Read Online The Witch from the Sea by Philippa Carr - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Philippa Carr
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me to a room which was close by the bedroom. Here candles had been lighted and a table laid.
There was hot soup in pewter bowls, and although I did not feel like eating I realized I was faint with hunger.
He was waiting for me. He bowed and led me to a chair.
“Allow me to help you to this good capon. I am sure you will enjoy it. I can see that you are hungry and thirsty though you feel disinclined to partake of food and drink. Come, there is no good in abstaining. I have already sent men out to scour the countryside, to inquire at inns far and wide. I doubt not that ere long your mother will be here … or at least we shall have news of her. That will satisfy you.”
It did. I found the capon good and there was no doubt that my strength was reviving.
“Here is a good wine which will put heart into you. Drink it. It will make you feel better.”
He helped himself to the great pie which was on the table and ate hungrily. He drank of the wine.
“Now there is some colour in her cheeks,” he said. “Come, more wine. Tell me, do you not feel better?”
I said I did.
“Tomorrow you and your mother will be laughing at this adventure.”
“I think we shall always shudder with horror to recall it.”
“It was a bad moment when that knave galloped off with you. I never doubted that I would catch up with you though. My great regret is that I was unable to give him his dues. I might well yet.”
“You would not recognize him if you met him again.”
“Masked as he was mayhap not. I should know his horse though.”
He filled my glass. “It is enough,” I said.
“Oh come, your spirits must be revived by the time your mother arrives.”
“Do you really think they will find her?”
“How can they fail? There are four of them … all going in different directions … they must find her for she will either be on the road or in one of the inns.”
“But there was only one—the Roses. She was not there.”
“Perhaps she went there later.”
“I should have stayed there.”
“Nay, you are better here …”
I was beginning to feel a little light-headed. It was the shock, I supposed, and then the wine. His voice seemed to grow somewhat faint as though it was coming from a long way off.
He was saying: “Let me give you some of this partridge.”
The room swayed a little. I thought: God help me, the wine was potent.
He was watching me, smiling at me, cutting the partridge with his knife.
I could not see his face clearly. It was becoming more and more blurred. I heard myself say: “I think … I think I should go …”
I stood up. He was there beside me.
I felt the room, everything, slipping away and was only aware of his face near me … his eyes were enormous … there was nothing but those great black pools of eyes … I felt as though I was trying to swim in dark pools and I was sinking.
I felt myself caught up suddenly. And I knew that he was holding me.
I heard his voice, strange, lilting. “All is well. All is very well.”
I started up. Something had happened to me. I did not know where I was. I was shut in a green prison. There was light somewhere shining from outside on the walls. I was different. Something had changed me. I gave a little gasp, for I was naked. There was a light sheet over me and nothing more.
I sat up. I was in a bed … I knew instinctively that it was the four-poster I had seen last night, for in those seconds memory came back. I had come to Castle Paling. My mother and I had been separated. I had sat down to eat and drink and that was all.
But I knew. Horrible knowledge was tapping on my mind. Did I remember something of it? What had taken place during the night? It could not have been. And yet I knew it. Some hazy memory came back to me. It was the wine. It had dulled my consciousness. It had changed me in some way. I knew this was so. Edwina had told me there were herbs which drug your senses and make you oblivious of what was happening … and yet …
I must be
There was hot soup in pewter bowls, and although I did not feel like eating I realized I was faint with hunger.
He was waiting for me. He bowed and led me to a chair.
“Allow me to help you to this good capon. I am sure you will enjoy it. I can see that you are hungry and thirsty though you feel disinclined to partake of food and drink. Come, there is no good in abstaining. I have already sent men out to scour the countryside, to inquire at inns far and wide. I doubt not that ere long your mother will be here … or at least we shall have news of her. That will satisfy you.”
It did. I found the capon good and there was no doubt that my strength was reviving.
“Here is a good wine which will put heart into you. Drink it. It will make you feel better.”
He helped himself to the great pie which was on the table and ate hungrily. He drank of the wine.
“Now there is some colour in her cheeks,” he said. “Come, more wine. Tell me, do you not feel better?”
I said I did.
“Tomorrow you and your mother will be laughing at this adventure.”
“I think we shall always shudder with horror to recall it.”
“It was a bad moment when that knave galloped off with you. I never doubted that I would catch up with you though. My great regret is that I was unable to give him his dues. I might well yet.”
“You would not recognize him if you met him again.”
“Masked as he was mayhap not. I should know his horse though.”
He filled my glass. “It is enough,” I said.
“Oh come, your spirits must be revived by the time your mother arrives.”
“Do you really think they will find her?”
“How can they fail? There are four of them … all going in different directions … they must find her for she will either be on the road or in one of the inns.”
“But there was only one—the Roses. She was not there.”
“Perhaps she went there later.”
“I should have stayed there.”
“Nay, you are better here …”
I was beginning to feel a little light-headed. It was the shock, I supposed, and then the wine. His voice seemed to grow somewhat faint as though it was coming from a long way off.
He was saying: “Let me give you some of this partridge.”
The room swayed a little. I thought: God help me, the wine was potent.
He was watching me, smiling at me, cutting the partridge with his knife.
I could not see his face clearly. It was becoming more and more blurred. I heard myself say: “I think … I think I should go …”
I stood up. He was there beside me.
I felt the room, everything, slipping away and was only aware of his face near me … his eyes were enormous … there was nothing but those great black pools of eyes … I felt as though I was trying to swim in dark pools and I was sinking.
I felt myself caught up suddenly. And I knew that he was holding me.
I heard his voice, strange, lilting. “All is well. All is very well.”
I started up. Something had happened to me. I did not know where I was. I was shut in a green prison. There was light somewhere shining from outside on the walls. I was different. Something had changed me. I gave a little gasp, for I was naked. There was a light sheet over me and nothing more.
I sat up. I was in a bed … I knew instinctively that it was the four-poster I had seen last night, for in those seconds memory came back. I had come to Castle Paling. My mother and I had been separated. I had sat down to eat and drink and that was all.
But I knew. Horrible knowledge was tapping on my mind. Did I remember something of it? What had taken place during the night? It could not have been. And yet I knew it. Some hazy memory came back to me. It was the wine. It had dulled my consciousness. It had changed me in some way. I knew this was so. Edwina had told me there were herbs which drug your senses and make you oblivious of what was happening … and yet …
I must be
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