Once inside the entry of the church, the familiar musty smell of damp stone greeted Richard. He slowly opened the door of the chapel and it yielded with a slight creak. There was no one inside the chapel, so Richard closed the door behind him and went outside. Richard was very disappointed. He thought that certainly he would find the girl at Barnack. Now he determined to get Geva and head for home.
As Richard rounded the corner of the building he saw two boys about his age, maybe a little younger, standing very close to Geva. One appeared to be holding her shoulder. Instantly, he felt a sense of alarm. 'Whot was the intent of these strangers?' he wondered as his mind raced.
Richard ran to his sister's side and pushed one of the boys away. 'Oy, get away from me sister,' demanded Richard in a voice that even surprised himself. The force of the push landed the boy on the ground and with that his companion jumped on Richard's back and started to strangle Richard with his forearm. The other boy jumped up and started punching Richard. Geva started crying and pulling at the boy on Richard's back.
Richard's adrenaline was so high that he didn't feel the blows, but he was running out of breath. He fell to his hands and knees and just when he thought that he might lose consciousness, he heard a female voice command the boys to stop.
'Stop it! If you do nay stop, you will 'urt 'im. You are 'urting him!'
With that the boy on his back released him and the other boy stopped the punches.
Geva was crying still and reached down to help Richard up. Richard took a moment to catch his breath before standing. When he did stand, he was standing right in front of the girl from the market. Richard was so surprised that he gasped and stepped backward. Elizabeth was also surprised to see the boy from the market.
'Are you going to be alright?' asked Elizabeth.
Richard stood straight with his head erect as though nothing had happened. 'Aye, I am fine.'
'Please forgive me friends, they really are nice lads,' offered Elizabeth. 'Oh, you 'ave a cut abuve your eee.'
Elizabeth had a small cloth that she was now using to clean the cut above Richard's eye.
'We are soory,' one of the boys said. 'You surprised us so and you can nay be too careful. We meant no 'arm to your sister.'
'It is fine,' said Richard. He would have taken the beating again for the opportunity of finding the girl. Now he really didn't want to call attention to the fact that they were getting the better of him.
'You luk familiar to me. Whot is your name?' asked Elizabeth.
'I am Richard Easton and this is me sister Geva. We are from Easton-on-the-'ill.'
'Whot are you doing 'ere then? I 'ave seen you before.'
Richard was trying desperately to think of a reason that they were in Barnack, but his thoughts were interrupted by Elizabeth.
'You are the boy from the market. I 'ave seen you in the market, 'aven't I?'
'Yes, you 'ave,' stated Geva cheerfully. ''e goes there to watch you.'
Richard's face turned bright red and he glared at Geva. 'Why,' he thought, ''ad I insisted that she come along?'
'So, whot is your name, then?' asked Richard.
'I am Elizabeth and you 'ave met me companions. They are nay so rude as they seem.' Her friends looked down at the ground and kicked the dirt.
'You live in Barnack then?' asked Richard.
'Nay, we live in Burghley. You must have passed it on your way from Stamford.'
'Nay, we did nay comb by way of Stamford,' said Geva.
'Oh luk, you are bleeding again. Comb with us to Burghley and me mum will clean your cut,' invited Elizabeth.
Richard could not believe what he was hearing. He wanted to hug her friends for giving him the beating. He was now being invited to go to her house. 'Elizabeth,' he thought to himself, 'whot a beaut'iful name for a luvly creature.' He couldn't take his eyes off of her.
As Richard and Geva walked with Elizabeth and her friends to Burghley, Geva and Elizabeth did most of the talking. They seemed to be best friends already.
Elizabeth's mother cleaned the cut above Richard's eye and then invited them to stay for a midday meal. Elizabeth's father appreciated the fact that Richard had taken a few minutes to cut some wood for him. It was nearing mid-afternoon before Richard and