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They tethered their horses at the hitching post and went to the back door, as the front doors were always locked at night.
Chauncey opened a single wooden door and pushed it open for Mandy to enter where they knew the guard would be comfortably seated and blocking the aisle.
A dark heavyset yeoman in white shirtsleeves sat behind a desk that barred admittance to the rooms at his back. He had his feet on the desk and appeared to be falling asleep at his post.
Mandy cleared her throat prettily, bringing him to a sense of awareness.
“Eh…eh?” he muttered as he sat up with sudden force and narrowed his eyes. As the night guard, he had never met Mandy before and he demanded, “Who might ye be?”
“I am so very sorry,” Mandy drawled, smiled and blinked her lashes. “I do so dislike having to wake you and then bother you as well.”
“Bother?” he returned. “How could a pretty little thing like ye bother anyone?”
“I am so glad you feel that way, sir. I am Amanda Sherborne, and I should like to visit my brother, Lord Sherborne,” she said making a point of noting Ned’s status. “He is a guest here at present.”
“That, my dear, is not possible,” said the guard.
“But why?” innocent round eyes accompanied the question.
“Rules, ye know there are always rules,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Who is to know?” she asked putting a coy finger to his stubbled chin.
“I can’t break the rules, though I would like to for you…” he said grinning foolishly at Mandy.
“Rules are monstrously provoking and I want to see my brother for only a moment. You see, we are twins and are connected in so many ways. I had this awful dream that someone snuck in here and beat him…beat him badly.”
“No, miss…no, that just hasn’t happened,” he tried to reassure her.
“If only I could see for myself and not have to think about it any longer,” she asked with as pretty a pout as she could muster.
“Ah well, if ye promise not to stay above a minute?” he relented staring into her dark eyes.
“You sweet creature,” she said to him breathlessly and turned to Chauncey, but the guard hurriedly put out a hand to halt Chauncey from advancing.
“Ye’ll have to wait for yer mistress here,” he told Chauncey.
The big man grunted, nodded and watched Amanda follow the yeoman down the long corridor to a small oak door.
As the guard worked the key and started to push open the door, he brought up his head and found a horse pistol pointed directly at him.
Mandy said, “Hush now, no screaming. Try and remember that I am a desperate woman and as such, there is no telling just what I might do. You see, I am the sister of an accused murderer, so you certainly must concern yourself about my state of mind, for who knows, maybe it runs in the family—murder that is.” She smiled sweetly at him and added, “This might just go off because of my distress. So not a sound, sir.” She kicked open the door he had unlocked and told him, “Be so kind as to get inside. Such a nice young man…that’s right…inside.”
Ned approached her and took the gun from her hand, and excitedly told his sister, “Let’s lock up, Mandy girl, and we’ll be off.”
They left the guard within the cell and hurriedly made short work as they put distance behind them and got to their horses
Mounted and walking the horses quietly, sedately out of town, Mandy felt the summer night’s breeze on her cheeks and laughed.
Her brother grinned and picking up on her spirits, joined in and before long the three fugitives were rollicking with laughter from nerves and from the success of their night’s works.
They veered off the road and took the fields crossing to where they knew no one ever traveled—the grounds of the Bolton Abbey
Ruins!
There, they settled into one of the rooms underground, a room they had discovered as children. They had supplies enough for a few days, as Mandy and Chauncey between them had made several trips with the many items they would need for their stay.
They depended on the fears and superstitions of the village to continue to keep all travelers away from the abbey grounds. They were even prepared to maintain the legend of ghosts, demons and goblins should anyone stray near.
