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She seated herself on the window-seat and returned his look.
'When she is married.'
'I understood she was not yet betrothed,' he said carefully.
'Not yet.' She studied his face. He was gazing once more out of
the window, with an air of brooding abstraction. She decided to
change the subject.
'I wanted to speak to you about last night,' she said.
'Last night?' He looked at her blankly; and then with an effort
marshalled his thoughts. 'Of course '
'I should like to know exactly what happened. You told me at the
time it was an accident, but I am perfectly certain it was more than
that. Please tell me, Captain Denham.' As he hesitated, she added,
'I was in the hall this morning when Rachel stormed out of this
room. I had already heard your raised voices. It needed little deduc-
tion on my part to guess that you were quarrelling. Was it because of
John?'
He seated himself. 'Yes or at least, partly.' He decided to be
frank with her, telling her everything that had happened.
When he had finished, she said: 'So you believe that Rachel is
going to France with Lord Randolph?'
'Yes, I do.'
'Yet you have done nothing about it? You have sent no word
to to anyone?'
'No. I thought it better to let things take their course.'
'His capture would be of great value to the Parliamentary cause.
You know, of course, that his father, the Duke of Wentworth, is one
of the King's advisers?'
'Yes, I do.' He gave a faint smile. 'I was slightly acquainted with
the Duke in the days before the war. I met him at Court.'
90 CROMWELL'S CAPTAIN
'Then I cannot understand '
'If I had advised the commander at Torrington, he would by now
not only have set a watch on all the roads, but would also have sent a
troop here to this house, to lie in wait for Randolph should he
succeed in slipping through the net.' He paused, and then added,'I
doubt if he will come alone. He will have others with him, ready to
sell their lives dearly. Do you suppose they would submit without a
fight? I do not want that to happen here.'
Mary was staring at him, wide-eyed. 'It had not occurred to me.'
She thought about it for a moment. 'If they should come here and
then manage to escape to France, will you not be blamed for it?'
'That is a chance I must take.'
'And you are willing to do that? For an enemy?'
He smiled faintly. 'Let me make it clear, Lady Gifford, that if you
and your family were not involved, I should have no hesitation
whatever in doing everything in my power to capture Randolph. As
it is I would rather let him go than have you all drawn into what
might prove to be a fierce and violent conflict. I have seen enough of
war to know what could happen here. I would not willingly bring
that upon you.'
For a moment Mary was silent; then she placed a hand on his arm.
'Thank you, Captain Denham!'
She rose, and glanced out of the window. 'It is a pleasant morn-
ing. The sun is quite warm.' She smiled at him as he got to his feet.
'The garden is sheltered. Why not take the air for a while? I am sure
you will come to no harm.'
'To tell the truth,' he said, with an answering smile, 'I had already
considered it.'
A little later she saw him join Cathie, saw them stand for a
moment in conversation before moving slowly away in the direction
of the sundial in the centre of the garden.
Rachel saw them too, from the window of her bedchamber.
Denham was gazing down at Cathie. It was impossible to see his
face, for his hat brim hid it from her; but Cathie, her hood fallen
back from her head, was smiling up at him. Watching narrowly,
Rachel saw him put out a hand to touch the girl's cheek, saw the way
Cathie bent her head in sudden confusion. She drew in her breath
with a little hiss. So that was the way of it, was it?
Grace, sitting nearby, mending a tear in a petticoat with small,
neat stitches, glanced up at her mistress, and caught the venomous
expression on her face. She was thankful not to be the cause of it:
CROMWELL'S CAPTAIN 91
Mistress Devereux might be honey-sweet to those she wished to
charm, but Grace knew the other side of her nature only too well.
At dinner, John was quiet and withdrawn. He looked heavy-eyed
and slightly untidy, as though he had not bothered overmuch about
his appearance.
After the meal Cathie faced him in the book-room. 'Have you
apologised to Captain Denham for your behaviour towards him last
night?'
'Apologised?' His face darkened ominously. 'Has your precious
Captain told you I found him in Rachel's room with his arms round
her? Ah, I thought not!'
'I don't believe you!'
He grasped her wrist. 'Why do you not ask him, then? See if he
can deny it! Why should he be in her room, if not to make love to
her? They are planning to go to France together. I overheard them
yesterday afternoon.'
'No, John. You are wrong. Captain Denham told me himself you
were under a misapprehension.'
He gave her a pitying look. 'And you believed him?'
'Why should she not, when it happens to be the truth?' a voice
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