Prue Phillipson - Hordens of Horden Hall by Hearts Restored

Author:Hearts Restored [Restored, Hearts]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Knox Robinson Publishing
Published: 2012-03-06T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Eunice had not walked two hundred yards before the enormity of what had happened struck her like a blow. Her father, to whom she had deferred all her life, was dead and she had allowed him to be carted away to a common burial ground, where there would be no memorial. she would never know which of the pits he had been thrown into, and she had spoken no prayer over him.

Crushed with guilt and sorrow she had to put out a hand to a house wall or she would have sunk to her knees. There was not a soul in sight but she could hear the shouts and singing of revellers in the distance. The world was a hostile place but she had sinned grievously and deserved punishment. Night was coming on. She might be free but she was alone and friendless.

She made herself walk on and presently the huge bulk of St Paul’s loomed ahead of her. Fearful of the danger from drunken men she decided she must find a dark corner to hide for the night. There would be shelter in the portico at the western door if it should rain and though her father had often denounced the cathedral and its worship as profane and idolatrous she felt some comfort in being close to a building dedicated to God. She climbed the steps and passed under the colonnade. Then she opened up her bundle, drew out her cloak, wrapped it round her and curled up on the paving stones close to a pillar.

The great doors were fast bolted now but she knew they would be unfastened at daybreak and swarms of people would set up their little stalls in Paul’s Walk as the nave of the cathedral was generally called. There would be water-carriers, fruit-sellers and a variety of other provision merchants as well as many booksellers. She had with her a copy of Dent’s Plain Man’s Guide to Heaven which she hoped to sell to buy provisions for a day or two till she could find work somewhere. Apart from her father’s big Bible which she had left by his bed and her own smaller one she had brought in her bundle it was the only book her father had allowed in the house and she had popped it in among her clothes with one mug she used herself, a small knife and spoon and a wooden plate. Now she was glad it might prove useful.

Sleep eluded her for a long time. Although she was in complete darkness she was afraid of the searchers roaming the city who might come upon her and guess she had escaped from a plague house. She could hear sometimes far off and sometimes alarmingly near the bell of a dead cart. Worst of all were her own thoughts. No one must ever know that she had walked out and left her father to the scavengers of corpses. God knows, she told herself, and in His great mercy He has forgiven me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.