Timeless

CHAPTER 39

1521

“T hey’re getting closer,” Frances revealed as she climbed off her horse and tied him to the post they’d built long ago.

“How much closer?” Agnes asked.

Frances walked over to her and kissed her hello after having been gone for a full day and night, checking on the encroaching villagers, which she did a few times a year to be safe.

“Two-day ride from here at the east. Four days from the west, last I checked, but I need to go back that way. Nothing from the north, and they’re still at least ten days away from the south. Since the last ride I went on was only a month ago, they couldn’t have gotten any closer than that.”

“We’ve had this place to ourselves for so long now,” Agnes said, looking around the woods surrounding the property and the field that they’d partly turned into a farm for their crops.

“We should be all right for another year or so, but they might start trying to take a path through the woods behind us, now that there are villages all around here. If they do that, we’re at risk. All it takes is one group of merchants realizing there are two women living alone in our house for something to happen to us.” Frances pulled her wife in close. “My love, it might be time for us to make that plan we’ve been putting off.”

“I don’t want to leave here, Frances,” Agnes replied.

“I don’t want to leave, either, but if they make that road to the other villages to expand their trade, we’re in danger. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“And I don’t want anything to happen to you . I already worry when you’re gone longer than you said you’d be. ”

“I know. I’m sorry I was gone longer this time. I wanted to learn as much as I could before I returned to you. Agnes, what was the name of the man you were to marry?”

“Knight. George Knight. Why?”

“I thought so,” she said and pulled out of the embrace. “It seems he’s made quite a name for himself, and he’s been expanding his trade in this direction. I… saw your brother, Edward, with him. He appears to be working for the man. I only ever really saw your mother outside of Edward, so I don’t know if anyone else is with him, but I didn’t see anyone else who looked like you, at least.”

“You saw Edward?”

Frances nodded. Edward had been several years older, but she’d recognize him anywhere. She’d first seen the back of his head, and that was the side of him she’d seen all those years ago now, when she’d pulled Agnes from his grasp and that barn. When he’d turned, she’d been certain that it was him. She had also heard the name Knight and remembered Agnes telling her that she was to marry a man called Knight before they’d run off together instead.

“He seems to be all right, but he’s working for Knight, which makes me wonder why. He should be working for your father, running the farm. The only thing I can think is that your father did something when you left; promised one of his sons to Knight instead of his daughter in marriage.”

“He might have. He needed the money for the farm. Things were getting bad when I left. Edward…”

“Looked good, Agnes,” Frances said and cupped her wife’s cheek. “They’re only two, maybe three days from here, though, and while Knight wouldn’t recognize you because you never met him, your brother certainly would. I’m afraid that it might be time for us to push north or south. To the north would be best, from what I could gather on my last trip. There’s a pasture where cows graze. We might be able to turn that into a new farm and build a home like this one there. If not, there are other places for us to go.”

Frances watched Agnes look around again before the woman gave her one solemn nod in reluctant agreement.

“You’re right. We should begin packing what we can, just in case we have to go quickly. I’ll start on the food.”

Frances kissed her forehead and said, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Agnes replied.

Later that night, Agnes and Frances made love in their bed for what would be the final time, without knowing that that would be the case. They touched one another slowly at first, then hurriedly, and then slowly once more before finally, sated, they fell asleep. The next morning, Frances awoke first and dressed quietly, kissing her wife on the nose before she made her way outside to fetch more wood for the fire that Agnes would need to cook with. She was met with a man on horseback. He had parked his horse just off their house and was glaring down at her.

“I was right,” he said.

“What do you want? You can–”

“I saw you at the market. I remember you,” Edward replied. “I took off not long after you left. You were easy to track. My father taught me, and he was the best tracker in our village.”

“Was?”

Frances turned to see Agnes standing just inside the door, still wearing her nightshirt.

“Agnes, get inside. Lock the door,” Frances said.

“Agnes?” Edward checked. “Is that really you?”

“Yes, Brother,” she answered.

“I thought you dead,” he said.

“I’m not. What are you doing here, Edward?”

“I saw the woman who took you from our home at the market and followed her tracks as soon as I could get away.” He climbed off of his horse. “I thought… I thought you’d been sold or worse.”

“She was being sold by your father,” Frances returned and moved between him and Agnes.

“She was to be married,” Edward replied. “That was her role in our family. Because she wasn’t, our father gave me to the man who was to be her husband, and I have to work for him until he tells me that I no longer have to. Our brother has had to take care of our farm on his own because of you.” He glared at Agnes. “I have no wife or children because of you. So, tell me, Sister, did you leave on your own with this woman, or did she take you and force you to stay?”

“I’ve never forced Agnes to do anything,” Frances said.

“I came willingly,” Agnes added and walked to stand next to Frances, who held her arm out in front of Agnes.

“You left your family, your husband, your responsibilities,” Edward said.

“He wasn’t my husband.”

“You were promised to him. Money was exchanged, Agnes.”

“Edward, where is Father?”

“Long dead. You dying – or so we thought – and him having to save the farm with the money he couldn’t afford to return forced him to give the man his son to work for free. He died two years after you ran off with whoever this person is.”

“She’s my wife.”

Frances turned to her with wide eyes. Agnes couldn’t tell anyone that they were married in their own eyes and to them, in the eyes of God. Had they been caught, they were supposed to tell anyone that they were sisters, just passing through a village or town.

“She’s your what ?” Edward asked.

“Edward, you were a good brother to me. You taught me things that I wasn’t supposed to learn as a girl. You treated me better than our father and brother, and sometimes, even our mother. I need you to go and pretend as if you didn’t see me here.”

“I can’t do that. I need to take you to George. You’re supposed to be his wife.”

“He’s not married again?”

“Of course, he married again. But she died a year ago now. He’s had his daughter taking care of their two children, but she’s about to be wed herself, so he needs a new wife. I’ll take you to him to see if he still even wants you, and if he does, I can end this indentured servitude and find a wife of my own.”

“You won’t come near her,” Frances warned. “I will kill you if you try to take her or harm her in any way.”

“You can’t stop me. With our father dead, she belongs to my brother, and I’m acting in his stead. He would agree with me that it’s time that she does her duty to our family. George still needs sons. He has only daughters. You’ll provide them if you still can. Are you still untouched as you should be?”

“No,” Agnes said.

“You gave yourself to another man?” Edward asked, making a move toward Agnes that Frances moved to stop.

“No, I gave myself to her . Frances is my wife.”

“You let a woman touch you how a man should?” he asked and shook his head, looking disgusted. “You’re still untouched, then, in the eyes of God. You’ll have to answer to Him when your time comes. And He’ll judge your sin. It’s time to go now, Agnes. Whatever life you’ve managed for yourself here was never supposed to happen, and it’s time for you to do your duty.”

Frances turned to look into Agnes’s eyes, and they told her all that she needed to know.

“I won’t leave with you,” Agnes told him.

“You will either come with me willingly, or I will take you with me by force. Those are your only options, Sister. Now, get on my horse and–”

Frances used the knife she always kept on her hip and plunged it into his side. She wasn’t trying to kill him. She didn’t want to kill her wife’s brother. But she couldn’t let him take Agnes, nor could she think of anything else to do. He was much larger than her, and in less than an instant, he could’ve pushed her aside, plucked Agnes off the ground, placed her on his horse, and had a head start on Frances that she might never be able to make up .

“Agnes, get the bags,” she instructed as she pulled the knife out of Edward’s side while he was in shock, clutching his bleeding hip before he fell to his knees. “And you will stay here,” she said to him. “You can use whatever you find in the house to take care of your wound. We’re taking your horse. If you come after us again, Edward, I will kill you.” Edward fell over, and she saw the blood on the ground now. “You will tell no one that Agnes is still alive. If you do, I will kill you, Edward. I have friends who will help me should I need them. To you and the rest of the world, she is long dead. Understood?”

“I only wanted…” he tried.

“It doesn’t matter what you wanted. It only matters what she wants, and she doesn’t want to leave with you. Heal yourself and go back the way you came on foot. Edward, I will do anything I have to do to protect my wife, so you will do best to remember that.”

“I’ve got the bags,” Agnes said. “But we don’t have–”

“It’s all right. Get on his horse. I’ll take ours,” Frances said quickly. Then, she looked down at Edward and added, “Tell Knight and anyone else who might care to hear you speak that you ran into bandits who stole your horse and who occupy this area. It’s best if everyone stays away from here.” She slid her knife back into its sheath and helped Agnes get the bags onto the horses. “Ride,” she told her wife. “I’m right behind you.”

Agnes took off on Edward’s horse, and Frances watched her for a moment before she knelt down in front of him.

“Tell me that you understand, Edward.”

He hesitated but nodded.

“She’s my sister.”

“Not anymore. Your sister is dead, isn’t she? She died a long time ago. Say it. Your sister is dead.”

“My sister is dead,” he repeated, still clutching his side.

“Take care of your wound or you’ll soon see it infected.” She stood up and climbed onto her horse. “Remember what I said, Edward. ”

He didn’t say anything else, but Frances was pretty sure she saw a small nod before he collapsed all the way to the ground. She took the reins and rode off in the direction she’d sent Agnes. Catching up with her in the woods, they turned north since they’d been riding west at first because Edward would likely send people looking for them in that direction if he didn’t listen to Frances’s orders.

“Did you kill him?” Agnes asked hours later when they started walking the horses, out of immediate danger now.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Should you have?”

“I hope not,” she replied. “With the wound I gave him, he won’t be able to get far for a few days, at least. Then, he’ll be walking, so we can rest the horses up ahead at the river for a while and check our supplies since we didn’t get to do that before we fled. We’ll ride through the night to be safe.”

“All right,” Agnes said.

“How are you?” Frances checked.

“I thought he’d let us be,” Agnes replied after a long moment. “But he only wanted me to replace him with that man so that he could live the life he wanted while I would belong to another.”

“I am sorry, my love.”

“So am I. I loved my brothers once, but no more.” Agnes turned her face toward her. “But I have all the love I need.”

Frances gave her a soft smile.

Not long after, they rested the horses and checked on their supplies before they took off once more, using the cover of darkness to hide them and the rushing river to guide them along their path north. When morning came, Frances found a spot by the river that would give them enough cover, tied up the horses, and they ate a small breakfast. She’d have to start hunting soon because they would be out of what they had packed shortly. When she turned around, after tucking their supplies back onto the horses, she was surprised to see Agnes wading nude into the cool water of the now-lazy river. She smiled softly at her wife, watching her clean herself in the river. Frances removed her own clothing then and walked into the water, wrapping Agnes up in her arms from behind and looking out at the rolling hills beyond the river.

“What now, Frances?” Agnes asked her.

“Now, we start over,” she replied and kissed her neck.

“How many times must we start over?”

“As many as it takes. Time after time. Forever, if it means you and I get to be together and I get to hold you like this.”

They stayed like that in the water for several minutes before Agnes began shivering from the cold, so they bathed quickly before they made their way to the shore and put their clothes back on. Then, they climbed back onto their horses and rode off as the sun continued to rise amongst rolling hills, a flowing river, and fields of honeysuckle.