Page 104 of Raven's Rise
He chuckled. “Basingwerke is not known for its healing or its infirmary. It’s known for its visionaries. Both men and women touched by God with divine visions that they shout out or mumble or ramble on. You’ll embroider yours, I suppose. The abbot doesn’t seek to cure anyone’s suffering. He collects people like you, and then profits from the spectacle of the visions. Whether they’re beautiful or terrible or prophetic…it doesn’t matter. People come to watch.”
“The abbot permits that?”
“He encourages it! If your sufferings are dramatic enough, you’ll be locked up in an anchorite’s cell, or chained to the wall, and there people will come and gawk as you go through your ordeal. They call it a pilgrimage, like visiting a shrine of a saint. But they leave…you don’t. You remain there on display until you die, or you bring in no more money. See, the gawkers pay the abbey in coin for your care…a donation, which the abbot keeps for himself.”
“That cannot be true.”
“As if you’d know, woman. Otto told you nothing of the place. He didn’t allow you to visit first, or decide for yourself.”
Angelet swallowed nervously. “What do you care if I end up in a nunnery or run off alone. I don't know why anyone in your family cares what happens to me!”
Ernald leaned in, his mouth right by her ear. “Because youarefamily, little lamb.”
She shivered at the feel of his breath on her skin. “Get away from me. This isn’t seemly.”
He straightened up, saying, “Neither is riding around half the country with only a nameless bastard of a soldier for company. You’re no better than a common slut.”
“Then why bother with me? Just let me go.”
“Ah, no, I still have some business with you, Angelet. First, after your behavior, you’ve dishonored the family name, which is intolerable. Second, there’s the matter of your missing dowry. Third, I intend to discover exactly how depraved your nighttime activities have been, by testing you myself, starting tonight.”
“You willnot,” Angelet retorted. Her words were echoed strangely, and she realized someone else said the same words.
Bethany stood aghast, staring at both Angelet and Ernald. She had also spoken. Now she added, “My lord, you can’t. Not her. Not after she’s given herself to that man. She doesn’t deserve you!”
All at once, many things became clear to Angelet. Bethany’s often rude behavior, her cutting remarks. The maid wasn’t just a casual lover. She trulylovedErnald. No wonder she’d hated Angelet for so long. Angelet felt sick.
But Ernald just said, “Silence, lamb. No woman orders me.”
Bethany looked as if she was going to retort, but then clenched her fists and bowed her head. “Yes, my lord.”
“Good girl. Don’t worry about what transpires between Angelet and me. She’ll be dealt with soon enough.”
Angelet closed her eyes. That did not sound promising. She had to get away from Ernald. “You tracked me for weeks just to punish me?” she asked.
“No. I tracked you for weeks because what I wanted to retrieve from your cortège wasn’t there. What happened to the gold, Angelet?”
She blinked in confusion. “Surely Bethany told you. The thieves—yourthieves—dropped the chest and we all saw it. There was no gold.”
“Yes, everyone saw it. No one liked it.” Ernald’s eyes narrowed. “Those men almost turned on me afterward. They thought I lied to them, but I managed to convince them you were at fault.”
“But I wasn’t!”
“Otto gave the key to you. You had half the men-at-arms dancing to your tune. You must have used them to sneak the gold out of the chest. How’d you do it? A little night by night? Or one bold move? Where’d you hide it all?”
“Nowhere! For the last time, I didn’t open that chest at all. Whoever stole the gold did it without using my key, and without my knowledge.”
He raised a hand, about to strike her across the face. “Don’t lie to me, Angelet.”
She watched his hand, certain that whatever she said, it would result in pain. But she wasn’t going to be made into a thief. “I had nothing to do with the gold going missing,” she said, very slowly.
Ernald’s arm jerked, but he stayed his hand for the moment. She saw the calculation in his eyes. “Perhaps it wasn’t you. That knight could have done it, maybe by stealing the key after he enjoyed you.”
“Stop it.”
“If it was him,” Ernald went on, ignoring her, “then I’ll need to chat with him. And keeping you close will make that easier.” He looked to Ulmar. “Now that we have her, it’s time to ride to meet the others. When we get there, take her to the stone hut and make sure she stays locked up inside. I have to consider my options.”
The way Ernald smiled at Angelet made her grow cold.
