shoulders.
'I thought that you were in Bourne luking for Richard,' stated Elizabeth with some hesitation. 'Why are you 'ere?'
'Aye, I have comb from Bourne and I do nay 'ave gud news for you.'
Elizabeth was off the wagon now and walking toward Bromley. 'Did you nay find Richard then?' she asked.
'Nay, I culd nay find 'im,' said Bromley. 'That is why I was luking for you.'
'Whot is the news then, Bromley?' asked Elizabeth. She was visibly shaken now by the expectation that the news Bromley bore was not good news. She knew that he must have gone to great effort to get in front of them since he had left later.
Bromley looked down at the ground. He didn't want to be the bearer of unpleasant news and if he was, he certainly didn't want to see the reaction on Elizabeth's face when he shared it. He had rehearsed many times during the previous day and night what it was that he might say to her. Now he couldn't remember any of the careful words that he had chosen.
'There were no glaziers in Bourne. There had been glaziers there, boot the work was dune and they moved on.'
'And where did they go?' asked Elizabeth, trying to pull the news out of him.
'Sume say that they went to Boston, boot I do nay know.'
'Is that where you think Richard is then?'
'I do nay know, Elizabeth. Boot, there was one glazier who came from south of Bourne soon before the work was completed. By the description given to me, 'e may 'ave been Richard.'
'Yes, go on,' urged Elizabeth.
'This glazier was a yung man and 'e was a journeyman,' said Bromley as he seemed to be stalling to say anymore.
Elizabeth sensed that the worst was yet to be said. Her lip started to quiver and her heart started to race. Then she started crying. Sobbing, she said, 'Where is Richard, Bromley? Tell me where Richard is.'
'I do nay know. All that I know is that I was told that this yung man matching Richard's description fell from one of the windows of the abbey where the work was being dune and deed.' Bromley felt as though he had blurted out the words, but it seemed that was the only way that he was going to be able to get them out.
Elizabeth was sobbing now and fell to her knees in the mud at Bromley's feet. She grabbed his legs and cried out, 'No, this can nay be true. Me Richard can nay be deed.'
Her mother was kneeling next to her now and hugged her close. Neither said a word. Elizabeth laid her head on her mothers breast and cried. Her mother looked up at Bromley and she started to weep.
'I am so soory, Elizabeth,' Bromley offered. He genuinely meant it and his heart ached.
He was uncomfortable with the situation and was not prepared for such emotion. He then did something that he regretted from that moment on. He turned and walked away toward Stamford. He didn't mean any harm, he just was not equipped emotionally to be the support that Elizabeth needed.
After what seemed a hour, Elizabeth lifted her head and wiped her eyes on the shirt that she was wearing. Her face was dirty from traveling and the wetness of the tears left streaks on her face. She slowly stood and looked back down the road. She could still see Bromley slowly trudging along. His shoulders seemed stooped and his head hung. She felt sorry for him. He hadn't wanted the responsibility of carrying such awful news and he must have gone to great effort to find her. Her heart ached for him, for herself and for Richard. She hoped that Bromley would find Margaret well.
As she climbed resolutely into the wagon, her father squeezed her hand. 'Elizabeth,' he said. 'Bromley did nay say that 'e knew for certain. Do nay give up 'ope so easily.'
Elizabeth held the reins in her hand and gazed at her father. 'You are right,' she said, 'I must nay give up 'ope so quickly. I shuld trust in God.'
With her mother in the wagon now, she gave the reins a quick shake and the ox pressed against the harness again. She stared straight ahead with a gaze that didn't focus on anything. Her mind was on Richard. Was it really he who had fallen? How would she know? She should have told Bromley to tell Richard to find her in Trowell if he was alive. But, surely Bromley