Melinda Hammond Read Online Free Page B

Perkins will be able to polish it out.’
    ‘Of course he will.’ Eustacia came over and handed him a cup of coffee. ‘Will you not try the cake, sir? It is very good.’
    ‘You are determined to be cheerful, are you not, Stacey?’ He grinned up at her and drew a smiling response.
    ‘Of course. There is nothing here to make one unhappy.’
    Mr Lagallan knew an impulse to pull the girl down on to his lap, and sternly repressed it. Instead he pulled on his boots again and stood up.
    ‘I will take my coffee in my room, I think. I need to wash -I would advise you to do the same, Stacey - and perhaps to rest until dinner.’
    ‘Have I said something wrong?’
    The harsh look disappeared and he smiled, flicking her cheek with one careless finger.
    ‘Of course not, child, but it has been a long day, and I wish to take advantage of this lull in our activity!’
    * * * *
    As he plunged his hands into the bowl of water so thoughtfully provided by his hostess, Vivyan cursed himself for being so inept. He had seen the hurt in Eustacia’s face as he had left her, but surely she should understand how wrong it was for them to be alone. She was so naive, so trusting; it would be far too easy for him to abuse that trust.
    ‘She is no more than a babe!’ he muttered. ‘And the sooner I hand over responsibility for her, the better!’ Slipping off his coat, he threw himself on the bed. ‘Damnation - the girl is under my protection! Besides, she is in love with another man. And she is so innocent. If I give in to a desire to kiss her, that innocence will be lost for ever!’
    Vivyan dozed fitfully, but after an hour he gave up all attempts to sleep and went downstairs to the parlour. Finding his young companion was not there, Vivyan made his way to Stacey’s room. There was no reply to his knock and when he tried the handle, the door opened easily on to the empty room. Frowning, Mr Lagallan went outside into the yard, where the landlord was busy cutting logs.
    ‘The young gentleman?’ In answer to his question the landlord paused, resting his axe lightly upon one broad shoulder. ‘Why, sir, he went off with our Davy to see a mill.’
    ‘Amill?’
    ‘Aye, sir. At Jenner’s field. The young master being at a loose end, so to speak, and looking so down in the mouth, our Davy asks him if he wanted to go with ‘un.’ Something of Vivyan’s dismay was apparent in his face, for the landlord continued, ‘Lord love you, sir, you’ve no need to worry about the lad - he’ll come to no ‘arm, my boy’ll see to that, and he’ll bring the young master back safe afore dark, never fear.’
    Stifling his misgivings, Mr Lagallan asked directions to the mill and, pausing only to fetch his cane, he set out for Jenner’s field.
    * * * *
    As Eustacia and her young escort trudged along the leafy lane, the innkeeper’s son whiled away the journey with tales of other mills he had seen. Most of these stories were apocryphal and couched in such cant terms that Miss Marchant understood only one word in twenty. Davy was a young man of about fifteen, very sturdily built and with an open, friendly nature. They had struck up a conversation within minutes of Stacey wandering into the inn-yard and, unwilling to appear churlish, Miss Marchant had accepted Davy’s invitation, reasoning that it would at least while away the hours until dinner-time.
    When they reached Jenner’s field, the area was already thronging with spectators and Davy bemoaned the fact that all the best places in the nearby trees were taken. He moved away from the gate, where two men were busy collecting entrance fees, and pushed his way through a gap in the hedge before guiding Stacey to a steep embankment at the far side of the field.
    ‘This be a capital vantage-point,’ he remarked in his slow drawl. ‘We shall see everything from ‘ere.’
    Looking down from her capital vantage-point, Eustacia realized with horror that she was about to witness a prizefight. In the