Page 63 of Witchbane

‘You really think you can forgive me for the dreadful choices I made back then, Rue?’

I swallowed the lump in my throat, not wishing to cry. ‘Of course I do, Papa.’

He bit his lip, then cleared his throat. ‘We have much to reminisce about, I think.’

‘We do.’

Theo stepped forward and rested a hand on my father’s shoulder. ‘I’m afraid we should go.’

‘We will talk at a more opportune time,’ my father said, getting to his feet.

I stood too. ‘I’d like that.’

He pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. ‘My sweet Rue. You are everything to me, and I will put this right.’

I watched them leave, feeling lighter in my heart than I had done since my mother was alive.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

THEO

Istood at the back of my father’s office waiting as Lord Thistlebury gave his reasons why the accusations against Rue were complete nonsense. My father regarded him haughtily, no doubt well pleased that his son had traced the well-known aristocrat who vanished soon after his wife was convicted of sorcery.

‘Finally we have a resolution of the biggest mystery in recent times hereabouts,’ my father said with a smug expression on his face. ‘I recall telling you ten years ago that I intended investigating you next and that I believed you complicit in your late wife’s dabbling in sorcery.’

Lord Thistlebury’s expression was stony but he didn’t answer.

‘And now, my son has been successful in locating you.’ He looked at me with pride. ‘Naturally I’m unsurprised that my son was the person who tracked you down.’ His chin jutted forward as he breathed in through his nose and puffed out his chest. ‘He has been taught by the best.’

I saw Lord Thistlebury had crossed his legs and folded his arms and I wondered if it was to restrain himself from standing up and hitting my father. Not that he would ever have lowered himself to do such a thing, but from the working of the muscle in his jaw I guessed that it wouldn’t have taken much more for him to lose his temper.

Again I found myself questioning my role in these townspeople’s lives. Unlike my father, I felt no satisfaction being here with Rue’s father and wished our visit to be over as soon as possible. I hadn’t failed to notice the surprise on villagers’ faces as they looked up and saw who was accompanying me and where we were going. It might be ten years since Lady Thistlebury had been executed but the shock of my father executing an aristocrat ensured that the incident remained in everyone’s minds.

People might have been surprised to see His Lordship, but none seemed amused. In fact, those who looked from him to me had a fear in their eyes more profound than any I had witnessed before. I hated to think of anyone fearing me; I would much rather they saw me as someone who made a positive difference to their lives. If only I had been born into a family whose job didn’t cause people to fear us. I used to enjoy entertaining guests at parties with my quick wit and silly anecdotes. Now I was back in the place of my birth, all that seemed a world away and it saddened me.

‘Theo, did you hear what I said?’

I had no idea and, rather than guess, shrugged. ‘My apologies, sir, I’m afraid I did not.’

He glared at me, furious at my lack of attention. ‘I was explaining to Lord Thistlebury that, regardless of his assurances to the contrary, his daughter has been accused of practising witchcraft. I am unable to take the word of a man who hasn’t seen his child since she was nine.’ He clasped his hands together piously. ‘I also reminded him that he assured me of the same thing with regard to his late wife.’

Rue’s father turned around in his chair until he was able to look me in the eye, his disdain obvious. ‘Your son persuaded me to come here. He insisted you were a fair man and would be open to hearing what I had to say.’ He gave me a pointed glare and turned back to my father. ‘He also told me that if I was to come here, you would reconsider prosecuting my daughter.’

My father scoffed. ‘I did say those things, but they were on the proviso that you give me evidence of her innocence, which you have not done.’

‘I had hoped that Lord Thistlebury’s willingness to come before you to vouch for his daughter’s upbringing with her grandmother and aunt might be enough to reassure you of his daughter’s innocence.’

My father gave me a disappointed frown. ‘Then you were undoubtably mistaken.’

Clearly he had no intention of changing his mind about Rue. All I had done was deliver Lord Thistlebury to my father, who could now make him suffer by tormenting his daughter further. The situation infuriated me and I couldn’t hold my tongue.

He pressed his thin lips together.

I ignored his forbidding expression and continued. ‘He might not have seen his daughter as much as he would have liked, but Lord Thistlebury knows her character. Having met her on several occasions, I am unable to imagine her practising anything that might be harmful to others.’

My father glared at me in silence for a few seconds. Then his expression was replaced by one of ice-cold fury. I knew I had made a mistake and wished I could take back what I had said.

The Witchfinder looked from me to Rue’s father, a self-satisfied expression on his face. ‘My assistant, or should I say my son, as that’s what we are both aware he is, has just offended me.’