Page 120 of Exile's Return
Chapter 54
Seven Ways, Worcestershire December 24, 1660
In the wintry rose garden at Seven Ways, a battle was in progress. The children, well rugged up, darted between the snow-covered garden beds, in a running battle of snowballs, led by Thomas Ashley on one side and Ann Longley on the other. The younger children, the twins Clare and Richard and little Henry, were towed along by older and larger children. Even shy Tabitha joined in the battle. The older women stood on the terrace shouting encouragement. Kit stood with his arm around his wife’s shoulder, giving instructions to Tom on the finer art of artillery fire.
Daniel paused at the door that led out onto the terrace and smiled as Agnes hurled a snowball with deadly accuracy, taking Tom’s hat from his head. Beside her, Frances appeared to have a ready supply of snowballs, and she showered these on the young man unmercifully.
‘Father! You’re home!’ Tabitha had seen Jonathan and she dropped her missile, running up the path toward the three men.
Kate Thornton whirled around, a smile lifting her face at the sight of her husband.
‘Welcome home,’ she said.
In two strides Jonathan had his wife in his arms, kissing her with the passion of two young lovers long separated.
Kit cleared his throat, and they appeared to remember the company they were in, separating with an embarrassed cough on the part of Jonathan and a becoming blush on Kate’s part.
With his arm around his wife’s shoulders, Jonathan surveyed the crowd. ‘Exactly how many people do we have staying here? Who are all these children?’
‘Mostly mine,’ Kit responded. ‘Those two,’ he indicated two young women, the younger of whom stood beside Tom Ashley, looking up at him with doe eyes, ‘are my wards…and those three,’ he pointed at three small girls, ‘are ours.’
‘I tell him it is God’s judgment,’ Thamsine said. She looked at Daniel. ‘How went your audience with the King? Did you explain about Kit?’
Daniel nodded. ‘Yes. You have the King’s pardon, Kit, but he counsels against any return to court. Others may not be so forgiving.’
Kit shuddered. ‘I can’t think of any place I would like to go to less.’ He nodded at his brother. ‘But thank you. It eases my mind somewhat.’
Daniel clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. He alone knew the burden Kit carried and would carry all his life. The ghosts of those men who died for his word would haunt him forever.
Nell kissed her husband. ‘Welcome home, husband…How was the King?’
‘The King is well, very well,’ Giles said. ‘He did his utmost to persuade us to stay for the Christmas festivities but,’ he glancedat Jonathan and Daniel, ‘these two were most insistent we return home.’
Nell tucked her hand into the crook of her husband’s elbow. ‘Never has anything felt more right,’ she said. ‘The King is back on the throne of England, and we have our lovely home back and our family around us. This is the perfect Christmas.’
Daniel glanced at Kate. ‘My dear Lady Thornton,’ he said. ‘Your house and your hospitality must be sorely stretched.’
Kate Thornton shook her head with a smile. ‘There is nothing that pleases me more than to have people around us again. I would not have invited you all for Christmas otherwise. Now come inside, all of you. There is spiced wine warming in the Great Hall, and you must tell us all the news from London.’
Daniel walked to the edge of the terrace. Agnes stood in the middle of the snowy garden, looking up at him, a snowball still clutched in her hand, wet snow clinging to her hair and clothes.
‘Well, are you going to just stare at her, boy?’ his mother said. ‘Go and kiss the poor girl.’
‘And do it properly,’ Frances put in.
Daniel took the stairs down into the garden in one bound, sweeping Agnes up into his arms and spinning her around. The children cheered.
Daniel smiled as he set his wife down. ‘Should you be playing such roughhouse games in your condition?’
Agnes’s hand went to the swell of her belly, still well concealed by her heavy woollen skirts.
‘I don’t think the baby has any complaints,’ she said.
‘Good.’
He kissed her again, his hand sliding beneath her cloak to rest on her stomach. From the moment she had told him that there would be a child born in spring, he had been in a state of wonder and awe.
Oblivious to the cheers and catcalls from the crowd around them, she melted into his arms, only to be jerked out of their embrace by a fusillade of cold, wet snowballs.
