Through the Looking Glass (21 page)

Defiantly, she replied curtly, “Yes!”

He watched her as he studied her. She had no way of knowing what was going through his mind but it was obvious he wasn’t going to believe a word she said.

“I brought you into my home with the intentions of dumping you in the dungeon. I listened to Nyla and Nana with their stories of you being from another time and that you were the one spoken of in the prophecy. But,” he stopped for a moment to arrange his words, “I was mistaken in marrying you. You are one of Tuloch’s minions and nothing more.”

As she listened to her husband’s hurtful and hateful words, she couldn’t help the tears that trailed down her face and fell to the dirt she stood upon. What had suddenly turned him against her? Why did he no longer believe who she was or where she came from? Someone, probably Betsy if she had to bet on it, had put words and ideas into his head that he was game to believe.

She struggled to get the words to pass her lips as she fought down the burning lump in her throat. “What? What did I do other than clean up your mother’s garden? Do you really think she would want it to continue to decay and rot away because her son is selfish and refuses to let anyone in here?”

She wasn’t prepared for him to get down into her face as close as he did. She was so confused by his actions and words
that she stumbled backwards. The look on his face made him appear as if the devil had taken over his body.

“I found out your little plan. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about it? That you were going to be able to pull off getting Tuloch’s men into my home?”

She stood shocked to the core at his words. Plan? She didn’t have any kind of a plan and she especially wasn’t one of Tuloch’s people. Out the corner of her eye she caught a movement near the door that lead into the garden. She knew instantly who it was and why she was there. Betsy was watching and enjoying her humiliation by her husband and it was all Betsy’s doing!

Isobel was going to stand up for herself. “It is Betsy who is the liar! There is something about her that I don’t trust, Jakar! I will admit she found me in the garden the other day but that is all. She stands over there by the door listening as
we speak!” She pointed in the direction of the door. Jakar turned to look at what she was pointing to and found nothing.

“Isobel, enough of your lies!” He reached out to grab her arm but she managed to sidestep him and put a short but thick shrub in-between them.
“Come here, Isobel.” He moved to round the shrub. “I will escort you back to our room and deal with you after I have seen to the mess that you have created.”

Hell no! She wasn’t about to let him
lock her up again as if she were some kind of a common criminal. With her left hand she gathered enough of her dress in her hand so that she would be able to run away and not trip over the hem that nearly dragged the ground. She needed to put some distance between them. Bending down quickly, she grabbed a handful of dirt. She waited until Jakar was close enough to her to throw the loose dirt into his face and into his eyes.

“Ah!” Jakar yelled as the dirt hit him right between the eyes.

As soon as she had her chance she took off at full speed. She raced past Jakar and headed to the door of the garden. As she pushed through the wooden door, a yelp came from behind it. She turned her head thinking it was Betsy she had squashed between the door and stone wall. To her horror she saw it was Nana, but she had no time to stop and make sure the old woman was alright. She was getting out of there and away from Jakar. Her new world had just crashed down on top of her and she wanted out. She wanted to go home. If it took her last dying breath, she would find her way home.

******

Jakar was blinded by the mud Isobel had thrown into his face. He hadn’t expected
her to do that and neither did he except her to take off running. Furiously he rubbed at his eyes until he was able to see enough to make his way over to the small well in the center of the garden. As he washed his face and removed the mud from his eyes, the sound of Nana approaching him made him cringe. Nana was the last person he wanted to deal with right now.

“Jakar! Jakar, what have you done?” she shouted at his back.

He turned to face her, dripping face and all. “Nana, please, not now.” He made to move past her but she blocked his way. “I have no time for this, Nana,” he grated out through clenched teeth. He didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the woman who finished raising him after his mother’s death.

Nana put up a finger to his face. “No! You listen to me. I heard everything you said to Isobel and you are wrong! Wrong, you hear me? How could you treat your wife like a common criminal?”

“Wife?” he sneered, “ You and Nyla convinced me to marry a woman I knew nothing about and now I find out that she is definitely one of Tuloch’s spies just as I had assumed she was.” This time he wasn’t going to let Nana set him on a different path than what he planned. He would see that Isobel confessed that she was a spy.

“And who told you all of this?” Nana stood glaring at him with hands on her wide hips.

“Don’t worry about who told me what. I know the truth now and I am going to see that all involved are punished. Now, if you would excuse me, I have a wife to track down.” He pushed past her and left her standing there open-mouthed.

He hated to be so disrespectful to the woman who had helped raise him but she was blind
ed by Isobel’s supposed innocence. He should have stayed with his first feelings about Isobel. True, he didn’t want to believe Betsy at first but when she pulled out the note written in Tuloch’s hand, he had no choice but to believe her.

The sound of his footsteps on the stone floor made everyone move out of his way as he stormed through the halls. Isobel had nowhere to go, so he figured she would have gone to their room. If she would just admit the truth to him, he might just
keep her locked in their room instead of sending her to the dungeon.

The rest of the way to his room his mind was struggling to figure out why Isobel would go so far to hurt him and his people. She had pleaded so often to him about who and what she was that he began to believe her. Even Nyla and Nana had backed his wife which had been strange itself. Most people under his
care were always leery of strangers, but not those two. They took her in with open arms and barely asked any questions. Now he was going to get every last answer he wanted from her even if it killed him.

When he flung open the heavy door to their room it slammed against the stone wall, knocking a portrait off the wall. His eyes scanned the room quickly and found it empty. “Isobel!” he called out and strode to the washing room
and kicked the door open. “Isobel!” He called out again. Their room was empty. He had no idea where she might have gone. Without another thought, he marched out of the room and headed to the stables. She could possibly be in the market or maybe with the animals. Where ever she was though, he needed to find her.

Chapter 20

Betsy leaned against the wall in the kitchen and laughed. She had actually convinced Jakar that Isobel was up to no good. It was per
fect! It hadn’t taken her long to spew her story to him but when she produced note written by Tuloch she knew she had him hooked.

Her plan couldn’t have played out any better. She had been working on a way to approach Jakar with the lies she was going to tell him, but when she had found out about Isobel working in his mother’s garden she knew she had her reason. She thought back to the expression on Jakar’s face as she poured out her tale.

She had waited for him to come back from the stables where he had gone to see the new horses he had purchased. She had to act the shy servant when she asked if she could speak with him in private.

“Of course, Betsy,” he had replied genuinely concerned.

He had escorted her into the room where he took care of the money aspect of his lands. It wasn’t a large room but it was big enough for him to complete the necessary tasks. A large desk sat near the windows that lined the far side wall of the room. Several cushioned chairs sat neatly before the desk as if standing at attention. The little sunlight there was streamed into the room. The desk was cluttered with papers and numerous empty bottles of ale. Most of the walls were undecorated with the exception of one portrait of his father and mother that hung over the fireplace which was unlit for the time being.

“What did you need to speak
with me about?” Jakar leaned on the desk as he waited for her to speak.

“Well, my lord. I don’t like being one to tell tales but there is something you should be aware of.” Inwardly she smiled to herself. “But, I…umm…” she paused for more of a dramatic effect.
“I came across my lady in your mother’s garden.” She waited.

“When?” he asked.

“This morning, my lord,” she answered. Yes, this was going to be so easy! “I warned her when she first started to explore the castle. I even showed her where the garden was so that she would not mistake it for another. But, sadly, she has taken it upon herself to go there and…” she paused again. She could see the anger beginning to rise in her employer as his body tensed.

“And what? Do not be afraid to tell me, Betsy.”

“She has umm… she has begun to clear the garden.” Direct hit! She watched closely as Jakar clenched and unclenched his teeth as he tried to hold on to his anger.

“What did she say when you found her there?”

“She told me to go away. She was the lady of the castle now and would do as she pleases. She also said that if I revealed to anyone what she was doing, she would see to it that I would be beaten.” She let her voice tremble as if she was fearful of her words.

“She said that?” His eyes bugged out as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Yes, my lord.” She curtsied quickly as she replied.

“Thank you, Betsy. I will take care of it.”

He moved to dismiss her but she wasn’t finished yet. “There is something else, my lord.” She cast her eyes down so that he couldn’t see the glimmer in her eyes. She withdrew from her brown apron a yellowed, wrinkled piece of parchment and handed it to him. “I found this in the pocket of my lady’s dress when I went to bring her things to the wash.”

Jakar accepted the parchment and unfolded it. His eyes quickly scanned the contents of the letter. His face turned redder and redder as he read further down the page. She had him now. There was no way he was going to dismiss the letter.

He looked up to her and said in a strained voice, “Thank you.”

That was when he had stormed out of the room and headed for the garden. She had lingered behind as he made his to find his wife who was in the garden as they spoke. She had made sure Isobel was still there before she confronted Jakar.

Now, after the confrontation he had with his wife, she was satisfied that she had planted a big enough seed in Jakar’s mind that there was no doubt in his mind about who and what his wife was.

She barely had enough time to hide in the small alcove
again when she heard approaching footsteps while she had been eavesdropping on the couple. Nana was about to open the door when suddenly Isobel had come flying through it at a high rate of speed. The woman didn’t even stop to see who she had hurt. Within seconds Isobel was out of view and Nana was in the garden, going to Jakar.

Without lingering any longer, she took off for the kitchen and waited for Jakar to go in search of Isobel. Unfortunately, she had not seen where the woman had gone but surely someone would have seen her.
Tuloch’s plan was in full effect now and she would be able to return to his side.  She still had to meet with Tuloch’s men at the old mill and hoped when she did, they would be able to travel to South Aslog with the woman in tow.

******

Isobel rushed through the castle halls as fast as she could run. She had to get away from here and away from Jakar. Tears streamed down her face as she thought about the words he had flung at her. He truly believed she was a spy and had done nothing but lied to him since her sudden appearance. Just when she had finally resolved to herself that she was stuck here forever, something goes wrong and blows up in her face. Would she ever have a home again? A family who cared for her?

She burst out the
front door of the castle, slowing her pace just a bit. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself as she made her way to the main gate of the castle walls. The market was busy and people were everywhere. Carts heavy with new purchases, waited patiently to be allowed to pass through the gate while another cart waited to enter. Women held baskets full of fresh vegetables as they walked to the gate. How was she going to get out of the castle walls without the guards recognizing her? Her heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to catch her breath and to come up with a plan.

She stopped for a brief moment to organize her thoughts
and wipe her face. She watched as the people move about the grounds of the inner castle walls. The guards were attentive and scanning the crowd as it moved to and from the castle. Four guards stood near the gate conversing as people streamed by them. Their eyes, though, searched every face that went by. Crap! She was in a lot of trouble. They all knew who she was, so she didn’t stand a chance on getting by undetected.

The sound of a crash and horses whinnying drew the guards’ attention to the outer gate. The people trying to get out of the castle began to build up until the flow out came to a standstill. Could she possibly slip through with the crowd? It could be her only chance, she thought.

She pushed away from the wall she had been standing against and walked to the gate with the crowd. Soon she was surrounded by people and animals until she felt like she was being squished. A few steps at a time brought her closer to the gate. As she neared the gate, she could see the two carts had run into each other with one having overturned. Only half of the street was accessible for the time being but this worked to her advantage.

Slowly, she and the people surrounding her pushed through the gate and nearer to the guards who were assisting the owner of the over turned cart. The commotion was almost chaos as they passed within feet of the guards who were no longer paying attention to who was coming and going. The woman behind her gave her a small nudge as she
tried to pass another spectator who was stopped, watching those who instructed the cleanup. 

She didn’t need any encouragement to move quickly by and out of the walls of the castle. With a sigh of relief, she crossed the bridge she had come across on Jakar’s horse when he had found her on the battlefield. No one stopped or spoke to her as she walked across the bridge and to the road that lead to the forest. People broke off in different directions after crossing the bridge, head
ing to where ever they had come from.

She had no idea where she was going but just kept walking.
No sounds came from behind her calling out to her to stop or for someone else to stop her. The road began to empty after only a short ways into the forest and before long she was walking alone with only the sounds of the forest to keep her company.

The ground she walked on was wet and mu
shy from all the recent rains. The slippers she wore were soon soaked through and her feet chilled. As she walked she tried to keep her dress up so that it wouldn’t drag on the wet ground. The light in the forest wasn’t the best but she could at least still see the road before her. A bend up ahead had the road bending out of her sight so that she couldn’t see if someone was coming her way. A tingling sensation went down her spine as if something was trying to warn her of impending danger ahead.

Pushing the feeling aside, she trudged on. As she approached the bend two men stepped out from the side of the road and blocked her path. She went to turn around and head back in the direction she had just come from but found that another man blocked her from the rear. Fear clutched her throat as she stood there eyeing the men. She could almost hear her pulse beating in her ears as she waited for them to move.

“Well, well, well! What do we have here boys?” One man said as he leered at her.

Isobel took
a step back as the bald man stepped closer to her. She backed into the one man who had come up behind her, stopping her from her retreat.

“What is the lord’s wife doing out here all alone?” the man hissed at her.

Something about the man made her blood run cold. The way he looked at her made her feel as if she knew him but she couldn’t possibly know this man.

“What do you want?” she asked as she held her chin high. She wasn’t about to let on she was terrified out of her mind.

“Aw. The little lady wants to know what we want.” He and his men laughed. “Should I tell her boys?”

The one behind her spoke up and replied, “Please do. She held us up long enough!”

She felt a hand run through her hair at the nape of her neck. “Leave me alone! My husband will be along soon.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. I saw you come storming out of the castle and how you waited for a distraction to get through the g
ates. It was mighty nice of Trax here to step in front of that oncoming cart. Wasn’t it, Trax?”

“Sure thing, boss. Anytime!” The one standing beside the man talking to her said with a mouth full of rotted teeth.

The leader of the group stepped closer to her and reached out to finger a strand of hair that hung over her shoulder. “It was such a pity when you ran away from me. You have caused me a lot of trouble, Isobel.”

Isobel was confused with the man’s statement. She didn’t know this man, or did she. She examined his face closely as he stood before her. Recognition hit her like a sledgehammer when she looked deep into the eyes of the man who
had killed her parents.

“Daniel,” she whispered as fear coursed through every vein in her body.

“Ah, I see you finally recognize me. It’s so good to see you again, Isobel, but we have some unfinished business to take care.” He grabbed her upper arm roughly and jerked her to him. “Let’s go!”

“Where are you taking me?” she asked as she stumbled along beside her ex. She tried to pull away from him but his grip was too tight. It was
as if her arm had been slammed into a fist of iron as it pressed into her skin.

“Where I was originally going to take
you from the beginning of all this crap. You truly put a wrench in my plans when you showed up at your parents’ house. You said you were going out. You weren’t supposed to be there!” His voice rose in anger as he dragged her off the road and into the thick forest. “But, what’s done is done. I have you now and that’s all that matters. As soon as I am rid of you, I can go back to my life.”