Song of the Heart - Alexa Aston Page 0,61

it makes them feel better to reward you in this manner.”

“Thank you, my lord,” she murmured.

“Ashby, Madeleine. After all, we are old friends.” He winked at her and went on.

Madeleine found herself very pleased with the additional funds. They would make her trip go much more easily. She would have more than enough to pay for her passage to France. This way, she could give the jewels she’d saved to the Mother Superior of the convent she joined, thus guaranteeing her keep for the rest of her natural life.

The group had only one more day at Stanbury before they loaded their belongings and headed further west. Madeleine promised, after Lyssa’s insistent pleadings, that she and Evan would spend the day with the young girl. Annie saw to the packing of a picnic lunch for them and so they set off to explore, Luke tagging along.

The threesome followed a stream into the forest that surrounded Stanbury. They stopped at a shady spot for their meal. Cook had provided hunks of bread and cheese, cold chicken, and sweetmeats. They enjoyed their feast then lay on the blanket playing with Luke.

The heavily wooded forest blocked out much of the sunlight. Madeleine did not realize that the sky had become dark or that rain was on its way until a sudden thunderclap startled them.

“Quickly, children, let’s pack up and head back to the castle. I fear we’re about to get caught in a downpour.”

Evan and Lyssa gathered up the leftovers and placed them in the basket.

“Let’s put Luke in the basket, too,” Madeleine told them. “He’ll never be able to keep up with us. Besides, he’s acting a bit skittish because of the thunder.”

Just as Evan reached for the kitten, a loud thunderbolt rang out. The kitten scrambled up a nearby tree, running out onto a slim branch that hung over the water. He clung to the limb, clearly terrified by his first storm.

Lyssa wailed. “We can’t leave without Luke!”

“Shush, love, of course we won’t.” Madeleine, though tall, could not reach the kitten. “Come, Evan, climb upon my shoulders and mayhap you can reach Luke.”

She bent and let Evan scamper up on her shoulders, his legs hanging down, swinging happily. She stood under where Luke was perched but Evan could not grasp him as the kitten moved back and forth with every noise that rang from the sky. Madeleine urged Evan to stand upon her shoulders but the little boy did not have the skill to do so.

Lyssa was crying heartily now. Drops of rain hit Madeleine in the face. She hesitated, knowing she must go up into the tree and reclaim Luke or Lyssa would be heartbroken. But the thought of climbing that high made her heart rebel, pounding so loudly she thought it might pop from her chest.

Madeleine had never understood her fear of heights, which had been with her from her earliest memories. Only her greater fear of Henri suppressed it long enough for her to escape from Frothmore by climbing from the keep’s window to flee through the sally port. That had been a much greater height than this tree but she’d still been deathly afraid.

Oh, Mary, Mother of God, be with me now, be with me now. Please, please, be with me now. This prayer echoed over and over in her mind.

Mouth dry, her stomach in knots, she said, “I must go up and get Luke. Stand back.”

She lifted her foot and placed it into a knothole as she grabbed the lowest branch available. Hoisting herself up, her knee groaned under the strain. Madeleine climbed until she could go out on the limb Luke had chosen to cling to in his fear. She eyed the kitten, his fur now soaked, wondering whose fear was greater. All she wanted was to return to the sweet ground where she belonged. God had not meant for her to be as a bird, flitting in this tree.

“Come on, Luke,” she said to him in gentle, coaxing tones. “Come see Madeleine, my good boy.”

Lightning crackled, causing Luke to slowly back further onto the branch. A loud boom rang through the forest and the terrified kitten skittered even further away, his fur standing on end.

“No, sweet kitty, come here,” Madeleine begged. She scooted out as far as she dared on the slender limb. After stretching, she had the kitten within her grasp.

Madeleine stroked him to calm him. “That’s my boy,” she purred and clasped him in her hand just as thunder roared again.

The children began