Page 96 of Feathers in the Wind
“That is a serious siege gun,” Luke said in a low voice. “A forty eight pounder cannon, unless I am greatly mistaken.”
“No, you’re not, friend.” They turned to see a young man, one of the townsfolk, Deliverance presumed. “A whole cannon they call it. Over ten feet long, she is. They call her the ‘Thunderer’.”
“I didn’t know guns had names?” Deliverance cast a questioning glance at Luke.
“Only the special ones,” their informant told them. “God help those poxy rebels when they meets her, is all I can say.”
“Indeed,” Luke replied. “God help them.”
The onlookers were ushered back by an officer, and the artillerymen set the fuse alight. Fire spurted from the mouth of the mighty weapon with an accompanying roar that rocked the walls on which Deliverance and Luke stood.
With her ears still ringing, she looked at Luke. He stared at the gun, his mouth set in a grim line.
“Time to go,” he mouthed and taking Deliverance by the arm he guided her back into the town.
They turned down the High Street towards the stable where they had left the cob.
They were only a matter of yards from the lane that led to the stables when a body of soldiers wheeled around the corner. Luke and Deliverance stepped back into the shelter of a doorway to allow the troops to pass them. At their rear, a young officer in well-polished breast and back plate and gorget, glanced in their direction. Her heart skipped a beat and she pulled the hat brim low down across her face.
“Go on,” she begged the officer silently. “Just walk on, ignore us.”
The young man stopped, his mouth dropping open in surprise.
“Deliverance?”
She looked up and forced herself to smile into the puzzled face of Jack Farrington.
Chapter 5
Deliverance? What are you doing in Ludlow?” A mixture of pleasure and puzzlement mingled with anger crossed Jack’s face. Jack had never been good at hiding his feelings.
Deliverance cast her eyes around the street and lighted on the apothecary. For one of the few times in her life, she lied. “I had to fetch some medicine from the apothecary.”
When he looked unconvinced, she compounded the lie, using the one weapon in her armoury she knew would find its mark with Jack Farrington. “Penitence is unwell.”
She scored a hit. His expression changed to one of the deepest concern.
“Is she all right?”
“The recent trouble at the castle affected her deeply, and she has contracted a chill to her chest,”
Deliverance continued. “I had to take the risk of coming to Ludlow.” Jack’s gaze strayed to Luke. “Who’s this? I don’t recognise him?”
“Oh, that’s only poor Tom Perry, Jake Peverill’s nephew from Gloucester.” She leaned toward Jack and dropped her voice. “He was dropped on his head when he was a babe.” She tapped her skull. “Quite mazed, but he’s good with horses, so Father sent him north.”
Jack looked at Luke again, who affected a glazed stare into the middle distance. He frowned. “He looks a strapping fellow. Strange of your father to send him away from Gloucester.”
“Useless with weapons,” Deliverance said. She glanced anxiously around the street. “Are you going to let me go, Jack? I really must get this medicament back to Penitence.”
For a moment Jack looked confused. Loyalty to his father dictated he should detain her, possibly indefinitely. Loyalty to Penitence told him to release her.
“Go,” he said, adding in a tone that he no doubt intended to sound fierce, “but don’t let me catch you here again, Deliverance.”
“Now, Jack, don’t be so hasty.”
Jack visibly flinched as a hand gripped his shoulder and Deliverance’s heart lurched. The dark shadow of Charles Farrington shadow fell across them. Deliverance cast wildly around. Except for Luke, who moved in closer behind her, and the Farrington brothers, they were alone in the narrow street.
“Kind of you to pay us a visit, Mistress Felton.” Charles sneered and gave her a mock bow. “And what brings you to Ludlow on this fine day?”
