between them.
Judith listened to his breathing and the excited beating of his heart, wishing there was a way she could be in his arms forever.
“If I go through with this plan, will you come see me after I am safe?”
“Of course I would,” he assured her.
“Is there a chance I may not wake?”
“There’s always a risk, Judith…just as there was when you claimed to be Lora.”
She closed her eyes. “If I do not wake, will you make sure my son is well cared for?”
“Of course.” He kissed her fingertips.
Before the woods became too dark to navigate, they redressed themselves and rode back out of the forest. They spoke of their plan to free her as they traveled back toward town.
Before long, the road that led to the Timbolt cottage came into view.
The baron dismounted and helped her to her feet.
She watched a hot plume of his breath escape his lips. ”We will meet tonight, by the stream?”
“Yes, by the stream north of the cottage. It is in a clearing. I’ll wait there for you there.”
“Until then, Judith,” he called out, re-mounting his horse.
He passed her the bucket, which he had carried on his saddle, and gave his horse a few swift kicks. She watched him gallop off into the darkness toward the manor.
***
She could not wipe the lighthearted smile off her face even when she stepped inside the cottage. She found her mother-in-law knitting in her rocking chair near the hearth.
“It’s about time you returned home. We thought the bandits had taken you again.”
“No, the bucket was not ready. I had to wait for it.”
She seemed pleased with that response. “The baron sent us a basket of fruit.”
“Did he? How kind of him.”
“Everyone fell asleep waiting for you.”
She could hear her father-in-law snoring in the first floor bedroom. Thankfully, she did not have to answer to him as to why she was late.
She climbed up the ladder and dressed in her nightclothes, figuring she would rest until the hour came for her escape. She settled onto the straw pile next to her husband and son.Garreth mumbled a few slurred phrases. She pulled the thin blanket they shared over her body. Sam wrapped his small arm around her, and laid his head on her shoulder. She kissed his temple and tears burned her eyes. This would be the last night she slept on coarse hay in the cold. It was her last night at Judith Timbolt.
The scenario of her escape danced repeatedly in her mind. She could see it, her husband weeping over her dead body, covered in animal blood. They would collect her lifeless form and mourn her. After she was placed in a coffin the baron would take her body-- and she would awaken a free woman.
She waited until the moon was high overhead before she redressed. Upon reaching the bottom of the ladder, she found Gertrude slumped over in her chair with a smoking pipe between her lips. A quiet snore escaped her as Judith crept past her. Pulling on her cloak, she took the small lantern near the door and cast her mother-in-law one last, worried glance before she escaped into the dark night.
The moonlight guided her along the road. She made her way to the stream and stood at the water’s edge. The Baron had not arrived yet.
The stream glowed under the harvest moon. Her reflection on the water echoed her excitement. She recalled the last time she had stood at the stream, when she found Lora.
Dropping to her knees on the stiff, dry grass, she peered up at the night sky speckled with stars and wondered if she was making the right decision. She hated the thought of how her son would react when he found out she had died. Reuniting with him would be so sweet. She imagined their new life— a life free of misery. She might become a seamstress, she always liked sewing. Maybe she would have her own farm or even marry into a wealthy family. She decided that she would honor Lora by keeping her first name. Lora Cartwright. Cartwright was her maiden name and she missed it.
As the moments passed, it
Judith listened to his breathing and the excited beating of his heart, wishing there was a way she could be in his arms forever.
“If I go through with this plan, will you come see me after I am safe?”
“Of course I would,” he assured her.
“Is there a chance I may not wake?”
“There’s always a risk, Judith…just as there was when you claimed to be Lora.”
She closed her eyes. “If I do not wake, will you make sure my son is well cared for?”
“Of course.” He kissed her fingertips.
Before the woods became too dark to navigate, they redressed themselves and rode back out of the forest. They spoke of their plan to free her as they traveled back toward town.
Before long, the road that led to the Timbolt cottage came into view.
The baron dismounted and helped her to her feet.
She watched a hot plume of his breath escape his lips. ”We will meet tonight, by the stream?”
“Yes, by the stream north of the cottage. It is in a clearing. I’ll wait there for you there.”
“Until then, Judith,” he called out, re-mounting his horse.
He passed her the bucket, which he had carried on his saddle, and gave his horse a few swift kicks. She watched him gallop off into the darkness toward the manor.
***
She could not wipe the lighthearted smile off her face even when she stepped inside the cottage. She found her mother-in-law knitting in her rocking chair near the hearth.
“It’s about time you returned home. We thought the bandits had taken you again.”
“No, the bucket was not ready. I had to wait for it.”
She seemed pleased with that response. “The baron sent us a basket of fruit.”
“Did he? How kind of him.”
“Everyone fell asleep waiting for you.”
She could hear her father-in-law snoring in the first floor bedroom. Thankfully, she did not have to answer to him as to why she was late.
She climbed up the ladder and dressed in her nightclothes, figuring she would rest until the hour came for her escape. She settled onto the straw pile next to her husband and son.Garreth mumbled a few slurred phrases. She pulled the thin blanket they shared over her body. Sam wrapped his small arm around her, and laid his head on her shoulder. She kissed his temple and tears burned her eyes. This would be the last night she slept on coarse hay in the cold. It was her last night at Judith Timbolt.
The scenario of her escape danced repeatedly in her mind. She could see it, her husband weeping over her dead body, covered in animal blood. They would collect her lifeless form and mourn her. After she was placed in a coffin the baron would take her body-- and she would awaken a free woman.
She waited until the moon was high overhead before she redressed. Upon reaching the bottom of the ladder, she found Gertrude slumped over in her chair with a smoking pipe between her lips. A quiet snore escaped her as Judith crept past her. Pulling on her cloak, she took the small lantern near the door and cast her mother-in-law one last, worried glance before she escaped into the dark night.
The moonlight guided her along the road. She made her way to the stream and stood at the water’s edge. The Baron had not arrived yet.
The stream glowed under the harvest moon. Her reflection on the water echoed her excitement. She recalled the last time she had stood at the stream, when she found Lora.
Dropping to her knees on the stiff, dry grass, she peered up at the night sky speckled with stars and wondered if she was making the right decision. She hated the thought of how her son would react when he found out she had died. Reuniting with him would be so sweet. She imagined their new life— a life free of misery. She might become a seamstress, she always liked sewing. Maybe she would have her own farm or even marry into a wealthy family. She decided that she would honor Lora by keeping her first name. Lora Cartwright. Cartwright was her maiden name and she missed it.
As the moments passed, it
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