Zelah paced up and down the clearing. The light within the trees had faded to a grey dusk. Surely Dominic and Jasper should have returned by now? It was still raining, but the mist had lifted a little and she could see where the lane dropped away to the quay. There was no one in sight. She felt quite sick with apprehension, imagining the most horrendous scenes. It was almost too dark to see now and with grim determination Zelah made her way back to where the groom was sitting with the horses.
‘Help me to mount, Sawley. We will go and find out what has happened.’
‘Nay, madam, the major said—’
‘The major should have been back by now,’ she retorted fiercely. ‘Now it is up to you—either you come with me, or I shall go to the quay alone!’
Chapter Seventeen
The darkness was complete. Dominic and Jasper sat back to back on the cellar floor, each in turn trying to untie the other’s wrists. Dominic ran his tongue over his lips, tasting blood. He guessed he had cut his face when the landlord had pushed them down the stairs, but that was a minor concern. He thought of Nicky locked in the room upstairs and his anger grew. He would give everything he had if he could save him, not only for his own sake, but because of what the boy meant to Zelah.
Jasper swore softly. ‘It’s no good, Dom. That damned fishwife has tied the ropes too well.’
‘We’ll rest for a moment, then I’ll try again,’ muttered Dominic. He leaned against his twin. ‘How long do you think we have?’
‘Heaven knows. I wouldn’t think he would try to get rid of us while he has any customers, and by the sound of it the inn’s pretty full tonight.’
‘A couple of hours at most, then.’
‘Our best chance would be when they take us to the ship,’ said Jasper. ‘We might be able to make a run for it then, perhaps get help at the customs house from the Revenue officer.’
Dominic said nothing. They both knew it was a slim chance, but neither was willing to admit defeat.
‘We’ll just have to conserve our energy and—’
‘Hush!’ Dominic whispered urgently. ‘Someone’s coming.’
They struggled to their feet and waited, tense and expectant. They heard the soft rasp of bolts being drawn back from the door at the top of the stairs. Dominic swallowed the bitter bile of frustration. If only his hands were free he would punish that damned landlord—
‘Nicky!’
Jasper’s exclamation mirrored his own surprise. The soft glow of candles appeared at the top of the steps and Nicky came racing down towards them, Jem Sawley following quickly, but it was the figure behind the groom that caused Dominic’s heart to stand still.
‘Zelah! By heaven, what are you doing here?’
She closed the door carefully behind her before descending, holding her candle high to give as much light as possible.
‘We guessed something had gone wrong and came to find you. Here, Nicky, hold the candle for me.’
‘Did you call at the customs house for help?’ Dominic demanded, looking past her.
‘No,’ she said. ‘Everything was in darkness and we did not want to waste time.’
With a furious oath Dominic turned to his groom. ‘Hell and damnation, Jem, you should not have brought her here!’
Zelah did not wait for the hapless groom to muster his arguments.
‘He could not very well leave me behind!’ She pulled a long-bladed knife from the folds of her cloak. ‘I found this in the kitchen and thought it might be useful. Turn about, if you please, and I will cut you free.’
It was the work of moments to cut through their bonds. Dominic stood for a moment, rubbing his sore wrists. His relief at being free was tempered by anger. He wanted to rail at Zelah for putting herself into such danger, but because he knew it was foolish and unjustified he kept silent. Jasper knew no such reticence. He put his arm about Zelah and kissed her soundly on the cheek.
‘Well done, my dear!’ He looked across at Dominic and grinned. ‘I don’t know about you, brother, but I have had enough of this inn’s hospitality. Shall we go?’
‘Yes, immediately,’ returned Zelah. ‘We left our horses with yours, at the old barn.’
The three men went first, cautiously opening the cellar door. The laughter and chatter from the taproom filtered through the narrow passage, but there was no one in sight as they crept out.
They had almost reached the doorway when the landlord appeared from the courtyard. His eyes bulged when he found his way blocked by the men he thought safely trussed up in his cellar, but Jasper’s fist caught him squarely on the chin and laid him low. Hurriedly Dominic and Jem dragged the landlord’s unconscious body into the shadow of the building and signalled to Zelah and Nicky to come out into the wet twilight.
Once in the yard Zelah found her breathing easier: it was good to be outside again, even though the mist was thicker than ever. She held Nicky’s hand as they followed Jasper out of the yard, Dominic and Jem hovering protectively behind them. Her spine tingled. She was fearful of hearing the alarm raised, or, even worse, a shot ringing out. Even when they reached the horses she could not relax. Jasper threw her up into the saddle while Dominic took Nicky up before him and they left the village at a canter, not slowing up until they were up on the plateau again, with only the mist and the rain for company. Zelah glanced nervously over her shoulder.
‘Do you think they will follow us?’
‘It’s possible,’ said Dominic. ‘We should get as far away as we can while there is some light.’
Jasper nodded.
‘I agree, although it pains me to lose two good pistols to the villains. But we may yet recover them. I do not intend to let that rascally landlord and his wife get away with this. But first we have to return Nicky to his parents, and before tomorrow’s hearing, if that’s possible. Let’s press on, if you feel up to it, Miss Pentewan?’
Zelah nodded and Nicky, cocooned inside the front of Dominic’s greatcoat, raised his head.
‘Yes, please,’ he said, his voice breaking. ‘I w-want to go home.’
They had ridden hard until it was too dark to travel, then broken their journey at a coaching inn, where all Jasper’s considerable address and his full purse had been required before the landlord was persuaded to admit them. They had set off again at dawn, but heavy rain hampered their progress and they had to divert several times to avoid the swollen streams that blocked their route. There was no time to go to West Barton before the hearing started at ten o’clock so they made directly for Lesserton, where the church clock was already striking the hour when they reached the White Hart.
‘Your brother is here,’ observed Dominic, nodding towards the carriage pulled up across the street.
‘Good, I hope Maria is with him too, I cannot think she will be sitting at home on such an important day,’ declared Zelah, as Jasper helped her dismount.
He pulled her hand on to his arm. ‘Come along, then, we will all go in together.’
Their entrance caused immediate confusion. Sir Oswald, facing the door, saw them first. His eyes narrowed and a dull, angry colour mottled his cheeks. Maria gave a little scream and Reginald, who was sitting beside Mr Summerson, his lawyer, jumped up, gazing at his son and unable to speak for some moments. Maria ran forwards to take Nicky in her arms while the rest of the crowd muttered in surprise, knowing nothing of what had ensued.
Dominic stepped into the centre of the room and addressed the magistrate.
‘I beg your pardon for the intrusion,’ he announced. ‘We came to tell Mr Buckland his son is safe.’
‘Aye,’ declared Reginald, his eyes bright with anger. ‘He was abducted, Sir Arthur, and this note was sent to me, warning me not to present my new evidence to this hearing!’