I put a hand on her arm. “It’s all right, Anna. I believe you.”
Relief washed over her face. “Thank ye, miss. On my mother’s grave, I never tried to kill ye.”
“I know you didn’t.”
James gave me an incredulous look. “How can you say that?”
“No more, Mr. Roth,” I said firmly.
His jaw tensed. Standing, he stepped away and thrust his hands on his hips.
I turned my attention back to Anna, who was now watching me with clear astonishment. My hand remained on her arm. Meeting her eyes, I allowed the smallest trickle of warmth to leave my palm. “You received a terrible fright when you came into the stable today. A rat ran right across your path and you fainted.” More power flowed into her, along with a stream of my thoughts. Or at least, I hoped they did. My great-grandmother had done this trick to me on several occasions, planting ideas in my head as easily as a farmer dropped seeds in the earth.
Anna stared at me, clearly bewildered. “I don’t remember no rat, miss.”
Blast. So maybe I needed more practice.
“It was a very large rat,” James said from behind me. “Bigger than anything I’ve ever seen before. Perhaps you should go inside and lie down.”
“But the knife, sir.”
James didn’t even pause. “The light is poor in here, Anna. I must have been mistaken. Now return to the inn, and say nothing about what happened.”
Anna scrambled to her feet, breaking the link between us. “Aye, sir.” She curtsied and nearly tripped over her skirts in her haste to leave.
By good fortune, she had been too upset to notice Sam’s crumpled form on the ground half a dozen feet away. James didn’t say a word as I knelt beside the man and placed a hand on his crown, steeling myself for the bitter cold that waited.
Finished, I stood and moved away to brush the dirt and straw from my skirts. “You should be the first one he sees.”
James stepped closer just as Sam opened his eyes. He blinked and slowly took in the situation. “Beg yer pardon, Mr. Roth. Looks like I’ve gone head over tail. Must have turned lightheaded from leaning over that horse’s hoof for too long.” He made to move when James offered a hand. On his feet, the man gave his head a quick shake to clear it.
“Glad you returned to us, Sam. I almost had to send Miss Kilbrid for the smelling salts.”
Sam bent down to retrieve something from the dirt. My spine stiffened at the gleam of metal in his large hand. He gripped the handle and looked at James. “Appreciate it, sir, if ye wouldn’t mention this to no one. Elsie or Anna are the kindest sisters in all of England, but I’ve no mind to be coddled over a spill in the dirt.”
“Upon my honor,” James said, “this incident will stay between us.”
Sam ran a hand through his curly hair. “Best get back to that hoof if ye want away anytime soon.” He picked up the horse’s leg and resumed his work with the knife.
James’s stare bored into me. “A word please, Miss Kilbrid.”
One look at him, and I almost claimed a headache. A word, my foot. To be sure, the man was near bursting with all words he intended to spew just as soon as we were in a more discreet location. But a feigned illness would only buy a temporary reprieve. Better to get it over with now, before the man had time to further collect his thoughts and vilify me into the worst sort of monster.
“Very well,” I said and left the stable with James close on my heels.
Once in the yard, the woods directly beyond the front gate seemed to offer the greatest amount of privacy. The dog barked a chorus at our approach, having been secured to a post by a stretch of coarse rope. The barking lowered to a growl as the creature strained for freedom.
I stopped a few paces away and eyed it. “I believe Deri has affected that dog’s brain as well. If you’ll restrain it, I can repair the damage.”
From his sudden change of expression, I had clearly surprised the man yet again. “Can you...” He paused, shifted his weight uncomfortably. “Can you do that thing to animals too?”
My mouth thinned to a tight smile. “Yes, Mr. Roth, I can do that thing to any living creature.”
“I see.”
The judgment in his stare irked me to no end. “Sooner rather than later, if you don’t mind. I’d prefer not to have any more of an audience than necessary.”
James ducked his head in a curt nod. “Just a moment. I’ll secure his neck while you approach from behind.”
A brilliant plan by my estimation as it would keep me well away from those snapping teeth. I waited while James attempted to force the dog to the ground. When this failed, he opted for a new approach of straddling the beast. Tightening his knees, he pulled the rope closer. The growls grew more aggressive.
“Now would be a good time, Miss Kilbrid.”
“Working on it, Mr. Roth.” I inched forward, my hand outstretched. There was a flash of teeth, followed by a loud curse.