The Forest - Edward Rutherfurd [103]
There was silence. It was wise, if an old Forest man like Puckle said a thing like that, to pay attention.
Early the next morning Puckle talked to Luke. ‘Two pounds is a lot,’ he said sadly.
‘Your lot won’t talk, will they?’
‘Better not. But people are going to start looking now. They see you they’ll think: “Now which one of his nephews is that?” I reckon someone’ll put two and two together.’
‘I told Mary.’
‘That was stupid.’ Puckle shrugged. ‘Still, I don’t reckon she’ll talk.’
‘So what’ll I do?’
‘Don’t know.’ He looked thoughtful. Then suddenly his gnarled face broke into a grin. ‘I reckon I do, though.’ He nodded his shaggy head. ‘How’d you like to help me build another charcoal fire?’
Tom Furzey’s sister had always been puzzled about the pony, but now, she thought, as she walked across Beaulieu Heath towards St Leonards, she probably had the answer.
And best of all, it was worth a fortune.
It had been chance that she should have been up so early the day before. Her husband had set two rabbit snares in the woods in the valley and she had decided to walk down that way to see if he’d caught anything. She’d been just about to go down the slope when she had caught sight of a muffled figure running, stooped over, from Tom’s place into the trees.
For some time she’d stood there, wondering who it could possibly be. Even when she had found a rabbit and brought it home, she had kept the thing to herself. Then, that very day, had come news of the prior’s reward and the suspicion had grown into a certainty. It was Luke. It had to be.
That probably explained the pony too. Luke Pride was hanging about at Tom’s place, sneaking in and out at night. He must have been the one who replaced the pony like that, then. Cheeky devil.
She smiled now, though. The Prides were going to get their come-uppance after all. She and Tom could enjoy it equally. ‘A pound for him and a pound for me,’ she muttered.
It was near the end of the working day when she reached St Leonards. She found Tom easily enough and took him to one side.
When she had finished her tale, his round face broke into a happy smile. ‘Got ’em,’ he said.
‘It’s Luke, isn’t it?’
‘’Course it is. Has to be.’
‘Two pounds, Tom. Equal shares. We can start watching tonight.’
He frowned. ‘Trouble is, I’m supposed to stay here tonight. We start at dawn, see?’ Brother Adam had come past only a short while before to ensure himself that everyone was accounted for.
‘You could slip away, couldn’t you? After dark?’
‘I suppose so.’
‘I’ll be waiting, then. Two pounds, Tom. I’ll take it all if you don’t turn up.’
It was long past dark when Brother Adam quietly tethered his horse and began to creep towards the edge of the paddock. It was very black so that once or twice he even had to feel his way. At the edge he paused. Slowly he began to make his way towards the vague shape of the barn.
When something threw him to the ground.
It was like a huge double blow to his back. He had no idea what it was, but he hit the ground so hard he was winded. An instant later his two assailants had his arms and were trying to turn him over. He still couldn’t speak, but he kicked out violently. He heard a man’s voice curse. Then one of the two wrapped his arms round his legs while the other punched him, very effectively in the solar plexus. It seemed to Adam that neither of his assailants was very large, but both were strong.
Were they robbers? Here? His mind was just starting to work again when, with a sinking heart, he heard the voice of Tom Furzey.
‘Caught you.’
What in the world could he say? He could think of nothing. Was this peasant going to haul him back to the abbey for fornicating with his wife? What would become of him?
One of the two was fumbling with something.