Page 13 of The Forsaken
“Think of me from time to time, Katie, and know that sending you away is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”
Kate had been devastated by their parting. The priory allowed no visitors, so mother and daughter would never see each other again unless something went dreadfully wrong.
“I will think of you every day, and pray for your well-being,” Kate had promised. “I will pray for Father and the boys as well.”
She had prayed for them every night. And now her brothers were dead, her mother was heartbroken and ill, and her father had lost the heirs to his title and lands. The time of reckoning was upon the Dancy family.
TEN
Kate walked toward the gate. She hadn’t told any of the sisters she was leaving; she didn’t think she could maintain her composure when faced with their compassion and understanding. She’d deal with her disappointment and grief later, but for now, she had to get through the journey home.
She hadn’t ventured beyond the priory gates in two years and the world outside suddenly frightened her. Men frightened her. She wondered who’d come to collect her. She hoped it wasn’t Glen, one of her father’s favorite men-at-arms. Glen was young, handsome, and skilled with a sword, but his insolent tongue and aggressive personality had always intimidated her. She wouldn’t want to be alone with him for hours on end. Glen would do nothing to hurt her, not if he hoped to see the sun rise on another day, but it would be an awkward ride to say the least.
The path toward the gate was clear, but mounds of melting snow still dotted the landscape, and the ground was sodden. The weather had turned warmer since Palm Sunday, and the unmistakable smell of spring permeated the air. The sky was a pale blue, its vastness unmarred by even a wisp of a cloud.
Kate peered toward the gate. Her escort wasn’t there yet, so she turned off the path and headed toward the Lady’s Well. Kate made sure to keep to the well-trodden track so as not to get her feet wet. It would be an uncomfortable ride home if she were wet and cold. The track weaved through a grove of trees and emerged by a clear pool that was as smooth as a looking glass on this spring morning. The Lady’s Well was a lovely, peaceful spot, said to have been originally used by the Anglo-Saxon Saint Ninian to baptize early Christians in its holy water. When the Augustine canonesses had first settled at Holystone in the twelfth century, they had dedicated the well to the Virgin Mary, and had looked after it ever since.
Kate folded her hands, bowed her head, and offered up a fervent prayer to the Blessed Mother. She prayed to God all thetime, but at times, only a woman could understand what was in a girl’s heart, and this was the place where Kate felt closest to the Virgin. She begged Mary to safeguard her on the journey home, to ease her mother’s suffering, and to guide her father toward choosing a man who would be kind and gentle, should a marriage be contracted for Kate.
She crossed herself and rose to her feet. Feeling a little more optimistic, she squared her shoulders and walked away from the well without a backward glance, ready to face whatever the future held.
Kate breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized Osbert waiting patiently by the gate with two horses. He was in his late forties and had been recently widowed the last time Kate saw him two years ago. Osbert’s family had been in service to the Dancys for generations. They were kind, simple folk who were loyal to their lord and his family. She would be safe with Osbert on the journey home.
He kneaded his felt hat in his hands as he bowed to Kate in greeting. “I’m sorry for yer loss, me lady. Yer brothers were fine men, and brave soldiers.”
“Thank you, Osbert. It’s kind of you to say so. How are my parents?”
“Devastated, me lady. Yer lady mother has taken to her bed and hasn’t risen since.”
“I hope I can be of some comfort to her,” Kate said as Osbert gave her a leg up. She’d forgotten how awkward a sidesaddle was, but it was the only acceptable way for a young woman of good family to ride, so she had to make the best of it.
“Yer very presence will sustain her, me lady,” Osbert replied kindly. He fitted Kate’s foot into the stirrup and mounted his own horse, ready to leave.
“I do hope we get home before dark,” Kate said as she took up the reins and followed Osbert toward the road. She didn’t likethe idea of being on the road after dark, not even with an armed escort.
“If we don’t make too many stops, we aught be at the Grange before sundown, me lady. The sun’s setting later, now it’s springtime.”
That was true, but despite the lingering light, most people returned to their homes in time for supper and remained indoors after they’d eaten. Having finished their work, they looked forward to well-deserved rest in the evening and spent the hours before bedtime sitting by the hearth or catching up on minor chores they hadn’t gotten to during the day. In the summer, people sat outside, enjoying the lengthy twilight and the fragrant evening air, but it was still too cold out to enjoy such pursuits, and once the sun set, it grew pitch-dark as well.
Kate and Osbert rode in silence for a time. Being a serf, Osbert knew his place and didn’t speak to the mistress unless spoken to, and Kate had little to say, given her emotional state. The brief moment of optimism she’d felt after praying at the well had dissipated, now that she was on her way home. She grieved for her brothers, but she also grieved for herself and the future she’d been forced to abandon. She was frightened of what her father had in store for her, and wondered just how soon he intended to put his plans into action. If she knew her father, he wouldn’t wait too long to solidify whatever alliance he was hoping to make, especially now that the Duke of York was on the throne of England.
Lord Dancy was the Earl of Warwick’s cousin on Warwick’s mother’s side, and he mentioned his connection to the Nevilles at every opportunity. Kate now understood his boasting, given that her father was distant kin to the king himself, since Warwick was first cousin to King Edward on his sire’s side. Lord Dancy didn’t hold a position at court, at least not yet, but he was a very wealthy man whose fortune would sway many a potential in-law into considering his offspring’s suit. With her brothers gone, Kate was now an heiress, and if she understood anything at all about the world, she had just become vastly more desirable on the marriage market. If her father managed to marry her off to aNeville relation, his connection to the throne would grow even stronger, as would his influence.
It was close to noon when Kate noticed Osbert swaying in the saddle. At first, she assumed he was tired, but on closer inspection, he looked positively green at the gills.
“Osbert, are you quite well?” Kate asked.
“Aye, me lady,” Osbert replied, but she could tell he was lying. His face was pale and glistened with sweat, and his eyes looked glassy and unfocused.
“I think we’d better take a rest.”
“Thank ye, me lady.”
“Was there sickness in the village?” Kate asked as they made for a copse of trees on the side of the road. Normally, she would have expected Osbert to help her dismount, but given his state, it seemed best to avoid contact.
“Not that I know of, me lady.”
Osbert dismounted awkwardly and slid to the ground, leaning the back of his head against a tree trunk and closing his eyes.
