Page 110 of The Darkest Oath

Hugo shook his head and rubbed the sides of her arms. “Let his presence wear off, Élise. I promise you’ll forget him. I asked him to stop coming back, and once he does, you’ll see.”

She shook her head and attempted to return his ring, but he pushed it back into her hand. “I’m not ready to lose you,” he said. “Please, wear it . . . for me.”

“I’ll wear it because you are my friend,” she said. “But I cannot marry you.”

Hugo licked his lip and nodded. “Rollant will leave tomorrow, and then we can talk about it some more,” he said.

But she knew there wasn’t anything left to say.

CHAPTER41

The Town of Old

VALMONT, CHARTREUSE MOUNTAINS, NOVEMBER 1793

The pre-dawn edgedinto the night as the community approached the village. The buildings were made of stone and cramped together, surrounding a square center with a well and a chapel on either end.

An old woman and a young man, maybe twelve, were before them, wearing clothes not of the century. The woman wore a long-sleeve brown dress that looked like a sack, with a rope tied around her waist as a belt. An earth-tone scarf wrapped around her head. The man wore a simple shirt, trousers, and a knee-length brown wool coat.

They stopped. “Who are you, and what do you want?” Their accent was hard to decipher.

But Rollant spoke it perfectly. “Odille, daughter of Eudes, do you not remember Rollant de Montvieux?”

He held his hands open wide.

“Rollant de Montvieux, Seigneur!” Her eyes opened wide, and she dipped her chin in his honor. Shooing the youth away, she said, “Piers, run, get the council elder, our landlord has returned.”

Piers started to run.

“And the priest!” she called after him.

Odille approached the travelers with open arms. “Welcome to Valmont,” she said and then kissed Rollant’s cheek. “It has been at least twenty years.” Her gaze slid to the strangers behind him. “Who are your companions?”

Rollant gestured to them, his eyes locking briefly with Élise while Hugo’s gaze darted between them. “These good people come from Paris,” Rollant announced. “I will explain more when the priest and elder are present.”

“Of course, seigneur,” Odille said. “Come, come. I shall get the girls to make the morning meal for you and your guests. We are most excited to welcome them if they are good to you.”

She led them to a meeting place with long tables and benches. Élise made sure to sit by Rollant, and Hugo followed to sit on her left.

The buzz of the town was alight before the sun, and soon, the entire village was crammed into the meeting space. The priest and elder, noted by their long black and brown robes, entered and silenced the chatter.

“Ah, Seigneur Montvieux,” the priest said. “We are so happy you have returned.” He turned to address the Charonne residents. “I am Lorin Enguerran.”

The elder piped in with a small bow. “Seigneur Montvieux, we hope you find the village satisfactory.” Addressing the Charonne residents, “Clement Jourdain.”

“Always is in your good hands,” Rollant said. “Thank you for keeping it in my absence, though my duty requires me to leave at nightfall.”

“Will your travelers be leaving with you?” Clement asked.

Rollant shook his head and stood up. “No. I come bearing ill news. There is a great evil sweeping through France, and these good people, like you, live on my land near Paris. Valmont will be a temporary sanctuary for them until the evil is subdued. They bring many skills: farming, gardening, milling, candle making, ranching, baking, and there is also an esteemed and learned herbalist.”

The village broke out in a murmur at the mention of an herbalist. Hugo glanced up at Rollant with pressed lips of gratitude. Élise patted Hugo’s hand beneath the table to emphasize there was no ill will between them.

Rollant continued speaking. “They will be good to Valmont, but your patience is needed. They come from a big city, and Valmont has been isolated from many changing customs. I have asked them to learn your ways and to follow them the best they can.”

Gabrielle raised her hand. “Why can we not go on to Seigneur Montvieux’s ancestral home?”

The village people chuckled and shook their heads. The priest, Lorin, lifted a finger, and the crowd hushed.

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