Love's Labyrinth (35 page)

“But you can’t say how they came to be there?”

Sir John opened his mouth and shut it. “I cannot, my lord.”

Leicester shrugged. “’Twould seem to me of no matter, Sir Francis, whether or not this Master Warren is found.

Sir John witnessed nothing but a meeting or two—a meeting which could be chance—”

“But—” Nicholas began, then stopped.

Leicester winked as someone knocked on the door.

“Enter!”

The jailer entered, wearing a puckered frown. He hesitated, looking uncertain.

“Well?” barked Walsingham.

“Master Warren, Sir Francis—we sent to ‘is lodging, sir, as ye asked, and—” He glanced at Leicester, Nicholas, and Sir John in turn. “’E’s not there, sir. Landlord said ‘e’s gone. And all ‘is belongings—young Jemmie’s outside here, if ye wish to speak to ‘im.”

“Gone?” Walsingham repeated.

“Aye, m’lord. Quite gone.”

Walsingham turned to Leicester. There was a long silence, as the four men gazed at each other. Finally Walsingham spoke. “This is most irregular.”

Leicester threw back his head and laughed. “Irregular? Come, Sir Francis. Sir John corroborates Lord Nicholas in saying ‘twas Warren who set this up—”

“Why?” demanded Walsingham. “What earthly reason—”

“’Twas my father’s fault,” said Nicholas quietly. “He saw Warren’s father burned. My brother Geoffrey reminded me when he came last week. ‘Twas in the realm of the late Queen, Mary.”

There was another long silence and then Sir John cleared his throat. “And the sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the children—yea, even unto the seventh generation.”

The hour was late when Nicholas walked into the little tavern. He ducked his head beneath the low door and stood for a moment, just inside the door, looking around. Alison, sitting next to the hearth, noticed him first. She nudged Olivia, who flew into his arms with a little cry. For a long moment, they stood still, holding each other tightly, until finally Geoffrey gave a discreet cough. “And we’re all very glad to see you, too, Nick.”

Nicholas raised his head and released Olivia. He reached for his brother, and the two embraced. “I should’ve listened to you, Geoff.”

“Aye, you should’ve,” Geoffrey agreed. “After all, I’m the brilliant one. You’re just the good-looking one.”

Olivia gazed up at Nicholas. Even in the warm wash of firelight, his face was tired and gaunt after just a few days in that terrible place, and she shuddered to imagine what a prolonged confinement could do to a man or woman. He smiled down at her.

“Does this mean you’re free to go?” asked Alison, ever practical.

Nicholas nodded. “We’ll leave at first light tomorrow, Mistress Alison.”

“About time,” she sighed. “Because the day after that—”

She broke off as Geoffrey nudged her.

“It’s time we all went home,” said Nicholas. He looked down at Olivia as he spoke and a quiver went through her.

He’s asking me for an answer, she thought. He’s safe now. And what am I going to do?

“So what are you going to do?” asked Alison, as she helped Olivia out of her gown. She stood back to let Olivia step out of the folds of the dress, then hopped onto the bed with a little bounce as Olivia bent to pick up the heavy garment.

“About what?” Olivia asked carefully.

“You know what about,” Alison replied. “We have to talk about this, Livvie.”

Olivia sighed. She climbed onto her side of the bed. “I know.”

“Are you sure you love Nicholas? Enough to give up everything you have for him?”

Olivia hesitated. “He asked me to marry him.”

“And what did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything. The guard came and told us time was up.”

It was Alison’s turn to hesitate. “Do you want to marry him, Livvie?”

“I think I do.”

Alison grabbed Olivia’s hand and squeezed. “You have to be very sure about this, you know that? You won’t be able to come back—”

“For another forty years, I know.”

“So you think you want to stay here? And marry Nicholas?”

Olivia gently pulled away from Alison and walked to the one window. A soft breeze blew in from the street, bringing with it the odors of the stables, and the kitchens.

“You know, it’s funny, Allie, but I could never imagine a life beyond my father. After he died, and I could see the end of his work in sight, I could just never imagine doing anything—”

“That’s not true, Liv, you talked about drama school, about being an actress—”

“I talked about those things. But I could never see myself doing any of them. The whole future seemed so—so blank. Until we came here. And I can see myself here, married to Nicholas, the mother of his children—oh, Allie, maybe this all sounds crazy to you, but it’s like, here, I feel I have a life. Back there—back there, I don’t feel as though I have much of anything at all.”

“What about me?”

“Well, of course, there’s you, but—but you have your own life to live, Allie. You know exactly what you want and how to get it, and you know where you belong and—”

Olivia broke off and glanced out the window. Below the window the watch cried out, “’Tis twelve of the clock, and all is well.” Olivia turned back to Alison with a sad smile. “I’ve never really known any of those things.”

“But you feel you belong here?”

“Strange as that might sound, Allie, I do.”

“Then you should stay here.” Alison gave her a sad smile of her own, and a tear slipped down her cheek. “I’ll miss you.”

Tears filled Olivia’s eyes. “Oh, Allie, I’ll miss you, too.” With a little sob, she rushed to Alison’s side and the two friends hugged each other tightly, tears rolling down their cheeks.

Finally, Alison drew back. She sniffed loudly and wiped her face on her sleeve. “Well. Now that that’s settled, there’s just one more thing.”

“What’s that?” Olivia managed to say, wiping away her own tears on the hem of her shift.

“Convincing Geoffrey he belongs in the future with me.”

And through her tears, Olivia giggled. “Somehow, Allie, I don’t think that’s going to be a chore at all. Not at all.”

“You want to do what?” Nicholas turned incredulous eyes on his brother. The setting sun slanted across the table in Nicholas’s study as Geoffrey shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Nicholas’s unexpectedly prolonged absence had meant that he’d been closeted in his study with Miles ever since their arrival at Talcott Forest that afternoon.

“You heard me, Nicholas.” Geoffrey’s voice was even, but his eyes danced with suppressed excitement.

“But—but, Geoffrey, that means you’ll never come back—you’ll be trapped there—”

Geoffrey broke out laughing. “Oh, Nicholas. From the way Alison’s described it, I don’t think I’ll be trapped at all.” He broke off at the stricken look on his brother’s face. “Don’t you see, Nicky?” he asked softly. “You don’t need me here. You need Olivia. And Dee’s quite clear, two people have to go through the maze, or it won’t work. There’s not enough mass to trigger the mechanism otherwise.”

“How noble of you.” Nicholas met his brother’s gaze with a wink.

“All right, I admit it. I find Alison as attractive as you find Olivia. I’m not sure she’ll ever consent to marry me—but following her to her own time is a first step.”

Nicholas leaned back in his chair. “Then, go, Geoffrey. With my blessing.” The two brothers exchanged another long look.

“Thank you, Nick. That means a great deal to me.”

Nicholas smiled wryly. “At least then I won’t have to worry that you’ll be burned at the stake.”

At the door, Geoffrey turned back with his hand on the latch. “You know, Nicholas, I wish I could tell you I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you, but under the circumstances, I don’t think I can.”

Nicholas nodded slowly, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Under the circumstances, I don’t think you have anything to apologize for, either.”

He found her waiting in the garden, where the last rays of the setting sun shone in long yellow beams through the hedge of the maze. “You talked to your brother?” She spoke over her shoulder as he approached.

“Yes. And you spoke with your friend?”

“Yes.” She turned to face him, smiling.

“So it’s all settled, then?”

“It seems to be.” She nodded.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

There was a long pause while she considered her answer. “Yes,” she said at last, a smile spreading across her face like the light of the rising sun. “Are you?”

He smiled back at the happiness in her eyes. “Yes,” he replied at once. “Never surer.”

The dark figure stole through the thick shadows beneath the trees. The moonless night was still—without the great house, all was quiet beneath the cloud-studded sky. With a catlike agility, the figure scaled one of the trees that gathered so closely to the house. With a knife, he jimmied the frame around the small square window and pushed it outside. It caught almost soundlessly in the leaves below.

Christopher Warren slithered through the window. He wore only a tight-fitting black doublet over his black hose and boots, and his sword was strapped tightly to his back. He sheathed the knife as he crept silently through the halls of the sleeping house.

He passed the room where Olivia lay sleeplessly beside Alison. She shifted on her side, then lifted her head off the pillow when she thought she heard a footstep outside the door. She listened. The footsteps sounded as though they were going away from the door. She rose up on one elbow and glanced over her shoulder at Alison. As usual, Alison slept peacefully, her face pillowed on her hand.