As Meat Loves Salt

Caro gaped, then laughed. ‘You’ll not make a fool of me. You can’t see them from here.’

I took her by the shoulders and spoke into her face. ‘It may be that you cannot, but I can. Go get all the money and jewels there are, put them under your gown.’

‘I have none but—’

‘Hers, get hers,’ I cried. ‘These men are come for me. Then go the long way round to the stable, and wait.’

‘But they are not – how are they come for you?’

‘Come to hang me. Shape yourself! Stand here losing time, and you’ll see me kicking my heels.’

‘That can’t be. A man can’t just come—’

‘And then it will be you. Don’t you see? She has told them of our reading!’

Caro stared at me stupidly. ‘To be hanged? For that? Nay, they—’

‘Must I spell it out? They’ll put the boy’s death on us now.’

She flinched away in terror.

‘Get her jewels,’ I repeated, feeling myself in a nightmare wherein I was running for my life and everything conspired to hold me back.

‘But she has been—’

‘Obey your husband,’ I shouted. Caro whirled about and ran through the door. I heard her high-heeled shoes thud along the corridor in the direction of the Mistress’s chamber.

One of the cupids was taking off his wings by the fountain. I hurried to the lad, bade him find the groomsmen, that was Mister Isaiah Cullen and Mister Zebedee, and say they should come at once, on a matter of great importance. ‘And don’t shout it out,’ I urged, showing him a penny. ‘Whisper in their ears, and fetch them back here.’

He ran off and I paced the grass, moaning with impatience. I had not told Caro the entire truth. The three persons I had named were indeed making towards us, but so were a larger group of men from Champains. It seemed my eyes were very much better than hers, for I had also seen muskets, and, hanging from one saddle, a chain.

My brothers arrived together, hot and breathless.

‘Is Caro hurt?’ Izzy panted as I handed the boy his penny. ‘Or is this some jest?’

I waited until the lad was out of earshot before saying, ‘There is an armed party coming along the Champains road: Patience, Walshe and Comish. With reinforcements.’

Never had I seen Zeb look so terrified. His warm colour drained at once. ‘Coming for me?’ he faltered.

‘Why you?’ Izzy’s voice was sharp.

‘Patience – the boy – but that’s none of my doing! You will bear witness, I gave of my tobacco—’

‘Friends do fall out,’ I said. ‘Can you prove you were not with him when he went under?’

Zeb grew paler still. ‘I was asleep in the chamber. But we can none of us stand witness for our brothers! Who will believe us?’

‘Patience? You are sure?’ Izzy urged me.

‘Yes! Yes! And we have no proof against her accusations.’

‘Nor has she any,’ he said.

‘She has her belly to prove some knowledge of us,’ I retorted. ‘And to come thus, they must believe the rest. Let’s be gone.’

Izzy said, ‘We all of us went to bed that night—’

‘They have joined together, and we sink or swim together,’ I cried.

‘Caro is gone to the stable with money and jewels. Will you seize the time?’

They stared at me, Izzy’s eyes screwed up in bewilderment, Zeb’s slowly clearing into decision.

‘You mean run away?’ Izzy asked at last. ‘Now, as we are?’ He looked from Zeb to me as if trying which of us would laugh first and spoil the jest.

Zeb caught hold of him. ‘I see it, Izz. Come with us, for the love of God,’ and he pulled Izzy along in the direction of the stable.

‘Indeed I will not!’ my elder brother cried, flinging about him. He knocked Zeb’s hand away. ‘I’ve done no wrong.’

‘Tisn’t what you’ve done, but what folk think,’ Zeb pleaded.

‘And if we cut away like a gang of thieves? What will they think then?’

‘Do what you will, I am going now,’ I said.

Izzy said, ‘You have doubtless your reasons.’ His eyes were suddenly grown cold. ‘But take Caro? To what purpose?’

‘She is my wife.’

‘Consider the danger you put her to.’

‘She is my wife,’ I repeated, feeling an obscure shame in the words as I turned and strode towards the stable. Zeb ran after me, then turned back and embraced Izzy. When he at last caught me up his cheeks were wet.

‘We lose time,’ I snapped.

Caro waited, bejewelled and trembling, at the stable door. I coughed at the scent of piss and straw, setting myself to obey Zeb’s orders for he was the only one who knew what he did.

‘Courage, child,’ he called to Caro as he ran about clutching spurs and whips. He was quick in saddling up.

‘Get up behind me,’ I called to Caro as I was about to mount.

‘Behind me, fool,’ Zeb hissed. ‘You’re too big and she needs to be with one who can ride. Give her a hand.’

‘The saddle’s wrong for a woman,’ Caro wailed. Shaking, clawing at Zeb’s coat, she put one leg across the horse, her gown bunching out fantastically on either side. The animal started forward.

‘Don’t squeeze him,’ Zeb rapped out. ‘Put your arms round me.’

‘I can’t do this.’ She was in tears.