Jerome carefully removed the branches while Isabel held her breath, imagining that the outlaws were waiting outside for them to make a move. She had visions of the outlaws jumping out of the bushes to ambush Jerome. But all remained quiet.
When Jerome moved out of sight, Isabel suddenly panicked. She didn’t want to be alone. It was all she could do to stay in their hiding place. Fortunately Jerome was back in a matter of minutes, and she gave a huge sigh of relief.
“Their horses are gone. They may be searching for you.” He reached for Isabel’s hand. Stiff from being in the cramped space, Isabel was happy to have his help.
Looking Isabel full in the face for the first time in the daylight, Jerome’s mouth fell open. “What happened to you?”
Isabel realized he was staring at her cheek, and she touched the sensitive area where she had been struck by the outlaw. “Does it look that bad?”
“The whole side of your face, it’s discolored and swollen. You didn’t tell me you fell.” Then he looked more closely and asked, “Did someone hit you?”
“One of the outlaws. We should be going,” she urged.
“I’ll cut his heart out!” he roared. “Which one did it?”
“Jerome, I don’t need you to cut anybody’s heart out,” she said, trying not to laugh. “I need you to help me get away from here. I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks.”
He was still fuming about her injury, muttering to himself. Isabel tried again to persuade him to focus on the present problem.
“Lord Chetwynd may be looking for us already. We need to make our way to the other side of the river where I was kidnapped. Since we don’t have horses, it won’t be easy to get across. Can we cross on foot somewhere, or do we need to wade through the water?”
Her question succeeded in turning his mind to strategy. “We don’t need to cross the river until we get to the aqueduct. We can travel along the riverbank until we reach it, cross over it, and climb down on the other side. With the outlaws on horseback, we’ll hear them if they return. We must stay close to cover as we move.”
They spent most of the day making their way carefully along the rugged terrain. The need to make sure there was always a place to hide nearby meant they had to take many detours, slowing their progress.
A soft rain began to fall. The rain kept them from becoming too thirsty, but they were both hungry. As Isabel grew tired, it became harder for her to keep her footing on the uneven slope of the canyon. Although neither one complained, their progress slowed even further.
Isabel was trying to keep pace with Jerome when she twisted her ankle and fell to her knees. Jerome was immediately at her side. “Sit down and rest, my lady.”
She almost laughed because she knew there was no way she could have done anything else. “Maybe you should go on alone, Jerome,” she suggested, although she dreaded the thought and was relieved by his answer.
“No. We stay together. We both need a rest.” Then he sat down as well.
After what seemed a short time to Isabel, Jerome stood up again and offered her his hand. Isabel wasn’t sure she could stand, but she found that her ankle, although sore, supported her. In silence she followed Jerome. “It’s not far now,” he promised.
When they finally reached the aqueduct, the familiar landscape lifted Isabel’s spirits. Aches, hunger, and fatigue were almost forgotten.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she remarked, sitting down to stare at the structure.
“It’s a bridge,” Jerome replied, obviously wondering how a bridge could be considered beautiful. “When we cross it, we’re going to be in plain sight of anyone watching.”
Isabel acknowledged the problem with a nod. They were sitting about halfway up the steep slope. “Perhaps we should climb down to the river and wade across,” she said, though she didn’t believe she could take another step.
“I don’t think so. The river flows rapidly in the middle where it’s deep. It would be risky.”
They sat resting, pondering their predicament. It was late afternoon, but they still had plenty of daylight hours to find their way to the convent. Finally, Jerome made a suggestion.
“I’ll go across the bridge alone. If anyone is watching, I’m just a peasant crossing the aqueduct. The bandits don’t know I’m with you. I’ll be able to have a good look around from up there. If it’s safe, I’ll come back for you. You can hide behind these bushes, and you’ll be able to see me when I’m on the aqueduct.”
The ledge they were sitting on protected Isabel from view from below. She wondered if the plan was as safe as he made it sound. “Don’t take any chances,” she warned him.
Jerome nodded, then started his climb up the steep bank, going slowly so as not to disturb the rocks and start a landslide. He had a distance to go before he could climb onto the aqueduct and start across. Although Isabel hated being alone, she told herself she would be able to see him when he reached the aqueduct.
Jerome had only been gone a few minutes when Isabel heard a rock rolling down the hill below her. From the sound she guessed someone was climbing up the bank toward her. Isabel pulled back on the ledge. Whoever it was must have spotted Jerome and was following him. If she were correct, the climber would not expect anyone to be so close. Determined to protect Jerome, Isabel picked up a large rock with the idea of stopping the climber.
There was no further sound. Isabel tried to see if anyone was below, but the ledge made it impossible to see beyond it without leaning out over the rim. If the climber came close, she would have a good chance to attack him from above. She weighed the large rock
