‘Would ’e now and who might ’e be?’ Dando bawled, as he touched Kernick’s saddle. ‘The Lord Mayor of London, mebbe?’

‘He’s Sir Oliver Pengarron,’ Kerensa got out with a snarl.

‘Pengar’n, eh? I’ve ’eard of ’e, a ’ard bugger ’e be.’ Dando pounced on Kerensa and brutally gripped a handful of her hair. ‘But ’e’s not around at the moment, so I’ve ’eard. I ’eard too ’e married a comely young wench. I ’eard right, an’ yer more ’n’ comely, m’dear, yer soft ’n’ smellin’ purty too.’

‘C’mon, Dando,’ urged the second thug. ‘Get ’er jewel’ry and the ’orses an’ let’s get the ’ell out of ’ere. I don’t want no trouble with that Pengar’n. I saw a piece of gentry beaten to a bloody pulp by ’im a few years back along jus’ fer trying to ’ave ’er. ’E’s got some awful temper.’

‘I edn’t afeared of ’e,’ Dando spat out, twisting Kerensa’s head cruelly to the side. ‘’E edn’t ’ere, is ’e, though I don’t know why ’e’s gone off fer so long an’ left this little beauty all alone.’ He caressed the red hair spilling over his hand. ‘Besides, if we’m caught we’ll be ’ung fer killin’ the stable boy anyway.’

An agonised scream ripped deep from Kerensa’s throat. ‘No!’

‘What’s up, me ’an’some,’ Dando jeered. ‘’E wus only a servant – or did ’e stuff ’ee up instead of Pengar’n?’ He turned to his companions and laughed. ‘P’raps that why the bugger went off, eh?’

‘You disgusting—’

Kerensa was suddenly forced back on to her feet. Her wedding ring was ripped from her finger and her clothes torn as Dando performed a humiliating search for more jewellery. There was none to be found and he swore profusely.

‘Leave ’er be, fer God’s sake,’ snarled the third robber. He was mounted on Meryn and his mate was up behind him. ‘Git on that other bleddy pony and let’s git away afore someone sees us.’

A sudden sharp pain made Kerensa stiffen and she groaned heavily. Dando pushed her away and spat on the ground beside her then climbed clumsily on to Kernick’s back, making the pony whinny in fear.

‘Don’t leave me like this!’ she appealed to the two other men. ‘I think my baby’s coming! Please!’

For a moment it looked as if one of them was going to dismount but Dando kicked the pony’s rump and it charged off. He looked down at Kerensa. ‘I ’ope the brat comes right ’ere on the roadside an’ is born dead!’