‘Here we are, Miss Violet. William here is going to help us get down safely,’ I said, trying to make it sound like the prospect of getting into a dark hole with a strange man was okay. Violet’s eyes widened.
‘No… I don’t want to.’ She looked up at her mother, who was staring at the hole with a similar amount of distrust and horror. I felt terrible for both of them. They had gone through so much in their lives already, so much pain and fear. I didn’t want to bring any more stress into their already deeply traumatised existence, and I knew that if a stranger came to my bedroom at night and led me into the depths of my house, and then suggested I climb into a dark hole underground, I would tell them to bugger off in no uncertain terms.
But, there was nowhere else to go.
I had one more card to play, and I had no choice but to trust Lady Hermione Trevarron with a secret that could have meant mine and William’s death.
‘Hermione. Listen. This man is William De Vere Trevarron,’ I began, beckoning to William. He climbed out of the tunnel andstood in the scullery, looming over all of us. ‘William was the Lord of Trevarron in 1755. We are here to save you.’
‘What?’ Hermione spat. ‘This is nonsense. I cannot believe that we trusted you. Violet, come here. We will find our own way out of this house. I am Lady Trevarron. I will simply hire a coachman to come and get us.’
‘Hermione. That won’t work. Your husband has everything you do watched,’ I protested. ‘We have to go. Now.’
I had heard the footsteps outside, but I thought they’d passed us by.
I was wrong.
Two men burst into the scullery. One of them had Aunt Bill’s arm held cruelly behind her back, and she was cursing the air blue in protest. Both of them ignored her.
‘What’s all this then?’ One of them cocked his head curiously at us. ‘We all ’avin a party down ’ere, are we?’
‘Tegan. Take the ladies.’ William rolled up his sleeves. ‘Sir, I advise you to unhand that woman.’
‘Ohhh. ’Ee advises us.’ The one holding Aunt Bill laughed cruelly. ‘Well, we better ’ad then.’ He stared menacingly at William. ‘Lady Trevarron. Kindly take Miss Trevarron back upstairs. We will deal with these impostors.’
Hermione stared at the two men and then at me.
‘Harold. You have been a butler here for ten years,’ she said, in a quavering voice. ‘Please let Miss Penrose go. She is my daughter’s governess.’
‘With respect, milady, she is nothin’ but a common thief. We caught ’er stealin’ your jewellery.’ The butler reached into his own pocket and held out a jewelled necklace. ‘Kindly do as I say. I am in charge when milord is not home.’ He looked puffed with importance and I hated him on sight.
‘I do not believe that, Harold,’ Hermione said, slowly. ‘I think you are lying, and that you and my husband are trying to trap me and my daughter.’
‘Milady. Upstairs. Now,’ Harold ordered in a curt tone. ‘I will not be lectured by a woman, lady or not.’
That was it for William.
He moved quickly. Years of boxing in the Navy and beating men in bare-knuckle fights in taverns had taught him a lot about punching first and asking questions later.
He ran at Harold, who instructively let go of Aunt Bill and held up his hands in defence. William collided with the butler and pushed him into the wall.
The other man – a footman, I thought, as he wore the same uniform as the man that Aunt Bill had whacked over the head upstairs – came at William from behind, but William was clearly au fait with fighting two men at the same time. He roared as the man’s weight hit him, and turned fast, fists flying. He caught the footman hard on the chin, knocking him backwards and onto the floor, and returned to Harold.
Pinning the butler against the wall, William’s hand went around his throat.
‘Don’t ever disrespect a Lady of Trevarron ever again,’ he growled. ‘You have no right to lay your hands on any woman in anger or for any other reason,’ he continued, squeezing. ‘You are an embarrassment to all men. How dare you order Lady Hermione to do anything? I should see you whipped.’
Harold’s face started to go purple.
Violet screamed, and Hermione hugged her close, her eyes wild with fear.
‘Come now, milady.’ Aunt Bill rushed forward and took Hermione’s hand. ‘We ’ave to go.’
This time, Hermione and Violet didn’t delay in climbing down after Aunt Bill. I watched them lower themselves into the tunnel.
‘Tegan. Go with them. I will follow.’ William turned to me.
‘I won’t go without you.’ I held out my hands to him. ‘William, please!’
