The Captain's Mysterious Lady. Mary Nichols

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СКАЧАТЬ and here there was light spilling from the open door of an inn. He reined in, slipped the strap from around his neck and called for the landlord to come to his assistance; he could not dismount until someone took his burden from him.

      A man came out carrying a lantern. ‘Make haste, man,’ he told him. ‘The lady has been injured. She must be put to bed. Is there a doctor hereabouts?’

      ‘Not before Downham, sir. My wife will see to her.’

      James gently lowered the girl so that the innkeeper could take her, then he dismounted and took her back to carry her inside.

      The innkeeper’s wife hurried forwards. ‘What has happened?’

      ‘The coach overturned four miles back,’ James told her. ‘There’s a dead man and a dead horse. The coachman, the guard and my servant are following on foot. They will all need bruises and cuts seeing to and sustenance when they arrive, but first a room and a bed for the young lady.’

      ‘This way, sir.’ She led the way up a flight of stairs where she pushed open the door of a bedchamber. ‘Will this suffice?’

      He looked about him. Although it was small, the room and the bed hangings were clean. ‘Yes, thank you.’

      ‘Do you need anything else? Hot water? Food and drink?’

      ‘All of those things when the lady regains her senses. Unfortunately she has been unconscious for some time and I do not even know her name.’ He put his burden on the bed.

      ‘My goodness, I know her,’ the lady said, peering down at the unconscious woman. ‘She used to live at Blackfen Manor, hard by here, when she was a child. I disremember her name—it was some time ago, you understand—but I know the ladies at the Manor, Miss Hardwick and Miss Matilda Hardwick.’

      ‘Then send for them at once. They will know what to do.’

      The girl on the bed stirred and moaned and opened her eyes. ‘Where am I?’

      ‘At the King’s Arms in Highbeck,’ James answered. ‘You had a nasty knock on the head when the coach overturned.’

      ‘Coach?’

      ‘Yes, you were travelling on it. Don’t you remember?’

      ‘No. Where was I going?’

      ‘Coming here, I think.’

      ‘Why?’

      ‘You have kin at Blackfen Manor,’ the innkeeper’s wife put in. ‘I expect you were coming on a visit.’

      ‘I don’t remember.’

      ‘It is hardly surprising,’ James said. ‘You were knocked out.’

      ‘Who are you?’ she asked him.

      ‘Captain Drymore, at your service,’ he said. ‘I was travelling on the same coach. Now you must rest. We are going to send word to Blackfen Manor for someone to take charge of you. I will leave you in the care of our hostess and come to see you again later.’

      The innkeeper’s wife accompanied him to the door. ‘Was she travelling alone?’ she asked.

      ‘She had an escort, but he’s dead,’ he whispered. ‘I don’t know whether to tell her that or not.’

      ‘We should tell the ladies when they come.’

      He left her to tend to the girl’s bruises and went downstairs again to find the others had arrived and were making themselves comfortable in the parlour with a quart of ale each, while food was prepared for them. ‘What now?’ Sam asked when he joined them.

      ‘She is known to the innkeeper’s wife. It appears she has kin close by and someone is going to fetch them to take charge of her,’ James told him.

      ‘Thank the Lord for that, for a moment I thought we were going to be saddled with her.’

      James realised, with a jolt, that her predicament had driven the main purpose of his journey from his mind, but it was time he began to think of it. ‘And you wouldn’t want that, would you, my friend?’

      ‘To be sure, it would put a spoke in the wheels. Has she got her senses back?’ Sam asked.

      ‘Yes and no. She is conscious, but still too dazed to know what has happened to her. No doubt the sight of her relatives will be all that’s needed.’

      ‘Then we go on?’

      ‘To Peterborough?’ James queried vaguely, his mind still half with the mystery of the girl.

      ‘Yes, had you forgot where we were going and why?’

      ‘No, I had not and I’ll thank you to mind your manners.’

      ‘I beg your pardon, Cap’n sir, but you must admit you can’t be worrying about that one upstairs when we are so close to success.’ Sam was almost as determined on catching those two as he was, knowing what it meant to him.

      ‘How do you know we are close to success?’

      ‘We know they were on that coach and going to Peterborough, don’t we?’

      ‘Just because they paid the fare to Peterborough, does not mean they meant to travel all the way there. They could have left the stage anywhere to put us off the scent again. Or they may have gone on somewhere else,’ James pointed out.

      ‘And they might have been held up by those two highpads. That would have delayed them, don’t you think?’

      ‘Very true, but in the absence of evidence to the contrary we will head for Peterborough.’

      ‘I took the liberty of making enquiries, Captain, and there’s a coach coming through at first light which will take us on to Downham Market. And there are connections to Peterborough.’

      ‘Good. We can’t do anything more here.’

      After they had eaten, James went up to speak to the young lady and take his leave of her. She had swallowed a little supper, he was told, but she was still dazed. ‘She’ll be fine as ninepence when the Misses Hardwick come to take care of her,’ the innkeeper’s wife said, as they stood outside the bedchamber talking quietly.

      ‘You have sent word to them?’

      ‘Yes, but they are maiden ladies and will not venture out at this time of night. They will be here in the morning.’

      ‘Are you sure of that?’ He was torn between staying and leaving. It was curiosity mixed with pity and a feeling of responsibility that made him want to stay and see her safely with her kin, while the determination to find his wife’s killers and see them hanged drove him relentlessly.

      ‘Oh, yes, indeed. Lovely ladies they are, always pleasant, always have a kind word for everyone and they do a deal of good in the village. I reckon she must be a niece or something of the sort. It’s a mystery, though.’

      ‘What is?’

      ‘No СКАЧАТЬ