could only hope that they had not ridden into the shelter of the trees simply to wait for anyone who might be following.
Her fear now was that they would cross the Liddel before she could get near enough to see where they crossed. She knew only that a ford existed and that it was somewhere west of Kershopefoot. She did not know its exact location, and lack of that information could doom her mission before it had properly begun.
Moments later, she rode into the woods, letting her pony pick its way through the undergrowth while her eyes adjusted to the increased darkness. She could hear swift moving water beyond, and soon she was able to discern a natural pathway through the trees. The sight reassured her that the ford would be nearby.
She reached the riverside margin of the trees moments later to see a rocky shore and roiling, tumbling water. Although she did not immediately spot the pair she followed, a murmur of voices to her right soon drew her attention to their shadowy figures. She saw with surprise that, rather than crossing, they had ridden some distance along the riverbank and stopped.
Since at that point the Liddel tumbled downhill and away, no doubt to behave even more energetically than the water in front of her, which flowed swiftly around and between huge boulders and over others, she was certain that they must have missed the ford. Her confusion increased when she saw May dismount.
“What is she doing?” she muttered to herself.
She dared not simply ride up to them and demand answers, because she knew nothing about May’s lover other than what May had told Isabel. They would surely see her coming long before she could reach them, and the notion that Sir John would just let May return with her to Aylewood was patently absurd.
His face was in a shadow, so she could not make out his features, let alone read his expression, but a man who would encourage a girl to betray her parents the way he had could hardly be trusted to behave properly when caught at his mischief. At the very least, he would ride off with the gold and jewelry that May had stolen from Sir William’s coffers. At the very worst—
To her shock, she saw him draw a pistol and point it at May.
Slowly, watching him the way a rabbit might watch a fox, May slipped off her cloak and let it fall to the ground beside her. Then, while Laurie watched helplessly and with increasing horror, May walked toward the rushing river, moving with a reluctance that was evident even at that distance and in that dim light until she stood right at the water’s edge.
Fighting off her terror, Laurie pulled the pistol from its holster and slipped down from her saddle. Wrapping the reins around a branch of a nearby bush, she left the pony standing and moved as quickly as she dared through the shadows at the edge of the woodland.
Although terrified of what lay ahead, she did not think she risked discovery as long as she did not run into the open. The sounds of the river drowned those of her passage, and the shadows would conceal her movements.
A moment later, she heard May’s tearful voice raised in protest. “But I don’t understand, Sir John! I thought you loved me!”
Her companion spoke in a less audible tone, and Laurie could not make out his words, but she saw May reach to unfasten her belt and girdle. When she dropped them to the ground just beyond the water’s reach, moonlight revealed the glint of tears on her cheeks.
Laurie pushed past branches that barred her way, moving faster. Shouting would do no good, nor could she try to fire her pistol. She still was not sure whether it was loaded, for one thing. In any event, she knew she would be wiser to get close enough for him to see it and hope that he would believe she could fire it.
She heard him speak again and froze, straining her ears to hear him, hoping that he had changed his mind about harming May. His words reached Laurie’s ears this time, aided either by a breeze or by the fact that she
Her fear now was that they would cross the Liddel before she could get near enough to see where they crossed. She knew only that a ford existed and that it was somewhere west of Kershopefoot. She did not know its exact location, and lack of that information could doom her mission before it had properly begun.
Moments later, she rode into the woods, letting her pony pick its way through the undergrowth while her eyes adjusted to the increased darkness. She could hear swift moving water beyond, and soon she was able to discern a natural pathway through the trees. The sight reassured her that the ford would be nearby.
She reached the riverside margin of the trees moments later to see a rocky shore and roiling, tumbling water. Although she did not immediately spot the pair she followed, a murmur of voices to her right soon drew her attention to their shadowy figures. She saw with surprise that, rather than crossing, they had ridden some distance along the riverbank and stopped.
Since at that point the Liddel tumbled downhill and away, no doubt to behave even more energetically than the water in front of her, which flowed swiftly around and between huge boulders and over others, she was certain that they must have missed the ford. Her confusion increased when she saw May dismount.
“What is she doing?” she muttered to herself.
She dared not simply ride up to them and demand answers, because she knew nothing about May’s lover other than what May had told Isabel. They would surely see her coming long before she could reach them, and the notion that Sir John would just let May return with her to Aylewood was patently absurd.
His face was in a shadow, so she could not make out his features, let alone read his expression, but a man who would encourage a girl to betray her parents the way he had could hardly be trusted to behave properly when caught at his mischief. At the very least, he would ride off with the gold and jewelry that May had stolen from Sir William’s coffers. At the very worst—
To her shock, she saw him draw a pistol and point it at May.
Slowly, watching him the way a rabbit might watch a fox, May slipped off her cloak and let it fall to the ground beside her. Then, while Laurie watched helplessly and with increasing horror, May walked toward the rushing river, moving with a reluctance that was evident even at that distance and in that dim light until she stood right at the water’s edge.
Fighting off her terror, Laurie pulled the pistol from its holster and slipped down from her saddle. Wrapping the reins around a branch of a nearby bush, she left the pony standing and moved as quickly as she dared through the shadows at the edge of the woodland.
Although terrified of what lay ahead, she did not think she risked discovery as long as she did not run into the open. The sounds of the river drowned those of her passage, and the shadows would conceal her movements.
A moment later, she heard May’s tearful voice raised in protest. “But I don’t understand, Sir John! I thought you loved me!”
Her companion spoke in a less audible tone, and Laurie could not make out his words, but she saw May reach to unfasten her belt and girdle. When she dropped them to the ground just beyond the water’s reach, moonlight revealed the glint of tears on her cheeks.
Laurie pushed past branches that barred her way, moving faster. Shouting would do no good, nor could she try to fire her pistol. She still was not sure whether it was loaded, for one thing. In any event, she knew she would be wiser to get close enough for him to see it and hope that he would believe she could fire it.
She heard him speak again and froze, straining her ears to hear him, hoping that he had changed his mind about harming May. His words reached Laurie’s ears this time, aided either by a breeze or by the fact that she
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