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He frowned, making the scar on his forehead even more ragged. He looked positively ferocious, but she refused to be intimidated and met his gaze squarely. He seemed to be struggling to contain his anger and after a moment he raised his hand to point towards a narrow path leading away through the trees. He said curtly, ‘Rooks Tower is half a mile in that direction; West Barton is at least five miles by carriage, maybe two if you go back on the footpath, the way you came.’
Zelah bit her lip. It would be impossible to carry Nicky through the dense undergrowth of the forest without causing him a great deal of pain. The boy stirred and she took his hand.
‘I d-don’t like it, it hurts!’
The plaintive cry tore at her heart.
‘Then it must be Rooks Tower,’ she said. ‘Let us hope your people get here soon.’
‘They will be here as soon as they can.’ He pulled the muslin cravat from his neck. ‘In the meantime I must stop the bleeding.’ His hard eyes flickered over her. ‘It will mean moving his leg.’
She nodded and squeezed Nicky’s hand.
‘You must be very brave, love, while we bind you up. Can you do that?’
‘I’ll try, Aunty.’
‘Your aunt, Nicky? She’s more of an Amazon, I think!’
‘Well, she is not really my aunt, sir,’ explained Nicky gravely. ‘She is my stepmama’s sister.’
Zelah stared, momentarily diverted.
‘You know each other?’
The man flicked a sardonic look towards her.
‘Of course, do you think I allow strange brats to run wild in my woods? Introduce us, Nicky.’
‘This is Major Coale.’ The boy’s voice wavered a little and his lip trembled as the major deftly wrapped the neckcloth around his leg. ‘And this, sir, is my aunt, Zelah.’
‘Celia?’
‘Zee-lah,’ she corrected him haughtily. ‘Miss Pentewan to you.’
‘Dear me, Nicholas, you should have warned me that your aunt is a veritable dragon.’
The scar cutting through his eyebrow gave him a permanent frown, but she heard the amusement in his voice. Nicky, clinging to Zelah’s hand and trying hard not to cry, managed a little chuckle.
‘There, all done.’ The major sat back, putting his hand on Nicky’s shoulder. ‘You were very brave, my boy.’
‘As brave as a soldier, sir?’
‘Braver. I’ve known men go to pieces over the veriest scratch.’
Zelah stared at the untidy, shaggy-haired figure in front of her. His tone was that of a man used to command, but beneath that faded jacket and all that hair, could he really be a soldier? She realised he was watching her and quickly returned her attention to her nephew.
‘What happened, love? How did you fall?’
‘I t-tripped at the top of the bank. There’s a lot of loose branches lying around.’
‘Aye. I’ve left them. Firewood for the villagers,’ explained the major. ‘We have been clearing the undergrowth.’
‘And about time too,’ she responded. ‘These woods have been seriously neglected.’
‘My apologies, madam, if they are not to your liking.’
Was he laughing at her? His face—the little she could see that was not covered by hair—was impassive.
‘My criticism is not aimed at you, Major. I believe Rooks Tower was only sold last winter.’
‘Yes, and I have not had time yet to make all the improvements I would wish.’
‘You are the owner?’
Zelah could not keep the astonishment out of her voice. Surely this ragged individual could not be rich enough to buy such a property?
‘I am. Appearances can be deceptive, Miss Pentewan.’
She flushed, knowing she deserved the coldness of his response.
‘I beg your pardon, that is, I—I am sure there is a vast amount to be done.’
‘There is, and one of my first tasks is to improve the road to the house and make it suitable for carriages again. I have men working on it now, but until that is done everything has to come in and out by packhorse.’
‘Major Coale’s books had to be brought here by pack-pony,’ put in Nicky. ‘Dozens of boxes of them. She likes books,’ he explained to the major, whose right eyebrow had risen in enquiry.
‘We have an extensive library at home,’ added Zelah.
‘And where is that?’
‘Cornwall.’
‘I guessed that much from your name. Where in Cornwall?’
A smile tugged at her mouth, but she responded seriously.
‘My father is rector at Cardinham, near Bod-min.’
Zelah looked up as a number of men arrived carrying a willow hurdle.
She scrambled to her feet and stepped back. The major handed his axe to one of the men before directing the delicate operation of lifting Nicky on to the hurdle. When they were ready to move off she fell into step beside the major, aware of his ungainly, limping stride as they followed the hurdle and its precious burden through the woods.
‘I can see you have some experience of command, Major.’
‘I was several years in the army.’
Zelah glanced at him. He had been careful to keep to the left of the path so only the right side of his face was visible to her. Whether he was protecting her sensibilities or his own she did not know.
‘And now you plan to settle at Rooks Tower?’
‘Yes.’
‘It is a little isolated,’ she remarked. ‘Even more so than West Barton.’
‘That is why I bought it. I have no wish for company.’
Zelah lapsed into silence. His curt tone made the meaning of his words quite clear. He might as well have said I have no wish for conversation. Very well, she had no desire to intrude upon his privacy. She would not speak again unless it was absolutely necessary.
Finally they emerged from the trees and Zelah had her first glimpse of Rooks Tower. There was a great sweep of lawn at the front of the house, enclosed by a weed-strewn drive. At the far side of the lawn stood a small orangery, but years of neglect had dulled the white lime-wash and many of its windows were broken. Zelah turned away from this forlorn object to study the main house. At its centre was an ancient stone building with an imposing arched entrance, but it had obviously been extended over the centuries and two brick-and-stone wings had been added. Everything was arranged over two floors save for a square stone tower on the south-eastern corner that soared above the main buildings.
‘Monstrosity, isn’t it?’ drawled the major. ‘The house was remodelled in Tudor times, when the owner added the tower that gives the house its name, so that his guests could watch the hunt. It has a viewing platform on the roof, but we never use it now.’
She looked again at the house. There had been many alterations over the years, but it retained its leaded lights and stone mullions. Rooks Tower fell short of the current fashion for order and symmetry, but its very awkwardness held a certain charm.
‘The views from the tower must be magnificent.’ She cast an anxious look at him. ‘You will not change it?’
He gave a savage laugh.
‘Of course not. It is as deformed as I!’
She heard the bitterness in his tone, but could not think of a suitable response. The path had widened and she moved forwards to walk beside Nicky, reaching out to take his hand. It was hot and clammy. Zelah hid her dismay beneath a reassuring smile.
‘Nearly there, love. We shall soon make you more comfortable.’
The major strode on ahead, his lameness barely noticeable as he led the way into the great hall where an iron-haired woman in a black-stuff gown was waiting for them. She bobbed a curtsy.
‘I have prepared the yellow room for the young master, sir, and popped a warm brick between the sheets.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Graddon.’ He did not break his stride as he answered her, crossing the hall and taking the stairs two at a time, only pausing to turn on the half-landing. ‘This way, but be careful not to tilt the litter!’
Dominic waited only to see the boy laid on the bed that had been prepared for him before striding off to his own apartments to change out of his working clothes. It was a damnable nuisance, having strangers in the house, but the boy was hurt, what else could he do? He did not object to having Nicky in the house. He was fond of the boy and would do all he could to help him, but it would mean having doctors and servants running to and fro. He could leave everything to Graddon and his wife, of course, and the aunt would look after the boy until Buckland could send someone.
The thought of Miss Zelah Pentewan made him pause. A reluctant smile touched his lips and dragged at the scarred tissue of his cheek. She was not conventionally pretty, too small and thin, with mousy brown hair and brown eyes. She reminded him of a sparrow, nothing like the voluptuous beauties he had known. When he thought of her standing up to him, prepared to fight him to protect her nephew … by God she had spirit, for she barely came up to his shoulder!
He washed and dried his face, his fingers aware of the rough, pitted skin on his left cheek through the soft linen cloth. He remembered how she had glared at him, neither flinching nor averting her eyes once she had seen his scarred face. He gave her credit for that, but he would not subject her to the gruesome sight again. There was plenty for him to do that would keep him well away from the house for a few days.
‘Well, I have cleaned and bandaged the leg. Now we must wait. I have given him a sleeping draught which should see him through to the morning and after that it will be up to you to keep him still while the leg heals. He will be as good as new in a few weeks.’
‘Thank you, Doctor.’
Zelah stared down at the motionless little figure in the middle of the bed. Nicky had fainted away when the doctor began to work on his leg and now he looked so fragile and uncharacteristically still that tears started to her eyes.
‘Now, now, Miss Pentewan, no need for this. The boy has a strong constitution—by heaven, no one knows that better than I, for I have been calling at West Barton since he was a sickly little scrap of a baby that no one expected to survive. I’m hoping that bruise on his head is nothing serious. I haven’t bled him, but if he begins to show a fever then I will do so tomorrow. For now keep him calm and rested and I will call again in the morning.’
The doctor’s gruff kindness made her swallow hard.
‘Thank you, Dr Pannell. And if he wakes in pain …?’
‘A little laudanum and water will do him no harm.’
There was a knock at the door and the housekeeper peeped in.
‘Here’s the little lad’s papa come to see him, Doctor.’ She flattened herself against the door as Reginald Buckland swept in, hat, gloves and riding whip clutched in one hand and an anxious look upon his jovial features.
‘I came as soon as I heard. How is he?’
Zelah allowed the doctor to repeat his prognosis.
‘Can he be moved?’ asked Reginald, staring at his son. ‘Can I take him home?’
‘I would not advise it. The wound is quite deep and any jolting at this stage could start it bleeding again.’
‘But he cannot stay here, in the house of a man I hardly know!’
Doctor Pannell’s bushy eyebrows drew together.
‘I understood the major was some sort of relative of yours, Mr Buckland.’
Reginald shrugged.
‘Very distant. Oh, I admit it was through my letters to a cousin that he heard about Rooks Tower being vacant, but I had never met him until he moved here, and since then we have exchanged barely a dozen words. He has never once come to West Barton.’
A grim little smile hovered on the doctor’s lips.
‘No, Major Coale has not gone out of his way to make himself known to his neighbours.’
‘I think Nicky must stay here, Reginald.’ Zelah touched his arm. ‘Major Coale has put his house and servants at our disposal.’
‘Aye, he must, at least until the wound begins to heal,’ averred Dr Pannell, picking up his hat. ‘Now, I shall be away and will return tomorrow to see how my patient does.’
Reginald remained by the bed, staring down at his son and heir. He rubbed his chin. ‘If only I knew what to do. If only his mama could be with him!’
‘Impossible, when she is confined with little Reginald.’
‘Or Nurse.’
‘Yes, she would be ideal, but my sister and the new baby need her skill and attentions,’ said Zelah. ‘I have considered all these possibilities, Reginald, and I think there is only one solution. You must leave Nicky to my care.’
‘But that’s just it,’ exclaimed Reginald. ‘I cannot leave you here.’
‘And I cannot leave Nicky.’
‘Then I had best stay, too.’
Zelah laughed.
‘Now why should you do that? You know nothing about nursing. And besides, what will poor Maria do if both you and I are away from home? I know how my sister suffers with her nerves when she is alone for too long.’
