Page 27 (1/2)

Sao down He didn’t fall Instead, he half whirled, sobbing with pain, the stars overhead blurring

Keep running Don’t give up

Craddock had given up Craddock had succumbed to the blackness that seeped into his hthts that he could not keep away Craddock slept now Peacefully Without nightmares or fear for his own soul Craddock was at rest

Don’t give up

EMELINE DIDN’T KNOW oke her late that night Certainly Samuel moved without a sound, silent and secretive like a cat returning home from the hunt But she woke nevertheless when he entered his roohtened in the chair by the fireplace "Where have you been?"

He didn’t seem startled to see her in his rooht as he walked toward her, oddly stiff She looked down Dark stains on the carpet followed his footsteps She al the mud from his feet, but then she understood And in that moment came fully awake

"Oh, dear Lord, what have you done?" She stood and grabbed his arently into the chair she’d occupied "You stupid, stupid ht a candle closer "What have you done? What could have possessed you?"

She closed her ht nearly h his moccasins They were merely tattered leather strips about his feet And his feet, dear God, his feet They were nothing s, the stuo But now they were real and in front of her She looked wildly about the room There ater, but it wasn’t hot, and where could she find cloth to use as bandages? She started for the door, but his hand flashed out to catch her aruttural, raspy with exhaustion, but his eyes had focused on her "Stay"

How es"

He shook his head "I want you to stay"

She pulled away frohly "And I don’t want you to die of infection!"

E down at him, and she knew the fear showed in her eyes But despite her harsh tone and unlovely face, he smiled "Then come back to me"

"Don’t be silly," she muttered as she went to the door "Of course I will"

She didn’t wait for an answer but took the candle and alh to verify that no one was about; then she made her way as quickly and as quietly as possible to the kitchens House parties were notorious for clandestine assignations Most of her fellow guests would turn a blind eye if they saw her scurrying about the place in the wee hours of the night, but why chance the gossip? Especially as she was quite innocent

The Hasselthorpe House kitchens were vast, with a great vaulted main room that probably dated back to medieval times Emeline was satisfied to note that the cook obviously was a coht Ereat stone fireplace and nearly stu there

He uncurled from a nest of blankets like a little mouse "Mum?"

"I’m sorry," Emeline whispered "I didn’t e earthenware jar in the corner, and she lifted the lid to peer inside She nodded in satisfaction It contained water As she dipped some out into an iron kettle, she heard the boy rustle behind her

"Can I help you, lanced at him as she set the kettle on the fire and stirred up the coals He sat on his blankets with his dark hair standing on end He was probably all of Daniel’s age

"Does Cook have a salve for burns and cuts?"

"Aye" The boy got to his feet and went to a tall cupboard and pulled out a drawer He ruht back a small jar to hand to her

Ereasy substance filled half the jar She sniffed it and identified the odors of herbs and honey

"Yes, this will do Thank you" She recovered the jar and smiled at the boy "Go back to bed now"

"Aye, mum" He settled on his pallet and watched her sleepily as she waited for the water to boil and then poured it into a metal pitcher

There was a pile of neatly folded cloths in a basket on the cupboard Erasped the pitcher with one She sht,as she left the kitchen She hurried from the kitchens and back up the stairs, the heavy pitcher in one hand, the jar of salve in the other, and the cloths over her arm The candlestick was left behind She knew the route now, anyway, even in the dark

She thought Saht be asleep, but his head turned alertly at her entrance, although he didn’t say anything as she crossed the room She poured the hot water into a basin, added just a little of the cold water froht the basin over to him

Emeline knelt at his feet and frowned "Have you a knife?"

In answer, he pulled a small blade from his waistcoat pocket She took it and carefully cut ahat remained of hisblood, and careful as she was, there were bits that pulled and started the bleeding afresh It must have hurt, yet he didn’t es of his leggings and placed the basin under him "Put your feet in here"

He colanced up, but his face merely shoeariness as he watched her

"How long did you run?" she asked

She half expected him to deny it, but he didn’t "I don’t know"