Beyond a Doubt(29)

Lucy knew the exact spot. Walking the well-worn path, she found the stone and dropped to her knees. Carved in the headstone, the words read, Laura Lombard, born 1517 as a human, taken in 1537 as an angel. The dearest to my heart. Song of Solomon 2”

She stroked the engraved letters. Why hadn’t she thought of these words before? Had this been what the lady at the ball meant?

As she placed her fingers in the deep groove, she closed her eyes. Knowing the location of the phrase didn’t help her solve the puzzle. But it was a start.

“Lucy, that word there with the number, does that come from the Bible?” asked Bryce.

“What?” Her pulse thumped wildly against her chest. A memory of her father returned. “Every answer you seek is in God’s word. Promise me you won’t forget.”

“Bryce, that’s it!”

Bryce shrugged.

“We need to get back to the house. I think I know what we need to do.”

The two of them rushed home. Winnie and Winifred confirmed no one had entered the Lombard house in their absence. Still, they approached using caution.

Lucy stifled a sob as she pushed open the door. The house was beyond recognition. One look at the place and she didn’t know if she even wanted to repair it.

Sucking in a deep breath, she stepped over broken furniture, smashed portraits, and torn tapestries to reach the study. The fate of this room mimicked the others. Pages of books lay torn and ripped upon the floor. Desk drawers had been pulled from the framework and broken into tiny slivers. Nothing was organized or in its place.

She sighed. “This will take forever.”

Bryce spun her around until she faced him. “Earlier we thought we would never find the key. Now look how much closer we are. Don’t despair. Together we will find what we seek. Can ye tell me where the book generally rested?”

She pointed to the shelf and Bryce followed her lead. He reached above her head and grabbed the Bible. He faced her with a smile on his face. “I believe I found it.”

He placed the book on the desk. The large Matthew’s Bible covered most of the surface. They found the chapter mentioned on the tombstone. As they read, Lucy pulled out the fan. Light projected through the thin material, causing the embedded message to appear on the wall. She compared the letters and words and matched them up. Once finished, Lucy collapsed in the chair. The message was clear and it wasn’t good.

****

At the meeting of the Huguenots, Admiral Coligny must meet his end. You must not fail.

Bryce's concern increased with Lucy’s changing demeanor. She had a forlorn look on her face and she sat stiff and straight. No doubt the message troubled her. Bryce knew little of the French Protestant movement, but what he did understand disturbed him.

First of all, the movement to convert Catholics to Protestants was not accepted by the French monarchy. In fact, King Henry II of France had slashed out tongues, burned people at the stake, and commandeered the property of many in this persuasion. Because of such atrocities, the people had begun to contemplate a move of the believers to a colony in Brazil. The Admiral mentioned in the encrypted note was leading this movement. The admission of the Admiral’s faith placed him in grave danger. Popularity with the people was probably all that currently kept him alive.

At the masquerade ball, private conversations he’d overheard had led Bryce to believe the Admiral had been warned about potential harm but refused to move the date of the colony’s announcement. Lucy knew this as well. Now that she knew the goal of the message was indeed to end the Admiral’s life, what would she do?

Suddenly Lucy broke from her stupor and ran upstairs. When she returned, she held a bag stuffed and overflowing with gowns and shoes. One foot from a pair of hose dragged across the floor. Undecipherable mutterings fell from her lips. Her gaze darted this way and that, not appearing to see anything. She clenched the small leather pouch tightly to her chest.

She had one foot out the door when Bryce caught her. One jerk and Lucy landed back inside. He closed the door.

Bryce held her in his arms, aware he might be causing bruises but unwilling to risk her escape. “Where are ye goin’?”

“To Caen, France.”

“Lucy, we need to talk.”

“What’s there to talk about? The Admiral is going to die if I don’t stop him from speaking at that event. And if he dies, we also lose our greatest hope of securing religious worship free from persecution.”

Bryce held back. Love for this woman filled him. Should he declare his feelings and whisk her away? Should he help her with this quest? He needed more time to think.

“Lucy, wait until tomorrow.”

“But—“

“Nothing good will come of rushin’ away tonight. Ye need a plan.”

Her shoulders relaxed beneath his fingertips and he loosened his grip. A rush of breath escaped his throat. Bryce led her to the living area and they sat. He removed the bag from her fingers and set it aside. Leaning over, Bryce touched her lips with his own.

The kiss lasted for several minutes. When they drew apart Bryce said, “I love ye.” Tears coursed down her face and he wiped them away. “I would never have realized it had I not been drownin’ in the river and ye hadn’t come to my rescue.”

Lucy remained silent, the tears now a steady stream.

“Why don’t ye rest while I fix something to eat and prepare ye a room?”

Lucy nodded.

The rest of the afternoon Bryce worked. Happily he cooked, cleaned, and prepared a safe place for Lucy to sleep. At least Bryce figured it was safe. The men had not returned in a few days. Hopefully they assumed what they sought wasn’t here. Little did they know it had been under their noses the entire time.

They enjoyed dinner in silence. Lucy didn’t comment on his simple cooking skills, or anything else. During the entire meal, Bryce stared at Lucy’s flushed face.

When the meal ended, Bryce led Lucy to her room, opened her door, and enjoyed her gasp of surprise. The room was tidy. The covers on her bed were soft and inviting. Yet still she said nothing.

After leaving her to rest, Bryce returned to his own room. Turning down the coverlet, Bryce crawled between the cool covers. Once settled, he realized Lucy hadn’t uttered one word all afternoon.





Chapter Forty-Six




Olga and Max tiptoed around each other all day. Max was still angry. They waited to see if she had been right. Gustav had followed the young Fraulein with hopefulness. No word had come yet.

“Where is he? We’ve been waiting all day.”

With knitting in her hands, and not looking up, Olga responded, “Patience, Max.”

“Olga, how can I be patient!”

Olga didn’t answer, and she glanced out the window for any sign of her brother’s coming. The midday meal came and went and still no Gustav. As the evening sun descended, a knock happened upon the door. Max reached the entrance first. She hung back, hiding.

“Guten tag. I mean, hullo?”

“Good evening, sir,” said a small child outside the entry, ignoring the accidental slip into Max’s native tongue.

“Good evening,” repeated Max. Olga peered around the corner. With the greeting reciprocated, the young lad passed over a slip of paper, tipped his hat, and scampered off.

Olga stared at Max as he unfolded the paper. When he finished reading, Max glanced at her. The paper fluttered to the ground as Max said, “Gustav is gone.”

****

The waves pushed the small boat to and fro. Lucy grasped the rail and held it tightly between her white fingers. Water sprayed and splashed up the sides, washing over her face. Anyone watching wouldn’t be able to find where the tears ended and the spray began. Couples moved aside as they passed her sobbing frame. She didn’t try to stifle the flow of tears as crying kept many curious souls at bay.

Bryce had done so much, too much. The man had his whole life ahead of him. Her life had already been determined; her destiny was to save people from death. After she contacted the Admiral, there would surely be another Joshua, and the whole process would begin again. There was always someone in danger.

As Lucy peered longingly across the Channel, she felt someone watching her. She turned to see a man with a piece of straw between his teeth. He appeared to casually glance at her then shifted his gaze to the disappearing English coast.

This was her first trip across the Channel alone, so she was already nervous. The way that man tried to hide that he was watching her added to her fear, and Lucy tightened her cloak about her. Moving ever so slightly, she joined a group of fellow travelers. Within a few steps, Lucy blended with them, accepted without question.

The group moved en masse and Lucy stayed with them. The man trailed behind them. Lucy smiled and pretended not to notice. She discreetly watched her follower for the entire journey.

The boat arrived at the French harbor and as the passengers disembarked, Lucy hurried off, constantly looking over her shoulder. The man following her kept up with her, even though she increased her pace. She acquired a carriage almost immediately, faring well as a lone woman traveling to Caen. She took a quick glance back at the man, who looked stunned as he watched her ride away.