insides together.
“We must pray and hope.”
Alex gripped Joan’s hand. “If you die on me, Joan Melville, I’m going to be really, really pissed off at you.”
There was a slight flutter of the bruised eyelids. “I wouldn’t dare to, but I just…” Joan’s mouth fell open and for a sickening instant Alex thought she had died, until Mrs Wilson pointed out that Joan was snoring.
Chapter 5
“Rachel Graham!”
Alex’ voice froze her daughter for an instant and then the child took off, running like a hare for the safety of the stables.
“Come here, you!” Alex sprinted after her, telling her in no uncertain terms what she would do to her once she’d caught her.
Rachel shrieked, her little feet pounding towards the ladder that led to the hayloft, with her prize held high above her head. Behind her, Alex was closing the gap. One backward glance to check on her mother and Rachel went flying, landing with an audible thud on the straw strewn floor. The cake rolled out of her hands and into the pigpen, and daughter and mother could only watch as the sow devoured the unexpected treat.
“Right,” Alex said, lifting her daughter to stand. “Inside with you. Now.” Alex gave her daughter her most ferocious look, and with a resigned shrug Rachel followed her towards the house.
They were almost there when the sound of many horses carried through the air. Alex picked up her daughter and ran the last few yards.
“Mark! Run! You know what to do.” Mark looked up the lane, back at his mother and set off, sprinting up the hill. Alex shooed Rachel and Jacob upstairs before stepping outside to face the group of dragoons that sat on their horses. All of them were new men, even the officer.
“Mistress,” the officer said, tilting his head in her direction. She half curtsied, trying to remember where Matthew was today; out on the moss, cutting peat with Simon, Ian and Samuel. “Your husband?”
“He’s not at home, it’s just me and my children and my recently delivered sister-in-law.” She couldn’t help it; even in this situation the thought of baby Lucy made her smile. Alive and well, despite her dramatic entry to the world, and even if Alex at times found Joan regarding her daughter with a look of disappointment in her eyes she was sure she would soon get over it.
“You’ll not mind us verifying that for ourselves? Ensure you’re not harbouring a fugitive or two?” He motioned for his men to dismount, jerking his head in the direction of the outbuildings.
“No, of course not,” Alex said, following the two men that rode off in the direction of the mill with her eyes. Oh God; for all that Mark had a head start, he was a small boy on foot, while the soldiers were horsed. Her heart shrank into a prune when the horses were set to canter. She cleared her throat, forcing her attention back to the captain.
“Is there any particular reason why you seek my husband?”
“He hasn’t sworn the Oath of Abjuration.”
Alex did her best dim-witted look, giving him a simpering smile.
“The oath of what?”
The officer frowned. “Come, come, mistress, all of you know that the king requires all men to swear oaths of fealty to him and his church. A most necessary measure here, where Covenanters stand as thick on the ground as common daisies.” He narrowed his eyes. “You’d be one of them yourself, I’d warrant.”
“Me?” Alex said. “Not really.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw the two horses disappear in among the trees, now at a more sedate trot.
“No? Well, beg my pardon for not believing you, mistress. And that absconded preacher, that… err…”
“Sandy Peden,” Alex filled in. Mark should have reached the mill by now, she calculated, and if they were quick, they’d make it out in the nick of time.
“Yes, that’s right. Well he doesn’t help, does he? What with his insistence that there’s nothing between man and God, no bishops and definitely not a royal head of church.
“We must pray and hope.”
Alex gripped Joan’s hand. “If you die on me, Joan Melville, I’m going to be really, really pissed off at you.”
There was a slight flutter of the bruised eyelids. “I wouldn’t dare to, but I just…” Joan’s mouth fell open and for a sickening instant Alex thought she had died, until Mrs Wilson pointed out that Joan was snoring.
Chapter 5
“Rachel Graham!”
Alex’ voice froze her daughter for an instant and then the child took off, running like a hare for the safety of the stables.
“Come here, you!” Alex sprinted after her, telling her in no uncertain terms what she would do to her once she’d caught her.
Rachel shrieked, her little feet pounding towards the ladder that led to the hayloft, with her prize held high above her head. Behind her, Alex was closing the gap. One backward glance to check on her mother and Rachel went flying, landing with an audible thud on the straw strewn floor. The cake rolled out of her hands and into the pigpen, and daughter and mother could only watch as the sow devoured the unexpected treat.
“Right,” Alex said, lifting her daughter to stand. “Inside with you. Now.” Alex gave her daughter her most ferocious look, and with a resigned shrug Rachel followed her towards the house.
They were almost there when the sound of many horses carried through the air. Alex picked up her daughter and ran the last few yards.
“Mark! Run! You know what to do.” Mark looked up the lane, back at his mother and set off, sprinting up the hill. Alex shooed Rachel and Jacob upstairs before stepping outside to face the group of dragoons that sat on their horses. All of them were new men, even the officer.
“Mistress,” the officer said, tilting his head in her direction. She half curtsied, trying to remember where Matthew was today; out on the moss, cutting peat with Simon, Ian and Samuel. “Your husband?”
“He’s not at home, it’s just me and my children and my recently delivered sister-in-law.” She couldn’t help it; even in this situation the thought of baby Lucy made her smile. Alive and well, despite her dramatic entry to the world, and even if Alex at times found Joan regarding her daughter with a look of disappointment in her eyes she was sure she would soon get over it.
“You’ll not mind us verifying that for ourselves? Ensure you’re not harbouring a fugitive or two?” He motioned for his men to dismount, jerking his head in the direction of the outbuildings.
“No, of course not,” Alex said, following the two men that rode off in the direction of the mill with her eyes. Oh God; for all that Mark had a head start, he was a small boy on foot, while the soldiers were horsed. Her heart shrank into a prune when the horses were set to canter. She cleared her throat, forcing her attention back to the captain.
“Is there any particular reason why you seek my husband?”
“He hasn’t sworn the Oath of Abjuration.”
Alex did her best dim-witted look, giving him a simpering smile.
“The oath of what?”
The officer frowned. “Come, come, mistress, all of you know that the king requires all men to swear oaths of fealty to him and his church. A most necessary measure here, where Covenanters stand as thick on the ground as common daisies.” He narrowed his eyes. “You’d be one of them yourself, I’d warrant.”
“Me?” Alex said. “Not really.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw the two horses disappear in among the trees, now at a more sedate trot.
“No? Well, beg my pardon for not believing you, mistress. And that absconded preacher, that… err…”
“Sandy Peden,” Alex filled in. Mark should have reached the mill by now, she calculated, and if they were quick, they’d make it out in the nick of time.
“Yes, that’s right. Well he doesn’t help, does he? What with his insistence that there’s nothing between man and God, no bishops and definitely not a royal head of church.
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