Charms of a Witch

by Marina Oliver

'I was so frightened when I saw you floating in the river,' Lucy said. 'It reminded me of that day, Jem, do you remember? Oh, 'twas horrible!'

  'What day?' Jem asked, then as a sudden realisation came to him, he looked round guiltily. 'Why, yes, Lucy. Of course. But you promised not to talk of it.'

  'What is this?' Gavin asked, and Lucy looked unhappily from him to Jem.

  'What was it you saw, Lucy?' Gavin asked her gently. 'Have you seen someone else floating in the river?'

  'I – I am sorry Jem.' Lucy turned to him, and he shrugged his shoulders.

  'It is none of your fault.' He turned to Agnes. 'See what trouble you have brought on us? Lucy, will you explain?'

  'It was one day before Christmas. Jem and I were walking by the river and we saw a body, the body of a man, caught up in the weeds.'

  'In December? Could you tell what he was like?'

  'Why, yes, he was tall and fair. I recognised him.'

  'You had seen him before?' Gavin said in surprise.

  'He had called at the cottage to ask his way. I recognised him though he was dead.'

  'Was his name Thomas Porter?' Gavin said, suddenly turning to Agnes.

  She looked up at him from frightened eyes, the strength gone from her. 'Aye,' she whispered.'He stayed here at the Black Goat.'

  'And met his death here, I suppose.'

  Agnes wept again. 'Oh, Sir, 'twas an accident, I swear it! He fell in his room!'

  'Then why did you not report it, and give him decent burial?'

  'I was afeard I would not be believed, that I would be accused of murder.'

  'He is not the only one, is he?'

  'How do you know?'

  'And the others, whose letters you have stolen? The money and information, betraying the King. Who did you give it to?'

  The others regarded Gavin in surprise. Agnes wailed.

  'I meant no harm. I did not wish to hurt any of them, but they discovered me. I could not let them go!'

  'So you killed them? And got rid of the bodies in the river.'

  She nodded wretchedly.

  'Who received the information from you?'

  'I cannot, I dare not tell you?'

  'You will tell me.' Gavin said quietly.

  'No, I dare not! I would be punished!'

  'If you do not tell me I will turn you over to the villagers. Which punishment do you prefer? Besides, if you tell me, your accomplices will not be able to punish you. We will deal with them first. That or the villagers to put you to the witch test again?'

  'No, Gavin! You must not threaten that,' Lucy put in angrily. 'The poor woman has suffered enough. How dare you frighten her?'

  'Leave this to me, Lucy, if you please. This woman has caused a deal of trouble. She has murdered several men, and harmed the King's cause. Tell me,' he went on, turning back to Agnes and standing over her, 'to whom did you pass the information?'

  By now Agnes was weeping noisily, gulping and sobbing. She began to gabble the story of how it had all happened. From the mass of irrelevancies Gavin learned that a wool merchant, Edward Black in Chelmsford, was the organiser of the group. He nodded, satisfied, then looked at Jem.

  'Make her go to bed now,' he said quietly.

  Jem was standing as though stricken to stone. Gavin had to repeat his instructions. Jem shook his head slightly and looked miserably at Gavin.

  'I did not know her wickedness was so great. I suspected some evil, but not all this. Oh, Lucy when I saw that man's body, I hoped and prayed she had not killed him, but I was afeard!'

  'She will cause no further trouble,' Gavin comforted him, and Jem nodded in vehement agreement.

  'That you may be sure of. She will no longer dominate me! I will keep firm hold on her in the future.'

  'Get her to bed now. Come Lucy, we will go home.'

  *

  They went to collect their horses and rode back to the Manor, and Gavin explained to Sir Humphrey about the betrayal of the King's messengers. Lucy was very quiet, and when they reached the Manor she said goodnight to them and started for the stairs.

  'I would speak with you first Lucy. Please. Come into the parlour.'

  Sir Humphrey looked at him and smiled slightly, then discreetly disappeared into his study. Lucy walked into the parlour and turned to face Gavin. She expected a scolding on the folly of leaving the house, and was taken utterly by surprise when without speaking he walked across to her and pulled her to him, holding her close. She looked up, startled, and he smiled down at her.

  'Lucy, my love. You are foolhardy, but adorable. I love you, as I have since I first set eyes on you. Will you marry me and let me protect you?'

  He raised his eyebrows, quizzically, and as Lucy smiled at him, he bent his head to kiss her. She put her hands against his chest and resisted lightly.

  'Gavin, what of Sarah Francis? Do you not love her?'

  'Why should I love her? How could I possibly love anyone else when you are around? I have never loved Sarah, silly one. It has never entered my head to think of loving her, and she is content. She has never loved me.'Twas her mother that would have wed us. Now are you satisfied?'

  Again he bent towards her, and again she pushed him away.

  'Why are you doing this? Is it to ensure I have the Manor and Sir Humphrey's fortune?'

  He laughed. 'What ridiculous ideas you have! Of course not! You can give it away if you wish. To Mistress Francis if you will. So long as you marry me! I love you, and nought else matters.'

  'What of my father?'

  'He will be well content, he has expected this since first he saw us together. Would you prefer to live here with him? I must continue to serve the King, and I must leave you in safe hands. Now, Lucy, cease tormenting me. I love you. I want you for my wife.'

  'Oh, Gavin!'

  He crushed her to him, and hours later, or so it seemed to Lucy, he released her to gaze into her eyes. She looked happily back.

  'You have cast a spell on me!' he said, laughing slightly.'It has entangled both of us, and we will never be free of it.'

  Lucy smiled teasingly.'Would you wish to be?'

  He did not speak, but his actions left her in no doubt of his answer.

  THE END

  ###

  Marina Oliver has written over 75 novels, all are available as ebooks.

  For the latest information please see Marina's web site:

  http://www.marina-oliver.net

  You might also enjoy other historical novels by Marina:

  Convict Queen

  Few convicts returned to England, but Molly Morgan was one who did.

  She lived in a Shropshire village, first as a maid to a wealthy farmer, then with her husband William, who was somewhat light-fingered.

  He escaped when they were accused of the theft of flax from a drying field, but Molly was tried and sentenced to transportation.

  She went with the Second Fleet, and survived being on the Neptune, the worst ever ship to carry convicts to New South Wales.

  Many of the convicts died or were too weak on arrival to walk.

  Molly found a protector on the ship, and another for whom she worked on land.

  After a few years she persuaded an American Whaling ship captain to hide her and take her back to England, where she lived in London and worked as a seamstress until she married a Plymouth whitesmith.

  They quarrelled and she went back to London, where she was accused of more theft and again transported.

  After a while, and the accusation of stealing Government cattle, she began farming in the Hunter Valley, and opened taverns.

  She became wealthy, known for giving help to convicts, and support for charities.

  At the age of sixty she married a man of one and thirty.

  She was named the Queen of Hunter Valley.

  *

  The Baron's Bride

  It is the turbulent thirteenth century and Henry III is facing rebellion by Simon de Montfort.

  Eva, more concerned with her own fate, is
plotting how to make her father agree to her marriage with her cousin Gilbert, when she is told she is to marry the rich and influential Sir Piers de Granfort.

  Gilbert is poor, but they try to escape. These attempts all fail, to Eva's fury and despair, and she finally meets Sir Piers, who is not so old as she expected.

  She also meets the lovely widow whose eldest son is named Piers, and who looks remarkably like Sir Piers.

  What are they to one another? And why, if they are in love, do they not marry?

  Taken to her new home Eva tries to solve these puzzles.

  *

  Wild Catriona

  Catriona's father is lost at sea, and her mother loses the will to live, leaving her with her Uncle, who wants to marry her to a much older, stern newcomer.

  Cat is determined to escape, and does so with the help of her cousin. But she needs to hide from them all, until she can go to her father's Dutch family in Amsterdam.

  Expert in fabric printing and making her own dyes, she persuades Rory Napier, struggling to manage his uncle's linen manufacturing in Glasgow, to employ her to supervise the new processes.

  Though she is successful, their relationship is stormy. Can they succeed despite the problems and the rivalries?

  *

  Highwayman's Hazard

  Clarinda Middlewick's friendship with Sarah, an orphan heiress, is encouraged by her father, a wealthy merchant.

  He hopes to marry Clarinda into the gentry, but she rebels when he receives an offer from Lord Tarbuck, whose daughter is several years older than Clarinda.

  Her only refuge is her grandmother, who runs a guest house in Harrogate Spa, and with Sarah's help she escapes from her home.

  Held up by a highwayman, whose actions they find extremely odd, they are forced to aid him, and the girls find adventure before they can reach Harrogate.

  ***