Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (38 page)

I strapped themonand checked mypistols.

I strapped themonand checked mypistols.
“I wish to bathe before we see the priests,” I said. “I do
not know why—well, I do, it has nothingto do withthe priests. I
feeldirty. I care not iftheysee it. I feelit.”
He picked up the ewer, it was empty. “If we go to fill
this, we might as well speak to Samuel and Hannah. And if we
go downstairs, we might as wellsee the Theodores.” “I know,”I sighed. “And ifwe have done allthat, I might
as well march to the church. I should simply attend to that first, I
suppose. Youshould see to the Theodores.”
“Non,”he said. “Youwillnot enter that churchalone.” I arched a brow and grinned at him. “What do you fear,
that theywillattack me, or I them?”
He thought on that for a moment and smiled. “I think
perhaps we should pack first. It willsave trouble incase we have
to leave townbefore the bodies are found.”
“We should warnthe household, then.”
That thought brought the weight crashing down. I sat on
the hammock with a heavy sigh as the air was pushed from my
lungs and myknees refused to carrythe load.
Gaston was immediately at my side. He embraced me
without question.
“Becominga manis hard. I might never do it well,”I said
at last. “How are we to do this? Can it be done with the roads
we choose? Or is the lesson to be learned that once one starts
loading a cart, one should abandon the roads that climb ever
upward, and begin to follow the well-trodden paths. If that is the
lesson:I willfail. I cannot do that. I want you. I want my Gods. I

want my life under my terms. If I surrender that ground, then

 

want my life under my terms. If I surrender that ground, then what is the purpose ofmylife being…
mine
.

“I can make that choice:the one to fight the entire world, but I seemto be chained—like a giant weight around my legs— to these other people, and thus I feel guilt that I am dragging them along with me to their doom. I cannot seem to think my wayfree ofthat.”

He rubbed my shoulders. “We are not doomed yet. The Gods have smiled uponus before.”
The irony of his words—and Rucker’s—concerning my Gods protecting me fromthe Church of a rivaldeity roiled about in my skulluntilI could not but smile. I might as wellbe storming Troy. Or was I the damn fool who carried off Helen? I
was
likely Paris, the man who wished for love and beauty above all else and doomed his nationinthe takingofit.
“Truth and love should induce more terror in men than war, famine, pestilence, and all the other horrors of the world combined,”I said.
“They do,” Gaston whispered in my ear. “That is why it is rare to see them.”He pulled back to show me his smile.
“Oui, I need you by my side in that church, whether they bringwar or not:I just need youbymyside.”
He nodded and stood to pull me to my feet. I decided I should probably go and lie while dirty, that way I could wash it allawayafterward.
We found Theodore sitting next to Rachel’s cot in the back corner of the empty ward—far from the light. He seemed pleased to see us. I embraced him and held him until at last he

sighed into my shoulder. When I released him I found his eyes

 

sighed into my shoulder. When I released him I found his eyes lambent but grateful.

Gaston knelt and examined Rachel. She was deeply asleep in the grip of the laudanumand oblivious to his touch. He listened to her heart, checked her eyes, and pinched and prodded her here and there to assess her skin tone and the relative sponginess of her flesh. I could see—even in the dim light, that she no longer appeared as ashen as she had that night. Her skin seemed to redden, hold a mark, and then recover as it should. Then my matelot looked to Theodore questioningly, with his hands upon the thin linen covering her gowned form. Theodore nodded, and Gaston exposed her. I had been afraid we would see blood and mymatelot would have difficultywithit, but there was none. Her belly was still distended somewhat, but it now appeared to blend inwithher overallplumpness.

“Has there been bleeding—since?” Gaston asked quietly.
“Hannah and Madame Doucette helped me bathe her,” Theodore said. “There has been no new blood since we washed the offalaway.”
“Good,” Gaston said. “She looks well enough, but I would like to examine her inside.”
Theodore nodded.
Gastonlooked up at me, “I willneed salve.”
I nodded and went to find some.
Father Joseph entered from the alley as I neared the surgery. He stopped at the sight of me. “You should not be here,”he said coldly. He appeared fearful.
I was startled. “Why?”
I was startled. “Why?”
“This hospitalis part ofthe church.”
“It is not!” I scoffed. “And even if it were, what right do youhave to tellme I cannot be onChurchproperty?”
“Youare a heathenidolater,”he said.
“You leave him be!” Theodore roared and began to stormtoward us witha surprised Gastoninhis wake.
As surprised as I was bysucha bold accusation, and my friend’s response, I kept my Horse calm and dove between them. “Wait! Wait! What is this accusation you make?” I demanded of Father Joseph. “How dare you say such a thing to

me?” “We have learned of your heathenry,” Father Joseph

 

said to me while keeping a wary eye on the enraged Theodore, who Gastonhad thankfullygottena good grip on.

“Henrietta has told them lies about you!” Theodore growled.
I glared at Father Joseph. “What has she said?”
“That you pray to pagan gods and make sacrifices to them, and that you engaged in some dark rite with Madame Theodore’s child.”
I lost my grip on the reins and slapped him. “Do not ever…”
“How dare you!” Theodore roared and struggled with

Gaston.My matelot shook him until he stopped. Then he turned

on the cringing priest. “Father Joseph, you have been learning medicine fromme these last months. You seemlike an intelligent man. I amdisappointed to hear youspeakingsuchgibberish. We man. I amdisappointed to hear youspeakingsuchgibberish. We performed surgery upon Madame Theodore because her child was dead and putrefying and her body refused to labor. Only a superstitious foolwould callthat a dark rite.”

His words seemed to have the correct effect upon the young priest, and they gave me time to gather myself and recall what I was about. WhenI spoke, myManhad a firmgrip onthe reins and I spoke withthe voice ofmy…
Wolf
.

“Oui,”I said. “It was no dark rite, but anact ofmercyso that Father Pierre could bury the child properly and Madame Theodore might live. When it was over I prayed to the Virgin who watches over all women that Madame Theodore should survive. That Henrietta would claim I practiced heathenry because of such a thing is…
insulting
, and appalling, if not a symptomofmadness.”

“Where is the damn lying woman?” I demanded of Theodore.
My bluster had robbed some of the wind from his sails. “I believe she is hidinginthe church.”
“Hiding?” I scoffed and turned on the priest. “Why would the stupid woman be hiding unless she knew her lies would bring down my wrath? Well, she is correct in that. I will not have the woman in this house again. You can keep her and feed her fat arse. Now go and fetch Father Pierre. I would speak withhim.”
Father Josephscurried out the door withwide eyes.
“Henrietta said…”Theodore beganto sayinEnglish.
“We know,” I said quietly in the same. “Liam has told me everything he knew this morning, and Striker warned us last night.”
Theodore sighed withrelief.
I grasped his shoulders and compelled him to meet my gaze. “Youmust calmyourself, myfriend,”I said softly.
He sighed againand sat onthe nearest cot.
I turned to Gaston and found him grinning. “What?” I asked withdismay.
“Your Manis as scaryas myHorse.”
I shook my head and chuckled at my revelation. “Non, I have just come to believe that was my
Wolf
.”
“Ah,” he said with a thoughtful nod. “That explains

much.”“Oui, as a lord, you will need to nurture yours. He has

 

fangs, though; your words here were verygood—especiallytheir

 

delivery.”He chuckled. “I see now.”

 

“Is this a game?”Theodore said witha touchofpique.

“Oui,” I assured him, “one upon which my life very likely depends.”
“Ah,” he said. “Now I see.” He dropped his voice and returned to English with a nervous glance at the alley doors. “What did she see that night, Will?”
“Me praying as I told him—to a virgin Goddess very similar to the VirginMaryinmanyways.”
“Oh, Lord,” he said with a sigh. “I can only
pray
you have a chance ofdiscreditingher.”
“I would advise you to choose who you pray to with great care,”I teased.
He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “I have been so worried, and afraid.”
I squatted so that our eyes were of a level. “I see that, my friend. You need to rest. Let us have Gaston finish examining your wife. Then I will see about speaking with Father Pierre. Once that is complete, Gaston should be able to stay with Rachelfor a time while yousleep.”
Gaston nodded and clapped Theodore’s shoulder before goingto the surgery.
Theodore nodded and then frowned. “But Will, you asked himto send Father Pierre.”
“Aye, but I amsure he went directly to Father Mark.” I frowned as I thought over allthat had been said. “This building is not owned bythe Church, is it?”
“Nay,” he said assuredly. “Madame Doucette allowed me to examine Doucette’s papers when we drew up the bill of sale for the plantation. I saw nothing to indicate the Church holds any lien on this land. It is clearly in Doucette’s name.” He frowned anew. “However, I have not seenhis will.”
I had not thought of that, either. Yvette could not inherit fromhim, and as he had no children, it was very likely he named the Church. I swore quietly. “That is wonderful; well, we should be happyI have not killed himyet.”
“Will, do not speak like that,”he said with much more of his usualdemeanor. “And, it is possible he named Gaston.”
“Named me what?”Gastonasked. He had returned with a crock ofsalve. We went to Rachel’s bedside.
“His heir,” Theodore said. “I would imagine it is either youor the Church.”
Gaston frowned as he pulled aside the bed linen he had hastily thrown over Rachel’s nakedness before pursuing Theodore. “We should ask Yvette. Please help me slide her down.”
Theodore went to the other side of the bed and they slid Rachel’s unresisting form to the foot of the cot. Then Gaston knelt there, applied the salve, and begana carefulexamination.
I was reviewing the list ofpeople I needed to speak with and the questions I must ask them. At the rate it was growing, we would be at this allday.
“I will go and speak to Sam and possibly Yvette while youare thus engaged,”I said.
Gastonand Theodore nodded, and I left them.
I happened to cross paths with Yvette first. She was delighted by my approach, and rushed to embrace me. “Monsieur Rucker said you had returned.” She quickly sobered. “How are you?”
“Wellenough. We needed some time to recover.”
“Did Gaston do what Dominic suggested?” she asked witha grimace.
“Non, it was a thing that drove him to the brink of madness and so I performed the surgery.”
“Oh, Will, I am sorry.” She patted my face sympathetically. “And now Henrietta has gone and riled up the

priests.”“Oui. She misunderstood my praying to the Virgin in the

 

aftermath.”

“You prayed to the Blessed Virgin?” she asked with incredulity.
I sighed. “Non, I prayed to the Goddess Diana; who is also a virgin and protector of women. But we are telling the priests and the cow Henrietta that it was the other.”
“Good,” she said. “That sounds more like you. I was worried there for a moment.”
I laughed until I remembered what I must ask her. “I have encountered one priest already, the young one who assists Gaston. He made the remarkable claim that this was Church property.”
Her eyes narrowed and anger tightened her mouth. “It is not. They tried to claim it after we came to understand Dominic would never recover. I implored the captains to help me keep it, and Peirrot talked to the fathers.”
“Claimit how? Is it the Church’s uponhis death?”
She nodded and sighed. “I was to be given use of the plantation until I died. Father Pierre wished to expand the rectory into the house and enlarge the hospital. The plantation was to be managed for me by the parish. When your people arrived, I convinced the fathers that I would be better off in France with the money from the sale of the property and the other money Dominic would leave for me. That is how I was able to sell it—with Father Pierre witnessing Doucette’s signature. If it had been arable land, I doubt Father Pierre would have beenallowed to
allow
Dominic to sellit.”
“I did not know,” I said. It made great sense, however; and was very much in keeping with common practice in dealing withthe Church.
She shrugged. “I did not feelthe need to discuss it, since —as you said—the circumstances of your life might change everythinganyway.”
I smiled. “No matter what happens with this or any other matter, staywithAgnes, she has our money.”
She awarded me an angelic smile and teased, “I am not a stupid woman.”
“Gods help us,”I sighed and grinned.
“What do you feel will happen with this matter?” she asked witha sober mien.
I told her of our plan to discredit Henrietta, and possibly have her move to Sarah’s.
She nodded. “Well, if it goes poorly, Agnes and I have used this changing about of rooms to pack everything we might need to take ifwe must leave inthe night.”
I embraced her gratefully. “Thank you, that is one less worry—that you two should be unprepared and surprised by what might occur.”
“Do your best. I have heard from everyone how well youlie.”
I grimaced and went in search of Sam. I found him outside the cookhouse plucking chickens. He jumped to his feet at the sight of me and cast a nervous glance over his shoulder into the cookhouse before motioning for me to follow him. I slipped around the building, being careful to stay out of sight of the doorway, and followed him past the stable and out of the yard. Once we were behind the next house he stopped and

regarded me withconcernand twistinghands.

regarded me withconcernand twistinghands.
“Master Will, I’msorry,”he said quickly.
“Whyare yousorry?”
“I couldn’t talk any sense into the women. Mistress

Henrietta doesn’t listen to me anyway; but Muri, she’s my woman, she should at least listen, but she’s stubborn. You’ve always been good to me, and I know you don’t do bad juju. And Hannah told me what happened with the baby. That is bad juju, but good medicine. Hannah says that Mistress Rachel is alive because you did such a thing. And she says that whatever God you pray to gives you more juju than the One God of the