Influences of Stars

Chapter 10

"I'll need you to take up the timber to the mill today," John said, breaking the silence of breakfast. Once his command had been declared, the quiet continued. With irritation, he clattered down his spoon, kicked Theo from beneath the table and said, "Did you hear me?"

"His head's in the clouds, as usual," his sister said. Theo did not react to the clamouring with any great jilt, but he looked up from his dreams and followed the anger to reach his brother in law's gaze. He murmured his apologies under his breath and agreed to whatever he was told, unable to fully engage himself because he lived in yesterday still.

His mind kept on returning to Charis- the soft and kind look she gave him when she said that word. Love. Had she even known? Her smile had been alive with a tenderness she formed in response to him; to know that was to know heaven itself. He could see her before him, moving within the light and defending him over something awkward he had done when the others laughed; the sight was warmth for it meant that she knew him, lived by him, took joy from his presence.

He tried to stop his thoughts and restrict them to memories only. He couldn't think about what they meant to him because he knew how strange it must be when they had grown up side by side. Still, he longed and he hoped. The hope itself was enough to sustain him.

Yes, he could live in his mind. That was well enough for him.

He continued to slip away into a world of his own making, not even able to be pulled away by Constance stepping in despite how unusual it was that she should come at such an early hour. It wasn't until she sat before him, when his vacant gaze could see the twisted paleness of her features that shone out amongst the drab construction around him, that his mind returned.

A sick worry pushed any distractions from his mind. "What's wrong?" he asked her. He almost reached out for her hand before remembering that they were not alone. He kept his hands on his lap, pulling at a thread which had become loose along the seam of his breeches whilst his head whirred.

"You shall all be told soon enough. Mr Marlow has sent his men out to inform the whole town," Constance said. Theo waited for her to continue. It only took her a moment's pause to be able to do so. "We must all go to the church by noon. There's be a questioning. My grandma has been arrested for witchcraft."

"I'm so sorry, Constance," Theo said. "You must be sick with worry. What may I do to help?"

"There's no point fussing over her. She's condemned herself; she told us as much," Constance said a little coolly. Theo couldn't believe she meant it sincerely but there was a bite to her voice which suggested a vexation. It was true that Agnes had never presented herself in accordance to how she should. As Theo moved to ease her harshness, she cut off his speech and seemed to soften a little. She placed her hand to her head and, overridden with frustration said, "The councilmen took Tibby with them. I tried to find out what happened to her but I couldn't."

Theo's heart dropped. The weight lifted him up, the chair he sat on pushing out in a screech. "Did they arrest her, too?"

"I don't know."

"Where is she being kept?"

He spoke louder than Constance had ever heard him do so before. There was an urgency about him. Constance wanted to tell him that there was nothing he could do. He wasn't verses in the prosecution of witches, nor any public matter for that fact. He had no standing in the town, no eloquence, no wealth. However, for once Constance silenced herself before him; she inhibited her disparaging and chose words of kindness instead. "I'm in as much ignorance as you. There is nothing we can do but go to the church with everybody else...and hope there is a little intelligence among us."