Page 34 of Witchbane

‘It’s good to cry,’ Jem said sweetly. ‘You’ve had a nasty fright, Rue. No one expects you to be strong all the time.’

So I allowed my tears to flow, wanting to release as much emotion as possible before trying to be strong in front of my aunt and grandmother. I didn’t want them to see how frightened I had been; it would only upset them.

‘Rue, are you unharmed?’ Pierre asked as he climbed onto the cart, sat behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. ‘What did they do to you?’

I heard the fury in his voice. ‘Nothing,’ I managed to say after a few seconds. ‘They just spoke to me.’

‘Is that all?’

I nodded. I wasn’t sure what he thought he could do about it if anything else had happened. Poor Pierre, this must feel to him like history repeating itself. I felt so guilty to be the one to perturb him.

‘I have a message from the Witchfinder for everyone,’ I said. ‘I will share it with you all when we’re together in the house.’

‘As long as you’re well.’

Jem took us back to the house, stopping the cart in front of the back door, where my grandmother and aunt were waiting next to the young lad who had raced ahead to alert them of my arrival.

Pierre jumped off the cart and lifted me down, thoughtfully waiting to be sure my legs held me up before letting go of my waist. I was grateful that he knew me well enough to understand how fear might have affected my legs.

‘You’re home,’ Grandmama cried, her eyes bloodshot. She held her arms open. I hurried into them, welcoming her comforting embrace and happy to experience the feeling again.

‘Bring her inside,’ Aunt Sorrel instructed. ‘We’ll sit at the table. I’ve made camomile tea for us all. I think we need it. Then you can tell us everything.’

I breathed in the familiar calming scent of steeped camomile flowers and suspected my aunt had chosen this particular herbal tea for its property of bringing good fortune. We were going to need it. The reminder that we had our witchcraft to help us bolstered me somewhat.

I sipped my drink, thinking how best to relay the Witchfinder’s threatening message.

After I had delivered it, Pierre, Jem, my grandmother and Aunt Sorrel sat in silence as they each came to terms with what she had said.

I waited as long as I could stand the silence before speaking. ‘Obviously we need to come up with a plan. As none of us can leave this place, we’ll need to be meticulous when we hide anything that could incriminate us.’ It was a relief to be able to open up in front of Pierre and Jem. Both knew Jem’s mother had been a member of our coven, and even though they had no idea how we cast our spells, they had helped us find ingredients in the past when we needed them.

I thought of the strange mould infestation in my room. ‘I don’t believe it would be a good idea to place anything upstairs either.’

‘Hmm,’ Aunt Sorrel said, nodding thoughtfully.

Pierre rested a hand on Jem’s right shoulder. ‘I hope it goes without saying,’ he said to us three women, ‘that me and Jem here will do whatever it takes to protect you ladies.’

My grandmother smiled. ‘We know you will. And I speak for the three of us when I say how much we value your loyalty to us and to the estate.’

I heard a definite hitch in my grandmother’s voice. How difficult this must be for her! After losing her daughter, then her son-in-law running off and leaving me behind for her to look after, she had worked tirelessly to keep the estate from dissolution. The place might be in a dreadful state but, thanks to her efforts, at least we still had a roof over our heads and food to eat.

Overcome with weariness, I put my head in my hands and closed my eyes.

‘Rue, take yourself up to your room for a rest,’ my aunt said. I opened my mouth to insist I was fine, but she shook her head and pointed to the door. ‘We can speak later. You should go and have a lie down. Don’t you agree, Mother?’

My grandmother nodded. ‘Your aunt is right, Rue. You’ve had an exhausting day and need to keep your strength up if you’re to help us find a way to come through this latest attack from that man. One of us will fetch you in a couple of hours if you’re not already back down here.’

Knowing that neither would listen to any argument from me, I stood up. ‘Thanks again for coming to collect me, Jem. I really am grateful.’

‘It was no trouble at all.’

I smiled at him and left the room. I was dubious about venturing into my strangely inhabited bedroom but needed to come to terms with what had happened and to think about what it might lead to next.

Chapter Seventeen

THEO

Every moment I was searching for evidence against her, my heart raced in case I found something to strengthen my father’s case. Whatever happened, and however much I wanted to please my family, Rue was far too precious to me for me to stand by and see her convicted. If only I had an idea how to defend her.