Daughters of Rebecca (18 page)

‘I feel I should get back, though,' Shanni said. ‘I noticed Mrs Mainwaring was not looking well when I left this morning.' She lowered her voice. ‘I think she and Mr Mainwaring have quarrelled.'

‘Hm!' Madame Isabelle looked at Shanni. ‘I can't say I'm surprised at that.'

‘Why? What do you mean?' Shanni was intrigued. What could Madame Isabelle know that she did not?

Madame Isabelle changed the subject. ‘Very well. If you're so concerned I suppose you'd better get back before it's dark. When Pedr calls for you I'll have a word with him to make sure he sees you safely home.'

‘I'm sure he will,' Shanni said.

‘Well, I'm not!' Madame Isabelle said. ‘I've heard of the ways of some of the local boys. This idea of ‘‘bundling'', for example, it's not proper, not for a young lady like you, and I don't want that handsome scamp Pedr leading you astray.'

‘I'm not that foolish, Madame.'

‘We are all foolish when the blood is hot.' Madame Isabelle looked away.

Shanni hid a smile. Living in the heart of Swansea as she did, Shanni had heard the gossip about Madame and Eynon Morton-Edwards. It seemed that bundling, or sleeping together while courting, was not restricted to the lower orders. ‘I'll behave, I promise,' she said. ‘You know I wouldn't let Pedr or anyone else lead me astray. I won't even let him close enough to kiss my hand.'

‘Do I have your promise on that?'

‘You have my solemn promise,' Shanni agreed. ‘I have no intention of spoiling my life by falling into the arms of the first good-looking boy I see.'

‘Right, then, I accept your word that you will abide by a strict moral code.' Her voice softened. ‘I have seen too many young girls ruined by unscrupulous men, and I have no intention of seeing you become a fallen woman.'

Shanni's heart missed a beat as she thought of her mother, dragged out to be shamed on the
Ceffyl Pren
before all the neighbours. ‘I saw my mother die from trusting with the wrong man,' she said, thickly. ‘You have nothing to worry about where I'm concerned. I will not let any man near me until I have a ring on my finger.'

Madame Isabelle, usually undemonstrative, took Shanni in her arms. ‘I know. I'm sorry, that was thoughtless of me.' She held Shanni away and looked into her face. ‘I only have your good at heart,' she said. ‘I know it's not easy to take control of your feelings when love strikes you for the first time, but remember, it does not always last. Some gold turns out to be fool's gold, remember that.'

‘Thank you for worrying about me.' Shanni moved away. ‘I'd better get dressed for the ride back to Swansea. As you said, it's better to travel before it gets dark.'

Later, as Shanni allowed Pedr to help her up into the saddle of a young gelding she looked back at Madame Isabelle standing in the window and waved. She hated deceiving her, yet Madame
would go crazy if she knew what Shanni was really up to.

It was good to ride beside Pedr, to feel the breeze brush the curls from her hot face. He was a silent young man and, glancing at him, Shanni decided that she liked him. She liked him very much indeed. But, then, he was only a potter and both Mrs Mainwaring and Madame Isabelle wanted her to have the best in life. That meant finding herself an affluent husband.

‘You'll know me next time,' Pedr remarked. He did not look at her, he was scouring the surrounding hills and fields as though fearing an attack of some kind.

‘I'm coming with you tonight,' Shanni said.

That made Pedr turn sharply in her direction. ‘You are certainly not coming with me,' he riposted roughly. ‘I'll have enough to do without looking after you.'

‘You won't have to look after me!' Shanni cried indignantly. ‘I am more than capable of looking after myself.'

‘No.' Pedr was obdurate.

Shanni drew her pony closer and looked up at him, her eyes full of laughter. ‘No Shanni, no pistols,' she said evenly.

‘Look, do you really think Mrs Mainwaring will allow you to go with me?' he said. ‘She might believe that you changed your mind about staying in Llanelli the night but not that you are just making a hasty visit home. That is bound to make her suspicious.'

‘She won't be in,' Shanni said.

‘How do you know?'

‘I just do. Now, are you going to agree to my terms or do we just forget the whole thing?'

‘All right, then,' he said. ‘But don't get in the way and don't start crying if anyone gets hurt, right?'

‘Right.' She halted her horse as Pottery Row came into sight. ‘We'd better lead the horses along here,' she said, ‘or we are likely to run over a couple of children.'

She waited for him to lift her from the saddle and pushed his hands away as soon as her feet touched the ground. Pedr was an attractive man and he knew it. It would be just as well to keep her distance from him. ‘Come round the yard to the back,' she said. ‘One of the grooms will feed and water the horses. You can have a bite to eat in the kitchen, if you like.'

Pedr touched his forelock. ‘Yes, Miss, anything you say, Miss.'

‘Funny!'

The cook stared at them in stony silence when Shanni led Pedr into the kitchen. ‘Who is this young man and what is he doing here?'

‘His name is Pedr. He's brought me on a message for Madame Isabelle,' Shanni lied glibly. ‘Will you give him something to eat? He's got a long way to go back home tonight.'

‘Aye, I suppose I can find something in the larder. Go on, Flora, get some bread and cheese for the young man, and stop staring at him as if he's been sent from heaven especially for you.'

‘I'll see you outside later,' Shanni said, glancing at Pedr. He had settled himself at the kitchen table as if he owned the place.

‘You haven't got a nice bowl of
cawl
, have you?' His smile was devastating. ‘I've got just the right appetite to appreciate good soup, and I can see right off you're a wonderful cook.'

She looked coy. ‘I suppose I could heat some up, if you'll wait a minute.'

Smiling, Shanni left them to it, walked through the passage and into the sitting room. She opened the desk drawer and took out the bunch of keys: one of them must fit the cabinet in the hall.

It took only a few minutes to locate the right one and it slid into the lock easily. Carefully, Shanni took out the pistols. They had been cleaned until they shone and, no doubt, they were ready for action. In any case, Pedr would only use them as a threat: he was far too sensible to shoot anyone.

She went outside to where the groom was brushing down the horses. Without looking up at her, he continued his work. ‘Poor beasts haven't been brushed in a long time. Look like tinkers' animals, they do.'

Shanni put the pistols in the saddlebag of Pedr's mount then went through the back door into the kitchen.

‘I've put the things Madame wanted into your saddlebags,' she said. ‘I'll see you outside before you go to give you some instructions.'

She hurried upstairs and changed into her darkest clothes. Her black bonnet had feathers on it but they were darkest green and it was doubtful that they would be noticed. She tied back her hair and twisted it into a knot at the back of her head.
Then, with her bonnet swinging from her hand, she left her room and hurried downstairs. She skirted the kitchen and left by the back door. She had no intention of allowing the cook or anyone else to question her movements.

Outside, it was growing dark and, soundlessly, Shanni made her way to the stables. She peered into the darkness, trying to focus on the yard. There was no sign of the groom or the horses, and no sign of Pedr Morgan. She had been fooled! He had taken the pistols and gone back to Llanelli without her.

‘Damn you, Pedr Morgan!' Shanni whispered. She looked into the stables. The horses were unsaddled and settled for the night. One moved restlessly, rustling the straw and whickering softly. Shanni knew that, alone, she would be unable to deal with the complicated tack. She had no idea how to attach the bit and bridle, let alone how to secure the saddle. Slowly, she turned away from the stables and let herself into the house through the back door.

‘Llinos, my lovely, I want to have you with me always.' Dafydd was surprised at the tension in his voice. Only weeks ago he would never have believed he would utter those words to any woman. ‘Now that your husband is back you can tell him you want to be with me.'

Llinos looked up languidly. ‘Don't talk now, Dafydd. Just hold me and kiss me and tell me you love me.'

Dafydd slid his arm under her neck and felt the sweet heaviness of her hair against his arm. ‘I do
love you, and I want you so much I don't ever want to let you go.'

She snuggled into the warmth of his body and Dafydd took a ragged breath as he felt the softness of her breasts against his chest. He kissed her, and as the passion began to grow in him he knelt above her, lifting her closer so that he could take her with ease.

He heard her moan and knew that she was as hungry for him as he was for her. He made love to her slowly, teasingly, until she begged him for release. He heard her small cries of passion with a feeling of power. He, Dafydd Buchan, was bringing this lovely woman beneath him to the heights of pleasure – pleasure she had surely never experienced before.

Later, they lay side by side and he closed his eyes. ‘I love you, Llinos Mainwaring,' he said softly. ‘And you are the first woman to hear those words from my lips.'

‘I know, I believe you, my love.'

‘And you? How do you feel?' Dafydd rose on to his elbow and looked down into her face. ‘Do you love me, Llinos?'

‘I don't know, Dafydd,' Llinos said. ‘I'm so confused I don't know what I feel any more. I only know that I want to be with you, I long for your touch and I love the way your hair curls around your face.'

‘Will you tell your husband about me?' Dafydd waited with bated breath for her reply.

‘He knows,' she said. ‘He has no idea who you are, but he does know I have a lover.'

‘Am I more than just a lover, though?' Dafydd
knew he was asking for reassurance, like a small child wanting approbation from a difficult parent.

‘Of course you are.' Llinos sat up against the brass rail of the bed. Her breasts were firm white globes in the dimness of the candlelit room. ‘I have never had any man except my husband.' She touched his cheek, and he took her hand and kissed her fingers. ‘I know I thrill to your touch, Dafydd, I know that I can't wait to see you again. Is that love? I don't know any more.'

‘It will do for now,' Dafydd said, pleased at the warmth in her voice. ‘And you are not making love with
him
?'

‘No, Dafydd, I've sent him away for a while until I can decide what to do with my life.'

‘Good.' He kissed her mouth, sending up a prayer of thanks that the unknown husband had gone away. A sudden urgent rapping on the door broke the silence. He slid out of the bed and pulled on a robe. He glanced back at Llinos, his finger on his lips, warning her to be quiet.

He opened the door cautiously. Only one other person knew he was at the hotel and that was his brother.

‘Pedr!'

The young boy was white-faced in the light of the lantern he held above his head. ‘You must come, Mr Buchan. It's your brother – he's been hurt.'

‘Ceri hurt? How?' He saw Pedr shake his head. ‘Wait for me.'

Dafydd closed the door and began to dress. ‘I'll have to go and see what's happened to Ceri,' he said, ‘but I'll be back as soon as I can.'

He paused at the door, looking back, absorbing the vision of the tangled hair and flushed cheeks of the woman he loved. The pain in his heart at the thought he might lose her was like a knife thrusting through him.

AS SOON AS
Shanni stepped into the hallway of Madame Isabelle's house she knew that something was wrong. Madame was pale, her eyes had dark shadows under them and her usually immaculate hair was tied carelessly in a loose knot at the back of her neck.

Shanni looked at her in alarm. ‘What's happened?' She followed the other woman into the parlour and waited until the door was closed. ‘Something's wrong. What's upset you, Madame?'

‘Everything is wrong.' Madame Isabelle spoke in lowered tones in case any of the servants overheard the conversation. ‘That's what comes of the men going out without a leader.'

‘The men went riding without Dafydd? Why wasn't he with them?' Shanni remembered to keep her voice low.

‘Dafydd had other things on his mind.' There was an edge of sharpness in Isabelle's voice. ‘Still, the men should have waited for his orders and then all this trouble wouldn't have arisen.'

‘So there was a fight, then, at the gate?' Shanni could have bitten off her tongue as soon as the words left her mouth.

‘What do you know about it?' Madame Isabelle caught her arm. ‘Did you know of the plans to burn down the Dwr Coch, then?'

‘I just heard some of the men talking, I didn't know when they were going out, though.'

‘You should have come to me!' Madame Isabelle said tightly. ‘We could have avoided all this upset.'

‘I didn't know much about it,' Shanni said quickly. ‘I thought it was a normal meeting. Was anyone hurt?'

‘Pedr Morgan has a fine black eye and a fat lip for his pains.' Isabelle sank into a chair, her hand over her eyes. ‘Worst of all, Ceri Buchan was badly injured. The poor man was taken to the infirmary with gunshot wounds.' She sighed. ‘Heaven knows what will come of it.'

‘What was Dafydd's brother doing there?' Shanni asked in surprise. ‘I thought he didn't agree with the protest.'

‘He doesn't!' Isabelle said sharply. ‘The good, brave man was trying to bring order. He might be on the wrong side of the fence, so to speak, but Mr Buchan is a fine man.' She took a deep breath, rather like the ones she took when she was about to demonstrate with her fine voice how a note should sound. ‘Look, Shanni, I think it best if you don't visit me here at Llanelli, at least for the time being. I don't want to involve you in anything dangerous.'