The Stars of Heaven by Jessica Dall

Author:Jessica Dall
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical fiction, earthquake, lisbon, women, historical women
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Published: 2020-08-03T16:00:00+00:00

TIO ALOISIO STOOD BY his desk, remaining focused on the letter in his hand as Cecília walked through the door. “Did you know your brother was coming to court?”

Good afternoon to you, too, Tio. I’m well. How are you? Cecília shut the door to their apartments and clicked the latch into place before she turned to face him. “I did not. I wouldn’t even have known he was here if I hadn’t been in the chapel when he arrived, in fact. He’s not here to visit us.”

“The first minister is going to ask about it.”

“I’m certain he will,” Cecília said, accepting she was going to receive another lecture even if Francisco’s appearance was none of her doing. Though she had two years behind her and managed everything Senhor Carvalho asked of her admirably, if she did say so herself, Tio Aloisio seemed unwilling or unable to see her as anything more than the seventeen-year-old girl who had stumbled through Lisbon, getting by on luck more than skill.

“Do you know why he’s here?”

“To meet with Father Moreno, apparently.”

“Meet about what?”

“He didn’t say.”

Tio Aloisio brought his eyes up to hers without lifting his head.

“I’m not expected to know everything the second it happens now, am I? I wouldn’t be very good at my job if I prodded people to the point of suspicion.” She moved to take a seat. “I’ll see what I can find out when I speak with him later. Perhaps it’s about Bibiana. Father Moreno likes updates on her, even if she’s been entirely normal for two years.”

“I find that doubtful.”

“Oh?” Cecília studied him across the antechamber. Construction hadn’t stopped on the Real Barraca in the entire time she had been there, and with Senhor Carvalho’s favor, she and Tio Aloisio had been placed in a much larger set of rooms than where Tio Aloisio had first lived, giving them each a bedroom and Tio Aloisio an office off the antechamber. Still, Tio Aloisio had chosen to keep a desk in the front room with many of his books. Cecília had to wonder if it was a taunt to the former powers that be in his own head. Senhor Carvalho didn’t control the Church, but it didn’t seem the Inquisition was going to come searching any of his friends’ shelves for banned books under the first minister’s watch.

When Tio Aloisio didn’t offer any more information, Cecília prodded, “And why is that doubtful?”

“She’s been at Convento da Conceição for the past quarter year.”

The information went through Cecília like a spear. “She’s gone to a convent?”

“Intends to join the Poor Clares.” Tio Aloisio nodded.

“She’s barely thirteen!” Cecília stood again. Of course, Bibiana had said she’d wanted to join a convent two years before—Lord, has it been that long since I’ve seen her?—but with everything else that had happened, Cecília hadn’t spent any time ruminating on it. She had been too busy. She had assumed she’d had more time.

“She was a criança milagre.” Tio Aloisio didn’t bother to temper the sarcasm in his voice.

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.