Chapter Twenty
‘They don’t fret to follow
when the Gentlemen go by!’
The following afternoon, Julia walked into the stables flicking her whip against her thigh with impatience. She had not slept well after her conversation with Gerald and felt thoroughly out of sorts. An invigorating ride would do her good and would hopefully lift her spirits. Deep in the recess of her mind she wondered if Gerald would also be out riding as he had hinted last night.
Jimmy was standing on a box putting the final touches to Athene’s bridle, the saddle already in place. His pony, Teddy, stood tethered nearby, quietly chewing on its bit.
‘She’s ready now, Miss,’ he exclaimed, as he tossed some of the mane away from the mare’s eyes.
‘Thank you, Jimmy. I’ll lead her out.’
Julia took the reins from him and led the snorting mare out into the yard. Jimmy followed with his pony as she went over to the mounting block and climbed into the saddle. Together they trotted down the drive and out into the road, taking their usual route through the old city gate towards the coast.
As they trotted by, some roadside bushes parted slightly and a man watched their progress for a moment before disappearing.
Julia kept a keen eye out for Gerald Hamilton half hoping he would appear on the horizon, which made her cross with herself for wishing it so.
Athene seemed to have a lot of pent up energy and when they reached the sands, Julia called to Jimmy, ‘Let’s gallop along this stretch of the beach.’
Nothing loath, the boy agreed happily, and together they raced along the beach above the tide. Julia kept Athene under restraint with some difficulty as the mare was keen to have her head, but there was no way Jimmy’s fat pony could ever keep up. They slowed to a walk, the pony blowing hard. There were fishing boats out at sea and Jimmy tried to place the flag of a foreign vessel further out.
In a leisurely fashion they made their way back up the path in single file, a few stray sheep moving out of their way at their approach. As they reached a thicket at the top of the road, Julia heard a sudden cry and a thump. Turning her head, she saw Jimmy on the ground and an unknown man standing over him as he struggled to get up.
‘What the devil are you…’
The words had hardly left her mouth when she realised another man was coming out of the bushes beside her, his expression fierce. A noise made her spin her head around, and in horror, she saw Wyatt emerge from behind a large rock. He lunged forward, a pistol upraised in his hand. His ugly face, still bearing the scars of Julia’s last encounter with him, was contorted with rage and he struck down hard, twice in quick succession on Athene’s rump and then fired the pistol. The retort was deafening and the mare reared in the air, forcing Julia to cling on to prevent being thrown as she bolted away.
Lying low along the mare’s neck, her whip and reins gone, Julia gripped the mane and hung on in sheer desperation as they hurtled over ground sickeningly close to Julia’s eyes. The terrified animal seemed to gather even more speed, and Julia knew if she came off now she would be either killed or seriously injured.
Wyatt’s parting words echoed in her brain; ‘This’ll teach you, my fine lady, to have truck with revenue men!’
She could feel herself weakening as Athene sped on, showing no signs of slowing down. Julia prayed fervently that she would tire of running. The pounding of the galloping hooves on the terrain blotted out all her senses, making her unaware for a moment of the black legs of another horse. It ranged alongside her and the rider lunged for the reins, grabbed them, forcing Athene to gradually slow until the mare was down to a walk.
Julia burst into tears from sheer relief as Gerald put his arm around her.
‘Oh Gerald, thank you, thank you!’ she sobbed.
‘There, there,’ he comforted her, patting her shoulder. ‘Whatever can have happened for Athene to behave as she did?’
The mare was lathered in sweat. Julia, exhausted, slipped from the saddle, her legs unable to hold her and she sank to the ground. Gerald dismounted as well, still holding the reins of both horses and knelt down to her.
‘Wyatt!’ gasped Julia.
He looked at her in amazement. ‘Jeb Wyatt! Whatever do you mean?’
Julia gulped. ‘Jimmy and I were just returning from our ride when three men jumped out of the thicket at the top of the road. One was Wyatt. Jimmy was knocked off his pony and Wyatt struck Athene and fired his pistol causing her to bolt, to try and kill me because I have been seen with Lieutenant Wareham and went out on the Glorious as a guest of Captain Martin,’ she spoke almost incoherently.
He looked incredulous. ‘Well, that certainly wasn’t very wise of you, Julia, but it still doesn’t explain why he should try to hurt you.’
‘Oh, don’t try and understand,’ she said vehemently. ‘He hates me with a passion that I don’t even begin to comprehend.’
Julia took a deep breath and proceeded to tell him of her last encounter with Jeb Wyatt when she was returning from her disastrous visit to Gerald’s home and of how Wyatt had mutilated the hare in front of her and her retaliation by horse whipping him. Gerald gave a low whistle and looked at her with something akin to admiration as she stood up on trembling legs and accepted his handkerchief. With shaking hands Julia tried to tidy her hair, her hat lost in her wild ride.
‘This matter must be reported to the local constable in Rye,’ he said firmly.
‘The man is mad!’ declared Julia, brushing mud and lather from her habit. ‘Quite mad, and I doubt any constable in Rye could control him. I must go back and find Jimmy.’
She shivered, picturing Wyatt’s face. ‘Now he has my great uncle’s legacy why doesn’t he go away or just leave me alone.’
‘I will speak to Jeb Wyatt,’ he announced. His face was contorted with barely suppressed rage. ‘I will give him the whipping of his life!’
‘No, Gerald, no!’ She grabbed his arm. ‘He would take his revenge and you could be killed.’
He put his forefinger beneath her chin and lifted it up so she was looking into eyes full of tenderness.
‘Would you really be sorry, Julia?’ he asked softly.
How quickly his moods change, she thought, and answered firmly, ‘Yes, I would.’
His lips brushed against hers, quickly and lightly like a butterfly before she could move.
‘Ah,’ he murmured, ‘here comes your groom.’
Turning, she saw Jimmy galloping towards them on his pony.
‘Gerald, I can’t thank you enough for saving me as you did today. If you hadn’t been there…’ Her voice tailed off.
‘Nonsense! You did a credible job holding on and not panicking and trying to jump off. I had gone out today in the hope of meeting you out riding,’ He smiled ruefully. ‘Am I forgiven, Julia?’
She hesitated, weakening. ‘Of course, but Lenore?’
Like a cloud across the sun, his face turned sullen.
‘Forget Lenore. She is just an amusement though delightful at times, I must admit.’
Julia’s heart froze.
A panting Jimmy pulled up beside them. ‘Oh, Miss, Miss, are you much hurt?’
‘No, Jimmy, no. Thankfully Mr Hamilton managed to save me.’
She leant weakly against Athene who was still blowing hard. ‘Did they hurt you, Jimmy?’
‘Oh, that Silas Barnaby knocked me down from Teddy but I wasn’t hurt,’ he said angrily. ‘And he tried to hold me back, but I kicked him in the shins and ran away faster than he could go and got to Teddy. They gave up chasing me so I came looking for you.’
‘Well, now you have found each other I shall escort you home,’ said Gerald with a smile, and he lifted Julia back into the saddle.
She could feel the exhausted mare trembling beneath her as she patted her and whispered consolingly to her before taking up the reins.
‘Those men will all be gone by now,’ announced Jimmy, falling in behind. ‘Especially Jeb Wyatt.’
‘No matter,’ said Geral
d. ‘I will deal with Jeb Wyatt when next I see him.’
‘Oh, no, Gerald!’ begged Julia. ‘Promise me you will do nothing foolish.’
He smiled lazily at her. ‘I won’t promise anything as I make it a rule never to keep any promises.’ Julia fell silent. He was the most frustrating perplexing individual she had ever known. Totally mercurial, changing like a chameleon.
He had just saved her from certain death or a dreadful injury, and from feeling grateful, she was now finding him maddeningly perverse. The presence of Lenore appeared as a vision before her and she knew in her heart that Lenore could never be ‘just an amusement’.
The horses walked wearily towards home while their riders scanned the countryside for any sign of the ruffians who had attacked them. Nothing was to be seen but the peaceful rural setting around them. Finally, they reached the house and went straight to the stables. As Julia dismounted and Jimmy led Athene away to wash her down, Gerald said, ‘I suggest that you do not go out riding again, Julia, without my protection.’
Julia struggled to find the right words.
‘I cannot be a prisoner here just awaiting your escort when it so pleases you, Gerald,’ she said evenly.
‘I’m afraid it means just that, my dear,’ he said condescendingly. ‘Do not venture out until I can accompany you.’
‘So, I must await your pleasure?’ she inquired.
‘But of course,’ he answered mockingly.
He wheeled his horse around and trotted off.
Julia was furious, a range of emotions pulsing through her. How dare he! To think that he had saved her and she had been so grateful! In the next moment he was almost insulting her, trying to make her available at his convenience, treating her as he would Lenore, an amusement, at his beck and call! Well Gerald Hamilton, she thought, as she marched back to the house, I am not going to be a bread and butter miss, just awaiting your pleasure when you feel like it. No, I am now in control of my life, thanks to Great Uncle Thomas, and I will not be dictated to by you.