Was Marged pregnant?
And then infant shouts were audible above the sounds of the horses’ hooves and labored breathing. Idris! The lad needed to be chained to his mother’s apron. And he had other lads with him! They were darting among the men, yelling and gesticulating. Idris himself made straight for the horses.
“They have the park surrounded,” he cried, “and the smithy too. Everyone is to go around behind the hill and up over it to Mr. Williams’s farm.”
Damn! He might have guessed they would have the final trap set. And obviously they knew about Aled too.
“Why there, lad?” he asked, leaning down while holding Mrs. Phillips steady.
“There is to be an engagement party for Mr. Rhoslyn and Ceris Williams,” Idris said. “The Reverend Llwyd has arranged it all. You are to get there as fast as possible.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Geraint said.
“It is a good thing I proposed to Ceris first,” Aled said dryly. “Come on, lad, ride with me.” He reached down a hand.
All the men were changing direction and increasing their pace.
Chapter 28
MARGED had relinquished the spinning wheel to her mother-in-law and was playing her harp and singing at the request of Eurwyn’s grandmother. She was feeling a certain melancholy enjoyment of the quiet evening. Change was imminent. She was not quite sure what was going to happen, but something was going to. If Rebecca married her—when Rebecca married her, would he be willing to take on two other women too? Two women who were related to her only through her first husband? Would he be able to afford to take them on even if he was willing? Perhaps Waldo Parry would continue to work for them so that they could live independently.
“There is busy the lane is tonight,” her mother-in-law said, pausing in her spinning as Marged came to the end of a song. She sat in a listening attitude.
And then Marged heard it too—the sound of footsteps and voices. She crossed to the small window and peered out into the darkness. Actually it was not so dark. The moon and stars were beaming down from a clear sky. There were definitely men going past. And then she both heard and saw horses—two of them. Her face jerked closer to the glass. One of the riders was Rebecca. The other—Aled—was bending to open the gate, and the two of them were riding into the farmyard.
“What is happening, Marged, fach?” her grandmother asked from the inglenook beside the fire.
“Visitors,” she said, and darted for the passage and the outer door.
“Marged!” Rebecca was calling for her even before she had the door open. There was a note of urgency in his voice.
Had they been out without her? she wondered. Or were they on their way and had come for her? But there was someone on the horse with Rebecca, she saw as she hurried across the farmyard toward him.
“This is Mrs. Phillips from the Cilcoed tollgate on the other side of the village,” he said. “They are after us, Marged. We have to get to Ninian Williams’s farm. May Mrs. Phillips take shelter here for the night? I’ll make other arrangements for her tomorrow.”
“Of course.” Marged looked in some bewilderment at the little old lady who had used to live in Glynderi until the death of her husband. Rebecca was swinging down from the saddle and lifting Mrs. Phillips down even as she spoke. “Ninian Williams’s?”
“He is giving an engagement party for Ceris and me,” Aled said with a grin. He was scrubbing at the blacking on his face with the sleeve of his robe. “Your father has arranged it.”
“Oh, Duw, it feels good to have my feet on firm earth again,” Mrs. Phillips said. “I do remember your Eurwyn’s gran well, Marged Evans.”
Rebecca was escorting her to the door. Marged went after them to open it. She was feeling rather as if she had stepped into some bizarre and senseless dream. “They are after you?” she said.
“Take Mrs. Phillips in, if you please, Marged,” Rebecca said. “Your in-laws would not appreciate the sight of me. I must be going.”
But her mother-in-law had come to the door, drawn by curiosity. Her mouth gaped when she saw Rebecca.
“You are not to worry, Mrs. Evans, fach,” Mrs. Phillips said. “It is only Rebecca. And a more courteous gentleman I could not hope to meet this side of the grave. He has rescued me from ruffians who would have harmed me—if they could have got past my big stick.” She cackled with amusement.
Marged caught at Rebecca’s sleeve. “You are going?” she said. “To Ninian Williams’s?”
“There is not a moment to lose,” he said. “They may be at our heels even now.”
“I am going with you,” she said. “Mam, look after Mrs. Phillips, will you? Give her my bed. I will sleep on the settle when I get back.” She stepped inside the door, grabbed her cloak from a hook inside, and strode over to the horse, which Rebecca had already mounted.
He reached down a hand and helped her up. “I have the feeling this is going to be the denouement,” he said. “I suppose it is fitting you be there, Marged.”
They followed Aled through the gate and turned downward toward the Williams farm. He had sounded reluctant, Marged thought, turning her head to look into his masked face. They had been out tonight—to Mrs. Phillips’s gate—and had not let her know. Had that been Aled’s oversight or had it been done on Rebecca’s instructions? I suppose it is fitting you be there. They were grudging words. Did he not really want her there?
“Don’t look at me like that,” he said. “There was a trap set for us tonight, Marged, and I knew about part of it. I could not stay at home, though. I had heard that they were to set up their own Rebecca to harm Mrs. Phillips and discredit me with my own people. There was more danger than usual tonight and still is. I instructed Aled that you were not to be told.”
“Because I am a woman,” she said.
“Yes, because you are a woman,” he said, his voice exasperated. “Not because I did not want you with me, Marged.”
But there was no time for more conversation. They turned into the laneway leading to Ninian Williams’s farm and were there a minute later. The door was wide-open and there was light and noise coming from inside. There were a few men in the yard, scrubbing their faces at the pump, and two women bearing towels.
“Down you get, men.” Ninian himself was greeting them in the yard. “I will have your horses put with ours and no one will know the difference. Into the house with you. We have an engagement to celebrate and now we will have both halves of the couple in attendance. Hello, Marged. I am glad you could come at such short notice.”
They were inside the house a few moments later, blinking in the lamplight. Rebecca had a hand against the small of her back. The room was full of men and women and even a few children. The kitchen table was laden with food, as though the party had been planned a week ago. And then silence fell.
“Rebecca,” Mrs. Williams said, her hands clasped to her bosom. She sounded frightened.
“Aled, you are safe.” Ceris flew toward him, her hands outstretched as he peeled off his dark wig. “Take off the gown quickly and we will hide it with the wig. Wash your face.”