Without warning, her shoe, slippery from the mud in the tunnel, shot out from under her and she crashed back against the wall, sliding down it. She scrabbled to find a footing, but there was nothing, nothing beneath her feet. She was sliding down the slope of the floor. She was falling into the hole. She thrashed wildly, trying to find something to hold on to, but her cold hands encountered only the smooth wet flagstones. She screamed, her legs kicking into the black empty space.
Light suddenly blinded her and even as she blinked her eyes, she felt a rough hand grab her wrist and yank her up so hard she cried out again, this time in pain. But with her other hand she managed to grasp a booted ankle and she hauled herself into a sitting position. Still holding on to the thick, sturdy legs, she clung there, shaking with terror.
Talbot hauled her to her feet.
'Another inch and you'd have been dead, lass,' Talbot said gruffly. He pushed his misshapen nose close to hers. 'So, what you doing skulking down here?'
She could smell his hot, sour breath, but tried not to turn her face away. 'I ... I was hiding. I didn't want to ... entertain the men.'
'Is that so?'
He held the blazing torch up so close to her head that she was afraid he was going to burn her. She still had her back to the hole and dared not wrench herself away in case she fell again. He peered behind her at the corner of the stairs. 'I reckon Ma's right, you have found a way out of here.'
It was on the tip of her tongue to deny it, but then she saw it was useless. 'I did find a gate, but I couldn't open it. It's too heavy.'
He stared at her for several moments and his eyes narrowed. Then he lowered the torch. 'You seen that boy, Finch?'
Elena swallowed. 'He was heading towards the kitchens last time I saw him.' She knew Luce would have already checked there, but at least it was the opposite direction to the cellar.
'Aye, well, he's not there now,' Talbot growled. 'That bastard'll not be kept waiting much longer. Ma'll feed us to the beasts if we don't find the brat soon.'
Elena left Talbot continuing to search the cellar. She knew he would check the gate and she prayed with all her strength that Finch would have had the courage to run before Talbot went down that passage.
Elena raced back to the sleeping chamber. She only had one thought in mind. She had to buy enough time for Finch to get far enough away. If they discovered he was not here, and Talbot mentioned finding Elena in the cellar, it wouldn't take Ma a fingersnap to realize what had happened and send Talbot to search the river bank for him. Elena had to divert them.
She stripped off her own muddy kirtle and dashed cold water on her face and arms. She looked wildly around. An angel's gown still lay across one of the pallets. It was old and slightly torn, which was why the other women had rejected it. She pulled it on. It had been made for a woman twice her weight and height. The front hung loose in a low sweep, exposing most of her breasts.
She dared not delay, but ran out and across the garden. To her alarm she saw Talbot making his way across to Ma from the other side. She had to reach Ma first. She was half-way across when the young lad she'd abandoned stepped out in front of her, eyeing her new costume with a mixture of undisguised drooling and the kind of acute embarrassment that he might feel if his mother caught him with his hand up a woman's skirt.
'Are you . . . did you get some wine?' he finished lamely, evidently not having given up hope, even after all this time, that she would keep her promise.
'I'll be back,' she said, pushing past him, feeling desperately sorry for him as she heard the snorts of laughter and jeers from the boy's brother and his friends. But she could do nothing for the lad, except hope that one of the other girls would take pity on him.
She reached Ma just before Talbot. Hugh was sitting in a carved chair beside her. Ma was evidently trying to keep him occupied by talking, but he had long since given up any pretence of