Briar Patch Read Free Page A

walked with him as they crossed the wild meadow. Tom had been to the village and was not sure what had made him take the shortcut across Thornton land after leaving Roz Thornton. Had he been seen by one of the keepers he would undoubtedly have been challenged and perhaps threatened. Following the news of Dick’s death, Tom’s father had gone after the keeper who had shot his son down like a dog. He’d given him a thrashing and, had someone not pulled him off, might have killed Thornton’s man. He’d spent six months in Norwich prison for the assault while Higgins had got off and been praised for saving the lives of other men present when the squire was murdered. The injustice had not improved John Blake’s temper and since his return from prison a month ago he had done little but sit about the house or yard, drinking and cursing.
    Tom didn’t take much notice of his father’s curses, dodging the blows he dished out and keeping out of his way as much as possible. It was easy enough to keep busy since most of the chores fell to him now that Dick was gone. The ache inside him was still deep and he had grieved for his brother, living with the anger and frustration by working until he was exhausted.
    His mother kept the house as spick and span as ever, cooking and cleaning as she too fought her grief. She and Carrie fed the chickens, collected eggs and took the scraps to the pigs. However, Ellen was too busy to help with the milking and Carrie was so big that she normally only pottered about the house and yard with her hands over her stomach and that foolish look on her face.
    Tom turned his head to glance at his sister. What had made her walk this far? By the size of her she might give birth any day now. If she gave birth before another month was out it would mean – Tom’s thoughts veered away from the unthinkable. If Carrie had lied to them about the squire raping her, Dick had died for nothing!
    John Blake had slapped the girl about the face a few times when the news broke that terrible day, but Tom’s mother had surprised him by standing up for the girl. He knew she loved Carrie, as he did, but she had too much to do and snapped at the girl too often these days. Yet she’d protected her from her father.
    â€˜You leave her alone, John. She didn’t know what she was doing. It was that devil up at the hall that shamed her – and his keeper that killed our Dick. If you want to take your temper out on someone, go after them up there.’
    For perhaps the first time in his life John Blake had done what his wife suggested and spent six months in prison for his pains. Since his return he had not ceased to remind her that she’d goaded him into going after the keeper. Whenever she said it was time he did some work he coughed and blamed his illness on his treatment in prison.
    Tom thought of the girl who’d caught herself in the briar patch.
    He knew Roz, of course. There couldn’t be a man in the county that hadn’t noticed Squire Thornton’s daughter. She had been pretty enough when she was a girl, but seeing her close to for the first time in years, Tom thought her beautiful. Her complexion of cream and roses was something only a girl who had been delicately reared would have and her eyes were the colour of a summer sky. Her hair had a silken sheen and there was something fine about her that proclaimed her a lady. Girls of his class had fresh, sun-kissed skin and Mary Jane Forrest had freckles across her nose and cheeks.
    Mary Jane had been making eyes at him of late. He’d thought once that she was after Dick but recently she had smiled at him in church. Tom knew he had only to ask and she would let him kiss her, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to settle.
    Besides, the anger and bitterness inside him was too sharp for him to go courting just yet.
    The thought had come to him when he was freeing Miss Thornton’s skirt that he could push