Deny, Deny!

He met her under the willow trees

That grew by the valley creek,

He hadn’t been able to visit her

For the best part of a week,

She patted her horse’s neck, and sighed,

And waited for him to say,

The one thing that she feared the most,

That he might be going away.

 

But in his eyes there was only love

As he reached, and kissed her hand,

‘We mustn’t be seen down here by him,

I need you to understand,

He rides abroad since he found us out,

And says he’s looking for me,

His stablemaster has said, no doubt,

I’ll hang from the nearest tree.’

 

‘He wouldn’t dare,’ said Jennifer Moss,

‘My father would have him lashed,

He’s always been too quick with his fists

He killed a man in the past.’

‘But never paid the ultimate price,

He thinks he’s above the law,

I’m keeping my flintlock pistol primed,

My powder dry by the door.’

 

‘He hasn’t said anything yet to me,

So how do you think he knows?’

‘Your stablemaster has seen us kiss

By the barn where the river flows.

Beware, my love, he’s a dangerous man,

Will settle his score with me,

But then, with you, he will seek revenge

Denial may set you free.’

 

‘You must deny that you care for me,

Deny that our lips have met,

Deny, deny is the only course

That may make the fool forget.’

‘My heart is bursting with love for you,

I couldn’t deny what’s true,’

‘You must, my love, or the scene is set,

I fear what he’ll do to you.’

 

He rode away to his hilltop farm

And he locked and barred each door,

While she rode off to the Manor House

Where her husband paced the floor.

‘I fear my wife is a Jezebel,

So the stablemaster tells.’

‘I have no interest in men,’ she said,

I’m married to one from Hell!’

 

He turned on her in a rage at that,

He believed his master spy,

While she continued to hear the words

Of her love, ‘Deny, Deny!’

‘I’ll spare his life if you tell the truth,

If you don’t, the man is dead,’

She weakened then and admitted it,

She once had been in his bed.

 

He sent his louts to the Hilltop farm

And they dragged him out in dread,

They tied him to the back of his horse

To the Manor House, they led.

The husband leered when he saw him there,

‘Well, your love has you redeemed!

I’ll let you live in your bleak despair…’

His love was hung from a beam!

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Avinash]

This is one real tragic tale of love and twist of fate. From the very beginning it appeared to be doomed. But the protagonists were able to make space in the heart of the readers. Love and sacrifice both go hand in hand and the lady had the upper one.

[TPK Stories]

a tragic tale of love...excellently written...

[R Smith]

wow that was a dark tale David, she paid a high price for the truth, you certainly hit the note of despair here but produced a remarkable tale bravo :)

[Tate Morgan]

Well now that is somewhat like romeo and juliet is it not well done dave

[Marie]

At the last I suppose she didn't now what to do. She was trying to save her lover's life and that cost her own. But she probably should have kept on with her denials.

I caught the comment about rhuyming "law" and "door". Door can certainly be pronounced to rhyme with law.

[MomzillaNC]

What a barbarous cuckold! I really wish it'd gone on somehow and put pay to him!

NOTES: I'm not sure about the rhyme in the last lines of the third stanza - "law" and "door"