‘This would be so pretty, with a little management,’ she remarked, in an effort to distract him. ‘I believe there is only the one gardener now, and he spends all his time looking after the orchards and the kitchen garden.’
‘Yes.’
She glanced up. His face was set, the eyes shuttered.
‘Do you take the blame for that, too?’
‘Of course.’
‘Why should you do that?’
‘My actions led to most of my father’s estate being seized by the Crown. There would have been fines to pay, too, as well as the ignominy of having a rebel in the family. My father paid dear for my treachery. It would have been necessary to retrench.’
Elyse tucked her hand into his arm and gave it a little squeeze.
She said gently, ‘Will you not tell me what happened?’
‘There is nothing to tell. I allied myself with the Pretender in ’forty-five. He was defeated and thus all his supporters are traitors. The family was fortunate not to lose everything because of me.’
‘But you were no more than a boy.’
‘I was deemed old enough to know my own mind. To join forces with the rebels in an effort to force King George from the English throne. It is treason.’
They descended a flight of shallow steps to another weed-strewn gravel path. Elyse looked back, they were well away from the house now.
‘I would like to hear your story.’ When he hesitated she added with a smile, ‘My father must have thought there was some good in you, to make you my guardian.’
‘He was the only one to think so.’
They walked on and Elyse maintained her silence. After a while she was rewarded when he began to speak.
‘I had just reached my fifteenth birthday and went north to stay with my uncle, my mother’s brother, in Strathmore. It was meant to be a short visit, a month at the most, then I would return to my schooling, but while I was there news came that the Prince had landed in Scotland. My uncle had always been a Jacobite, the family had been involved in the uprising in ’fifteen when they had lost all their titles and only narrowly escaped with their lives.
‘That was a hard time for Mama’s family. She was sent to live with friends in York, where it was hoped she might avoid the taint of belonging to a family of traitors. That is where she met my father and they fell in love. He married her and brought her here to Hartcombe, his family home. Despite my father’s disapproval Mama kept in touch with her family, and even persuaded him to allow Simon and me to visit them occasionally. She thought there could be no harm, she had no Jacobite leanings herself and did not think we were in any danger that we would be persuaded by her brother’s fanatical ravings for what she considered a lost cause. She was only half-right. Simon was the studious one, sensible and home-loving. I was always more restless, seeking adventure and impatient of books and learning.’ He stopped, momentarily diverted. ‘How could he have been so cork-brained as to take out a half-trained horse?’
‘Sir Edward said he did not have your way with animals.’
‘But all the same—he was meant to be the clever one.’
‘Were you very close?’
‘Close enough, until I went to Scotland that last time. After that I never heard from him again.’ His lip curled. ‘After I was declared a traitor my father sent a message to say he had forbidden any contact with me. I was cast off, no longer considered a member of his family. I never quite believed it. I was constantly on the move but I wrote to Hartcombe when I could, to let the family know where I could be reached. I only ever received one letter. That was from my father, four years ago, informing me that my mother had died. That I had killed her.’
She stopped. ‘Oh, Drew.’
‘Do not waste your pity on me, madam, remember that I am a traitor.’
He had thrown off her hand and was standing stiff and rigid as stone. His face was a cold mask Elyse shivered, not knowing how to reach him. After a few moments she spoke, saying gently,
‘We should walk on if we are not to become chilled.’
‘Yes, of course.’
They walked on, the shadows lengthening around them as the sun dropped towards the horizon.
‘How did she die?’ asked Elyse.
‘I broke her heart.’
‘I do not believe that.’
He shrugged.
‘My father told me she was struck down when the news arrived that there was a price on my head. She never recovered.’
Not knowing the words to comfort him, Elyse took his arm again.
‘I would like to know what happened to you in the ’forty-five, Drew, if you can bear to tell me.’
He waved his hand dismissively.
‘You cannot really wish to hear such an unedifying tale.’
‘I do,’ she assured him. ‘And sometimes talking about things helps to heal old wounds.’
‘Not mine.’
‘I would still like to hear your story.’
‘Very well.’ He paused, as if deciding where to begin. ‘The summer of ’forty-five, Simon was preparing to go to Oxford so I went to Strathmore alone. I should explain; the Jacobite leanings of my mother’s family were never mentioned at Hartcombe. She had quite given up the cause, and my father was a staunch Hanoverian. It says something for the strength of his love for Mama that he allowed us to visit Strathmore. Whenever we went there my uncle was more than willing to entertain us with stories of the daring escapades of his ancestors, and of their loyalty to the Stuarts. They were tales of honour and the fight for a noble cause, just the sort of thing to catch the imagination of a boy longing for adventure. When the Prince landed in Scotland and my uncle rode off to join him, I went with him.’
A tiny cloud passed across the setting sun and there was a momentary dimming of the light. Elyse pulled her shawl a little closer and patiently waited for Drew to continue.
‘The reality of the uprising was very different from the noble enterprise I had dreamed of. Oh, there was plenty of bravery and displays of courage, especially in those early days when success came easily, but I also saw crass mismanagement and self-serving advancement amongst the Prince’s followers. Things went from bad to worse once the army turned back at Derby. There were minor skirmishes on the way north, and the odd victory, but the men were disheartened and demoralised. I was wounded at Falkirk Muir and didn’t follow the Prince back to Culloden, which is where my uncle died, along with so many others. It was a bloody, bitter defeat and the government determined to crush the rebels completely.
‘I had acquitted myself well in previous battles, but that worked against me and I found myself with a price on my head. I went into hiding and eventually my mother’s family smuggled me across to the Continent.’ When he paused she glanced up and saw that his lips had thinned to a bloodless line. ‘Charles and his supporters had returned to France by then, but any thoughts I had of being welcomed into their ranks were quickly dashed. I was a poor wretch, disowned by my father: the last word I had from him before I fled Scotland was that my actions had laid my mother so low she was not expected to live. So I arrived in France without connections or money—just another burden. I was not yet sixteen, alone and far from home. I changed my name and did what I could to survive.’
He stopped. Elyse could only guess at the black days that followed. She thought of the scars and wheals she had seen on his body and shuddered.
‘You became a mercenary.’
‘Yes.’
‘You were lucky to escape with your life.’ She added quickly, ‘You may not agree, but I am very thankful for it. You were a true friend to my father; you have proved as much by your behaviour towards me.’
‘Do not make a hero of me, Elyse, I am nothing of the sort.’
She returned his troubled gaze frankly and with a warm smile.
‘I know that, silly, but I also know I can trust you to keep me safe.’
‘Only until Michaelmas, my dear. After that…’
Something flared in his eyes, causing the breath to catch in her throat.
She stopped and prompted him. ‘After that?’
Elyse watched as the fire died from his gaze. He gave a bitter laugh, patted her hand and obliged her to walk on beside him.
‘After that,’ he said lightly, ‘you are no longer my concern.’
Elyse accompanied him in silence. That is not what he had meant, she was sure of it. That look in his eyes hinted at something quite different. She had found it unsettling and even a little frightening. Surely the sudden heat that flooded her body, the way she wanted to cling to him, such were the feelings one should have for one’s husband. One’s lover.
She gave herself a little inward shake. Such thoughts had only occurred because she was lonely and missing William, but that would not be for much longer. They would be together soon. At Michaelmas. A few more days and then she would never see Drew again. But she had always known that, had she not? And not so long ago she had thought the day could not come soon enough. She had changed and suddenly Elyse was afraid to consider just how much.
‘Well, naturally,’ she said, forcing herself to speak calmly. ‘After that you will not need to look after me, will you? I shall have William to do that.’
There was the briefest of pauses before he replied.
‘Of course.’ They resumed their walk. ‘I propose that we journey to Bath tomorrow.’