Page 51 of The Lovers (Echoes from the Past #1)

THIRTY-SEVEN

London, England

Elise cried bitterly as Janet’s body was carried from the house wrapped in a linen shroud.

Two grooms had donned leather gloves and tied kerchiefs over their noses and mouths, fearful of contracting the disease from coming into contact with the corpse.

Janet had died peacefully, just slipping away in her sleep after days of fevered lucidity in which she kept crying out for her mother and begging God to help her.

Lucy didn’t appear to be infected but had to be kept in isolation for a period of forty days.

And now they had no choice but to alert the authorities.

A red cross would be painted on the door and an armed guard would be stationed outside to keep nobles and servants alike from leaving the premises.

Elise curled into a ball and rested her forehead against her knees.

The position wasn’t comfortable, and she was acutely aware of her small belly.

The babe inside had begun moving during the past week.

The movements were strange, almost like a fish on a hook thrashing in panic.

They startled Elise and then stopped just when she got accustomed to them and longed to feel more.

Elise put her hand on her belly, willing the child to move, but all was still.

It’s as if her baby felt her despair and tried to keep as still as possible to protect itself.

A knock sounded on her bedroom door, and Elise roused herself and wiped angrily at her eyes. The servants needed her to be strong, not come apart like a child. “Come,” she called out .

Peg came into the room timidly. She was in her early twenties, with abundant fair hair and huge blue eyes that missed little.

She was ethereally beautiful, but Elise suspected that she wasn’t quite as innocent as she appeared.

Peg was aware of her beauty and used it to her advantage, not that Elise could blame her.

She’d learned a thing or two over the past few months, and perhaps being possessed of a little cunning wasn’t such a bad thing for a woman.

“What is it, Peg?” Elise asked warily.

Peg lowered her eyes as she spoke, her voice reedy and frightened.

“I can’t hear you,” Elise said irritably.

“It’s Judd, me lady. He’s taken ill. The other grooms have taken him up to the loft above the stables.”

“Oh, dear God,” Elise whispered. “Not another one.”

“I’m ’fraid so.”

“Is it the plague?” Elise asked, already knowing the answer. What were the chances of a man simply getting ill when the Black Death was raging all about them?

“Aye, me lady.”

Elise nodded. “Thank you for telling me. Make sure he has food and drink and that someone keeps an eye on him should he need anything.”

“Aye, ma’am.” Peg turned to leave, but not before Elise saw the terror in her eyes. “Are they coming to shut us in, me lady?”

“I’m afraid so, Peg.” A desperate sob tore from Peg’s chest as she fled the room, leaving Elise shaking with fear.

She began to pace the room, taking deep breaths in an effort to calm down.

She had just about mastered herself, when there was a loud banging on the front door, the thudding reverberating through the house.

Had they come so quickly? Janet had died only that morning.

Elise took a shuddering breath and headed downstairs.

She was the mistress of the house and needed to take responsibility for the people who relied on her.

Peg was already at the door, her face contorted with fear as she pulled it open, half expecting to see soldiers.

A man stood on the threshold. His hat was pulled down low and the bottom part of his face was covered with a kerchief.

He looked dusty and travel-stained, and his leather-clad hand seemed to hover near the hilt of his sword.

He wasn’t there to shut them in, but perhaps he was bent on thievery.

“What do you want here, sir?” Elise spoke loudly. “There’s plague in this house, so if you value your life, you’d better be on your way.”

The man pulled off the kerchief impatiently, revealing himself to be James. “Aye, I know there’s plague. Get your things together. We are leaving. Hurry, we don’t have much time. They’ll be here within the hour, and then it will be too late.”

Elise nearly threw herself into his arms, but she had to preserve a sense of decorum.

To the rest of the household, James was just another servant, a man who had no business telling the lady of the house what to do.

Peg gaped at James for a moment, but she quickly got her bearings and whirled around to face Elise, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Oh, please, can I come with ye?” Peg pleaded. “I ain’t sick. Not yet. And ye’ll need a lady’s maid to look after ye. Oh, please, me lady.”

Elise would have preferred to take Lucy, but to break Lucy’s quarantine was too risky. She showed no symptoms yet, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t on the verge of falling ill. “All right, Peg. Get your things and pack for Lady Barbara. ”

“James, how did you know?” Elise asked as she threw together a few items of clothing, a pair of sturdy shoes, stockings, and several small pieces of jewelry.

She didn’t have any money, but the jewelry could always be traded for goods, should the need arise.

Elise took her mother’s brooch from her jewelry box and pinned it to her bodice.

She would never part with it, not even if she were starving.

It was the only thing she had left—the only thing that meant anything.

“I didn’t know. I heard of the terrible outbreak in London and waited for Lord Asher to bring you to Suffolk.

I thought it was only a matter of time before he realized that he had to get you out of the city, but you never came, and I began to fear for your life.

I saw them carrying out a body as I came up the street.

Hurry, Elise. We need to go now,” he added urgently. “They are coming.”

“I know,” Elise cried. She grabbed her cloak and thrust the valise into James’s hands. “I must say goodbye to Lucy.”

Elise ran up the stairs to the top floor and called out to Lucy, who opened the door just a crack.

“Lucy, I’m leaving with Master James. I thank you for what you’ve done for Janet, and I hope that you will be here when I return. I will pray for you every day.”

“Thank ye, mistress,” Lucy said, her voice trembling with misery. “It’ll be a miracle if I’m still here, but I appreciate yer prayers on me behalf. Go with God!”

There was so much Elise wanted to say to the girl, but there were others within earshot, so she couldn’t do more than nod and retrace her steps.

Lucy had been her only friend during these lonely months, and she was leaving her to die while she ran toward freedom.

Elise felt a stab of guilt, but there was nothing she could do.

Even if she tried to take Lucy with her, James would not allow it.

He balked at the notion of taking Peg, but Elise convinced him that she’d need a maid.

Elise prayed that she hadn’t made the wrong decision in bringing Peg.

She could already be infected, but then again, so could she.

They could all already be one foot in the grave, including James, who’d just traveled through London on horseback.

Elise snuck a peek at James. He looked tired, having just ridden through the night, but there was a vitality in him that gave her a small surge of hope.

He was vibrating with determination and purpose, and she suddenly believed that not all was lost. He’d get her to safety, her and their child.

The thought lit a warm glow in her belly, and the babe suddenly kicked, making her gasp with surprise as her hand flew to her stomach.

James spun on his heel at the sound but was reassured by the smile on her face.

“So, it’s quickened, then?” he asked, not expecting an answer. He held out a tentative hand toward her belly but instantly drew it back, aware of Peg’s curious stare.

“Come now, my lady,” James said instead. “There’s no time to waste.”

“Go with James?” Barbara asked as she took James by the hand and smiled up into his face. She didn’t seem to fully understand what was happening but didn’t appear to be put off by leaving with James. She seemed to trust him wholeheartedly.

“Yes, my lady. You are to come with us. You will be all right,” he assured her with a patient smile.

“All right,” Barbara repeated, still smiling.