“Can someone send for the doctor?” Jonathan ordered as he pushed back the sleeve of Kat’s shirt to study the red marks around her wrist. Even in the dim candle-light the bruises were plain to see. He shook his head at the damaged flesh and felt his anger surge at just how close she had come to being ruined. If he hadn’t chosen to come to the village to check on her, God only knows what would have happened.
He had spent the last day or so by himself in an attempt to try to figure out what he was going to do about Kat, his work with the Star Elite, and his responsibilities to the estate. He had taken some time at Dentham Hall, by himself, to consider what he really wanted in life. Asking anyone to become his wife was one of the most momentous occasions of his entire life. Unfortunately for him, it also had serious implications for his intended because he wasn’t exactly in a position to be able to offer her a life together with any degree of certainty. His work with the Star Elite was dangerous, involved being away from home for unspecified periods of time while being incommunicable throughout the entire time. Any wife would have to have the patience of a saint to be prepared to accept such conditions.
Was it fair to expect it of Kat? She hadn’t been raised with the expectation of needing to be able to run a house the size of Dentham Hall. How could he expect her to learn how to run Dentham all by herself, while he dropped in and out of her life ad hoc, without any promises that he would remain alive and be able to return to her at the end of his mission? He couldn’t ignore his uncle’s warning that Kat wasn’t gentry and hadn’t been born to expect luxuries the like of which he could easily afford. Would she be able to adapt to the massive changes in her circumstances, and the expectations placed upon her?
He had spent many hours thinking the matter over and had ridden his estate over and over many times in an attempt to come up with a workable conclusion. The truth was that there was no answer. Not until he left the Star Elite. He couldn’t exactly postpone his future to fight an endless war with his colleagues until one of them, if not all of them, wound up dead. Nor could he take a wife knowing that he could not, in all honesty, offer her any degree of security. He knew that Kat was likely to marry at some point in her life, and he wanted her to consider him as her future husband.
His thoughts turned to his colleagues and their marriages to their wives. They all made it work. But did that mean it would automatically work for him and Kat? He knew that Pie was considering leaving the Star Elite, and could understand the man’s desire to be at home with his wife, especially after his near-death experience at the hands of Beaulieu. At some point Jonathan knew that he would to end up in a skirmish that would put his life at risk – then what? What would he actually leave behind to show that he had been alive?
His thoughts returned to Brian’s question of what he was going to do when he wasn’t around to protect her. He couldn’t just go back to work with the Star Elite and leave her to her own devices, not with the ever present threat of Brian in the area. As soon as the boy knew that Jonathan was away, he and his cohorts would hound Kat mercilessly, and undoubtedly her family too, just to spite Jonathan and try to restore their status as thugs everyone needed to be afraid of.
He turned his attention back to Kat, and watched Harry carefully hand her a mug that contained a liberal dose of rum. Her hands shook and he knew it was a mixture of shock and fright that had upset her so. He could only hope she wasn’t horrified by his actions. He was aware of the curious scrutiny of the patrons, and the whispers from behind him as they discussed what they had witnessed and tried to figure him out. Still, if it warned everyone to stay away from Kat or face the consequences, then he couldn’t entirely regret what they had just witnessed. If only she wasn’t so badly shaken.
“I’m here,” the doctor called as he made his way over to them. After several moments of careful study, he declared her wrists were just severely bruised but placed bandages on them to support them while they healed.
“On the house.”
Jonathan glanced down at the mug of rum Harry held out to him and accepted it with a grateful smile.
“Some fierce fighting moves you have there,” Norman remarked. He eyed Jonathan with wary respect. “Not seen fighting like that since I was in the army.” The calm statement drew the attention of everyone within earshot. Silence settled over them while they waited for Jonathan’s reply.
“I have been in the army,” Jonathan sighed.
“Aye, we know that. But you must have done a heck of a lot of fighting to know how to fight dirty like that.”
“All is fair in love and war,” Jonathan replied obliquely. He knew that the evening’s actions would be gossiped about for the next several days. Still, if it kept everyone’s eyes on Brian, and his cohorts until Jonathan could his plans into action, then good.
“Tonight, Kat, no work,” Harry ordered as he pushed to his feet. He glanced at Jonathan. “Would you be able to escort her home again, or should I do it?”
“I am fine, Harry, really.” Kat mentally shook herself out of her stupor and stared at Jonathan in consternation. She wanted to ask him so many questions but couldn’t put the words in the right order. Her mind kept replaying what she had just witnessed and, if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it.
Who was he? More importantly, what was he? How had he learned to fell four men without even breaking out into a sweat? She realised then that she knew even less about him than she had ever imagined. A part of her wanted to raise her hand and ask for the real Jonathan to stand up and make himself known. The man she had just seen outside was completely different to the kind and caring nephew, and the thoughtful and attentive neighbour, even to the irresponsible fop who used his house as a half-way station. The Jonathan she had just seen was a cold and ruthless warrior who was capable of being as deadly as necessary to win a fight. It just didn’t make sense – he just didn’t make sense.
Her thoughts whirled around and around. She was so busy trying to make sense of it all that she didn’t realise that she had consumed the liberal dose of rum that Harry had pushed into her hand until she glanced down at her empty mug. Her cheeks began to glow with a mixture of alcohol and heat from the roaring fire.
She smiled reassuringly at Mrs Langdale, who murmured soothing noises and wished her a speedy recovery. “Someone ought to speak to his mother about that one,” the woman said loudly, and shook her head in disgust at Brian’s behaviour. Everyone murmured in agreement.
“Aye, it’s about time that lad was forced into the army. It will either make or break him,” the grizzled old sailor seated on the opposite side of the fire added darkly.
“Damned shame he doesn’t go out to sea and not come back,” someone else snorted in disgust.
“Aye,” a lady replied from her corner of the tap room. “Let’s hope he stays in the harbour tonight and the gulls get him in the morning.” That drew everyone’s ribald laughter and, as though everyone needed to lighten the tense atmosphere, more and more outlandish fates were put forward and discussed as everyone began to join in.
Jonathan shook his head in amusement, and eased Kat out of her seat before he carefully escorted her to the door.
“What just happened?” She asked as she stared blankly at the cobbles beneath her feet. The heavy door of the inn closed behind them and enveloped them in eerie silence.
“There is a lot I need to talk to you about, Kat; a lot that you don’t know about me, but I promise you that I will tell you another time. Not just now though. Needless to say, I am far from the irresponsible wastrel you think I am,” he drawled and held an elbow out to her.
Kat couldn’t argue with that and lapsed into thoughtful silence as they slowly made their way around the cobbled streets toward her house. Within minutes they were at her front door and she quietly let herself in. She sighed and stood back when Jonathan followed her inside without invitation.
“Where is your mother?” Jonathan asked. He glanced around the empty room cautiously as though he expected her to pop out from behind the chair. It was too early to be in bed and he was fairly certain that she hadn’t been in the tavern.
“She has gone over to Hester. Today is Wednesday, and the night that they usually spend together gossiping and the like,” Kat replied with a sigh. Right now she wanted to be alone to gather her thoughts but, on the other hand, she never wanted to be alone again. Once again, when she had needed him the most, he had magically materialised out of thin air. She frowned at that thought and turned to stare at him. “Were you following me?”
“When will your mother be back?” Jonathan countered evasively. “I don’t want to leave you alone. Brian won’t pose a problem to you tonight, but I think that given your fright, it would be best if you sit with someone for a while.”
“I am fine,” Kat assured him. “I have been on my own before. Mother won’t be long now because we have market again in the morning.”
“How do your wrists feel now?”
“Much better thank you. I think the rum helped,” she admitted with a rueful smile. She was aware of the inner warmth left behind by the amber liquid and made no apology for having downed it so quickly.
“I will wait until your mother returns,” Jonathan declared with a sigh. Right now, he didn’t want to go over what he did for a living. This was the first time that he had been alone with Kat; really alone, and he didn’t want to waste a minute of it talking about the dark and dangerous things he did with the Star Elite. He firmly pushed all thoughts of French spies and smugglers to one side, he watched as Kat took a seat in a chair before the fire before he took the seat opposite. They sat in companionable silence for several moments.
“Can I get you a brandy?” Kat looked up at him. She immediately wished she had not made the offer and carefully kept her expression blank while she waited for his answer. She mentally cursed herself for being several types of fool and studied the room around them while she waited for his reply. Thankfully, it looked like her mother and Billy had cleared up before they went over to Hester’s, and had left no trace of the family’s sideline.
“I am fine, thank you,” Jonathan sighed as he leaned forward to place some more logs on the fire. He glanced down at the box at the bottom of the basket but paid no attention to it. All thoughts were firmly locked on the woman seated opposite.
“Thank you for coming to my rescue tonight,” Kat murmured when the silence had started to grow uncomfortable between them. “But you still haven’t told me what you were doing at the back of the tavern.”
Jonathan smiled ruefully at her. “I was aware that I hadn’t been around to escort you as I promised I would. I was a little late today so decided to watch you from the alleyway, just to make sure that you were alright.”
“Where did you learn to fight like that?” She whispered with a frown. Norman’s comments from earlier came back to her. “I take it that you were in the army?”
“Yes, I was, but I came back to England and was recruited into a different division. I am still in the army - sort of.”
Kat frowned at that and wondered how anybody could still be ‘sort of’ in the army in the middle of a war. It just didn’t make sense. She took a breath to ask him when he began to speak.
“I was enlisted to join a special unit and am still part of it.” He held up a hand to keep her quiet when he read the questions in her eyes. “I cannot tell you any more than that right now.”
“It is responsible for you being able to fight like that. The army and the special unit,” Kat remarked carefully. She wondered why he felt the need to be so secretive.
This is war, Kat, if he is telling the truth, he isn’t going to tell you military secrets, she thought to herself and lapsed into silence.
“I need you to tell me something, Kat.”
She struggled not to squirm under the intensity in his gaze and reluctantly waited.
“Does Brian have any relatives who are likely to be angry about the outcome of tonight’s skirmish?”
Kat thought about that for a moment and felt the wave of relief wash over her that he hadn’t asked her about potential smugglers in the area.
“Not really. I am not sure who his associates are other than the three you met tonight. I don’t think he has any uncles or anything like that who are all that bothered about him to be honest.”
“I want you to start to let Harry escort you home if I am not around to help,” Jonathan drawled moments later. He lifted his gaze from his boots and gave her a direct look. “Just in case I don’t arrive in time, I don’t want you to have to walk alone at night for the time being. At least until I decide what to do about Brian and his friends.”
“What are you going to do about Brian and his friends?”
“I don’t know. I cannot help but think that going into the army is the right thing for him. The army needs all of the recruits it can get at the moment, and he is the perfect candidate. Colin is out of action right now,” he admitted ruefully, and without any trace of regret. “But they all have far too much time on their hands. If they are sailors, then they should join the navy. However, whatever I decide they should face, I do have to tell the magistrate, Mr Hamilton-Smythe about their assault on you tonight. They have attacked you and caused you injuries, however minor, and they need to be brought before the magistrate for a stern ticking off, if nothing else.”
“But if they aren’t going to be arrested or charged with anything, how do you expect to get them there?”
Jonathan smiled secretively and glanced back down at this boots. “I have my ways. They will receive the stern ticking off they deserve for their behaviour tonight, and will be given the option of the army or the navy in lieu of a sentence. One or the other is their fate, of that I have no doubt.” The confidence in his tone assured her that he had already discussed the matter with the magistrate, Mr Hamilton-Smythe who was going to put the offer forward as an alternative to being arrested.
Kat stared at him with a mixture of worry, shock and awe. He sat and discussed the fate of four boys as calmly as he would discuss the weather.
“You can’t press gang them,” Kat gasped, horrified at the thought of anyone, even Brian and his friends, being forced into the navy.
“They are going to have a choice, jail or service.” Jonathan’s cold voice made her shiver. “At some point in the future they will undoubtedly to pick on a woman who doesn’t have such stalwart defenders as you if they remain free to wander the streets. What then? I have a duty to protect everyone within the village. I would be a terrible Lord indeed if I allowed Brian and his friends to continue to run riot throughout the village. The next time, their victim may not be as lucky as you.” He knew that he didn’t need to spell out what they would do. From the look of fear still evident on Kat’s face, she already knew.
He reluctantly eased out of his seat moments later with a sigh, and moved to kneel at her feet. Her hands were cold and he took a moment to encase them carefully in his. He glanced down at their entwined fingers while he tried to find the right words to say. Strangely, he had never struggled with words before whenever he had conversed with anyone, especially women. Yet with Kat he felt uncomfortably tongue-tied.
“I have to make sure that you are safe,” he said honestly. “If I do miss you; if business at Dentham Hall makes me run late and I don’t catch up with you in time to escort you back from the field, or from work at the end of the evening, then I need to make sure that someone in the village will look out for you.”
“I think that after tonight, nearly all of the village will watch over me,” Kat sighed. She had been very aware of the looks that had passed between the villagers when Jonathan had escorted her out of the tavern. There would undoubtedly be a load of gossip in the village tomorrow as people retold the story about how Jonathan had become involved in a fight with Brian. Unfortunately, his protect concern toward her in the tavern afterward would raise questions about their relationship.
Her thoughts immediately turned to the smuggling that was rife in the village and she wondered whether the others would want Kat and her family to continue to be involved. She mentally sighed and considered the easy familiarity in which he sat in her nondescript fisherman’s cottage. He was undoubtedly used to glittering ballrooms and the luxurious confines of Dentham Hall, not a three up, three down cottage in coastal Cornwall, yet he sat beside the fireplace with her as though he had known nothing else.
She abruptly turned her thoughts away from what it would be like to be married to him and being able to share their evenings by the fire. The knowledge that he wasn’t likely to stay in the village for long rose to the forefront of her mind and she closed it out with a shudder. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him what he did when he went away for so long, but then remembered his careful reply that he had ‘responsibilities’, and considered that for now, she was better off not knowing.
The rattle of the front door heralded the arrival of Agnes and Billy, who slammed to a stop when they caught sight of Jonathan before the fire.
“What happened?” Agnes gasped. She stared almost accusingly at Jonathan when she caught sight of the bandages on Kat’s wrists.
“Brian Meldrew and his friends,” Jonathan replied dourly. “They caught her when she was on her way to work.”
“Where? Why didn’t you call me? I was only at Hester’s,” Agnes demanded. Her hard stare turned from Jonathan to Kat before it returned to Jonathan.
“You were busy.”
“I escorted her home and have kept her company because I don’t think she should be alone right now. She needed a few minutes to gather herself,” Jonathan replied gently. “She was a bit shaken from her ordeal, but otherwise has been checked over the doctor who has decreed there is no more damage than a few bruises, this time.” His last words fell like rocks into the room.
“Thank heavens for that,” Agnes gasped and slumped into the chair beside Jonathan. It was clear that she had temporarily forgotten who he really was.
“She needs to have someone with her whenever she walks around at night,” Jonathan sighed. “I am going to be here whenever I can, but I have some business to conduct and cannot always guarantee being able to get away on time.”
Agnes seemed to realise that she was slouched next to the lord of the parish and immediately sat bolt upright and stared vaguely around her as though she was not quite sure what she should say, or do.
“Oh, that is no problem. I can do it, or I am sure that Mr Peat from next door will be more than happy to help out.”
“Mr Peat is an old man, and no match for Brian and his associates. I am going to talk to Mr Hamilton-Smythe, and inform him of the assault and recommend a quiet word in their ears but, until that happens Kat shouldn’t walk around at night alone. I would also recommend that you and Billy exert a little caution too.” He added pointedly. He heard Billy’s gasp and turned to offer the boy a smile of reassurance.
Kat’s eyes met and held her mothers and a silent communication passed between them. “I am perfectly capable of looking after myself,” she snapped impatiently. It irked her that Jonathan seemed to consider her a weak female who was completely incapable of being able to function without a man at her side. Still, the incident in the field the other day warned her that it wasn’t only the nights that posed a problem to her, but she wisely kept that thought to herself.
“I know, Kat, but these boys need to be dealt with by someone who isn’t going to pat them on the head and send them on their way again. I have a duty to everyone in the village to ensure that they can continue about their business, day or night, without falling foul of Brian and his little gang.”
When he put it that way, she really couldn’t object to his need to look after the community. She carefully kept the small pang of hurt off her face at the realisation that his only intention was to help the village, and pushed out of her chair. She knew it was bad manners and she should really wait until Jonathan took his leave but, at that moment, she desperately needed to contain the bittersweet hurt that blossomed to life within her.
“If you don’t mind, because I am not needed at work tonight, I think I will take advantage of an early night.”
“Are you sure you are alright?” Jonathan asked with a frown of concern. “Do you want me to send for the doctor again?”
“I am fine,” she assured him with a smile. “Just a little tired, that’s all.”
“Well, I need to go now myself. I have a couple of calls to make.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if those calls had anything to do with Brian, but kept her mouth shut. She wasn’t really in a position to ask the man about his business matters.
“Come and see me out. I should like a private word with you, if I may?” He cast an askance look at Agnes, who nodded absently. She was clearly still grappling with the news of the attack, and Jonathan’s presence in her sitting room.
Kat watched Jonathan ease the door closed beside them and turned toward him.
“Thank you for everything you have done tonight. It was very good of you to step in and get involved like that.”
“I am glad I was there,” Jonathan replied, aware of the sudden distance between them and at a loss to find the cause. “Just promise me that you won’t leave the house tonight.”
“I am going to take a well earned early night. It doesn’t happen very often,” she acknowledged with a hesitant smile.
He wanted to assure her that once they were married she could stay in bed and lounge about to her heart’s content, and take as many early nights as she chose to, preferably with him. They were words that hovered on the tip of his tongue, but now wasn’t the right time, or place, and he sighed them away.
He studied the dark shadows beneath her eyes and frowned. The temptation to hold her was so strong that he struggled to keep his arms to himself. He wanted to slide them around her and draw her closer to his warmth. Eventually, after several moments of quiet contemplation, he gave in to the need to at least touch her.
Kat’s gaze was ensnared by his and she stood mesmerised as one blunt fingertip trailed slowly down her cheek and along the gentle sweep of her jaw until it stopped at the small indentation of her chin. Once there, he held her steady while his head slowly lowered. The briefest, whisper-light kiss that swept over her lips was barely there. If she hadn’t had her eyes open the whole time she would have put it down to her imagination. As it was, the tender moment was over far too swiftly. It was a jolt when he suddenly dropped his hand and stepped back. She watched his face fall into almost stern lines as he studied her.
“Get some rest, Kat. I will see you tomorrow.”
He didn’t look back at her as he made his way down the street. Kat knew because she watched him until he turned the corner at the end of the row of houses. She was about to turn to go back inside when she caught sight of someone in the window of Hester’s house. She was about to lift her hand to wave at her friend only for Hester to drop the curtain and move away without even so much as a smile.
“Have you fallen out with Hester?” Kat asked as she closed and bolted the door behind her.
Agnes sighed. “No, but there is something very odd going on with her at the moment.”
“How so?”
Billy sat at Kat’s feet and rested his chin on her knee as he usually did. Rather than be annoyed, she merely stroked his head and studied him. “Harold was saying that they are going to stay at grandma’s house for a while.”
“Is that right?” She lifted her brows in surprise.
Agnes shook her head in consternation. “Hester denied it though, but seemed really flustered when I asked if it was true. She said it wasn’t but I am sure she was lying.”
“You cannot blame her really,” Kat offered thoughtfully.
“Why?” Agnes’ brows lifted enquiringly.
“Well, it cannot be easy living on charity. With all of those children to support, it has to be difficult. If I were in her shoes, I would much prefer to live on a farm. Although there is work to do, life in the countryside would benefit all parties. The kids can get involved and help out with chores but can otherwise run free, and food would be much more plentiful.”
“Well, there is that, I suppose,” Agnes muttered and turned to stare into the fireplace absently.
“Well, I am off to bed,” she stretched and tapped Billy on the head as she passed. “You get to bed at a decent hour. I have to read tomorrow at Dentham Hall. Do you want to come with me?”
Billy’s eyes lit up at that and he drew himself onto his knees, his face wreathed in excitement. Kat knew that he loved his visits to the hall. He was always stuffed to the gills when he came back and chattered on for hours about the things he had seen while he was there. She had no idea why she had just asked him, and wondered whether it was for company on the long walk there, or protection from any more of Jonathan’s advances.
Not that she had any real cause to make strong objection to his kisses. He had pecked her on the cheek on a few occasions, and brushed her lips with his a couple of times, but not pressed her for anything more. Was he dallying with her because she was the only female for miles around? She had no idea, but she was aware that until she knew what his ‘responsibilities’ were, she could not allow anything else to happen between them.
That led her to consider what she actually did want to happen between them, if anything. She wasn’t sure if she was honest, but one thing was certain, she would miss him when he left.