"Since the battle ended."
"That is two days. You're hungry."
"One doesn't notice it so much."
"I shall get some food for you. Oh, Kirk, it's wonderful that you are alive. I feared that you ... like poor Luke ..."
I told him about Luke and he was very somber.
"Tom Ricks came to tell me. They have captured him. He is now in jail."
"Poor Tom."
"Kirk, we've got to think. You will have to stay here until it is safe for you to leave. We shall look after you as we did before. I must get food for you quickly."
"Take care, Kate. The King's men will be vengeful."
"Oh, why did you do this?"
"I believe we shall never have a peaceful country under James."
"But it was all fruitless."
"I thought it might not be."
"This is not the time to discuss that. We have to think of what we shall do. Christobel and James will help, and Sebastian. We can trust them. No one else will know. We shall do it just as we did before. It was successful then, and will be so again. Oh, Kirk, Kirk. Thank God you are still alive. Now I will go. I shall ride over to Christobel. I'll get food from her and James. That is safest. I dare say James will come over without her."
I left him then. I went back to the stables and saddled up my horse, then rode over to Featherston. They were amazed to see me, and when they heard that Kirk was alive they were overjoyed. Of course James would take food over right away, then we must all plan very carefully.
"I think," said James, "that he is in as great danger as he ever was with Titus Oates."
He went over to the Devil's Tower immediately, while I stayed with Christobel.
She was very emotional. She loved her brother dearly, and the last days had been deeply unhappy ones for her.
"Oh, Kate," she said. "Why did he do it? It was bad enough for Luke. But Kirk! He is usually so reasonable."
"He thought that England would never be happy with James and a change of Kings was what we needed. I think he is probably right. I remember Father's saying that he had heard King Charles had remarked that James would not hold the crown for more than four years at most. You see, Kirk had the idea that it was better to change immediately ... even for Monmouth."
"He made the wrong judgment, that was all. But he is alive and we will look after him, won't we, Kate?"
"We will," I said fervently.
I sat with her until James returned. He said that Kirk would have to stay in the Devil's Tower for a while, until the situation cleared. They would not go on searching for the Monmouth rebels, as they called them, for long, James was sure. We would keep Kirk safe until then.
Early next morning, Christobel's son was born.
Who has not heard of cruel Judge Jeffreys and his Bloody Assizes? They were upon us. He came to Winchester, to Dorchester and to Taunton, to pass sentence on those who had dared fight against the King, and left a trail of misery behind him.
When we heard that Tom Ricks had been whipped through the streets on his way to the hangman's noose we were stricken with horror. This was a man we had known, a bright, laughter-loving man who had enjoyed living. That he should come to such an end filled me with an angry melancholy.
This man, who had been sent to judge what were called the enemies of the King, was cruel in the extreme: he was also dishonest, far more of a criminal than those whom he was judging.
We heard, and we knew it was true for there was proof of his actions, that it was possible, if one could offer a big enough bribe, to save a loved one, and the evil judge was growing rich from his assizes. One of the most shocking stories of his conduct was being talked of, and from what I had heard of the man already I was ready to believe it.
A young girl, whose father had been sentenced, went to the judge and begged for her father's life. She was young and comely, and the wicked man made a bargain with her that, in return for her favors, he would spare her father's life. The girl was ready to submit to anything that would save her beloved parent and agreed. When she had made her sacrifice, the cruel man apparently thought it rather amusing to lead her to his window, where he showed her her father hanging on a gibbet.
That was Judge Jeffreys, the wicked, notoriously cruel judge, who had been given the task of bringing men to justice.
All over the West Country men were being sent to the scaffold. They hung on gibbets throughout the country at many a crossroads. The axemen were busy, heads adorned many a bridge and some men were quartered and parts of their bodies displayed in prominent places as a warning to others.
Men and women were given to people in favor at court to be sold into slavery; even more were transported to the plantations.
Sorrowing relatives were everywhere. There was smoldering hatred for Jeffreys and his Bloody Assizes.
And this was the man into whose hands Kirkwell would fall if he were captured.
Christobel, James and I were determined to do everything in our power to prevent that. Sebastian, too, no less. He was more serious than I had ever known him.
My father returned to Rosslyn Manor.
He talked to me about the situation.
"Monmouth was a fool," he said. "He had too big an idea of his importance. He could never see things as they were, but only as he wanted them to be. None knew that better than the King, his father. It may be that that was why he set himself firmly against making him his heir.''
"But he was not the heir."
"Indeed no. Fm convinced there was no marriage between the King and Lucy Walter. There was no need. Lucy was free enough with her favors. But Charles might have found the way if he had thought the boy would have made a good King. Charles was a great manipulator, under all that charm of manner and outward easygoing tolerance. That was why, in spite of the life he led, he was a good King. And now ... this trouble. Luke killed." A spasm crossed his face, and I had a glimpse of his true feelings. Luke was his son and I thought then that he would have been delighted if it had been possible to acknowledge him as his heir.
Poor Luke, who had chosen an impossible dream and in a way it had led him to his death, for I feared his allegiance to Monmouth was partly because they were both in a similar situation.
My father said: "The past is done. We have the future to think of. You are eighteen now, Kate. Is it not time that you considered marriage?"
"Marriage with ... ?"
"Sebastian, of course. Oh come, my dear, we have to be practical. You had this romantic feeling for Kirk well Carew. He has gone ... depend upon it. He died on Sedgemoor. That might be lucky for him. I would not care to think of what would happen to him if he fell into the hands of Jeffreys."
I shivered and for a few moments could not hide the horror which came over me.
My father was watching me closely, and he said: "Poor misguided young fellow. The young do foolish things sometimes. Kate, I want you to be wise. I should be very happy if you told me that you and Sebastian were to be married."
"No ... no ... I could not."
"Listen, Kate. You like him. He is one of the pleasantest fellows in the world. He'd make you happy, I know he would. He has all the qualities it takes to make a good husband. I know you have this romantic feeling for Kirkwell Carew ... but you'll forget all that. You cannot go on mourning the dead forever. You have to try and forget him ... and Luke. It was a pity they acted so recklessly, but it is done. You can't stop living because of such sorrows. Say that you will accept Sebastian. Let us forget the miseries this rebellion has brought about. Let us try to make a little happiness."
"No," I said. "No."
"But why? You like Sebastian. Kirkwell is gone ..."
"No," I said. "No!"
He fell silent.
He said after a while: "In time you will see that it is best."