Page 90 of Never Leave Me
Ellen’s stomach had bottomed out, and she felt as though she was scrambling to find a solution, anything. “We’ll take out what we need, return it, and they’ll be none the wiser.”
“I wish it was that simple, love. But Ickham has threatened to accuse Marian of being a witch too if he learns of Will taking any more holy water.”
“We can do it secretly,” Ellen insisted.
“Nothing that happens here remains secret,” Will said.
“And what is he intending to do with my father?” Marian’s voice shook, and Will reached for her as though to pick her up. She held up a hand and leveled a look at Harrison.
Harrison visibly swallowed. “Lord Worth is planning to burn him at the stake tomorrow at midday.”
“How can he do such a thing?” Ellen asked, her frustration mounting with each passing moment. “Surely he doesn’t have the authority.”
“Ickham will get approval from the archbishop,” Will stated. “And there will be little we can do to stop them. Not with such serious accusations leveled against him.”
“Then we must give them everything, all of the water.” Marian’s frantic gaze went from one face to the next.
“We shall not give up the wellspring, Marian.” Will’s voice was firm and yet gentle at the same time. “Harrison and I are in accord. Neither Lord Worth nor Ickham can be trusted, not with the holy water.”
“Please, give it back to them.” Marian pushed the holy water at Will but then swayed. This time Will hoisted her up against her protests. He handed Harrison the drinking flask before carrying Marian inside.
Harrison stared at the scuffed leather casing before lifting his gaze to Ellen’s. “I’m sorry, love. I shouldn’t have let Arthur out of my sight.”
“It’s not your fault, Harrison. If anything, I’m to blame for bringing Lord Worth into this. He wanted me, not Dad.” She reached up and laid a hand on his arm. The moment she touched him, he stiffened and glanced at her hand.
She withdrew. She’d always been an affectionate person, even with Harrison. But now it was obvious it affected him and that she’d been insensitive about the touching.
Her dad had insisted Harrison loved her and that they could work through any issues standing between them. But what if it was too late for them to find love and a future together?
At least the awkwardness from their wedding night was gone and they were talking like friends again.
Harrison stared off beyond the wall surrounding Chesterfield Park. The clouds drifted low, almost seeming to bear down with their dark underbellies and touch the treetops. “Will and I talked on the way back. We’re going to attempt to rescue Arthur in the morning.”
“Is such a thing possible?”
“Will plans to send missives today to the knights in Kent who might be willing to come to his aid. Since he has garnered favor with the king, he believes together they may have some influence in demanding Arthur’s release.”
“And if the show of intimidation and the demands don’t work?”
“Then Will intends to force the cooperation.”
“How so?”
“He’s a seasoned warrior from his time fighting in France and knows tactics that can flush people out of the castle.” The grimness in Harrison’s eyes told her that such tactics would be dangerous to everyone within the castle, quite possibly cause the loss of many lives.
Ellen’s mind filled with images of Harrison riding off last evening, and her stomach quavered at the prospect of him doing so again into another dangerous situation. “What about your plan to drink the holy water and then tell Sybil my location?”
His hair was mussed and strands stuck to his forehead. The grit of dust coated his face. And dark stubble covered his chin and jaw. He was already beginning to look like he’d lived in the Middle Ages for years instead of mere days. “I’ll do it tomorrow, after I get back.”
But what if he didn’t come back this time? The unspoken question hung between them. No doubt he’d concocted a plan with Will that if something happened to him, Will would place the holywater in the vault with a clue of some kind for Sybil regarding Reider Castle.
“It’s just one more day. As much as I need to return, talk to Sybil, and initiate your rescue, I have to do this first.”
She hesitated, wanting to convince him to change his mind.
“This is my fault, Ellen.” His voice dropped with anguish. “I should have been paying better attention to where Arthur was and what he was doing.”
“He shouldn’t have wandered off.” A drop of rain hit her in the face.
