Page 22 of Witchbane

Something occurred to me. ‘Did you find out what he was looking for at the church? It might give us a clue about why he’s come this way.’

Jem averted his gaze. ‘I hadn’t thought to ask. I’ll go and do it straight away.’

‘Thank you.’ I hoped nothing would come of his second visit to the church. To keep my mind busy and stop me thinking about why Theo Le Cerf was in our midst, I spent the rest of the morning harvesting herbs for my grandmother’s work. Despite my best intentions, though, I couldn’t ignore the ominous feeling that seemed to envelop me like an unwanted cape. I felt a strong sense of foreboding. Something was about to happen to change our lives in a big way. I knew it, and hoped I was wrong, but my senses were always right about feelings like this, and not for the first time I wished I didn’t have this power of knowing when something dark was about to reach us.

It still haunted me that I had sensed when my uncle’s death and that of Jem’s mother, Maria, were about to occur. In both cases, a feeling of impending doom had increased over several days until the night before each of their deaths, I had dreamt the person was standing in front of me, looking at me but not speaking. My mother was behind their left shoulder and calmly told me she had come to accompany them on their journey to the other side and not to be sad for them.

I was steeping thyme in boiled water for tea. I needed courage and often turned to this herb to help me find it within myself. I was pouring some of the water into a cup when I heard Jem’s footsteps running across the yard towards the back door and spilt a little of the water, splashing my hand and scalding it. I winced and thrust my hand into a bowl of cold water in which I had placed flowers picked from the garden earlier that morning.

Allowing my hand to dry naturally, I ran to greet him.

‘Did you find out why he’s here?’

He nodded and bent over, his hand raised to stop me asking anything further while he caught his breath.

I waited impatiently for him to gather himself, blowing on my hand to try and cool the stinging.

‘Sorry,’ he said righting himself.

‘Don’t worry. What did you find out?’ I saw something in his eyes. Nervousness maybe? I sensed Jem might be struggling for words. ‘Just tell me what you discovered about the church.’

He frowned. ‘He visited there to look at the records, I gather.’ He hesitated for a moment. ‘He was looking for the registration of marriage for a Rue Underwood.’ Before I could even make sense of his words, Jem took my hands in his. I barely registered the pain where his thumb rested on my burn and struggled to keep my legs from giving away at the shock of what this revelation might mean.

‘Me?’ I asked, wanting to vomit. ‘But what have I done to deserve his attention?’ I racked my brains to think when I could have been seen doing anything he or his father might consider suspicious. All the items I sold at the stall were considered medicinal or simply used for general care of one’s skin or emotions. Surely no one could have complained about any of them? Could they?

I began to tremble. Jem immediately pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly against him. ‘Don’t panic, Rue. I promise I’ll keep you safe.’

Terrified, I pushed back and looked up at him. ‘You shouldn’t make promises you aren’t able to keep.’

He cast his eyes downwards and his arms dropped from around me. I had hurt his feelings. I hadn’t meant to. Needing to comfort him, I wrapped my arms around him and returned his hug.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take my fright out on you.’ I felt his arms encircle me once again and calmed slightly to know that he would be there for me no matter what happened. ‘You’re my closest friend, and I trust you with all my heart.’

He frowned, seeming conflicted about something. He didn’t speak for a moment.

‘What is it, Jem?’ I noticed something in his eyes similar to what I had seen in Theo’s just before he had kissed me. Startled, I realised Jem had feelings for me that were more than just friendship. ‘Jem, I⁠—’

He rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Don’t say it, Rue. I know there can be nothing romantic between us.’ He didn’t manage to mask the regret in his voice. ‘Your family might not have the wealth it once did, but you are still the daughter of a lord.’

I couldn’t think what to say but wanted to move on from the awkward topic.

He rolled his shoulders. ‘Did I tell you I’ve been courting a maid from a nearby farm?’

Barely able to hide my relief, I gasped. ‘You have?’

He smiled. ‘Her name is Beattie. Beattie Goodenough.’ He swallowed and became serious once more. ‘She will never be you, Rue, but I do like her.’

Unsure exactly how to react to such an admission, I pulled him into a hug. ‘I am pleased for you, Jem, and hope to meet her someday.’

‘You already might have done,’ he said. ‘I know she’s seen you at the market on several occasions because she’s mentioned you to me.’

Feeling calmer, I said, ‘Then please tell her to make herself known to me next time I’m there.’

We stood in an awkward silence until Jem spoke. ‘About the Le Cerf chap, we don’t know what he wants with you yet. Maybe…’

‘Maybe what?’ I asked, my voice shaky with fright. ‘He’s the Witchfinder’s son, Jem. There is only one thing he can possibly want with me. I think we both know that.’

I tried my best to think clearly but was too distraught to manage to do so.