Jack sighed with relief for himself and the boy. He was glad Heather was there to give him something else to think about. ‘Jack, that’s my name. I’m the groom at Pengarron Manor. ’ It was his turn to be proud to tell of his occupation.

Heather stood on tiptoe and peered into Jack’s face. ‘You ’aving me fer a fool?’ she asked suspiciously. ‘You’m too bloody young to be a groom at an important place like the manor.’

‘I am then,’ Jack retorted, ‘and that’s the Gospel truth. I was stable boy till I was eighteen, then Barney Taylor, he was the groom, well, his rheumatics finally got the better of him and he took to his bed for good and Sir Oliver didn’t take on nobody else but made me the groom in Barney’s place. That was two years ago and now I’ve got two stable boys working under me.’

‘Fancy,’ Heather said, swaying her broad hips. ‘Thought there’d be more’n three of ’ee workin’ in a big place like the manor stables.’

‘Sometimes someone comes over from Sir Oliver’s stud,’ Jack said grudgingly.

‘This ’is Lordship’s ’orse then? The big black un?’

‘Aye, he’s magnificent, isn’t he? I’ve ridden him occasionally, when His Lordship’s not had the time to exercise him.’

‘Oh, ’ave you now? What’s it called them? Somethin’ bloody silly, I d’reckon.’

‘It’s not silly at all,’ Jack returned defensively. ‘He’s called Conomor.’

‘Conomor, a warrior’s name, eh? I ’eard ’is master’s a warrior in bed.’

Jack was attracted to this wild-looking mine girl and wanted her to stay and talk but he wished she would not use such coarse language. He was not used to it, spending most of the time about the manor where no one spoke like that. He hoped Heather could not make out his blushes. He didn’t speak, wondering instead if she really did know that Conomor was the name of an ancient warrior or if she was poking fun at his fantasy tale to the horses.

‘Still, Jack, you mayn’t be a warrior but you’re my ’ero fer gettin’ the doc to me tas. I reckon I d’owe ’ee somethin’ fer that.’

With swift movements she pressed her curvaceous young body to his and dragging his head down she kissed his mouth fiercely with wet open lips. Before Jack could recover his startled thoughts and feelings she wrenched herself away and disappeared into the darkness as unexpectedly as she’d come out of it.

Jack pressed trembling fingers to his stinging lips. His, insides were heaving with a new intense sensation that was almost painful. The terrible reason for his being up close to the bleak looming mine buildings had completely left his mind.

Chapter 7