Sir Humphrey and Lucy stood on the steps watching them ride away, and then Sir Humphrey put his arm round Lucy's shoulders and smiling, she turned to him.
'How happy I am you have come to me, my dear,' he said as they walked slowly back into the house.
'You cannot be happier than I, Father,' she said softly.
'Can you forgive me for those years when I did not accept you?'
'Of course. You had me cared for, you did not reject me entirely. But Father, may I ask you something?'
'What is it, my dear?'
'Something Sarah said concerns me.'
'I trust Sarah Francis is not going to become like her mother, full of gossip and malicious insinuation.'
Lucy smiled slightly. 'I do not think she could be like her mother. But she said you intended to leave me everything, and nothing to Gavin. I did not think this was so.'
'Where did she obtain this information?'
'I understand Gavin said something while he was staying with them.'
Sir Humphrey smiled appreciatively. 'Oh, he did, did he?'
'Father, I do not wish it. You are generous to me, and have promised I shall not be in want. I am not your legitimate daughter – '
'No, to my regret and shame,' he interrupted. 'I should have forced your mother to wed me, but I thought she would do so in the end!'
'It would not be fair to Gavin, to take all from him.'
'Would you not like to live here when I am gone?'
'I do not wish to leave here, but I will not think of such a time! But Gavin has been your acknowledged heir for so long, and the property should go with the title.'
'Do not worry, Lucy. Gavin will be my heir. Sarah has it wrong, I am doing what I told you earlier. You will have an adequate dowry, and Gavin will have the remainder. After all, you will marry, and your husband will not be penniless! But he is a cunning devil!'
Lucy drew her brows together. 'Why do you say that?'
He laughed. 'To set that rumour going. It has discouraged Mistress Francis from her pursuit of him on Sarah's behalf, has it not?'
'Oh.' Lucy considered this. 'But how could Sarah be mistaken? Gavin must have said it.'
'Oh, no. Gavin has a deal of wit. He would have suggested something to imply you would have Anstey Manor without saying I was giving it to you. I am intrigued to see Mistress Francis is now encouraging Peter's claims to your affections. I think she rather discouragd them before your prospects improved. Am I right?'
Lucy laughed a little shyly.
'She was in great fear he would wish to marry me.'
'She had cause. But Gavin evidently does not share her fears.'
He smiled down at her and Lucy, embarrassed, looked away. Sir Humphrey laughed again and sent her off, saying she ought to rest, for she still looked tired after her ordeal.
*
It was several hours later, when they were together in Sir Humphrey's study, that a servant came to say they had a visitor.
'Mr Jem Perkins wishes to see you, Sir Humphrey.'
'Shall we see him, Lucy? Do you wish it?'
'I suppose we must,' she replied slowly.
'Show him in here.'
A few moments later Jem entered the room, and bowed awkwardly to Sir Humphrey, and then strode across to where Lucy was sitting. He stood before her, fidgeting with his whip.
'Lucy, I have come to beg your pardon.'
'Jem, there is no need. I understand everything.'
'You must think me a poltroon, a grown man locked in a cellar by his mother! Lucy, I am so ashamed!'
'Jem, do not think on't.'
'I promised to help you. I thought before I could guard you, protect you, and I am shown so weak and helpless.'
'Jem, enough of this! You were tricked, and that could happen to anyone.'
'Was I not captured and imprisoned too?' Sir Humphrey asked quietly.
'Aye,' Jem agreed unhappily. 'And for that I crave your pardon, Sir. But in your case there was little you could do. There were several men against you. With me there was but a feeble old woman.'
'Your mother may be old, and physically weaker than a man, Jem, but do not underrate her strength. She has enormous willpower.'
'But even she is frightened at what she has done, now the full horror of it has penetrated her understanding.'
'Then mayhap you can influence her more in the future,' Sir Humphrey suggested.
'Yes, Jem. Do not be disheartened.'
He smiled at her. 'I feel I have betrayed you so much. Can you ever forgive me?'
'Yes, but I will not have you keep asking for forgiveness. Let this be an end on't.'
'Lucy! You are so kind and gentle. I made a confounded mess of it, did I not? You may forgive me, but I cannot forgive my mother for having ruined my chances with you!'
Lucy put her hand out to him.
'Jem, you must forgive her. Believe me, she did nought to ruin your chances, as you think. I could never have married you. I am sorry, but I do not love you.'
He nodded regretfully. 'That I understand now.' He looked across at Sir Humphrey, a slight smile on his face. 'I envy you, Sir Humphrey. If Lucy will not have me, I could almost wish my father had been hers too! Lucy, I am going to beg a great favour of you. My mother is most distressed. She wishes to tender her apologies herself, but she cannot bring herself to come. Will you come to see her?'
'Why, of course I will. I would wish to be on good terms with all the villagers now, then I would be really happy in Brookley. I would not like living here, happy as I am with my father, if I were at odds with them all.'
'Will you come and see her now?'
'May I, Father?'
'Gavin would not wish you to leave the house.'
'Oh, but Matthew Hopkins and those others have gone. I cannot be in any danger now.'
'I will see to it she comes to no harm if you will trust me, Sir.'
Sir Humphrey frowned in silence for a moment, and Jem flushed with embarrassment.
'I – I know I have not been worthy of trust in the past, but I swear to you, Sir Humphrey – '
'No, no, my boy. I will come with you. 'Tis not that I do not trust you, but Lucy will be safer with the two of us.'
'Would you really?'
'Oh thank you, Father! I would like to see Jem's mother and reassure her I entertain no harsh feelings against her.'
'We will ride. I will send for the horses.'
'I will change into my habit,' Lucy said, and left the room.
*
Twenty minutes later they were all three riding towards the village. Sir Humphrey was chatting with Jem about the farm, and proving most knowledgeable. Lucy looked on, thrilled at this evidence he was emerging from his withdrawn ways.
They passed Jem's farm and came in sight of the Black Goat. What they saw there brought them to a halt. A large crowd of villagers stood on the bank of the river between them and the inn, and an ugly murmur rose from them.
'We had best turn back. Quickly, they have not seen us yet,' Sir Humphrey said, catching at Lucy's reins.
'What is it?' she asked.
At that moment a high scream came from the centre of the group, and the crowd parted, showing two of the men carrying a heavy burden and approaching the river.
'God, 'tis my mother,' Jem cried, and set spurs to his horse, galloping towards the crowd. Lucy set off after him, and since Sir Humphrey had dropped the reins in his surprise she was able to get close to the crowd before her father caught up with her.
Jem was too late to prevent his mother from being thrown into the river. She was trussed in the time honoured fashion, her right hand tied to her left foot, and her left hand to her right foot. The two men carrying her swung her out and she fell some way from the bank. A few of the villagers heard the thundering of the hooves of Jem's horse, and turned towards him.
'You devils!' he shouted, and flung himself from the horse. Some of the men moved towards him to prevent him reaching the river.
'Your mother's the cause of all this trouble in the village,' one of them said to him.
'It is she that's the witch, not the lass.'
'Aye. Poor Mistress Dean has been persecuted by Agnes.'
Jem did not waste time arguing. His rush was so furious, his arms flailing wildly round him, that he sent two of the men flying, and the others gave back before him. Without pausing he leapt into the river and began to swim towards Agnes. She had sunk once, but had come to the surface, gasping and spluttering. Her gown had floated out and she was partly held up by it. Jem reached her in a few strokes. Putting his arms around her he towed her back to the bank, but there met resistance.
'Don't interfere, Jem,' one of the women shouted to him.
'She's evil!'
'Aye, she's damaged you, has she not?'
'She's the real witch in the village. We should have known.'
'Even the inn is named after her master, the Devil,' one of the men said.
Jem was standing in the water waist deep by the bank, supporting his mother who was now weeping gustily.
'Let me get out. Will none of you help me?' he demanded.
'You should not interfere. 'Tis justice being done.'
'Why are you all so full of hatred?' This was from Lucy who had ridden up to the crowd unnoticed, and sat on her horse looking at them. 'I have come to no harm,' she went on as they turned to look at her. 'Please, if I can forgive Mistress Perkins, surely you can too? She is no witch!'
The villagers began muttering amongst themselves and arguing, one or two of them shamefacedly, but there were many more aggressive ones determined to punish Agnes for the troubles that had fallen on the village. Some of these approached Lucy threatingly, and Sir Humphrey tried to put his horse in front of her.
'Mistress Dean,' one of the men began. 'Will you leave this to us. 'Tis the old way, and we like the old ways.'
'They are somewhat inhuman,' a new voice broke in, and Lucy turned to see Gavin ride up to them. 'Will you allow Mistress Perkins and her son passage, or must I use my whip on you?'
He sat there gazing sternly at them, and they began to move away. One turned back and helped Jem scramble up the bank. Lucy slipped from her horse and went across to him.
'Poor Mistress Perkins! Let me untie her.'
She did so. Jem picked up his mother. She was a large woman, and heavy, but he was strong and he carried her across to the inn without effort, while the villagers standing around somewhat abashed, not knowing what to do, stared after him.
Lucy smiled tentatively at some of them. 'Please, do not bear hatred. That is the real evil.'
'But you, Mistress Lucy,' one of the women said, stepping forward. 'How can you not hate her for what she has done to you?'
'It helps nought to hate. And it has not resulted in harm to me.'
'But your cottage? Oh, Mistress Lucy, will you forgive us for that? We were led astray by Agnes!'
'She's a strong-minded woman,' one of the men said ruefully.
'I lost my cottage, that is so, but I have another home now, and a father I did not know before. Please, promise me no further vengeance, particularly on my behalf?'
Some of the villagers seemed disposed to argue, but most were only too glad to be able to forget their recent ill behaviour, and nodded quickly. Lucy smiled round at them.
'I must see how Mistress Perkins does.'
*
She turned and went into the inn. An ostler who had been hovering at the edge of the crowd came and took the horses from Sir Humphrey and Gavin, and they followed Lucy. They found her in the large kitchen.
Agnes' wet clothes had been stripped from her, and she was wrapped in a large blanket, and crouched before the fire, over which succulent chickens were turning on the spit.
'Will you not go to bed, Mistress Perkins?' Lucy was asking. The woman shook her head, casting frightened glances at Lucy and the two men who had just walked in.
'Lucy, you are most irresponsible!' Gavin said, striding across to her. He took her by the shoulders and shook her slightly.'I told you not to leave the house! How did you come to allow it, Sir?' he demanded turning angrily to Sir Humphrey.
'It was fortunate we did leave the house,' Lucy replied with spirit. 'Do not upbraid my father for't! If we had not come, and Jem with us, Mistress Perkins would by now most like have drowned.'
'But Lucy! The danger to yourself!' Gavin began, still angry.
'There was no danger to me. They no longer think I am a witch, they are sorry for what they did. Did you not hear them?'
He laughed ruefully. 'I could almost believe you a witch the way you charmed everyone.'
Lucy smiled briefly then turned back to Agnes. 'You are shivering. You ought to be abed.'
The woman shook her head.
'I was so frightened when I saw you floating in the river,' Lucy said. 'It reminded me of that day, Jem, do you remember? Oh, 'twas horrible!'
'What day?' Jem asked, then as a sudden realisation came to him, he looked round guiltily. 'Why, yes, Lucy. Of course. But you promised not to talk of it.'
'What is this?' Gavin asked, and Lucy looked unhappily from him to Jem.
'What was it you saw, Lucy?' Gavin asked her gently. 'Have you seen someone else floating in the river?'
'I – I am sorry Jem.' Lucy turned to him, and he shrugged his shoulders.
'It is none of your fault.' He turned to Agnes. 'See what trouble you have brought on us? Lucy, will you explain?'
'It was one day before Christmas. Jem and I were walking by the river and we saw a body, the body of a man, caught up in the weeds.'
'In December? Could you tell what he was like?'
'Why, yes, he was tall and fair. I recognised him.'
'You had seen him before?' Gavin said in surprise.
'He had called at the cottage to ask his way. I recognised him though he was dead.'
'Was his name Thomas Porter?' Gavin said, suddenly turning to Agnes.
She looked up at him from frightened eyes, the strength gone from her. 'Aye,' she whispered.'He stayed here at the Black Goat.'
'And met his death here, I suppose.'
Agnes wept again. 'Oh, Sir, 'twas an accident, I swear it! He fell in his room!'
'Then why did you not report it, and give him decent burial?'
'I was afeard I would not be believed, that I would be accused of murder.'
'He is not the only one, is he?'
'How do you know?'
'And the others, whose letters you have stolen? The money and information, betraying the King. Who did you give it to?'
The others regarded Gavin in surprise. Agnes wailed.
'I meant no harm. I did not wish to hurt any of them, but they discovered me. I could not let them go!'
'So you killed them? And got rid of the bodies in the river.'
She nodded wretchedly.
'Who received the information from you?'
'I cannot, I dare not tell you?'
'You will tell me.' Gavin said quietly.
'No, I dare not! I would be punished!'
'If you do not tell me I will turn you over to the villagers. Which punishment do you prefer? Besides, if you tell me, your accomplices will not be able to punish you. We will deal with them first. That or the villagers to put you to the witch test again?'
'No, Gavin! You must not threaten that,' Lucy put in angrily. 'The poor woman has suffered enough. How dare you frighten her?'
'Leave this to me, Lucy, if you please. This woman has caused a deal of trouble. She has murdered several men, and harmed the King's cause. Tell me,' he went on, turning back to Agnes and standing over her, 'to whom did you pass the information?'
By now Agnes was weeping noisily, gulping and sobbing. She began to gabble the story of how it had all happened. From the mass of irrelevancies Gavin learned that a wool merchant, Edward Black in Chelmsford, was the organiser of the group. He nodded, satisfied, then looked at Jem.
'Make her go to bed now,' he said quietly.
Jem was standing as though stricken to stone. Gavin had to repeat his instructions. Jem shook his head slightly and looked miserably at Gavin.
'I did not know her wickedness was so great. I suspected some evil, but not all this. Oh, Lucy when I saw that man's body, I hoped and prayed she had not killed him, but I was afeard!'
'She will cause no further trouble,' Gavin comforted him, and Jem nodded in vehement agreement.
'That you may be sure of. She will no longer dominate me! I will keep firm hold on her in the future.'
'Get her to bed now. Come Lucy, we will go home.'
*
They went to collect their horses and rode back to the Manor, and Gavin explained to Sir Humphrey about the betrayal of the King's messengers. Lucy was very quiet, and when they reached the Manor she said goodnight to them and started for the stairs.
'I would speak with you first Lucy. Please. Come into the parlour.'
Sir Humphrey looked at him and smiled slightly, then discreetly disappeared into his study. Lucy walked into the parlour and turned to face Gavin. She expected a scolding on the folly of leaving the house, and was taken utterly by surprise when without speaking he walked across to her and pulled her to him, holding her close. She looked up, startled, and he smiled down at her.
'Lucy, my love. You are foolhardy, but adorable. I love you, as I have since I first set eyes on you. Will you marry me and let me protect you?'
He raised his eyebrows, quizzically, and as Lucy smiled at him, he bent his head to kiss her. She put her hands against his chest and resisted lightly.
'Gavin, what of Sarah Francis? Do you not love her?'
'Why should I love her? How could I possibly love anyone else when you are around? I have never loved Sarah, silly one. It has never entered my head to think of loving her, and she is content. She has never loved me.'Twas her mother that would have wed us. Now are you satisfied?'
Again he bent towards her, and again she pushed him away.
'Why are you doing this? Is it to ensure I have the Manor and Sir Humphrey's fortune?'
He laughed. 'What ridiculous ideas you have! Of course not! You can give it away if you wish. To Mistress Francis if you will. So long as you marry me! I love you, and nought else matters.'
'What of my father?'
'He will be well content, he has expected this since first he saw us together. Would you prefer to live here with him? I must continue to serve the King, and I must leave you in safe hands. Now, Lucy, cease tormenting me. I love you. I want you for my wife.'
'Oh, Gavin!'
He crushed her to him, and hours later, or so it seemed to Lucy, he released her to gaze into her eyes. She looked happily back.
'You have cast a spell on me!' he said, laughing slightly.'It has entangled both of us, and we will never be free of it.'
Lucy smiled teasingly.'Would you wish to be?'
He did not speak, but his actions left her in no doubt of his answer.
Marina Oliver has written over 75 novels, all are available as ebooks.
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Few convicts returned to England, but Molly Morgan was one who did.
She lived in a Shropshire village, first as a maid to a wealthy farmer, then with her husband William, who was somewhat light-fingered.
He escaped when they were accused of the theft of flax from a drying field, but Molly was tried and sentenced to transportation.
She went with the Second Fleet, and survived being on the Neptune, the worst ever ship to carry convicts to New South Wales.
Many of the convicts died or were too weak on arrival to walk.
Molly found a protector on the ship, and another for whom she worked on land.
After a few years she persuaded an American Whaling ship captain to hide her and take her back to England, where she lived in London and worked as a seamstress until she married a Plymouth whitesmith.
They quarrelled and she went back to London, where she was accused of more theft and again transported.
After a while, and the accusation of stealing Government cattle, she began farming in the Hunter Valley, and opened taverns.
She became wealthy, known for giving help to convicts, and support for charities.
At the age of sixty she married a man of one and thirty.
She was named the Queen of Hunter Valley.
*
It is the turbulent thirteenth century and Henry III is facing rebellion by Simon de Montfort.
Eva, more concerned with her own fate, is plotting how to make her father agree to her marriage with her cousin Gilbert, when she is told she is to marry the rich and influential Sir Piers de Granfort.
Gilbert is poor, but they try to escape. These attempts all fail, to Eva's fury and despair, and she finally meets Sir Piers, who is not so old as she expected.
She also meets the lovely widow whose eldest son is named Piers, and who looks remarkably like Sir Piers.
What are they to one another? And why, if they are in love, do they not marry?
Taken to her new home Eva tries to solve these puzzles.
*
Catriona's father is lost at sea, and her mother loses the will to live, leaving her with her Uncle, who wants to marry her to a much older, stern newcomer.
Cat is determined to escape, and does so with the help of her cousin. But she needs to hide from them all, until she can go to her father's Dutch family in Amsterdam.
Expert in fabric printing and making her own dyes, she persuades Rory Napier, struggling to manage his uncle's linen manufacturing in Glasgow, to employ her to supervise the new processes.
Though she is successful, their relationship is stormy. Can they succeed despite the problems and the rivalries?
*
Clarinda Middlewick's friendship with Sarah, an orphan heiress, is encouraged by her father, a wealthy merchant.
He hopes to marry Clarinda into the gentry, but she rebels when he receives an offer from Lord Tarbuck, whose daughter is several years older than Clarinda.
Her only refuge is her grandmother, who runs a guest house in Harrogate Spa, and with Sarah's help she escapes from her home.
Held up by a highwayman, whose actions they find extremely odd, they are forced to aid him, and the girls find adventure before they can reach Harrogate.
***