Page 18 of Castle of Refuge

No, no. It was only a mild sickness that would go away in a few days. She must not lose her courage. Not now.

“The truth is, I’m going to my aunt and uncle’s for a visit because I don’t want to marry the man my father chose for me. I’m hoping if I stay away, the man might decide to marry someone else.”

The man and woman both took a step away from her and lost the concerned expressions they’d worn a moment before.

“My dear, if your father thinks you should marry this man,” the woman said, placing a hand on her hip, “then you shouldtrust him. He is older and therefore wiser than you are.” She raised her brows at Audrey.

“A young girl thinking she knows more than her father...” The man shook his head.

Tears stung Audrey’s eyes for the first time since she’d left Helena and started this ill-fated journey. Their disapproval hurt, even though they were strangers.

“Thank you for your help,” Audrey said, walking away from them.

When she was a few minutes down the road, she wished she had asked them if she was on the right road to Derbyshire. But surely if she kept going north...

The road had become so curvy, she wondered what direction she was going. The sky was too overcast to give any clues from the sun.

Audrey’s neck was hurting worse and worse, and she was beginning to cough. But she had so far to go, she shouldn’t rest yet. Her feet were almost numb after so much walking, but that was a good thing, was it not? She wouldn’t feel pain if they were numb.

Her toe hit a rock and she stumbled. She was just so tired and sleepy. Perhaps she should take a rest.

Her body told her to stop, but she saw a flash of lightning ahead as the clouds were getting darker. She needed to find shelter.Keep going,her mind told her, as if arguing with her body.You must keep walking.

The road she was on had to lead somewhere. Surely there was a village ahead. She needed more water, although it was strange how she no longer felt thirsty.

The wind was starting to get unruly, gusting and sending her hair into a tangled mess, tossing it in front of her eyes. The air was suddenly colder, making her shiver and ache all over, especially in her shoulders.

She thought she saw a large structure through the wildly swaying trees. She kept walking until she came to a lane that led off the road, through the trees. And then she saw it more clearly, though it was getting quite dark now. It was a large, gray castle. Was she imagining it?

As she turned down the lane and went toward the castle, she felt the first few raindrops. They were cold and set her to shivering so violently she could barely walk. Holding her bag to her chest, she trudged up the hill toward the castle.

Where was she? She had never seen this castle before. Was she back home at Engleford Castle in Hampshire? But she was on a journey, was she not?

She was so tired, so hungry and weak, and she ached so much. If only she could reach the castle. But the hill was too steep. Perhaps if she just lay down and closed her eyes for a few moments.

The rain was falling hard now. The tree-lined lane kept the raindrops from stinging her skin, but soon her clothes were soaked through anyway, her hair dripping.

She would just curl up close to the tree there.

Audrey sank down and hugged her bag to her, partially covering her head with her arm. She would rest here. Just for a bit.

The rain was cold and the shivering was taking too much strength. She couldn’t shiver and walk up a hill at the same time. She would sleep now.

***

Edwin was finally getting back more of his strength and energy, and he felt restless. He missed his six brothers, who were all either continuing their training or were on their respective assignments as knights in the service of King Richard the Second. His sister, Delia, was happily married and safe with her husband, Geoffrey, a day’s ride away.

A lovely blue sky would have been welcome, but instead, there were only clouds so thick he could see neither sky nor sun.

But he didn’t care. He could not sit at home, not today. He would go for a walk.

Edwin took his walking stick and moved along the beautiful grassy trail that led him through woods, beside fields, and he finally stopped on the hill about a mile from Dericott Castle.

The white cloud cover was quickly turning dark gray. A strong wind began whipping the trees, blowing up some even darker clouds. He’d better start back if he did not wish to be drenched. Indeed, the rain might beat him home, as he was nearly a mile away.

He carried his walking stick. It had been nearly six months since he lost his arm and he was anxious to be able to walk without needing something to lean on. He was tired of the looks from people feeling sorry for him, tired of them staring at him as if his lost arm were some kind of curse visited upon him. But was that not what it was? A curse?

He needed to stop thinking like that. He had saved his youngest brother from being struck by the sword that severedhis arm. He should be thankful that he had been able to save him, since ten-year-old Roland likely would not have survived the blow. And Edwin would gladly have given his life for any one of his brothers or his sister.