Ivy looked at her guardedly. “So they both know about Megan’s identity?”
“Oh, yes. Her secret is out.”
Nicholas shifted a perplexed gaze between Ivy and Castella. “Plan? What are you two talking about? What plan?”
“Water’s ready,” Castella said, sighing as she lifted the heavy metal teapot with a small towel wrapped around its handle. “Ivy, can you get five cups ready on a tray so we can serve in the other room?”
“Who has a plan?” Nicholas asked as Ivy and Castella bustled about the room to ready the tea. “Is this about protecting Megan?”
“Of course, dear. And you and Leo have done a fine job so far,” Castella explained as she poured the water. “But Ivy and I have been plotting ever since we realized that something rotten was afoot with those men fishing on the bridge. We’ll tell you all about it when you join us in the sitting room,” she replied with a grandmotherly sort of smile. “More biscuits with your tea?”
They gathered in the room just off the kitchen. After making a round of introductions, Castella had her guests quickly bring her housekeeper up to date on their adventures along the road and at the Plum Orchard Inn. Megan even told Ivy about the attempted kidnapping by her nursemaid nearly twenty years ago. Ivy quietly sipped her tea as she listened. Thick velvety drapes covered the windows to keep out the encroaching darkness. A small fireplace and several candles scattered about the room cast a gentle glow upon their faces. When Nicholas finished telling the remainder of the story, bringing Ivy up to the point when they knocked on the front door, Castella smiled and nodded, setting her teacup down on a small wooden stand beside her chair.
“Good. Now that we all know what’s happened, we have to prepare for what’s to come,” she calmly said as she glanced at her great niece. “Megan, you have to leave.”
“But I just got here!”
Castella smiled. “I don’t intend for you to leave this instant, dear, nor am I going to send you off to Morrenwood tomorrow. This departure I have planned is just a short term measure to protect you while you’re in Boros.”
Leo sat next to Megan and instinctively placed his hand upon hers. “Where do you want to send her?”
“I’m sending her nowhere,” Castella said as Ivy walked to the front door. She removed Megan’s cloak from one of the wooden pegs on the wall. “You and Nicholas will be taking her somewhere.”
“We will?” Nicholas asked with an uneasy edge to his voice. “Where?”
Ivy held up the long dark blue cloak and glanced at Megan. “May I?”
“Certainly,” she replied, not sure what Ivy had in mind.
Ivy slipped Megan’s cloak upon her shoulders and draped the hood over her head, spinning playfully around as everybody watched with a mixture of wonderment and curiosity. “This will do just fine. Just fine indeed,” she said as she removed the hood, revealing a soft yet confident smile. “And you’ll be leaving midmorning tomorrow.”
Everyone spent a restless night under Aunt Castella’s roof, unable to sleep in the first hours of darkness and then plagued by bouts of fitful dreams before the first gray light of dawn arrived. Nicholas and Leo each insisted on sleeping in a chair, one by the front entrance and the other near the back kitchen door, just as a precaution. Megan told Leo that all the fuss was an overreaction, though she was touched by his gallantry. Ivy was also charmed with Nicholas’ protective stance and told him as much shortly after she found him sound asleep in the kitchen early the following morning, his head tilted sideways against the back door with a few blankets draped over him. She gently nudged him awake, greeting him with a smile.
“The sun will be up soon,” she whispered in the morning chill. “I’ll get a fire going and fix a light breakfast. Then I have to leave.”
Nicholas sat up straight, massaging the aches out of his sore neck. “Where are you going at this hour, Ivy?” He tried to fight off the remnants of sleep still tugging at the edges of his mind as he ran a hand through his tangled mop of hair.
“Did you forget our plan already? I’ll leave for the market as I usually do most mornings when I’m here. Later, you, Megan and Leo will meet me at my uncle’s candle shop near the shore.” She added a few pieces of kindling and dry straw to the fireplace. “Do you remember the directions?”
Nicholas nodded as he tossed off the blankets and knelt next to Ivy on the hearth, grabbing two fire stones by the wood pile. “I shouldn’t have let it burn out during the night, but I guess I needed sleep.” He sharply hit one stone across the top of the other as he held them near the straw until a series of sparks erupted, quickly igniting the fuel. Soon the kindling burned and crackled and he slowly added larger pieces of wood to the flames.
“After hearing those stories about your travels, I probably shouldn’t have wakened you so soon,” Ivy said, staring at Nicholas as the orange and yellow glow of firelight reflected off his face.
“I don’t mind. It’s kind of nice being up this early when it’s so quiet,” he replied as he gazed into the fire. “A bit of calm before the hectic day ahead.”
“Not too hectic, I hope,” she said as they both stood up. A moment later Ivy handed him an empty tea kettle. “Now take this outside and fill it from the water barrel while I slice some bread. We can enjoy a few quiet moments and some cinnamon tea before the others awake, if you have no objection.”
Nicholas smiled as he lightly drummed his fingers against the metal container. “That’s worth losing a bit of sleep over,” he said as he headed out the back door, eager to get to know Ivy a little better.
A while later after everyone was awake, Ivy left Aunt Castella’s house and ventured into the silent streets. The sun was peeking over the eastern shoreline as the nearly full Fox Moon prepared to hide below the western horizon. Several hours afterward, the call of seagulls and the clatter of horse-drawn carts filled the crowded dirt and cobblestone roads of Boros, now fully awake to another day. Aunt Castella said goodbye to her great niece outside the front door. Megan wrapped herself in her cloak, and as Ivy had requested, she draped the hood over her head. Nicholas and Leo stood on either side, determined to protect Megan as they leisurely walked to the candle shop according to Ivy’s instructions.
“I’ll expect you back before afternoon,” Castella said. “Hot soup will be waiting.”
“See you then,” Megan replied with a wave before locking her arm around Leo’s.
Aunt Castella leaned against the open door for support as she watched the trio saunter down the sun-drenched road as if they hadn’t a care in the world. “Oh, I truly hope so,” she whispered to herself, glancing warily at the wooden bridge in the distance, though seeing neither of the two fishermen from the previous evening. “I truly hope so.”
CHAPTER 17
The Switch
Nicholas, Megan and Leo wandered through the cool sunny streets for nearly two hours, stopping occasionally to peer through the window of a local bakery or examine the fresh silvery offerings at a fish market. A brief stroll along one of the wooden piers was also in order. Several boats had drifted out as the rising sun sparkled brilliantly off a line of waves lapping gently onto shore. Farther inland along a short stretch of sand, fishermen were busy with repairs to their boats and netting while others warmed themselves around a bonfire near wooden fishing huts that dotted the shoreline, enjoying a break with hot tea or cider. They knew days like this would be fewer and fewer as an icy winter drew near, silently preparing for the dark and lonely times ahead.
“As much as I enjoy this tour of Boros, I think we should go to the candle shop now,” Megan said. “My feet are hurting.”
Nicholas nodded. “I guess we’ve made our presence known to anyone who might be watching us.”
“Okay,” Leo said, gently tightening his arm around Megan’s. “But a part of me is still uncomfortable with this plan. I feel as if…”
She sensed his concern. “What’s the matter, Leo?”
“I feel as if we’re abandoning yo
u, Meg. I don’t like it.”
She turned and looked into his eyes, her smile instantly putting him at ease. “Don’t worry,” she said. “This is not the last time you’ll see me. I promise.”
Leo smiled as a cool wind cut through the air. “A princess would never break a promise to one of her subjects, would she?”
“Not this particular one.”
Nicholas cleared his throat to get their attention, signaling for them to follow him. “I think the candle shop is along the next lane.”
“Lead the way,” Megan said, taking Leo’s hand. “Let’s get this silly scheme underway.”
The streets grew narrower in this section of town and some of the roads still hadn’t been paved with cobblestone. Many of the stone and wood shops, whitewashed earlier in the spring, sported a dull sheen after enduring months of mischievous breezes laced with a salty sea spray. The fourth building down the next street was a candle shop. The low stone structure, wedged between a potter’s store on the left and a tailor shop on the right, contained two windows with brown shutters and a single stone step leading to a narrow wooden door. As Nicholas opened the door for his friends, several strings of tiny sea shells attached on the inside gently resonated and announced their presence. Megan removed her hood, happy to be inside where it was warmer. Two other customers quietly examined the merchandise.
A man of about fifty with a mop of black hair matted down on his head looked up from the back of the room, his gray shirt splattered with bits of dried wax. “Ah,” he said with a smile, raising a finger. “With you in a moment. Just stringing up some wicks for my wife to start dipping.” He softly called over his shoulder. “Nell, we have visitors.”
A moment later a rosy-cheeked woman peeked out through a curtained doorway, her dark hair tied up with a blue and white striped kerchief. She approached the trio, smiling. “Good morning. Here to check on that special order?” she asked cheerfully as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her apron.
“Uh, yes,” Leo said hesitantly. “Is it ready?”
“Nearly. Follow me.” Nell glanced at her husband. “Aubrey, we’ll be in the back. Keep an eye out here.”
“Always do, my dear,” he replied, slicing up chunks of beeswax for melting as his wife and the three visitors disappeared behind the curtain.
The back room was almost twice the size of the front, lined with shelves stuffed with wooden boxes of wax blocks, wick rolls and dye powders. A single window allowed in the early noontime light that splashed across several work tables. Nicholas’ heart leapt when he saw Ivy standing near the window, the sun’s glow gently highlighting her soft fair skin. When she smiled, he couldn’t conceal a boyish grin.
“Well, fellow conspirators, so far, so good,” Ivy quietly said, quickly introducing everyone to her Aunt Nell. “Uncle Aubrey will keep watch for us out front.”
“Ivy already explained everything to us,” Nell said, offering a slight curtsey to Megan. “Pleased to meet you. Though forgive me for not using your proper title.” She glanced at the doorway and whispered. “Never know who might be listening.”
Megan blushed, slightly embarrassed. “Thank you for your kindness and assistance, Nell. But please, think of me only as another customer. No need to treat me differently from anybody else who walks into your shop.”
“Oh, I could never do that!” she said, nervously fidgeting her fingers.
“Leo and I will give you some lessons,” Nicholas joked, approaching Ivy.
“I’m sure you boys would,” Megan replied, glancing at Leo as if expecting a wisecrack in response.
“I’m not saying a word,” he replied. “Not a single word.”
“Wise policy,” she said lightly. Megan then addressed Ivy with a mix of anxiety and appreciation for what she was about to do. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? Part of me thinks we’re making a big fuss over nothing.”
“I’m happy to do it,” she said.
“We must, dear,” Nell added, shaking her head. “After what Ivy told me, I’m convinced beyond a doubt that you need our protection. Our family will be honored to be in your service.”
Nell indicated to Megan that she should remove her cloak. Megan reluctantly did so, handing it to Ivy to again try on as she had done in the sitting room the night before. Ivy draped the heavy, dark blue material over her shoulders, set the hood upon her light brown hair and wrapped the folds about her.
“No one will be the wiser,” Ivy playfully whispered. “And we’re nearly the same height, too, Meg. If any individuals are keeping an eye on your movements though the village, they’ll have no reason to doubt that it is you walking back to Castella’s house. Use mine until I can get this back to you,” she said, pointing to a light brown cloak hanging on a wall peg near the doorway. She flipped the hood off her head and smiled. “This plan will be flawless.”
“Rest assured, I won’t take my eyes off of you for a moment,” Nicholas said, feeling overly protective of Ivy.
“And what about Meg?” Leo asked. Uneasiness crept over him when he realized that he would have to leave her alone.
“She’ll stay here with us until nightfall,” Nell explained. “Then Aubrey and I will take her home when we close up shop. You needn’t worry, Leo. Megan will be safe. In a day or two we can arrange transportation to get her out of Boros under the cover of darkness and back home where she belongs.”
“It sounds like a good plan,” he said, still not fully convinced. He hated having Megan out of his sight and hoped she felt the same way about him.
Ivy noted the worry etched upon his face. “She will be safe, Leo. Trust us.”
“Maybe we’re overlooking the obvious,” Nicholas jumped in, hoping to put Leo and Megan at ease. “We don’t need to arrange other transportation. If Leo and I depart from Aunt Castella’s in the morning and leave Boros, then whoever is chasing after Meg will believe she has remained here.” He glanced at Nell. “If your husband will take her to the next village east of here during the night, we can pick her up there tomorrow.”
“Laurel Corners,” Ivy said. “My folks live there. Megan could stay with them until you arrive.”
“We’ll take you back to my parents’ home from there,” Leo confidently told her. “You can remain there until we figure out how to get you back to Morrenwood.”
Megan sighed. “I’m starting to feel like a piece of luggage again.”
“But a well-protected piece of luggage,” Nicholas joked.
A short time later, after Leo said goodbye to Megan in private, he returned to the front room where Nicholas and Ivy awaited. He appeared sad and distant, wondering if Megan could ever truly be a part of his life.
Suddenly Megan peeked through the curtain, signaling for Ivy. She hurried into the back room, wondering what Megan could want. Nicholas and Leo patiently waited until Ivy returned a few moments later, finally ready to leave.
“What was that all about?” Nicholas asked.
“She forgot to tell me something,” Ivy whispered while adjusting her cloak. “Best not to talk about it here. Ready?”
Leo thanked Nell and Aubrey for all of their help and was assured that Megan would be waiting for them in Laurel Corners the following morning. After Ivy donned the cloak hood once again, she, Nicholas and Leo stepped out of the candle shop into the cool afternoon, prepared to visit more stores along the lane in order to cement their illusion into the minds of any who might be watching.
A couple hours later, after they had enjoyed some shopping and a supper of stew and bread in an out-of-the-way establishment, Ivy decided it was time to return home. They stepped outside into the approaching twilight. “Castella will be more than worried by now. And if anyone was spying on us from a distance, I’m sure they’re convinced it is Megan who is still walking with you two boys. My face and hair are well concealed in the folds of this hood.”
“Both of which are too pretty to be hidden,” Nicholas said as he awkwardly fished out a small wrapped package ins
ide his coat. He handed it to Ivy.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“A little something I picked up in one of the shops while you weren’t looking,” he said. “Consider it a thank you gift for all the help you’ve given us.”
“That’s not necessary.” She untied the string around the white cloth wrapping, revealing a small gauzy scarf tinted with the colors of autumn. “Oh, how lovely, Nicholas! Thank you.”
“I wanted you to have it.”
Ivy smiled. “I’ll think about you every time I use it to tie up my hair.”
“Or when you wipe away a dab of dirt on your cheek from bringing in the firewood,” he playfully suggested.
“Very funny.”
Nicholas took her arm in his as the gray shadows deepened. Orange sunlight splashed the cobblestone road and the sides of a string of tired shops. Lighted candles had been placed in several windows of nearby homes, and a few outdoor oil lamps along some of the wider streets were being lit. Above the gentle waves washing upon the shore of Sage Bay, seagulls cried in their restless flight.
After several minutes had passed, Nicholas couldn’t help but notice the uneasy silence that had gripped Leo since they left the candle shop. Ivy observed his anxious state as well and tenderly squeezed his hand. “She’ll be safe, Leo. Uncle Aubrey will not let Megan out of his sight.”
Leo tried to smile as they turned a corner down a quiet lane dotted with a few trees and some low shrubbery. “My mind tells me that that’s true,” he said as some people passed them by in the opposite direction. Shadows thickened as the sound of horse hooves echoed in the distance. “But my heart is having a more difficult time accepting it.”
“You only have to get through this one night,” Nicholas said.
Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web (The Complete Epic Fantasy) Page 26
