The man nodded. “I thought not. Come on, then, lass, off we go.”
She struggled, pulling backwards in vain. She was outnumbered, of course, and the men simply lifted her off her feet, carrying her as her feet flailed in the air.
“I don’t want to go back!” Freya burst out, twisting around desperately, praying for a rescue that was not coming. “Ye can’t take me back to him, not after I got away. It’s not fair!”
“Aye, a great deal in life is not fair,” the man sighed. “What possessed ye to leave the convent, lass? A mistake, I fancy.”
Freya went limp, the fight draining out of her.
This is what I deserve. I was ungrateful to the people who wanted to help me. I didn’t help myself. I was cruel to them.
This is no more than what I deserve. I’ve brought it all upon myself.
“Aye,” she whispered, although no one seemed to be listening. “It was a mistake.”
Chapter 17
Too Late, I’m Afraid
The door to the convent was locked. This was something of a surprise—Brendan couldn’t ever remember the door being locked before. He forced himself to wait patiently, hearing footsteps slowly approach along the hall.
Freya’s words circled round and round in his head.
“For future reference, Brendan Grahame, I do not belong to ye, or to yer father, or to my father. I am me, and nobody owns me. I come and go as I please. Don’t ever get in my way again, or ye will be sorry.”
I am sorry, lass,he thought, lifting a shaking hand to push through his hair.I should have told ye how I felt. I should have told the truth before it was too late.
But it can’t be too late. It can’t be. I won’t believe it.
A lock clicked, and bolts slid back, and the door inched open. To Brendan’s amazement, the Abbess herself stood there.
“Oh, it’s ye, Brendan,” she said, with palpable relief. The door inched open a little further. “What brings ye here?”
“Why are ye answering the door?” Brendan asked, foolishly. “Ye are the Abbess.”
She gave a wry smile. “Ye think I am too high and mighty for chores? It’s all hands on deck today. The infirmary is packed tobursting, and the sisters are all nervous, what with the chaos in town. There’s danger here, and the soldiers have no respect for the women of a convent. I thought it would be safer formeto answer the door, instead of one of our young, pretty lassies.”
He swallowed thickly. “I… I wasn’t aware that things were so bad.”
The Abbess tilted her head, eyes glittering. “No? That’s no surprise. I am fond of ye, lad, but ye have a habit of burying yer head in the sand. Perhaps it’s time to come up for air.”
What was that supposed to mean? Brendan only pressed his lips together, meeting her eye squarely.
“I am here for Freya. We… parted badly, and I want to set things right.”
Because she is mine, my woman, and I cannot let her leave like this, not without baring my heart to her. Not without being honest, for once in my cowardly life.
The Abbess held his gaze for a long moment, and he saw pity written clearly in her eyes.
“Ye are too late, I’m afraid,” she whispered softly.
The hairs on the back of his neck rose. “What do ye mean?”
She sighed, passing a hand over her face. It was rare to see the Abbess showing any emotion beyond cool composure, but now she looked tired, tired and a little angry.
“She left a few hours ago. There was some argument with her friends here. I don’t know the details, but…”
There was a brief scuffle behind the door, and the Abbess disappeared, replaced by Senga. Brendan saw at once that Senga had been crying.
