Beauvallet Read online

  He bowed himself out, assuring her that supper should be provided against her lord's coming. A glimpse of a double ducat negligently fingered by Joshua decided him to keep his suspicions in abeyance. Double ducats were not so plentiful in this village that a man could afford to run the risk of losing one.

  Joshua nodded briskly, and made a significant gesture of a down-thrust thumb. ‘We shall do very well,’ he said. ‘Now, señorita, with your good leave I shall go get the pack from off my nag's back. I must hope that Sir Nicholas brings on his own jennet, for the most of his raiment is upon it, and I can very plainly hear him calling in the morn for a clean shirt and a clean ruff too.’

  He took Beauvallet's coming so much for granted that Dominica began to feel that he would come indeed. She laughed, and looked down at her tumbled riding dress. ‘A clean ruff for Sir Nicholas! Pray you, what will you do for me who have no clothes at all but what you see me in?’

  Joshua shook his head. ‘A very pungent question, señora, I allow. This should have been looked to. But thus it is ever when my master is in this humour! I doubt he will have lost his pack and that scabbard beside. But there is never any ho with him. Reck Not! Ah, do I not know it? In we dash, and if we come off with our skins you may say it is a miracle.’

  He went down to collect his pack, to see his horse stabled and fed, and to order a rear-banquet for the lady. She was served in her chamber, and the covers left on the table against Beauvallet's coming. The landlord had by this time very little doubt that he entertained noble guests. What their mysterious errand was he could not guess, though he was inclined, saving only the incomprehensible absence of the master, to suspect an elopement. But Joshua's demeanour alone convinced him of the quality of the lady he served. None but a great noble's man, thought the landlord, would show such a high hand as Joshua's. There must be a cold capon prepared against his master's coming. What, had he no better wine than this poor stuff ? Let him make haste to his cellar and fetch up a bottle of the best he had. Where were the suckets? Was my lady to sit down at table to naught but a scraggy fowl and a neat's tongue? Out upon him! The landlord should learn that a lady of his mistress’ standing was not to be so used.

  He waited upon Dominica himself, and was inclined to be severe with her when she showed so little appetite. She looked up at him with large, frightened eyes. ‘He does not come,’ she said.

  ‘Patience, patience, señorita, he is not a bird!’ said Joshua testily. ‘If he got away he was to lead the Guards off on a wrong scent towards the Frontier. It would never do to have them on our heels, mistress, for you cannot ride as we might have to in such a strait.’

  ‘I can ride very well if I am allowed,’ she said meekly.

  Time wore on. A few last loiterers in the tap-room went off homewards; candles were snuffed below stairs, and the inn grew quiet. Joshua had bespoken a chamber for his master, and a fire to be lit in Dominica's room, judging with some shrewdness that its friendly crackle and glow would do more to comfort her than any words of his.

  She sat by it trying to keep her courage up, and from time to time looked anxiously at Joshua. She would not have him leave her; she would not hear of going to bed for all his pleading. He might bully and override her in most things, she said, but he could not make her rest until she knew Sir Nicholas to be safe.

  ‘I shall take leave to say, señorita, that there is a long day ahead of you, and you would do well to get what sleep you may.’

  ‘I will not!’ she said, her old spirit rearing up its head. And there the matter rested.

  It was close on midnight when they heard the sound of an approaching horseman. Joshua lifted a finger and threw out his chest. ‘Ah, señora! ah! What said I? Ho, trust Beauvallet!’ He went to the window and pushed it open.

  Dominica was on her feet, clasping her hands. ‘It may not be. It may be a soldier in search of me. I cannot think…’

  The horse was reined in under the window. ‘Holà, there!’ rang out Beauvallet's voice. He looked up at the front of the inn and saw Joshua craning from the window. ‘God's Death, Joshua, what makes you there? Come down and let me in!’

  Dominica sank back into her chair, almost stunned with relief. Joshua was making for the door. ‘Ay, ay, thus it goes,’ he said. ‘Briskly, recklessly, with never a thought to who may be listening. Ah, madcap!’ He went out, and Dominica heard him clatter down the stairs and draw back the bolts of the door below, shouting to the awakened landlord as he did so that all was well. Then a light step sounded on the stairs, the door was opened, and the next instant Dominica was folded in Beauvallet's arms.

  Twenty-five

  They were up at cock-crow next morning, and away upon their long ride north just as soon as they had broken their fast, and procured fresh horses.

  Dominica felt herself to be moving in a dream; events had marched so swiftly that she was dazed by them. She awoke to hear Joshua scratching on her door, and for a moment imagined the previous day's wild work to be a figment of her fancy. But Joshua's voice, unmistakably his brisk voice, was bidding her rise up, and she knew herself to be living in no dream.

  Breakfast in the small parlour leading off the tap-room down stairs awaited her. She found Sir Nicholas there, neat as ever, and because she was suddenly shy and tongue-tied she could only give him her little hand to kiss, and say in a voice that tried to hide her shyness: ‘Ah, Señor Nicholas, I see you have that clean ruff Joshua spoke of, so I suppose you did not leave your pack behind.’

  He flung up a hand. ‘A’ God's Name, let me hear no more of that pack!’ he said in comic dismay. ‘I have heard of little else from that tickle-brain behind you since my coming last night.’

  She looked round at Joshua's disapproving face. Joshua pulled out a stool for her from under the table, but fixed a wintry look upon Sir Nicholas. ‘Ay, master, no doubt it is very well to talk in such careless wise, but I shall take leave to say that to throw away a new doublet of murry taffeta and a pair of stocks broidered with gold quirks about the ankles, not to make mention of a set of silver aiglets and a pair of trunk hose scarce worn, passeth the bounds of prodigality.’

  ‘Peace, froth!’ said Sir Nicholas, and sat him down opposite to his lady at table. His eyes smiled at her across the covers. ‘It is in my mind, ladybird, that we have not sat at table together since you were aboard the Venture.’ The twinkle deepened. ‘Do you remember that you were loth to take wine from my hands?’ He picked up the bottle at his elbow and regarded it with uplifted brows. ‘You might well be loth to take this from me,’ he remarked. ‘What is it, Joshua?’

  ‘Scarce potable, I allow,’ said Joshua gloomily. ‘A very vile drink, sir, but what would you?’

  Dominica's tongue became loosened. She must tell Sir Nicholas of the curious fancy that had come to her when Don Diego offered her wine of Alicante, and when that was done she found she had left her shyness behind her.

  The horses were saddled and ready. As Dominica set her foot in Beauvallet's hand she looked saucily at Joshua, and said: ‘Now, Joshua, you shall see whether I can ride hard or no.’

  She showed her mettle that day; she had done with fears and doubts. While she rode with Sir Nicholas at her side there could be nothing to alarm her. She had doubted that he would not reach Madrid, and he had done so; she had been sure that he could not escape from prison, and he had escaped; she had feared that he would not survive yesterday's grim work, and here he was, safe and gay as ever. She could never again doubt his extraordinary faculty of coming off safe from seemingly hopeless traps.

  There seemed to be no peril now. Joshua might sniff the air, and keep an ear cocked to the rearward, but Sir Nicholas, leading the way over the hills, was care-free and merry. So, too, would his lady be, then.

  The long journey taxed her powers to the uttermost, but she would not admit her weariness. She sat as straight as she could, laughed at the bad road, swore she was very well content, and had no wish to rest her limbs. They lost the way; why, it was part of the a