Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
RUE
‘What are we going to do, Grandmama?’ I asked, joining her at the table.
Instead of answering, my grandmother looked up at Aunt Sorrel. ‘This is all about you spurning that vile man.’
She didn’t need to mention his name; we all knew well enough who she referred to.
Aunt Sorrel pulled out a chair and slumped heavily onto it. ‘I fear you’re right.’ She closed her eyes and rubbed her face. ‘Maybe if I had been a little more understanding towards him when I rejected him, all this pain might have been averted.’
I hated hearing her sounding so guilty and felt compelled to say something. I stretched out a hand and rested it on hers. ‘Aunt Sorrel, please stop blaming yourself for the Witchfinder’s choices.’
She gave me a sympathetic smile. ‘We all know I was the one to start all this madness.’
I shook my head vigorously. ‘You had no way of knowing what it would lead to. You were perfectly entitled to turn down his proposal.’
‘Rue is right, Sorrel. Most men would have taken it with grace, regardless of how they truly felt. This man is too full of pride and, unfortunately for us, holds the power to hurt us.’
I gave my aunt’s hand a gentle squeeze. ‘And what’s more, I believe now is the time for us to come together and do something about him once and for all.’
‘Kill him, you mean?’ my aunt asked snatching her hand from mine in shock.
I hadn’t killed anything in my entire life. ‘What? No, of course not.’
She frowned. ‘What are you suggesting we do then?’
My aunt and grandmother peered at me, waiting for my opinion. I rather enjoyed the experience for a change. Bolstered by their trust, I explained an idea that had occurred to me.
‘If he began all this retribution against our family after you rejected him, then surely all we need to do to stop him carrying on is to cast a spell to wipe his memory of knowing you back then.’
They didn’t speak but stared at each other in a stunned silence. I guessed they were thinking how best to carry out my suggestion.
My grandmother was the first to speak. She rested her chin on her hand and tapped her lips a few times. ‘I can’t believe we never thought of this, Sorrel. Why don’t we create a banishing spell specifically for him. One strong enough to make him forget a memory that’s tormented him all these years.’
‘Hmm,’ my aunt nodded. ‘We need to ensure the spell holds for the rest of his life.’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘I wouldn’t trust him not to remember a few years later and resume this campaign against us.’
We definitely didn’t want that to happen. ‘Would a binding spell work for that?’ I asked, desperate to find a permanent solution.
They smiled.
‘I do believe it would,’ my aunt said.
My grandmother gazed at me thoughtfully, which was a little unnerving.
‘Is something the matter, Grandmama?’
She gave me a wistful smile. ‘Nothing is wrong, young Rue. I was just thinking how like your mother you’ve become.’ She took a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes, then her nose.
Touched at her heartfelt sentiment, I asked, ‘In what way?’
My aunt laughed and, putting her arm around me, drew me to her in a sideways hug. ‘You’re so like Martha with your bravery, the way you don’t give up until you find a solution.’
‘Yes,’ Grandmama nodded sagely. ‘You are as determined in everything you do, just like my sweet daughter when she was still with us.’
‘And not only then,’ I reminded them, thinking of our experience seeing her again in the attic.
At the mention of her contacting us we fell silent, each lost in her memories of the woman we had adored. I doubted we would ever truly recover from her loss.
My aunt looked at Grandmama. ‘Are you thinking the same thing as me?’
Intrigued, I waited for my grandmother to answer.
Grandmama took my hand and, drawing it to her, clasped it between both of hers. ‘Your dear mama would be very proud of you and how strong you are, Rue.’
I loved to think she was right. ‘Do you really think so?’
‘We both know she wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t how she felt,’ my aunt said.
She was right. Grandmama never wasted time saying things just for the sake of it, or to make someone feel better if she didn’t believe it. A lump formed in my throat, and for a moment I thought I might cry. I swallowed.
‘Thank you. We are running out of time. We must end this dreadful man’s hold over us once and for all.’
She patted my hand and let it go. ‘It’s true.
As much as I love you both, us paying each other compliments, however true, won’t sort this ghastly fellow out.
’ She exhaled sharply. ‘We must decide exactly what ingredients we need for these two spells, because they have to be strong and, above all, correct. There’s no room for error here. ’
‘We don’t even know if we’ll get a chance to cast it on him,’ my aunt said, sounding a little deflated.
Not wanting her to lose faith in what we planned to do, I quickly reassured her. ‘We’ll find a way. We all know he wants me arrested, and if not me, then he’ll be happy to have you to himself for a bit.’ I grimaced at her and made her wince. ‘Sorry, but it is true.’
‘I know. The thought makes me feel unwell.’
‘We must prepare, confident not only that this will work, but that we will find the opportunity to cast the spells over him,’ I continued, clenching my fists in determination.
‘We’ll decide now what we need to use for both, then I’ll go to Appoline de la Mare’s home and go through our stocks that she’s been hiding for us in her outhouse.
I’ll bring the necessary ingredients back here for us to create the spells. ’
My aunt took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. ‘That sounds like a good plan, Rue, although I think to be safe, and also to help you carry everything, we should send Jem with you.’
I wasn’t sure if I was happy with this. Jem had been distant for a few days for some reason. I supposed I must have upset him but couldn’t think how. I thought of Theo racing to the house to warn us about the raid. Could Jem have seen him and blame me for drawing Theo to the estate?
‘Rue?’ My aunt nudged me. ‘Did you hear me?’
‘Sorry, I was thinking.’
She peered at me. ‘Save that for when you have little else to occupy your mind. Right now, we need to discuss the spells.’
I made notes as the other two chattered and gave instructions. I knew what spells could help but wasn’t sure what ingredients they would consider most powerful.
As they spoke I tried to visualise us carrying out the spells. It wasn’t going to be easy, especially with such a strong adversary as the Witchfinder. Then it came to me how we could cast one of them.
‘I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before,’ I said unable to hide my excitement. ‘Why don’t we use the powder we’re left with after the spell and throw it over him?’ I waited for them to mull over my suggestion.
‘It will mean that we know our spell has physically touched him.’ Grandmama smiled. ‘I think that’s a clever idea, don’t you, Sorrel?’
‘You’re learning fast,’ she said, looking impressed.
Delighted with their approval, I waited to hear what ingredients we needed to make the powder.
My grandmother gave it some thought. ‘We’ll certainly need rue,’ she said, a twinkle in her eyes as she proposed the herb I had been named after. ‘Lemon, of course, and wormwood.’
‘What about basil?’ my aunt suggested. ‘But I can’t think what else.’
I could hear her frustration.
‘If only we had our spell books to hand,’ Aunt Sorrel said, rising from the table. ‘I’m sure I have one written down that would be perfect.’
I was surprised to hear she had been parted from it. ‘Did you leave that with Appoline as well?’
She looked downcast. ‘No.’
I wasn’t sure what the problem could be then.
‘It’s buried in one of the fields,’ she explained. ‘I asked Pierre to do it for me when we heard that the Witchfinder’s assistant would be back with men to ransack the place.’
They had hardly done that, I mused, but I didn’t want to challenge her if this was how she remembered it.
‘If you tell me where it is I can go and fetch it while you both decide what else we need.’
She gave me a satisfied nod. ‘Yes. Go and find Pierre,’ she instructed. ‘Ask him to show you where he buried it, dig it up and bring it straight to me.’
I pulled on my shawl while they discussed other ingredients, such as calendula to increase the strength of protection in the spell and angelica root to banish evil.
Going out into the yard I looked around for Pierre, feeling much calmer now that we had a plan to protect ourselves and hopefully ensure we were left to live our lives in peace.
I spotted him harvesting apples in the orchard and jumped up and down a couple of times, waving to attract his attention. We still had a way to go before we realised our ambition, but I had every intention of doing all in my power to make it happen.