The service ended and we all flooded outside of the building. Someone grabbed my arm as I pressed through the crowd. It was Abigail.
“Aislin, how are you?” she asked in a strained voice.
I stopped walking and let the crowd move around us, “I am fine Abigail. And you?”
“Horrible.” Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears, “I need to speak with you. Can you meet me somewhere?”
I thought of the danger that now lurked about me, “I have to stay home today. But you can come to my house if you like.”
Abigail took my hand as she had when we were little and walked with me. My mother and father looked surprised to see her by my side, but said nothing ill natured toward her. It was obvious that she was distraught and I believe everyone but me thought she was crying over Rebecca. As much as I loved Abigail, I knew that she never shed tears for anyone but herself.
********************
“It is a horrible thing, what happened to Rebecca,” Abigail said, as she made herself comfortable on my bed.
“Yes, it is terrible,” I trailed off, “Are you truly crying over Rebecca? I do not recall you two being close?”
Abigail shrugged and dabbed her eyes, “Well, no. Of course, I am sad about Rebecca but I, I . . . Oh Aislin,” she stammered.
What happened?” I asked.
Abigail dropped her head into her hands and sighed. “I am so confused. Jack wants nothing to do with me anymore,” she wept.
“How do you know that?” I asked, while Greer's conversation with Jack resonated in my mind.
“I went to meet him at the shop two nights ago. He was not there, so I walked around the back of the building and found him with Mary Visser. They were . . . ” she sighed deeply and I wiped the tears off her cheek for her.
“Abigail I am so sorry. Did he see you? Did he say anything?”
She crumpled the kerchief between her fingers and nodded, “He left Mary for a moment and told me that he did not love me anymore. He said that I should go and marry the old man and forget about him,” she slumped down onto the bed and cried like a child.
I hated seeing her upset and wished that I could find words to comfort her and yet, just like in the Church, I knew that I could do nothing to help.
I sat next to her and stroked her hair while she finally let out all her sadness. I could tell that she had been holding all of this in and had nowhere else to let out her emotions.
“Does anyone else know?” I asked.
“No. You are the only person I trust.”
I was surprised by her words. After everything that had transpired between her brother and myself, it seemed odd that I would be the person she trusted above all else. Yet, our friendship had always been strong. When we were younger, we were inseparable. She was like a sister to me. I supposed she still was.
“I do not hold anything against you for leaving Zachariah,” she said, as she leaned on her elbow, “I wish that Mr. Sutphin would be caught in the same way so that I could get out of marrying him.”
“You do not wish to marry him anymore? But I thought that you were excited about his wealth and property?” I asked.
“I should never have gone off with Jack. Things were so much simpler before I realized that I loved him. Now I cannot think of anyone but Jack, and at night, I have nightmares about Mr. Sutphin. About what his touch will be like, and about how I will never see Jack again. The worst part is that Jack does not care. He does not love me.” She broke back into sobs.
I held her and let her cry. I felt terrible for having insisted that Jack dismiss her. I did not think that she loved him and now her heart was broken. Then I thought of when Zachariah discovered Abigail’s ring in my father’s shop, and I knew she would have been flogged if her family had found out about her tryst. I did not know which would have been a better fate for her as she continued to weep in my arms.
“When does Mr. Sutphin arrive?” I asked.
“He will be here right before the Ball. That is when we are to be married.”
“Have you told your family that you are unhappy?”
“What good would that do?” she almost laughed at my question, “They did not care that you did not love Zachariah and they do not care about my feelings toward Sutphin.”
“What will you do?”
“I might run away,” she said.
I thought of this option and realized the danger that surrounded it. “If you are caught, you would be hanged for stealing your father's property. You cannot run away,” I insisted.
“What am I to do?” she pleaded.
“I do not know, but we have some time to think about it. So do not lose hope.”
I left Abigail upstairs and went down to the kitchen to fetch some tea for her. I could hear Greer and my mother speaking in hushed tones in the sitting room. When I passed by where they sat, their conversation ceased.
“What are you whispering about?” I asked suspiciously.
Greer shook his head, “Nothing we can talk about while you have company over,” he said while gesturing to the stairs.
I nodded that I understood, “I cannot ask her to leave. She is in a terrible state.”
“I will make her the tea. You should talk to Greer,” my mother said, as she went into the kitchen.
Greer took my hand and led me to a chair where he kneeled in front of me so we were eye to eye. “Did you see that he was at the church today?” he asked in a whisper.
“Who?”
“Lamont. He was sitting up front in the very first row on the far left side of the building.”
I felt sickness growing in my stomach, “I did not see him.”
He reached up and touched my face, “I will be staying close to you at all times. I fear that he has also moved into town as the winter is settling in. I do not know how long we can avoid him, but I promise that I will stay by your side.”
I pressed his hand to my face as though I wanted the sensation of his touch to stay on my skin. My mother came back into the room and handed me the tray to take to Abigail. I stood and Greer let me pass. Then he and my mother exchanged a look and I knew their conversations would continue when I left.
********************
I poured the tea for Abigail who was lying on my bed, her face cast downward. As I approached her, I saw that she was holding something between her hands. It was my book!
“What is this?” she asked, as she handed it to me.
I felt my heart pound hard against my chest as my mouth went dry. “Just a book,” I said while trying to conceal my panic.
“It is rather old to be empty,” she said.
I opened it up and flipped through the pages. They were all blank. I almost laughed, although I realized what a terrible mistake I had made. If it were not for the magic that surrounded the book, I would have been found out to be a witch.
“It was a present from Greer,” I said.
Her eyes widened, “Your fiancé? Oh Aislin, he is so handsome! He is the same man who took you from the port, yes?” she asked in a dreamy tone.
I nodded and tried not to smile too broadly. It was nice to sit with her and giggle as we did so long ago.
She smiled back at me and threw a pillow at me, “You are blushing!” Abigail laughed. “I have never seen you so smitten over a man before!” she taunted.
“I am not blushing!” I giggled, as I covered my cheeks with my hands.
Abigail was laughing too, and hit me again with the pillow, but then her smile slowly faded away. “Zachariah was complaining about Greer to my father the other night. He said that he was not done with you and would not even think about having another as his wife.”
“There is nothing Zachariah can do,” I retorted, “I will marry Greer.”
Abigail grabbed the skirt of my dress to get my attention, “Aislin be careful. My brother does not like being told he cannot have something he wants. He is up to something. I do not know if it is aimed at you or Greer, but he is
planning his revenge.”
“What is he planning?”
“I do not know. He does not trust me enough to tell me. He has a hard heart Aislin, and he has not been himself since the night when he was attacked by highwaymen. You should be careful.”
Zachariah was the least of my concerns with the prospect of Lamont lurking around, but for some reason her words bothered me more than I thought they should.
CHAPTER TWENTY
December 10th 1734
I never mentioned it to Greer, or my mother, but I was searching through the book day after day. I had been successful in finding many potions, spells and hexes. My evenings were spent devoting my time to memorizing them so I would be ready for Lamont. I could not handle losing Greer or my family, or even endangering them any further than I already had, so I kept this a secret. My idea was that I would face him alone, when I was ready. Unfortunately, he was living among us and I was losing control over where and when he would find me.
For the past few nights, I had been carried to Greer's lodging, or he had stayed with me in my room. It was lovely and torturous all at the same time, and I wished that his estate's paperwork would come from Scotland soon. I even thought of casting a spell to hurry it up, but I realized that the more magic I did, the more exposed I would be. Every witch knew this. It was why we were so secretive. That rule was the first my mother had taught me, yet I was tempted at every turn to use magic.
I thought about helping Abigail and Jack, about casting a love spell between Zachariah and some witless girl, and of casting a memory spell to wipe my family and me from Lamont's mind. Unfortunately, I could not. In fact, the only spells I could cast were protective spells for Greer and myself.
I lay in Greer's bed and stared at the ceiling. I could hear people in the tavern below singing, laughing and yelling. Everyone was happy, completely oblivious to the dangers that were lurking around every corner.
I could not sleep and I had not been able to rest since the day that I found out about Rebecca's murder. Visions of their deaths were haunting me. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see them as they were mercilessly murdered.
I heard the door open and I sat straight up, my heart thudding hard against my chest, fearing the possibility that Lamont had found me. My panic was quickly subsided. It was Greer, returning from his hunt. He moved quietly and gracefully through the room as he brushed the snow off his coat and placed it on the chair by the window.
“Were you able to eat well?” I asked.
“I had to travel far tonight. All the animals have migrated since the winter storms have buried their food,” he yawned, as he sat down on the bed next to me.
“Are you still hungry?” I moved closer to him and rested my head on his knee. Looking up at him, I brushed my fingers across his cheek and I felt that his skin was chilled from the outside air.
He played with my hair, pulling his fingers through the dark strands, which made his fingers look ghostly white against the dark coloration. “I am fine. I will need to hunt again soon, but for now I am fine.”
I knew he was not as well as he claimed. His skin color was far too pale and his body temperature much too cold, which meant he had not eaten enough. When he was able to feed well, his skin turned back to a lovely olive shade—he said it was just like his mother's skin. Now he was pale, malnourished and cold, all signs that revealed his hunger.
Greer felt uneasy leaving me alone for long periods of time. He was convinced that Lamont and his beast were hunting for me nightly.
“Did you sleep at all?” he asked.
“No, I could not,” I said, as I rubbed my eyes, “Every time I come close to falling asleep I see Rebecca and her sisters.” My voice cracked as I spoke her name.
“Aislin, trust me, you cannot allow these things to haunt you. You must learn to block the images from your mind. If you dwell on them, they will consume you,” his words were filled with concern.
“I am trying . . . it is just so hard,” I looked away from him as Rebecca's face flooded my mind again.
Greer saw my pain and pulled me into a hug. “While I was passing through the tavern I heard that Abigail's new husband has come to town.”
I sat up quickly, “But he was not supposed to be here for another week.”
“Apparently, he arrived many hours ago. He showed up with carts full of slaves and goods. All the locals are talking about him. They said he came with such a large convoy that they thought royalty had arrived. This man thinks very much of himself . . . I cannot see this marriage boding well for Abigail,” Greer scoffed, as he shook his head.
“We have to go to her!” I hurried from the bed to put on my coat and shoes.
“My love, we cannot. It is too dangerous to take the path to her home and even if we could, they would never let us in.”
“I promised that I would help her. I cannot let her be taken by that man,” I said, as I reached for the door.
I did not even bother to make sure my hair was straight or my clothes were neat, I swung my cloak over me and moved as swiftly as I could. Greer stood in front of me, blocking my way out of the room.
“I am sorry my love, but I cannot let you go.”
I tried to push him aside, but it was pointless. He did not even budge as I tried to apply all the force I could muster with my weight.
“Please, please, I beg you! She is like a sister to me. Let me go!”
He stood like a statue, blocking the doorway as I pounded on his chest and begged to be released.
“I promised your mother that I would protect you, even if it was against your will. It would be folly to risk a trip to the Marthalers . . . It is already too late Aislin. We cannot help her. I am sure they have already been married and bedded,” he said as gently as he could.
“No! I cannot let that happen. She did not want to marry him. She was heart broken about Jack . . . she loves him. We have to help them,” I said, still trying to pry him out of my path.
Greer did not respond to me but lifted me into his arms and carried me to the bed, where he lay against me so that I could not move.
“It is passed midnight. We are too late. Please stop fighting me Aislin, there is nothing we can do to help her. Remember, she chose this life. She had used Jack, and would have gotten both of them killed if I did not stop their affair. This is the life she wanted.”
“She changed her mind,” I sobbed, “She is like a sister to me. He's going to hurt her. I saw it in a vision. She is going to be miserable, just like her mother.” Tears rolled down my cheeks and wet my face.
He did not move an inch, but held me in my place and rested his forehead on mine. “I know, my love. It hurts to lose those that you care for, but you have to let her live her life.”
“I promised her.”
“Remember your mother telling you that people have to pick their own destinies? You cannot use magic to get her out of this. It is her fate.”
“But she loves Jack.”
Greer cradled my face in his hands, “Not all love is pure Aislin. She never truly loved Jack or she would have fought for their love. She loved his attention and his youth. She loves the old man's money more, and that is why she did nothing to stop her marriage except to beg that you do it for her.”
His words sank in and made sense, but they were not what I wanted to hear. I wished that Abigail could experience love like Greer and I had, but her heart was set on material things and perhaps she was never destined to know such love. I thought of the bruised and haggard Abigail that was in my vision. I could not accept that it was her destiny to be abused for the rest of her life. I said a silent prayer that the spirits would watch over her and help her.
I had stopped fighting Greer and he had released his grip. I held on tightly to him so I could avert the pain that was threatening to overtake me again, threatening to remind me of all that has been lost—and worse still, all that I could lose.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
December 14th, 1734
Greer was pacing the length of the sitting room, his eyebrows furrowed and fists clinched, while my mother loomed over me with her hands on her hips.
Hours earlier, while I was with Greer at the Inn, my cycle began. Greer's eyes were filled with panic, and before I could protest, he had brought me back to my parent's home. It was now midday and we were all arguing.
My mother threw up her arms in frustration, “Aislin, please show some reason. Your cycle has begun and it is not right for you to stay with Greer.”
“If I stay with Martha I will only bring danger to her family,” I protested. My arguments met deaf ears. No one was listening to me.
Greer waited until my mother stormed from the room in frustration and then he led me away to my bedroom, where we could talk in private. Although he was remaining calm, I was not. I sat on the bed with my arms folded and looked straight ahead, trying my best to avoid making eye contact.
“My love, I know this is difficult for you, but it is equally painful for me,” he scooped up my hands into his and turned my chin so I had to face him. I now saw how anxious he appeared, and my resolve started to crack.
“Aislin, I have not eaten well in some time now. I am growing weaker and I do not know if I could control myself against you in my current state . . . and yours.”
“But I will be very clean . . . you will never even know that . . . ” I went to finish my sentence but Greer cut me off.
“Aislin, I cannot do this. You must go where you are safe and for the time being, that is away from me.” He sounded disgusted by his own words and looked away from me.
Spellbound: The Awakening of Aislin Collins Page 19