Sir Francis came down the stairs considerably ruffled, and in great alarm when he discovered his eminent lawyer friend had neither known he was there, nor sent for him. The helpful clerk had vanished after showing him into the lawyer's anteroom and was, he discovered, unknown to his friend. He almost ran into the room where he had left Bella, but it was empty. Swinging round on his heel he did run out of it, and collided with a tall blond man dismounting from a powerful looking chestnut horse just outside the door.
Hastily Sir Francis apologized and stepped back, trying to look round the man and the horse to discover whether Bella was in sight, but he found his arm grasped firmly. Distractedly he tried to shake off the man, who laughed.
'Francis! I implore you, is this the way to greet a friend who has travelled across the ocean to see you? Or have I changed beyond all recognition?'
'Adam!' Sir Francis gasped. 'What the devil are you doing here? But I've no time for that! Here, you knew Mistress Sutton in Virginia, didn't you? Did you see her come out of there?'
Adam's grasp on his arm grew even firmer. 'Bella? No! What has happened? Elizabeth told me about the child being taken, and that you were visiting lawyers, which is why I followed you. Where is she?'
'I don't know, but I'm afraid we were duped!' Ruefully he explained. 'Her brother was too clever for us. We were to await another message, but he has separated her from her friends.'
'It may not be her brother,' Adam informed him tersely. 'Her husband recovered enough to sail on the next ship from Jamestown. I discovered from some friends of his that he planned to kill Toby and claim the inheritance in Bella's name. That is why I came to England. I was fortunate to get a ship soon afterwards which had a swift crossing. Her husband's ship arrived ten days since, however, so he has had ample time for plotting.'
'Then how can we start to look for her? It might have been possible to trace her brother, but where did her husband come from? Who were his friends? She never spoke of them, or even said where he lived before they were married.'
'Henry Martin might know, and he is most likely at Clifford Manor. Daniel is with me. I'll go and fetch him from the tavern where he's waiting, and we'll ride into Kent. You had best go home in case we are wrong. I'll come back to you there.'
He was mounting as he spoke and had gone without waiting for a reply. Sir Francis, distracted, set off for home to explain the strange turn of events to his wife.
*
Adam rode swiftly through the crowded streets and on to London Bridge, thrusting his way through the crowd of people and carts that blocked the narrow roadway between the houses. Having gained the far side he and Daniel were able to ride together past the White Hart, the Tabard Inn and the Marshalsea Prison, until they reached the open country where Adam set a punishing pace.
The manor house where Bella had lived was a large, commodious building standing in a formal garden. There were stables to one side where outhouses surrounded a courtyard, and as Adam reined in to take stock of the house a horseman rode hurriedly from this yard and, without a glance in their direction, spurred his horse into a gallop and past them. Adam looked after him.
'I have seen Henry Martin but the once, and briefly,' he said urgently, 'but I am certain that is he. Daniel, follow him and see which road he takes. If he goes away from the London road, wait for me. Off you go, or you'll lose him!'
He dismounted as he spoke, hitched his horse to the gatepost, and strode up the path between the formal flower beds to the front door. An elderly man answered his firm knock and peered up at him.
'What is it?' he muttered irritably.
'I need to speak to Henry Clifford. Is he here?'
The ancient shook his head.
'You missed him,' he wheezed, and started to close the door.
'That was him, riding away?'
'Aye, likely.'
'Where has he gone?'
The old man stared curiously at Adam and shook his head.
'Why should I tell you? You're a stranger. Mr Clifford might not want it known.'
'Did you live here when Miss Bella was here, and Master Toby?' Adam asked, putting his booted foot in the way so that the old man could not close the door. He looked up, startled.
'What has it to do with my little Miss Bella? She's gone far away.'
'No, she's back in England, and in some danger. I think your master has gone to find her. Where has he gone? I am a friend of Miss Bella's.'
'Miss Bella? In England? No, she be in Virginia or some such outlandish place. She's not been in England for a year or more. I'll never see her again, poor little maid. A sweet lass she was, too!'
Adam restrained his impatience.
'She has come back, and is in danger. Please help me find her. Where has Henry Clifford gone?'
'The Pilgrim's House,' the old man eventually informed Adam. 'That's what he said, anyway.'
'Where is it?'
'Take the road through Cobham, and it's up on the Downs, it looks over the Medway Valley. Anyone in those parts will tell you.'
'My thanks,' Adam rapped out, handed the astonished old man a crown piece, and turned to run down the path. He was soon galloping back along the road after Henry Martin.
Some miles further on he found Daniel waiting for him.
'He's only ten minutes ahead, but he's riding as though the devil were after him, and my horse went lame a hundred yards back,' the man explained. 'It was fortunate he turned off here.'
'There is a village nearby, get the horse stabled, and get yourself somewhere to stay until you can bring him back to London,' Adam ordered, and Daniel watched reluctantly as he followed the narrow lane along which Henry Martin had ridden.
The lanes soon degenerated into a tangle of small tracks, so Adam stopped in a village and found a young lad who seemed confident he could show him the way to the Pilgrim's House.
'Though no one's lived there for the past year or so,' he informed Adam, 'since Mr Carter left.'
'Come pillion behind me,' Adam said briskly and the lad, awed at the opportunity to ride on such a fine horse, scrambled hurriedly up onto the horse's back.
'It's only a couple of miles,' he volunteered, and soon he was pointing along a narrow track through thick woods. 'It's at the end of that, there's no other house,' he said.
'Thank you. You'd best go home now,' Adam said, presenting him with a silver sixpence, and so stern did he sound that the lad, who had been determined to creep after this elegant stranger to see what he wanted at the long-deserted Pilgrim's House, decided he might be wiser to return home as directed.
Adam turned along the track and came out of the trees to find a sweating horse standing, his head drooping, a few paces from the open front door.
*
Bella had, with trembling clumsy fingers, started to unfasten the buttons of Edward's doublet as he ordered, trying to control her instinctive flinching as he stretched up one hand and grasped her breast. Then his hand slid down her thigh and round her leg to pull her down on top of him.
'You're not very expert,' he jibed, and then suddenly pushed her away and sat up, listening.
Bella heard it too, the drumming of a horse's hooves outside the house, and as Edward rose and crossed to the small window, peering through a small slit between the shutters, she reached for her gown and dragged it hastily over her head.
'Stay here while I attend to it!' Edward ordered, and went through into the next room and down the stairs. He was half way down, Bella anxiously peering after him, when the door was thrown open and she heard a loud voice.
'Come out, you rogue! Where the devil are you hiding your miserable carcass?'
'Henry!' Bella whispered, and shrank back. It would not do to let Henry know she and Toby were in the house, for he had a powerful reason to wish them both dead.
She saw Edward snatch a knife from the kitchen table as he went towards the hall and then, curiousity overcoming her fear, went down a few steps. She kept well into the shadows, but she could see a part of the hall through the open door.
Henry stood, legs astride, in the other doorway, a short sword in his hand.
'Well, what have you to say for yourself?' he demanded as Edward appeared.
'Henry, my old friend, what a surprise,' Edward responded calmly. 'I was proposing to visit you as soon as I had made this place habitable. It has been sadly neglected since I left England. Won't you come and sit in the kitchen?'
Bella swiftly and silently retreated back up the stairs, but she could see Henry with his back to her, as he accepted the invitation and sat on one of the stools. He prudently kept his sword by his hand, however, and Edward seated opposite him played nonchalantly with the knife he held.
'What are you doing back in England?' Henry demanded. 'Our agreement was that you would remain in Virginia.'
'That was what you thought I would do,' Edward replied. 'I had little choice at the time, for as you know I had to leave England in something of a hurry. But things have changed. Life is too uncertain in that fiendish place. I prefer England.'
'Where is the girl?'
'Is it the girl you are concerned with?' Edward asked sneeringly. 'Do not trouble yourself, she is safe.'
'And contesting my inheritance for that brat. I might have known you were not to be trusted, Edward Sutton! I thought you were behind it when the claim was first made, and then I heard you had been seen near here. Well, we will soon show you how unhealthy it is for such lying dogs in England!'
So saying he leapt to his feet, kicking away the stool on which he had been sitting, and thrust his sword across the table at Edward. But Sutton had been expecting the attack, and sprang aside, dodging round the table and hurling one of the pewter mugs at Henry as he did so.
It caught Henry a glancing blow on the side of the head, and for a moment he was caught off balance. It was enough for Edward to leap forward, beating Henry's sword arm out of the way and striking at him with his knife. At the last moment Henry realized his danger and gave ground, but he slipped on the loose rushes and fell backwards, crashing to the floor with Edward on top of him. Abandoning his sword, which was useless at such close quarters, Henry fought desperately to disarm his assailant. He hung grimly on to Edward's arm, attempting to twist it and force Edward's fingers to relax their grip on the knife.
Agonizingly, slowly, Edward felt his hold slackening and he brought his knee viciously up to catch Henry in the groin. With a gasp of pain Henry released Edward's hand, and as Edward drew back, ready to strike with the knife, Henry rolled aside, conscious even in his physical anguish of the need to evade his opponent. He rolled towards the fire and knocked against the cauldron, setting it swinging wildly on the hook.
Edward thrust with the knife, but the blow merely scraped Henry's shoulder, tearing his doublet and producing a small spurt of blood. As Henry attempted to stagger to his feet Edward jabbed him in the stomach with his elbow. Henry collapsed onto the ground again, clutching at the cauldron as it swung towards him and bringing it crashing to the floor. Edward coolly bent down to retrieve Henry's sword.
'I'm sorry, my dear Henry, that you will not live to see me take your house,' he sneered. 'It is quite an attractive one, worth far more than that miserly sum you gave me to take your inconvenient sister out of your way. And the brat does have a valid claim, as you must know.'
Gloating he watched as Henry, still suffering excruciating pain, attempted to crawl out of his way. He followed and when Henry hauled himself to his knees, kicked him contemptuously. This sent Henry sprawling headlong through the doorway into the hall. Edward followed, the sword raised, and stabbed Henry in the back.
*
Bella heard Henry give a scream which was cut off abruptly, but she had spied Edward's knife lying unheeded amongst the rushes, and she ran swiftly down the stairs in an effort to secure it. She reached it as Edward, the sword dripping red with blood, came back into the kitchen. As she straightened up and backed away from him he gave a grunt of laughter.
'Were you proposing to assist me, my dear?' he asked sarcastically. 'Come here.'
Bella remained where she was.
'Have you killed Henry?' she asked quietly.
'Of course. Could you doubt that I would? Do you wish to make certain, my dear wife? He'll not come creeping up to us when we resume our interrupted activities.'
Bella bit her lip. He was stronger than she was and Henry's sword was a better weapon than the knife. It was most unlikely she could fight him off. Fleetingly she thought that to die from a thrust of the sword would be preferable to submitting to Edward's lusts. But for Toby's sake, peacefully asleep upstairs, she had either to agree or discover a way of escape.
Aware of her hesitation, Edward began to walk towards her. Bella tried to strike him with the knife, but it was to no avail, for he parried it with the sword and then, grasping her hand in his, forced her to drop it.
Throwing down the sword he held Bella to him and ruthlessly, despite her struggles, removed the gown she had so short a time before put on again.
'So you prefer to fight do you?' he demanded, panting somewhat for she was putting up a spirited defence and it was all he could do to hold her.
Bella fought desperately, but he gradually forced her backwards against the table, and tried to bend her arms up behind her back.
When she twisted away so that he could not he suddenly lost patience. With a sudden push he threw her to the floor and before she could recover her breath had thrown himself across her.
'If you'll not submit peaceably I'll take you here!' he snarled, and while he held her down with his own body he began to wriggle out of his clothes. It was difficult, for Bella struggled with a strength born of desperation, scratching his face and clawing at his flesh whenever she could get her hands free, and once managing to bite his arm. Edward had wriggled half way out of his breeches and Bella's strength was failing as she shrank away from the hateful contact with his nakedness, when a cool voice addressed them.
'My dear Mr Sutton, you are hardly appropriately dressed to receive visitors.'
Startled, Edward tried to rise to his feet, reaching out for his abandoned sword at the same time, but the breeches descending about his ankles impeded him and he stumbled, falling to his knees.
'What are you doing here?' he demanded in a tone of utter loathing as he tugged at his breeches and hastily fastened a few points.
'I think I arrived just in time, sirrah.'
'Adam!' Bella exclaimed, rising to her feet and staring at him in relief and bewilderment. He smiled comfortingly at her.
Naked, flushed, and with her hair dishevelled, she had never looked so desirable. But he noted the bruises and reddened marks where Edward had gripped her too tightly, and his lips tautened as his glance moved back to Edward.
'She's my wife. You've no right to interfere and I'll thank you to leave my house!'
Adam slowly shook his head.
'There is a small matter of a dead man out there,' he said softly, 'apart from your wife and the child. Where is Toby?'
'Upstairs, and safe,' Bella said, then, as Adam smiled at her again, realized her undressed state. She blushed fiercely and thankfully espied her gown, somewhat torn but better than nothing, on the floor behind Edward. She moved to pick it up and slipped it over her head before turning to face the two men again. Edward was blustering angrily and suddenly stooped to pick up the knife by his foot. As he straightened and flung it towards Adam, Adam stepped swiftly aside and closed with him, grappling firmly and forcing him to give way. They swayed perilously for a moment, and then crashed to the floor. Breaking away from each other they both swiftly regained their feet and began circling warily. Bella retreated to the stairs.
Then Adam moved, feinting to the right and as Edward parried, he drove his left fist with shattering force into Edward's face. Edward staggered back and Adam followed up the blow with another, and a third, before Edward fell to his knees. As he grovelled on the floor, half dazed with the battering he had received, his hands came into contact with the sword and he began to swing it wildly round so that Adam was forced to stay out of range while drawing his own sword from the scabbard.
As Sutton stumbled to his feet Adam stepped backwards and Edward, dimly perceiving that his opponent was moving away from him, took a fumbling step forwards. Adam circled him and Edward staggered to hold the table, still preventing Adam from getting near him by wildly brandishing the sword. Then, with a tremendous effort he heaved up one end of the table, flinging it towards Adam. It was a wasted effort, for as the heavy table smashed down on the hard beaten-earth floor, crushing one of the stools beneath it with a splintering sound, Adam moved to one side and, before Edward had recovered from the strain, moved in and delivered the coupe de grace with his fists.
*
At that moment Toby, waking and hearing the sounds of the fight below, cried out, and Bella turned and ran up the stairs to comfort him. She was sitting on his bed, rocking him in her arms, when Adam appeared from the adjoining room.
'Hello, young man,' he said easily. 'I thought you were too old to cry now.'
'I am!' Toby said indignantly, and then gave a crow of welcome. 'Adam!' he exclaimed, and struggled free of Bella to run and clasp Adam about the legs. 'Where've you been?' he demanded imperiously, his fright and his tears forgotten.
'Oh, on a ship, like you were,' Adam said. 'Now be a sensible fellow and go back to sleep. Bella and I have a great deal to say to one another.'
With a trusting smile Toby slid back under the blanket, and closed his eyes. Adam retreated and after a few moments Bella followed. Adam was waiting for her in the next bedroom and without a word held out his arms. She gave a sob and ran to him, clinging and shivering in reaction to the terrors of the day.
'What of Edward? Is he – ?' she paused.
'He's not dead,' Adam said gently, 'but he will no longer be a danger to you. He is unconscious, I hit him very hard.'
'But if he recovers, he might come up here. He is wicked, Adam, and cunning.'
'I am aware of that. I have tied him up and he cannot move. You have no need to fear.'
'He killed Henry. Henry is dead, I suppose?' she asked.
'Yes, there is no doubt of that, he must have died immediately. Did that brute hurt you?' he asked, looking closely at her.
She blushed adorably. 'Not – not much,' she replied hurriedly. 'But Adam, why are you here? How did you find us? Why are you in England at all? Oh, there are so many questions!'
'There is plenty of time to answer them. Do you feel strong enough to ride to the nearest inn? You can use Henry's horse. I put it with mine in an outhouse. Once I have you and Toby safe I will bring a cart to take Edward somewhere until he can be charged with the murder.'
'Will – will they hang him?' she asked slowly.
Adam looked at her closely. Surely she could not still have any tender feelings for the man, he thought in dismay.
'If it can be proved, and I do not think there will be any doubt. Do you regret it?'
Bella shook her head in quick denial.
'No, no, apart from not wishing anyone to suffer! If he had never known me it might not have happened.'
'His quarrel was with Henry. He used you only as a pawn. He is the sort of man who would have been bound to get himself hanged one day, or killed by someone he had cheated. Will you mind?'
'I should never again feel safe if I thought that at any moment he could find me,' Bella declared, and shivered again.
'You are safe now. Oh, Bella, my love. I should never have let you go back to him. I should have defied the authorities in Jamestown, or taken you somewhere else. We could have made a life together in some other country. Bella, when I discovered he had left Jamestown and followed you I was in terror that I might be too late. He planned to kill Toby and claim your father's lands for himself.'
'You came after me, to help me?' Bella asked in wonder, and then, a coldness sweeping over her, she remembered he was no longer Adam Tarrant, a rich but simple Virginian planter, unwelcome in the England of King James, but Lord Cawston, possessor of a vast fortune, and able to regain the approval of the King if he married the lovely and wealthy Lady Jane.
'Of course, my love, for I realized when you had gone how much I needed you,' he replied, taking her into his arms.
'How did you follow us here?' Bella asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
'I met Sir Francis Rowe outside the Middle Temple, just after you had disappeared. I had just arrived in England and I went straight to his house. Elizabeth told me where you were, and about Toby. I decided Henry would be the most likely person to know where Edward was, and so I rode to Clifford Manor. He had just left, but I followed him. An old man gave me the name of this house and I found a lad in the village nearby to show me the way. Is it Edward's house?'
'I do not know. Did you know he had been forced to leave England? I think it was because of some deception to do with gaming. I suspect from what he said once that he might have won this house before he left England.'
Adam nodded. 'As he won his plantation, and most likely by foul methods. But you will soon be free of him, my love. Will you come back to Virginia with me, or have you been given a distaste for it?'
He kissed her before she could answer and Bella, overwhelmed by the knowledge that he did apparently love her and had followed her from Virginia, raged inwardly at the cruel fate which must again part them. It was clear he did not know of his brother's death, or he would not talk of returning to Virginia. When he knew he would have to accept the marriage which the King and his friends expected him to make. A great longing to lie just once more in his arms overcame her, and she suddenly decided to forget for this one night that he must afterwards belong to another woman.
When Adam drew her to the bed she went willingly, and trembled with remembered joy at the touch of his fingers and the flame which consumed her as his kisses grew harder, more sensuous and demanding. Her gown slipped unheeded to the floor. Adam soon disposed of his own clothing and drew her into his arms, thinking with wonder that never with any of the beautiful women he had known before had he found such delight.
Gently he caressed her and Bella, with a bitter sweet knowledge that this was the last time she would ever experience such rapture, responded with an ardour she had never before shown. Fiercely quelling his own need, Adam prolonged his slow exploration of her body, rediscovering every inch of it tenderly and lingeringly while Bella, anxious to be able, in arid future years, to recall every detail of him, passed her hands over his lean muscular frame, marvelling in his strength and tenderness, the warm hard body that elicited such a passionate answer in her own blood.
At length, when Bella was almost swooning, they came together in a fervent climax which left both of them breathless yet langorous. Warm and relaxed, all the tension of the past weeks drained out of her, Bella slept peacefully. The candle was almost finished and Adam leaned across Bella to blow it out, smiling tenderly down at her as she reached out sleepily to catch his hand and hold it against her cheek. He took her in his arms and closed his eyes, breathing deeply, content he had at last found her again.
It was some hours later when he woke, immediately alert in the knowledge that there was danger around them. Then he rose swiftly from the bed, calling to Bella. From the doorway leading towards the end bedroom and staircase he could see a rosy glow, and hear the ominous crackling of flames from the room below.