Runaway Hill Page 2

  'They are not ogres to frighten babes!' Drusilla laughed, her good humour suddenly restored. 'Indeed, life might be vastly more entertaining. I vow I'd rather face a dozen soldiers than Jacob Blagrave!'

  Elizabeth shuddered, but forbore to argue the point.

  'Why do you dislike the man so?' she asked curiously. 'It has reached the state when the mere mention of his name is like to send you into a passion.'

  Drusilla considered, her head on one side.

  'Indeed, I do not fully know,' she confessed at last. 'The man's a prosy fool, and ancient before he's full grown! He is so pompous, and gives his trite advice so ponderously, as if he were advising the King himself on matters of immense import. Yet it is more than that. I do not trust him. His expression is shifty, he never looks me straight in the eye, but I feel he is always watching to see how I am reacting to what he says, though heaven knows he has been blind enough to my feelings towards him!'

  'A mannerism, Dru! He is from a most estimable family, well respected, wealthy. I – I would not wish you to accept his offer, an he makes one, unless you could respect him, but I am concerned for your reputation. There is too much talk already, and if it is generally known you have refused so many suitable men, your chances of a good match will be less.'

  'I cannot help it if men I do not wish to marry make me offers!' Drusilla protested. 'No one, however, can accuse me of encouraging them, for I am doing everything in my power, including plain incivility, to deter Mr Blagrave from making any offer! Am I to accept a man simply because he is the third, or fourth, to make an offer? Pray tell me how to prevent unwelcome offers!'

  'You will be thought capricious, I fear,' Elizabeth said gently. 'When suitable men make offers of marriage, you must consider them seriously, for it is no light matter.'

  'Suitable? Aye, in some sense, but I may not consider them so!'

  'What do you want?' Elizabeth asked, puzzled. 'You have refused men who are young, handsome, rich, and who would be excellent husbands.'

  'I want, and indeed intend to marry only a man I can love,' Drusilla declared. 'Is it my fault that none of the men I have met so far are such?'

  'Love is not a sound basis for marriage,' Elizabeth said quietly. 'Equal fortunes, the same station in life, agreeableness, are all more important than an initial physical attraction, and that, after all, is what the love the poets talk of really consists of. Love comes after marriage, as it did with James and myself. I hardly knew of him before my parents and his uncle arranged the match, and met him only twice before the wedding. Yet now I know it is an excellent marriage, wisely arranged.'

  Drusilla considered her pityingly.

  'Such would never do for me,' she affirmed, 'and neither will Jacob Blagrave! I do not trust him, for I think he wishes always to be in the right, and to support those who are powerful and can grant him favours. I have seen him fawning on some of the Aldermen, and the merchants who have the ear of Parliament, for he clearly expects them to triumph over the King. The only time I would willingly see him again is when he realises the King has finally won, and he changes his tune! Then I'd relish hearing him give his reasons!'

  'I wonder if the King will win? What will the end of it be?'

  *

  There was no answer to this, but on the following day they had the opportunity of seeing the King ride into Reading with his soldiers, and prepare to take up his residence at Coley House. Immediately the town was plunged into a bustle of activity as tailors from five miles about the town were set to the task of making a thousand suits of uniform.

  Elizabeth protested vehemently when she was ordered to send the bales of cloth stored in her husband's warehouse for this purpose, but old Tom Farrow, James' chief assistant, advised her to submit and reluctantly she did, on the promise that the cloth would be paid for.

  While Elizabeth was dealing with this, Drusilla sat at the parlour window watching the soldiers, hundreds of them, pouring into the town. Then an anguished cry from the left, just outside the window, caused her to open it and lean out. Her eyes widened as she saw Joan, one of the younger maids, struggling to avoid the kisses of one of the soldiers while a couple of his companions laughingly urged him on.

  Drusilla looked round her for help, and espied a pair of pistols hung above the court cupboard. They belonged to James, and she had no idea how to use them, or whether they were loaded, but she seized one and ran from the house, pointing it at the man.

  'Release her, you villain!' she ordered, and waved the pistol threateningly as he looked at her. Hastily he stepped away from Joan, and the girl, much younger than Drusilla herself, sobbed with relief and hid herself behind Drusilla.

  'Go into the house immediately,' Drusilla ordered, but Joan cried out in fear.

  'They are behind us, too!' she whimpered, and Drusilla saw that the soldier's companions had moved round to stand between her and the door of the house.

  'Cowards!' she addressed them in a biting tone. 'Move out of our way or you'll not live to regret your stupidity!'

  They laughed, having recovered from their momentary dismay at seeing such a weapon held in the hands of a girl.

  'You'd not hit all of us, my pretty, there'd still be two of us left to deal with you as you deserve,' one of them jeered at her, and Drusilla, facing the three of them slowly advancing towards her, a petrified Joan clinging to her skirts, took careful aim at the centre one and pulled the trigger. To her dismay nothing happened, and she stepped back, pushing Joan with her free hand, while the soldiers, now openly laughing, approached more quickly.

  Then, to Drusilla's astonishment, they halted, and at the same moment a hand reached down from above her and took the pistol from her grasp.

  'If you are to defy the King's command, you ought at least to have your weapons serviceable,' an amused voice told her.

  She spun round and saw that a cavalry officer had ridden up behind her and was now holding the pistol out of her reach, laughing down at her from a dark, handsome face, his eyes twinkling as he observed her confusion.

  'Pray return my property, sir,' she demanded, recovering her wits although her heart had begun to pound uncomfortably fast. 'When such ruffians as these scum attack defenceless women and children we have need of weapons to protect ourselves!'

  'The best defence is to stay indoors, not brandish unloaded pistols,' he told her. 'Be off to your quarters,' he added to the discomfited men, who slunk thankfully away.

  'When I need your advice I will be certain to ask for it!' she retorted. 'If this is the manner in which the King's troops conduct themselves, then I have much to say for Parliament!'

  He laughed, and glanced at her trim figure in the tight-fitting blue gown.

  'Oh, but they do not appreciate beauty as we do!' he said softly.

  'My pistol sir, if you please!' she said, her colour heightened.

  'Have you not heard the order?' he asked, dismounting and standing close beside her, so that she suddenly shivered as she looked up at him.

  'What order?'

  'That all arms are to be taken to the town hall, and if any disobey, their houses are to be sacked.'

  'Why, that is abominable!' she cried. 'We are to be left defenceless while undisciplined rabble such as those men may treat us with discourtesy? Does the King hope to gain adherents in such a manner?'

  'No, but he will discover his enemies and render them harmless. The men shall be punished, do not fear, yet it was but a harmless prank, high spirits after the battle!'

  'Harmless as yet, if you think frightening Joan harmless! What is to prevent them, or others, from even worse behaviour, when you are not by to deter them, and I have no pistol!'

  'Are there no men to protect you?' he asked quickly.

  'None but servants. My brother is away.'

  'I will see to it you are not molested,' he reassured her and looked deep into her eyes, holding her glance so that she could not look away.

  'How – how can you do that?' she asked weakly.

&
nbsp; 'Never mind how, just be certain none in your house will suffer, and indeed I trust none in the town will either, for there are very few such undisciplined men in our ranks,' he added proudly, and Drusilla discovered, to her surprise, that despite the evidence she had of unruly soldiers, she was anxious to believe him.

  'Come, if you have any more such pistols, I will take them myself and save any of your maids the necessity of leaving the house. None of you had better stir from it for a day or so. Have you men servants to send when necessary?'

  'Yes, of course. The house is here. I heard Joan cry out from inside. There is one more pistol, but that is all. Must we in truth deliver them up?'

  'I fear so, but let us hope not for long, as the King will be likely to force terms on the rebels soon. Then you must permit me to teach you how to handle a loaded pistol,' he said with a laugh.

  'Will you come inside, sir?' she asked shyly.

  'Not this time. I beg of you, fetch me the pistol, and I will bring a receipt for them both this evening, if that will serve?'

  Drusilla nodded, and swiftly went into the house, returning in a moment with the second pistol. She handed it to the officer and he smiled his thanks, then, with a brief and somehow unsatisfying word of farewell, mounted and rode away, leaving a bemused Drusilla to stand and stare after him until he turned the corner into the High Street and was lost from view.

  Reluctantly she turned to re-enter the house, and found Joan watching her with considerable awe.

  'Thank you, Mistress Drusilla, for saving me,' she whispered, and Drusilla suddenly smiled.

  'I was not of great use with an unloaded pistol, was I?' she asked lightly, and sent the girl away to the kitchen, telling her to warn the other maids they must not leave the house, and then running quietly up the stairs, creeping past Elizabeth's room where her sister-in-law was resting, and on up to her own small room, where she sat down at the window and looked out towards the centre of the town, dreaming idly of laughing eyes deep set in a lean, sun-tanned face, and a warm, caressing voice, and later wondering to herself that she had so meekly permitted a soft-spoken, handsome man to steal not only the pistol she had with her, but persuade her also to hand over the only other weapon which was in the house.

  Chapter 2

  Drusilla's musings were abruptly banished as she heard a cry from Elizabeth. For some moments she had been vaguely aware of a confused murmur of voices and opening doors from the first floor of the house, but had unthinkingly assumed that Elizabeth, having finished her rest, was busy with the maids. Now she heard raised voices, and above the excited tones of Meg and the angry ones of Elizabeth were the deeper tones of a man.

  Drusilla flung open the door of her room and ran down the stairs. She discovered Elizabeth standing by her bed, the coverlet pulled round her shoulders, facing a corporal and two troopers, while a tearful Meg was explaining she had tried to stop the soldiers but they had forced their way into the house.

  'What do you mean, sirs, by breaking in on my sister so?' Drusilla demanded, running to put her arm about Elizabeth.

  'We've no wish to inconvenience the lady, but we've our duty to perform, Mistress, and that's to inspect the houses and billet the right number of troops in each,' the corporal said somewhat diffidently.

  'Is it necessary to disturb my sister's rest? She is ill!'

  'We can't see the house without it, though I'm very sorry to have distressed her,' he said apologetically.

  'I refuse utterly to have soldiers imposed on me!' Elizabeth declared angrily. 'My husband is away, and apart from a couple of servants we have no men to protect us.'

  'The King's men have to stay somewhere,' he explained patiently.

  'Not here,' was the obdurate reply.

  'It must be,' he answered, 'for we have above three thousand men to accommodate. You cannot refuse, for if you are obstructive I have orders to turn you from the house altogether. Now I propose to inspect the remainder of the house, and I will see you again before I leave to tell you how many men to expect.'

  So saying, he bowed slightly, gave Drusilla an apologetic glance, and left the room, followed by the reluctant troopers who had been occupied in observing Drusilla appreciatively.

  Elizabeth sank down on to the bed and dissolved into weak tears.

  'What shall I do?' she moaned. 'I cannot bear this!'

  Drusilla had been thinking quickly.

  'If we are obstinate I believe they will do as they threatened, and turn us out. Do you wish to leave Reading and go your parents?'

  Elizabeth shook her head vehemently. 'No, for it is too far away, I should not be able to protect James' property. I must remain here!'

  'Then I fear we must accept them. I have no doubt everyone else will be forced to do so. Three thousand! There are scarcely more of us to begin with. Every house will be made to accommodate two or three men, and larger houses more. A pity we have those unused rooms! But if we are compliant we shall be treated courteously, and be here to protect the house and ensure they do not damage aught, or if they do, that they pay for it!' she finished fiercely.

  'Mr Blagrave was right, soldiers are despicable!' Elizabeth exclaimed.

  'They do what they must,' Drusilla said mildly, wondering at her own reasonable attitude, for normally she would have been furiously angry at such an invasion. 'Come, let me help you put on your gown, and we will go down to the parlour.'

  The corporal soon came to them there. He was polite and apologetic, but insisted that half a dozen troopers and their horses must be accommodated.

  'We have not so many spare beds!' Elizabeth protested.

  'But there is adequate room. I understand your husband is away on a mission to Parliament.' He paused slightly, then continued smoothly. 'That being so, he is scarce likely to return while the King remains in Reading. You can move into your sister's room with her, and we will put a couple of pallet beds in your room, which is large.'

  'No!' Drusilla exclaimed angrily while Elizabeth, too aghast to speak, leaned back in the chair where she sat, putting her hands to her face in despair.

  'It is the only way to get the number of beds, Mistress,' the harassed man was explaining, scratching his required head, but Drusilla did not permit him to finish.

  'If you must billet your men on us they will have to make do with what rooms are empty! You have no right force my sister out of her own bed!'

  One of the troopers standing by the door sniggered.

  'I'd be willing to share it with her,' he offered, while his companion, moving a step into the room, leered at Drusilla.

  'I'll settle for the other, even if her bed is smaller,' he chuckled. 'It'd be more friendly!'

  Drusilla, her fists clenched turned towards him , but was prevented from replying as Elizabeth gave a faint moan and fell sideways, and would have slipped to the floor had not the corporal suddenly flung himself forward to support her. Drusilla turned quickly, realised that Elizabeth had fainted, and bent down towards her.

  'Get those – scum – out of here!' she ordered through clenched teeth at the corporal, and the troopers, somewhat dismayed at the results of their attempted gallantry, hastened to efface themselves. Drusilla chaffed Elizabeth's hands and called for Meg who, having been hovering anxiously outside the door, came immediately.

  'Help me carry your mistress upstairs,' Drusilla ordered, but the corporal, a large man, shook his head.

  'Lasses like you cannot manage. Will you permit me?'

  Drusilla nodded and led the way, thanking the corporal curtly when he had laid Elizabeth down on the bed.

  'If she sees those two ruffians again, I'll not answer for the consequences!' she told him.

  'I offer my sincere apologies, Mistress. I will see to it that you have decent men!'

  'It will be well for you that you do!'

  He somehow got himself out of the room, and Meg and Drusilla soon had Elizabeth, recovered from her swoon, tucked up in bed. Meg, fetching a posset for Elizabeth, reported that a different
trooper, a pleasant, well-mannered lad, was stationed in the kitchen, and advised her no one should leave the house until the town was better organised.

  'He offered to escort us if we had need to go out,' she added with a simper, and was plainly reconciled to his presence.

  Elizabeth, however, was still distressed, and nothing Drusilla could say consoled her. She insisted she would not have strange men, wicked soldiers, in the house, and grew hysterical when Drusilla attempted to convince her they had no alternative. Eventually Drusilla , desperate, suggested they should appeal directly to the King, and Elizabeth, too much beside herself with anxiety to think clearly, begged her to go to him at once.

  *

  As yet there was but the one trooper in the house, and Drusilla, wanting no escort, set the willing Meg to the task of distracting him while she slipped out of the house and took her mare from the stables. Once out in the street she made her way as quickly as the milling crowds of citizens and soldiers would permit to Coley House, on the hills to the south of the town. At last she came to the house and found the courtyard crowded with soldiers and civilians, some rushing importantly about, others idling, and many patiently waiting for audience with the King, either from curiosity, or because they had petitions to present.

  In all the confusion there was no one to be found with whom she could leave the mare, and so Drusilla dismounted and tied the reins to a ring in the wall, then, realising in some dismay the magnitude of the task she had set herself, she wove her way through the multitude towards the main door of the house, guarded by two soldiers.

  Drusilla approached hesitantly, but they were busy examining the credentials of a couple of men who were gesticulating wildly and demanding to be admitted, and she had to wait. Several officers passed through the door, with nods of recognition from the guards, and some of the members of the Town Corporation, escorted by two officers, were taken in, much to the displeasure of the angry couple still arguing with the guards, who demanded why they should be made to wait.

  'His Majesty has important business,' one of the guards repeated wearily, and turned to Drusilla, but just at that moment the officer who had earlier rescued her from the troopers and then taken her pistol appeared in the doorway, and she halted, looking at him as if she could not believe her eyes. He lifted his eyebrows slightly, then inclined his head in recognition and came towards her, smiling in what she found to be a most disturbing manner.