of sight, but was too late. As the door opened, he came face to face with his brother. Matthew Norbery gobbled with rage, and Charlie leapt into action.
“Come on, Josh, time to make ourselves scarce.” He grabbed Joshua’s arm as they hurtled through the stone archway into the park, with Sophie in tow.
Joshua dashed out across the park towards his favourite oak tree. He hesitated only a minute, debating whether it would hide them, but realised there was not enough leaf cover, and now wasn’t the time to give lessons in climbing trees. He thought about the island on the lake, but could not be sure the boat was on the near side.
Deciding against it, he set off again, knowing that if they could reach Aunt Jane’s cottage, they would be safe. Jessie was sure to be there, and she would find them some food. Returning home was a problem they would deal with later.
Whatever he did, Joshua knew there would be risks. It was too late to wish he had kept walking through the stable yard, but he knew that Matthew would want to humiliate him in front of his friends. It was what he always did, and would use this as a way of frightening Sophie.
“Where do we go now, Josh?”
“I’m trying to decide on somewhere he won’t find us,” he said.
“Don’t be silly, Josh; he won’t come after us.”
Oh yes he will – and bring his friends.
“Well, if he does,” said Charlie, hunting around for a stout stick to use as a weapon. “We’ll be ready for him, won’t we, Sophie?”
She nodded agreement, and picked up another stick. Joshua found another one, but it broke the first time he slapped it against his boot, leaving him to carry two halves.
“So where do we go?” Charlie repeated.
“The farm is in that direction,” Joshua pointed, then turned around. “Aunt Jane’s cottage is over there, or we could go to the river.”
“What time is it?” said Charlie, glancing up at the sky. “We don’t want to go too far away from food, so I think it should be Aunt Jane’s cottage.”
That was only half a mile away, but it meant crossing open parkland. Still they had to do it, and with luncheon on their minds, they set off.
Sophie saw them first, and tugged at Charlie’s sleeve. Thinking about food had made him forget to be cautious.
“What is it?” he said, looking around, and saw a group of three men on horseback in the distance. Matthew Norbery he was sure they could deal with, but the other two looked somewhat menacing. He did not know what it was.
Charlie shivered, and looked at Joshua.
“What do we do?” he said.
“Run,” Joshua said.
Charlie was already running, hauling Sophie behind.
“Where’re we going?” he gasped.
“Split up,” shouted Joshua, several paces ahead. “You go to the stables.”
“What about you, Josh?”
“Never mind me. I will go where he can’t get me. Keep Sophie out of his way,” he huffed, throwing down a trail of his clothes in his wake – first the coat, then his waistcoat and neckcloth followed, leaving him stripped down to his breeches and shirt.
In the background, the sound of hoof beats grew ominously louder.
“No, Josh,” said Charlie, “We should stick together. He can’t hurt us.”
“You don’t know him as I do.”
Reaching the edge of a fishpond, Joshua kicked off his boots and was half way down the bank. “I’ll see you later,” he said.
“I’m staying here,” said Charlie. “So is Sophie.”
She was out of breath, and her little legs could not have carried her any further. Charlie felt a sense of disappointment as Joshua dived into the water, and came up gasping, before striking out across the pond.
He gave one more glance and turned to face the horses. They looked huge and he felt small in comparison, but he was not going to show any fear. He braced his feet, gripped the stout stick in his hands and said, “Are you all right, Sophie?”
She took up a similar stance, held up her stick and grinned.
Nothing had changed. They
“Come on, Josh, time to make ourselves scarce.” He grabbed Joshua’s arm as they hurtled through the stone archway into the park, with Sophie in tow.
Joshua dashed out across the park towards his favourite oak tree. He hesitated only a minute, debating whether it would hide them, but realised there was not enough leaf cover, and now wasn’t the time to give lessons in climbing trees. He thought about the island on the lake, but could not be sure the boat was on the near side.
Deciding against it, he set off again, knowing that if they could reach Aunt Jane’s cottage, they would be safe. Jessie was sure to be there, and she would find them some food. Returning home was a problem they would deal with later.
Whatever he did, Joshua knew there would be risks. It was too late to wish he had kept walking through the stable yard, but he knew that Matthew would want to humiliate him in front of his friends. It was what he always did, and would use this as a way of frightening Sophie.
“Where do we go now, Josh?”
“I’m trying to decide on somewhere he won’t find us,” he said.
“Don’t be silly, Josh; he won’t come after us.”
Oh yes he will – and bring his friends.
“Well, if he does,” said Charlie, hunting around for a stout stick to use as a weapon. “We’ll be ready for him, won’t we, Sophie?”
She nodded agreement, and picked up another stick. Joshua found another one, but it broke the first time he slapped it against his boot, leaving him to carry two halves.
“So where do we go?” Charlie repeated.
“The farm is in that direction,” Joshua pointed, then turned around. “Aunt Jane’s cottage is over there, or we could go to the river.”
“What time is it?” said Charlie, glancing up at the sky. “We don’t want to go too far away from food, so I think it should be Aunt Jane’s cottage.”
That was only half a mile away, but it meant crossing open parkland. Still they had to do it, and with luncheon on their minds, they set off.
Sophie saw them first, and tugged at Charlie’s sleeve. Thinking about food had made him forget to be cautious.
“What is it?” he said, looking around, and saw a group of three men on horseback in the distance. Matthew Norbery he was sure they could deal with, but the other two looked somewhat menacing. He did not know what it was.
Charlie shivered, and looked at Joshua.
“What do we do?” he said.
“Run,” Joshua said.
Charlie was already running, hauling Sophie behind.
“Where’re we going?” he gasped.
“Split up,” shouted Joshua, several paces ahead. “You go to the stables.”
“What about you, Josh?”
“Never mind me. I will go where he can’t get me. Keep Sophie out of his way,” he huffed, throwing down a trail of his clothes in his wake – first the coat, then his waistcoat and neckcloth followed, leaving him stripped down to his breeches and shirt.
In the background, the sound of hoof beats grew ominously louder.
“No, Josh,” said Charlie, “We should stick together. He can’t hurt us.”
“You don’t know him as I do.”
Reaching the edge of a fishpond, Joshua kicked off his boots and was half way down the bank. “I’ll see you later,” he said.
“I’m staying here,” said Charlie. “So is Sophie.”
She was out of breath, and her little legs could not have carried her any further. Charlie felt a sense of disappointment as Joshua dived into the water, and came up gasping, before striking out across the pond.
He gave one more glance and turned to face the horses. They looked huge and he felt small in comparison, but he was not going to show any fear. He braced his feet, gripped the stout stick in his hands and said, “Are you all right, Sophie?”
She took up a similar stance, held up her stick and grinned.
Nothing had changed. They
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