Bewitching My Love (21 page)

“
I will not, leave us…” Sarah stopped when the pistol was forced against her chest.

“
Now.” Fern felt the word sting her throat as she forced it through clenched teeth.

“
What is happening here?” Hearing the harshness of Sarah’s voice from the other room, Jonathan came to investigate.

Both women turned to watch Jonathan crossing the room toward them. “Stop right there, Jonathan Nichols.” Fern flashed the pistol back and forth between them. “I mean it, or I’ll kill you first.”

“
Mary, is that ye? My love, there is no need for this. Please, put the pistol away. Come now, I’ll take ye back to the cottage.” Jonathan stepped forward, his hand outstretched as he reached for the gun.

Fern stripped the Vizard from her face and stared at him as she cocked the pistol. “I am not your Mary; but I am from your blood. I am here to kill you at the bidding of my grandmother Elizabeth Wilds. Tonight I am compelled to kill you both for what you will do to Mary. You must see I have no choice, I must kill you.” Fern’s finger teetered on the trigger.

Sarah was sobbing, frozen to her spot. She could only watch in horror as the crazed woman prepared to kill Jonathan. “Pl…please, Mary. Don’t kill us. Can’t you see that I am with child? My child will die as well.”

Fern’s eyes were wide; her breathing was coming faster and faster. Something was trying to wake her, or someone. The voices ran together in her mind, some screaming to kill them. Others, gentler, begged her to wake up. Pushing the pistol toward Sarah she screamed. “Shut up, can’t you see I have no choice?” Turning the pistol back toward Jonathan, as she squeezed the trigger, she saw the terror in his eyes.

The loud shot rang out, knocking her to the floor. Scrambling to get to her feet, she found herself forced back down by two strong hands. “Get off me Jonathan Nichols, it is your turn to die. You must die, don’t you see?”

“
Be still Fern, I’ve got the pistol. Nobody is going to die today.”

Fern rolled her head sharply around. Rowen had her pinned to the floor, his pistol back in his coat pocket where it belonged. “Rowen?” she cried.

“
Yes love, it’s me.” Standing up, he pulled her with him and held her close to his chest as she cried.

“
Did I kill her, Rowen, oh God, please tell me I didn’t.” Fern buried her head against his coat and sobbed. The reality that she’d once again been pulled into a spell was more than she could take.

Rowen stood holding Fern as his eyes held Jonathan’s. Jonathan obviously wouldn’t know them. Somehow he was going to have to get them out of this mess. “Please excuse my wife, she’s been afflicted lately. I’m taking her to see the reverend this afternoon. I apologize if she frightened you. We’ll just leave now.” Hoping it would be enough, he turned Fern to leave. But Sarah’s angry voice stopped him.

“
Witch!” Sarah screamed. “Arrest them, Jonathan.” Sarah turned to Jonathan, expecting him to do as she demanded.

“
We are not witches, good sister Nichols, my wife is ill, that is all. We will be leaving Salem Village right away, tonight. There is no need for hysterics.” Rowen saw Jonathan was having doubts. “Please, Jonathan Nichols, let me take my wife home, you can see she is sick.”

Jonathan stared at the sobbing woman; the girl was right, she looked just like his Mary. Pulling his pistol from his jacket, he held it on them. “Ye are under arrest. Hereby accused of witchcraft. I will take ye to the dungeon, there ye will wait until his worship, Judge Hauthorn can see ye and set a time for thy hearing.”

“
Yes, take them to the dungeon. May ye rot in hell, Mary Wilds!” Sarah turned her back as Jonathan escorted them from her house. Finally she would be rid of her husband’s mistress.

Rowen had to practically pry Fern’s arms from around his waist. Whispering in her ear he managed to get her loose. “Come on love, we have no choice, we have to go.”

“
Rowen, they’ll hang us for sure now.” Fern cried as she clung to Rowen’s arm.

“
Not if I have anything to do with it. Right now, let’s just do as Jonathan says. I’ll come up with something, you’ll see.” Rowen held Fern’s hand tightly in his as they made their way out into the street. His insides were churning, would the children throw rocks the same way they did at Mary? But Jonathan didn’t announce they were being accused of witchcraft, and Sarah didn’t follow. They made it to the dungeon without anyone knowing what they were being accused of. In fact, none of the villagers even noticed they were under arrest.

The dungeon door screeched open, reminding Fern of the night she’d already spent here. She was lucky then, the cell she had had a cot. She wondered where they would be forced to stay this time. Some of the cells were only the size of a box no larger than a casket, and one could only stand. She prayed a feverish prayer that they would at least be together. Waking from the trance was, thank God, a blessing. She didn’t know what she would have done if she’d have actually killed Jonathan and Sarah.

Jonathan lit their way with a lantern until they came to an empty cell, opening the door he gestured for them both to go in. There wasn’t a cot, but it did have a pile of straw hay on the dirt floor with some worn out blankets tossed carelessly on top.

“
In here, thou art to stay here until I return to free ye before dawn.” Jonathan locked the door behind him, and then attempted to reassure them with a smile. “I know’est who thou are. My child came to me, and told me to expect two strangers from the future. One who would resemble her dear mother, and one who would protect her with his love.”

Fern walked forward and placed her hands over Jonathan’s where his fingers circled the bars. “Thank you! I would never have killed you; it would not be of my own doing, anyway. It was Elizabeth who caused me to come to you, I’m truly sorry if I hurt you.” She watched him smile again and felt relieved. “When did Rose come to you?”

“
More than once, and in many of my dreams. Now, I must go before we are heard and I am forced to join ye. I will have food brought, and water. It will not be much as it tis not allowed. Be ready for me at dawn.” Jonathan picked up one of her hands and kissed it before turning to leave. “I know’est thou would not have killed me.”

Rowen watched Jonathan leave, and as the light of his lantern disappeared down the narrow tunnel, he reached for Fern, pulling her into his arms.

* * * *

Mary heard the pop from the pistol and jumped up from the cot. She’d been waiting for Jonathan to join her in the woodshed all morning. When she didn’t have time to meet him at the cottage, they would meet here, taking a foolish chance that they would not be discovered.

She was anxious to feel his body as he took her yet again, but today she would be denied. As she watched him escort the man and woman from his house, she could only guess at what must have happened. Until, she heard Sarah’s accusations. Witch, she yelled. It seemed her entire Village was being accused of witchcraft nowadays.

But the woman, there was something about her. Stepping back, she gasped; holding her hand over her mouth she closed the door to the shed and got dressed. What was her mother up to now? If the village only knew her mother was the true witch in their midst, they would stop these senseless hangings.

Why did her mother bring the woman here? She is the only one that could have conjured up someone with such a likeness to herself. And what was she doing at Jonathan’s house? Oh mother, thou hast sent her here to kill Jonathan. The reality that her mother could do such a thing made her ill. Dressing quickly, she threw her cloak over her shoulders and left, oblivious to the dark figure of the woman watching her from the house.

Sarah stepped back from the window as Mary tiptoed past. Her mind was reeling, if Mary was here, in her woodshed, who was the woman that tried to kill her? She had to see the judge; she had to make sure she would be protected from such evil doings. Her child kicked forcefully against her ribs, irritating her. She would be glad to have the child free from her body. Maybe then her lover would come to her again, only then would she be truly happy. Jonathan could have his whore, but she wouldn’t allow her witchcraft to cause her, or her lover’s babe any harm.

* * * *

Fern sat curled next to Rowen on the stack of straw, her head resting on his lap. She’d finally managed to stop crying and now lay watching the moon moving across the night sky, or what she could see of it through the small hole above them. “Rowen!”

“
Yes love.” Rowen brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.

“
Do you think we actually made love last night? I mean, we came back through time, to a date before we made love. So in reality, I should still be a virgin.” She smiled when she felt him laugh.

“
Undoubtedly, we made love. Our bodies may or may not have gone back to the way they were before. But our hearts and our minds remember Fern. I’ll tell you what, when we get out of this mess, I’ll prove it. OK?” He traced her bottom lip with his thumb and sighed when she took the tip into her mouth and kissed it.

“
I don’t doubt it either, Rowen, I’ll never doubt it.” Reaching up, she placed a soft kiss on his lips.

“
Do you remember what else happened last night? Do you remember telling me you love me? I remember everything. But in case you don’t I’ll say it again. I love you. I do Rowen, with all my heart.”

Picking Fern up until she sat in his lap, Rowen kissed her. A deep, penetrating kiss meant to show her how much her feelings were returned. Pulling slowly away, he held her close to his chest. “You hear that, Fern? That’s my heart, telling you how much I love you too.”

They cuddled in each other’s arms, long into the night. The sounds of the other prisoners’ moans of agony sometimes became more than Fern could bear and she would clasp her hands over her ears. Rowen always came to her rescue, pulling her hands away, telling her stories about his childhood, his family and his business. Anything to help them, her, get through this. So when they finally heard the key clang in the lock, Rowen breathed a sigh of relief.

“
Sister Fern? Brother Rowen?” Jonathan found them sitting against the wall with his lantern. “We must hurry, there is little time. Rose told me to take ye to Mary’s house. She said ye would know where to go from there.”

“
Yes, yes we do. We also know the way from here Jonathan, there is no need to escort us.” Rowen pulled Fern to her feet then escorted her through the door. “And, there is no need in putting yourself in any further danger. You are to be a father soon, stay here.”

“
Sarah’s child is not of my blood, I thought you knew this.” Jonathan led them back up the stairs until they were outside. Then he snuffed out the lantern to keep them from being seen.

“
Yes, we know. But we didn’t know you knew. We thought you wouldn’t know for a few more days, until the birth of the child,” Fern replied.

“
Rose told me many things,” Jonathan said. “I am thankful that she told me.”

Fern wanted to ask more but somehow knew it wouldn’t do her any good. Jonathan seemed content to leave it alone. “Well then, thank you for helping us. We’d better run now, I can see the sun starting to come up now.” After hugging him, she turned to Rowen and took his hand. “Good-bye, Jonathan.”

“
Aye, farewell then, and good journey.” Jonathan watched them until they disappeared. He’d have to go home now and face his wife, and demand an answer to the one question little Rose refused to answer for him. Who is the father?

The sun was just piercing the top of Elizabeth’s house by the time Fern and Rowen got there. The soft glow of a candle was burning in the room upstairs, the same room that held the wardrobe. Rowen knew they couldn’t wait any longer. They had to go. “No matter what, we won’t stop, Fern. We’ll run straight up the stairs then through the wardrobe. I don’t trust Elizabeth; even though Mary is safe, she might still try to stop us.”

“
Just don’t let go of my hand Rowen, promise!” Fern was nervous. The thought of having to deal with Elizabeth again made her skin crawl. “I’m ready, let’s get the hell out of here.”

“
That’s my girl, ok, hold on.” Rowen pulled her with him until they made it to the back door. He could feel her hand shaking and knew she was scared. Picking her hand up, he kissed every finger, until he felt her stop shaking. “Better?”

“
You always make me better. Come on, I want to go home.” Fern reached out and turned the knob then let the door swing silently open. The kitchen was dark and quiet. She followed Rowen until they came to the base of the stairs, and then tiptoed with him until they stood facing Mary’s bedroom door. Before she could grasp its handle, the door clicked and opened on its own.

A candle sat in its holder next to Mary’s bed lighting the room in a yellowish glow. They both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the room was empty. Peering across the room, both hearts skipped a beat when they realized the wardrobe was gone.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“
Oh my God Rowen! We’re here for good, aren’t we?” Fern buried her head in Rowen’s chest and tried not to scream.

“
No we aren’t, love. I’ll find that dammed wardrobe and we’ll go home, I promise.” Rowen held her as she cried. What now? Without the wardrobe they couldn’t leave. He would think of a way, somehow. A door slammed down below, causing them both to jump. “Elizabeth is home, Fern. We have to get out of here.”