Beneath the Major's Scars(50)

The surprised mutterings around the room swelled as Reginald     handed the paper to the magistrate. Sir Arthur hammered on the desk again, then     looked at the little boy, now held safely in his mother’s arms.

‘You were taken, young man, against your will?’

Nicky nodded solemnly. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘And do you know who it was who did this to you?’

‘Yes, sir. He’s there.’ Nicky pointed towards Sir Oswald’s     bailiff. ‘It was Mr Miller, the man who is trying to leave.’

The villagers raised their voices in a howl of outrage and     those nearest Miller held him fast as he edged past them. The bailiff swore and     tried to shake them off, but found himself trapped.

‘It weren’t my idea to take the boy!’ he cried. ‘Sir Oswald     ordered me to do it.’

Sir Oswald jumped to his feet. ‘Be quiet, you fool!’

Mr Summerson rose and directed a stern look at the bailiff. ‘If     you know anything more you should tell us now, Mr Miller. The charge against you     is a serious one.’

‘He told me to do it!’ Miller was gabbling now, fear loosening     his tongue. ‘Just like he told me to get rid of Old Robin, to stop’n     talking.’

There was a moment of shocked silence, then fresh cries of fury     filled the room. Giles Grundy rose to his feet, his broken arm strapped up     securely across his chest.

‘We found Old Robin drowned in the Lightwater,’ he said slowly.     ‘But his head was bashed open fearsome bad.’

‘Sir Oswald said I was to frighten ’im,’ said Miller, still     trying to free himself. ‘Said I was to get him to leave the area, but the old     man were stubborn. Drunk, he was, and we came to blows.’

‘So you knocked him unconscious and threw him in the     Lightwater,’ pursued Sir Arthur.

Maria gasped and Zelah saw that her sister was holding Nicky     tight to her and covering his ears.

‘He’d have fallen in anyway, like as not,’ muttered Miller     sullenly.

Sir Arthur hammered on the desk to regain order. ‘Take him away     and lock him up,’ he commanded. ‘We will deal with this later.’ He turned to Sir     Oswald. ‘I find it hard to believe, sir, that you would resort to abduction to     prevent new evidence being put to the court.’

‘Of course I would not,’ declared Sir Oswald impatiently. ‘I     knew nothing about any new evidence.’

‘Oh, yes, you did.’

Silence fell over the room as Nicky’s young voice rang out. All     eyes turned towards him and he flushed, shrinking closer to his stepmother. Sir     Arthur turned to him.

‘And how do you know anything about this, young man?’

Nicky swallowed hard. ‘It was at the ball at Rooks Tower. I was     on the landing. Major Coale said I might stay up and watch.’ He turned his eyes     towards Dominic, who nodded. Encouraged, Nicky continued. ‘I heard Mr Lerryn     tell Sir Oswald that Papa had a new document that would win the case for the     villagers.’

‘Utter nonsense,’ blustered Sir Oswald. ‘The child is     dreaming.’

Sir Arthur put up his hand and directed his solemn stare at     Nicky. ‘I was at the ball, young man, and I know how crowded it was. How could     you have possibly heard what was said?’

‘It was supper time, and there weren’t many people in the hall.     Mr Lerryn brought Sir Oswald over to the corner of the hall, beside the stairs.     Directly below where I was sitting.’

‘And you are sure that is what was said?’ Sir Arthur asked     him.

‘Yes, sir,’ affirmed Nicky. ‘When Sir Oswald asked him how he     knew about it, Mr Lerryn said he was there when Papa received the paper and that     he wanted to...to put a spoke in Buckland’s wheel.     He said he knew Papa meant to keep the paper a secret until the hearing.’

The murmur amongst the crowd swelled again. Sir Oswald jumped     up, banging his fist upon the table.

‘You will never take that child’s word over mine, Andrews!’

‘It explains why you thought it necessary to abduct my son!’     roared Reginald.

Shouts and cries of ‘shame’ filled the air. Sir Arthur hammered     on his bench.

‘I will have order!’ he bellowed. He fixed a stern gaze upon     Sir Oswald. ‘I will question you about the matter of abduction later, but first     I am obliged to finish this hearing. I charge you, therefore, not to go out of     my sight.’

‘Don’t ’ee worry, sir, we’ll keep’n safe for ’ee,’ shouted     someone in the crowd, amid much cheering.

Reginald murmured something to his lawyer, who handed the     magistrate a rolled parchment.

‘My client informs me this paper was found amongst the books     Major Coale recently purchased from the Lydcombe Park estate. You will see, Sir     Arthur, that it is a contract of sale for Lydcombe Park, a transaction that took     place some thirty years ago, and it describes the boundary between the village     land and Lydcombe Park in great detail, placing it quite clearly on the     Lightwater, which flows along the western edge of Prickett Wood, and marked by a     white boundary stone.’

‘And you were not going to declare this?’ demanded Sir Arthur,     frowning heavily.

‘I think, in the circumstances, we can understand my client’s     reluctance,’ stated Mr Summerson. ‘But this contract is quite precise in the     boundary’s location.’

‘Aye, but rivers can change their course over the years,’ cried     Sir Oswald, his face still alarmingly red. ‘And I tell you there is no stone in     Prickett Wood. If there was, then surely someone would know of it.’ He glared at     the packed courtroom. ‘Well, have any of you ever seen it?’

‘It would appear not,’ mused Sir Arthur, shaking his head. ‘In     the absence of a boundary stone...’

‘But there is one,’ cried Nicky,     his high young voice piping clearly over the hubbub. ‘There is a white stone in     Prickett Wood. I’ve seen it!’

‘The boy’s deranged,’ Sir Oswald sneered, but when Sir Arthur     had again called for order Dominic stepped up and placed his hand on Nicky’s     shoulder.

‘Let the boy tell us what he knows.’

‘I’ve seen it,’ Nicky said again, his eyes wide. ‘Old Robin     took me following the deer and we often tracked them into Prickett Wood, and the     pricketts always use the white stone.’

‘Pricketts are the young bucks,’ Reginald explained to Mr     Summerson. ‘They like to rub their new antlers against favourite trees and     rocks.’

Dominic’s contemptuous gaze fell upon Sir Oswald. ‘So that is     why you were killing the deer.’

Sir Oswald glared at Nicky, fury etched into every line of his     face. ‘By God, you young devil, I should have told Miller to dispose of you     rather than—’ He broke off, realising what he had said.

‘The boy has certainly got the better of you, Evanshaw,’ said     Dominic with grim satisfaction.

Sir Arthur turned again to Nicky. ‘Can you show us where to     find this stone, young man?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘No, no, not today,’ cried Maria. ‘My son has suffered far too     much. He needs to rest.’

‘Devil a bit, Mama,’ retorted Nicky, stoutly. His courage     faltered slightly and he cast a quick beseeching look at Dominic. ‘Will you come     with me, sir, you and Papa?’

‘Of course. And your mother and aunt. Lord Markham, too. We     will all be there for you.’



‘Well, that is most satisfactory,’ declared Reginald as     he walked back to the High Street with Maria on his arm. ‘It was delightful to     see everyone from the courtroom traipse off to Prickett Wood like that. No one     can be in any doubt now of where the boundary stone is situated. The villagers     have won their dispute and Evanshaw and Miller have been locked up to await     trial. All in all a good day’s work. But now, my love, I think you should take     Nicky and Zelah home; they look exhausted.’

‘Of course,’ said Maria. ‘I have to get back for Baby, too. You     will come home as soon as you can?’