Pratts on the other hand were never generous with their meat. Families who'd been good customers for years were cut off if a hard winter found them unable to pay. And Gertrude's penchant for gossip was well known; the women of the village were confidants and victims of her tongue by turns. Only her position in the church and community saved her from the derision she deserved.
"There is only one way to settle this," the magistrate said. "We must have a trial to determine who is rightfully able to claim this woman."
"I am not a horse," Lark said.
"No," Colin said. "But he has made a claim and it is the law."
"The trial will be in two days time," the magistrate said.
"And until then?" asked Colin. "I will keep her with me."
"No." The magistrate was gentle but kind in tone. "She still faces the matter of being charged as a witch and that must be determined after she is wed. She cannot stay with you if this man here has laid a claim to her. She must be imprisoned until such time as her innocence or guilt can be proven in this manner."
"Her guilt will be proven," Gertrude hissed. "And already my gracious son has agreed that he will wed her and make her a proper Christian woman fit to be a member of this community."
Reverend Fervor stepped forward. "And admirable offer, methinks," he said. "But neither man needs put too much hope in wedding with this woman should she be convicted of luring a man to her bed through the dark arts. These are serious charges..."
"Yes!" Gertrude said, trying to lighten her tone now. "But we are good Christians and would rather see her converted than burned. Would you not want the same, my good Reverend?"
Reverend Fervor was no fool. He knew exactly what Gertrude Pratt wanted, and he was not about to become a pawn in her game.
"Ultimately, it will be for me to decide," he said, his eyes scanning the room and then falling back on the Pratts. "And should anyone defy my decision then it will be the same as defying God himself."
Gertrude fell silent, swallowing hard as she did so. This was not the outcome she had predicted. It had not gotten Lester married to Lark, and she was no closer to finding the treasure she was sure lay on the witch's property. She knew if she were braver she would go and search for it herself with her son, but she was sure a protection curse lay over the land and that the only way to lift that protection was to force Lark to do it. And that could only happen once she and her son were wed and he was able to beat her into full submission.
But at least they had succeeded in keeping Colin from marrying Lark, and as the two were parted it was clear that both were concerned one for the other. Colin's eyes followed her as the magistrate led her away and she looked back at him, blinking back tears.
"Be brave, Lark!" he called. "Truth will out!"
"Yes it will." The air next to him was cold and Colin turned to see Reverend Fervor at his shoulder.
"You know this is a lie," Colin said.
"I know nothing of the sort," Reverend Fervor said. "Witches are known to bewitch men into carnal trysts. She tried the same thing on me when I was interrogating her, but I was not about to let her lustful tricks prevail, even though I could tell she wanted to couple with me."
For Colin, this was the last straw. Reverend Fervor was taller, but he was younger, broader and far stronger. He grabbed the reverend by the lapels of his long black jacket and slammed him against the wall.
"You are no man of God," he said. "And there will be a reckoning for you. Mark me."
Reverend Fervor laughed. "I could have you imprisoned for this," he said. "But why would I do that when the better delight would come in seeing you watch the woman you love punished for witchcraft. Perhaps I will spare her and marry her off to that bloody mule and wretched crone he calls a mother. Or you mark me now. She will be found revealed for what she is and you will never hold her again."
The door to the church opened and for the
"There is only one way to settle this," the magistrate said. "We must have a trial to determine who is rightfully able to claim this woman."
"I am not a horse," Lark said.
"No," Colin said. "But he has made a claim and it is the law."
"The trial will be in two days time," the magistrate said.
"And until then?" asked Colin. "I will keep her with me."
"No." The magistrate was gentle but kind in tone. "She still faces the matter of being charged as a witch and that must be determined after she is wed. She cannot stay with you if this man here has laid a claim to her. She must be imprisoned until such time as her innocence or guilt can be proven in this manner."
"Her guilt will be proven," Gertrude hissed. "And already my gracious son has agreed that he will wed her and make her a proper Christian woman fit to be a member of this community."
Reverend Fervor stepped forward. "And admirable offer, methinks," he said. "But neither man needs put too much hope in wedding with this woman should she be convicted of luring a man to her bed through the dark arts. These are serious charges..."
"Yes!" Gertrude said, trying to lighten her tone now. "But we are good Christians and would rather see her converted than burned. Would you not want the same, my good Reverend?"
Reverend Fervor was no fool. He knew exactly what Gertrude Pratt wanted, and he was not about to become a pawn in her game.
"Ultimately, it will be for me to decide," he said, his eyes scanning the room and then falling back on the Pratts. "And should anyone defy my decision then it will be the same as defying God himself."
Gertrude fell silent, swallowing hard as she did so. This was not the outcome she had predicted. It had not gotten Lester married to Lark, and she was no closer to finding the treasure she was sure lay on the witch's property. She knew if she were braver she would go and search for it herself with her son, but she was sure a protection curse lay over the land and that the only way to lift that protection was to force Lark to do it. And that could only happen once she and her son were wed and he was able to beat her into full submission.
But at least they had succeeded in keeping Colin from marrying Lark, and as the two were parted it was clear that both were concerned one for the other. Colin's eyes followed her as the magistrate led her away and she looked back at him, blinking back tears.
"Be brave, Lark!" he called. "Truth will out!"
"Yes it will." The air next to him was cold and Colin turned to see Reverend Fervor at his shoulder.
"You know this is a lie," Colin said.
"I know nothing of the sort," Reverend Fervor said. "Witches are known to bewitch men into carnal trysts. She tried the same thing on me when I was interrogating her, but I was not about to let her lustful tricks prevail, even though I could tell she wanted to couple with me."
For Colin, this was the last straw. Reverend Fervor was taller, but he was younger, broader and far stronger. He grabbed the reverend by the lapels of his long black jacket and slammed him against the wall.
"You are no man of God," he said. "And there will be a reckoning for you. Mark me."
Reverend Fervor laughed. "I could have you imprisoned for this," he said. "But why would I do that when the better delight would come in seeing you watch the woman you love punished for witchcraft. Perhaps I will spare her and marry her off to that bloody mule and wretched crone he calls a mother. Or you mark me now. She will be found revealed for what she is and you will never hold her again."
The door to the church opened and for the
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