Page 11 of The Forsaken
Agnes had hidden in the barn when her time came, equipped with only a knife to cut the cord and a blanket to wrap the child in. She begged Kate to leave, but Kate couldn’t abandon the poor girl, who was only sixteen, when she was frightened and in pain. Kate sat with Agnes for hours and brought her water to drink when the labor went on and on, leaving Agnes exhausted and weak. She’d never forget the agony Agnes endured to bring a baby girl into the world, a girl Martin refused to even look at or acknowledge as his own.
Lord Dancy sent Agnes away with nothing but the clothes on her back when she dared to speak the name of the man who’dtaken her against her will and got her with child. He called her a liar and a harlot and threatened to have her whipped if she didn’t clear off. Kate overheard Cook telling the scullion that Agnes had been found dead in a ramshackle barn three days later. The child had still been alive but died the same day, having been exposed to the elements for too long. And a blessing it was too, Cook opined, nodding wisely, since no one’d want the poor mite, especially it being a girl, which was of little use to anyone. Agnes and the child were buried in a pauper’s grave, with no one to mourn them or say a kind word in their memory since Agnes had been an orphan.
Kate observed Martin for days after Agnes’s death to see if he was aggrieved by the news, but he didn’t seem to care. Lord Dancy brought in a new serving wench from the village, and Martin laid his claim to her, telling his brothers to not even look at the new girl until he tired of her. Kate hoped that Geoffrey and Robert would chastise Martin for Agnes’s death, but they didn’t say a word, at least not within her hearing. Kate didn’t expect much from Robert, who was sixteen and worshipped his older brother, but she had hoped Geoffrey would come to Agnes’s defense.
At eighteen, Geoffrey was the kindest of her brothers, and the most affectionate toward her. He had entertained hopes of taking the Holy Orders from an early age, but their father repeatedly refused his request. Geoffrey had brought up the subject again after Agnes’s death, appalled by his father’s refusal to take responsibility for his son’s disgraceful behavior and see to the welfare of Agnes and her child.
“We’ve enough priests in this country,” Lord Dancy snapped. “’Tis not natural for a man to deny his needs. You’ll do much better to make a fine marriage and advance the interests of your family. Once I find a suitable bride for Martin, it’ll be your turn next. You’ll not speak of this foolishness again, boy. Not ever.”
Kate hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but now that she was of marriageable age, she longed to know what was happening behindclosed doors. Decisions were being made and alliances forged, and sooner or later it would be her turn, and she wished to be prepared.
Kate followed Geoffrey to the stables after his conversation with their father. She’d expected Geoffrey to look upset, but he seemed his usual self when she approached him.
“What are you doing here, Katie? This is hardly the weather for riding.”
A heavy snow had been falling for hours, blanketing the muck in the yard with a pristine quilt of pure white as an unnatural hush had settled over the outbuildings. Everyone had hunkered down to wait out the storm, even the dogs, who were warm and snug in the kennel. Geoffrey wasn’t going to ride either. He liked to go to the stables to be alone. They had grooms to take care of the horses, but Geoffrey enjoyed looking after his own horse, and spent hours brushing it down and exercising it when the weather was fine.
“I wished to speak to you,” Kate said.
“You could have spoken to me indoors.”
“I wanted to speak to you privately.”
“And what private business do you have, little lady?” Geoffrey asked, smiling down at her.
“Geoffrey, is it not a sin what Martin did to poor Agnes?” Kate asked as Geoffrey took a handful of straw and began to brush down his horse. He didn’t ask how Kate knew about Agnes, nor did he insult her by telling her that she was too young to fully comprehend the situation. Geoffrey’s hazel gaze looked pained at the question, but he answered her truthfully nonetheless.
“It is, Kate, but Martin is our father’s heir and can’t be encumbered with a serf’s bastard. Father will find him a bride soon, but until then Martin will sow his wild oats where he sees fit.”
“Will the Lord not punish him for his sins?” Kate asked, perplexed. She lived in eternal fear of sinning and incurring God’s vengeance, but her brothers didn’t seem troubled by the stern words they heard from the pulpit week after week, words that threatened God’s wrath for even a stray thought, much less a dishonorable deed.
“Katie, if the good Lord punished every man who lay with a woman out of wedlock, there’d be no one left to worship Him except the bastards they sired.”
“Do women like Agnes have no recourse?” Kate inquired. She’d liked Agnes and grieved for her. She seemed to be the only one to take Agnes’s senseless death to heart.
“Some lords find husbands for the women their sons disgrace, but Father was not kindly disposed toward the poor girl.”
“Why? What had she done?”
Geoffrey shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Katie looked at his closed expression. He knew, but he didn’t want to tell her. Suddenly, she had no wish to find out. The business of men was way beyond her understanding, but it was often cruel, unforgiving, and frightening.
“Do as Mother bids, Katie,” Geoffrey said. “Before Father changes his mind.”
“Why? What do you know?” A frisson of fear ran down Kate’s spine.
“Katie, a daughter is only good for one thing, and that’s to marry her off to form an alliance or settle a debt. You’re fifteen, ripe for marrying. If you don’t go to the priory, Father will have you wed as soon as he finds a suitable match. He’s got his sights set on one of the Neville cousins, to strengthen our connection to the Earl of Warwick. The marriage would bring him one step closer to the Duke of York, who has his eye on the throne.”
“What are you talking about?” Kate demanded. “How would marrying a Neville cousin bring Father closer to the throne when King Henry is our sovereign?”
Geoffrey patted her cheek in a paternal matter. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. It’s way too complicated for you to understand. Just don’t pass up your chance at freedom.”
“Freedom? You think becoming a nun is a path to freedom?” Kate gaped at her brother. “Is that why you want to become a priest?”
Geoffrey looked momentarily shocked but didn’t bother to ask how she knew of his conversation with their father. “It is a freedom of sorts, Kate. Now, off with you. I’d like a few moments alone. I was supposed to practice swordplay with Robert, but I think we might have to wait until the weather improves.”
Geoffrey and Robert never missed a day of practice. Sometimes Martin joined them as well, but Martin preferred to train with some of his own friends. They spent hours at swordplay, fighting until sweat ran into their eyes and their faces were flushed with exertion. There was a quintain set up in the yard, and they used that as well, taking turns jousting. For men in their position, war craft and politicking were some of the most important skills they could possess, and although her brothers hadn’t had much opportunity to scheme and plot as of yet, they knew how to fight.
