Page 65 of Love Set Apart
“May we speak with her alone?” Edna asked.
“Of course. I’ll be nearby if you need me.” The abbess headed back out the door.
“Thank ye for yer help.” Edna called after her before turning to the young nun. “Sister Therese, I am told ye saw Emilie leaving last night.”
“Yes, Madame, I did. She left with a man on horseback.” Sister Therese glanced back and forth between Angus and Robert, seeming very wary of them.
“Do ye ken which direction they were headed?” Robert asked.
“I’m not sure. I didn’t see which direction they went.”
“I think ye ken more than ye’re saying,” Edna said. She concentrated on Sister Therese, looking into her eyes and using her witchcraft to loosen her tongue.
“The man pays me when someone comes to the convent that would make a good wife. He brings them to the river where they board a boat. I don’t know where they go from there.”
“So ye sold Emilie to a stranger.” Robert’s voice rose with enough fury to send the abbess hurrying into the room.
“He is not a stranger to me,” Sister Therese said. “His name is Marc Allard.”
“Is everything all right?” The abbess glanced around the room, her gaze landing on Sister Therese. “I heard yelling.”
“Sister Therese is the culprit here,” Robert said, as he pounded the desk with a closed fist.
“What do you mean?” The abbess seemed baffled to hear this.
“She has been selling women to a man named Marc Allard. She sold Emilie to him last night.”
“Sister Therese, is this true?” the abbess asked.
Still under Edna’s spell, Sister Therese said, “Yes. It is true.”
“We should go. The sooner we get started, the sooner we’ll find her. We’ve got to get to her before she boards the boat.” Robert was out the door and running towards the horses.
Edna released Sister Therese from her spell and gazed at the abbess. “Can we trust ye to take care of this?”
“Rest assured this will never happen again.” She glared at Sister Therese. “She will be punished for what she has done.”
Edna nodded her gratitude and grabbing Angus by the hand, ran after Robert.
“Doona worry, Robert. We’ll find her,” Edna said.
The three rode off at a gallop. Robert seemed to know where they should go and so Edna and Angus followed his lead.
16
Exhausted from yesterday’s travel, Edna’s magic came to the rescue, giving them the energy they and their horses needed to continue on at a breakneck pace. After several hours in the saddle they could see the river up ahead.
“There it is!” Robert said, guiding them towards the shoreline. Riding along the banks of the river they saw a boat typically used to ferry people across the river moored near a wooden dock. The man aboard was taking payment from another man on shore.
“That must be them,” Robert said, spurring his horse into a gallop and charging toward the boat.
Edna wasn’t sure they were going to make it in time and she was right. The boat pushed off from the shore just as they reached it.
“I’ll go after the boat. Ye get Allard,” Robert shouted to Angus.
Allard was about to mount his horse for a quick getaway, when Angus grabbed him by the back of his cloak and tossed him to the ground.
“Doona move or ye’ll regret it,” Angus drew his sword to make his point.
