The Betrayal Read Online Free PDF Page A

Preparing for your journey to Portsmouth?
    She uttered a long sigh and stabbed the knife blade into the potato.
    â€œSusannah, are you sure you are not ill?” her mother demanded.

    â€œNo. Not ill,” Susannah muttered, unable to shake Edward from her mind.
    â€œThe potatoes can wait,” her mother said, returning to the hearthside chair and carefully lowering the baby onto her lap. “It is a beautiful afternoon. Put on your cap and step outside. Breathe some fresh air. It will refresh you, Daughter.”
    â€œI do not feel like breathing fresh air,” Susannah snapped.
    I might see Edward, she thought, her heart skipping a beat at the idea.
    And what would I do if I saw him again? What would I say?
    She could feel her face redden in shame.
    I was such a fool.
    Struggling to hold back the tears, Susannah picked up another potato.
    The door burst open without warning.
    Susannah and her mother both cried out in surprise as two village men stepped into the room, grim expressions on their faces.
    â€œWhat—?” Martha Goode started, but her voice caught in her throat.
    The baby opened his eyes and gazed up at her, startled.
    The two men stepped to the center of the room, revealing Benjamin Fier in the open doorway.
    â€œMy husband is not home,” Martha Goode told the two officers. “I believe he is at the commons.”
    The two men stood stiffly, their expressions set, as Benjamin Fier strode into the room. His black boots clonked heavily on the floorboards, his face red beneathhis tall black hat. “We are not here for your husband, Martha Goode,” he said coldly in his booming baritone.
    â€œI do not understand—” she replied, alarm creeping into her voice.
    The baby uttered a squawk, preparing to cry. Martha Goode pulled him close to her chest. “What business have you with me, Magistrate Fier?” she asked, climbing reluctantly to her feet.
    Benjamin Fier ignored her question. “Keep watch on them,” he instructed the two men. “I will search for the proof.”
    â€œProof? Proof of what?” Susannah cried, tossing down her knife and jumping to her feet. “Why are you here? Why can you not wait for my father to return?”
    Benjamin ignored Susannah, too. He strode quickly to the hearth, his black cloak sweeping behind him. “Aha!” He bent down, as if picking up something from behind a kettle.
    When he turned around to face them, Benjamin held a purple cloth bag in one hand. His lips spread into an unpleasant smile. “I believe we have the proof we need.”
    â€œProof of
what?”
Susannah demanded shrilly.
    Benjamin walked quickly to the table and overturned the bag, spilling its contents onto the tabletop.
    To her astonishment, Susannah saw a chicken’s foot, some feathers, dried roots of some kind, a small bone, and a glass vial containing a blood-colored liquid.
    â€œWhat
is
that?” Susannah cried.
    â€œThat does not belong to us!” her mother cried, herface pale, her troubled eyes darting from the items on the table to Benjamin Fier.
    â€œWe have the proof we need,” Benjamin told his men, holding up the empty bag. He gestured to Susannah and her mother. “Take them to the prison. Tie them securely to await their trial.”
    â€œTrial?” Martha Goode shrieked, holding her baby tightly against her chest. “Trial for what crime?”
    â€œFor the crime of witchcraft!” Benjamin Fier declared, eyeing Susannah coldly.
    The two officers moved quickly, grabbing Susannah and her mother firmly by the shoulders. Benjamin strode quickly to the door, still gripping the empty purple bag.
    â€œBenjamin Fier—you
know
us!” Martha Goode cried desperately. “You know we are a God-fearing, humble, and pious family!”
    â€œYou cannot do this!” Susannah shrieked, fear choking her throat. “You cannot do this to us!”
    The officers dragged Susannah