Read Online An Honourable Estate by Elizabeth Ashworth - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Ashworth
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“It’s all right.
They’ve gone now. I’m sure they won’t come back, despite what he
said. I think he was only trying to frighten us.”
“I am frightened, Mama,” said Amelia and Mabel hugged her
daughter and wiped the tears from her pale cheeks.
“There’s no need. Come on now. Edith will help
you to get properly dressed and the boys will bring some bread for
breakfast. And then we must milk the cow and feed the geese,” she
encouraged them, trying to make it sound as if life would continue as normal at
Haigh Hall, although, deep down, she realised that they all knew as well as she
did that their lives had changed irrevocably, and that if William was not
already dead then he soon could be, and that they were alone and vulnerable.
As soon as she saw that the girls were calmer and had been
given something to eat, Mabel put on her outside boots and her cloak and
cautiously drew back the door. Apart from the muddied ground beyond the
hall where the men and horses had gathered there was no sign of the visitors,
although from the barn came muffled barking and Mabel realised that the other
dogs had been shut in. With thoughts of how the rebel army had ransacked
the stores of those who were Lancastrian supporters she ran to the barn door
and pulled it open, expecting to find the meagre store of hay and grain
gone. The dogs rushed at her wildly, jumping up and barking
frenetically. Mabel let them go and they dashed outside growling and
sniffing at the flattened grass.
In the pale dawn that crept through the open door she saw
that, although the bundles of hay and sacks of grain had all been moved aside
and lay strewn across the floor, nothing was missing. She counted to be sure,
but not one had been taken and for some reason that she couldn’t understand she
sat down heavily on the nearest sack and wept.
“My lady?” She looked up as Mistress Palmer came
towards her and gently touched her shoulder. “Are you hurt? They
didn’t...?”
“No!” She took the woman’s hand in hers and squeezed it
to reassure her. “No, they didn’t hurt me. He... Sir Edmund
Neville... was very polite,” she said, thinking back to how much respect he had
shown her which, under the circumstances, she would not have expected.
“Did they search the houses as well?” she asked.
“All of them,” replied Mistress Palmer.
“Was anything taken? Was anyone harmed?” asked
Mabel, suddenly anxious for all the other undefended women who, like herself,
had been so brutally awakened.
“No.” Mistress Palmer shook her head, but Mabel saw the
hesitation in her eyes.
“What happened?” she asked.
“They pulled old Elmer Andrew from his bed and questioned him
quite fiercely,” she said.
“Did they hurt him?” she asked, anger rising in her.
Old Elmer was the only man left in Haigh. He was growing old and frail
and had not been strong enough to go with William. If he had been harmed
and Neville did return then she would tell him exactly what she thought of him,
Mabel decided.
“No,” said Mistress Palmer. “The sheriff shouted a bit
and made some threats but in the end he seemed satisfied that no one knows
where Sir William is.”
“I will go and try to reassure people that all will be well,”
said Mabel. She drew the door of the barn closed and secured it against the
wind, then pulled the hood of her cloak around her face and walked down to the
village. Smoke was rising from all the houses she saw, relieved that
everyone was at least still able to find some warmth, but there was an
unnerving silence as she went from house to house to inquire after the
wellbeing of her tenants. No children played outside; they clung behind
their mothers’ skirts looking pale and tired and the women too all looked
afraid although Mabel tried as best she could to reassure them. It had
made everything worse, she thought, this rebellion of Adam Banastre’s. He
wasn’t
They’ve gone now. I’m sure they won’t come back, despite what he
said. I think he was only trying to frighten us.”
“I am frightened, Mama,” said Amelia and Mabel hugged her
daughter and wiped the tears from her pale cheeks.
“There’s no need. Come on now. Edith will help
you to get properly dressed and the boys will bring some bread for
breakfast. And then we must milk the cow and feed the geese,” she
encouraged them, trying to make it sound as if life would continue as normal at
Haigh Hall, although, deep down, she realised that they all knew as well as she
did that their lives had changed irrevocably, and that if William was not
already dead then he soon could be, and that they were alone and vulnerable.
As soon as she saw that the girls were calmer and had been
given something to eat, Mabel put on her outside boots and her cloak and
cautiously drew back the door. Apart from the muddied ground beyond the
hall where the men and horses had gathered there was no sign of the visitors,
although from the barn came muffled barking and Mabel realised that the other
dogs had been shut in. With thoughts of how the rebel army had ransacked
the stores of those who were Lancastrian supporters she ran to the barn door
and pulled it open, expecting to find the meagre store of hay and grain
gone. The dogs rushed at her wildly, jumping up and barking
frenetically. Mabel let them go and they dashed outside growling and
sniffing at the flattened grass.
In the pale dawn that crept through the open door she saw
that, although the bundles of hay and sacks of grain had all been moved aside
and lay strewn across the floor, nothing was missing. She counted to be sure,
but not one had been taken and for some reason that she couldn’t understand she
sat down heavily on the nearest sack and wept.
“My lady?” She looked up as Mistress Palmer came
towards her and gently touched her shoulder. “Are you hurt? They
didn’t...?”
“No!” She took the woman’s hand in hers and squeezed it
to reassure her. “No, they didn’t hurt me. He... Sir Edmund
Neville... was very polite,” she said, thinking back to how much respect he had
shown her which, under the circumstances, she would not have expected.
“Did they search the houses as well?” she asked.
“All of them,” replied Mistress Palmer.
“Was anything taken? Was anyone harmed?” asked
Mabel, suddenly anxious for all the other undefended women who, like herself,
had been so brutally awakened.
“No.” Mistress Palmer shook her head, but Mabel saw the
hesitation in her eyes.
“What happened?” she asked.
“They pulled old Elmer Andrew from his bed and questioned him
quite fiercely,” she said.
“Did they hurt him?” she asked, anger rising in her.
Old Elmer was the only man left in Haigh. He was growing old and frail
and had not been strong enough to go with William. If he had been harmed
and Neville did return then she would tell him exactly what she thought of him,
Mabel decided.
“No,” said Mistress Palmer. “The sheriff shouted a bit
and made some threats but in the end he seemed satisfied that no one knows
where Sir William is.”
“I will go and try to reassure people that all will be well,”
said Mabel. She drew the door of the barn closed and secured it against the
wind, then pulled the hood of her cloak around her face and walked down to the
village. Smoke was rising from all the houses she saw, relieved that
everyone was at least still able to find some warmth, but there was an
unnerving silence as she went from house to house to inquire after the
wellbeing of her tenants. No children played outside; they clung behind
their mothers’ skirts looking pale and tired and the women too all looked
afraid although Mabel tried as best she could to reassure them. It had
made everything worse, she thought, this rebellion of Adam Banastre’s. He
wasn’t
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