Daughter of Satan Read Online Free PDF

mustn’t hear this and who mustn’t hear that. He knows there are witches, don’t you, boy? And he knows what it’s our bounden duty to do to them.’
    Bartle nodded. ‘I wish I’d been there,’ he said. ‘Why did you stop them, sir? The old woman is a witch.’
    â€˜Utterly distasteful!’ said Richard. ‘Good God, we must keep law and order in these parts. It is not for our yokels to take the law into their hands. She is just a foolish old woman who brews herbs and gives charms to lovesick maidens. I heard the shouting and went out. A most disgusting spectacle.’
    Sir Humphrey looked at his friend. Damn me, thought Sir Humphrey, if I’d be a friend of his but for living so close. Only half a man. Riding over to see that widow woman every so often. A dried-up old widow woman when there’s a ripe young virgin under his very roof. Reading his books, scratching away with his quill, can’t look on a witch being put to the test without finding it disgusting, distasteful. Give me a man!
    Sir Humphrey said: ‘If there are witches hereabouts, they should be found and finished. We want no trafficking with the Devil.’
    Richard shrugged his elegant shoulders and gave Sir Humphrey another of his superior smiles. Then he turned the discussion back to the Spaniards, and they were on this when Sir Humphrey rose to go.
    When Richard went with his guests to the gate, the girl was in the garden. She had a basket of peaches in her hand, and she coloured and dropped a curtsy as they came out.
    â€˜Hey!’ said Sir Humphrey. ‘What you got there, girl?’ Richard watched him pretend to peer into the basket while he looked at the opening of her bodice.
    â€˜Peaches, sir.’
    Sir Humphrey took one, and dug his teeth into it. ‘Why they’re better than ours. Send me over a basket by the girl, will you, Richard?’ He gave the peach to Bartle to finish, and slapped Luce’s buttocks as she turned away. ‘Bring them over,girl, and don’t give them to anyone but me. You understand?’
    Luce looked from Sir Humphrey to her master. Richard nodded and she curtsied again before returning to the house.
    When he had waved farewell to Sir Humphrey and his son, Richard came back through the gardens and, as he did so, saw Luce coming out to gather peaches for Sir Humphrey. Richard followed her over to the wall on which the peaches were growing. Luce blushed and fumbled to be so observed.
    â€˜Don’t give him of our best,’ he said. ‘Let us save those for our own table.’
    She picked the fruit, and when the basket was full he took it from her.
    â€˜Go to the stables,’ he said, ‘and tell Ned Swann I wish him to take these over to Sir Humphrey.’
    She curtsied and he watched her as she went into the courtyard.
    In the harbour torches and cressets lighted the sailors loading ships. The Spanish galleons had not come, but the English were going out to meet them, for Drake’ had won the day. First Howard had agreed to his plan, then the Queen and her Council had followed. Sailors were singing and whistling as they made ready. The suspense of waiting was over.
    Mistress Alton had been taken sick. She lay in her bed, muttering prayers which she believed was the only way to counteract a spell. Old woman Lackwell had fixed her sore eyes on Mistress Alton on Whit Sunday night, and ever since Mistress Alton had been sick. She was certain she had been ‘overlooked’.
    Life seemed good to Luce and Betsy without Mistress Alton to watch them, to complain and to cut them across the legs and arms with her cane.
    Outside the sun was shining and the gardens were filled with the scent of roses and the lavender which was just breaking into bloom. Betsy sang as she and Luce went from the kitchen to the pastry, and from the pastry to the buttery and back to the kitchen:
    â€˜Hyle that the sun with his beames hot
    Scorched the