Sanditon Season 2: The River and the Man

Chapter 147

Tom and Arthur rode for a while and in the darkness, they did not seem to find young Mabbin.

"Come, Tom, morning should be almost upon us, and I am dead on my feet." Arthur huffed and puffed as they had been calling Mabbin's name in the forest a few miles out.

Tom shook his head. "A young lad like that, out here..." he said looking into the night. "I should have let Sidney stop him."

Arthur caught his breath. "It's not your fault," he said compassionately.

Tom turned and cocked his head. "Isn't it?" he looked back into the night. "I had too grand of notions, then I could not afford the insurance..." he sighed. "Sidney engaged himself to Mrs. Campion for me and I never saw his misery, only my recovery. And again today all I could think about was my own interests while for reasons unknown young Mabbin needed us."

Arthur frowned. "Well, things are falling into place again."

Tom shrugged. "Not because I did anything right." he shuddered against the chill of night. "And now if I don't return with Mabbin I don't think I can ever have hope to make my wife happy again, and my brother Sidney might actually kill me."

Arthur nodded. "I suppose I could muster some energy." he smiled. "Come, let us press on."

Tom nodded. "But perhaps we could wander deeper into the woods here. I think I see a trail up ahead."

After a while, they fell into silence as they tried to listen for movement in the forest.

"There is a fire there," Arthur observed after a while.

Tom looked around. "Where?"

Arthur had sharper eyes and when they saw it instinctively they moved closer.

Moving through the brush they made so much noise that they hardly snuck up on the two people.

"Mr. Parkers?" Mabin's voice said in question.

"Mabbin!" Tom said and then looked at the carriage that sat off the beaten path. A dazed man sat leaning up by the wheel.

"Who is this?" Tom said pointing to the man.

Mabbin shook his head. "No idea. He has not talked yet."

Tom went to the man and he pointed to the ground in the shadows and his eyes went to a lump.

Standing he went and found the body of a driver. Leaning down he put his hand to the man's throat.

"Dead," he said and stood and looked around. "What happened?"

Mabbin shook his head. "I didn't mean to. I just saw him fighting over papers with this man, and he was burning things and demanding a certain paper from him. He threw him to the ground and started kicking his head in. I came through the brush and bashed him in on the head with a rock."

The man leaning on the wheel nodded and his shaking hand lifted from a lump on his head.

"Oh good gracious," Arthur said and shuddered at the sight of such an injury.

Tom looked at the man in shock and understanding. "You are the solicitor we have been waiting for." hope blossomed in his chest at the thought that he could redeem himself this very night.

The man looked at him frightened.

"Be at ease, Sir. We have no wish to harm you." Tom said. "I am Mr. Tom Parker and this is my brother, Arthur. We were just out searching for this lad Mabbin here. But sir, we have been waiting for you for a very long time. There has been ever so much a kerfuffle from your delay." Tom found himself judging and chiding the injured man and shook that away. "Nevermind all that. We have found you."

The Solicitor frowned and shifted as he tried to squint and try to make out his visage.

"Man must have been a highwayman," Arthur said as he assessed the situation.

Tom frowned and looked about. "Not if he was burning papers. He must have been sent by Sir Denham to find him and burn the will." He looked around at the papers and envelopes on the ground. "I just hope he did not succeed," he said solemnly as he picked up a paper and looked its soiled surface over.

The Solicitor grunted. "Mr. Hale is my name," he said. "And I have the will," he whispered as he reached inside his waistcoat and patted a paper.

Tom smiled widely. "Well then that is paramount news," he said and looked back to the driver's body. "I suppose we should leave him?"

Mabbin shook his head. "They will hang me for sure," he said his eyes frightened.

Arthur went to the boy and shook his head. "I am sure that is not true. We will just tell them that there was a scuffle and he hit his head on a rock." and patted his shoulder.

Nodding Tom helped the man up. "I am sure Mr. Hale would agree to that narrative."

The solicitor stood and grunted. "To be sure, the boy saved my life," he said still recuperating. He had found his spectacles on the ground finally and tried to put them crookedly to rights.

"Come, let us take you to my home. Trafalgar House." Tom said importantly.

The man nodded. "I should like a doctor to look at this. You do have one, don't you? Such a small town I don't suppose you do."

Arthur smiled and laughed. "We have a marvelous doctor, do we not. Found by my own brother," Arthur clapped him on the back. "Dr. Foughs will patch you right up."

Mr. Hale smiled feebly as he climbed back in the coach.

"I suppose I should drive the carriage, with Mabbin up with me," Tom said hoping the boy would join him.

Mabbin shook his head. "No... I think I shouldn't. I don't belong. But I did forget to tell anyone..."

"Yes?" Tom asked keen to the boy's words now.

"I hid the box and the other things." The boy sighed. "Miss Heywood would know what I am talking about. And her maid."

Tom shook his head and smiled. "I haven't the least idea what you are talking about. No matter. You can tell her yourself when she returns. If you wish to leave in a month I will take you where ever you want to go myself." He promised. "For if I do not bring you back home I very may well may not have a home to return to myself," he said with a smile.

Mabbin sighed and picked up his tote and shook his head. "Fine, but I'll not like it," he said following.