* * * *
She had not expected to sleep, but it seemed only a moment later she was being shaken awake. It was the little girl, asking Yasmin to tell her the story of what had happened. Opening her eyes she found it was broad daylight, and the shutters had been flung back so that the small room under the eaves was bright with sunlight. Briefly she explained to the child they had been walking in the woods and Leon had been caught in a trap.
The child nodded wisely.
'My dad says we must not go in the Grange woods,' she said. 'He told me the Squire laid those traps. Didn't you know?'
'We are strangers here,' Yasmin answered her. 'Now I ought to go and see how my cousin does.'
'Sir Edward has been already,' she informed Yasmin importantly, and at her look of surprise laughed aloud. 'It is late,' she giggled. 'It has been light for hours.'
Yasmin dressed hurriedly and went down the steep stairs to the cottage kitchen. Mrs Barber was pottering round and greeted her warmly.
'He is much better, see for yourself.'
Leon was looking more himself, his face was less wan, although his eye was still puffy and the blue-black bruise around it was now prominent. He gave Yasmin a cheery grin.
'I am sorry, Yasmin. I should have known better than to let myself be caught like a greenhorn. My father will be ashamed of me!'
'There was reason enough for you to be unwary,' she reassured him, and asked how he felt.
'My leg pains, of course, and some of the bruises I had earlier are tender, but otherwise I seem to have taken no hurt.'
'Sir Edward has already been?'
'Aye, just a brief visit to ask how I did. He says he will come back in an hour or so, when the doctor has been, and said we could talk then. I think perhaps he does not intend to charge me, for he has been too kind.'
'I should hope not indeed!' Yasmin exclaimed indignantly. 'After the harm he has done with his traps!'
Mrs Barber came across with a plate of meat for Leon.
'It was no trap of Sir Edward's,' she said, looking at Yasmin curiously. 'Those woods you were in belong to the Squire, not to him. He will not have such things on his land. Now, come and eat.'
Yasmin obeyed, suddenly happier. She had been oppressed with the thought Sir Edward could have been responsible for the trap, and now she knew he was not, all seemed to be well. She dismissed thoughts of what would happen in the future, content for the moment to sit in the warmth of the kitchen, luxuriating in the homely comforts she had not realised she had missed during her months with the Romanies. She set to with a hearty appetite when ham and freshly baked bread was set before her.
She had hardly finished, and was helping Mrs Barber to clear away and wash the dishes when the doctor appeared. He pronounced himself satisfied and repeated Leon would suffer no lasting harm.
'You can tell Sir Edward you may be moved today,' he said, and nodded to Mrs Barber, looked unsmilingly at Yasmin, and was gone.
She wondered apprehensively what he meant. Did he mean Leon could be moved into the local lock-up? If that happened he would certainly suffer, from poor attention, if not gaol fever. And Yasmin was likely to be locked up as well. The prospect appalled her. She helped Mrs Barber silently and was relieved she asked no questions.
After a while Yasmin and Leon were left alone together, and she sat beside Leon, speculating on what lay before them.
'If it is transportation, then we must pray we can remain together,' he said softly. 'At least you will be safe from Pedro.'
'Pedro? I would face him a thousand times rather than have brought this suffering on you!'
'I would not,' he answered, and reached for her hand. They sat there quietly after that until Sir Edward walked in on them. Yasmin rose to greet him, and expressed her thanks for what he had done the previous night, but he cut her short.
'I have arranged for one of the cottages to be at your disposal until you are well. It is fortunately empty, and you cannot remain here in Mrs Barber's kitchen,' he told Leon. 'I have seen the doctor on my way here, and will arrange to have you moved in an hour or so.' He turned to Yasmin. 'Will you come with me and see that everything is how you wish it to be?' he asked, but she was too astounded to reply.
'Do – do you mean to charge me?' Leon asked quietly, and Sir Edward looked across at him and smiled.
'You were not on my land,' he said briefly, and flashed a look at Yasmin.
Leon began to thank him, but he raised his hand in an imperious gesture, then walked across to the door. Casting a delighted look at Leon, Yasmin followed, and he led her across a short open space to where a much smaller cottage lay half hidden amongst some trees.
There were two rooms only, a large kitchen and a small room leading off it. They were simply furnished, but the cottage was spotlessly clean.
'I will arrange to have a mattress in the kitchen for Leon. Where do you think is the best place?' Sir Edward asked, and Yasmin selected the corner that was warm, out of draughts, and convenient. 'I will send over all the things you are likely to need for a day or so, food and bedding. There is a bed in the other room you can use. Are there sufficient pots and plates and so on?'
She nodded, overwhelmed with what was happening, and tried to thank him, but he shook his head.
'I will hear all about it later,' was all he said as he turned to leave the cottage. 'I will send now for the men and they can help me move your cousin.'
Swiftly it was accomplished. Leon was lifted on his mattress, and carried across to the other cottage where a fire had been lit already. Sir Edward made certain all was well, and then spoke to Leon.
'I have business in London and will be away for a few days, but the doctor will call every day, and my sister will bring all you need later. Do not hesitate to ask for anything she forgets.'
* * * *
He was gone, and suddenly Yasmin felt as though the sun had fallen from the sky. Although his actions had been kind, and more, far more, than they could have hoped for, he had been curt with them both, and she feared he resented the time and trouble involved in assisting them. She could not blame him if he did, but longed for another smile such as the one she had treasured from their first meeting. She had little time to brood however, for within a few minutes of his departure there was a shout from outside, and a man, obviously a groom, appeared in the doorway.
'May I come in?' he asked politely enough, though his expression as he eyed Yasmin from head to foot made her flush with mortification. She could read well what he thought of her.
'Out of my way, Wilson,' came another voice, and he moved swiftly aside to allow a girl to enter. 'Unload the parcels from the gig and bring them in. Hello,' she turned to Yasmin. 'I am Maria Curtis, my brother told me to bring food and bedding and – Why! You are the golden gypsy who sang so wonderfully at the fair the other day! I cannot be mistaken! I wonder why Ned did not say who you were, when he must have known? Did you know that was what he called you? He was most impressed with your singing.'
'I – I remember you too,' was all Yasmin could think to say in response to this effusively friendly speech. Maria smiled and set about unpacking the parcels and baskets Wilson was bringing in. Yasmin was overcome by the lavishness of the gifts. There was food in plenty for a week or more, and not only the plain foods they might have been expected to need, but many delicacies as well. There were blankets, and linen for the beds, and everything else that could possibly be required including medicines to help Leon sleep or reduce the pain he might feel. Yasmin stammered her thanks, but Maria laughed them away.
'I did not know whether you had any clothes with you,' she said a little shyly, so I brought a couple of my old dresses, for I thought they might be useful. But I see you have some.' She indicated Yasmin's bundle, which was in a corner of the kitchen beside her guitar.
'That was thoughtful of you,' Yasmin answered. 'I have some, but Leon has nothing.'
Maria looked at them curiously. 'I will find some for him, then. I understood most gypsies travelled about in groups. You were with a large group, singing and dancing at the fair. Do you separate afterwards?'
'No, it was a special journey I had to make,' Yasmin answered, not certain how much to confide in Maria. 'Leon had – had not intended to come, you see, and it was dark in the woods, and we did not see the trap.'
Maria shuddered. 'Oh, those horrible traps! I keep telling Charlotte she ought to beg her father to remove them, but she will not. She says if people trespass they can expect to be punished.'
'Charlotte?' Yasmin exclaimed, then blushed, but Maria was talking again and did not appear to notice anything strange in her exclamation.
'Charlotte Massey. She is a friend of mine, we were at school together, and since her father's lands run next to Ned's we see a great deal of her.'
'Then her father must be the Squire Mrs Barber mentioned.'
'Yes, he is called that in the village. Sir John Massey is a hard man, and we do not have much to do with him. It is as well he did not discover you and your cousin. It
is
cousins, isn't it? Ned did say that. But what are your names? I cannot keep calling you nothing!'
Leon, who had been listening to her chatter in amusement, laughed at this, and she grinned across at him.
'I am Yasmin Boswell, and this is Leon Boswell.'
'Yasmin! What a pretty name! I do not recall you singing at the fair, Leon.'
'No,' he replied. 'I do not sing. I carve and sell figures.'
'Oh, yes, now I think I remember you. Were you at the fair in the autumn? Ned bought me a delicious carved figure of a dancer then. Was that yours?'
'It may have been, I have carved many such.'
'It is beautiful, and I do indeed treasure it. And I thought your singing and dancing were wonderful, Yasmin. I wish I could play my guitar half so well! Ned says it is his favourite instrument, but he does not greatly appreciate my playing of it! I wonder,' she added, then paused and smiled at Yasmin, 'would you be willing to teach me a little?'
'Of course I will,' Yasmin replied eagerly, seeing in this a minor way in which she could repay the kindness Maria had shown.
'Then, if it would not disturb Leon to have a very bad musician making noises here, may I come tomorrow? I had meant to come and see how you did in any event.'
'That would be delightful,' Yasmin exclaimed, and Leon agreed.
'Good. I must go now, I am afraid. Is there anything I have forgotten? Or anything else you need?'
When she was convinced they had everything she went outside to where Wilson was sitting waiting in the gig. He sprang out to assist her up the step, and winked at Yasmin in a most unpleasant fashion while Maria's back was turned. She stared haughtily at him, and he eventually dropped his gaze. Yasmin hoped he would not prove to be a nuisance while they remained in the cottage. How long would that be, she wondered as she watched Maria drive away, turning to wave with her whip before she drove out of sight through the trees. What would happen
now?
At least Leon was being taken care of, and would recover, but what then? Ought she to marry him, or send him back to the tribe while she tried to make a new life for herself? Neither prospect was enticing, and Yasmin, pushed the decision to the back of her mind and refused to consider it until it was unavoidable. It was much more enjoyable to think about Sir Edward.
Chapter 5
The next week passed quietly. Maria visited Yasmin every day, but to Yasmin's relief showed no desire to question her about her previous life. They played the guitar, and Maria explained she had received a few lessons at school, but while she was in the country there was no one to teach her.
'When we go to town later in the season I intend to have more lessons,' she said, and Yasmin thought dismally of that time when she would have no opportunity of seeing Sir Edward either, for of a certainty he also would go to London. However often she told herself her love for him was hopeless, it made not the slightest difference to her longing for him.
Leon was doing well, his bruises gone and his leg mending satisfactorily. The doctor now called every two days, but Yasmin was beginning to fret about how they could earn some money to pay for his visits, for she could not bear the idea of being beholden to Sir Edward and Maria more than necessary. She mentioned the problem to Maria once, but was told Sir Edward would see to everything when he returned. Yasmin was awaiting that day most impatiently, chafing as the days passed by and he did not reappear.
At last Maria came with news her brother had returned the evening before.
'He will ride over later, he said, but he has some estate matters to deal with first. He asked me to present his apologies for being absent for longer than he gave you to expect. He was delayed unexpectedly in town.'
She was frowning and thoughtful, and could not concentrate on her guitar playing that morning. This was so unusual Yasmin asked if there was anything wrong.
'I am sorry, Yasmin, I am preoccupied. No, nothing is amiss, at least I do not think so, but Ned is worried. He said at dinner last night that secret plans seem to have reached Napoleon. He has several friends in the Admiralty and in the Navy, you see,' she explained. 'He heard from them. It seems the orders sent to Nelson off Toulon and Cornwallis off Brest were copied and sent to Napoleon.'
'Are they still blockading the French?' Yasmin asked eagerly. 'I have heard so little news since – for months,' she amended hastily.
Maria explained the French ships were still penned into the harbours of Brest and Toulouse, as they had been since the previous year.
'What difference does it make if Napoleon does know the orders?' Yasmin asked. 'If his ships cannot get out, he is helpless.'
'I don't know, but Ned is worried. He seems to know a good deal about it,' she commented.
'My mother's brother is at the Admiralty, although I did not realise it when she was alive. I found it odd she used to be especially interested in Navy affairs,' Yasmin said incautiously, and did not reflect until afterwards that her remark must have sounded very odd coming from a supposed gypsy. Maria had given her a quick, surprised glance, but Yasmin had not seen it, being absorbed in thoughts of Sir Edward.