by Sharon Sant
‘Poll… there ain’t a thing we can do. We were lucky to escape with our lives as it was.’
‘They’ll come here, it’s only a matter of time before they find us.’
‘People have forgotten Ernesto already and so they’ll forget us too. It was only criminals who knew him anyway an’ they won’t care that they ain’t seen him in a while.’
‘What about his fortune? Won’t someone think it strange that he ain’t claimed any all this time?’
‘It’s lyin’ in a bank somewhere, right? So let it lie there. The bank ain’t gonna say anythin’ about it, they like money lying in there.’
‘What about the house?’
‘We was livin’ in it before, and we can live in it now, just the same. No one ever came to call when he was alive and they still won’t come to call. The only difference is that we’ll be masters of it.’ Isaac flashed a grin. ‘Just think on that. We can do whatever we like in there.’
‘Don’t get any funny ideas,’ Polly scowled.
‘I wouldn’t dare,’ Isaac laughed, happy to see her distracted from Ernesto’s papers. ‘But we can come and go when we please, eat when we please, do chores or not as we please…. Maybe…’ his face lit with pleasure at the possibilities opening out, ‘maybe we can even take other nippers in and give them a better life than they got on the streets. We can give them a choice so they don’t have to rely on charity.’
‘Ain’t we got enough here as it is?’
‘We know how to run the house, there’s plenty of room, and if we all work together for chores and money it’d be easy.’
‘You’re mad,’ Polly said, fighting a smile. ‘That would never work.’
‘Admit it, though…’ Isaac said, moving his hands to her waist to pull her close, ‘you want to try it too.’
‘Maybe,’ Polly said, tossing her hair back. ‘Though your ideas usually end up a disaster so don’t say I didn’t warn you.’
Isaac pulled her closer still and leaned his forehead on hers as he looked into her dark eyes. ‘Call me clotpole,’ he whispered.
‘Clotpole.’
‘I love you.’ Isaac planted a tender kiss on her lips.
‘No you don’t.’
‘I do. I’ve always wanted to say it and nearly bein’ killed makes you awful brave about things that you didn’t dare say before.’
‘Don’t get any ideas that I love you back.’
‘You’re a terrible liar,’ he laughed. ‘So…. what’s your answer? You and me, master and mistress of the house…’
‘It’s a terrible plan… but I suppose if every plan was clever life would be boring.’
‘Is that a yes?’
‘Why not? I ain’t got anythin’ else to do.’
Polly smiled up at him and Isaac knew that no matter what she said, she loved him too. This was the girl he was bound to, through thick and thin, and knew now he would always be. They understood each other like no one else did. It seemed their destinies had been entwined since birth.
Charlotte had read what she could of the papers in Ernesto’s study and they had all felt shivers down their spines at the mention of sacrifices that had been planned: the blood of a thousand innocents to be spilt in the Dark Lord’s name. Isaac had joked that if they were to find just one innocent amongst the ragamuffins of Hampshire he would be impressed. But though they shared uneasy laughter, trying to pretend that it wasn’t real, it didn’t change the awful truth. There were evil people abroad doing evil deeds in the name of all that was unholy, and in his heart, Isaac knew that Polly was right. The quiet lives they enjoyed now would not last for long. But with her at his side he could pretend, just for a short while. And when the day came to fight again, he would be that much stronger in her name.
The End
Also by Sharon Sant:
Sky Song (book one of the Sky Song trilogy)
The Young Moon (book two of the Sky Song trilogy)
Not of Our Sky (book three of the Sky Song trilogy)
The Memory Game
Runners
Dead Girl Walking
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sharon Sant was born in Dorset but now lives in Stoke-on-Trent. She graduated from Staffordshire University in 2009 with a degree in English and creative writing and is now pretending to research a PhD in literary studies. She currently works part time as a freelance editor and continues to write her own stories. She is an avid reader with eclectic tastes across many genres, and when not busy trying in vain to be a domestic goddess, can often be found lurking in local coffee shops with her head in a book. To find out more you can follow her on twitter: @sharonsant or find her on facebook: you can also go to her website: www.sharonsant.com
If you would like to be added to Sharon’s mailing list and receive emails with the latest news of releases and events, you can sign up here.
There’ll be no spam ever – promise!
Storm Child © Sharon Sant
E-edition published worldwide 2016
Kindle edition copyright Sharon Sant
All characters and events featured in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are entirely fictitious and any resemblance to any person, organisation, place or thing, living or dead, or event or place, is purely coincidental and completely unintentional.
