Dawn nodded, for what did it matter? People would believe what they wanted to. The truth would be hers and hers alone.
Lila spoke low when she said, “You do realize that you could be with child already?”
Dawn glanced down at Thomas sleeping contentedly in her arms and her heart ached to know the pleasure of cradling her own child in her arms.
“You are like the sister I never had,” Lila said. “I am here for you no matter what happens.”
Dawn smiled and pressed a hand firmly to her chest.
Lila got teary-eyed. “I love you too.”
The subject was changed then, nothing more needing to be said, both women understanding the depths of their friendship. Lila moved from subject to subject being her talkative self. Dawn would interject with hand motions now and again or to answer a question.
Lila left a couple of hours later and Dawn got busy soaking the branches she had gathered in water so that they would soften enough to bend and fashion into a wreath. She refused to allow her thoughts to linger on Cree, though she did give thought to going to the keep tomorrow and seeing if she could be assigned a chore. Perhaps if she had a chore like everyone else people would cease to gossip about her.
Day gave way to night and Dawn soon found herself seeking the solace of her bed. She was about to slip into her only nightdress when knock sounded at her door. She was hesitant about answering it with the lateness of the hour. If it was Lila she would have simply entered by now or Paul would have called out to her. So who was it at her door?
She cautiously opened the door, though just a crack and was surprised to see Dorrie standing there.
“Old Mary has need of you,” Dorrie said annoyed.
Dawn nodded and when she opened the door and stepped out Dorrie was gone. It was just as well, she had no desire to have Dorrie accompany her to Old Mary’s place. She hurried along, the village quiet this time of night and the air chilled. Autumn would soon be gone and winter upon them. She wrapped her threadbare cloak more tightly around her and hurried along worried over Old Mary. She lived removed from the village, her cottage set back in the woods.
As she trekked through the woods she recalled Cree’s warning; do not go into the woods until I return and give you permission. She was disobeying him, though how would he know?
Dawn stopped abruptly thinking she had heard footfalls behind her. The thought suddenly hit her; what if this was a ruse? What if there was nothing wrong with Old Mary?
Fear prickled her flesh and her first thought was to run for home, but she thought of Old Mary. What if the old woman was ill and needed her help? She had no choice but to proceed to her cottage and see for herself.
The attack came so fast that Dawn had no time to react. One minute she was standing and the next she was on the ground. Her heart pumped violently in her chest as she tried to hurry to her feet, but he was on her before she could even try.
Fear would tie you in knots if you let it, her mum would always say. Action, Dawn, action, her mum would remind. And so Dawn listened to her mum.
She swung hard catching her attacker in the face. He grunted and fell off her and she scurried to her feet. She didn’t get far, his hand grabbing her hair, knotting it in his fingers and yanking her back. She stumbled, though made sure to remain on her feet. She turned around swinging and caught him in the side of his head. He swore and swung catching her in the jaw and sent her stumbling. If she could scream she would have, not from the punch but from the way it felt, as if her hair was being ripped from her head as he stopped her from falling with a yank of her hair.
He swung again only this time she was quick to react and he caught the corner of her eye though not as hard if she hadn’t moved. They scuffled and she went down, he on top of her and when he fumbled with her skirt, pulling it up, her fear escalated.
She had to stop him, too much had been taken from her and she would not surrender a single thing more. She clawed at his face and he slapped her hard, stunning her. Frantically, her hands searched along the ground for anything to use as a weapon and she blessed the heavens when her hand connected with a large stone. She didn’t hesitate; she wrapped her hand tightly around it and brought it up against the side of his head with as much force as she could muster.
He tumbled off her and she hurried to her feet, throwing the rock at his face before she took off. She didn’t stop; she flew like the wind until she reached her cottage and once inside she latched the door and collapsed against it.
She didn’t cry, though her body trembled and she comforted herself with a tight hug. With the darkness of the woods and being busy fighting her attacker off, she had had little time to see his identity. But for one brief moment when a cloud had drifted off the partial moon, she had caught sight of him.