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He nodded down at me. “Some complications arose, but is my mother available?”
“Of course she is!” Forsythe assured him as she opened the door and stepped to one side. “She’ll be delighted to see you, as will all the girls.”
We stepped into the brilliantly lit interior. The glass dome provided direct sunlight, as did the windows, and illuminated a circular nave with a single aisle. Wide, hard wooden benches on either side were softened by plush pillows on their seats. At the end was not an altar or podium, but a statue of a woman with her head bowed and her hands clasped together in front of her. She was robed similarly to Forsythe, though a shroud covered all of her face. Doors on either side of the room led to the offshoot buildings I had noticed outside.
A gaggle of some dozen women were seated in the two front rows of pews with their hands raised to the ceiling. A soft green light emanated from their palms and stretched upward in thin strands of brilliance. The strings of light intertwined and floated through the glass dome where it dissipated into the air.
The leader of the coven was a woman who stood before the matronly statue. She wore a black cloak with a hood that covered all but the bottom half of her face. Unlike the others, her hands were pressed together in front of her in perfect imitation of the statute at her back. I could hear a few soft prayers murmur from her lips.
Forsythe pressed a finger to her mouth and gestured to one of the rear pews. Ben and I took a seat, and she scurried back to join the others where she, too, raised her hands in supplication. I cast a questioning look at my guide and my eyes darted to the praying women, but he shook his head.
After a few minutes, the leader stopped her prayers and dropped her hands to her sides. The others did the same with many sounds of relief.
“My goodness, but I think I’m getting older,” one of the women spoke up as she rubbed her arms. “That isn’t as easy as it used to be.”
One of her companions farther down the pew leaned forward to catch her eye. “You’re telling me. My arm’s cramped up.”
Another in the front row turned around and gave her a disapproving look. “Did you remember to take your medicine this morning to prevent that?”
The cramp suffered wrinkled her nose. “That filth isn’t fit for an animal, much less a woman like me.”
“But that’s exactly who it’s for,” the other one scolded her.
“Ladies.”
The voice was gentle, but as sharp as a knife. It cut through the burgeoning argument and silenced all the parties as they looked ahead.
The person who spoke was the hooded figure. The woman drew back her hood and revealed herself to be about fifty, but her beauty softened the effects of her few wrinkles. Her bright smile, too, diminished her age as her bright blue eyes fell on me. “It appears we have company.”
CHAPTERTHREE
Everyone turned aroundand all eyes fell on Ben and me. He smiled and bowed his head to the company. “Good morning, ladies.”
More than one cooed at the attention, and a few even jumped to their feet. They all replied in unison.
“Good morning, Count Castle.”
“That will be enough for this morning, ladies,” the robed woman commanded them. “Return to your work.”
The rest of the women stood, and a few looked mournfully at Ben as they passed by. One of the arguers, the one who hadn’t taken her pills, stopped at his side opposite me and set a hand on Ben’s arm.
“It’s so nice to see you, Count. What’s kept you away for so long?”
Ben nodded at me. “A pleasant distraction.”
The woman gave me a look of curiosity before one of her friends grabbed her bent arm. “Come on, Matilda. That’s enough flirting for one day, especially with what I’ve heard.”
Matilda gave her friend a blank look as she was carted away. “What did you hear?”
“Never you mind. Just hurry along.”
Soon the nave was emptied of all but we three. The robed woman’s gentle eyes smiled at me. “So this is the young woman who is going to give me grandchildren.”
At that moment Ben and I were two of a kind. My cheeks glowed like a bonfire and his wide eyes reflected shock and confusion. The scene must have been hilarious because his mother burst into laughter.
“My goodness,” she mused as she wiped a tear from one eye. “I didn’t expect the reaction to be so quick and so telling.”
Ben gathered his wits and his eyebrows crashed down. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mother, but where did you hear that false rumor?”
