Page 77 of Witchbane

‘Quick,’ she said as she pushed me inside, shutting it behind us. ‘Could it be possible that they are about to finish their business with us and leave this house?’

The front door slammed shortly after, making us jump. We looked at each other in shock. Could Theo and his father’s men have finally left? I hoped so.

Seconds later Pierre walked into the kitchen. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to slam the door. I want you to know the Le Cerf man and his two companions have gone.’

My grandmother let out a long, slow breath, sat down at the table and buried her face in her hands. ‘I don’t know how much more of this I can stand,’ she said, her voice muffled and weary.

I hurried over to my grandmother. Then, standing behind her, wrapped my arms around her. I rarely showed her such affection, because she wasn’t someone who gave it, but she didn’t flinch. Almost immediately I felt her hands rest on mine where they lay, clasped together by her right shoulder.

My aunt spoke. ‘Everything will be fine.’

I wasn’t sure if she believed her words. How could we fight off so dangerous a foe as the Witchfinder? Then I thought of the other ten women in our coven and felt slightly stronger. I needed to be brave. Now that Theo knew the truth, my future belonged to him. I didn’t like to think of someone else having so much power over me, but then I reminded myself that it was not Theo but his father who would decide what happened to me.

‘I’m just grateful the mass, or mould, or whatever it was my mother sent to us, vanished from my bedroom wall before they got here. I’m sure his men would have had something to say to the Witchfinder about that if they’d seen it.’

‘I agree,’ said my grandmother. ‘I’ve no idea how we would have explained that away.’

‘I’m sure Mama could have found a more subtle way to gain our attention,’ I ventured.

Aunt Sorrel laughed. ‘Not Martha. My twin knew how to make an entrance. It seems that even from another realm she is still capable of commanding everyone’s attention.’

But why in such a strange way? ‘Surely we would have known it was her if we had just smelt her usual scent?’ I suggested.

‘Because,’ my aunt said, with her usual authority when it came to discussing my mother, ‘if we had smelt that it would have made us happy, or reminisce about her.’

‘But what’s wrong with that?’ I asked, wishing my mother had chosen to make her presence felt like that.

My aunt and grandmother exchanged amused glances, reminding me how much less I knew about life than the pair of them.

‘We would not have asked questions,’ Grandmama explained.

‘That’s right,’ Aunt Sorrel agreed. ‘The way Martha did it alarmed us. All of us. We had little choice but to investigate its source.’ She shuddered. ‘That mass was revolting.’

‘You still expected me to sleep in that room,’ I reminded them, unable to help myself.

My grandmother sniffed. ‘I do feel guilty about that.’

‘But it could have been dangerous for me. Didn’t that worry you?’

She shrugged a shoulder. ‘I would have sensed anything untoward, if that was the case. You should know to trust me by now, Rue. If we had moved you from that room we might never have discovered the meaning of the mould.’

I didn’t know how to respond.

‘Anyway,’ my aunt added. ‘We were right not to worry unduly.’ She gave a confident nod. ‘And we delved into why it was there. And as we always do when we’re unsure about something or need help…’

I knew what she meant and finished her sentence. ‘We called the coven and set about casting a spell to banish it.’

‘Exactly. My sister was a clever woman, and it seems that she still is.’ My aunt turned away and wiped her eyes.

I liked to think of her as still watching over us. It didn’t surprise me that she had done this, now I had a better understanding of what life was like under the Witchfinder’s nefarious focus. It was probably why even as a spirit she had acted as she did.

‘The main thing is that Martha got the results she intended.’ I saw the joy in my grandmother’s face at knowing my mother was still doing her best for us in times of need.

I smiled at her. ‘Yes, Grandmother.’

I wondered if it was possible that Theo might not change his mind about me, once the shock of who I really was sank in. Maybe he had enjoyed our kiss as much as I had, and feel compelled to forgive me for lying to him all this time.

I hoped, too, that he was emotionally strong enough not to be angry that he hadn’t seen through my lies. I didn’t know much but I did know that many men would be embarrassed to have been caught out by a woman, and would want to seek revenge for being made to feel stupid. I didn’t think Theo was that sort of man, but I hoped that he hadn’t fooled me as I had done him.