Arabella…
His beloved kneeled up ahead, bringing herself to the level of the emaciated boy who she held in a gentle embrace. Her hand stroked his thin, red hair and Henry could hear the soft hiss of hushing sounds coming from her lips.
“They’re goin’ to kill me, Miss,” the boy whimpered, gripping tight to Arabella. “They think I done wrong, and maybes I did, but… don’t let them kill me, Miss. The Master said they’d kill me if they found me. Please, don’t let them.”
Over the boy’s shoulder, Arabella held Henry’s gaze.“All is well,”she mouthed.“I have got him.”
Henry gestured to the four boys to stand back and sent a second hand-signal to the older men who were running back along the clifftop. Evidently, they had seen what happened down in the cove, and were coming to aid in the chase that had already come to a stop.
Everyone held their breath, waiting to see what Arabella would do. No one was as curious as Henry.
“Would you like to come to the house for some tea? You must be frozen after that swim,” Arabella said, pulling back from the boy but keep her hands upon his upper arms. “With some luck, we might be able to find some new garments for you, so you do not have to stay in these wet ones. What do you say?”
The boy gulped. “Which house, Miss?”
“The gardener’s cottage, of course.” Arabella swept damp, salty hair out of his face. “He has a son of about your age, so I am sure there are some clothes to be found for you. If I ask very nicely, the gardener might even give us some honey to put in our tea. That would be rather lovely, would it not?”
The boy gave the faintest nod. “Aye, Miss. But… you’ll not let those men hurt me, will you?”
“I promise.” Arabella got to her feet and took hold of the boy’s hand. “We are just going to sit down, get warm, have some tea and maybe a biscuit, and have ourselves a pleasant little chatter. Can you think of anything more delightful?”
A nervy smile formed on the boy’s cracked lips. “No, Miss. I ain’t never had no tea before. No biscuits neither, ‘cept for them hard ones that don’t taste of nothin’.”
“Then this is a particularly special day for you.” Arabella continued to lead the boy toward the gardener’s cottage, which stood as a sort of hidden gatehouse between the manor and the vineyards.
Henry was surprised Arabella remembered where it was and allowed himself a half smile.Hehad shown her the pretty cottage, nestled in woodland, after she had found him in the vineyards. They had shared tea with the gardener, underneath the willow in the old man’s front garden, before they had come down to this cove.
She has a sage mind for tactics, too,he mused with awe, for it was obvious the boy would not speak of anything in the manor that he had likely burned down. He would fear too great a retribution. The gardener’s cottage, on the other hand, was neutral territory. The manor could not even be seen from it, as long as a person was on the right side of the cottage.
As Henry stalked after Arabella and the boy, his awe turned to consternation. It was peculiar enough that such a small, sickly-looking boy would burn down a grand manor. The more peculiar question, however, was why…
Chapter Thirty-One
“Do you hear those birds singing, David?” Arabella asked the stiff, awkward boy, sitting cross-legged in front of her on the blanket that had been laid out. The gardener had been puzzled by Arabella’s request for tea and a place to sit, but he had executed it without hesitation.
The boy cocked his head. “Aye, Miss. They’re larks.”
“They are, indeed.” Arabella clapped her hands together. “You are such a clever little thing, David.”
The boy flushed with pleasure. “I’m not so clever, Miss. Never had no schoolin’ or nothin’.”
Thus far, throughout half an hour of sitting with the boy, she had ascertained that his name was David, he was nine years old, and he was a local boy, though he would not say where he hailed from exactly. Arabella was unperturbed. It took time to develop a rapport of trust, and she was not going to rush this, if David possessed the answers they were all looking for.
“If one is intelligent, one does not need schooling. Cleverness is something you either have or do not have, and you do.” Arabella reached forward and moved some curly hair out of his clear blue eyes. “You can swim, too. There are not many who can do that.”
David grinned. “I learned when I was little. Used to jump off the rocks at Clevedon. That cove down there would be even better to jump into, but the Master told me I shouldn’t swim while it’s light out. Said to only swim in the dark, but I was all covered in ash and that, and it was gettin’ itchy, so I went in when I thought no one would notice.” He paused. “I don’t mind if you saw me, though, Miss.”
He did not realize that he had given away more than he had likely intended to, and Arabella made no motion to suggest that she had discovered something. If she did, she knew it might make him clam up.
The boy is from Clevedon or has family there, at least.
“I cannot blame you a jot, David!” Arabella crowed. “You should have seen me earlier this morning. I looked a terrible fright. Might I tell you a secret, David?” She repeated his name often, knowing it would increase his trust of her. People liked to have their names spoken, especially in a friendly manner.
The boy leaned forward and nodded eagerly. “Aye, Miss.”
“I almost died last night,” she whispered, letting the memories bubble back up to the surface of her mind, so she could make some use out of them. “I was trapped in my bedchamber, surrounded by fire. I could not escape, and I thought I would perish. But, do you know what, I managed to climb out of a window and clamber down a rope I had made from coverlets and gowns and blankets.”
“Fire exploded from the window next to me, and I lost my grip on the rope,” she continued, booming out the second word for dramatic effect. “I fell to the ground, and I still do not know how I survived it. Do you see, David?” She showed him her bruised ankle and watched his eyes widen in horror.
