process had calmed her a little, she hung the comfrey to dry beside the pouch in a tree and searched blindly for sleep.
By morning, they were damp and cramped and ravenous. They saw to their morning business, finished off the wine and bread, and hurried on.
The morning stretched out forever. Once, just past noon, they came to a boggy spot in the road.
Venturing into the forest, they found a patch of wild berries, gathered what they could and hurried on.
A few hours later, they heard the sound of galloping hooves behind them.
"Into the woods. Quickly!" Liam ordered.
They scrambled off the road. Just as they settled into cover, five horses thundered past. Rachel held her breath until they were well out of sight then turned her gaze to Liam.
"They were in a rush."
He nodded.
"Do you think..." She trailed off, finding she couldn't quite finish the thought.
"I don't know," he said, but for several hours after they trudged through the forest instead of down the road. And even after that, they were more cautious.
The sun was about to set and dark storm clouds crowded the sky when they finally reached the fair-sized village of Kilderry. A sturdy maid swung her half-filled milk bucket beside her as she flirted with a fisherman. Two young girls with bare feet and gap-toothed grins herded a gaggle of geese into a stone enclosure. A dog barked sharply off to their right, and the smell of fresh-baked bread and onion permeated the air, causing Rachel's stomach to whine.
Just down the cobbled way from a wattle-and- daub building that boasted a sign with a bottle and loaf, a small group of men stood around a hot forge arguing about various methods of shoeing.
One of them was obviously a man of some means, while the others were working sorts, their square hands showing the wear of their various trades.
Near a candle shop a middle-aged woman bartered eggs for a bit of thread.
Rachel turned toward Liam, her stomach tight with hunger and nerves. "Mayhap we should simply appeal to that gentleman for help?"
Liam didn't even turn toward the man of which she spoke. Instead, he grasped her elbow lightly and kept her walking brusquely beside him. "Do you know him?'
"Of course not."
"But you knew Davin didn't you?"
"What—"
"You could not trust him. Do you think you can trust this man?"
"Your reasoning—"
He stopped her abruptly, his gaze intent. "We are dealing with more than you know here.
Please, for your mother's sake, do as I ask."
She took a deep breath, allowed herself a moment of panic, and raised her voice. "Nay!"
"What?" Liam took his cue without a moment's hesitation, pitching his voice into a whisper that somehow managed to reach the tannery. "What do you mean, nay?" He tightened his grip on her elbow, glanced furtively about at the faces that were already turning their way, and inched closer to her. "What good will we do the king if we never arrive in London?"
Rachel swallowed hard, tried to force herself to glance nervously about at the faces that watched them, and found she could not. Still, she managed to force out her next line. "You know we are to save our act for His Majesty alone."
"The act will be seriously lacking if we starve to death before we reach the palace."
"We would be nearing the palace now if you had not wagered away our horses."
He raised his brows at her, and she wondered momentarily if that was a sign of approval.
Though they had rehearsed a fair bit, this much was improvised.
"Twas you who allowed our goods to be stolen. I must do something to replenish our fortunes,"
he hissed. "So while you stand about whining, I will find us a way to the king."
"You'll have to work alone if—"
"What's this about the king?" asked the gentleman, striding up.
"Oh, good sir," Liam gasped, as if embarrassed that he'd drawn the man's attention. "I am called Martin." He spread his hands and shrugged in a self-deprecating fashion. "Martin the Magnificent by some."
"Magnificent indeed!" Rachel
By morning, they were damp and cramped and ravenous. They saw to their morning business, finished off the wine and bread, and hurried on.
The morning stretched out forever. Once, just past noon, they came to a boggy spot in the road.
Venturing into the forest, they found a patch of wild berries, gathered what they could and hurried on.
A few hours later, they heard the sound of galloping hooves behind them.
"Into the woods. Quickly!" Liam ordered.
They scrambled off the road. Just as they settled into cover, five horses thundered past. Rachel held her breath until they were well out of sight then turned her gaze to Liam.
"They were in a rush."
He nodded.
"Do you think..." She trailed off, finding she couldn't quite finish the thought.
"I don't know," he said, but for several hours after they trudged through the forest instead of down the road. And even after that, they were more cautious.
The sun was about to set and dark storm clouds crowded the sky when they finally reached the fair-sized village of Kilderry. A sturdy maid swung her half-filled milk bucket beside her as she flirted with a fisherman. Two young girls with bare feet and gap-toothed grins herded a gaggle of geese into a stone enclosure. A dog barked sharply off to their right, and the smell of fresh-baked bread and onion permeated the air, causing Rachel's stomach to whine.
Just down the cobbled way from a wattle-and- daub building that boasted a sign with a bottle and loaf, a small group of men stood around a hot forge arguing about various methods of shoeing.
One of them was obviously a man of some means, while the others were working sorts, their square hands showing the wear of their various trades.
Near a candle shop a middle-aged woman bartered eggs for a bit of thread.
Rachel turned toward Liam, her stomach tight with hunger and nerves. "Mayhap we should simply appeal to that gentleman for help?"
Liam didn't even turn toward the man of which she spoke. Instead, he grasped her elbow lightly and kept her walking brusquely beside him. "Do you know him?'
"Of course not."
"But you knew Davin didn't you?"
"What—"
"You could not trust him. Do you think you can trust this man?"
"Your reasoning—"
He stopped her abruptly, his gaze intent. "We are dealing with more than you know here.
Please, for your mother's sake, do as I ask."
She took a deep breath, allowed herself a moment of panic, and raised her voice. "Nay!"
"What?" Liam took his cue without a moment's hesitation, pitching his voice into a whisper that somehow managed to reach the tannery. "What do you mean, nay?" He tightened his grip on her elbow, glanced furtively about at the faces that were already turning their way, and inched closer to her. "What good will we do the king if we never arrive in London?"
Rachel swallowed hard, tried to force herself to glance nervously about at the faces that watched them, and found she could not. Still, she managed to force out her next line. "You know we are to save our act for His Majesty alone."
"The act will be seriously lacking if we starve to death before we reach the palace."
"We would be nearing the palace now if you had not wagered away our horses."
He raised his brows at her, and she wondered momentarily if that was a sign of approval.
Though they had rehearsed a fair bit, this much was improvised.
"Twas you who allowed our goods to be stolen. I must do something to replenish our fortunes,"
he hissed. "So while you stand about whining, I will find us a way to the king."
"You'll have to work alone if—"
"What's this about the king?" asked the gentleman, striding up.
"Oh, good sir," Liam gasped, as if embarrassed that he'd drawn the man's attention. "I am called Martin." He spread his hands and shrugged in a self-deprecating fashion. "Martin the Magnificent by some."
"Magnificent indeed!" Rachel
Similar Books
