“Easy, boy.” Lily tugged on the reins as they neared the mill. She needed time to figure things out. Julian needed to know who Oliver was and just what he was capable of.
The horse came to a stop beside the stream, and Lily was pleased to see that the wheel was spinning unaided. No workers or farmers were in sight to nudge the wheel back into action.
“Good, this will certainly speed up production for all of the farmers.” She said out loud to her horse before dismounting.
A low rumble in the distance made her look back just as she began to soothe her stallion.
“We will have to be quick, but I think we have enough time to look around, do you not agree?” She turned back to the horse with a smile and ran her fingers over its thick neck. A light breeze was beginning to pick up, blowing a few of her loose curls about her face.
After leading her horse to the stream, she left him drinking while she walked the short distance to the mill and opened the door. The door jammed slightly but gave way after a shove.
She was greeted by the fresh scent of hay and milled wheat. “Perfect,” she announced triumphantly, feeling the satisfaction of a job well done. She had not fixed the mill herself, but she had helped with the planning and had urged Julian not to sell the cottage and lands.
The wind picked up again, whistling through the high ceiling above her head as it blew a few leaves and twigs across the floor.
Not wanting to dirty the obviously cleaned floor, Lily quickly closed the door behind her, hearing a loud metallic clink. “Well, I hope that does not get stuck again.” She dusted off her hands and turned to inspect the interior.
Barrels were stacked beside fresh piles of hay, and several dozen stacks of freshly milled flour had been stacked beneath the closed window. Her burdens lightened considerably as she walked deeper into the building and saw just how well everything seemed to be functioning. Wheels turned where they should and cogs moved silently in their places.
Seeing nothing else of note, she decided to head back when a loud crack split the sky in the distance. She hurried toward the door, her footsteps echoing throughout the mill. She reached the door just as another bolt of lightning lit up the sky.
Her pulse skittered when the cold iron of the handle stood firm beneath her grip. She tried again, feeling the stiff resistance. Trying to remain calm, she placed her shoulder against the wood and pushed.
Nothing.
Panic began to set in as she tried more frantically to unjam the door, then suddenly, she realized what had occurred; the latch on the other side had shut. The loud metallic clank she had heard had been the bolt locking itself into place.
Her heart thrummed in her ears as she searched for a way out. She needed to get to her horse and get back home, or at least lead him to safety if she needed to stay.
“Open!” She gripped the large iron handle with both hands and repeatedly yanked.
The door stood firm, unyielding to her demands and efforts as she stood back and placed her hands on her hips, trying to still her racing heart. “Well, at least we know that the door is secure from the elements, but what will I do now?” She looked around the entry room, considering all of her options as hot tears began to prick the back of her eyes.
I need to get back to my horse.
She began to pray that Julian, or anyone at all, would come looking for her before the worst of the storm began.
As if the elements could read her thoughts, a soft drizzle of rain began to pelt the earth, creating a symphony of bad news as the drops beat against the windowpane.
***
Quite some time seemed to have passed as Lily sat on a pile of hay, her legs drawn up to her chest as she hugged them tightly. She had given up hope of finding a way out but hoped instead that her horse had gone under the shelter beside the mill.
It will be too dark for anyone to find me, she lamented hopelessly in her mind until a knock suddenly sounded at the door. Jumping to her feet, Lily rushed to the door. “I am here!” Images of Julian on the other side lifted her spirits. “I have been waiting for you.” She waited a moment, then another, but nothing happened.
Hope faded again as she sighed. The wind must have blown something against the door. She sank to the floor, shivering, and pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders.
I should not have come.
She pulled her legs up again as the wind howled furiously beyond the walls.
“Lily?!”
She looked up.
Nothing but the howling of the wind and a slight tapping coming from the door as it shifted by the hinges.
“Great, now I am hearing things out of desperation.” She sighed even harder.