The man skimmed a disinterested look over the barrels and gunnysacks. “Drive on,” he called. “The current be in your favor and me lads will have you in Ballyhack ahead o’ the dark.”
Two large men appeared at each side, one slipping a blindfold over the horse’s eyes before guiding the cart across the plank and onto the ferry. Recalling my last venture through a river, I closed my eyes tight and prayed to be spared a near drowning this time. Minutes passed, and I heard the splash of long poles moving in and out of the water. Still, I didn’t dare look, my eyes remaining shut until I felt the horse walk again.
Another hour passed by the time we arrived at a humble cottage. The front door banged open, and a woman rushed out, followed by four young girls. Seamus jumped from the cart and was soon enveloped by his family.
“Did you miss me so?” he asked good-naturedly. “Or are you hoping for a bag o’ sweets?”
“Sweets! Sweets!” the youngest girl cried, who looked no more than three years.
Seamus laughed. “So I thought, me wee darling.” He pulled a small bag from inside his coat. “Take this and go back inside. I need a word alone with your mam.”
The youngest girl took the bag of sweets and dashed indoors with her sisters close behind. When the door closed, Seamus turned to his wife. “I picked up two lasses on the roadside, Jane and Sally Duggan. They’ll be spending the night in the barn, and then be for Wexford in the morning to meet up with their da.”
The woman gave him a resigned smile. “You’re too soft-hearted for your own good.” She turned to us. “Me name’s Fianna. Come on down, and I’ll show you where to bed whilst Seamus sees to the horse.”
Ailish scrambled over the side, her feet landing soundlessly in the dirt. Standing, I rubbed the soreness from my back before grabbing the saddlebags and carefully lowering myself to the ground where Fianna swept us with an appraising eye. Satisfied, she turned toward the barn, and I had to hustle to match her stride.
Near the door, a gray tabby cat bolted across our path. “Good heavens!” I exclaimed, jumping back a step. Neither Ailish nor Fianna seemed surprised by the sudden appearance of the little beast. They continued on, the cat following them into the barn. I came in a split second later to find it rubbing against Ailish’s skirts.
Fianna set the lamp on a barrel. “That hay will serve for tonight,” she said, indicating a good-sized pile nearest to us.
The cat meowed, and Ailish squatted on her haunches to scratch its head. She leaned closer, and for a moment it looked as though she were whispering to the creature.
Fianna barely glanced at the two of them. “There’s a well behind the barn for fresh water. Get yourselves cleaned up, and I’ll send blankets and a plate o’ supper.”
“Thank you.” I dipped an awkward curtsey. “That’s more than we expected.”
She gave me a small smile, then ducked back outside, the cat close on her heels.
We washed quickly, both of us darting nervous glances at the woods that edged the field not far from the well. When we returned, thick wool blankets waited on the hay pile as promised. Atop a nearby barrel sat cups of cider and a plate filled with bread, cheese and two chicken legs. Near starved, we gulped down the meal, cleaning every last speck from the plate. Ailish had hardly spoken a word since learning the truth about Cate, and the silence continued as I scrubbed a rough cloth over my teeth before bedding down a half dozen feet from her.
I blew out the lamp, and nestled even deeper into the hay. Ailish did the same, the soft rustling noises sounding all the louder in the inky darkness. With a full belly and a soft bed, I felt better than I had all day, though Calhoun seemed to lurk in my every thought. I just hoped the ferry master wouldn’t make a connection if the charlatan came sniffing around the river tonight. To be sure, Ailish and I would put up quite a fight, and the man couldn’t capture what he couldn’t catch.
The horse snorted in its stall at the far end of the barn. Ailish rolled over, muttered something under her breath. An eternity seemed to have passed since we ran away, and for all the fuss I’d made at the time, I was now grateful for her company. Exhaustion moved over me, dulling my fears of Calhoun, nudging me closer to sleep...
“Is he very handsome then?”
Ailish’s young voice jerked me awake. My eyes blinked open as I grasped for some sense in her words. “Who?” I asked, giving up.
“Henry. Is he handsome?”
Sleepy-eyed, I pushed to one elbow. “Why do you want to know?”
From the rustle of hay, Ailish also pushed up, though it was too dark to see anything. “No reason. Just curious is all.”
Under normal circumstances I would have tempered the truth for the sake of modesty. But her voice held such eagerness, I didn’t have the heart to lie. “He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”