Strife Beyond Tamar Page 4

  'Do you expect me to climb that thing?' Kate asked, looking at the ladder in some perplexity.

  'I will come close behind you to hold you safely,' Petroc said bracingly. 'But if you are afraid I will carry you up. That would be less elegant for you!'

  Kate threw him a look of dislike, at which he merely laughed, and when he moved purposefully towards her, stepped quickly to the ladder.

  'I am not afraid!' she declared, and began to climb the ladder, a difficult business while she was attempting to hold her skirts out of the way with one hand. Then she felt an arm round her waist, gripping her tightly, and looked round to find Petroc's face on a level with her own.

  'You will not fall, I am but a rung behind you,' he reassured her, and she was able to make the rest of the climb rather more easily.

  At the top she was helped on to the deck, and Petroc followed, looking about him quickly.

  'Is all ready?' he asked, and was told that it was. 'Then cast off. We shall just catch the turn of the tide.'

  Kate stood where she had been left, ignored as Petroc and a couple of sailors set about casting off from the mooring. It was swiftly and efficiently done, and having occasionally been with her father on short trips along the coast she could appreciate their skill. Petroc clambered a little way into the rigging and looked about him, then jumped down, nodding in satisfaction.

  'Good, we timed it well. I do not think we have been noticed. Have you aught to report?'

  'A lot of activity in Plymouth. One of the lads went to see what was happening, but 'twas the Parliamentarians bustling about to little purpose, commandeering the ships that lay there, and setting guards on all the quays.'

  'We cannot threaten them from the sea, we have too few ships, and as yet too few men. Aught else?'

  'No, apart from a small boat that took rather too much interest in us just before it got dark.'

  'Who was it? Did you see?'

  'No, for he kept too far away. He made off for Plymouth in the end.'

  'Then there is no harm he can do us now.'

  Kate shuffled her feet impatiently, and Petroc turned towards her.

  'Plague on't, I had forgot you!' he said, laughter in his voice. 'I suppose you had best have my cabin. Come, this way.'

  He led her down a steep companionway which ended at the door of a cabin that stretched right across the stern of the ship. Entering before her he lit the lantern that stood ready, and looked up at her in amusement.

  'Come in, Mistress Anscombe. This must be your home for the next few days. I am afraid I must ask you to remain here unless I say you can go on deck, for I am short-handed on this trip and cannot have you getting in the way.'

  'Then why did you bring me?' she snapped, and he laughed at her.

  'I did not think you were tedious,' was all he replied, and she bit her lip in annoyance. 'Are you hungry? We have but rough fare, I fear, but then, I did not expect to be voyaging with so charming a companion.'

  Kate eyed him scornfully. 'I do not wish for aught, I thank you,' she said curtly, and he bowed ironically and moved to pass her.

  'I trust you will be comfortable, then. Food will be brought in the morning. You must remain here. Did you know how tempting those freckles are?'

  Before she could draw back he bent swiftly towards her and kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose, then he was gone, and she stood, incredulous, wondering whether she had dreamed the whole.

  She was not left long in doubt, for when the ship left the shelter of the river and the Sound, it faced the full fury of a rough sea, and Kate, who had lain on the bunk, was kept wakeful during the night as she listened to the creaking of the ship's timbers and the flapping of the sails, and the occasional shouted order.

  She had dozed fitfully when a sailor appeared with some manchets of bread, a lump of cheese, and a mug of ale. He deposited them roughly on the table and retired without a word, and with scarcely a glance at her. Slowly she moved to the table and sat down to eat this simple meal, which she found satisfying and refreshing, for she recalled that in the excitement of making her preparations the day before she had eaten very little. When she had finished she waited for Petroc, expecting him to appear early. But he did not come. After several hours the same sailor appeared with more bread and cheese and ale, and removed the mug and platter from her previous meal. She occupied herself in looking out of the portholes, but there was no sign of land on either side, and she concluded they had headed out to sea. Were they going to France? Why? What was Petroc's business? When was he going to visit her and tell her more, answer the many questions she wanted to ask?

  It was almost dusk before he appeared, to apologise briefly for having left her alone all day.

  'You may walk on deck now, if you wish,' he told her. 'I have work to do here.'

  She stared at him, unable to think of an adequate reply to this, then turned on her heel and stalked out of the cabin. On deck there were just a few sailors who eyed her curiously but kept their distance. She walked across to the rail and looked about her, but all that was visible was an expanse of grey sea, flecked with foam in the wake of the ship, and gleaming faintly to the west as the rays from a pale, wintry sun played on the waves.

  It was cold on deck and Kate walked about to keep herself warm, and she was glad when a sailor came up to her to tell her that supper was ready.

  He led the way back to Petroc's cabin, where Kate saw that the table had been laid for two, and an appetising smelling stew was placed in bowls.

  'Do you object if I eat with you?' Petroc asked abruptly.

  'It is your cabin,' she returned stiffly, and he grinned suddenly.

  They sat down, and Kate set about eating the food, eyeing Petroc speculatively.

  'Where are you bound for?' she asked eventually.

  'Jersey,' he replied briefly.

  'Why there?'

  'To collect arms that have been left. 'Tis a convenient place.'

  'Is that what my father carries?'

  'In part. We are very short of them, you know. Most of the weapons in use up until now have been relics of long past wars, or makeshift ones contrived from farm implements.'

  'How did you persuade my father to help the King?' she asked curiously. 'I thought his only desire was to keep out of it.'

  'As do many, and who can blame them, not wishing to have their lives disrupted? But your father is an astute man of business, and I know he is a good sailor. It suited me to make him a profitable offer.'

  'Was it your money?'

  'How inquisitive you are! Yes, it was. Do you object?'

  Kate had glanced up at him, puzzled. 'War must be very expensive,' she mused.

  'It is,' he agreed dryly. 'But so long as there are men able to provide help, the King will not lack for support. And when our own resources run out, well, there are ways of replenishing them!'

  She frowned, remembering Morwenna's hint that his activities were sometimes piratical. He laughed at her expression.

  'Now 'tis my turn to ask questions. I was too busy last night to take heed of what you said. Did you say your mother was in Plymouth? How is that?'

  Kate explained.

  'Then you really do mean to marry this Jonathan Peyton?'

  'Yes, of course. Why not?'

  Petroc shrugged. 'He will never be able to master you,' he said calmly, and Kate spluttered as she choked on her wine.

  'We love each other,' she answered with as much dignity as she could recover.

  'I daresay you think you do. But you need a strong man, Kate. Peyton is not the man for you.'

  'I fail to see how you can possibly judge after having met us so few times! I have known Jon all my life! You are impertinent!'

  'Possibly. But I hate waste and you will be wasted on Peyton! However, I will undertake to restore you to him and your mother when we return. Now I must leave you. Sleep well.'

  Abruptly he was gone, but Kate, now accustomed to the motion of the boat, found it difficult to sleep, so distu
rbing had she found their short conversation. How dare he criticise Jon to her, she asked herself angrily, then recalled the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, and the frequent sardonic gleam she saw in them. Busily she tried to calculate how long this voyage would take, and had a sudden longing to be safely back home with Jon beside her.

  The next few days followed the same pattern, and Kate was thoroughly bored by the time Petroc appeared to share her supper, so that she greeted him with greater friendliness than she had intended, resenting as she did his strictures on Jon. But they did not return to that vexed subject, and Petroc entertained her with stories of previous voyages, and the places he had visited, so those hours passed all too quickly.

  They reached Jersey and within a very short space of time had taken on cargo and set off on the return journey. One evening Petroc announced he hoped to reach Plymouth before dawn.

  'I shall be obliged to send scouts first to find out whether the situation has changed. I shall anchor in the Sound for the time being. But I will restore you to your mother before the day is out.'

  'I hope she has not been frantic about me.' Kate was anxious, but Petroc tried to reassure her, saying it was unlikely in the confused situation they had left that communications between Saltash and Plymouth would have been very good.

  'And they had no cause to think you would be wandering about on the battlefield,' he added, looking at her quizzically.

  She tossed her head and did not reply, and he smiled and left her. Kate thought she would not sleep, she was thinking so much of the following day when this odd voyage would be over and she would be restored to Jon. But she did sleep, to be woken abruptly by the sound of running feet above her head, and shouts.

  Looking at the porthole, expecting to see that it was daylight, she realised it was still long before dawn. Hastily she rose from the bunk and crossed to the porthole. Outside were the lights of another ship, so close that for a moment she wondered blankly whether there had been a collision in the darkness. But she had felt no such bump, which would surely have wakened her. As she tried to think what could have happened, the bump of the collision came, but it was a very gentle check to the progress of the ship, which scarcely hesitated.

  Kate realised the collision had not been accidental, and she wondered if they had reached the harbour and were riding at anchor in a close packed area. Then she heard the report of a pistol fired from the deck close above her head, and her eyes widened in surprise. There were shouts and more running feet, then a laugh she recognised as Petroc's.

  'Resist not, and no harm will come to you,' he called, and there was an indistinct reply from the other boat, which caused Petroc to laugh again. Again there was a pistol shot, followed by a scream, and more shouts.

  'That is better,' Petroc called, and there was silence for what seemed hours to Kate, watching anxiously from her porthole, out of which only the massive side of the other ship, rearing proudly out of the water, was visible. Then, imperceptibly, the vessels began to drift apart, and there was another pistol shot. Kate craned her head to try and see what was happening, but with only the faint reflected light from the lanterns in the other ship, all she could see was that it was drawing away.

  Wondering what she should do, Kate remained by the porthole, and was startled when the door of the cabin was thrown open. Hastily she turned, apprehensive, but it was Petroc followed by one of the sailors. He was carrying two sacks which he threw down on the floor in one corner, and gestured to the sailor to do the same with those he carried. They chinked suggestively and Kate stared at them, bemused.

  Petroc laughed at her expression. 'A useful addition to our supplies,' he commented blandly, and Kate turned towards him enquiringly.

  'What was it? The other ship, I mean?' she asked quietly.

  'A merchant ship waiting off the coast for dawn, with money for the Parliament in Plymouth. At least we know from them that the armies do not appear to have moved. So you can expect to be reunited with your Jonathan early in the morning. Now, as there is still an hour to dawn, I suggest you try to sleep again.'

  He was gone before she could reply and there was no other course for her to follow. She lay down again, but stayed wakeful until dawn, then rose to watch the coast as they approached Plymouth Sound. All seemed so peaceful it was hard to realise two armies faced each other across the River Tamar, and the events of the night she would have thought a dream had not the sacks containing gold coins been staring at her, appearing to grow larger every minute in her imagination.

  Her breakfast was brought as usual and there was a great deal of activity on the ship. They sailed into the Sound and anchored near to the Island that was called after Drake. Petroc sent a small boat off towards the town and the rest of his crew were busily occupied about the ship. Kate was left alone in the cabin until mid-morning, when Petroc came down to ask if she were ready to leave.

  'There is nought to detain me here,' she said tartly, but he merely raised his eyebrows at her in amusement.

  'No? I thought mayhap you would come to prefer life aboard ship with me to the excitements of marriage to Jonathan!'

  She did not deign to reply to this, and he led the way up to the deck and again helped her negotiate the rope ladder into the small boat. Then they cast off and Kate was silent as he rowed her towards the Hoe. Although when they reached the town there seemed a good deal of activity, much of it was of the normal sort to be found in any port. Trade had obviously not come to a standstill, and though there were soldiers about they did not seem to be interfering with the citizens. No one seemed to take any notice when they tied up at the small quay, and Petroc smiled reassuringly as he helped Kate from the boat.

  She took a deep breath. 'Thank you, Mr Tremaine. I do not need your company any longer.'

  'I am coming with you,' he replied calmly, and taking her arm, began to walk along the quay.

  She wrenched her arm away. 'There is no need,' she told him, halting so that he had to turn to face her.

  'But I must come and apologise and explain what delayed you,' he said, surprised. Then his eyes gleamed. 'Or do you prefer to keep it a secret from your beloved? Would he reject you for having been in my company for so long? Is that what you fear?'

  'I do not fear anything of the sort! I shall tell them, of course I will, but I do not need your assistance in so doing!'

  'Nonetheless, I am coming with you. You might find your anxious lover has left hotfoot for Saltash, and then how would you follow him?'

  Exasperated that he always had a reason for doing what he wished despite her protests, Kate frowned at him.

  'I would take it as a favour if you would cease making slighting remarks about Jonathan,' she threw over her shoulder as she walked past him to resume their progress. 'I cannot think why you do it!'

  'Can you not?' With a couple of long strides he had caught her up, and again he took her arm. 'I do it in the hope of turning you away from him. He is not the man for you, Kate.'

  'There we disagree, sir! I happen to love Jon and I shall marry him before Christmas. It is all arranged.'

  He was silent, and she ventured to glance sideways at him. He was regarding her with amusement.

  'That, I'll hazard, you will not,' he said softly.

  'How? What do you mean?'

  'I shall not allow it.'

  She stared at him. 'You are mad! How can you prevent it?'

  'Here we are,' was all he replied, and she found that they were indeed outside the Peytons' house. Petroc seized the knocker and plied it energetically, and the door was almost immediately opened by a manservant, who looked surprised when he saw Kate, and then looked enquiringly from her to Petroc.

  'Dan, is my mother still here?' Kate asked, and he nodded, opening the door wide for them to enter.

  'Indeed, yes, Mistress Kate.'

  Kate heaved a sigh of relief. Her absence had not been remarked, it would seem, and her mother would have been spared much anxiety.

  They were
ushered into a parlour beside the front door, and within minutes Mistress Anscombe had appeared and was excitedly kissing and questioning Kate.

  'My dear, I have been so worried about you, being unable to get back home. I thought that you would be anxious about me, but Jon said that it was not yet safe to venture. He sent a message with one of his friends, but as the man was not coming back, we had no means of knowing whether you received it,' she told her, after briefly greeting Petroc and waving them both to be seated. 'Did you become anxious? Was it not foolhardy to venture across the Tamar? I assume Mr Tremaine brought you?'

  Kate told her story, amidst many exclamations from Mistress Anscombe, while Petroc looked on in silence. As Kate finished, her mother turned to him, but before she could speak he forestalled her.

  'I am relieved that my judgement was right, and your daughter has not been the cause of anxiety,' he said smoothly. 'I decided, when I found her, that it would be safer to keep her with me than allow her to face the hazards of a night crossing to Plymouth, and heaven knew what awaiting her here.'

  'I suppose you are right,' Mistress Anscombe said slowly. 'But I would have been distracted out of my wits had I known of it!'

  'Not if you had known she was in my charge, surely,' he said softly, and Kate watched in disgust as she saw her mother succumb to his charm.

  'Jonathan was planning to take me home later today, now the situation is more settled and there is movement on the Tamar,' she said, turning to Kate.

  'I cannot believe it was difficult to evade the few soldiers I have seen,' Petroc said in surprise.

  'Mayhap not, but there have been other things to delay us, and of course we assumed Kate was at home. Kate, my dear, Jon has decided to join the King.'

  Kate looked across at her mother in some surprise. 'I did not know he felt strongly about it?' she said slowly. 'In fact, I had a feeling that he preferred Parliament, if he had a mind to favour either side.'

  'I do not know what has decided him, but he plans to join Sir Ralph Hopton. He will do so as soon as he has escorted me home.'