Читать книгу Rebel Lady, Convenient Wife - June Francis, June Francis - Страница 10

Chapter Four

Anna stared after him in dismay and, picking up her lute, hurried after him. ‘But it will be dark by then and I might wander into soft sand and never be seen again.’

‘You should have thought of that before leaving the safety of the mainland,’ he said tersely. ‘What about Owain sorting out your affairs? What about Kate worrying herself to flinders about you?’ he raged, striding along at a heartracing pace, so that she had trouble keeping up with him.

‘They’ll believe I’m staying at the convent.’ Her sodden skirts caked with wet sand clung to her legs most unpleasantly, but she dared not suggest that he slowed down. ‘I left a message with the stable boy in West Kirby to take care of my horse. If I have not returned by the time the money I gave him runs out, then he is to return my horse to Rowan Manor. Only then is he to tell Owain that I have gone to France with you.’

Jack stopped in his tracks and stared at her. ‘You have completely lost your wits. I did notice there was a full moon last night.’

‘I am not a lunatic,’ she said indignantly. ‘Although it would not be surprising if I were half-crazed. Surely it is obvious to you that Will and Hal between them are determined to be rid of me?’

‘I think Hal had something else in mind for you altogether,’ he growled. ‘You should have told all to Owain. Running away to France is no way to deal with this matter.’

‘I have my reasons for not doing so,’ she said firmly. ‘And it did not occur to me that I was running away. Rather I have something completely different in mind. But at least I should be safe from Hal and Will in France.’

‘But there are other dangers that lurk for the unwary traveller abroad and sea travel is not without its risks,’ he said, exasperated. ‘I really should leave you here.’

‘Please, Jack, don’t do that.’ She prayed fervently for words that would convince him to take her with him. Then an idea struck her that she believed was truly inspired. ‘I asked for God’s guidance and I feel he has told me the path I must take,’ she said piously.

He glanced at her with suspicion in his eyes. ‘And what path is that?’

‘A pilgrimage.’

He smiled grimly. ‘You’re not serious.’

She was taken aback. ‘Why not?’

Jack began towalk again and his pace was just as brisk as before. ‘Have you given this pilgrimage much thought?’

Thinking quickly, Anna said smoothly, ‘I have it in mind to follow Kate’s journey through France, taking in the various shrines on the way to Spain.’

‘Your words only serve to convince me that you have scarcely thought about what such a pilgrimage entails,’ said Jack, shaking his head. ‘St James’s feast day was in July, so you’re much too late to get to Santiago de Compostela in time for the celebrations.’

Anna groaned. ‘You’re so right, Jack. I haven’t given it enough thought. I can only say that during my last retreat, one of the lay sisters suggested that a pilgrimage would be good for me. I thought little of it until this recent débâcle with Will and Hal.’

Jack’s dour expression relaxed a little. ‘Now that sounds more probable, but a pilgrimage in our own land would serve your purpose just as well.’

Anna tried to conceal her dismay at this suggestion. ‘But I have to go to France.’ At the look on his face, she added hastily, ‘Although, I suppose, had I thought of it sooner, I could have travelled the pilgrims’ way through England and then crossed to France with other pilgrims.’

‘There’s no reason why you still can’t travel one of the pilgrim ways in England,’ he said reasonably. ‘Of course it goes without saying that it would be wise to take a companion. A lady travelling alone, even with a group of like-minded folk, can still meet with trouble.’

Anna tried to look pleased with the idea and nodded meekly. ‘You’re right, of course, Jack. But I really don’t want to have to go back to the mainland and start again. Perhaps you might suggest where I could start my pilgrimage now I am on this island, seeing that you are so knowledgeable about such ventures?’

He looked at her with an expression that said he didn’t quite trust her when she tried to flatter him. ‘I need to think about that. I cannot stress enough, Anna, that travel is about discomfort and danger. I am not saying that it doesn’t have its excitements and amusing sides, but a journey demands careful planning. You must always be on your guard. It’s not like a stroll to the nearest village.’

Her eyes flashed with annoyance. ‘Why do you speak to me as if I am a fool? You were a witness to the way Will and Hal behaved towards me. You can have no notion of what it is like to be accused of being an adulteress, a murderess and a witch and thre-threatened with b-burning!’ Her bottom lip quivered and she turned her face away from him, blinking back tears.

Immediately, Jack saw himself as an unfeeling monster. Hedidn’t know who he blamed the most, himself or Anna. ‘If you had not told me to keep silent, I would have spoken out about what I had witnessed and all would be well.’

Anna kept her back to him. ‘You’re mistaken. All would not be well. I know most likely it would be safe for me to stay at Rowan, but I am not a child any more. I have been a wife, a mother and now I am a widow and need to stand alone. I’ve made a decision to cut all ties with home and family.’ For the moment, she added inwardly.