The sun was setting.
Elizabeth and I sat huddled together in one of the oh-so-familiar cages they placed their witch trial victims in to await hanging. It was dark when Vivian captured me the first time and tossed me into the confines of death. I’d had little opportunity to really inspect the cell’s composition and structure.
This one appeared pretty much like the other. The bars were made of iron and spaced eight to ten inches apart. It was fortunate that none of the captive’s height exceeded six feet or they wouldn’t have been able to stand upright. The cage was slightly more crowded than my previous prison, making it difficult to tolerate the stench of dirt and sweat that was inevitable on such poor mistreated creatures as we.
The one difference I noted in the construction of the iron cell block was a major one and probably sealed our fate. Elizabeth managed to rescue me by slicing through the leather hinges on
I awoke to the savory aroma of venison roasting over an open fire pit. An elderly woman stood diligently rotating the spit with a slow steady arm. My stomach roared in response to the savory aroma that filled the night air.I sat up with a start when I realized it was night. I’d slept the day away and had no clue where I was. I also didn’t see Duncan or Elizabeth. Panic threatened to overtake me until I finally laid eyes on Anna walking toward me with a smile and a mug of frothy grog.Relieved that I was free and more than likely in her coven’s camp, I accepted the grog gratefully. It was sweet with a bit of bitterness and a mild bite as it slid down my throat. I reminded myself to pace my drinking since my stomach walls were suctioned to each other from the hours of enforced fasting. The grog could easily get the better of me.A warm soothing sensation filled my being by the time I’d drank
After a tasty and hearty breakfast, I joined Lady Helen in the forest for some private instructions on how to be Lady Margaret, as well as to give her an idea of my magical powers and wisdom. She was more than a little surprised to discover how limited my knowledge was in comparison to my potential. I did my best to explain what life in the twenty-first century was like and how the magical arts became an underground fad over the centuries; only to start resurfacing as acceptable a few years ago. Even with the resurfacing, the acceptance was still not widespread, but at least no one was hanged or jailed for practicing it.My tutor was overcome with emotions as she embraced the concept of being able to perform magic and worship in the open without being hanged and not exercising that right. It was something she just couldn’t fathom. The thought of people taking for granted the gifts of the gods and goddesses was almost as distressing as being hange
The star filled night reminded me of a quilt my friend Linda kept over her bed. Its deep navy background created the perfect palate for the brilliant white and gold stars that were too many to count. Linda’s quilt didn’t twinkle with life like the night sky did, but that was the only difference. Whoever crafted that quilt did a fine job of capturing the essence of a starry night.As we approached the circle, the apprehension I’d been nursing about the ruse Helen and I were playing rose within me. This was not any ordinary group of people. This was a group of people who had magical abilities. Grant it some had stronger abilities than others, but they all had them to some level. I had no desire to anger any of them and find out who knew what.Lady Helen seemed oblivious to the risks we were taking as she walked boldly into the center of the circle. Or perhaps she just didn’t care. She held her hands up in the air and silence swep
My conversation with Elizabeth proved enlightening and fascinating. She admitted to me that she loved a vampire named Patrick. She was actually discussing becoming a vampire as well, but agreed to wait a few more years so that she and Patrick would be more compatible in age when it happened. It seemed Patrick was much older than she when he was turned and felt self-conscious about the age difference their bodies displayed. That, in itself, I found fascinating. Unfortunately, she told me, just like there are good and bad people, there are good and bad vampires. This was something I knew firsthand. It seemed Patrick was on the side of right when he came up against wrong and he didn’t survive. Since no one was aware of their relationship or the fact that Patrick was a vampire, Elizabeth was forced to mourn in silence. Our conversation was her first opportunity to speak her pain.I held her close while she wept for her lost lo
They moved me to a cage all my own. Although still completely exposed to the elements, I was at least spared the aroma and company of the other captives. One of the things I truly had difficulty adjusting to was the poor hygiene habits of the underprivileged, of which I found myself amongst more often than I cared to admit.Minutes turned into hours as I waited impatiently for Lady Vivian to come riding up on her white stallion and release me from my prison. I spent my time looking into the future as best I could. It was my first attempt since I’d traveled back in time. Prior to my meeting Lady Helen, I wouldn’t have been able to do it, but she’d done something to balance me out and enhance my skills. I was actually more powerful than I thought I could ever be; certainly more powerful than I’d been in the future.Vivian returned angrier than ever. She’d tried to see Duncan, but was sent away without being rece
Duncan arrived at the encampment with the dawn. He was furious with Vivian; as well he should be. When I managed to calm him down enough to be cohesive, I filled him in on the conversation I’d had with Helen. He listened intently without one interruption. When I’d finished, he paced the floor of the little cottage with his hands behind his back and his head held low in thought.“I have often thought back on the night I was attacked and wondered about it. Nothing added up. Vivian was angry with me, true, but it made no sense for her to damn me to a soulless eternal life. I witnessed her work her wiles on men who felt it wise to seek female companionship elsewhere. She was amazing at it and always accomplished what she set out to do. My rejection of her was given only once. For her to give up so easily just did not seem something she would do. I expected more from her,” he said.“Helen and I believe
I was grateful for the refreshing night’s sleep when I entered the breakfast room and came face to face with my doppelganger. I suppose, technically, I was her doppelganger since she was born first. I wasn’t really sure how that worked. It really didn’t matter at the moment. What did matter was that we were completely alone and the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.“You have returned, I see,” she said as she walked to the buffet to help herself to a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, boiled ham, roasted venison, and a thick and juicy raspberry pastry.My eyes went from her plate to her waist and then back again, as I pondered over how an appetite such as that managed to maintain a figure like the one she sported. Her diet resembled the Atkins Diet or possibly the South Beach Diet. I vowed to check both of them out when I got back to the future. In the meantime, I helped myself to a cup of
Duncan and his father had business with the tenants on the estate to tend to and weren’t expected home for a few days. He’d met me for mid-morning tea to explain how trouble was brewing between tenants on the far end of the estate and the estate manager requested their assistance. The explanation of what type of trouble wasn’t volunteered, and I never bothered to ask. My mind was still whirling from my meeting with the very handsome Lord Rufus and I was finding matters of the estate difficult to focus on. Plus, did it really matter in the scope of things what happened to the estate? After all, Duncan and I would be finding a way back to the future soon and all that went on in the eighteenth century would be insignificant. All I remembered was that the estate consisted of two thousand acres and they had to go to the very far end of it. At best it was a one-day ride, but usually two.Although I longed to take dinner in my room, Lo