Snowbound With the Notorious Rake (18 page)

They had dropped the letters for Mrs Reed and Mr Wilkins at the vicarage and were hurrying along the high street when Magnus drove up.

‘Good morning.’ He stopped beside them. ‘I have just called at your house and your maid told me where you are headed. Perhaps you will allow me to take you up?’ He added, as she hesitated, ‘There is room for three; neither you nor Samuel will take up much space.’

Rose would have preferred to continue walking, but as she could think of no excuse that would not require lengthy explanation, she merely uttered a quiet assent. She urged Sam to scramble up first and quickly climbed up after him. Magnus gave a little flick of his whip and the carriage pulled away.

‘How is your sister?’ asked Rose.

‘Distraught, naturally, but I cannot wholly forgive her. To make such an announcement, when all the world was there to hear her. Pure folly!’

‘Magnus!’

‘I am aware I sound harsh and unfeeling, Rose, but however upset she may have been, I cannot condone such a lack of control. I shall send her away, of course—she has an aunt in the north country who will take
care of her, but the damage is done: it cannot be hushed up now.’

Rose gripped her hands together so hard they shook.

‘Are there no thoughts of…of marriage?’

‘Out of the question. I cannot have my sister wed to a man who has shown himself so much my enemy.’ He was silent for a moment. ‘He tried to turn you against me, too.’ She felt his eyes resting on her, but kept her own gaze lowered. He said quietly, ‘I fear he insinuated himself into your affections.’

‘Magnus, I—’

‘Please, Rose, before you say anything more, let me assure you that despite the unfortunate events of last evening, I have not changed my mind: I still wish to make you my wife.’

Rose glanced down at Sam.

‘Perhaps this is not the time…’

‘Perhaps not, but I must take the opportunity while I can. We are so rarely alone.’

‘We have been busy…’

‘Not so busy that you could not go riding with Daunton yesterday morning. Oh, yes, my dear, I heard all about that.’

Rose flushed, but before she could respond Sam piped up, ‘Sir Lawrence wanted to see how well I can ride his pony!’

‘
His
pony?’ Magnus raised his brows.

‘It is on loan,’ she said quickly. ‘A gift for his godson. I am merely looking after it for a short while. It was a business arrangement.’

‘And you believe that? You are far too trusting, Rose,’
said Magnus heavily. ‘I am glad you now know him for the scoundrel he really is.’

‘I do,’ she said bitterly. ‘And can only be ashamed that I allowed myself to be so taken in.’

Sam’s head came up.

‘Sir Lawrence is not a scoundrel!’

‘Hush, Sam.’

‘But he’s not—’

‘That is enough, Samuel,’ said Magnus sharply. ‘Really, Rose, it is time your son learned his manners.’

‘I beg your pardon, Magnus, but—’

‘The management of the boy is obviously too much for you. Samuel has been without a father for too long, and you allowing him to be in the company of a villain like Daunton can only make matters worse. Once we are married I shall soon teach him—’

‘Sir Lawrence says Mama should not marry you,’ exclaimed Sam, enraged by the criticism of his mother and his friend.

‘Samuel, that is
enough
!’ Rose put her hand on Sam’s shoulder. ‘One more word and I shall ask Mr Emsleigh to put us down here and I will take you home.’ It was an empty threat, for they were already driving through the gate of Woolers Farm, but Sam firmly closed his lips, frowning with the effort to remain quiet. Magnus brought the carriage to a stand in the yard and a young farmhand came out from one of the barns and ran to the horses’ heads. Rose waited for Magnus to come around and hand her down.

‘Give my regards to your sister.’ She smiled at him,
trying to distract him from her son’s incivility. ‘I shall call upon her shortly.’

‘You are very kind.’ He raised his eyes to regard Sam, who was scrambling down from the carriage, and after a visible struggle he shook his head. ‘I know he is your son, Rose, and your only link with your late beloved husband, but you are far too lenient with the boy. He should be at school, not mixing with the likes of Daunton—’

His words were very quiet, but Sam had excellent hearing. He turned and glared at Magnus.

‘Sir Lawrence is my
friend
,’ he said pugnaciously. ‘He rescued Jem and me from Sealham Point.’

Magnus scowled.

‘You will learn nothing from him but bad habits.’

‘That is not true.
You
do not like him, but Mama does. He makes her laugh.’

‘Sam!’

‘It is true, Mama. When we went riding yesterday you laughed and smiled all the way to the mine.’

‘The mine?’ Magnus gripped Rose by the shoulders, subjecting her to a dark, searching look. ‘You took him to Hades Cove yesterday?’

‘Yes, I did.’ She stepped away, disengaging herself. ‘Sam has wanted to go there for a long time, so we rode that way. I think he was a little disappointed that we could not go inside the mine itself.’

‘Thank heaven for that!’ exclaimed Magnus. ‘It was foolish in the extreme to go anywhere near it. Promise me you will not do so again. It is far too dangerous.’

‘Sir Lawrence likes danger,’ put in Sam, obviously
unimpressed by this cautious attitude. ‘In fact, he is going off adventuring today.’

‘Nonsense,’ said Magnus shortly.

‘It is not nonsense,’ cried Sam. ‘He…he had a lamp, and…and a-a jemmy in his saddle bag!’

‘A what?’ exclaimed Magnus. ‘You cannot possibly know what you are talking about.’

‘I do.’ Sam gave him a triumphant stare. ‘It’s an iron bar for opening boxes, trunks full of treasure and…and things. There’s one at the stables, Evans showed me. And I saw the end of it sticking out of Sir Lawrence’s saddle bag this morning. So you see, I am right. He is an adventurer and the bravest man I know.’

Flinging these words at them, Sam turned and dashed away. Magnus watched him go, a deep frown creasing his brow. Distressed, Rose laid her hand on his arm.

‘Oh, Magnus, I do beg your pardon, he should not speak like that to you. Let me bring him back here and make him apologise.’

‘What? Oh—no, my dear, let him go. We will take up the matter with him later. I must go.’

Rose watched in some surprise as he leapt back into his seat.

‘Will you not come to the house with me? I only came to bring Sam and do not intend to stay long—you could drive me home.’

She had hoped to offer this as an olive branch, but Magnus merely shook his head.

‘I have business requiring my attention. I shall call upon you tomorrow.’

With that he raised his whip in salute, turned the
carriage and drove quickly away from the farm. Rose watched him go then walked towards the farmhouse. She found Maggie Wooler waiting for her at the door.

‘Jem is feeding the cattle in the barn and I have sent little Sam to help him. I will make sure he sets off for home before it is too dark. I hope you will not object if he gets a little dirty?’

‘Not at all. Dirt will wash off and a little hard work will make him sleep.’ She reached into her reticule. ‘I will not stop, but my mother promised old Mrs Wooler the recipe for a tisane she finds particularly useful against winter chills…’

‘Thank you, but will you not step in and give it to her yourself? I know she would like to see you.’ Mrs Wooler opened the door wide. ‘Poor Mother Wooler has seen no one but me all morning, what with Jem having to do Abel’s work as well as his own.’

‘Oh, is Abel not well?’

Mrs Wooler shook her head as she led the way through the meandering passages of the farmhouse.

‘Nay, he left early this morning, soon after Sir Lawrence came to see him. Said he was off to see Sir Jonas, the magistrate. Wouldn’t say why, but I know summat’s been botherin’ him for a while now.’

‘Sir Lawrence was here?’

‘Aye.’ Maggie Wooler chuckled. ‘Gave me the shock of my life when I saw ’im in the yard at daybreak, talkin’ to Abel. He must have left his house afore dawn. Didn’t think gentlefolk could be about so early—!’

She broke off as they entered the parlour and Rose
went forwards to greet the old lady sitting in a chair by the hearth. Once pleasantries had been exchanged and Rose had handed over the recipe, Mrs Wooler went off to bring in more wood for the fire.

‘A good girl, that,’ said old Mrs Wooler, as the door closed behind her daughter-in-law. ‘All the sorrow of losing Ruben, but she keeps so cheerful. ’Tis hard work for her, lookin’ after us all and running the household. But she never complains—even with Abel actin’ like the cares of the world are on his shoulders, mopin’ and grumbling. Like a bear with a sore head, he was. Then this mornin’ he ups and leaves, says there’s summat he’s got to put right.’

‘But he did not say what it was?’

The old woman shook her head.

‘I wished he would, for he’s not been happy ever since the
Sealark
went down. At first I thought it was the loss of his brother; heaven knows that’s grief enough for a man to bear, but I do reckon ’twas more than that. But there, he likes to keep his own counsel, does Abel.’ She wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron. ‘But for all that he’s a good boy. Came to my room this morning to say goodbye, he did. “Don’t ’ee worry, Mother,” he says to me. “I’ve a mind to see justice done, but there’s those as have promised me our Jem won’t lose out.” Now what do you make o’ that?’

‘I am not sure,’ said Rose slowly. ‘Could it…?’ She paused, not really wanting to ask the question. ‘Could it be something to do with the insurance money Mr Emsleigh has promised those who sailed on the
Sealark
?’

The old lady sat forwards in her chair.

‘Well, I was wondering that meself. Our Abel has always been reluctant to talk about it, apart from insisting that his share would pay for a memorial stone for his brother.’ The old woman shook her head. ‘Summat very havey-cavey about that whole business, if you was to ask me.’

Despite the roaring fire, Rose felt a chill run down her spine. What was it Lawrence had said?
I have a witness who is prepared to tell the truth about the sinking.
Had he meant Abel?

‘Oh, dear God!’

Mother Wooler looked up.

‘Is anything wrong, dear?’

Rose blinked. She had not realised she had spoken aloud.

‘Y-yes,’ she said, rising swiftly. ‘I—I have remembered something. I must go home, immediately. Please, give my apologies to your daughter-in-law. I must go!’

With a hasty goodbye she almost ran from the room and out of the house, fastening her pelisse as she hurried through the yard towards the gate. A series of images flashed through her mind: Magnus wanting to open up the mine again; going to Hades Cove without telling her; his anger when he discovered she had taken Lawrence there.

Very soon I shall have proof.

Lawrence’s words that morning came back to her, but more worrying, the thing that made her blood run cold, was the way Magnus had dashed away after Sam told him that Lawrence was going exploring with a lan
tern and an iron bar—the sort of bar one could use to lever nailed boards from the entrance to a mineshaft.

‘No.’ She stopped, panting. Magnus was no villain. He owned the largest house in the area, was welcomed everywhere. He was on the best of terms with all the local magistrates. He
could not
be involved in anything illegal.

She began to walk on again. Magnus might not have anything to hide, but he had no liking for Lawrence and would not want him breaking into his property.

‘Hades Mine belongs to me, not Magnus.’ She spoke aloud and immediately a voice in her head answered her.
But you are betrothed and he has long regarded the mine as his property. If he finds Lawrence trespassing there, he will think himself within his rights to kill him.

T
he boards were hard: bands of seasoned wood firmly fixed into place across the entrance to the mine. Lawrence set to work prising them away one by one. He made slow progress; each board had been secured with several long nails, designed to deter any curious passers-by. He wondered, not for the first time, if he should have brought someone to help him. Had the mine belonged to Emsleigh then he might have done so and risked the consequences, but Rose was involved and he was anxious to avoid casting any slur upon her good name. She was innocent, he would stake his life on it, but if his suspicions were correct and Magnus was using the mine to store the cargo from the
Sealark
, then he would have to persuade Rose to go with him to Sir Jonas. Anything less from her would look like collusion.

At last he had removed enough boards to give him access to the mine and he climbed through the opening.
He found himself in what looked like a large cavern. The ground dropped away gently in front of him and disappeared into darkness. He lit his lamp and set off into the gloom. As he moved deeper the salty fresh air was replaced with a damp mustiness. The tunnel curved, then made a sharp turn to the left, effectively blocking off the last of the natural light. The dim glow of his lamp showed a series of tunnels running off on each side of him, presumably where the miners had dug out the seams of iron ore until each one was exhausted. The first tunnel to his left was very short, barely six feet before the lantern’s rays hit the jagged, uneven wall of rock at the end. Lawrence turned to his right and as he swung the lantern around he gave a low whistle. One side of the tunnel was lined with barrels and crates and various packages wrapped in oilcloth, everything neatly stacked against the wall and stretching away into the darkness beyond the lamp’s reach. Enough goods, he estimated, to fill the hold of a ship.

Lawrence moved closer and inspected the nearest wooden crate. It bore the name of a Bristol iron-monger. Some of the packages had trade cards attached. It shouldn’t be difficult to check back to find out if these goods tallied with those lost on the
Sealark
.

Quickly he strode back to the opening. The winter sun was already low in the sky; as it dipped towards the horizon it blazed into the mouth of the mine in a harsh, blinding glare. Lawrence extinguished his lantern and hooked one leg over the low boards he had left in place, ducking to avoid those above him. As he stepped out and straightened, some presentiment of danger came
over him. He bunched his fists, but even as he began to turn a heavy blow caught him on the back of the head and he crumpled, lifeless, to the ground.

Rose went straight to the stables. The young lad looked startled to see her and explained that Evans had not yet returned from Minehead.

‘No, and I do not expect him for some hours yet,’ she replied, looking about her. ‘Can you saddle my horse for me, now?’

The boy hurried to obey and ten minutes later she was trotting out of the village, the voluminous folds of her cloak covering the deficiencies of her walking dress, which was not cut quite so liberally as a riding habit and therefore exposed a rather immodest amount of leg and ankle.

Rose kept her horse to a sedate trot until the houses were left behind, then she dug in her heels and set off at a gallop. The snow lay thicker over the moor, but Rose kept up a fast but steady pace until she reached the track leading down to Hades Cove. She let her horse pick its way more slowly over the rocky path and down into the woods, where no sun had penetrated and the ground was iron hard beneath its white covering.

There were fresh tracks in the snow; one, possibly two riders had come this way. Squaring her shoulders, she moved on, impatient to reach the mine. At last the trees thinned and the little shelf of land was before her, but even before her horse had reached the clearing she saw Magnus dragging something dark and heavy
through the snow towards the cliff edge. She jumped from her horse and ran forwards.

‘Magnus, no! What are you doing?’

Her heart stopped as she approached and saw that he was pulling at Lawrence’s unconscious form. She thought at first that Lawrence had a dark red ribbon twisted across his face, but as she drew closer she saw it was blood trickling from a head wound. It had reached his chin and was soaking into his neckcloth. She stared in horror.

‘Have you killed him?’

‘Not yet.’

Panic filled her.

‘Let him go, Magnus. You cannot commit murder.’

Magnus straightened.

‘What is this?’ he exclaimed. ‘I thought you would be glad to see him gone.’

‘I want him out of my life, yes, but not like this.’

There was a groan. Lawrence stirred and began to push himself up onto one elbow.

‘Oh, thank heaven!’ she muttered.

Lawrence sat up, lifting one hand to his head. Rose dug her teeth into her lip to stop herself from crying when he lifted his fingers away, wet with blood. She dropped to her knees beside him.

‘We must get you back—’

‘You do not seem to understand, my dear,’ drawled Magnus. ‘Neither of you can leave this place now.’

He drew a wicked-looking pistol from his belt. Lawrence heaved himself onto one elbow.

‘By God, Emsleigh—’

Magnus flourished the pistol.

‘Now, now, Daunton, do not try anything heroic or I shall have to use this and at this range I am bound to kill one of you. Hush, now, while I think what I am to do with you.’

Rose frowned.

‘What do you mean?’

‘He intends to push us both over the cliff,’ growled Lawrence, climbing unsteadily to his feet. ‘But with only one pistol, one bullet, he cannot overpower us both.’

Magnus shrugged.

‘I am an excellent shot, so one of you will die, and whoever is left…’ His lips curved into a smile that sent a shiver through Rose. ‘A woman or an injured man—either way, I do not see that I can lose.’

‘Stop this, Magnus.’ Rose put her arm around Lawrence as he swayed. ‘He is no threat to you.’ A flash of white sail caught her eye and she glanced quickly towards the grey sea. ‘There is a ship just coming round the headland. They would hear you if you dared to fire.’

Magnus gave her a pitying look. ‘The wind is blowing onshore. Any sound would be carried in the opposite direction. However, they may be watching and I would rather avoid witnesses. We will go back into the mine.’

‘I would rather take my chances out here,’ muttered Lawrence.

‘But it is not your choice,’ purred Magnus. He waved the pistol menacingly. ‘Quickly now, or I may lose patience and risk shooting you here!’

‘Please, Lawrence, let us do as he says,’ Rose begged.

She pulled the fichu from her neck and gently held it against the cut on his head.

‘Quite the ministering angel,’ jeered Magnus.

Rose ignored him and began to half-drag, half-carry Lawrence towards the mine entrance.

‘Why did you come?’ In between his ragged breaths Lawrence muttered the question.

‘Magnus guessed from something Sam said that you were going to explore the mine.’

‘And you came to save me?’

‘Yes—no!’ She gave a little huff of exasperation. ‘I did not want to believe he would hurt you.’

He started to laugh, but it ended in a gasp.

‘Well, now you know differently.’

‘I hope you are not hatching any plots between you!’

Magnus’s sharp voice brought Rose’s head up.

‘I think you are the one hatching plots,’ she retorted. ‘Do I have to remind you that you are on my land?’

‘No, my dear, but you will soon see that I have put it to good use. Now get into the mine or I will despatch one of you here and now!’

Her breath catching in her throat, she continued to help Lawrence across the uneven grass towards the mine. It was the longest few yards she had ever taken. The knowledge that Magnus was following with a loaded pistol made her spine rigid with fear. The entrance yawned before her, a narrow black opening surrounded by bleached timbers. She helped Lawrence to climb in, wondering if it was possible to overpower Magnus when he followed them, but as if reading her mind he waved them away.

‘Get over there by the wall, where I can see you.’

Once he had climbed through the gap into the shadowy chamber he ordered Rose to light the lantern, but elected to carry it himself in his left hand, while the right maintained a steady grip on the pistol.

Lawrence kept his arm about Rose, but he was no longer leaning heavily upon her and he was walking almost normally as they stumbled further on into complete darkness. He kept the folded muslin fichu to his head, lifting it away occasionally to check if the bleeding had stopped.

At last Magnus told them to halt. He hung the lantern from a hook high on one of the pit props and Rose had the opportunity to observe her surroundings. She had never been inside the mine before. The dim light from the lantern bounced back from the low roof and jagged walls. She found the still, musty air oppressive and fought against her rising panic. To distract herself she glanced at the tunnels on each side of her and suddenly became aware that one of them was far from empty. She moved a step closer. Just discernible on the edge of the lamp’s glow were the outlines of the kegs, crates and bundles stacked high against the wall of the mine.

‘Is—is this the cargo from the
Sealark
?’

‘It is, my dear, thousands of pounds’ worth, safely stowed.’

‘But…you said it was lost.’ She frowned. ‘So you
did
scuttle her deliberately.’

‘Yes,’ said Magnus. ‘But not until everything had been offloaded. I have been waiting for the chance to
move it, but with the path visible to anyone who happens to be out of doors in Mersecombe I have had to wait—a trail of ponies coming to and from the mine would have caused comment. If only you had agreed to my plan to reopen the mine, my dear, then no one would have thought twice about the activity. It is so galling to have all this valuable cargo and not be able to sell it. And thanks to your friend here I still haven’t received the insurance I am due.’

‘But you are due nothing,’ reasoned Rose. ‘This…this is fraud.’

Again that sinister smile lifted his mouth.

‘Only if we are caught.’

‘We?’ She looked at him scornfully. ‘I am nothing to do with your schemes!’

‘But this is your land,’ he reminded her. ‘And you are my fiancée.’

‘No, that is over. Do you think I can condone what you have done? Have you forgotten that Ruben Wooler lost his life because of your wickedness?’

‘That was an accident and his widow will get something.’

‘Ah, yes,’ said Lawrence. The cut on his head had stopped bleeding and he discarded the bloody fichu. ‘Your promissory notes. Very clever—you knew the crew would not speak against you, because if they did they would not get their money.’

‘Yes, that’s why I sent Captain Morris to Bristol to sign up a crew. I knew we could pick them from far and wide, and afterwards they would all go their separate ways. Pity was, Morris insisted we needed Ruben
Wooler if we were to bring the
Sealark
safely into the jetty at Hades Cove. But Morris should have made some excuse to keep the brother out. I wanted a crew from as far afield as possible; I didn’t want them sitting around here after and discussing what had happened.’ Magnus turned his cold stare towards Lawrence. ‘Don’t think I don’t know that you have been snooping around the farm, trying to persuade Wooler to testify against me, but he’s a close one. He won’t talk, because his brother’s widow will be forty-five guineas the poorer if he does.’

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but Lawrence gripped her arm. Obediently she kept silent.

Lawrence said, ‘He won’t need to talk: this cargo is all the proof I need.’

Magnus curled his lip.

‘My dear Daunton, surely you do not think I can let you go now?’

‘This is the outside of enough, Magnus,’ exclaimed Rose. ‘You cannot think that I will let you do this!’

‘Oh, but you will, my dear.’

‘What do you mean?’

He smiled.

‘You will marry me and share in the proceeds of my ill-gotten gains—’

‘Never!’

‘—or I shall have to kill you, too.’

The words were so matter-of-fact that she thought she had misheard him, but as understanding dawned she said slowly, ‘You would really
kill
to protect your interests?’

‘Of course, if I must.’

Lawrence gripped her wrist.

‘You should save yourself, Rose.’

‘No. I will stay with you.’

He gave her a little push and said roughly, ‘Go on. To me you were nothing but a distraction.’ He pinched her arm on the last word. ‘Go.’

Rose took a step away from him. She looked at Magnus.

‘You would still marry me? Knowing I could ruin you?’

‘Oh, I don’t think you would do that, my dear. The trappings of luxury are very hard to lay aside.’ He held his hand out to her. ‘Come, we will go back now and you can put it about that you have decided we will open the mine again. My people can be moving the goods out within the week. We won’t attempt to sell anything in this area, of course, although I need to raise some money. I have been dipping far too deep recently, living on credit. I expected the insurers to pay up by now.’

Lawrence shook his head.

‘If I do not make my report, I doubt they will ever pay up.’

‘Nonsense. Once they are made aware of last night’s little scene they will not think it odd that you have disappeared, gone to ground rather than face up to your responsibilities. Your reputation goes before you, Daunton. My sister is just the last in a long line of women you have seduced.’

‘By God, Emsleigh, I’ll make you pay for this!’

Magnus laughed, the sound magnified and monstrous as it bounced off the walls.

‘Empty threats, Daunton.’ He held out his hand. ‘Come here, Rose, and let us end this—no, don’t stand in front of him—!’

The brief moment of diversion was enough. Un sighted, Magnus lowered the pistol. Lawrence hurled himself at him and the two men fell to the ground. Lawrence grabbed his wrist, twisting viciously. The pistol dropped from his fingers and Rose swooped upon it, carrying it safely out of the way.