Read Online The Squire’s Tale by Margaret Frazer - Free Book Online
Authors: Margaret Frazer
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the day, tempered now with the necessities of Lent and turning to admonition—
Quaerite Dominum, dum inveniri potest: invocte eum, dum prope est.
Search for the Lord, while he can be found: appeal to him, while he is near—with Dame Claire’s sure voice missed on her side of choir but all else as usual, familiar as the east window beyond the altar graying with dawn as they came at last to
Dominus nos benedicat, et ab omni malo defendat, et ad vitam perducat aeternam
—The Lord bless us, and defend from all evil, and guide to eternal life… and Prime’s end, the final word drifting into a silence with only the distant hiss of rain on the roof, before Domina Elisabeth drew a deep, satisfied breath, quietly closed her prayer book, and led the nuns in rising to their feet and out of the church, into the cloister walk again and around to the refectory for what passed for breakfast in Lent. Today that meant bread and ale and a small boiled fish that had long since lost any sense of what it might once have been before being salted down in a barrel months ago and lately boiled, then made somewhat—but not much— more agreeable with ginger and cinnamon. But it was enough to hush if not greatly comfort bellies when they returned to the church immediately afterwards for the Mass. Dame Claire joined them on the way, and Frevisse was pleased to see in the nave not only Katherine, Mistress Dionisia, Lucy and Helen but the two women who must be Lady Blaunche and her woman. With the satisfied thought that yesterday’s trouble must have indeed been as slight as Domina Elisabeth had hoped, Frevisse turned her mind to the Mass, and when it was done and Father Henry gone to the sacristy to put off his vestments, the nuns left the church again, this time to the warming room for the daily chapter meeting where the nunnery’s business was talked through, decisions made, faults confessed and penances given. In past times there would have been a fire waiting for them, lighted by a servant during Mass, but among the things they did without these days of less than certain prosperity was a morning fire, so there was nothing to take off the damp chill steadily creeping through the layers of wool gown and undergown and linen chemise as they waited for Domina Elisabeth to join them. At Mass’ end she had gone aside to the women in the nave, nor had Dame Claire come to the warming room either and Frevisse was wondering what that might mean when Domina Elisabeth opened the door, said with no greeting to anyone else, “Dame Frevisse, come, please,” and turned away again without explanation. Frevisse shared startled looks with the other nuns even as she obeyed, following her prioress into the cloister walk.
‘The door, please, dame,“ Domina Elisabeth said, and Frevisse closed it. The rain had stopped for now, leaving only an irregular dripping off the eaves as she followed her prioress again, a few paces farther along the walk, away from the door, before Domina Elisabeth turned and said, ”Lady Blaunche is leaving this morning with Katherine as soon as may be. She took comfort from Dame Claire’s care of her yesterday and has asked that Dame Claire be allowed to go with her, to see her safely home. I’ve granted it.“
Because no nun should leave the priory unaccompanied by another nun, Frevisse knew what was coming then but had no way to avert it.
‘I want you to go with her.“
‘It’s Lent,“ Frevisse protested.
‘It’s Lent outside the nunnery, too,“ Domina Elisabeth returned, unbothered.
That was true enough, but it would be far harder outside the nunnery to keep it in all the ways it should be kept—in body, mind and spirit all at once—but Frevisse knew Dom-ina Elisabeth well enough not to protest that, tried instead, “What of the copying work if I’m not here?”
‘God will provide.“
Frevisse had the unbidden thought that what Domina Elisabeth hoped God would provide was a
Quaerite Dominum, dum inveniri potest: invocte eum, dum prope est.
Search for the Lord, while he can be found: appeal to him, while he is near—with Dame Claire’s sure voice missed on her side of choir but all else as usual, familiar as the east window beyond the altar graying with dawn as they came at last to
Dominus nos benedicat, et ab omni malo defendat, et ad vitam perducat aeternam
—The Lord bless us, and defend from all evil, and guide to eternal life… and Prime’s end, the final word drifting into a silence with only the distant hiss of rain on the roof, before Domina Elisabeth drew a deep, satisfied breath, quietly closed her prayer book, and led the nuns in rising to their feet and out of the church, into the cloister walk again and around to the refectory for what passed for breakfast in Lent. Today that meant bread and ale and a small boiled fish that had long since lost any sense of what it might once have been before being salted down in a barrel months ago and lately boiled, then made somewhat—but not much— more agreeable with ginger and cinnamon. But it was enough to hush if not greatly comfort bellies when they returned to the church immediately afterwards for the Mass. Dame Claire joined them on the way, and Frevisse was pleased to see in the nave not only Katherine, Mistress Dionisia, Lucy and Helen but the two women who must be Lady Blaunche and her woman. With the satisfied thought that yesterday’s trouble must have indeed been as slight as Domina Elisabeth had hoped, Frevisse turned her mind to the Mass, and when it was done and Father Henry gone to the sacristy to put off his vestments, the nuns left the church again, this time to the warming room for the daily chapter meeting where the nunnery’s business was talked through, decisions made, faults confessed and penances given. In past times there would have been a fire waiting for them, lighted by a servant during Mass, but among the things they did without these days of less than certain prosperity was a morning fire, so there was nothing to take off the damp chill steadily creeping through the layers of wool gown and undergown and linen chemise as they waited for Domina Elisabeth to join them. At Mass’ end she had gone aside to the women in the nave, nor had Dame Claire come to the warming room either and Frevisse was wondering what that might mean when Domina Elisabeth opened the door, said with no greeting to anyone else, “Dame Frevisse, come, please,” and turned away again without explanation. Frevisse shared startled looks with the other nuns even as she obeyed, following her prioress into the cloister walk.
‘The door, please, dame,“ Domina Elisabeth said, and Frevisse closed it. The rain had stopped for now, leaving only an irregular dripping off the eaves as she followed her prioress again, a few paces farther along the walk, away from the door, before Domina Elisabeth turned and said, ”Lady Blaunche is leaving this morning with Katherine as soon as may be. She took comfort from Dame Claire’s care of her yesterday and has asked that Dame Claire be allowed to go with her, to see her safely home. I’ve granted it.“
Because no nun should leave the priory unaccompanied by another nun, Frevisse knew what was coming then but had no way to avert it.
‘I want you to go with her.“
‘It’s Lent,“ Frevisse protested.
‘It’s Lent outside the nunnery, too,“ Domina Elisabeth returned, unbothered.
That was true enough, but it would be far harder outside the nunnery to keep it in all the ways it should be kept—in body, mind and spirit all at once—but Frevisse knew Dom-ina Elisabeth well enough not to protest that, tried instead, “What of the copying work if I’m not here?”
‘God will provide.“
Frevisse had the unbidden thought that what Domina Elisabeth hoped God would provide was a
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