Page 42 of Dancing On Air

Chapter8

“Eleanor? Aren’t you coming to break the fast?” Raven stood in Eleanor’s doorway with Lark the next morning, waiting for her to join them.

“I’m not hungry.” Eleanor stared out the window, watching Connor taking his cart to the back of the abbey where the garderobes emptied from the abbey out into an open area down below a hole in the floor. His brother Leoric was with him.

“What are ye lookin’ at so intently?” Lark walked up next to her and gazed out the window. “Isna that Connor and his brother?”

“Where?” asked Raven, hurrying over to look out the window as well. “What is Connor doing here? And so early in the morning?”

“He’s here to clean out the garderobes,” said Eleanor, stepping back and closing the shutter. She just couldn’t watch this anymore. “Shall we go?”

“Wait a minute,” said Raven, looking at her inquisitively. “Why is Connor cleaning out garderobes?”

“It’s the only type of job an executioner and his family can get,” answered Eleanor sadly.

“Ye mean, besides executin’ men,” added Lark.

“Yes, that is what I meant, but I don’t care to talk about it any longer.” She took a step toward the door, but Raven grabbed her arm to stop her.

“This must be hard for you to see.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Eleanor answered. “It is much harder for Connor to have to endure, yet he does it and does not complain. Now, let’s go.”

“Eleanor, this is horrible,” said Lark. “Surely, there must be somethin’ we can do to help him?”

“I already tried that by bringing food to his family,” explained Eleanor, shaking her head. “In doing so, I believe I only managed to bruise his pride.”

“Surely, that’s not so.” Raven released her arm.

“No?” she asked, looking up at her cousin. “He told me not to repeat the action, and that he never wants to see my face at his door again.”

“I’m sure it’s just for yer own safety,” said Lark, trying to make her feel better, but it didn’t.

“Nay, that’s not it.” Eleanor felt her emotions welling up inside her.

“Then what is it?” asked Lark.

“Connor has accepted that he will never be anything but a hangman. He has lost all hope that mayhap someday we can still end up together.”

“Well, it does look that way, I’m sorry to say.” Lark had a tendency to be blunt at times, and this was one of those times that Eleanor wished she hadn’t.

“I’ll never give up hope,” said Eleanor. “I know we were meant to be together.”

“Still, you can’t put your own life on hold waiting for someone and something that nobles are not allowed to have or do,” Raven pointed out.

“I agree,” said Lark. “Ye need to keep livin’. Forget about Connor and accept that ye must live on without him. It’s the best thing to do.”

“How can you two say such a thing?” Eleanor was aghast at the uncaring attitudes of her cousins. “Lark, you put your life on hold for five years, waiting for a man to return who had a wife and was never coming back for you.”

“It’s no’ that,” said Lark. “That’s no’ what happened.” Lark seemed suddenly sad.

“Then what was it?” asked Eleanor.

“I was… undesirable, and no man wanted me. That is, no’ until I met Dustin.” Her eyes lit up again and a smile spread across her face.

“Dustin, the scribe,” said Eleanor. “The man from below the salt that nobles are not allowed to marry.”

Lark’s smile faded.