Repentance shivered. It seemed she was destined to entertain men one way or another, no matter what she did.
Madam Cawrocc looked up crankily as they entered. When her gaze hit Repentance, she gave only the slightest reaction—a tiny twitch in one eye. She finished chewing, swallowed, and took a long drink from her mug.
"Lord Carrull," she said at last, "what are you doing with my slave?"
He giggled, once again the simpering, lecherous nincompoop. He played the part so well that Repentance, even knowing he was acting, hated him.
"I found your little bird, lost and alone," he said. "And I determined to bring her back to you. I knew you'd be worried about her."
"Do I look worried?"
"You didn't know?" Lord Carrul giggled again. "The troopers who lost her never reported it, eh? They and their families are halfway to Montphilo by now, I'll wager."
Madam Cawrocc gave a look to the clerk who stood at the door. He left quickly, going to send someone to search for the troopers, no doubt.
"Thank you for returning her," Madam Cawrocc said. "Will you stay and share my meat?"
He giggled again. "I was hoping for some little reward. But perhaps something a little more filling than a meal."
"What exactly did you have in mind?"
He pulled Repentance's chain so she had to step next to him. Running one finger over her cheek, he said, "I was sorely tempted to keep this one. Sorely tempted. I only returned her knowing I held your life in my hands. I knew if I didn't return her you'd swing before the week was out." He smiled sweetly. "So I brought her back to you, convinced you'd be happy to trade her for the other girl. The one in the scarlet robe."
"I'd hardly swing. If you'd have kept her, Jadin would have had to make do with her sister, is all. It would have cost me a few beads refunded and no little amount of embarrassment, I grant you, but that's a far cry from swinging."
He shrugged. "Oh, good great happy day, then." He started to turn. "I'll keep her." He was almost drooling when he looked at Repentance.
"You drive a hard bargain," Madam Cawrocc said. "I'll trade you, you old thief. But not for the girl in the scarlet robe. She's sold."
"Buy her back."
"I won't. You'll have to be satisfied with one of the others."
"I don't want a homely girl," he whined. "I think I deserve a beautiful girl this one time."
"I'll make sure you get a pretty girl."
"I'll keep this one." Lord Carrull made as if to leave.
"Don't be ridiculous. Walk out of here with the prince's girl and your life is forfeit."
"I found her. By law she's mine." He was still whining. "I brought her back as a friendly gesture, but you, Madam, are not being friendly."
Madam Cawrocc stood, her back straight, her jaw clenched, and her eyes filled with hate.
Repentance shrank back.
"Very well," the lady said. "You shall have the girl in the scarlet robe."
She crossed the floor. "And as for you, my sweet," she said to Repentance, "I will personally tuck you into bed tonight." She reached for the chain.
Repentance sought protection behind Lord Carrull.
"Oh, yes, a good idea," Lord Carrull said, yanking the chain forward. "You take care of this one yourself. You can't be too careful." He handed over the chain. "I made sure no mark was on her." He giggled into his hand. "Had to inspect her, you know. For I knew your business would suffer if you delivered damaged goods to Jadin."
Madam Cawrocc gave him a dirty look, then turned her attention to Repentance. "Don't feel any relief, Miss Repentance Happily Forgotten Atwater. I may not be able to beat you, but that pretty little sister of yours is a different thing now, isn't she?"
Repentance gasped.
"That's right. I'll take the price of Lord Carrull's girl out of your sister's back."
"No," Repentance screamed. "You leave Comfort alone!"
Madam Cawrocc laughed. "She'll work for me until she dies. It should take a couple of weeks, give or take a day. And every day, as she's being beaten I'll make sure to remind her that she has you to thank."
Repentance lunged at the woman, wrapping her hands around Cawrocc's neck, intent on choking the life from her.
Lord Carrull squealed like a girl. "You mustn't!"
Something cracked into her skull and everything went black.
Actions have repercussions. Toss even a tiny pebble into the still morning waters at the swimming hole and watch the water move aside to accommodate the pebble's new place. The ripples go on and on. Likewise, when I move, the person next to me has to shift over to accommodate my new place, and the person next to her has to shift over, and on and on the ripples go. Oh, dear Providence, I didn't know.
~Repentance Atwater, Healing House Journal
Chapter 10
"What's wrong with her?" A woman's voice filtered its way into Repentance's fuzzy consciousness.
"She's asleep." A man.
Fingers massaged her skull and hit a sore spot. She winced.
"She's concussed." The woman again. "She has a lump as big as a cumquat on her head."
Repentance took a deep breath.
The air felt hot and heavy.
She opened her eyes.
Fog.
A woman bent over her. White hair, gleaming teeth, brilliant eyes. Jadin. "Do you know who I am?"
She pushed herself up.
And fell back down, grabbing her head and gagging.
"Holy Providence," Jadin swore. "Who did this to her?"
The world seemed to be spinning. Repentance looked to her side, trying to focus on something that would stabilize her. She was lying in the bed of a slave cart, with Jadin leaning over the side.
