Flight and Fancy

Chapter 12

The woman picked up her bucket and walked outside to the well to fill it. Magnus looked at the woman. There was something familiar about her. He hadn't taken much notice of the couple's appearance to this point. The woman had long ebony hair braided and hanging down her back. it shone in the sunlight. The woman's husband noticed Magnus looking at his wife.

"Don't get any ideas, son!" he said sharply to Magnus.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare and cause alarm. There is something very familiar about your wife's appearance." Magnus said looking back to the man's concerned face. "Who are you?"

"I am Simon Jacobson and the woman is my wife, Amelia. We have lived in this cottage for the past nine years after being run off the farm which we had worked." Simon offered.

Magnus looked at Simon as if he had seen a ghost.

"I know where your daughter resides!" Magnus said to Simon.

Simon dropped to his knees and placed his hands on his face. He raise one hand and rubbed his hair as he looked from the ground back to Magnus's face.

"How could this be?" Simon mumbled to himself.

Magnus squatted down and placed his hands on Simon's shoulders.

"We have been searching for you and your wife for some time so that you and your daughter may be reunited." spoke Magnus.

Simon began to cry, "We have thought she was dead!"

Emotion overcame him as he struggled with the knowledge of his beautiful daughter being alive. He and Amelia had given up hope of Isabelle being alive a few years after she was kidnapped. Amelia turned from the well and saw the two men and thought  Simon had been injured. She dropped her bucket, spraying water over the side of her dress and hurried to where they were.

"Simon, Simon, what's the matter? Are you hurt?  Are you..." panic laced Amelia's questioning.

"I'm fine dear. My emotional state is not caused by injury but by some extraordinary news." Simon tried to regain his composure.

Magnus stood and helped Simon to his feet and as he did so he looked to Amelia's face - those blue eyes! He looked away. His thoughts turned to Isabelle -that's why Amelia looked so familiar, Isabelle looked so much like her mother!

"Let's go inside and sit down,"

Amelia took her husband by the arm and led him back inside, followed by Magnus and Jacob. When all had settled around the table Amelia posed the question.

"So what is this about?"

Simon took Amelia by the hand, his eyes tearing up again, nodding towards Magnus he said, "This man says Isabelle is alive and he knows where she is!"

Amelia gasped and put her hand to her mouth and started shaking.

"Where is our daughter?" mixed emotions played in her voice.

"Mrs Jacobson, Simon," Magnus glanced from one to the other, "Your daughter is being kept safely and well within my parents' home."

Amelia struggled with the news. Her stomach twisted as her internal feelings turned to uncontrollable sobbing. Simon leaned and took his wife in his arms. Amelia placed her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck. Even Magnus and Jacob were deeply touched by the high level of emotion and let the tears freely flow.

After a time, Amelia broke away from her husband and with a slight laugh said,  "Look at us, crying like children! This is such joyous news. We should be laughing and rejoicing with the report that our Isabelle is alive and well!" She dried her eyes on her apron.