by Kari Edgren
The blood drained from my face. Fortunately I hadn’t eaten anything or it would have come back up onto my lap.
“My goodness!” Nora cried. “You look like a ghost has crossed your shadow. What’s wrong?”
“This is not some game meant for your amusement. Nathan could really hurt someone.”
“No one is going to believe him,” Nora protested. “He’s the only one making accusations. There would have to be a witness or something.”
“And then would you believe him?”
Nora looked discomfited. “I guess it would lend some credibility to his vision,” she said. “But, there’s no such thing as witches. Just because Nathan drank some bad wine before bedtime and suffered a nightmare doesn’t mean anyone is going to step forward and risk their own reputations to support him.”
“What if they did?”
“They won’t,” she persisted. “Well, unless it’s Phoebe, and then the whole town would have to testify, wouldn’t they?”
I wanted to laugh, but couldn’t. In three days my life would be ruined.
“Don’t worry, Selah. Nathan will make his grand announcement with enough drama to get the town into a proper uproar. Then the constable will conduct an official investigation. When nothing can be proven, the whole witch thing will subside, and we’ll all return to our boring lives.”
It would never be so easy—Nathan would not allow it. “This is not going to end well. Once people get stirred up, there’s no telling what will happen.”
“In my opinion, the only one at risk is Nathan Crowley. Have you seen him lately? The man’s been walking around for the past two weeks gaunt as a scarecrow, muttering to himself. If anyone’s possessed by a devil, it’s surely him.”
“Who’s possessed by a devil?” Henry asked from the doorway.
I silently cursed myself for not closing the door behind Nora. I sat completely still and stared at the floor as he came to stand before me. He hadn’t even asked permission to enter, likely because he already knew what my answer would have been.
“Good day, Nora Goodwin,” he said, giving her a polite bow.
“Good day, Henry Kilbrid. And if you had attended meeting you would not have to ask,” she said crisply.
“I chose to commune with God from a nice hilltop this morning,” he replied.
Nora smiled at his frankness. “I spoke of Nathan Crowley. At meeting he claimed we had a witch living in Hopewell whom he intends to name in three days. I was only reassuring Selah that this would be impossible since there is no such thing as witches and that if anyone is currently in possession of a demon, it is surely Nathan.”
I struggled to keep my breath steady. Now I would learn whether Henry intended to condemn or support me. From the corner of my eye, I caught a small movement, and then felt his hand firmly on my shoulder.
“I agree entirely,” he said. “But it won’t be easy for the woman who’s charged.”
My mind began to race, trying to figure out what he agreed with—that there were no such things as witches, or that Nathan Crowley was possessed. Or maybe he had meant them both.
“Do you have any idea who it could be?” Henry asked. I was really quite impressed at how well he could feign ignorance.
“Not the slightest,” Nora sighed.
“Supposing Nathan isn’t in his right mind, it could be just about anyone,” Henry said.
“Oh, what if it’s me?” Nora asked excitedly, giving us her best devious smile. “Will you still let me come to your party at the Oswalds’? I may even be tempted to dance if Nathan already thinks me a wicked woman.”
With everything going on, I had failed to remember the ball that Martha Oswald had planned for Henry and me this Saturday night.
“All the more reason to have you there,” Henry laughed. “And I would make sure to request your favor for several dances.”
Listening to their good-natured banter helped to lessen the panic in my chest. In its stead, a strange sensation developed—an awareness of becoming detached from myself, as though all this talk had been about someone else. “Are Anne and Gideon coming over to discuss Nathan’s vision?” I asked.
“I almost forgot,” Nora said, stealing a quick look out the window. “Last night they shared evening meal at our home. I heard them telling my parents later that they were coming to Brighmor today to speak with you and Henry about...” Her voice trailed off, leaving us hanging in suspense.
I looked at her imploringly, but she purposefully ignored me as she decided how best to continue. “They want to make sure that you and Henry are properly situated in your domestic life, and to answer any questions you may have about the propagation of our species.”
Henry started laughing. “Oh, this should be most entertaining, to receive instruction from Gideon Boyle.”
Nora stole another peek out the window, a slight blush in her cheeks. “Oh, dear!” she exclaimed. “I see them on the road, and it looks like they’ve brought old man Sweeney along.” She rushed over to give me a peck on the cheek. “I’ll just go out the servants’ door, and across the Dowlings’ property if you don’t mind.” She shot Henry a quick look. “Good luck,” she said, with a sympathetic smile, and dashed out.
As soon as we were alone, Henry moved forward, kneeling in front of my chair. “Do you want me to speak with Nathan tonight?” he asked, all humor gone from his voice. “I have no qualms with killing the man if he persists in threatening you.”
In a letter to my father the real Samuel Kilbrid had sworn an oath to protect me at all cost, but I had never expected a similar level of devotion from Henry. Then I recalled our trip from Philadelphia and how he had already killed several men on my behalf. Studying his face, I saw he would do it again, would challenge Nathan this very night if I asked.
Though his offer was certainly tempting, there had to be another way to get through this. “We can’t,” I said. “It wouldn’t be right. All I can do is wait and see how people respond at the meeting. Maybe Nora’s right, and no one will take him seriously. She doesn’t think a vision is enough, and he’ll need a witness to really charge me.” I stiffened, caught unaware by my own words. The only credible witness was kneeling in front of me at the moment, carefully watching my face. I looked down at my hands, afraid of what he might find.
“Why did you run away last night?” he asked, his voice turning quiet.
It had been easier to ignore him when there was a door between us. Having nothing to say, I started to fidget with my wedding band. Henry took my hands between his own to get my attention.
“Don’t ignore me, Selah. You may have noticed by my sitting outside your room for three hours last night that I’ve wanted to speak with you. I need to know—”
I looked up to meet his eyes. “I’m not a witch, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I never thought you were,” he said calmly.
“You accused me of using a spell to bewitch you!”
“There’s no denying something happened in the woods last night, but that doesn’t make you a witch.”
“You think I’m evil!” I pushed him further, wanting to learn exactly where he stood.
“Stop telling me what I think. I admit it was a poor choice of words.”
We stared at each other for a minute before I could speak again. “You really don’t think I’m a witch?”
“No, I don’t,” he said. During our exchange he had tightened his grasp around my hands. “You’re not a witch and you’re not evil, but that still leaves a whole lot that you could be. Tell me what happened last night. Tell me what you did.”
“Please don’t, Henry,” I pleaded. My mind would burst if I had to think about one more thing right now. It would have been so much easier to just tell him the truth, but he would never believe me.
“When ar
e we going to talk about it?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Why must you keep pushing me away?” He lifted up one of my hands and pressed it to his lips. “I need to know what you did. I’ve never felt anything like that before.”
There was a loud knock on the front door, and I pulled my hand away, tucking it safely beneath my gown. “I don’t think the servants are back from church yet. We may need to let them in.”
He stared at me, his eyes darker green than usual. “Very well.” He stood and helped me to my feet. “But this does not mean the matter is settled between us.”
I nodded. At best, I had bought some more time to invent an explanation.
“And what do you propose we say to our guests?” he asked, his smile returning.
There wasn’t much we could say. “Just smile and nod,” I told him and led the way down the stairs.
* * *
We sat in awkward silence, Henry and me on one sofa with Anne and Gideon straight across on the other. Edgar had taken a seat in an armchair to my left, from which he watched me like a concerned grandfather.
“You were missed at meeting this morning, Selah” he said. “Are you unwell?”
Anne and Gideon looked at me expectantly. Considering the reason for their visit, my health seemed a good place to start.
“I’m feeling fine, thank you. I just slept poorly is all.”
“Ah yes,” Edgar said. “The Kilbrid women have always benefited from a strong constitution, especially your grandmother from what I remember.”
“Rightly so,” Gideon agreed. “She would tend the sick without catching so much as the sniffles.”
Edgar laughed good-naturedly. “And lucky for us, I say, to have a healer who isn’t constantly tucked in bed with a hot brick at her feet.”
Mary brought in a large tray, temporarily suspending all talk of the Kilbrid constitution. She served each person and then excused herself from the room, leaving us silently sipping our tea.
“My dear,” Anne said, turning to her husband. “It is a beautiful day. Why don’t you and Edgar go for a walk with Henry? He can show you the new foal I heard was born this spring.” In one broad stroke, she had effectively excused the men and introduced the pending topic of conversation.
“That’s a splendid idea,” Gideon said, coming to his feet rather quickly for a man of his girth. “Come men, a walk will do us good.”
Thus summoned, Edgar also stood, eager to be off. Henry leaned over to whisper in my ear first. “Take careful notes,” he said. “You can tell me later what you’ve learned.”
I smiled, though the blood rushed into my checks. Only propriety—and three witnesses—stopped me from kicking him when he walked by.
Anne waited just until the front door closed. “I assume by how quickly Nora left the meetinghouse that you’ve already learned of Nathan’s vision.”
“Yes,” I admitted.
“Did she also tell you the reason for my visit this afternoon?”
I nodded in reply, hoping my confession wouldn’t later come down on Nora’s head.
Anne took a deep breath. “Being so young, you might not have noticed how strange Nathan’s behavior has become since you and Henry married. For myself, I have found it most alarming, especially this past week when it significantly worsened. I have become so concerned that I even took him aside to inquire about his health.” She paused a moment to take a sip of tea. “I knew he was greatly disappointed that you did not accept his offer of marriage, but after speaking with him, I believe his previous hopes have turned into an obsession.”
I sat quietly. Already familiar with the story, there was no reason to interrupt or ask for clarification.
“He spoke at length of your skill for healing, hinting that there could be unnatural powers involved,” she went on. “He also said that your marriage to Henry might not be legal. When I pressed him for particulars, he said that steps had already been taken to rectify the situation.”
The room had grown uncomfortably warm. “What does he mean by rectifying the situation?” I asked, doing my best to stay calm.
“He refused to give any more details, but my guess is that he might try to have the marriage annulled on grounds of coercion and non-consummation.”
My stomach lurched suddenly. “Can he do this?”
“He would have to persuade the magistrates that the marriage was performed under duress, that Henry was somehow tricked or forced into it.”
The truth stuck in my throat. “Henry married me of his own accord,” I said weakly. A bit of persuasion had been required at the time, but it wasn’t like he’d been held at gunpoint. “My father arranged for our union before he died. I have the letters to prove it.”
“That is precisely why I haven’t spoken to you yet. I thought Nathan’s efforts would come to naught, and I saw no reason why you and Henry needed to consummate your marriage so quickly. Last night while supping at the Goodwins’, I only consented to come over today to stop Martha Oswald from making a similar visit.” Anne paused to let her words sink in, though her eyes never left my face. “But everything changed this morning when Nathan claimed a vision of evil. Assuming that you are the woman he names, the argument could be made that witchcraft was used to beguile Henry into marriage.”
“It’s a lie!” I cried, rising up from the sofa. “You can’t possibly believe I’m a witch.” Without Anne Boyle for an ally I might as well pack my trunk and leave Hopewell tonight.
“Gracious heaven! Do you think I would be sitting here in your drawing room trying to warn you if I did?” she asked impatiently.
Realizing my mistake, I sat back down and apologized for my behavior. “It will be my word against his once he accuses me. How can I convince the magistrates, or anyone else, to believe me over a minister?”
Anne’s gaze did not falter. “Let Henry sleep in your room. Let him have his conjugal rights.”
I shook my head involuntarily. “I can’t.”
“Of course you can. The man is your husband. You need to consummate the marriage eventually. Why not let it be tonight?”
If I had known what awaited me today, I would have been tempted to just stay in the Otherworld, or at least locked in my room. “How can this possibly help?”
“It will send a message to Nathan and all of Hopewell that your marriage is fully legal. I understand you have only known each other for a month, and many of the older women have privately commended your virtue and desire to proceed slowly. But there are some people who may grow suspicious the longer you continue to sleep apart. In three days when Nathan names you as the witch, your virtue may be misconstrued as Henry’s refusal to share a bed with his wife.”
I leaned back into the sofa, wondering just how Henry and I were going to get out of this one. Not that I hadn’t entertained the idea of what it would be like to lie with him, but I couldn’t even kiss him without Brigid’s fire boiling over. And then there was the little part about us not really being married...
“You have delivered enough babies to know how nature works,” Anne said, interrupting my thoughts. “And I’ll not insult you by offering unneeded advice. Suffice it to say, it is of the utmost importance to remove any doubt that your marriage is valid.”
I nodded. The front door opened, signifying the men had returned.
Anne stood and came over to me. “I’m sorry it has to be this way.” She left to meet Gideon and Edgar in the entryway.
Henry came in alone and sat down next to me. “That was...educational,” he said, sounding a bit dazed.
Mary had come in to gather up the tea things. “Let’s not talk here,” I said.
We went silently up the stairs to my room where Henry closed the door behind us. I immediately walked over to the chair and plunked down, not caring a bit how unlady
like I surely looked. The only other chair was at the dressing table, so Henry carried it over and placed it directly in front of me, close enough that our knees touched when he sat. “How was it for you?” he asked. “Did you learn anything new?”
My anxiety bubbled to the surface. “Anne knows that Nathan is going to name me on Wednesday. He also told her that our marriage was illegal since I most likely forced you into it and because it has yet to be consummated. He claimed to be taking steps to have it annulled.”
“Does Anne know what he meant by this?”
“Not exactly, and when she pressed him, he wouldn’t tell her anything more.”
Henry leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. He was frowning and a small muscle twitched in his jaw. “It appears the main purpose of her visit was to warn you. And by doing so, she has shown her intention to take your side. Did she say anything else?”
“She gave me some advice,” I started meekly, letting my eyes fall to my lap. “Once Nathan makes the announcement, Anne believes our continued celibacy could be misunderstood as your refusal to have me, effectively strengthening Nathan’s case that I’m a witch. To avoid this, she suggested we start living as husband and wife this very night.”
“Ah,” Henry said. “And what do you think of her advice?”
“I think we can’t.” I looked back up at him. “That it would be improper.”
He stared at me, his expression unreadable. “Anne’s right, though. We need to start living as married folks are meant to.”
“But we’re not really married,” I protested.
“I didn’t say we would lie together. I just said we would begin sharing a room. That should be enough to settle any questions about our marital relations.”
The idea of sleeping in the same quarters was truly shocking, practically on par to committing fornication, except without the fornication part. I glanced around the room as if seeing it for the first time. “There’s only one bed,” I said, sounding somewhat astonished by my discovery. It was a large bed, though, perfectly capable of holding us both.
