A couple nights later, everyone was getting ready for bed, and Isabel stepped carefully in the dark, wishing she had asked someone to come with her, but at least she still had her knife in her pocket. Sometimes, she asked Anastasia to come with her to the outhouse, but Anastasia wasn't being very friendly lately.

She glanced at the trees surrounding the path, knowing the outhouse was in a small clearing just ahead. 

She reached her hand out to open the door and an owl hooted. She jumped, then frowned. If a predator wants to sneak up on his food, then he shouldn't hoot so loudly.

She spent as little time as possible inside the small outhouse. When she pushed open the door and stepped outside, Isabel caught sight of movement coming from the side of the outhouse. She tried to make out which girl it was, since only women were allowed in the area.

But as the figure approached, it was clearly not female.

The man lunged towards her and grabbed her arm. She opened her mouth to scream, but the man put a hand over her mouth and dragged her into the trees.

Isabel clawed at his arm. She gave up on screaming and tried to bite him.

"Don't make a sound," the man said in her ear, "or I'll break your little neck.'

Isabel recognized Bailiff Richard's voice. Her heart pounded and she struggled to keep breathing. His hand completely covered her mouth and some of her nose. She managed to open her mouth and bit down as hard as she could.

Bailiff Richard pulled his hand away, but before Isabel could even react, he slapped her across the cheek.

When she was able to focus her eyes again, she tried to run but only took two steps before he jerked her arm so hard she cried out in pain. She wanted to scream for help, but he put his hand over her mouth again, holding her face tighter than before.

"If you scream," he said, his breath in her ear, "I'll tell the whole village that you've been with me and Lord Goodwin. What kind of spell have you put on Lord Goodwin? Your mother and brothers want you to marry me. Why won't he allow it?" His voice was slurred from too much drink, but as drunk as he was, he was still too strong for her. "Do you think anyone will believe you over me? Stay quiet, or I'll make you sorry, girl."

He dragged her farther into the woods. "You're just a servant. Who else will marry you? You should've realized you could never refuse me." He squeezed her face harder. She hit the hand that covered her face. She wouldn't let him hurt her. She would kill him first.

She managed to slip her hand into her dress pocket and pulled her knife out.

She gripped the knife, not sure what to do with it. Should she stab him? Or wait for a better opportunity? 

He continued with his rant, not seeing the knife. "If you cause any trouble for me, I'll ruin your reputation. Then who will help you? Not your brothers or your mother. Even Lord Goodwin will want nothing to do with you."

Isabel's heart beat faster. Lord Goodwin would believe her, but the thought of Richard saying terrible things about her, she would be an outcast.

He increased the pressure on her arm, and in desperation she held the knife up.

"You're a lunatic girl, waving a knife at your bailiff."

He let go of her face and grabbed her wrist, giving it a sharp wrench. She tried to scream, but it came out more like a squeak. She watched the knife fall to the dirt. The bailiff let go of her arms and fell to the ground, grabbing the weapon.

Finally free, Isabel turned to run. She only ran a few steps when her foot hit something and she tripped, landing on her hands and knees. Someone grabbed her by her arms and pulled her up.

"Get away from me!" She said, pushing at the person's chest.

"Isabel? Are you okay?" It was Henry's voice.

"I have to get away." She looked over her shoulder and immediately regretted it. The bailiff got on his feet and started walking towards her, the knife in his hand.

Henry let her go. She whispered to Henry, "Run! If we hurry he won't be able to follow us." But Henry stood still, facing the bailiff.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked. "Are you going to kill her with that knife? Kill me?"

"Get away from here, cripple. No one wants you."

Henry bent down and picked up a rock the size of a man's head. "What were you doing to her?"

"Nothing happened. Now get out of here. This is Lord Goodwin's land. You think he wants deformed cripples putting curses on his crops?"

The bailiff stepped towards them with the knife held high. He was only a few steps away and coming closer.

Henry lifted the rock and let it fly. Isabel gasped as the rock slammed into Bailiff Richard's head near his right head. Richard fell to the ground.

Isabel held her breath as she waited to see if the bailiff would move. Relief went through her body. I can make it back safely.  But the longer she watched the motionless body, more fear went through her.

Henry broke the stillness and stepped towards the bailiff. He knelt beside him and held his hand against Richard's neck. Then he placed his hand over his mouth and nose. 

He looked at Isabel. "I think he's dead."

Dead. The world echoed in his mind. This must be a bad dream. What would happen to Henry if the bailiff was dead?

It's my fault.

Her eyes focused on the knife, still in Bailiff Richard's hand. If she hadn't taken the knife to protect herself, hadn't carried it in her pocket everywhere she went. She should've yelled the moment she was free. Perhaps more people would've come to help her, and this wouldn't have happened.

"Are you sure he's dead? Check again."

"We have to get out of here."

It's my fault. Henry was only defending me. 

Henry was right. They had to get out of here.

She grabbed Henry's arm. "Should I take my knife? People might find out it's mine and will think that I-"

"No, leave it."

Her heart beated louder in her head as she and Henry hurried away from the bailiff's body. 

Isabel let go of his arm and ran. It still didn't feel real. Just a bad dream.

But it wasn't, the bailiff was dead, gone, and it was her fault. She didn't want to believe it. She had to get to the house, she had to distance herself from the body.

"Isabel," Henry whispered. He stopped in front of her to face each other, but it was too dark to see his face. "Don't tell anyone what happened. No one. Promise me. It's for your own protection, including mine. We know nothing."

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She nodded instead. 

She turned away from him. Her stomach quivered. If only they could get out of the woods.

"Who's there?"

The voice made her freeze. It was Lord Goodwin.

"Who's there?" He stepped towards them and reached out a hand. Her throat clenched more and she couldn't even swallow.

"Is that you Isabel?" Lord Goodwin stood in front of her.

"Yes."

He stepped closer, "I thought I heard someone near the outhouse. Are you okay?"

Henry pulled on her arm, jerking her away from Lord Goodwin.

"I'm fine, my lord. I have to go." Henry all but dragged her through the forest. She looked over her shoulder but couldn't see Lord Goodwin through the darkness and the trees.

They rushed through the woods. Would Lord Goodwin follow them? Or would he go farther and find the body of the dead bailiff.

Maybe Richard wasn't actually dead. Maybe his breathing was shallow and Henry couldn't find it. 

But the horrible feeling inside of her told her he was dead. Dead.

She imagined Lord Goodwin finding that bailiff's body. What would he think?

Would Lord Goodwin think she killed him? Maybe he would think it was an accident, that the bailiff fell and hit his head. 

Isabel and Henry came to the edge of the forest with the house in view. She looked around  but didn't see anyone as she tried to catch her breath. 

Henry stopped them and whispered, "Please, Isabel, don't tell anyone I was out here tonight."

He turned and hurried towards the road that leads towards the village.

She started walking towards where her bed was. Just as her hand reached out for the door, a voice sounded behind her.

"Isabel. Stop."

Isabel paused. Her heart stopped beating and then it started racing so fast.

Lord Goodwin stood two feet from her. "Come with me, quickly."

She followed him as he went up the steps that led to the front door. What did he plan to do? Her behavior was definitely suspicious, and Lord Goodwin had likely seen Henry with her, or at least saw someone pulling her. She couldn't tell him that Henry was with her.

When they got inside, Lord Goodwin looked towards Isabel. He beckoned to her with his hand, and she stepped slowly towards him, her knees weak. She followed him to a table and they sat down.

"Who was with you in the woods?"

Her heart sank. It was against the law to lie to your lord. "Please don't ask me that." Her words became a whisper as tears threatened to fall. 

"Isabel." His voice softened. "You must tell me everything that happened."

She pressed her fingers to her lips as the tears spilled down her face. "I can't."

"What were you doing in the forest tonight?"

"I-I went to the outhouse."

"Did you see anyone?."

"Yes."

"Who?"

She looked down at the floor.

"Tell me. Who did you see."

"I saw-" She shook her head. She couldn't say it. She couldn't say his name.

"You saw Bailiff Richard, didn't you."

Her tears came faster. "Yes. Is he..."

"He's not dead. He was still breathing when I left him. I sent Dustin to get some men to get his body and take it to his sister's house."

A sob broke through and she cried from relief.

Lord Goodwin handed her a handkerchief. "Here."

She took it and held it to her face, trying to stop crying.

He wasn't dead.

Lord Goodwin shifted, drawing her attention back to him. "What happened? Tell me."

"It was an accident."

"I know. Tell me what happened and I can help."

"I'm not sure I should tell you." 

"I know you were there when Richard was injured. And I know someone was with you in the woods. I saw him behind you. You can't protect anyone right now, Isabel. It will look bad for you."

"I don't want to get anyone into any trouble. Don't tell anyone I was there. I'm scared. Don't make me tell you-"

She began to cry again. 

"Isabel."

She looked up at him.

"If the bailiff doesn't recover consciousness, I have to talk to the captain of the king's knights. He's coming to investigate our barn fire. If he finds out you were there, you will have to answer a lot of questions. And you can't refuse to answer. But if it truly was an accident, you should tell me exactly what happened."

She tried to think on how to figure it out to explain it without it seeming as if Henry had tried to kill him. She wanted to tell Lord Goodwin but she had to protect her friend.

"You need to tell me."

She said, "If someone tried to protect themselves, or someone else, but they didn't mean to kill the person, only to scare them away, is it an accident if the person is killed?"

"Are you telling me that the person who was with you was trying to protect you?"

She had said too much. I promised not to tell. "I didn't say that." She shook her head. If he continued questioning her, she would end up telling him everything and betraying Henry. He was only trying to defend her.

But she could trust Lord Goodwin. Maybe he would help her and Henry. Could she risk it? No. The consequences for Henry were horrible. If the bailiff didn't survive, Henry would be tried for murder. And if the bailiff lived, he would tell the jury that Henry attacked him. And who would believe a cripple over that bailiff?

Her head was pounding. She wanted to lie down. "May I go now? I'm so sorry. I-I need to go."