Lucy put a hand around her mouth, stifling a gasp. The men sounded crude and cruel, and she couldn’t imagine they would treat her kindly if they found her. She wished she could cry out for help, but Ian and Rory were far away. These men must have seen them leave the shop. It was the only way they would be confident enough to intrude upon Ian’s territory.
If she had been braver, then she might have been able to scare them off herself, but with what? Even if she had a weapon, she wouldn’t have known what to do with it. They would probably just laugh at her, and if they did try to fight back, then she wouldn’t have any way to defeat them. But she couldn’t just stay in the basement, hoping that they would not discover the hidden part of the shop. She glanced back, noticing Ginger sitting at the base of the stairs. The cat offered no wisdom. The intruders were skulking above, looking in every nook and cranny. She occasionally heard odd comments from them.
“He’s eating alright,” for example.
When they came close to the basement, she froze. There was one moment when one of the men stood directly over the hatch. Lucy could see his legs through the floorboards. She held her breath and wished that her heart would remain still. It thumped so loudly she feared they would be able to hear it. She was certain that he would bend down and expose her, dragging her out, and she doubted they would be as understanding as Ian and Rory. If they suspected who she was, then they would probably surrender her to the guards.
Shadows flickered above as the man was called away.
“Rab, what’s over here? I think I hae found something,” the other man called. Lucy heard some rummaging and then the clang of metal as tools poured out of a cupboard. There were curses and she assumed that at least one of the men had been hit in the foot by falling tools.
She turned, knowing that she needed to do something. She was stuck in the basement though… or was she?
She ran down the stairs as lightly as Ginger, making sure to avoid the creaking parts of the steps. She crouched down, knowing that any wrong move would alert the intruders to her presence. She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, and then headed towards the window. When she reached it, she stared at it hesitantly. Ian had forbidden her from leaving. It was in her best interests to stay in the basement, for guards continued to prowl the village. However, if she stayed, then eventually the two men were going to find the entrance to the basement. It was only a matter of time, and she couldn’t allow Ian to suffer this fate. She thought at least if she disguised herself with the cloak she might be able to escape attention.
“Wish me luck,” she whispered quietly to Ginger. When she had first arrived in the basement she thought it nearly impossible to climb back out of the window, but now that she was more familiar with the items in the basement, she knew that it only required some ingenuity. She dragged boxes across the floor and stacked them near the window, ascending them and squeezing through. For a moment, she thought she was stuck entirely, but she managed to twist her body, pain wrapping around her abdomen, and pulled herself out of the window.
Emerging from the basement, she rolled on the ground and quickly got to her feet. She flicked the hood over her head and glanced up and down the alley, relieved that she hadn’t immediately encountered a mob of guards. Her heart was in her throat as she ran to the end of the alley, pressing her body close to the wall. She drew the hood ever tighter and bowed her head, hoping that anyone who saw her would only see a dark void where her face should have been. Lanterns flickered in houses and in the distance she could see people wandering around the square, heading to a warm tavern after a long day’s work. Her heart froze as she noticed guards patrolling the area as well. What she planned to do would almost certainly attract their attention, but she had no choice.
She had to stop these men.
“Thieves! There are thieves here! I saw them break intae the shop!” She ran from the alley and jumped up and down in the middle of the village, pointing towards Ian’s shop. “They broke the lock on the door!”
Lucy cried loudly, clapping her hands as well to get the attention of the neighbors and anyone else who might have been passing by. She hammered on doors and kept calling out the alarm, rattling windows until the neighbors emerged. As soon as she had raised a small commotion and their attention was on the shop, Lucy ducked behind some crates, hiding in the darkness. She trembled with fear that she might be discovered, although triumph flared in her heart when she saw the men stumble out of the shop and run into the distance. The neighbors remained there for a while, looking around for the mysterious hooded figure who had alerted them to the crime, but she was nowhere to be found. Lucy’s throat was tight and she was afraid to move, fearing that even the slightest twitch would be enough to draw attention.
13
“Well that’s a good night’s work,” Ian clapped his hands together as he reunited with Rory. Rory had a glazed look in his eyes and he swayed from side to side. “Are ye well, lad?” Ian slapped him on the shoulder, smiling.
“Aye,” Rory said, and then belched. He held his lips together and pressed his fist against his mouth, looking nauseous. It passed and he exhaled.
“Did ye hae a wee bit of trouble telling people the story?”
“Oh nae, people like hearing the story. They just wanted tae drink, and drink. I hae never known people tae be sae generous,” Rory groaned.
Ian chuckled. “Aye, people like a good story. I even managed tae get some people tae believe they hae seen the figure themselves. I left them telling each other that they were sure they hae seen them moving north. They were even arguing about the color of the cloak! I think it’s gaeing tae work. It was a good idea.”
“I’m happy tae help,” Rory spoke slowly, and he walked even slower. He needed a little while to get his bearings again. “I know what it’s like tae live without anything. She just needs a chance is all, a chance of a new beginning.”
“Aye,” Ian said, although darkness flickered in his eyes. It hadn’t escaped his attention that all their efforts were to help Lucy move on from this place without garnering her father’s attention. It was in her best interests to leave, of course, and his as well… yet somehow it did not feel this way. After being consumed by the blazing passion, all he really wanted was to keep her close for a little while longer, but he supposed that this was exactly why he distanced himself from romantic entanglements. The moment you began to fall for someone was the moment everything began to fall apart. His feelings for Lucy were doomed from the beginning, and it was only a matter of time now before she left him, and he would have to nurse his sorrow.
He should never have been weak enough to let them wheedle into his mind in the first place. He should have been more resilient, but she was there being all beautiful and charming, and how was he supposed to resist that? He wasn’t made of stone after all.
“Ye are gaeing tae hae tae learn tae hold yer drink eventually, lad,” Ian said. Rory had straightened his back and was looking a little healthier now.
“I think that’s a lesson I dinnae want tae learn. I would be quite happy never drinking again.”
“Aye, stick with the milk on yer farm,” Ian teased, chortling to himself. He slapped Rory on the back again and then drew the boy into him, thinking about what Lucy had said. The accusation that he had dragged Rory into the illegal scheme to make himself feel better had cut him deeply. It wasn’t that at all, but he did regret that he had cast this shadow over Rory’s life. The lad was talented and, to his detriment, he had a good heart.
“Ye know, lad,” Ian continued, “I understand why ye want tae help Lucy, but eventually ye are gaeing tae hae tae learn tae harden yer heart. Helping people is eventually gaeing tae get ye intae trouble. Ye need tae turn yer back on people. Focus on yerself, otherwise ye are gaeing tae get tripped up on the help ye offer tae others.”
Rory looked at him strangely. “I cannae dae that, Ian. There was a time when I needed help from other people, when they walked right past me without even looking at me. I thought they were cruel. I saw them spending money at the market, gambling it away, and always thought could they nae hae spared a wee bit for me? And it was nae even coin, just a kind word, a smile. Anything would hae made a difference. I promised myself then that I would never be like that. She is nae a bad person. I sensed that even before I heard her story. Perhaps it’s something we recognize in each other. I’m nae gaeing tae avoid helping people just because it might mean a bit of trouble comes my way.”
“Ye are tae soft, lad. I hope it dinnae come back tae bite ye in the rump.”
Rory smiled. “Ye are the same. Ye took me in, after all. Ye could hae sent me away.”
Ian scowled and spoke in a gruff tone. “I needed help with the distillery, that’s all. I learned a long time ago tae never help people.”
