Page 5 of Witchbane

He was right. I was kidding myself to think I should have picked up on signs about his identity before his hat was knocked off. I thought it unnecessarily callous of the person who threw the apple that dislodged his hat and wondered if people often attacked him in that way. Then I realised I was beginning to feel some sympathy for Theo and corrected myself. As unnecessary as that assault on him had been, he surely must know that to attend a village celebration on the green when he worked in the profession he did would antagonise people. The notion didn’t help me feel any less mortified for being as instantly attracted to him as I had been, or lessen my shock at feeling that way. How was it possible that I hadn’t remembered those piercing blue eyes that had haunted me ever since my mother’s execution? Shame washed over me. How could I have felt such a deep attraction to this man? I had promised myself I’d never forget who he was. I’d waited ten years for him to reappear in my life, and yet when he did I was only too happy to dance with him. I clenched my fists, furious with myself at this disloyalty to my mother’s memory.

‘I should never have let him dance with you,’ Jem began, his voice sullen. ‘If only I’d continued dancing or realised who he was.’ He gave an anguished groan, sounding as angry with himself as I was with my reaction to Theo Le Cerf. ‘Next time I’ll recognise his hat. I won’t be fooled by him wearing any disguise again.’

I wondered aloud if he had worn the hat deliberately to hide his hair.

Jem gave a mocking laugh. ‘Of course that’s what he did. How else would he entice young women if they knew his true identity?’

I thought of the women who had batted their eyelashes, smiling coyly as they flirted with him, determined to keep his attention on them. ‘Not everyone seems to hold it against him,’ I said, and was shocked at the jealous pang that shot through me.

‘Then they are fools.’

I didn’t respond, because to do so might alert him to my humiliation.

Unfortunately, Jem knew me only too well and glanced at me, stopping again when he saw my face. ‘Oh, I didn’t mean you when I said that, Rue. You could never be like those silly other women.’

I sighed. ‘I wish my opinion of myself was as high as yours seems.’

He nudged me. ‘You’re just tired and angry, that’s all. You’ll feel better once we get you home and you’re able to have a cool drink and a sit down. You’ll see.’

He was wrong but I didn’t say so.

We reached the end of the lane to the main road and Jem stopped. ‘Left or right?’

I knew that to go left meant taking the road towards Old Beaumont Hill, which was one way to reach Thistlebury Manor, or right to Les Grupieaux if we were to take the back way. Both were hills that wound their way steeply up to my home.

‘I don’t mind,’ I said, eager to get going and as far away from that damned man as possible.

‘We’ll go right then.’ He pulled the appropriate rein and our horse began walking that way. ‘I do need to go via Meadowbank, though.’

I didn’t like to think I’d be out for longer than necessary. ‘Why?’

He gave me a sympathetic smile. ‘Sorry, Rue. My father asked me to fetch some grain and I know he’s waiting for it, so I daren’t leave it until tomorrow.’

‘That’s fine,’ I said, not wishing to delay getting back if Pierre was expecting Jem. As the cart rumbled along the road I slowly came up with a plan. Not wishing to give Jem time to argue, I waited until we were at the turning leading to Sandybrook that he would need to take before making for Meadowbank, and as soon as the cart stopped, I jumped down.

‘Hey, what are you doing?’

I felt mean shocking him by getting down without warning, but it couldn’t be helped as far as I was concerned. ‘Sorry, Jem. I’ve decided to make my own way home, if you don’t mind.’

‘But I won’t be long, I promise,’ he said, clearly disappointed.

I shrugged. ‘I’ll see you back at the manor.’

‘Fine.’ He went to flick the rein to make the horse move on, then turned to me again, his expression suspicious. ‘You’re not going to go up Crack Ankle Lane, I hope. You know how your grandmother hates you taking that shortcut.’

I thought of the steeper, and apparently haunted, shortcut I had been told not to use. ‘Of course not,’ I fibbed, giving him a smile and a brief wave before starting to walk up Les Grupieaux.

Jem was still watching as I reached the corner of the road, which took me past the grassy entrance of the lane. Not wishing to let him see me taking the short cut, I took a few steps up the road before turning and waving for him to get going. ‘You don’t want to keep your father waiting for that grain, Jem.’

At the reminder, he shook his head and, flicking the rein, told the horse to move on. As soon as I was certain he had turned off the road towards Meadowbank, I retraced the few steps I’d taken and hurriedly began my ascent up the haunted lane.

Finally alone, I thought back to the sensation of being in Theo Le Cerf’s arms and the attraction that had sent sensations through me as we danced. I had never felt anything like it. The thought that the first man I had ever felt an attraction to, and a strong one at that, happened to be Elias Le Cerf’s son horrified me.

‘He is the Witchfinder’s son.’ I whispered the words out loud, wincing as I heard myself and feeling that I had in some way betrayed my mother’s memory.

I was known for having incredible instincts, so how had they not alerted me to who Theo was, especially when I was being held by him? It didn’t make any sense. Had my attraction to him blurred my powers somehow? Because they had certainly been lacking by not making the connection to his dreadful father. To the man responsible for tearing my family apart. Shame washed over me once more. How was I supposed to take my revenge against Elias, make him feel the pain he had caused me when he had killed my mother, if I was this attracted to his son? My head ached at the conundrum and at my lack of judgement in thinking it acceptable to dance with him in the first place.

My step faltered at the thought of how intensely I had wanted him to kiss me. I shuddered. I hated to admit it, but I knew that if that man had moved to kiss me on our walk home, I would not have stopped him. I closed my eyes, mortified and relieved that no one else knew I had felt this way. Damn him for keeping his hat on as we danced.