Tobias looked at it with no more than mild
interest.

“
Your
inheritance.”

Tobias took it, turning it over in his
hands before unfolding the document.

“
This is
the deed to the house by the East Gate. Sir Jonathan’s
house.”

“
It’s
yours now.” Samuel summoned the server to bring more coffee. The
boy took his time replenishing their cups, while Tobias fidgeted,
eager for him to leave.

The boy finally moved
away
“How
could you give this to me?” Tobias asked. “It should be Hendry’s,
or Helena’s.”

“
I’m not
the one giving it to you. Sir Jonathan is.” He raised his porcelain
bowl of coffee and took a slow, appreciative sip. “He came to me
before the rising, and asked me to look after his children if
anything happened to him. You were included.”

“
He had
an inkling something might happen?”

Samuel pursed his lips. “I think he had
doubts about Lord Grey.” He shook his head as if trying to dislodge
the thought. “Sir Jonathan knew if things went wrong, he would lose
everything. Thus he put some of his property in my name for his
wife and children. He wasn’t to know Lady Elizabeth would live no
longer than he did.”

“
You
think he’s dead then?”

“
Helena
asked me that. And in truth, how can any of us know?”

“
Are you
sure he wanted me to have this?” Tobias held up the parchment. “Did
he actually say so?”

“
Look at
that document. He put it in your name before he left. He always
meant you to have it.” Samuel dropped his voice as the room began
to fill with patrons. “I won’t pretend he ever loved your mother.
It was a youthful liaison and she was a-”

Tobias held up a hand. “I know what she
was, is, Master Ffoyle. Sir Jonathan could not acknowledge me
publicly, but he gave me a good position at Loxsbeare.”

“
You
don’t feel he showed you a way of life you could never
have?”

Tobias studied the decorated ceiling for a
moment before replying. “Who knows what I might have had? Had he
lived, he might have furthered my career in other ways. Thank you,
master Ffoyle. I’m grateful.” Tobias slid the document into his
coat, resting his hand on it for a moment. When he spoke again
there was no softness in his voice. “About Benjamin
Hobbs...”

Samuel tensed, wary. “What about
him?”

“
I
caught him loading a bag with some items of plate left behind. When
I challenged him, he said it was his due. Is it true Jeffreys
refused to reward him for betraying Sir Jonathan?”

“
It is.”
Samuel snorted. “Blanden pre-empted him there. Did he know about
you?”

“
He
didn’t taunt me with it, so I am certain he did not. We had an -
altercation.” Tobias propped his elbows on the table. “Needless to
say he won’t be returning to Exeter. Not in my
lifetime.”

Samuel held up a hand. “I would rather not
know the details, but thank you for telling me.”

Tobias pulled himself to his feet, looking
down on Samuel with a sad smile. “Master Ffoyle, would you do
something for me?”

“
Name
it.” Samuel smiled.

“
Would
you wish Helena and Henry happiness in their new life? And tell
them that I hope to see them again, one day?” He adjusted his hat,
turned and left, his boots echoing on the stairs.

Samuel watched him go, saddened. Tobias
Lumm was a fine young man, a son and a brother of whom anyone would
be proud.

Chapter
11

Startled
, Helena jerked upright into watery
sunlight that flooded the bedroom. She was in an unfamiliar wide
bed, the covers rumpled and hanging off the mattress. Memory
flooded back, and she recalled they had stopped at Kingston the
previous night, at an ancient inn. Its upper windows hung
precariously over a narrow dirty river that ran beneath a humped
bridge.

“
That’s
the Hogs Mill,” Samuel answered in response to Hendry’s enquiry. It
runs into the Thames, while that untidy little bridge is called
Clattern.”

She had lain awake half the night
listening to the watch who called out every hour, until exhaustion
dragged her into a dreamless oblivion.

Gingerly, she eased into a sitting position,
wincing at stiff muscles caused by four days of travelling in a
carriage over bad roads.

She cast a swift look at the truckle bed in
the corner, where Chloe snuffled in her sleep, and smiled,
nostalgia dragging her thoughts back to the day they had left
Ideswell.

Her most abiding memory of that day was Bayle
as he stood beneath the overhanging porch, his hands clasped behind
his back and head bent toward Henry. Her brother nodded
occasionally in response to whatever wisdom Bayle imparted.

Then with a final, curt bow, Henry turned
abruptly away, left the porch and stomped past her into the
carriage, his eyes bright with tears.

Bayle followed more slowly, to where the
Ffoyle coach stood, the vehicle sporting a new coat of brown paint;
its faded leather curtains replaced with stiff, new hide and the
Clothmakers’ coat of arms recreated in bright new colours on the
doors. Two heavy carts piled high with the possessions Lady
Elizabeth had rescued from Loxsbeare Manor were positioned behind
the carriage, each with a brace of armed servants aboard for
protection.

“
Are you
sure you won’t come with us, Bayle?” Helena asked, knowing his
answer would be the same as it had for over a week.

“
To a
London chophouse?” He arched a brow. “I don’t think so, Mistress.
I’m a country soul, not a city rat. I’m surprised Master Ffoyle is
sending you there.”

“
Lambtons is an exceptional Inn, Bayle, not a chophouse.”
Helena feigned affront. After all hadn’t she asked the same
outraged questions several times since Samuel’s announcement? “He
says the Devereuxs are wealthy people and I will never have to
enter the alehouse if I do not so wish. More importantly, they are
sympathetic to the late Duke, so Henry and I will not suffer at
their hands from our unfortunate situation.”

She owed Bayle more gratitude than she
could ever repay, and although she would miss him, she welcomed
this new life, free of all past complications.

“
As long
as you are content, Mistress,” Bayle said, though his smile was not
reflected in his eyes.

“
And
you, Bayle? Are you content?” she asked. A foolish question, for
since taking up Samuel’s offer of employment, he looked more the
prosperous wool man than a manservant. He wore a dun-colored long
coat nipped at the waist over soft cambric shirt, cravat, and
polished leather shoes.

She had had a speech prepared for their
moment of parting, but the words never reached her lips. When he
had held his hands toward her, palms upwards. Her composure broke
and she threw herself into his arms in an embrace that was over
almost before it began, pulling away to enter the coach where Henry
waited, huddled in the corner.

Saddened that Bayle’s concern would be for
others, in future, and not for her, Helena had been about to ask
Susannah to watch out for him on her behalf. However when she
turned to speak, Susannah and Bayle stood close together, their
gazes locked and with soft, almost longing expressions on their
faces.

Helena had looked away, smiling. Perhaps
Bayle would not be so lonely without them after all.