Read Online The Battling Bluestocking by Amanda Scott - Free Book Online
Authors: Amanda Scott
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door, Jessica let down the steps for herself and descended to the road to see that there was indeed a contretemps going forward. A burly man was confronting a young girl smack in the middle of the road, and there was no way, with the cliff on one side and the ditch on the other, by which the coach might pass unless the pair were to move. Just as that thought passed through Jessica’s mind, the man grabbed the young girl by the arm, pushing her toward the cliff.
“Here, stop that before you push her right over!” Jessica cried without thinking.
The man turned toward her, glaring. “And just who the de’il d’ye think ye might be?” he demanded.
“That is no concern of yours,” Jessica replied, “but I suggest that you take your hands from that young lady. I can plainly see that she is no relation of yours, so you can have no right to be manhandling her on a public road.”
The girl looked at her gratefully. Blond, blue-eyed, and petite, she was well dressed and appeared to be a gentlewoman with approximately seventeen summers to her credit, while the man was rough-clad, middle-aged, and clearly of the working class. The girl, ignoring the fact that the man still held her arm in a cruel grip, spoke to Jessica.
“He works in one of my father’s mines, ma’am, and he is displeased with the conditions there. He accosted me here on the road in hopes of using me to convince my father to effect changes at the mine.” Her voice was cultured and gentle, but the sound of it seemed to exacerbate the miner’s temper.
He gave her a shake. “What’s between us is between us, missy, so you shut yer yap, and jest be lettin’ these folks move on by.”
Jessica stepped forward to interfere, her attention so focused upon the pair in the roadway that she quite failed to hear approaching hoofbeats. The sound of the quiet voice behind her arrested her midstep, however.
“Take nothing from that muff except your hand, my girl,” Sir Brian warned her sternly.
4
T AKING A DEEP BREATH to steady her nerves, Jessica turned to see that both Sir Brian and Andrew Liskeard had ridden up behind the coach. Sir Brian dismounted and handed his reins to his nephew without taking his eyes from Jessica.
“Good day to you, sir,” she said. “Our coach could not pass, so I got down to see if there was some difficulty, and discovered this fellow browbeating that young lady.”
“’Ere now,” protested the burly miner, “this b’ain’t no affair o’ yourn. Jest git on about yer business ’n leave me t’ mine.”
Jessica whirled on him. “You have no business to accost this lady, my good man. If you have a grievance, there are surely more proper ways by which you can make it known.”
“Now, lookee ’ere, me fine lady, ye’ve no right t’ go puttin’ yer nose inta other folks’ affairs, so unless—”
“Hayle, isn’t it?” interposed Sir Brian quietly.
The miner snapped around, lifting his fists. “Aye, ’n what if it is? Ye’d best keep yer nose clean, too, me fine gent, ’er I’ll gi’e ye pepper.”
Sir Brian stepped in front of Jessica. “I shouldn’t attempt it if I were you.” His voice was very soft, but whether it was as a result of his words or something in his attitude, the burly man dropped his fists and adopted a sulky expression. After a brief silence Sir Brian continued calmly, “I thought I’d recognized you. A good many of my men have a high regard for your judgment, Hayle. If there is a problem at St. Erth mines, I’m certain Sir Warren will listen to anything you have to say to the purpose, but not if you inconvenience his daughter.”
The calm tone had its effect, though the miner remained truculent. “Fac’ is, ’e don’t listen. Mine’s unsafe, ’n ’e knows it. Thought maybe Miss Janet ’ere could make ’im listen if she unnerstood the trouble. Didn’t mean t’ frighten t’ lass.”
Stepping forward impulsively, Jessica opened her mouth to protest that it had looked
“Here, stop that before you push her right over!” Jessica cried without thinking.
The man turned toward her, glaring. “And just who the de’il d’ye think ye might be?” he demanded.
“That is no concern of yours,” Jessica replied, “but I suggest that you take your hands from that young lady. I can plainly see that she is no relation of yours, so you can have no right to be manhandling her on a public road.”
The girl looked at her gratefully. Blond, blue-eyed, and petite, she was well dressed and appeared to be a gentlewoman with approximately seventeen summers to her credit, while the man was rough-clad, middle-aged, and clearly of the working class. The girl, ignoring the fact that the man still held her arm in a cruel grip, spoke to Jessica.
“He works in one of my father’s mines, ma’am, and he is displeased with the conditions there. He accosted me here on the road in hopes of using me to convince my father to effect changes at the mine.” Her voice was cultured and gentle, but the sound of it seemed to exacerbate the miner’s temper.
He gave her a shake. “What’s between us is between us, missy, so you shut yer yap, and jest be lettin’ these folks move on by.”
Jessica stepped forward to interfere, her attention so focused upon the pair in the roadway that she quite failed to hear approaching hoofbeats. The sound of the quiet voice behind her arrested her midstep, however.
“Take nothing from that muff except your hand, my girl,” Sir Brian warned her sternly.
4
T AKING A DEEP BREATH to steady her nerves, Jessica turned to see that both Sir Brian and Andrew Liskeard had ridden up behind the coach. Sir Brian dismounted and handed his reins to his nephew without taking his eyes from Jessica.
“Good day to you, sir,” she said. “Our coach could not pass, so I got down to see if there was some difficulty, and discovered this fellow browbeating that young lady.”
“’Ere now,” protested the burly miner, “this b’ain’t no affair o’ yourn. Jest git on about yer business ’n leave me t’ mine.”
Jessica whirled on him. “You have no business to accost this lady, my good man. If you have a grievance, there are surely more proper ways by which you can make it known.”
“Now, lookee ’ere, me fine lady, ye’ve no right t’ go puttin’ yer nose inta other folks’ affairs, so unless—”
“Hayle, isn’t it?” interposed Sir Brian quietly.
The miner snapped around, lifting his fists. “Aye, ’n what if it is? Ye’d best keep yer nose clean, too, me fine gent, ’er I’ll gi’e ye pepper.”
Sir Brian stepped in front of Jessica. “I shouldn’t attempt it if I were you.” His voice was very soft, but whether it was as a result of his words or something in his attitude, the burly man dropped his fists and adopted a sulky expression. After a brief silence Sir Brian continued calmly, “I thought I’d recognized you. A good many of my men have a high regard for your judgment, Hayle. If there is a problem at St. Erth mines, I’m certain Sir Warren will listen to anything you have to say to the purpose, but not if you inconvenience his daughter.”
The calm tone had its effect, though the miner remained truculent. “Fac’ is, ’e don’t listen. Mine’s unsafe, ’n ’e knows it. Thought maybe Miss Janet ’ere could make ’im listen if she unnerstood the trouble. Didn’t mean t’ frighten t’ lass.”
Stepping forward impulsively, Jessica opened her mouth to protest that it had looked
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