‘I will, don’t worry, I can run and my brain’s not been scrambled. Where are we going?’
He stared at her, his face a picture of confusion. ‘Hell burn it, I’ve not the slightest idea. You know the area?’
She nodded.
‘Find us a safe harbour. Is there an abbey where we can take sanctuary until my head clears?’
‘An abbey, yes, indeed-’ she shut her mouth with a snap. Alfwold! Alfwold had gone to the abbey to wait for the abbot to return from York.
They couldn’t go to the abbey! Alfwold would be lodged at the abbey guest house – they’d be sure to bump into him and the whole sorry tale would emerge. Oliver would realise he was a knight; he would remember his ambitions, and that would be the end of her as far as he was concerned. He would remember he was promised to Lady Cecily. Worse, he’d remember that she was married to Alfwold.
Firmly, she shook her head. ‘We can’t go to the abbey.’
‘Why ever not? It would seem the obvious place.’
She thought quickly. ‘Oliver, you may not recall but the leader of these men is a priest, Father Eadric. I don’t know whether he’s a rebel or an outlaw, but there may be others like him at the abbey. I daren’t take us there.’
‘Where then?’ He stole to the door and peered through the crack. ‘Lord, there’s an entire troop out there. Hurry!’
She toyed with the hilt of the dagger. They couldn’t head for the coast. Oliver would see the castle and he’d be sure to ask questions she’d rather not answer. There was also a risk he’d be recognised.
‘When they find us gone, those men will scour the river and outlying land,’ she murmured. ‘We could head for the moors. If we can get to the top of Blue Bank, I have friends there – a shepherd and his wife. They’ll shelter us.’ Her stomach knotted. ‘If we find them.’
Oliver was back at her side, eyes glittering like jet. He folded her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘We’ll find them.’
Rosamund glimpsed his cracked tooth – he saw this as a challenge and he was relishing it. Unlike her. She stared at the ground. ‘I wish this was over, I’m afraid.’
He tilted her chin and dropped a swift kiss on her mouth. ‘Don’t be. We’ll find your friends. With a little luck, it’ll be awhile before these beggars miss us.’
Turning back to the wall, he shoved more wall planks aside. ‘It would be too risky to take the lantern, we’ll have to rely on the moon.’ With a last grin, strong fingers wrapped round her wrist and he dived through the opening. ‘Which way?’
As Rosamund’s eyes adjusted to the moonlight, she glanced at the stars. They would tell her the way. She pointed. ‘We go through the wood, climbing all the time. If we find we’re going downhill, we’ve taken the wrong path. We should come to a waterfall, we can follow the sound of it. And then-’
‘That’s enough for the moment. Remember, tread softly...’
***
Rosamund could no longer tell whether the moon was shining or not. She rather thought not, for black shapes were swimming in and out of her line of vision. Her lungs ached.
‘Keep going,’ Oliver said, forging on up the track. Relentless. Merciless.
The dark trees were losing their individual outlines. Their shapes blurred together, seeming to shift and form a cavernous pit. It was waiting for her to fall into it. She was panting, desperate for breath. Oliver was pitiless. Inhuman. Didn’t the air sear its way into his lungs as it did with her? His breathing sounded laboured, but he was showing no sign of slackening.
His grip on her hand was unyielding. If he would but let go she could pause awhile. She moaned. He checked and she stopped, chest heaving.
‘Listen!’ Frowning, he gave her hand a little shake. ‘Rosamund, listen.’
‘Hmm?’ Spots danced before her eyes.
‘The waterfall, can you hear it?’
‘All I can hear is waves on the beach.’ She groaned and Oliver steadied her. ‘We must have gone the wrong way, they’ll catch us if we head for the sea.’
‘Rosamund!’ His voice sharpened. ‘There’s been no sign of pursuit. Pull yourself together. Listen, can you hear it?’
She listened and realised the swishing wasn’t waves on the beach, it was water cascading down the falls...
‘That’s it – Angel Falls! There’s a pool at the bottom. Keep the water to your right, the path to the moor veers off to the left. It’s a steep climb.’
He turned immediately, tugging her after.
Silly man, he must know she would only slow him down. She jerked her hand free.