She closed her eyes, thinking how she was tempted to give up everything else to be married to him today.
“’Twill be worth the wait,” she whispered to him.
A speckle of silver in his eyes caught the light and gleamed when he looked at her. “Come on then.” He drew back and took her by the hand. “If ye are goin’ with me, we should be off. We must stop at home and tell Simon.”
Suddenly, he became a commander. “We need food and water fer the journey. I intend to find horses, but we will need to walk fer a while. Even run.”
She nodded and followed him back to the house. Charlie wanted to go with them but Elias was firm with his no this time. Annabelle cried and Lily was tempted not to go. But she knew Bertram. She knew what would satisfy him. She could save Clare and little Eddie. Annabelle and Charlie were safe here…safe from the outside world that is. She had to go. She had to help.
“Elias assures me we shouldn’t be gone longer than a sennight,” she told Simon. “I have prepared more tea. For now, please see that Alan the carpenter and Ava, Norman the reeve’s daughter, get a cup every four hours. If anyone else becomes ill while we are away, give them two cups to start and a cup every four hours. Do you have it?”
“Aye, I have it, gel,” he said a bit curtly to her. “I have been doing it for days now. I think I should be the one goin—”
He disappeared in a blur when Elias shoved him out of the way and stepped into the brother’s place. “Mayhap ye should stay.”
“No. I’m going with you,” she sang, wrapping the last of some extra herbs in a bag. She turned to kiss the children and waited for him.
He held up his hand for her to wait some more and pulled Brother Simon over again. “Marry us, please.”
“What?” the brother asked and looked at her.
She nodded and smiled and took Elias’ hand, showing the brother her consent—if that’s what he was worrying about.
“Simon, come now,” Elias huffed a bit more impatiently, and then pulled the children closer, as well. “We are wastin’ valuable time. Marry us. I asked her and she agreed, did ye not, love?” He turned to glance down at her.
“Aye, I did.”
Her consent didn’t have the soothing effect on the brother that she’d hoped but, an instant or two later, he offered them a genuine grin. “’Twould be my honor—”
“Simon,” Elias interrupted. “I want to get goin’.”
“Do you want to be this lass’ husband?” the brother asked acidly. “Then,” he continued when Elias nodded, “let me finish. I will be quick. I am not a dolt.”
Lily giggled into her hand and then tried to be serious when Brother Simon glared at her.
“Elias,” he said as he finally turned to his friend, “do you vow before God to love, honor, and protect Lily, until you die?”
“Aye, I vow it.”
Lily smiled at him and bit her lip. This was real and it was happening fast! She looked down at Charlie and Annabelle and felt dizzy with emotions.
“And you, Lily,” Brother Simon said softly to her. “Do you vow before God to love, honor, and obey Elias until you die?”
“Aye, I vow it,” she answered calmly, though she wanted to shout from the rooftops.Aye!
“Then go,” Brother Simon whisked them away. “You are husband and wife in the eyes and in the Name of the Lord. And Eli, if you are not back here in a sennight, I will come looking for you.”
Lily laughed with happiness and bent to kiss the children. She would be back soon. As she straightened, she was sure she heard Brother Simon say, “You are inrealtrouble now, Eli.”
Was he insinuating that she was more dangerous than the plague? She was insulted. For a moment. And then she thought about what she wanted Elias to do to Bertram and thought the brother could be right.
She’d shown Bertram mercy for what he’d done toher. Now, it was different. Now, he’d killed and hurt the people she loved. She looked around as they left the village, decreased by almost half in number by the great pestilence. Bertram had done this.
For this, he would die.
But first, she thought, looking at the house and Elias leaving it, she would see to her husband.
Chapter Seventeen