As much as she wanted to make a run for it, she knew they’d catch her, so Lucy would bide her time, figure out a way to escape.
Back in the cell, she inspected the room, but found no means of escape.
The sound of footsteps broke her out of her thoughts as a servant entered while two of the guards stood by the door.
“Beggin’ your pardon,” the servant said. “I have brought supper.”
Lucy eyed the food warily, thinking of the poison mushrooms, but decided Agnes would rather watch her die in person.
Too weary to fight, she knew she needed to eat to keep her strength up, to be ready if the opportunity presented itself to escape.
The servant took food to the man in the cell across from her. When Lucy tried to catch his eye, he gave a tiny shake of his head, then gave a slight jerk of the chin to his left. When she leaned forward, she could see the two guards at the end of the corridor, sitting at a table, drinking.
At least she’d had the foresight to pull her hair ribbon loose with her teeth and drop it on a branch as they rode. The white band around her finger where her ring had been made Lucy wince. She felt naked without her wedding ring. She’d pulled the ring off at the chapel and threw it at the wall when the men had taken her, hoping her men would find it and know she’d been taken.
No longer able to fight off fatigue, Lucy curled up in her cloak and slipped into a fitful sleep, her dreams haunted by visions of William’s anguish when he learned of her demise.
CHAPTER 15
Margery awoke before dawn,the scent of smoke in her hair, and the smell of bread filling her nose. She’d fallen asleep in the kitchens last night after staying up late talking to two sisters who’d traveled to St. John’s Well to take the waters in hopes of staying young.
Whilst Margery thought perhaps God did not have time to worry over such vanity, she kept her thoughts to herself.
The monks were busy going about their day in silence as she made her way down the quiet stone corridors of Beverley Priory.
When she entered Lady Blackford’s chamber, she found her lady had already risen, dressed herself and was likely wandering the gardens. As she’d said she liked how the monks had planted the kitchen herb garden.
But when she went to find her lady, to ask if she had broken her fast yet, the gardens were empty. Everywhere she looked, she saw monks, and a few travelers, but her lady was nowhere to be found. The one place she had not looked was the chapel.She would wait in case Lady Blackford was at prayer after her visit to the well.
As Margery went about her day, a nagging sense of unease gnawed at her when she still did not see her lady. Sometimes Lady Blackford liked to find a window seat and work on her scarves, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Their room was empty and untouched.
Frowning, Margery glanced around the chamber. Perhaps her lady had gone for a walk after prayer and had not yet returned as the grounds were extensive. She was known to walk when she could not sleep.
The long tables were empty after the mid-day meal, save for a few brothers silently eating at one end.
Where could she be? Asking a passing brother if he had seen Lady Blackford that morning yielded only a shake of his head.
Truly concerned now, Margery hurried outside to speak with Sir Thomas, the captain of the guard. Something didn’t feel right.
He listened grimly as Margery told him she could not find their lady. His stubbled face creased into a frown. “Let us search the grounds thoroughly before we assume anything is amiss,” he said.
“Mayhap our lady rose early and got lost as she walked.” A small smile flickered across his face. “She easily loses her way.”
But after speaking with the stable boys, scouring every inch of the Priory, cloister gardens, and the grounds, no trace of their lady could be found. She was simply gone.
Thomas sent two of the men to search the surrounding countryside.
Margery twisted her hands anxiously as she spoke to Thomas.
“Do you think...could the bandits have taken her after all?” The thought made her feel ill.
“I know not. Go and pack while I take one of the men to search the chapel, now that it is empty.”
Margery’s hands shook. “I will come with you to the chapel to search, and then I will pack.”
As they searched, Margery saw a door that was partway open. When she pushed open the door, a glint of green on the floor in the corner caught her eye. Bending down, she retrieved her lady’s emerald ring, the gold band and large stone unmistakable.
Dread curdled in Margery’s stomach. Something was very wrong.
