Voices Deep Inside (Book 1)

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The Tunnel

The harvest festivities continued for the next week as the Broughton family enjoyed the estate. Hunting parties, horse rides, and picnics filled their day.

In the evening, the staff set up lavish dinner parties along with nightly card games. Cigar smoke filled the den as gamblers drank their brandy. In the parlor, ladies indulged in gossip and sipped on sherry.

The kitchen became crowded with extra help and preparation. The Broughton family brought baskets of fresh harvest vegetables and plenty of fresh meat, including fish. They donated barrels of whiskey and beer, along with cheese and fall fruits.

Agnes was in all her glory as she commanded the troops, which included Talia. She worked mainly making dough for bread and rolls. By nightfall, her arms ached from kneading the dough.

As the festivities continued throughout the week, Roman dug in the tunnel, removing rock after rock. Two or three more days, he would be through the wall to the outside of the tower.

As he dug, he thought of nothing but Talia. Roman had convinced himself it would be too dangerous to take her with him when he tried to escape. He could not bring himself to tell her.

Talia had everything prepared to leave. She packed her cleanest servant's dress, the coins she had saved that Agnes had given her, and her favorite scarf. Talia had shined her boots and brushed her long, black cloak. She secured the letter and the ring in a pouch she carried at all times.

Talia rolled her few possessions in a blanket and tied it tight with a rope. She hid the roll under her cot. She continued to work during the day and bring food to Roman during the night.

She could tell that he was close to leaving. He became distant in his conversations and never agreed to plans on where to meet.

Roman crawled out of the tunnel when he heard her voice. The softness of her voice in the dark made him tingle with desire as she faithfully delivered nourishment.

He pulled the long black cloak that she gave him up around his shoulders as he wrapped up for warmth on the platform he had built.

While he ate his bread, guilt overtook him as he looked straight ahead at the tunnel that grew longer every day.

Roman was determined to survive and escape. Then, he and his family would come back to seek revenge on Omar Huntley and bring an end to the fighting.

The feelings of hatred of the Huntley family made him work long hours removing the dirt by scraping the walls of the tunnel. Using one of the burlap bags that Talia had used to lower supplies and food, he filled with dirt and emptied onto the pad of spikes.

The removal process was tedious, but he was alive.

* * *

Talia's nerves felt frazzled, knowing she would leave any day soon. She hugged old Pa and giggled with Ida, giving her a big squeeze on her shoulders. It was late one night when Agnes cornered her.

Agnes saw how tired she looked, and she knew Talia was up to something.

"Do ya want to tell me where you been traipsing off to every night and why the secrecy?" asked Agnes. "You plan on going somewhere?"

It was the final straw. Overworked and overtired, Talia burst into tears and hugged Agnes for all she was worth. Agnes led her over to the fire, and they sat on two small stools as Talia told Agnes everything.

"Fie, girl. Do ya really think he is going to take you with him?" asked Agnes.

"He gave a letter to his family with his promise and his family ring," said Talia.

She showed Agnes the ring.

"Ay, that be the crest of Thanturnam, crown of laurel," said Agnes, as she admired the size of the ring.

"I'm so glad I told you," said Talia. "I didn't know how I was going to say goodbye to you."

"I don't think you should go," said Agnes, standing up to stir the fire. "What happens if you're caught? Have you thought it could be worse?"

Talia remained quiet as Agnes chided her for not thinking. In the back of her mind, she had played out worse case scenarios and tried to problem solve each dilemma. Her heart continued to come to the same conviction that she needed to try.

Agnes helped Talia to bed and tucked her in with a kiss, along with covers pulled up tight. Talia fell asleep with the burden of secrecy lifted from her shoulders and slept through the night.

Roman worried through the evening when Talia did not show up. She had been so consistent, never missing a day. He knew nothing what was happening. Perhaps she had been caught and was being punished because of him.

He worked at a fevered pitch that night as he chiseled away at the roof of the tunnel. He had discovered a tree root on the right side of the tunnel. From there, he worked upward, scraping each layer of dirt. He could feel the hair-like roots of plants and grass.

Tonight, he used his cloak to pull the dirt out of the tunnel. Then he flung the dirt over the spikes and piles of bones. Each time, after shaking his cloak, he would listen for any sounds of footsteps.

Roman then reminded himself that he was of the upper class, and she was simply a servant girl. He knew it would be too dangerous to take her. Roman gathered his cloak and went back into the tunnel to continue digging.

He laid on his back, using a sharpened bone to cut through the layers of roots. Suddenly, Roman felt the bone slice through the seam. He pushed his free hand through the opening. The fresh night air rushed in through the opening, and it was the sweetest air Roman had ever smelled.

He quickly worked to score the next cut in the ceiling. Roman pulled out his cloak and shook off the dirt. He gathered his cache of supplies and tied them into a bundle with a rope. Eagerly Roman went into the tunnel, scraping and pulling the large piece of sod from the roof of the tunnel.

He used the chisel and hammer to slice through one tap at a time. Then, he would use the sharpened bone to slice in deeper on the seam. He was so close he could almost taste freedom.

Roman laid on his back and pulled the chunk of sod, loosening it on the third side. He sliced through the final roots and pulled himself up on to the ground. He shook off his cape and pulled up his cache, which was tied to his foot.

He looked around to get his bearings in the dark and orient himself to Talia's directions. He walked in the shadows of the castle wall until he reached the ongoing construction of the new tower.

Roman caught the smells of the horse barn, and he stayed in the shadows as he maneuvered closer to the corrals. In the moonlight, Roman recognized his horses in the back paddock. He stayed in the brush line of the shadows and crept to where his horses were kept.

He was pleased to see they were well cared for and in fine shape. Roman slipped into the paddock and walked amongst them. He spotted the black stallion that was the best jumper of them all.

Roman quickly mounted him bareback and leaned into his neck to talk gently to the horse. With the hood of the black cloak pulled over his head, he rode the horse a distance back from the fence, and then with a full gallop, he and the stallion sailed over the fence and rode hard to the next tree line, climbed the ridge and rode south to the Thanturnam Estates.