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A few more paces, a little closer to escape. Back, back, back, her heart thudding painfully. The wind caught at her cloak, so that it flapped around her. The bull made a low growl, deep in its throat, like thunder, only infinitely more menacing. It took a step towards her.
A tree! There was a tree not far away, a fine spreading tree with a low branch just right for a tall girl to reach, if she jumped high. She was not far away now… if only the bull would stay where it was…
It took another step, then pawed the ground, tossing its massive head. And then it began to move…
Julia turned and fled, skirts held high, as fast as her legs could run. Behind her there were horrifying sounds but she did not look back, her eyes fixed on the prize ahead of her. Nearer… nearer… Her breath caught in her throat, her heart pounded, her legs ached… almost there…
The thunder behind her grew louder, with snorts and bellows, but she was there at last! She made a huge jump, grasped the branch, swung herself up and over it…
She was safe!
The bull crashed into the tree below her, shaking it so hard that she was knocked sideways, clinging desperately with arms and legs as she dangled below the branch, only inches above the creature below her. Another scramble put her on top of the branch again, inching her way nearer to the trunk. There she stopped, unable to go further, straddling the branch in the most unladylike manner.
Below her, the bull snorted, and pawed the ground, rumbling deep in his throat, pacing round the tree. He was not about to abandon his quarry.
Julia gazed longingly at the gate, not thirty yards away. So close, and yet she could not reach it. Here she must stay until the bull gave up his vigil below and allowed her to escape.
But as she settled down to wait, the bull lowered his head and slammed it into the tree trunk, shaking her so violently that she almost lost her balance and fell.
Clinging desperately to her branch, there was only one hope left. She began to pray.
12: To Aid A Lady
James’s fishing had not been as successful as he would have liked, but standing about beside the river had made him bitterly cold, and the prospect of a warm fire and a glass of brandy loomed large in his mind. This left him in something of a quandary, for he had hoped to catch enough for both the Park and the Manor. In the end, he decided that courtesy decreed he provide for the Park first, and perhaps he could spare a little for the rectory, too. Thomas was very fond of fish.
He packed up with fumbling fingers, for they were frozen to the bone, and began the short climb back to the cottage. It was as he made his way alongside the hedge bordering a newly-ploughed field that he became aware of a commotion on the other side of the hedge. The low growl of a heavy beast, the thump of hooves and something that sounded distressingly like a squeak of alarm. A lady’s squeak. And that was the field where Mr Simpson kept his bull.
Abandoning his fish, he ran full pelt along the hedge until he reached the gate into the bull’s field. He was in time to see the bull and a lady running… dear God, no! It was Julia! But before he could move, she had reached a tree, jumped — such a brave jump! — and was safe. Or was she? The bull crashed into the tree. His heart stopped as she was dislodged and hung suspended above the bull’s head. But she recovered, and made herself secure again. Lord, what a girl! Was there ever anyone to equal her for courage!
Again the bull attacked the tree, and now James had to act. Without a moment’s hesitation, he climbed the fence and ran towards the bull, yelling. The bull stopped, turned its head, saw him.
“Come on, you stupid fellow! Try me instead! Leave Julia alone.”
The bull merely stared at him. James stopped, waved his arms, moved backwards. Surely the bull would follow? Confused, the creature lowered its head, but stayed exactly where it was.
“Come on, now! This way, pea brain. You are supposed to eat grass, not pretty young ladies. Ah, yes, come on now, follow me.”
Slowly, step by step, the bull moved towards him. James backed away slowly, leading the creature away from the tree and the gate, allowing Julia the chance to escape. He was taking a terrible risk, he knew that, and he was shaking inside, but it had to be done. There was no time to go for help, for Julia had to be saved, no matter the cost.
He moved slowly, but the bull seemed disinclined to follow, so he kept yelling and waving, and eventually the bull had moved far enough that Julia could drop to the ground and begin to edge towards the gate. He sighed with relief — the bull had not noticed her. She was going to escape.
It was at that point that the bull decided that enough was enough. With a roar of displeasure, he lowered his head and began to move towards James, faster and faster. There was not much he could do, but he was very close to the hedge now, so he backed himself as close to it as he could. Surely even a brainless bull would not be stupid enough to stampede straight into a thick, thorny hedge?
But he was. James leapt aside at the last moment, and the bull crashed into the hedge with a bellow of rage. James did not wait for the creature to disentangle himself, backing as fast as he dared towards the gate. The bull turned, stared at him, lowered its head again. With a terrible fear in the pit of his stomach, James realised he was not going to make it in time.
“Hoy! Over here, sap skull!”
Julia! Out of the corner of his eye, James saw her still inside the field, waving frantically. The bull stopped, raised its head, watching her. It was enough. Picking up speed, James made a last bid for the gate and safety. Julia did the same. The bull finally got moving again, snorting with rage, but he had left it too late.
With a final burst of speed, James and Julia reached the gate almost at the same time, hurled themselves over it and fell into a tangled heap on the far side. The bull reached the gate, snorted and stamped his feet, but he was thwarted.
James laughed. They were both alive and unscathed, and had a story that would only grow in the telling. Beside him, he could feel Julia shaking with laughter, too.
“Quick! We must get away from here before he realises that the gate can be broken,” he said, scrambling to his feet, and hauling her unceremoniously upright too. Hand in hand, they ran until they were safely in the trees and out of sight, then hurled themselves, still laughing, to the ground.
“Lord, that was close!” she said, sitting up. “Are you uninjured, Mr Plummer?”
“Perfectly… at least…” He stretched arms and legs experimentally. “Yes, I seem not be missing anything vital.”
