Daughters of Rebecca (25 page)

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Authors: Iris Gower

BOOK: Daughters of Rebecca
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The sound of the horse's hoofs on the rough road sounded like a heartbeat, and Shanni felt excitement flow through her. She was in charge of
her own life, she would run it as she saw fit, and not bow to anyone's wishes – certainly not those of Mrs Llinos Mainwaring.

Pedr slowed their mount as the lights from the toll-house came into view. Shanni, peering around his shoulder, saw the shadowy figures of the Rebeccarites massing for the attack.

The man who called himself Becca was at the front of the crowd. He was wearing a horsehair wig and skirts billowed around his long legs. She knew it was Dafydd, of course, everyone in the movement knew who the leader was, but no-one would ever talk of it, not even under pain of death.

Shanni slipped from the horse and watched as Pedr tied the reins loosely around an overhanging branch of the sheltering trees. He caught her arm, his finger to his lips warning her to be silent.

The men were shouting abuse at the keeper in the toll-house, and the sound echoed into the clouds above her head. Shanni pulled away from Pedr in alarm. She put her hands over her face, the noise reminding her again of the way her mother had been dragged from the house by the
Ceffyl Pren
.

The gate was in pieces, and a shadowy figure held a torch to the dry timber. It blazed into life, sending a shower of sparks into the night sky. The men cheered the noise, animal-like in the silence of the night.

Shanni saw again her mother's stricken face. She heard screaming from inside the toll-house and she almost turned to run. A woman rushed out from the building holding a lantern above her
head. In the wash of candlelight she appeared ghoulish, her eyes deep caverns like those of a skull, her mouth an open tomb as she screamed at the rioters. She drew nearer the men, brandishing a broom. ‘Why are you doing this to me, you snivelling cowards?' she shouted. ‘Why pick on a defenceless woman? Tell me that.' The men fell back uneasily.

‘My Twm is a coachman and he's away, as well you know. Are you men or mice that you attack a woman alone?'

The leader stepped forward, the toes of his boots incongruous beneath the calico petticoats he was wearing. ‘We are not against you, woman.' His voice was scarcely recognizable: it was gruff and sounded ill-bred, as though he was a peasant, not a landowner. Shanni was shocked. Perhaps the leader tonight was not Dafydd after all.

She felt angry and disappointed, wished she had stayed at home. Perhaps even now Dafydd was with Llinos Mainwaring. The thought made her bite her lip in despair.

The woman had the attention of the crowd. ‘You men disgust me! You come dressed as women to terrify and destroy the living of a family who is as dirt poor as you.' She moved closer to the blaze.

‘Do you want to burn me and my few possessions too?' She could be seen more clearly now, and in the light she looked young and pretty with flowing dark hair hanging loose to her waist.

One of the men leaped across the burning timber and felled the woman with one blow. He knelt over her and lifted her nightgown.

‘How about a little kiss and cuddle, then, girl?' He slipped his hand along her thigh, and the woman screamed like a wounded animal. She struck out at him, trying to pull away. He knelt over her, fumbling with his buttons. His intention was obvious to everyone watching yet no-one moved.

Shanni thought again of the humiliation her mother had suffered, naked and shamed, tied to a post, while the people who should have been her friends reviled her.

As the man pressed forward the woman screamed in terror. Shanni could not stand it. She rushed forward throwing herself against the man catching him off balance. ‘Leave her alone, you
mochyn frwnt
!' she shouted. ‘You are nothing but a dirty pig!'

The man leaped to his feet and faced Shanni, anger suffusing his face. The woman from the toll-house scrambled to her feet and rushed back inside the house, crying with fear and shame. Shanni heard the door slam and the bars fall into place.

‘Don't you call me a dirty pig!' She was caught and held, her arms twisted cruelly behind her. ‘You've stopped me havin' a bit o' fun this night, my girl, so you'll have to do instead.'

He threw her to the ground but before he could do anything else, Pedr was standing over her. ‘Get off, man. This has gone far enough,' he said easily. ‘This girl is with me and we're going to be wed, so I'll thank you to let me be the one to take her maidenhead!' He laughed, pulling Shanni close to him.

There was silence for a moment. Then Becca stepped forward, towering head and shoulders above the rest. He shook Pedr's hand then kissed Shanni, the horsehair wig rough against her face.

‘Congratulations, young Shanni,' he said. Gone was the rough accent: the voice was cultured and she knew that the man under the wig was Dafydd after all. Now he thought she was betrothed to Pedr, which was the last thing she wanted.

She did understand the pressure of his hand on her arm, though, and nodded almost imperceptibly before putting her arms around Pedr's waist.

‘Shall we let young Pedr take his bride off into the trees to do a bit of courtin', then, boys?' His voice was harsh again. Shanni looked anxiously at Pedr, then at the group of men staring at her.

One threw back his head and laughed, and soon everyone was joining in, making crude jokes.

Becca held up his hand. ‘I say Pedr should give her a lesson this night.' He rested his hand on Pedr's shoulder. ‘See, Pedr boy, don't let the maid keep you at a distance now. Get her bundling and plant your seed, lest some other man get there first.'

The men laughed loudly, the tension released. The timber from the gate crackled into embers, and now the men would be ready to disperse. But she was wrong and before Shanni knew what was happening she was being lifted shoulder high. Her heart was pounding and she felt as though she would choke. What was going to happen to her?

She struggled to look round and saw that Pedr was being carried along with her. The men took
them through the wood to a clearing and she was put down on her feet again. In front of her was a shack. She watched with dread as one of the men pushed open the door and gestured for her to go inside.

Shanni looked around for Dafydd but he had gone. Pedr was at her side then, pushing her into the hut. He closed the door and the darkness was intense, with just one window revealing a pale streak of moonlight. ‘Better lie down in case anyone looks in,' Pedr whispered.

‘I'm not going to lie down anywhere with you, Pedr Morgan!' Shanni said fiercely.

‘Then take your chances with them out there, girl.' He caught her hand and drew her on to a makeshift bed. ‘Now, look, this is just pretend, right? I mean you no harm, you know that. Once the men have gone we'll be away from here.' He pressed his mouth against hers effectively stopping her protest.

Shanni knew he was talking sense. She could hear the men singing a lewd song about a couple in love, and shuddered. Pedr put his arms around her and she felt the bristle of his unshaven face against her own. She was tense, her heart thumping. This was not what she wanted. She put her hands against Pedr's chest and attempted to push him away.

‘Get astride the girl, lad!' A raucous laugh close to the window made Shanni realize that they were being watched. ‘Get on with it! If taking a young girl's maidenhead is too much for you, step aside and let a man show you how.'

‘I'd rather do this in private, if you don't mind,'
Pedr said harshly. ‘I don't want to hurt my sweetheart and put her off for life, do I?'

Shanni felt for his face in the dark. It was hot beneath her fingers. She became aware that Pedr was trembling. She smiled suddenly. ‘You've done this sort of courting before, haven't you?' she whispered. She felt like giggling. She was in no danger from Pedr so she might as well enter into the spirit of the charade.

‘Darling Pedr,' she gasped out loud, ‘you are so wonderful, such a strong man.' It was strange how easily the Welsh tongue came back to her. She put her arms around Pedr and held him close, planting loud kisses on his face. Suddenly she thought the whole thing hilarious. ‘Oh, my love, can't we marry straight away? I can't live another day without you.'

‘That's it.' Pedr had caught her mood and clasped her to him gasping with laughter. ‘If they really knew what we were up to, they'd all pee their trews!' he whispered. He rested his hot face against hers and turned to speak to her. Their lips touched and, in a moment, laughter fled. Shanni was aware of him as a man, aware of his thighs pressing against hers. He kissed her again and she felt him harden against her.

‘Pedr,' she said breathlessly, ‘don't get carried away now,
boy bach
.'

‘That's the trouble, though, girl. I'm not a little boy, I'm a man, and I want to make love to you with every bit of me.'

‘Well, you can't!' Shanni said. ‘Now, get off me. The men have all gone from the sound of it.'

Pedr released her and peered warily through the
window. ‘There's no sign of anyone. I expect they've gone home to pester their wives after all this excitement.'

As Shanni moved towards the door Pedr caught her and held her close. ‘I'm going to have some reward for my trouble,' he said. He pressed his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss.

Shanni felt a mixture of emotions run through her. She wanted to push him away, but something stopped her. Then, abruptly, she was released.

‘Now then, Shanni, that will teach you to come to a burning with me,' Pedr said. ‘From now on you'll stay safe at home, won't you?'

She knew Pedr was right. Had he been less of a gentleman he would have taken advantage of her. She touched his cheek. ‘Thank you, Pedr,' she said softly.

‘For what?'

‘Just for being you. Come on, let's go home.' She held his hand as they walked out of the shed into the light of the moon.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

LLINOS SAT OPPOSITE
Shanni and stared angrily at her across the drawing room. Shanni's head was bent but Llinos could see that her face was flushed and her red hair hung in rough tendrils around her shoulders. ‘What on earth were you doing riding out at night with a crowd of rebels?' Llinos remonstrated. ‘Are you foolish or downright wicked?'

‘I didn't do anything wrong,' Shanni said defensively. She looked up at last. ‘I promise you I did nothing wrong. It was just . . .' She shrugged. ‘I wanted to go with the men, to see what happened when a gate was being burned down.'

‘Wanted to see Dafydd Buchan is more like the truth, isn't it, Shanni? Answer me.'

Shanni's eyes gleamed. ‘I have as much right to be in Dafydd's company as you do!' she said.

‘So you end up in a hut with Pedr Morgan. Is that proper behaviour for a lady, do you think?'

‘I'm embarrassed about that.' Shanni pushed back her hair. ‘We had to pretend we were courting. I was only safe because they thought I
was Pedr's sweetheart. We didn't do anything wrong, though. Can't you believe me?' She stared defiantly at Llinos. ‘Pedr thought it best if he brought me back here. Madame Isabelle would have been so angry if we'd gone to her house.'

‘So, in his wisdom, Pedr brought you home to me when day was breaking. It wasn't very clever of him to let the whole of Pottery Row know you were out all night.' Llinos got to her feet. ‘I still can't believe you have been so stupid.' She rubbed her temple. ‘As if I haven't enough to worry about, without you causing me grief, too.' She stood at the window gazing out at the morning. The air was still and clouds were gathering, threatening a storm. She believed the girl was telling the truth, that she had not slept with Pedr Morgan. Shanni was no liar and, in any case, it was Dafydd she wanted, not one of his workers.

‘Well,' Llinos said at last, ‘there will be no more visits to Madame Isabelle's house, do you understand? I am appalled that she allowed you to associate with such people.'

‘Those people included Dafydd Buchan.' Shanni smiled as if she had scored a point. ‘In any case, Madame knew nothing about it.'

Llinos swung round to face the girl. ‘Didn't she? Well, I expect this is not the first time you have acted the wanton and gone out riding at night. No, Shanni, you will be kept indoors for a month until you learn some self-control.'

Shanni did not reply. She stared down at her hands, twisting them in her lap, and Llinos wondered what she was thinking. Was it true that bad blood was carried through successive
generations? If so, Shanni was liable to lose her head over a man just as her mother had.

A dreadful thought struck her. Had Shanni stayed with Dafydd? Had Pedr brought her home to cover the truth? Llinos turned back to the window. The shimmer of heat that rose from the bottle kilns hung like a haze over the yard.

Llinos glanced at Shanni and saw spots of red on the girl's cheeks. Suddenly, Llinos felt like a monster. Shanni was beholden to her, but that did not give her the right to think the worst of her or to treat her so harshly. ‘Let's forget all about last night,' Llinos said. ‘I shall call for Graves to take us into town. We'll get some dresses made for you, ready for when the fine weather comes.' She smiled as Shanni looked up at her. ‘I'm sorry for venting my anger on you but the truth is that my own life is not running as smoothly as I would like. Come, let's go and get ready. A trip out will do us both good.'

Shanni nodded, but refused to meet Llinos's eyes. She was still angry, her colour high. Shanni had an unforgiving streak in her, and who could blame her? Until Llinos had taken her in, Shanni's life had been one of misery and poverty.

Later, as the carriage rolled into Swansea, Llinos felt her spirits lift. The sun was breaking through the clouds and the Stryd Fawr was crowded with people. Vehicles jostled for space outside the large emporia and it seemed that the whole world had come shopping.

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