Manon and Belle Pt. 17

"Which us private business folk would like to keep quiet about," the woman's voice echoed back down the tunnel.

Manon ignored that. "Belle, how are you doing?"

"Shouldn't have fed her miss, but I'll manage," she said. "How long now?" Manon called out.

"Depends, 10 minutes, longer if you keep asking damn fool questions," came the terse reply.

Manon gave up then, they just had to slog this out, but Belle for all her bravado was clearly struggling now, but the only other option was Janine walking, if that were possible. The rest of them could in theory have carried Janine between them, but not in a way that wouldn't be agonising for her.

Eventually Manon could feel cooler fresher air blowing on her face and they reached a metal grill that blocked the passage, and a hooded figure crouching on the other side pushed it open. The hinges, Manon noted, were well oiled and the gate silent, despite how shabby and rusty it looked.

They walked through a few low bushes, and emerged on the edge a flat sandy bank, the river shining in the moonlight ahead of them. The City walls loomed behind them, not more than 20 yards away. Off to their left, a few hundred yards away downstream, was the bridge over the river, lit with lanterns.

"You have to move right quick now, and no noise," the woman said whispering. "Sound carries and a curious guard hearing something could spot you in this light. Straight across, aim for the tree on the hill there to keep your course. You'll be met on the other bank, luck to you." And with that surprising pleasantry she turned and vanished back into the bushes they'd emerged from.

The river crossing was awkward. The water was knee deep, but moving swiftly, and the ford was in poor repair, with deeper holes where stones hadn't been replaced, and those that were in place were slippery with weed.

Melissa and Manon helped steady Belle, while Christy kept a firm grip on Fliss's hand, who was suddenly very nervous as they got into the open. They made it across, but as they got to the bushes Belle groaned and sank to her knees.

"Sorry, I need to rest, my arms are giving way," she grunted, carefully setting Janine down.

"Then pretty girl," a deep voice said out of the bushes, "it is just as well that your wagon and horses are near." An enormous man, well over 6 foot tall if Manon was any judge and broad as a bear slid out of the bushes, making not a sound. He was about as hairy as a bear as well, as a huge black beard and bare arms showed.

"Gran charged me with securing your transport, so if you will permit, I will carry your wounded bird there for you, it is not far." He didn't wait, just picked Janine up with no apparent effort at all, and disappeared into the bushes. "Come quickly now, it doesn't do to linger here," his voice floated back quietly, propelling the rest of them to follow.

They caught him up, probably because he went easy on them Manon thought, as he just went up quite a steep hill without concern. They crested the hill, and approached a slightly ramshackle looking cottage that was just below them.

Three more men were there, one with a light wagon with a team of two horses, that had three more horses saddled and bridled hitched to it. The big man sat Janine down on the open trail bed of the wagon, as gently as if she'd been a hen's egg, and gave her a small bow when she thanked him.

"I am sorry my lady, but it wasn't possible to bring your spare mounts, it would have attracted too much attention. By way of apology Gran has provided some supplies for you and the horses, though I wasn't expecting the Doctor and her sister to be with you?"

"They'll come with us, for now at least," Manon said.

"Very well, then my lady I bid you farewell and a safe journey, wherever your travels take you," he said.

His men had already moved off, going back up the hill, and he started following. "My god miss, did you see him? He's magnificent!" Belle said.

"You are very fine too, carrying your friend for so long. Come back sometime, and ask Gran for Jacob, perhaps we can get to know each other," and his soft laugh echoed back down the hill, as Belle noisily swallowed and even in the moonlight could be seen to be blushing furiously.

Unlike Manon, Belle occasionally had a hankering for a man, which Manon had never objected to within reason. So Manon just grinned at her lover, who gave her a sheepish smile back.

"Let's move," Manon said, as Melissa checked the wagon over, testing the wheels and then looking the horses over, talking to them gently and patting them as she ran an eye and her hands over their traces.

"This a fine rig miss, not too old and well maintained, and the team are grand, heavy horses, made for hauling more weight than we have, but endless stamina with it," and at Manon's nod, climbed up into the driver's seat.

"Janine, looks like you have you your own bed there, lay yourself down and get what rest you can," Manon said, and watched as she shuffled backwards and lay down. "Who is taking the third horse?" Manon asked.

"That'll be me," Christy said. "Fliss hasn't ridden, and candidly I haven't much either." "Belle, front or rear? Manon asked.

"Front for now if I may miss, give me a chance to ease the kinks out if I scout ahead a little? I'll head north for the road, Janine described the route to me enough for now," she added. She set off at a walk after she'd settled into the saddle and then urged the horse into a trot and quickly pulled ahead. Manon saw that Belle's horse had a rifle or at the least a carbine holstered on one side, as did the other two horses.

Fliss got up on the wagon, checking that Janine was set and covering her with a blanket, and climbed over into the seat beside Melissa, who when she saw both Christy and Manon had mounted safely set off after Belle.

They made good time, given that Melissa held the team to a steady walk, correctly assuming that if there was no need to rattle Janine around by going faster it was better not to. They picked the road up after about a mile, and the going got smoother, as although the road was unmade, it had been dry and dust was less annoying than mud would have been.

Janine dozed the morning away, and sometime around noon they pulled off the road to rest. Belle had spotted a stream and a pond, and Belle helped Melissa unhitch the horses and take them and their mounts down to the stream to drink, before they hobbled the horses to stop them wandering and let them graze on the grass.

Christy and Fliss ate on their own, in what was clearly a rather intense conversation, which at one stage caused angry words and then some tears from Fliss, before she stomped over to sit with Melissa.

When they got back on the road, still having met no one other than a few travellers on foot heading towards Bordeaux, Manon asked Christy if everything was alright.

"Ah, yes and no?" she replied, smiling ruefully. "This is hard on Fliss, being suddenly uprooted. She wants to go home and for things to go back to the way they were, and is angry because she knows they can't be."

"I broached the subject of London, but I don't know what she thinks, it got lost in just wanting to go home," she said. "For my part, I like the idea. Don't take this the wrong way, but anything would be better than nothing," she said making Manon laugh.

"And your suggestion is a lot better than that, as it offers the chance of work, and help as well as security. It's very generous, perhaps too generous?" Christy asked carefully.

"Beware of strangers bearing gifts?" Manon asked, smiling. "I understand, but I'm not sure it's real generosity when I can so easily afford it. Frankly I feel guilty, because of the bonding, and worried about you and especially Fliss because of it. If you choose to accept my offer, well either of them, at least I can try and make amends later if they are needed."

"And besides Doctor," Manon said with a sly grin, "it's not every day that a lovely, clever professional woman admits to having feelings for me, I'm not made of stone."

Christy just blushed heavily and didn't respond.