Page 40 of By the Sword
‘Do another one,’ Janet demanded.
Jonathan smiled and produced another groat. He held it in the palm of his hand for all the children to see then closed his fingers over it.
‘Now.’ He addressed Janet. ‘You must tap my hand three times and say the magic words.’
‘What magic words?’
Jonathan raised his eyebrows. ‘You don’t know any magic words?’ Janet shook her head, her eyes round with concern. ‘Well, try saying “Tush, hush by the fairy’s ear, make my coin disappear”.’
Solemnly Janet complied with the instructions. When she had completed the task, Jonathan uncurled his fingers. A collective sigh went up from the children as his palm was revealed to be empty.
‘Where’d it go?’ Janet wailed.
‘Why here, pretty maid.’ Jonathan put his hand up to her head and produced the coin from behind her ear.
Suzanne took his arm as they sat down for the meal. ‘You have a very fine way with children.’ She gave him a direct look that was so like Kate’s, except Suzanne’s eyes were brown. ‘Do you, by chance, have any of your own?’
‘I have neither wife nor child,’ Jonathan replied with a smile that he knew was not echoed in his eyes. ‘My life has not lent itself to such commitments of home and hearth.’
‘Well that, sir, is your loss,’ William said. ‘Home and hearth, wife and bairns. Nothing like it, in my opinion. Come, Sir Jonathan, take a seat. We have one of the finest cooks in the county and I do believe there is beef on the menu. Suzanne thinks you need feeding up and I have to agree with her. Too thin, man, too thin.’ William slapped his well-fed stomach that strained against the fastenings of his jacket.
The rowdy, joyful meal was quite unlike the painfully formal occasions Jonathan remembered enduring as a boy. The walk from the manor had given him an appetite and the table groaned with food. For a penniless exile living a hand-to-mouth existence during the best of times, it was probably more foodthan Jonathan had seen in the last year. Little wonder William considered him thin.
The afternoon wore on and darkness closed in. It had been agreed that the visitors would spend the night, a decision for which Jonathan was profoundly grateful. With the combined effects of the brandy and William’s excellent wine, he seriously doubted if he could have staggered beyond the front door.
The children were harried off to bed and Suzanne and Kate left the men to their pipes in front of the fireplace. William propped his feet on one of the dogs, who shifted slightly but did not complain.
‘Have some more brandy, lad.’ He refilled Jonathan’s glass. ‘Eh, you’ve got a bit of colour, now. That’s grand to see. Have you a mind to share a pipe of tobacco?’
Tobacco being a luxury Jonathan rarely indulged in, he lit the pipe William loaned him and drew in, deeply and thankfully, savouring the indulgence. William did likewise and they sat in companionable, masculine silence for a while before William took the pipe from his mouth.
‘Suzanne and I, we worry about young Kate.’
‘In what way?’
‘Too set in her ways. A lass like that should not spend her life fretting away over a husband seven years in his grave. Don’t you agree, lad?’
Jonathan spluttered an incoherent response.
‘Young Richard was a good lad, but he was too interested in books. Could never get him out with the hounds. Do you hunt, lad?’
‘I used to, years ago, before the war of course,’ Jonathan said, grateful that the conversation had turned away from the uncomfortable subject of Kate Ashley.
‘Good hunting down your way?’ William inquired.
Jonathan shook his head. ‘Not anymore. The forests have been cleared for wood and the wildlife decimated.’
‘Aye, much the same round here,’ William agreed with a tone of regret. ‘I suppose you’ve naught much time for my sort?’
‘What sort is that?’ inquired Jonathan, thinking his words sounded a little slurred.
‘Those of us who had naught to do with fighting,’ said William.
‘You had your reasons, I suppose,’ Jonathan mused, holding out his glass gratefully as William slopped more brandy into it.
‘Aye, and I was right glad I’d no sons old enough to fight. Old David Ashley, he tried to get me to come along with him but I have a gammy leg, from a hunting accident ye know.’ He took another sip of his brandy. ‘I’ll not hide it from you, lad. Parliament had my money when they asked.’ He looked across at Jonathan. ‘I thought I should tell you, just so’s you know how I stand.’
Jonathan shook his head. ‘I like to think I’m a better judge of a man than that, Rowe.’
