were in this together, just as they always had been. Joshua would have to take care of himself, but it seemed chicken-hearted to run away from a fribble like Matthew Norbery.
The horses approached at a canter, one to each side with Joshua’s brother straggling behind. Charlie scarcely noticed the one to the left, but the harsh-faced rider to the right seemed strangely moulded to the saddle, with his hands free. He saw the man’s expression and felt a tremor of apprehension.
“Stand behind me, Sophie,” he hissed, and then gasped in disbelief, as the rider raised a pistol, and took deliberate aim across the pond.
“No,” he yelled, hurtling forward, but he was too late. There was a loud report, a puff of smoke, and the villain laughed.
Charlie stopped and looked fearfully across the lake, but there was no sign of Joshua. He felt tears threatening, but dashed them away, turning towards where Sophie stood at the edge of the pond, defiantly gripping her stick, her teeth bared in a grimace.
“Now, you interfering whelp,” the voice rasped, “I’ll deal with you, and then her, afterwards…” The man made to swing out of the saddle, but before his second foot left the stirrup, his horse bolted, dragging him across the park, with his head bouncing along the ground.
Inexplicably, the second horse veered off in a panic towards the far side of the pond, and the horse carrying Matthew Norbery, suddenly dropped its head and sent the rider hurtling over the grassy bank into the water. There was a terrified scream, a dull splash, and then nothing.
Sophie looked at Charlie, and said with a grin. “I did it.”
Before he could speak, there were half a dozen grooms on horses milling around, scrambling down the bank to the water’s edge, wading in and dragging Matthew Norbery to the side.
William Rufus came running up, “Where’s Joshua?”
Only then did Charlie remember. He looked across the lake towards the island, and saw a slender figure, huddled against the trunk of a tree.
“He’s there,” he said, pointing, as tears of relief streamed down his face. He felt a little hand grip his own, and found Sophie looking anxiously up at him. He sniffed, and said. “It’s all right, Sophie. Joshua’s safe.”
Then his knees went from under him.
“What happened, William Rufus?” Tom Norbery demanded. “I want the truth, not some story concocted by Matthew’s friends about Joshua falling in the lake and Matthew trying to save him. We all know that is not true, for he cannot swim. Then you may tell me what the deuce Nathan Stretton was doing here?
Tom was in his library, trying to piece things together after Matthew had half-drowned in the lake, with Joshua sitting on the island, refusing to come off. He had heard several garbled versions of the events, with each trying to shout the others down. He knew the one individual was a family connection of Kate, from Norcott, but the other shifty character was unknown.
“Nor would I tell you that, sir. It was the other way around. Matthew and his friends were herding the little ’uns towards the lake. Whatever they said, Joshua is not cowardly for running off like that. He knew what his brother intended, and ran ahead of the others, chucking his clothes off, and dived in. Then he was off to the island, thinking Matthew wouldn’t hurt the others if he wasn’t there.”
“I see,” said Tom, under his breath. “Dear God, where do we go from here? All right, you might as well tell me what happened to Charlie and Sophie.”
“Well, that’s the funny thing. Charlie was carrying a big stick, and he stood at the water’s edge, ready to defend his sister…”
“Yes,” said Tom, beginning to laugh, “and what did Sophie do? I feel sure that she did something to bring about this penchant for swimming in the lake.”
William Rufus shook his head. “I dunno, sir, but whatever it was, the horses didn’t like it. Matthew and his two friends were riding hell for
The horses approached at a canter, one to each side with Joshua’s brother straggling behind. Charlie scarcely noticed the one to the left, but the harsh-faced rider to the right seemed strangely moulded to the saddle, with his hands free. He saw the man’s expression and felt a tremor of apprehension.
“Stand behind me, Sophie,” he hissed, and then gasped in disbelief, as the rider raised a pistol, and took deliberate aim across the pond.
“No,” he yelled, hurtling forward, but he was too late. There was a loud report, a puff of smoke, and the villain laughed.
Charlie stopped and looked fearfully across the lake, but there was no sign of Joshua. He felt tears threatening, but dashed them away, turning towards where Sophie stood at the edge of the pond, defiantly gripping her stick, her teeth bared in a grimace.
“Now, you interfering whelp,” the voice rasped, “I’ll deal with you, and then her, afterwards…” The man made to swing out of the saddle, but before his second foot left the stirrup, his horse bolted, dragging him across the park, with his head bouncing along the ground.
Inexplicably, the second horse veered off in a panic towards the far side of the pond, and the horse carrying Matthew Norbery, suddenly dropped its head and sent the rider hurtling over the grassy bank into the water. There was a terrified scream, a dull splash, and then nothing.
Sophie looked at Charlie, and said with a grin. “I did it.”
Before he could speak, there were half a dozen grooms on horses milling around, scrambling down the bank to the water’s edge, wading in and dragging Matthew Norbery to the side.
William Rufus came running up, “Where’s Joshua?”
Only then did Charlie remember. He looked across the lake towards the island, and saw a slender figure, huddled against the trunk of a tree.
“He’s there,” he said, pointing, as tears of relief streamed down his face. He felt a little hand grip his own, and found Sophie looking anxiously up at him. He sniffed, and said. “It’s all right, Sophie. Joshua’s safe.”
Then his knees went from under him.
“What happened, William Rufus?” Tom Norbery demanded. “I want the truth, not some story concocted by Matthew’s friends about Joshua falling in the lake and Matthew trying to save him. We all know that is not true, for he cannot swim. Then you may tell me what the deuce Nathan Stretton was doing here?
Tom was in his library, trying to piece things together after Matthew had half-drowned in the lake, with Joshua sitting on the island, refusing to come off. He had heard several garbled versions of the events, with each trying to shout the others down. He knew the one individual was a family connection of Kate, from Norcott, but the other shifty character was unknown.
“Nor would I tell you that, sir. It was the other way around. Matthew and his friends were herding the little ’uns towards the lake. Whatever they said, Joshua is not cowardly for running off like that. He knew what his brother intended, and ran ahead of the others, chucking his clothes off, and dived in. Then he was off to the island, thinking Matthew wouldn’t hurt the others if he wasn’t there.”
“I see,” said Tom, under his breath. “Dear God, where do we go from here? All right, you might as well tell me what happened to Charlie and Sophie.”
“Well, that’s the funny thing. Charlie was carrying a big stick, and he stood at the water’s edge, ready to defend his sister…”
“Yes,” said Tom, beginning to laugh, “and what did Sophie do? I feel sure that she did something to bring about this penchant for swimming in the lake.”
William Rufus shook his head. “I dunno, sir, but whatever it was, the horses didn’t like it. Matthew and his two friends were riding hell for
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