Page 93 of Witchbane

She lifted a finger. ‘Hush now. All these questions and I haven’t long been here myself.’

I looked around. ‘Where is Aunt Sorrel?’

Grandmama hushed me again. She reached for a glass on the table next to her and took a few sips. ‘That’s better.’ Replacing the glass, she looked at Pierre. ‘I’m feeling weary after tonight’s dramas. Please explain everything to Rue while I rest.’

‘Pierre?’ I asked, impatient to hear about my aunt.

He noticed Jem standing by the door.

‘Jem found me in the—’ I began.

Pierre narrowed his eyes and I realised Jem might not want his father to know he had been out poaching.

‘—yard,’ I said quickly, changing my story. ‘We went to look for you, and when you weren’t in the cottage we came here.’

‘I see.’ Pierre gave me a sympathetic look. ‘Your grandmother tipped me off about tonight’s gathering. She doesn’t like to admit it, but she gets a little tired these days,’ he said, glancing at her to check she didn’t mind him saying so. ‘She asked me to bring the horse and cart to the outskirts of the wood to wait for her.’

‘You were there all along?’ I wondered why he hadn’t made himself known, then realised his concern would have firstly been for my grandmother. ‘Sorry, please continue.’

‘I heard shouting and women’s voices and knew something terrible was happening, so remained hidden then made my way carefully to the camp. I saw you do as your grandmother instructed and leave, then I watched as the men were distracted arresting others, and took your grandmother to some thick undergrowth where we hid.’

‘What about Aunt Sorrel? Did you see what happened to her?’

His eyes lowered. I could tell he felt the same guilt as me at not being able to help.

‘Your aunt was arrested, I’m afraid. Two of the men took her away. I would have gone after her if I’d thought I had any chance of rescuing her, but I was outnumbered and wanted to save at least one of you.’

‘And without your help I would still be out there now,’ my grandmother reassured him. ‘At least now Rue knows what happened and we can plan how best to help the others.’

I shuddered at the thought and gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

‘As soon as it’s daylight,’ Pierre continued, ‘I’ll go and make enquiries as to your aunt’s whereabouts.’

I recalled Theo’s instructions and wished he hadn’t made sense when he told me not to go to the jail. Damn that Elias Le Cerf. I had no intention of allowing him to do to my aunt as he had done to my mother. I needed to gain my aunt’s release, but how?

‘You need to speak to Appoline,’ my grandmother said as if she was listening to my thoughts. ‘If she escaped arrest. Tell her we need to hurry and cast our spell to banish the memory of Sorrel from the Witchfinder’s mind. Without his resentment of her, he will have little reason to want to hurt her. At least that’s what I hope.’

A sadness came over me.

She patted my hand. ‘You need to rest first, though.’

‘No, I’m fine. I’d rather go straight away.’

She was having none of it and shook her head. ‘First, you will have something to eat and drink. You also need to rest, even for a little while, and you can do that while we tend to your injury.’ She waved her hand in front of me. ‘Go and fetch the calendula and lavender balm for those cuts and scrapes to your arms, legs and face. Smooth it over them once you’ve washed away any dirt.’

I began to argue, impatient to do what I could for her.

‘You will be no use to anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first,’ she said.

‘But Grandmama,’ I pleaded.

Her eyebrows rose and she glared at me. It was a look I recognised as one that did not tolerate argument. ‘You will do as I say. There is plenty of time to do all you need to before daylight, but I have no intention of letting you leave this place alone, or until I’m satisfied that you’re in a condition to do so.’ She waved her hands at me. ‘Anyway, you need to make yourself presentable before going anywhere.’

I reached up to touch my hair and pulled out a piece of ivy from the tangled mess. My dress, too, I now saw was torn, bloodied and smudged with green stains. She was right, however much I wanted to disagree with her.

I gave in, knowing that the sooner I did so, the quicker I’d be able to leave and begin to rescue my aunt and break the Witchfinder’s hold on my family.

‘Good. Now, off you go. Jem can go and make you a hot drink while you eat something.’