The Loyal Heart (46 page)

“Easily, my child,” she laughed with a lilt that matched the Spring breeze and smoothed a hand along Madeline’s close-cropped hair. “Was it not your Jack who used to tell you that he never thought you were a nun?”

“Yes.” The memory of Jack’s sly smile and wink as he held her close and stole a kiss, the only kiss she had ever had in her life, brought her tears on anew. Jack had flirted with her, said delicious, irreverent things to her, had even rescued her from the tower where Lord Alfred of Buxton had imprisoned her, but he had never once treated her like a nun. “Oh Sister, my father will never approve of Jack. If he finds out I’ve left the convent….”

“You were not born for this life, my child,” Sister Bernadette laid a hand on the side of her flushed face with a wistful smile. “It was wrong of your father to lock you away here. You were meant for a different world.”

“I know, but-”

Her protest was cut short by the rattling of keys. Sister Bernadette drew a loop of iron keys from her belt and stepped past her towards the gate. In nothing but the moonlight she found the key that fit the lock, turned it, and pushed the gate open.

“But what will happen to you?” Madeline gasped.

“To me?”

“What will you say when they find out I’m gone? What will you do if my father comes here looking for answers?” she blanched at the thought and glanced back towards the imposing stone of the convent, second-guessing her decision to run.

Sister Bernadette laughed. The sparkle in the old nun’s eyes reminded Madeline of why in this prison full of gloomy nuns intent on their vows she had never felt alone. “A love like yours should never fear reproach from a mere earthly father,” she shook her head. “Have faith in that if nothing else. Besides, who will tell him how you escaped?” She reached into her pocket again and took out a small coin-purse. “I think it is time I took a vow of silence.”

“Oh no, Sister Bernadette,” she tried to give the money back when the purse was pressed into her hands.

“How I choose to show my devotion is no concern of yours,” she cut the protest short. “Now go, my dear. Derby is a long way off. You have quite a journey ahead of you.”

Madeline wavered, glancing over her shoulder at the rippling field that surrounded the abbey. The nearest town was half a day’s walk. She had planned to keep to the edge of the forest, to sneak her way home to Derby, traveling at night so as not to be seen. A few coins could buy her a place on a farmer’s cart or a merchant’s wagon. A few coins could take her to Jack that much sooner.

She closed her hand around the purse and gave Sister Bernadette one last fierce hug. “I’ll never forget you,” the words caught in her throat. “You’ve saved my life.”

The old nun laughed and let her go, walking her through the convent gate and into the world. “Go now, my dear one, but be careful. You’re not free yet.”

Merry Farmer lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats, Butterfly and Torpedo. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized one day that she didn’t have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. She then went on to earn not one but two degrees in History so that she would always having something to write about. Today she walks along the cutting edge of Indie Publishing, writing Historical Romance and Women's Sci-Fi. She is also passionate about blogging, knitting, and cricket and is working towards becoming an internationally certified cricket scorer.

You can email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @merryfarmer20.

Merry also has a blog, http://merryfarmer.wordpress.com/ , and a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/merryfarmerauthor , and loves visitors.

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