The armed men led him across the courtyard, toward the sheer cliffside of the mountain ahead. Doors had been cut at the base of the stone, and they led him to one on the left. One of the guards pulled the wood open, then they stepped into a long stone hallway. Torches flickered off the walls, mounted at intervals to light the corridor. Noises ricocheted from the stone on all sides—the sounds of their steps, the rustle of clothing, even their breathing. Levi worked to make his breaths as quiet as possible. The last thing he wanted was to appear nervous before the villagers.
At the end of the corridor, they turned left, then stopped at a set of tall double doors. His escort opened one, then ushered him into a dark space, though the echoes of their movements proclaimed it to be much larger than the hallway.
“Stop here.”
Levi obeyed as darkness enshrouded them. After a moment, one of the men carried a torch into the room, moving along one wall to light torch after torch. These people mustnot have kerosene lanterns. Did they even have candles? Their system of wooden torches reminded him of the old castles that dated back to England’s earliest days.
As the perimeter of the room began to take shape in the glow, the two guards flanking him led the way toward a table near the middle of the room.
He sank onto the wooden bench, the weariness of riding for weeks on end soaking through him. Now was hardly the time to succumb to exhaustion, but how long had it been since he’d sat in a real chair, with velvet upholstery and goose down stuffing? Or laid on a feather bedtick? Their country home had always been modest, but his mother had ensured their comfort as much as she could. He’d never appreciated those small things like he should have.
Not until he left England. Though a few American inns prided themselves on luxuries, most of the country seemed to have no idea what inferior accommodations they suffered under.
Sleeping on pine boughs spread over stony ground, or sometimes even on snow-covered rock, had been a pleasant reprieve from the flea-infested boardinghouse he’d stayed in the week prior to setting off after MacManus.
What sort of homes did these people live in? Would he be offered a place to stay or sent away before nightfall, locked outside their stone walls?
The door widened, and a man stepped in, the older fellow who’d spoken in the courtyard. He must be a leader here, possibly the governor himself.
Behind him entered the woman who dressed nearly as a man and had taken the lead at first. And following her was Evan MacManus.
Levi’s chest tightened at the sight of him. Whether these people cast him out of this village of caves or not, he had to learn what MacManus knew.
A few others filed in behind them, all men. Most didn’t seem to carry weapons, so perhaps they were elders of the village, come to hear what he would say and make a decision about him. This would be Levi’s chance to ask his questions if he could lead the conversation well enough.
The group formed a half circle around him, some of the men taking seats on benches. Those who appeared to act as guards or soldiers remained standing, including the woman, with MacManus by her side. He stood close to her, far nearer than two acquaintances would stand. There must be something between them, an attachment of some sort.
How long had the American stayed here with these people? Had he lived among them? He couldn’t have stayed here more than a few months, for Levi had seen him entering and leaving the Army headquarters several times through the course of the war.
“Now...” The older man sat directly across from him, his hands on his knees as he studied Levi. “I’m Chief Durand, and these are members of the council. You said your name is Masters?”
Levi nodded.
“And you come from Yorkshire, which is in England?”
Again, he dipped his chin to confirm.
“What is your business in Laurent?”
Levi’s chest clenched. He knew what heshouldsay. The answer that might save his life and help him learn what he’d come here to discover. But when he tried to summon thewords, bile rose instead. A twist on the truth had never been this hard before.
He couldn’t stall any longer, so he answered from his heart. “I overheard Mr. MacManus speaking of a village of caves that possessed a unique mineral.” He let his gaze shift to the American long enough to catch his narrowed glare.
Levi refocused on Chief Durand. “I found the idea intriguing enough to learn more.” He didn’t have to say outright that he followed MacManus. They would realize it. The conclusions they would draw likely wouldn’t be far from the truth.
The chief looked to MacManus, and his gaze must have given him permission to speak, for he took a step forward. “You’re a British spy.”
Levi tried not to show the cringe that tightened his insides. The comment wasn’t posed as a question, but he had to answer. If he spoke the truth, he would be labeled a concern if these people sided with the Americans.
Yet MacManus knew the war had ended. Surely he would abide by the Treaty of Ghent. Of course, this area was so remote, nothing required these people to follow an agreement signed between two countries thousands of miles away. If Levi simply disappeared, no one would know why—or even where. He’d not known exactly where he would end up, so he’d only written that he’d be heading northwest in his note to his superiors.
As a surge of possible answers rose within him, that growing voice inside pressed the truth forward. “I report to the British War Office. I’m not a spy—at least I’ve never been called such. I simply research information they request.” This was the first time he’d ever taken the initiative to trackdown a promising detail on his own, though he’d often been told he had the liberty to do so.
MacManus seemed to be working hard to maintain a calm façade, though his gaze shot sparks across the space between them. “A spy. A man I know from experience to be untrustworthy and devious.”
The words hung in the air, coiling like a noose around his neck. MacManus knew Levi had been the one to overhear the plans for the Battle of Stoney Creek. Levi couldn’t regret sharing those details with the officers in charge. He’d saved lives that day.
Yet MacManus wouldn’t feel the same about the event, not when he’d been working for the opposite side. And with a spokesman like this to represent his character, Levi’s fate in this place would be almost certain.
