was delighted with the arrangement. She spent her free time with the mysterious wood-carver, and she grew fonder and fonder of him, in part because he was so obviously attached to her. She was still the only person to whom he spoke freely, the only one in whom he confided his troubles. He was almost well now, and her neighbors respected the quick work he made of their broken tools. Maddie put the hissing shadow from her mind. She began to daydream of a future in which the good-looking carver boy stayed by her hearth.
Then tragedy jarred the town. Bessâs mother went into labor, and when the child was born, the women scattered, wailing. The baby had the face of an animal, they said. It had the mouth of a beast.
The townspeople gathered outside the smithâs house, whispering together. Maddie stood with them, her arm around Bess, and her frightened cousins gathered near her. Their father was away from home, doing work for the new lord. The smith often traveled from town to town.
âThis is evil work,â said Little Ian. âThe mother was bewitched.â
âItâs unnatural,â agreed Black Ewan, âlike that attack on the wood-carver.â
âThe babe wonât live through the day,â Old Peggy announced from the door. A grandmother herself, she was the townâs midwife. âHeâs a weak little thing, and his mouth isnât made right. He canât nurse.â
âWeâll have the baptism right away,â rumbled Father Mac, coming out, too. âHe has just as much right to heaven as any other little child.â The priest hurried off to the church to gather the things he needed.
A wave of relief ran through the crowd. These were normal events. Many babies died soon after birth. Four of this newbornâs brothers and sisters already lay in the churchyard. It was good that such an unnatural child would soon be at peace, but that didnât change the horror of what had happened.
âThereâs someone working evil among us,â declared Black Ewan, heading back to the fields. He spat. âGodâs curse on that black soul.â
âAy e, heâs right,â sighed Old Peggy. âThat poor murdered baby. Come with me, lambs,â she said to the smithâs children. âIâve a bit of honeycomb for you. Little ones canât understand these things, and thatâs all to the good.â She and Bess herded them away.
The crowd broke up, heads down and hearts heavy. Maddie picked up her egg basket and started off, but Carver seized her hand. âWait, Madeleine,â he whispered.
Maddie stayed behind as her neighbors walked away, trying to reason with herself. She was absurdly pleased to have her hand held, but she could tell the young man didnât mean anything by it. He was turning her hand nervously between his long fingers as if it were a block of wood he was carving.
âDo you think thatâs true?â he asked when they were alone. âThat something evil harmed that baby before he could be born?â
âThey say witches can steal milk without leaving their homes,â she replied. âIf a witch can take the milk thatâs inside a cow, it could change a baby inside its mother. Who do you think it could be?â
âI donât know any witches,â he muttered, âbut I know other evil things.â Maddie couldnât help glancing at his shadow as he spoke. He followed her gaze and realized that he still held her hand. He immediately dropped it.
âI need to talk to Black Ewan,â he decided. âI need him to let Ned go. Itâs time for us to leave.â
âTo leave!â she exclaimed, dismayed. âYou donât need to leave.â
âI canât stay,â he muttered, staring at the ground. âThereâs harm being done. He has to release Ned. Iâve mended enough of his tools now, he owes me that.â
So that was why he was working on the
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