was another shout and a tall, thick-set man pushed through the bushes towards them. He was carrying a shotgun, but Zelah was relieved that he was not threatening anyone with it.
‘What is going on here? Miller? Who the devil are these people?’
‘Trespassers, Sir Oswald. They—’
The major interrupted him. ‘I am Coale, from Rooks Tower. If this is your man, then I’d be pleased if he’d unhand my young friend.’
‘Major Coale, aye, of course. Let the boy go, William.’
Reluctantly the man released his grip and Nicky tore himself free and ran over to Zelah, clutching at her skirts. Sir Oswald watched him, then looked at Zelah, giving her a rueful smile.
‘I beg your pardon if my bailiff frightened your boy, ma’am, but I have been having a great deal of trouble from the village children running in and out of the woods at all times, causing havoc.’
‘Mayhap they dispute your ownership of these woods,’ put in Dominic.
‘These are ignorant folk, Major. Just because they have been allowed to use the land in the past they think they have a right to it, but it ain’t so. I have to keep ‘em out.’
‘By beating small boys who wander inadvertently onto your land?’ The major’s lip curled. ‘Your methods are a little extreme.’
‘But what can I do?’ Sir Oswald shrugged. ‘We are culling the deer and I would not want to risk shooting anyone.’ He looked back at his bailiff. ‘It’s all right, Miller, you may go back to your work, I’ll escort these good people back to the lane.’ Sir Oswald stretched out his arm, as if shepherding them along. Zelah took Nicky’s hand and led him away. Behind her she could hear Sir Oswald’s voice.
‘I do not say I like appearing the ogre, Major, but I have to protect my own, and these people are very stubborn. Is it any wonder that Miller has become a little … hardened? But he knows his territory. Believe me, no one will come to any harm as long as they stay off my land.’
‘I do believe we have been warned off,’ murmured Dominic, when they were once more on the path and making their way back to the village.
‘What a horrid man.’ Zelah shivered. ‘Heaven knows what would have happened to Nicky if we had not been there.’
‘He has no right to shoot the deer,’ declared Nicky, who was recovering from his ordeal. ‘They have been there for ever, and it’s not his land.’
‘Well, that is what your papa is trying to prove.’ Zelah squeezed his hand. ‘I hope he is successful. I do not like to think of Sir Oswald riding roughshod over everyone.’
‘There must be documents,’ said Dominic. ‘Papers stating what belongs to the village.’
‘There are, but they are old and not very clear.’
‘Robin says it’s to do with the boundary stones,’ said Nicky.
‘Oh?’ Zelah glanced down. ‘And who is Robin?’
‘He’s my friend.’
‘Another one?’ The major’s brows lifted. ‘I thought I was your friend.’
‘Robin is a different friend. He lives in the woods.’
‘Ah, you mean the crow catcher.’ Dominic turned to Zelah to explain. ‘There is an old man who is paid to do odd jobs around the village, trapping crows or catching moles, helping out at lambing. In winter I believe he lives with his sister in the village, but during the better weather he has a hut on the edge of the forest. I did not know he was a friend of yours, Nicky.’
‘Oh, yes. Sometimes he lets me go hunting with him, sometimes we just follow the deer, to watch them.’
‘Well, you had best warn this friend to avoid Sir Oswald Evanshaw’s land,’ said Zelah. ‘I don’t think that bailiff of his would think twice about giving an old man a beating.’
‘They won’t catch Robin,’ said Nicky confidently. ‘He knows everything about the land here.’
They had reached the village and the major’s groom was standing with the curricle outside the smithy, waiting for them. Nicky forgot everything save the excitement of climbing into this elegant equipage, where he sat between Zelah and the major as they drove back to West Barton. Zelah glanced at the bluebells, still cradled on her arm.
‘I almost dropped them all when we ran into Sir Oswald and his horrid bailiff, but I am very glad I did not. They are beginning to droop a little, but I think they will recover, do not you, Major?’
He took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at the mass of nodding bells.
‘I am sure they will. You have a knack of reviving wilting spirits, Miss Pentewan.’
It was only natural that Nicky should describe the events in Prickett Wood to his parents. Maria had been outraged at the treatment of her son and Reginald immediately called for his horse and rode off to confront Sir Oswald. The ladies waited anxiously for his return and Maria was just suggesting they should put dinner back an hour when Reginald came in, a frown darkening his usually genial features.
‘Oh, my dear, I was beginning to worry that you might have come to blows.’ Maria ran to her husband and took his arm, coaxing him to a chair.
‘He could not have been more accommodating, damned scoundrel. Apologised profusely, said his man, Miller, was over-zealous.’
‘So it will not happen again?’ Zelah enquired.
Reginald’s scowl darkened. ‘Damned rascal had the nerve to say he hoped I’d be able to keep my family away from his land, because he’s putting mantraps in Prickett Wood!’
Zelah was present when Reginald explained the situation to Nicky, impressing upon his son how important it was that he did not stray on to Sir Oswald’s land.
‘But Prickett Wood isn’t his land, it belongs to the village,’ Nicky protested vehemently. ‘Robin says so!’
‘And I hope it is so, but until we can prove it, you must stay away. A mantrap can take a man’s leg off, Nicky, it is a barbaric device.’
‘But what about Robin, Papa? What about the villagers?’
‘Sir Oswald tells me he will post notices in Lesserton and at the edge of the wood. You must not worry about Robin, son, he’s too wily an old bird to be caught. As to the rest, well, we have a lawyer coming down from London in a few weeks’ time and he is bringing with him a copy of the royal charter. We must hope that settles the matter once and for all.’
Maria declared that if Reginald was not available to take his son to school and back then a servant should accompany him. She tried to insist that Zelah should take a servant with her to Rooks Tower each day, but the suggestion was energetically rebuffed.
‘My dear sister, your people have more than enough to do without accompanying me. Besides, my way goes nowhere near Sir Oswald’s land. I cross from the gardens directly into Major Coale’s woods.’
‘Who knows what danger may lurk there?’ Maria muttered darkly.
Zelah dismissed her sister’s concerns and happily made her way to Rooks Tower the following day, and she was somewhat surprised when Major Coale announced that he intended to accompany her on her homeward journey.
‘I assure you there is no need, sir.’
‘But I insist, Miss Pentewan.’
‘This is absurd,’ she challenged him. ‘There can be no danger from Sir Oswald or his men on your land.’
Something