Hope - Lesley Pearse [190]
‘That’s it, mam!’ Queenie yelled, her voice somewhat muffled by the man on top of her. ‘Nowstick this bastard!’
Hope rushed over, grabbed the man by the hair, and put the knife to his throat.
Suddenly she heard the sounds of feet blundering through the wood. Still holding the man, she glanced up to see three cavalrymen in their cherry-red breeches rushing towards her.
They took over then, one punching Queenie’s would-be rapist to the ground while another checked on the other man still lying there clutching at his side and moaning. The third cavalryman, tall and dark-haired, helped Queenie to her feet.
‘We’ll take you back to our camp,’ he said to Hope. ‘But would you mind putting that knife down first? It’s making me a bit nervous.’
The tall man, who introduced himself as Trooper Haynes, asked them a few questions as they walked back to the cavalry camp. The other two men were frogmarching the Turks back too, just behind them.
Queenie did all the explaining. Hope was too shocked to speak. She couldn’t really believe she’d actually stuck a knife into a man and might have cut the other one’s throat if she hadn’t been interrupted.
‘I’d best take you to the Captain,’ Haynes said as they approached the first line of tents. ‘They’ll see to the Turks,’ he said, nodding back at the two other men.
Hope was fighting to hold back her tears, wanting to talk to Queenie alone, and the last thing she wanted was to have to explain how it all came about to a complete stranger. But she knew enough about army life now to understand an incident like this had to be reported properly.
Haynes led her through a rowof tents towards an officer writing at a low table. The man had his back to them, but as Haynes spoke, he turned, and as Hope sawhis face, her legs gave way beneath her.
She must have lost consciousness for only a second or two as she was still on the ground when she came round. She could hear Haynes just starting to explain what had happened in the woods, and he was kneeling beside her putting something soft beneath her head.
‘Lie still,’ he said, his dark eyes looking right into hers. ‘You’ve had a very bad shock and you fainted. I understand your husband is a surgeon; I’ll send someone to go and get him.’
‘If you don’t mind me saying so, sir, what she could do with is a drop of brandy or rum.’ Queenie spoke up out of Hope’s line of vision. ‘I know I could do with some an’ all.’
That was exactly what Hope felt she could do with. The last thing she’d ever expected to come across out here in Varna, so far from home, was a reminder of Briargate. Coming face to face with Captain Angus Pettigrew was an even bigger shock than finding she was capable of sticking a knife into a man’s ribs.
She thought of Nell and her home village often, but her memories of Briargate had long since become indistinct. Yet now as she sawthe Captain’s face everything came back to her in a rush.
He was still every bit as handsome and dashing, even if his dark hair was growing grey. As a woman she could now understand why Lady Anne had risked so much for him.
Why hadn’t she even considered that he might be here? She’d been told he was a cavalry officer after all.
‘I’m fine now,’ she said, and sat up. She wanted to get away, afraid he might recognize her. But even as she thought that, she almost laughed at herself. Men like him didn’t take any notice of servants, certainly not twelve-year-old kitchenmaids.
He reached down and took her hand to help her up, then insisted she sit down in his chair. His servant came forward with a glass of something for both her and Queenie which burned Hope’s throat when she took the first sip. She thought it must be brandy, for when she looked round at Queenie, she was smacking her lips with delight.
Queenie explained everything to the Captain, for Hope was too stunned to say anything. ‘Weren’t she smart gettin’ the knife out the basket?’ Queenie gushed excitedly. ‘I saw her stick it up her sleeve out the corner of me eye, but I never expected her to use it on ’im.’
‘It was quick thinking indeed,’ the