‘No, there is a house very close.’ He nodded. ‘This way.’
‘But there is no path—’
‘There is, trust me.’
He took her hand and began to push through the dense undergrowth. They had only gone a few yards when they reached a path. Drew staggered and Elyse quickly moved beside him, pulling his good arm across her shoulders.
‘Which way?’ she asked.
They set off in the direction of his nod. The track was just wide enough for the two of them, although Drew’s unsteady steps made their progress erratic. It was growing dark when the path brought them out on a leafy carriageway and a short distance ahead Elyse could see a pair or ornate metal gates set into a high stone wall.
‘Thank heaven,’ She glanced at Drew, aware that his arm across her shoulders felt considerably heavier. ‘You know this house?’
‘Yes, it is Hartcombe.’
She helped him to the gates. They were closed and stiff with lack of use but she managed to push one open sufficiently for them to slip inside. The gravel drive was strewn with weeds and the bushes rearing up on either side looked formless and overgrown in the gathering dusk. However, ahead of them she could see the outline of a low, rambling building and a dim glow of light shone from the windows. Two shallow steps led up to a solid door. She grasped the knocker and rapped loudly.
There was no immediate response and she was about to knock again when she heard the faint sounds of movement within. There was the scrape of bolts, the door opened and an old man appeared bearing a lantern in one gnarled hand. Elyse almost collapsed under the weight of Drew’s arm as he pushed himself a little more upright.
‘Good evening, Father.’
Chapter Five
The old man stood in the doorway and raised the lantern. Its rays illuminated his face and Elyse thought she could see a vague resemblance to Drew in his hawk-like features. A thick mane of white hair hung like a ghostly halo about his head. Not by the flicker of an eyelid did he show he had heard Drew’s greeting. He glowered at them.
‘What do you mean, bothering good men like this? Go knock at the back door and the cook might find some scraps for thee.’
He thinks we are beggars.
Elyse could not blame him. In the gloom he would not see Drew’s injury, only their dishevelled appearance. Drew gave a short, ragged laugh.
‘A poor welcome for your son.’
Only then did Elyse see a shadow cross the old man’s face. Pain? Sorrow? Revulsion?
‘I have no son. Get thee gone from here.’
‘Please,’ Elyse begged him. ‘He has been shot. We cannot go any further.’
The old man stared at her for a long, agonising moment, then with a shrug he stood aside for them to enter.
‘Very well, bind him up then be on your way.’
It was dark inside the house for no lights burned other than the lamp carried by their host, but when her eyes had grown accustomed to the gloom Elyse could see that they were in a large hall. There was no fire burning in the huge fireplace but at least they were out of the damp night air. With no guidance from their host and Drew leaning heavily against her, Elyse had no idea if more comfortable rooms lay beyond the hall so she guided Drew across to an armchair beside the empty fireplace. He sank into the chair and put his head back, eyes closed. Even in the dim light of the lantern she could see that the binding she had tied around his arm was now dark with blood.
‘He needs a doctor,’ she said. ‘Can you summon one?’
‘No.’ Her shocked gaze made the old man explain, albeit reluctantly. ‘There is only Mrs Parfitt in the kitchens and my manservant has gone out and taken the only horse.’
Elyse wanted to scream at his lack of co-operation but that would not help Drew. If no one else would take charge, then it was up to her to do so. Resolutely she removed her cloak and looked about her.
‘Then we must do what we can.’ She dragged a small table across and placed it beside Drew’s chair. ‘I need more light, and water and cloths.’ When he did not respond she said sharply, ‘Can you ask your serving woman to fetch them, or must I seek them out myself?’
After placing his lantern on the table the old man went off and Elyse set about unwrapping the sodden bandages from Drew’s arm. His eyes flickered open.
‘You show scant respect for my parent, my dear.’
‘Is he your parent? If so, he is a most unnatural one.’
‘He has cause.’ He raised his head and looked past her at the sound of hasty footsteps approaching. A large woman came into the room carrying a bowl and jug.
‘Sir Edward said there was a gennleman here needin’ attention.’ She bustled up to the table, casting one searching look at Drew before putting down the bowl and proceeding to fill it with water from the jug. ‘Here.’ She pulled the cloth from her shoulder and handed it to Elyse. ‘Let me fetch more light and then I will help you.’
Elyse felt her fear and anxiety easing at the sound of a friendly voice. The woman moved with surprising speed and efficiency, bringing a lighted candelabra to the table and fetching cloths and bandages. Between them they cleaned Drew’s arm and dressed it, then the woman went off to prepare bedrooms, but not before she had provided a glass of brandy for Drew and a cup of fruit cordial for Elyse.
‘Thank heavens Mrs Parfitt was here,’ murmured Drew, fortified by the brandy. ‘I feared we should be sleeping under the stars tonight.’
‘We may still be,’ murmured Elyse as the sound of raised voices came floating into the hall.
She put down her glass as the old man stormed back into the hall, Mrs Parfitt following behind him, puffing hard but addressing her master.
‘Sir Edward, he has a bullet in his arm. We must send Jed to fetch Dr Hall in the morning. I pray you do not be too hasty—’
‘Hasty? I vowed I would never have that traitor in my house again.’ Sir Edward surged forwards, glaring at Drew. ‘Well, sirrah? I have done my Christian duty and dressed your wounds but you shall not sleep under my roof again, by God, sir, you shall not.’
Elyse moved closer to Drew’s chair as if to protect him but that only brought her to the old man’s attention.
‘You and your doxy can leave my house this minute.’
Elyse reeled from the fury she heard in those words, but Drew put out his good hand and caught her fingers, steadying her. He said coldly, ‘This lady is my ward, sir. I will thank you to remember that. We were attacked on the road nearby and only the direst necessity brought me to your door.’
‘I can believe that,’ stormed Sir Edward. ‘But I care not what has happened to you, nor who this woman might be. I want you both gone, immediately.’
Elyse almost quailed beneath the violence of his attack, and if she had been alone she would have fled the house and braved the terrors of the darkness outside, but one glance at Drew’s pale and haggard face gave her the courage to speak up.
‘Mr Bastion needs a surgeon to remove the bullet from his arm.’
The old man’s lip curled. ‘Bastion is it? More like Bast—’
‘Sir Edward!’ The housekeeper’s shocked interjection cut him off.
‘I could hardly travel under my real name,’ said Drew bitterly.
‘Well, you will find Dr Hall in the village, where he has always been.’
Mrs Parfitt threw up her hands.
‘Good heavens, Sir Edward, that’s two miles hence. You surely wouldn’t expect him to walk there tonight?’
‘I expect him to leave my house, and take the woman with him.’
Drew dropped Elyse’s hand so he could push himself to his feet.
He said coldly, ‘Send me away if you must, sir, but I am under an obligation to deliver this young lady to her fiancé. With a bullet in my arm, my purse gone and our carriage stolen I cannot now fulfil that task. I beg you, as a gentleman, to offer protection to the lady and see her safe to Bath.’
‘I’ll be damned if I will—’ the old man declared wrathfully.
‘Drew!’ Elyse cried out as he swayed and fell back into his chair.
‘Oh dear, oh Lord.’ Mrs Parfitt came bustling up. ‘He has fainted clean away. P’raps it’s for the best, for we can get him into bed without causing him any more pain.’ She ignored the growl of protest from her master. ‘I’ve prepared a bed for him just across the passage, so the best thing would be to carry him in the chair. Pity there ain’t more staff to help us but we’ll have to manage. Sir Edward, now, if you will take the legs, then I am sure the young lady and I can manage to carry the top, if we tip it back like so…’
Elyse wondered how the master of the house would respond to being ordered about by his housekeeper, but she could only be thankful when he merely followed instructions. It was impossible to tell from his scowling countenance if he was at all concerned for his son.
It was a struggle, because both the chair and Drew were heavy, but somehow they carried their burden across the hall and through the passage to the small chamber where Mrs Parfitt had made up the bed. By the time they had lifted Drew on to the mattress they were all puffing heavily.
‘Well, that’s a good job jobbed,’ panted Mrs Parfitt. ‘I thank ’ee, Sir Edward. If you’d like to go and sit down in the parlour I’ll be bringing your supper for you in a trice. Now miss.’ She turned back to Elyse. ‘You and I had better get the young master out of his clothes before he comes to his senses.’