Jon left early the next morning, and then Morwenna reminded her they planned to visit their Aunt Elizabeth of Polruan that day.
'Had you forgot in all the excitement of Jon's return? No wonder if you had. But seeing them at Polruan will help turn your mind from worrying now he has gone away again.'
Kate smiled and tried to reply with enthusiasm, but she was a little abstracted, thinking of what Jon had said, and wondering whether the differences of the King and Parliament could be resolved by talk instead of war.
Unable to solve this puzzle, Kate went with Morwenna to help get the boat ready, and soon their parents arrived to sail the short distance across the river to the little quay opposite that served the village of Polruan. Nick was not with them and Morwenna said he had gone across earlier by himself.
'Some of his crew live over there, and he plans to leave again in a day or so,' she added.
There was a strong wind blowing that made the water in the river choppy, and Kate helped her father and uncle as they manoeuvred the boat in alongside the quay. When they were safely tied, Mr Trevose jumped out and bent down to assist the ladies to clamber out. Kate sprang out lightly, and turned to speak to her mother, then stopped in confusion. Petroc, wearing an amused smile, was within a yard of her.
'Well met, Kate,' he said softly, and she answered briefly.
Looking around she saw Nick seated nearby on a pile of ropes, and he nodded affably towards her then turned his attention back towards a group of men seated around him, on ropes and lobster baskets and an upturned boat. He appeared to be giving them instructions for they were listening intently and nodding occasionally. Kate turned away and was relieved her parents had started to walk up the steep hill that climbed from the quay. She followed with Morwenna, resisting the urge to look back as they moved away from the boats.
The way led up a steep road, and then they turned aside to climb a flight of steps. At the top was a narrow path and they had to go in single file. As Kate followed the others she realised there was someone behind her, and she knew before she turned to look that it was Petroc.
'My congratulations,' he said quietly so only she could hear, coming close behind her.
She frowned. 'I assume you refer to Jon's escape from the Parliamentarians?' she queried sharply.
'Oh, not at all,' he said, laughing at her indignant expression as she halted and turned to face him. 'I referred to your escape, my precious Kate.'
'You are impertinent,' was all she could think of in reply, but it did not seem to deter him.
'He told you a tale of being captured by the rebels, did he?'
'Which proves he is not in league with them, and you were mistaken or worse about what you said!' she retorted.
'I wonder. Do you really think I and my friends leave our coast so unprotected?'
'They asked him about Royalist movements, and threatened to torture him,' she protested.
'Anyone could ask such questions, and you only have his word.'
'I believe him, whatever you say trying to discredit him.'
'I can wait,' Petroc answered calmly.
'It is true,' Kate repeated. 'It must be. Who else could have captured him?'
'Was he really captured? Or was it a convenient excuse to disappear quietly for a few days to seek his other friends?'
'He would not have done that on the eve of our wedding,' she said, confused by these suggestions.
'Some other time he might have done? You see, you are admitting the possibility.'
'Nothing of the sort!'
She turned angrily away and walked after the others, now some distance away.
'Your wedding would have deterred him even so?' Petroc's voice came again in her ear.
'Yes!' was all the reply she vouchsafed, not deigning to turn, and walking on head held high.
'Poor Kate, deprived of a husband!'
As the monstrous suspicion struck her Kate halted abruptly and swung round, to find Petroc right behind her, his face close to hers as he bent towards her.
'If it were not the Parliamentmen,' she began slowly, 'who was it?'
'Who knows? Who will ever know? But take care of yourself for me Kate, for I'm off to join Nick Slanning for a while!'
Before she could answer he grinned, and turned away to stride quickly down the path. Kate stared after him for a while, fighting with the thoughts that whirled chaotically in her mind then, realising how far behind the others she was, turned and ran to catch up with them as they reached the top of the hill and took the path that led to Aunt Elizabeth's house.
*
There was no time to think quietly of what Petroc had said until they were back in Fowey that night and Morwenna had fallen asleep, but then Kate could think, and attempt to sort out the ideas that seemed so fantastic. If what she suspected was true it could have been Petroc and his men who had captured Jon. They could easily have pretended to be Parliamentarians to throw suspicion from themselves. If this were so, why? Had Petroc been high handed enough to intervene in the arrangements for her wedding? Kate fumed with anger at the thought. He was too arrogant. Did he mean what he said about marrying her himself? This she could not believe, and although his words had always embarrassed her, she had assumed they were some jest that afforded him some amusement. He liked to see her confused, unable to think of an adequate reply. But that was not enough reason to prevent her marriage, if he had indeed done so.
'I hate him! I would certainly never marry such a man! I love Jon!' she whispered to herself many times before eventually falling asleep.
Unable to solve the puzzle, Kate tried to forget the strange affair, merely looking forward to the time when she would again see Jon. Nick announced his intention of riding with Petroc to join Slanning, saying the boats could be left in charge of their seconds in command but the army was desperately short of cavalry, and they could be of greater use on land for the moment. When they returned it was with reports of mixed fortunes.
'We had the whole length of the Tamar to guard,' Nick explained to his eager family. 'The attack came at Launceston, across Lifton Bridge, but we contrived to beat them off after an exhausting day.'
'And would have ensured complete victory had we pursued them,' Petroc commented. 'It was only James Chudleigh's coolness that saved them from a rout. He preserved order and insisted on taking the guns, but Sir Ralph did not follow up his advantage. He could have captured them.'
'After such a hard day the men were in no fit state, and several were hurt when that magazine exploded. Hopton could not afford to drive them too hard,' Nick explained. He went on, 'Two days later we followed towards Okehampton, and were joined by Henry Carey, the new high sheriff of Devon, and some volunteers. It was a hot, sultry day, and the men were tired of marching. On Sourton Down, as evening fell, we were attacked, and formed up for battle, beating off the next assault. Then we waited in the dark for hours, but no further attack came.'
Petroc laughed. 'They had left burning ropes on top of gorse bushes, to make us think their army waited, while most of them withdrew. I was suspicious of the stillness of the lights, and the quiet, so went to investigate. After I reported it, this was confirmed when a tremendous storm broke. It sent the remaining troops scuttling for shelter! The elements won at Sourton Down!'
'Did you not go after Chudleigh later?' Kate asked.
'Nick Slanning sent us back before it was decided,' Nick replied. 'He had news of ammunition in Pendennis, and feared renewed attacks on the shipping. Also he needs more money, and sent messages with us to that effect.'
'Were our losses heavy?' Morwenna asked quietly.
'Not many dead. But several captured or missing,' Nick answered quickly, glancing at Petroc who was gazing steadily at Kate. 'Henry Carey is missing, and also, I fear, Jon. But do not despair, Kate. He may have become separated from the rest of us in the dark and the confusion, and be hiding. Before we left some such were coming into camp. There was no news, and his body was not found,' Nick said gently.
'I've no doubt he'll turn up,' Petroc interposed. 'But there is something else. Hopton's portmanteau was captured when his secretary was killed, with lists of those contributing, and a letter advising Hopton to march towards Somerset to rendezvous with the rest of the King's horse.'
'We suspect someone slipped across to the other side in the darkness, with the portmanteau,' Nick said slowly, and Kate turned to him with a gasp.
'You mean you accuse Jon?' she cried hotly. 'How dare you, with nought but your base suspicions, no proof!'
Nick shrugged, and glanced across at Petroc who was still regarding Kate unblinkingly. They had discussed on their way to Fowey whether to tell Kate of their suspicions, and had decided that though she would undoubtedly tell Jon of them if he reappeared in Fowey, this would be preferable to leaving her in ignorance of the possibility.
Her reception of this was much as they anticipated. She defended Jon hotly, but Petroc perceived the worried look in her eyes when she thought no one observed her.
*
Soon Petroc and Nick left to rejoin their ships, and Kate was alone with her anxieties. She could share her worry about Jon's safety with the rest of the family, but not even Morwenna would sympathise when she protested against Petroc and Nick for their suspicions about Jon.
'They would not say such things without good cause,' Morwenna maintained. 'They are both accustomed to dealing with men. Mayhap there is an explanation we have not thought on,' she added, relenting at the look of distress on Kate's face. 'No doubt Jon will appear soon or send a message and be able to explain it all.'
'They will not believe what he says,' Kate protested angrily.
For several weeks they heard little news. Hopton and the Cornish had attempted to pursue the Parliamentarians through Okehampton and to Tavistock. But when the Parliamentarians, reinforced from Somerset, had turned and were prepared for battle they withdrew again for Launceston, and concentrated on deploying their limited forces along a fifty mile front. In the south Slanning held Saltash, facing Sir John Northcote and Sir George Chudleigh, James Chudleigh's father, about Plymouth. Mohun was at Liskeard, John Trevanion at Launceston, while Grenvile was in the north, near Stratton. Others were at Bodmin recruiting more men from the posse comitatus.
Petroc and Nick had completed their own tasks and returned to Launceston in time to discover that James Chudleigh, reinforced and freshly supplied, was marching through North Devon from Torrington after meeting Stamford, recovered from his attack of gout. He brought levies from Barnstaple and Bideford.
Hopton, leaving the garrisons to guard the river, moved northwards on Saturday May the thirteenth with what troops he could collect from Bodmin and Launceston. They slept that night near North Peterwin, defeated a small party of enemy horse and dragoons the following day, and reached Week St Mary that night. The following day Stamford occupied a high plateau a little to the north of Stratton, while the Royalists gathered at Efford Mill to the west of the town.
Sir Ralph called a council of war and they considered the position.
'They have twice our number of men,' Mohun said gloomily. 'The scouts reckon they have near five and a half thousand foot, while we have but two and a half. Added to that they have more powder and guns, and an impregnable position on that hill.'
'But we outnumber them with horse,' Grenvile said a little impatiently. His own manor at Stow had been cut off by the enemy and he was anxious to attack them.
'Five hundred to their two hundred,' John Trevanion commented. 'Not much, and the horse will not be of much value to us in this hilly part.'
'Besides, Sir George Chudleigh may yet return from his foray towards Bodmin,' Mohun added.
'He took over a thousand of their horse with him, hoping to break up our muster there. Our best hope is to attack them before he can return,' Sir Ralph said firmly. 'The southern approach to the hill is the steepest, for we cannot get round to the east, and would not wish to. The western slope is possible. We will attack in four columns. It was successful at Poison Bridge, and we can converge on the hilltop. Well? Are you with me?'
'Let us at them without delay,' Grenvile urged, and the others, with varying enthusiasm, supported him.
'Good.' Hopton wasted no time once he had secured their agreement. 'Godolphin and Basset, take your group northwards and approach from there. Slanning and Trevanion, come in from the west, and Berkeley and Grenvile slightly to the south of them. That is the most possible slope. Lord Mohun and I will approach from the south. Colonel Digby can hold the horse in reserve to the west, for unless the enemy come down from the summit, the horse will be of little use to us.'
Under cover of darkness the men were deployed, lining the hedges on the planned approach routes. After supping from their rations of cheese and biscuit they curled up to snatch a few hours of sleep before the dawn attack.
Petroc and Nick joined Slanning in the assault, leaving their horses at the rear. From daybreak until well after noon the fight continued, with the Parliamentarians, their guns spread over the western slope, repulsing the attacks. At about three there was a pause in the fighting, and messengers were seen hastily moving from Hopton's area to those of the other four columns. Slanning spoke to the man and then sent him on his way, turning with a worried look to Petroc who was beside him.
'Our powder is nearly spent,' he said in a low voice. 'We are to chance all on a general assault without firing until we reach the summit.'
Petroc whistled in surprise. 'That will shake them,' he commented. 'Let us pray it serves.'
The word to charge was passed on, though the lack of powder was not revealed to the men. Steadily, gradually gaining in speed even up that steep slope, the Royalists pressed forwards, holding their fire and undeterred by the fire from their enemies.
Inexorably the four columns progressed, and it was impossible for the Parliamentarians to stem that uphill tide. Gradually the gun emplacements were captured, and only once was there a slight halt to the advance when James Chudleigh charged the column led by Grenvile, causing the commander to lose his footing and fall to the ground. But that did not deter Sir Bevill. Hauled back to his feet by Berkeley, he urged his men on with such determination that they captured the daring James Chudleigh.
Less than an hour after this final assault had started, the four columns of the Royalists met near the summit of the hill, and rejoiced greatly as they watched the remaining Parliamentarians scuttling away, many injuring themselves as they fled headlong down the steep escarpment to the east. With half as many men, an almost impossible position at the foot of a steep hill, and almost no powder left, at the end of the day the Royalists had lost only eighty men, while they had killed three hundred, taken seventeen hundred prisoners, many of these besides James Chudleigh commanders, and captured guns, powder, money and provisions. They had cause for rejoicing.
Grenvile remained at Stratton to guard the prisoners, while the rest of the army returned to Launceston. Here they heard that Sir George Chudleigh had retired from Bodmin and was following Stamford to Exeter. They also heard that a force led by Hertford and Prince Maurice, the King's nephew, was approaching westwards, hoping to join with the Cornish army. Judging the Parliamentarians were in no mood to resist, Hopton finally left the Duchy where he had been so successful in rallying the King's supporters, and marched through Devon, reaching Chard and meeting Hertford and Maurice just two and a half weeks after the success at Stratton.