Mary Brendan by The Unknown Wife

Author:The Unknown Wife [Wife, The Unknown]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Horse and rider streamed against the azure skyline like a jet banner.

The panting steed was skilfully reined in until it trotted into the poplar trees then out again, winding a serpentine path through skeletal wood. Finally it clopped to a steamy-breathed halt. The horseman lifted the child from beneath his cloak to stand in front of him on the moulded sinews of the stallion’s broad back.

‘Turn around.’

The boy did as he was bid, balancing carefully, a wondrous smile animating his small face.

‘Did he go fast enough for you?’

The boy simply nodded, for a delightful exhilaration had wedged words in his throat.

Etienne lifted his son, positioning spindly legs to straddle the horse so they sat face to face. With something akin to parental pride he scoured the boy’s fair features. He was handsome, no doubt about it.

Marcus looked right back, quietly, without fidgeting.

Etienne let the reins drop and Storm ambled to the water’s edge to forage.

‘Do you recall that yesterday you asked me if I am going away?’

Marcus nodded, his eyes, his whole demeanour, gravely expectant.

‘I am going away and so are you and your mama. You are both coming with me to England.’

‘Does Mama mind?’

‘No, she’s glad.’

Marcus’s solemn expression brightened. ‘I’m glad too. My grandparents live in England. They don’t like me.’

‘Yes, they do like you,’ his father told him huskily. ‘It’s me they don’t like.’

‘Why don’t they like you?’

‘Because I went away. I left you and your mama alone for a long time and that was wrong. I was away so long that people thought I had died and would never come back. But I wasn’t dead, I was on the continent fighting in the war. Now I’ve come back.’

‘Are you my papa?’

‘Yes.’

‘Were you brave? I told everyone you were brave.’

‘Yes. I was a brave soldier.’

‘The war was over a long time ago when Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo. Did you get lost?’

Inwardly Etienne smiled. For a child who paid no attention to his lessons, he knew a hell of a lot it would have been convenient that he didn’t.

‘Yes. It took me a long while to find my way home.’

‘Did you fall out of a tree?’

Etienne barked a laugh. ‘What?’

‘Murphy’s brother fell out of a tree and knocked his head. He forgot where he lived. His ma sent his da to find him. Then he got thrashed.’

‘I didn’t fall out of a tree, but I did get hit on the head.’

He lifted small white fingers and dipped his dark visage. He felt his son’s steady touch press across the proud cicatrice beneath his hair.

‘Frenchies did that?’ Marcus asked, wide-eyed.

His father nodded. ‘I did some equal damage to them. I was escaping and they tried to stop me, but I got away.’

‘So you could come home to me and my mama?’

‘Yes.’

Marcus looked fascinated and proud and ready to burst with happiness. ‘My mama said my papa’s name was Luke.’

There was barely a hesitation before his father explained, ‘My full name is Etienne Luc Thomas Hauke. I didn’t like the name Etienne for a long while so didn’t much use that name.

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