Signpost To Love Page 7

  She had often heard that not properly treated they attracted insects and she knew that was why the Earl had no intention of sleeping inside the bed even if the sheets were clean.

  She had found last night to her surprise that the Earl travelled with his own linen and a pair of his sheets had been arranged on Mr. Barnard’s instructions on the bed she used.

  She had not at first understood when the Courier had said,

  “I hope you will be comfortable tonight, Miss Hawk. His Lordship always travels with every possible necessity and fortunately there is enough and to spare on this journey.”

  Then when she had seen the fine linen of the sheets and on them the beautifully embroidered monogram of the Earl, she had understood.

  ‘I am sure this is something that Papa would most vehemently disapprove of,’ she had thought with a little smile, as she snuggled down comfortably and felt the softness of the linen against her cheek.

  Tonight there was only the wool of the rug that covered the pillows provided by the inn, but, as Baptista closed her eyes, she fell asleep almost immediately –

  *

  She awakened from a dream that vanished as she tried to remember what it had been about to find that she felt very thirsty.

  It must have been, she thought, one of the dishes at dinner that had been heavily spiced.

  She wanted to go back to sleep for she was still tired, but her thirst prevented her from doing so and, after a while, she sat up and groped for the candle that stood on a table by the bed.

  She managed with a little difficulty to light it and then stepped onto the floor in her stockinged feet and walked towards the basin where she had washed.

  To her dismay she found that there was no glass and no water except what she had washed in, emptying the whole ewer into the basin to do so.

  Her lips were dry and, knowing it would be impossible to get to sleep unless she could have something to drink, she walked across the room and very tentatively opened the door expecting to find the inn in darkness with nobody about.

  To her surprise there were lights still burning at the bottom of the stairs and it struck her that, although she had been asleep, it might still be early from the innkeeper’s point of view and therefore she could ask for a glass of water to be brought upstairs to her by his wife.

  She walked from the door of her bedroom to the top of the stairs and was just about to call out when she saw that down below, standing by the fire in front of which she and the Earl had sat earlier in the evening, the landlord was talking to two men.

  They were rough coarse individuals and, Baptista thought, even dirtier than the man who had opened the door to her when she had first arrived.

  She wondered if perhaps they were labourers employed by the landlord.

  Then, as she hesitated at the thought of drawing their attention to herself, she heard him say,

  “He ought to be asleep by now. Be careful not to make a noise. We don’t want the girl screamin’.”

  It was not only what he said but the way he said it that made Baptista stiffen.

  “Leave everything to us,” one of the men he was speaking to answered, “there won’t be no screamin’ and no one’ll know anythin’ till the morn.”

  He spoke in such an argot that it was difficult for Baptista to understand what he was saying and yet strangely enough his meaning was very clear.

  “That’s right,” the landlord said, “and I know nothin’! I was in bed asleep and don’t forget to break the window when you comes down to show you broke in to get at him.”

  “You knows nothin’,” the other man said, “and we’ll be far away afore his servants ask you what they can do with the body.”

  “Don’t forget to leave me my share!” the landlord said sharply.

  “You’ll get it,” the first man said, “and now let’s get on with the job.”

  As he spoke he drew a long knife from his belt and Baptista saw that the other man carried a heavy club in his hand.

  With a sudden jerk she realised what was happening and that she had stood listening to what the men were saying almost as if she was in a dream.

  Swiftly but silently she stepped back from the head of the stairs and reached the door of the Earl’s room, which was next to hers.

  Her stockinged feet made no sound and she stepped inside and shut the door without making any noise.

  She turned round when she had done so and saw to her relief that the Earl had left a candle burning beside his bed, but he was asleep.

  He was stretched out without covering himself with a rug and had taken off his coat although he still wore his boots.

  Baptista ran to his side and put her hand on his shoulder. At the same time, because she was afraid that he would speak aloud to her when he awoke, she put her other hand over his mouth.

  The Earl’s eyes opened immediately and, as she felt his lips move as he tried to speak, she bent down to whisper in his ear,

  “There are two men coming up the stairs to – kill and – rob you! What shall we – do? How can we – escape?”

  The Earl sat up in bed.

  “Two men did you say?” he asked so quietly that it was difficult for her to hear him.

  She nodded and looked around the room despairingly, thinking they hardly had time to jump out of the window even if it was feasible and there was certainly nowhere to hide.

  Then, without asking any more questions, the Earl got off the bed and, taking Baptista by the arm, he pushed her across the room and behind a tall chest of drawers that was placed across one corner of the room.

  “Keep down!” he ordered in a whisper.

  She saw him glance towards the fireplace. The fire was unlit, but there were a few wooden logs in the grate and beside them was a stout iron poker.

  The Earl picked it up and then to Baptista’s surprise he blew out the candle.

  Because she could not see him, it made what was happening all the more terrifying.

  Although he had moved very quietly, she was sure that he had walked towards the door and now she waited, feeling as if her heart would burst in her breast, aware that someone outside was lifting the latch almost noiselessly and it was opening very very slowly.

  There was a faint light that came from down below and she thought it probably came from the fire, which might have been made up with extra logs.

  The light widened as the door opened and it made what was happening seem even more sinister than it was already.

  Baptista was so afraid that she thought at any moment her nerve might break and she would scream from sheer terror. But she knew that she would endanger the Earl even more if the robbers were alerted to the fact that they were expected.

  She therefore bit her lip and found that she could not even breathe as the door opened still farther and now there was just the shadow of a body coming into the room.

  Then like an evil signal there was the glint of light on the blade of a knife, which made Baptista clasp her fingers together in a sudden agony.

  The man must have come one step farther and as he did so the Earl brought the heavy poker down with a smashing blow on his wrist, which made him scream with pain.

  Before he knew what was happening he had received a blow on his chin, which knocked him to the floor and before the man following could even raise his club, he too staggered under an uppercut.

  Before he could regain his balance he was hit again.

  Then, as the Earl thrust him back against the bannister on the landing at the top of the stairs, it cracked beneath his weight and, even before it could break, the Earl hit him for the third time and he crashed down onto the floor below.

  By this time the first man on the floor was coming back to consciousness.

  The Earl dragged him across the landing and threw him with a derisive gesture after his friend.

  There was the sound of another heavy crash and then there was silence and the Earl walked back into the bedroom, leaving the door open to give himself enoug
h light to reach the candle.

  Only when he had lit it, did Baptista find that she could breathe again and with a little cry she came from behind the chest of drawers and ran across the room to fling herself against the Earl.

  She was frantic with fear and trembling all over as she held onto him, but she realised that he was smiling.

  “It’s all right,” he said quietly. “They will not trouble us again.”

  “W-we cannot – stay here,” she said in a voice she did not recognise as her own, “we must – go away – at once!”

  “Why?” he asked.

  He seemed so unperturbed that she felt her own agitation subsiding.

  “W-why?” she repeated, “because you might at this moment have been dead!”

  “But I am not – thanks to you,” the Earl replied. “If you are frightened of those gentlemen downstairs, I assure you that, if they have not broken their arms or legs, which I hope they have, they will certainly not be in any condition to climb the stairs again.”

  He gave a little laugh as he added,

  “I am really very grateful to you, Baptista. It is a long time since I have had to defend myself in such a manner and I am very gratified to find that I am still able to do so.”

  “You were – superb!” Baptista said admiringly. “But – please – let’s leave.”

  The Earl shook his head.

  “The horses need a rest and so do the servants and incidentally so do you. Go to bed, Baptista, I promise you that there is no further danger.”

  She looked at him wide-eyed and then because she saw that he meant what he said, she asked,

  “Could I – please stay here – with you? I could not – bear to be – alone.”

  The Earl hesitated and then, as if he was amused by the suggestion, he said,

  “Of course. I should be delighted for you to keep me company and the bed is big enough for both of us and is actually quite comfortable.”

  He walked across the room, as he spoke, to close the door.

  Then he looked at Baptista who was standing where he had left her, a little irresolute, afraid that he was annoyed because she had asked if she might stay with him.

  As if he understood her hesitation, he said kindly but calmly,

  “Of course I will look after you, Baptista. Lie down on the bed and try to sleep. Otherwise you will be too tired tomorrow to enjoy talking about this adventure as I am quite certain you will want to.”

  There was a slightly mocking note in his voice, which reassured her more than perhaps anything else could have done.

  She gave an answering little laugh that sounded curiously like a sob as she said,

  “I shall not – want to – talk about it because it is so – frightening, but I find it – hard to believe that you could – vanquish those two horrible men so – quickly and efficiently.”

  “Then you will agree that I have earned my sleep,” the Earl said, “and if you snore, I shall insist that you return to your own room.”

  “I never snore!” Baptista replied indignantly.

  The Earl went round to the other side of the bed.

  He stretched himself out in the same way he had been lying when Baptista had come to wake him.

  “Blow out the candle,” he said, “and tomorrow you shall tell me how clever I have been. But at the moment it is too late for anything but pleasant dreams.”

  Because she knew that she must obey him, Baptista blew out the candle, as he had told her to do and then she lowered herself carefully onto the bed beside him.

  As she lay down, she felt him pull the rug over her and, because she felt cold from the shock of what had happened, she was glad of its warmth.

  For a moment she was still and tense from what she thought was the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to her in her whole life.

  Then she was suddenly aware that she was lying beside a man in the darkness and she was certain that it was something her father would think extremely reprehensible, if not wicked.

  ‘I cannot help it,’ Baptista excused herself. ‘I could not – bear to be alone and after all – he is – pretending that he is my – uncle.’

  Then, as if the Earl was aware of what she was thinking, he said,

  “Stop worrying, Baptista, about robbers or anything else. Remember there will be exciting things to do tomorrow.”

  “I am so – glad that you will be – there to do – them with me,” Baptista answered.

  Now there was no mistaking that there was a sob in her voice.

  As she spoke, she felt the Earl reach out and take her hand.

  “I will be there,” he said gently, “thanks to you, Baptista.”

  His fingers tightened and then she felt his lips hard, warm and somehow insistent on her skin.

  Chapter Four

  Baptista heard somebody call her name and opened her eyes.

  For a moment she could not think where she was, then she saw the Earl standing beside the bed.

  “Wake up, Baptista!” he said. “I want to leave as soon as we have had breakfast.”

  As he spoke everything that had happened the night before came to Baptista’s mind and she gave a little cry and sat up on the bed.

  “You are – safe?” she asked. “Nothing – happened when I was – asleep?”

  “No. I am quite safe,” the Earl replied with a smile, “and so are you. Hurry and get yourself ready. I have arranged for some hot water to be brought to your room.”

  He went from the bedroom as he spoke and Baptista remembered that she had slept all night in her clothes and in consequence she felt hot and sticky.

  She climbed out of bed thinking it strange that she had slept so peacefully and with the Earl beside her.

  Because she knew that he could deal with any robbers that might attack them, she had not worried or been afraid and had just shut her eyes and fallen asleep.

  She felt in consequence quite clear-headed and ready to enjoy riding with the Earl.

  She hurried next door to the bedroom she had chosen last night and thought how lucky it was that she had felt thirsty, otherwise the Earl at this moment might be lying dead and she herself in despair.

  She could not imagine him dead and thought that if the robbers had carried out their wicked plan it would have been a most horrifying crime.

  What was more, because the Police would be involved, they would doubtless have got in touch with her father.

  She gave a little cry of terror at the idea and then hurriedly pulling off her clothes, she washed in the water that the Earl had ordered for her.

  It was only lukewarm, but she was in too much of a hurry to worry about anything except joining him again.

  It was only when she had washed, dressed and had picked up the coat of her habit to put it over her arm that she wondered what would be waiting for them downstairs.

  She thought that she would never forget the way that the Earl had knocked the robbers unconscious. Then she had heard the crash as they had fallen onto the floor below.

  The only evidence of it now was that the top of the bannisters was broken.

  There were no bodies lying beneath the stairs and except for the fact that the landlord served their breakfast in silence with a shifty look in his eyes, there was nothing to show that they had done anything but pass a peaceful night in his inn.

  The eggs, which Baptista knew the Earl had demanded English fashion, were fresh and the coffee, although not of the best quality, was drinkable.

  “If you are still hungry,” the Earl remarked, “we will have another breakfast when we arrive at the hotel where we should have stayed last night.”

  He spoke in English knowing that the innkeeper would not understand anything but his own language and Baptista asked in a low voice,

  “Did you say anything about what happened?”

  “I think he would have a good idea of that without my bothering to put it into words,” the Earl said with a smile, “and my servants have already told me th
at they saw two men being carried from the building very early this morning.”

  “Carried?” Baptista asked.

  “They thought that one man had a broken leg and the other was also unable to walk unaided.”

  “I am glad,” Baptista said. “They deserve all the punishment they get!”

  She spoke impulsively, then as if the word ‘punishment’ recalled all too vividly her father and his desire for sinners to suffer, she flushed and went on with her breakfast without saying anymore.

  The Earl’s eyes were on her face for a moment and then he rose to pay the bill and walked outside to see if the carriage was ready.

  He had anticipated that Baptista would wish to ride with him and the outriders were therefore not mounted but waiting to help her into the saddle.

  She saw the footmen carrying the rugs they had slept on from the inn to place them in the carriage, then, as she picked up her reins, the Earl rode ahead out of the courtyard and she followed him.

  As she galloped over the fields, Baptista felt the pale morning sun and the freshness of the air sweep away the terrors of the night.

  The heavy rain had left the ground damp and muddy, but there was the scent of fresh grass, which seemed to carry with it the fragrance of spring.

  They rode for some time in silence. Then as the horses settled down to a trot the Earl said almost as if she had been talking about the night before,

  “I suggest you forget it. It is something that might never happen again in a thousand years and you are very unlikely ever again to stay in such a squalid inn.”

  “I am only feeling grateful that, because I was thirsty, I went to the top of the stairs to find – something to – drink.”

  “So that is how you heard what was being planned!”

  “I was just going to call out and ask the landlord’s wife to bring me a glass and some water then I heard what the men were – saying.”

  “I must commend you on your knowledge of French.”

  “Mama was very insistent that I should speak other languages besides my own. Perhaps she had a presentiment that it might save me – and you.”

  “Whatever the reason, I am very grateful,” the Earl said, “and now, as I have already said, let’s forget anything so unpleasant and look forward to what lies ahead.”