Daughter of Dark River Farm (32 page)

I nodded reluctant agreement, and made sure Amy still had her spoon before I popped her back into the cart. This time she was content to ride in the back, and Archie took the reins.

‘Where shall we go? I’m not ready to go back yet.’

‘Neither am I. Amy?’ I turned to look at her. ‘What would you like to do now?’

‘Splashin’ stones,’ she said sadly. I realised that, although as usual she hadn’t complained when we’d picked her up, she’d been enjoying the simple act of throwing those little stones into the puddles.

Archie heard that sadness, and his voice, while pitched low so she couldn’t hear, held the first edge of real anger I’d heard in a long time. ‘What the hell did they do to her? I’d give anything to see her throw a tantrum.’

‘Me too,’ I whispered, fighting an unexpectedly strong surge of emotion. Then I sat up straight and turned a big, cheerful smile on Amy. ‘I know! Why don’t we go to the river? You know, down by the edge of the woods? Lots of stones down there. Big ones and little ones.’

She nodded, brightening, and Archie flicked the reins. ‘We’ll take Pippin back, and then we can walk down.’

‘Perfect.’ I sat back and enjoyed the rare chance to look around as we made our way back to Dark River. Archie leaned forward as he drove, his elbows casually resting on his knees, and he looked so at home I felt a twist of pain in anticipation for a few days’ time, when he would no longer be here.

‘I have to take Pirate back later,’ I said, remembering. ‘Do you want to ride him? I’ll bring the cart and we’ll drive back together.’

‘Do I
want
to? Kittlington, you know me. I’d love nothing more. Are you sure you don’t want to, though?’

‘I’ll get another chance, after…’ I stopped, but he reached out and briefly squeezed my hand.

‘Don’t. You’ll drive yourself mad thinking about how to avoid talking about it.’

‘But not today,’ I said stubbornly. ‘I won’t talk about it today.’

‘Agreed.’ He smiled, and I relaxed again. ‘But now you’ll have to think of something else to talk about, or we’re both going to be thinking about it anyway.’

‘All right.’ I leaned forward so our elbows brushed, enjoying the nearness of him, knowing I was allowed to touch him at any time. ‘I’ve been thinking about what you said, about the McKrevies, and what they do.’

‘Loaning money? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of—’

‘No! Although…’ The thought of Frank, and his desperation to get enough to take Amy away, flashed across my mind. ‘How difficult is it to get money like that?’

‘It’s not the difficulty getting it; it’s the paying it back. Interest’s the thing.’

‘Interest?’

‘You borrow a certain amount, say, a hundred pounds, but by the time you pay it all back you’ll have paid a goodly sum over and above what you borrowed. And the longer you take to pay, the bigger the debt gets. And let me tell you, some of those companies are not shy in demanding what they’re owed, either.’

He sounded grim, and I frowned. ‘Do they get…violent?’

‘Oh, I’ll say. Some of the stuff Uncle Jack told me about Ballentyne’d make your hair curl.’ He grinned at me then, and flicked a stray lock that had crept out from under my hat. ‘Well, curl more, in your case. What did you think of him, when you met him?’

‘He scared me a bit,’ I admitted. ‘But he dotes on those granddaughters of his, so surely he can’t be all that bad.’

‘Don’t you believe it,’ he said, slowing to turn into the lane at the top of the farm. Midway down, he slowed further, and his eyes went to the verge, with its trimmings of nettles and dock leaves, and its flattened area of grass, and then he looked back at me, his eyes hooded slightly in remembrance. My own breath shortened a bit, and my arm crept around his, holding it close against my side.

He leaned in, butting me gently with his head. ‘I’m feeling a wee bit…selfish,’ he admitted, and I broke into laughter. He dropped a kiss on my temple, which was all he could reach, and sat back again. ‘So, go on, then. If you weren’t asking about borrowing money, what were you wanting to know about it for?’

‘I’ve been thinking about Nathan,’ I said. ‘I was wondering if perhaps he’s hiding down here, away from someone like that. I mean, we know he had debt problems.’

‘Aye,’ he mused. ‘It’s likely, I suppose.’

‘I wonder if he’d be able to borrow from McKrevie then, to pay back the others? That would give him more time.’

Archie shook his head. ‘They all talk to each other. That was the problem the Wingfields had, according to Uncle Jack. Samuel tried to do the same thing—answered an ad in the newspaper, but his name’d been blacklisted. Same thing will have happened to young Beresford; he’s sure to have explored that possibility already.’

‘But what if whoever’s after him finds out he’s here? They’d only have to talk to Martin.’

‘Who’s Martin?’

‘The same person who told Nathan that Will was here. The apprentice at Markham’s shop. If anyone spotted him going there regularly, as he said he did, it wouldn’t take long for them to work things out.’

‘We don’t know the truth of it yet,’ Archie reminded me, but he sounded worried now. ‘I’ll talk to him and find out. Or maybe get Will to. Either way—’ he pulled Pippin to a stop, and jumped down off the cart ‘—we’ve got some important stone throwing to do, haven’t we, Miss Amy-Anna-Banana?’ He lifted her off the seat and put her down next to me. ‘Go on, I’ll sort out the pony and meet you down by the river in a little while.’

I was about to agree, then I saw the way Amy looked up at him, and felt the hesitation when I took her hand and tried to lead her away from him. I couldn’t help a little smile. ‘You take her, Arch. I’ll see to Pippin.’

‘I don’t mind—’

I shook my head and looked down at Amy, and he followed the direction of my gaze. She hadn’t taken her eyes off him, and would clearly be perfectly happy to wait here all day for him if necessary. I understood how she felt, and stretched up to press my lips to the warm spot at the angle of his jaw. ‘Go with her,’ I said quietly. ‘I won’t be long.’

He blinked and cleared his throat, then scooped her up, and she patted his head companionably with her spoon, making him wince. ‘I’ll see you in short order, I hope,’ he said to me, and settled Amy more comfortably before setting off across the field towards the woods.

Still smiling, I turned back to begin unhitching Pippin’s harness. Leading him away from the cart, I heard the kitchen door slam and looked up; Belinda started across the yard towards the barn, brandishing a key.

‘What a palaver!’ she said as she passed me. ‘Who on earth would want to steal anything we’d be keeping in that old place?’

‘Seth was most concerned,’ I said, a little grin tugging at my lips, ‘and I’m sure he’s not worried about Frances.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Not that again. He’s far too straight-laced. Too serious.’

‘Not like Nathan, eh?’

Bel sighed and stopped. ‘I know what I said to you, but he’s changed. We can all see it.’

‘Do you know anything about why he’s here?’

She shrugged. ‘Working, earning a living. Doing some painting when he can. It must surely be better for him than delivering groceries on a bicycle.’

She was probably right. I was creating shadows where there needn’t be any. Anyway, today was too precious to waste on any more speculation about Nathan; the quicker I finished here, the quicker I’d be able to join Archie and Amy at the river.

‘Give me a hand?’ I asked. ‘I’ll do your chores tomorrow.’

She looked across the field, where Archie was just disappearing over the ridge, and gave me a knowing look. ‘Well, since it’s you, and since the handsome captain is waiting… Just let me get a box for Mrs Adams. She’s putting another parcel together for Mr Pearce.’

I watched her go, amused by the sight of her wrestling with the new padlock on the barn. Her little grunts of increasing annoyance sounded so funny. I was feeling the joy of the day even more strongly now, and my insides leapt with anticipation as I thought about sitting beside Archie by the river, his voice low in my ear, his words making me laugh, and his breath making me tingle…

‘I would love to be the one to make you smile like that.’

I jumped. Nathan had crossed the yard from the stable without my hearing him. ‘I’m sorry?’

‘I’d like to paint you looking like that,’ he said, framing my face at a distance with his fingers and thumbs. ‘I’d call it:
Who has claimed her heart?
’

‘Don’t be silly,’ I said, embarrassed. ‘I’m sure Belinda would be happy to sit for you.’

‘Then I’d have to call it:
Where have all her wits—
’

‘Don’t,’ I warned him.

He smiled. ‘So, pretty Kitty, why didn’t you tell me the truth?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You told me there wasn’t anyone,’ he reminded me. ‘That time in the barn, remember? I asked if you’d given your promise to anyone and you said you hadn’t.’

‘It
was
the truth. Then.’

‘But you’re no strangers, you and the captain.’

‘I didn’t lie, Nathan. Unlike you.’ He looked hurt at that, but the truth was he
had
lied. To all of us. And he might still be doing it. ‘Aren’t you glad you’ve told the truth now though?’ I pressed, watching him carefully. I couldn’t tell if he was being evasive, but he seemed grateful to see Belinda approaching, carrying the box Frances had asked for. She arched an eyebrow as her gaze went from me to him.

‘Here,’ she said, thrusting the box at him. ‘
I’m
helping Kitty. You can give that to Mrs Adams.’

I waited until he moved off, and gave her a little punch on the arm. ‘You don’t have to act all jealous, silly!’

‘I’m not,’ she said, then shrugged and gave me a sheepish grin as she started to unbuckle Pippin’s bridle. ‘Maybe a little. He really likes you.’ Then, as ever, her butterfly mind alighted on a prettier flower. ‘Oh! Did you hear about Evie? She’s got her diamond back, the one that was stolen before the war.’

‘Yes,’ I said, pulling Pippin’s collar over his head. ‘Archie brought it with him.’

‘It’s so exciting, isn’t it? She must be thrilled.’

I was about to tell her Evie would actually be delighted if she never saw the Kalteng Star again, but we both jumped as we heard what would have been a piercing shriek if we’d been any closer to it. It didn’t so much drift up over the field as rip across it. We both winced and turned towards the river.

‘You didn’t tell him about the spoon, did you?’ Bel said with a little grin.

‘It slipped my mind,’ I admitted. Poor Archie! Since there were no more shouts I guessed he’d learned a quick lesson, and my thoughts remained with him until Belinda nudged me, her arms full of Pippin’s harness. ‘Buck up, Maitland. You can live without him for ten minutes, surely. You’ll have to get used…oh!’ She looked stricken. ‘Damn my stupid mouth. I’m so sorry.’

But she was right. ‘Buck up yourself, Frier,’ I said, picking up the collar and hoisting it onto my shoulder. ‘Since I have such a little time left with him—’ I smiled at her to show I was teasing ‘—you’d better not make me miss too much of it, had you?’

Chapter Seventeen

I’d forgotten how annoyingly big the field was. As soon as I’d started across it I’d convinced myself I’d be there in two minutes, but as I went over the ridge to the lower slope, I remembered at least half the field’s length was still ahead of me. I’d started off at a run, but now slowed, not wanting to arrive sweating and out of breath—I smiled; he hadn’t minded yesterday. I don’t think he’d even noticed. At last I hitched my skirt high in order to climb the fence that ran the length of the field, and hopped down onto the path that would take me through the lower edge of the wood, to the river.

The day had not yet begun to cool, and the sun was still high, sending its rays down through the leaves to dapple the path ahead. The dampness from last night’s rain had not yet soaked away from here, so the smell was rich and earthy and I breathed it in with deep pleasure. My boots were rather too warm for the day though, and I looked down at the path, considering. It was muddy, but not overly stony, so I stopped to take off my boots and stockings, squelching my feet in the mud and enjoying the coolness on my toes. I hung my boots around my neck and stuffed my stockings into them.

So it was on silent feet that I came upon them, and I watched for a moment, enjoying the chance to observe Amy, unseen. She knelt on the wide, pebble-strewn riverbank, carefully selecting stones and building them one atop the other. After a few minutes, a movement to my left drew my attention and I shifted my gaze to see Archie, shirtless, bending over and grunting. I clapped a hand to my mouth to stifle a laugh; he was muttering under his breath and I couldn’t understand a word of it, but he sounded very, very cross.

Then he straightened, and my laughter died. He still had his back to me. I could see a web of scars across the tops of his shoulders and partway down his back, perhaps a year old, but savage-looking. My hand fell away from my mouth, and while I wanted to be able to enjoy the sight of his smooth, muscular back, and broad shoulders, all I could think of was how it must have looked before it had healed.

‘Archie,’ I breathed, and he heard me and turned. His smile went some way towards quenching my anguish, but he realised what I’d seen, and beckoned me closer.

‘Don’t fret,’ he said quietly, tilting my face so I could meet his eyes. ‘It was a while ago, and it’s done. Healed.’

‘Shrapnel?’

‘Aye. You’ll remember I named Colonel Sumner last night. My CO, at the time he died.’ I nodded. ‘Well we were together when it happened; the trench was hit, we all ducked down, and we all got it. But I was luckier than some, Kitty. Be as thankful as I am.’

‘When was it?’

‘November last year. Actually it was just after your birthday, when I told you about the vacancy at Number Twelve.’ It looked, for a moment, as if he actually felt some part of the blame for what had happened to me out there, and that he regretted persuading me to come out.

‘And just after you’d seen Will safe,’ I said, to change the direction of his thoughts and remind him what good he’d done.