Read Online The Herb of Grace by Kate Forsyth - Free Book Online Page B

kidnapped . . .’
    â€˜He’s a bad, bad man,’ Emilia said. ‘Please help us.’
    They could see nothing of the highwayman but a pair of glinting eyes under a big feathered hat.
    â€˜He killed our dog,’ Emilia said, her voice wobbling.
    â€˜Oddsblood, a bad man indeed.’ The highwayman put out one big booted foot on Coldham’s back as he tried to rise, and pushed him back down into the road, then raised high the coachman’s lantern so it fell upon Emilia and Luka. ‘By the heavens above, it’s a couple of children. I thought you sounded young. Now, what bramble have I landed myself in? I heard there was a government agent travelling this road, and thought to have a little fun, and maybe some gain as well, but the kidnapping of children? That’s serious stuff.’
    â€˜He is a government agent,’ Luka cried.
    â€˜He’s like a spider in a web of intrigue,’ Emilia put in dramatically.
    â€˜He grabbed us . . .’
    â€˜He nabbed us . . .’
    â€˜He hit us . . .’
    â€˜. . . slapped Luka right across the face!’
    â€˜He wants to throw us in gaol.’
    â€˜He’s a bad, bad man,’ Emilia said again.
    The highwayman was frowning. ‘Where did you get that coat?’ he demanded, so unexpectedly the children were thrown off balance.
    Luka looked down at his neat brown shooting jacket, with the scorch marks at the shoulder. ‘A lady gave it to us.’
    â€˜A very sad lady,’ Emilia said. ‘Lady Anne.’
    â€˜Lady Anne? Lady Anne who?’
    They screwed up their faces, trying to remember. Coldham groaned and struggled to get up again, and the highwayman booted himbetween the shoulderblades, knocking him back down. ‘Where?’ he demanded. ‘Lady Anne of where?’
    â€˜Tanglewood?’ Emilia guessed.
    â€˜Lady Anne Willard? Of Tanglewood Manor?’
    â€˜You know her?’ Emilia exclaimed in surprise.
    â€˜I do indeed,’ he said, frowning. ‘She’s my sister.’
    The children were staring at him, trying to absorb the implications of this, when Coldham again tried to get up, roaring with rage. The highwayman deftly knocked him out with the cudgel. He lifted Emilia out of the carriage and set her on the ground, and then helped out Luka, who was unexpectedly trembly in the legs.
    â€˜I think you two had best come back with me,’ the highwayman said. ‘It’s late, and I cannot be leaving you on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. We’ll go back to my hideaway, and you can tell me how you happen to know mysister, and in the morning I’ll decide what to do with you. Just give me a moment to see what other goodies this most unpleasant-looking man has for me.’
    The children nodded, and sat down together on the stony bank by the side of the road. It was very dark, but Luka could see the road was surrounded on either side by rough heathland, with big sprays of brambles and gorse bushes that provided good cover for the highwayman to hide. The coachman lay limply on the road nearby.
    â€˜Is he dead?’ Emilia whispered.
    â€˜Lord, no,’ the highwayman said, turning Coldham over and bending to rifle through his pockets. ‘I’m no murderer. I just gave him a good crack on the head when he tried to draw his pistol.’
    The highwayman pulled out a bunch of keys, a heavy bag of coins, and a few other odds and ends which he examined closely by the light of the lantern. He pocketed the bag of coins, and thenwent to toss the keys and the other things down by Coldham’s unconscious body.
    Luka cried, ‘No! Please. Wait.’
    The highwayman paused in surprise as Luka hurriedly rummaged through his bag until he found a candle. He pressed the candle against the lantern until the wax was warm and pliable, and then carefully took an impression of each of the keys. The highwayman watched