Chapter 42
FORTY-TWO
Lucine left her sisters both sleeping and went outside to tend to May, as she needed milking. Unaccustomed to being so close to a cow, she hovered around the edge of the pasture trying to catch her attention.
‘You look more beautiful each morning.’
She jumped at the sound of John Hadden’s voice, turning to face him.
‘And thou should not be hovering around a woman on her own this time of day.’
He grinned at her and tipped his hat. ‘Good morrow, Goody English, is this preferable?’
Lucine laughed. ‘I prefer beautiful or Lucine, Goody English makes me sound as if I am old beyond my years.’
‘Lucine, I brought you a gift that I want you to have and keep safe.’ As he stepped out of the shadows, she saw that his right eye was swollen and bruised, and she gasped.
‘Pray tell me, John, what happened to thy eye?’ She had a sinking feeling inside of her that she already knew what had happened but wished for it not to be true.
‘I had a run-in with two friends of yours outside of the tavern last night.’
‘Corwin and Putnam?’ Lucine’s fury was a ball of burning white light.
He nodded. ‘It was a bit of an unfair fight, two on one after I’d had a few too many tankards of that dreadful ale Ingersoll has the audacity to sell to paying customers.’
She crossed to him, and lifting her hand she gently stroked his face. ‘I am sorry, John.’
‘Why are you sorry, you did not do this. Do not fear, I gave back to them what I received three-fold.’
Lucine smiled at him, then realised if what he said was the truth they would not let this go.
‘You must leave, John, as they will not let it lie. They are horrid men, with wicked tempers, it may be better for you to continue with your journey and leave Salem village while you can.’
‘I am not afraid of them, Lucine. No matter, I am leaving this morning, but I want to give you something that I think is going to help thee and thy sisters, if things get out of hand around here.’
Her heart tore in two, she had not meant for him to leave. She did not want him to leave.
‘Where are you going?’
‘I must continue my quest, but I will be back. I believe that you are correct about the villagers who now seem to have taken a dislike to me since they saw us with each other in the woods. Better to let things quiet for a little while before I come back.’
Lucine’s knees were quivering at the thought of this man who had taken her heart and her innocence leaving her all alone. ‘Yes, you must do what is best.’ She would not cry over him and begged her eyes not to betray her with the hot, salty tears that she could feel pooling in the corners.
He cupped her chin in his hands. ‘’Tis not what is best for me, ’tis what is best for you, Lucine. I will not be the cause of any trouble at your door. Just know that you have my heart, forever and always.’
He turned and pulled out a package from a saddle bag. It was heavy. He passed it to her. It felt like a book.
‘What is this?’
‘Two very special books. You asked for a book of unwritten stories if I was to gift you anything else. One is a book of magic spells and the other is a partially written book of spells that only you or I can finish. They were given to me by a fortune teller at a travelling show who swore that they are magical. One book is full of complete spells that can be used for good magic, to make things better, and she swore they were written by her grandmother. They are very powerful. The second much smaller book is much darker and far more powerful, but only once they have been completed by the rightful owner and I know you are she, Lucine. She told me to use it wisely, for if used unwisely it would bring trouble to my door.’
‘I do not think you understand, John. I cannot accept these. If the villagers discovered that I owned such books, they would call me a witch and hang me.’
‘Then make sure thou tell no one about them. The talk I heard in the village tavern last night filled me with a great fear. The village men are hunting for trouble. You may be able to use the spells inside of the book to keep you all safe.’
Lucine unwrapped the paper around the books.
There was a large, thick leatherbound book, and a much smaller one both beautifully inscribed on the front and as she traced her fingers around the pattern on the biggest of them, she felt a small jolt of electricity shoot up her fingertip.
It shocked her so greatly she threw the book to the floor. John laughed.
‘That old woman told me when the books were in the hands of the rightful owner their power would come to life. She was right, these books were always meant to be with you, Lucine. Take care of them and keep them safe so they can in turn keep you safe.’
‘I do not want any books that give me burning fingertips, that could get me called a witch and hanged for having it. Take them away with you.’
He shook his head. ‘I cannot, Lucine. I have been looking for the rightful owner and perhaps it was not a mistake that my horse led me to you. Perhaps this was meant to be.’
The crow was watching the pair of them with great interest from the branch of a nearby tree. Lucine’s gut was in turmoil. John was leaving her and with not just one, but two books that were dangerous.
She thrust them towards him. ‘I do not want either.’
He shook his head. ‘I mean this with good faith, please, Lucine, take them inside and hide them well. I must leave, and when I return, I will take you and the books to a safe place, but until that moment arrives, I need you to take care of them.’
Angry male voices in the distance made her straighten with fear and she clutched the books to her chest.
‘Lucine, I must leave. That brute Corwin has found a band of men to assist him in making me get out of Salem. I will do so, but only for a short time. Tell them you have not seen me and have no desire to. Tell them what you must to keep thyself safe. I promise I will be back; I will never leave thy side ever again.’
Lucine had not realised she was crying until John’s thumb gently wiped away the wetness on her cheek. ‘I love thee, Lucine English, and we will be together. Pray go inside now and let me deal with these mortal fools. I could not bear it if thou were in danger from them.’
Clutching the books to her chest, she nodded.
She turned around and forced her feet to walk towards the door of the cabin, where slipping inside, she closed it and heard the gentle breathing of her sisters who were both still sleeping.
She took the books and searched for a safe place to store them.
Did he not understand the danger he had put her in by insisting she take them?
There was a loose floorboard next to the open fire, and she prised it open with her fingertips, taking a sharp intake of breath as a splinter of wood pierced the skin on her forefinger, blood dripping down onto the cover of the smallest book.
Her heart full of fear, she pushed them both under the floorboard and quickly put it back down.
Sucking her finger to bite out the splinter, she spat it into the flames of the fire she had stoked before going outside.
Afraid for John and for her herself she went to her mattress in the corner and curled up into a ball, drawing the rough blanket around her.
She closed her eyes and prayed harder than she ever had for God to keep John and her sisters safe.