- But they are cold, - said the second slyly, named his curious comrade Giles. Let's warm them up. He picked up a burning torch nearby and threw it into a pile of bodies. Frozen clothes slowly settled in. The rest of the soldiers rushed to the other torches. And soon, spreading the stench and the smell of burnt flesh, a bright fire blazed. Occupied with maintaining it, they did not notice how a black shadow rushed from the other end of it and disappeared in dense bushes of nettles, thistles and thistles. The rest of the soldiers also awoke. Exchanging jokes over the fire for some time, the soldiers wandered into the monastery building, where, if there is no special heat, there are walls, a roof and a fireplace. Not to mention wine cellars. In the monastery of Saint-Catherine, weak wine was made, which, although not in great demand, brought income. When the conversations of the soldiers died down, and the silence of the night was interrupted only by the crackling of a

Part one. Chapter firstYou understand everything, Jane. This marriage is a deal. We are not given a choice. If your father hadn’t refused the king’s offer, you and your unlucky brother would have bathed in gold, ”the tall, prim lady said to the young serious girl, nervously fiddling with a scarf in her hands. “My dear, understand: twenty-seven years old, no dowry, ordinary appearance and your absurd character make you not a very attractive party. And your brother's debts scare away any girl from him, despite his beauty. Maps and wine are not the best pastime for the only remaining member of the Gladstone family. But your uncle put up with it. And even though it killed him, there was nothing he could do about it. And so he went to his grave disappointed. But cheers , Jane! This is your family namemok! Your generation has lived in it since the time of William the Conqueror! Are you going to let him go to some Harris and Bridges? Yes, they are related, but are they Gladstones? This is s

The possessions of the Baron de Gau were extensive. Good roads, strong houses, fields, meadows, forests - everything indicated that the owner was rich and did not skimp on maintaining his wealth in the proper form. However, all this did not dispel the confusion in the soul of Jane Gladstone. There were few inhabitants in the villages, and those who came across tried to quickly hide in their homes. Himself for athe mok was gloomy, like a prison. And when, passing a wide ditch, the high wrought-iron gates slammed shut behind Jane, it seemed to her that she was a mouse caught in a mousetrap. To meet Jane and her small escort, consisting of a maid and a strong servant with a huge club, a few servants with gloomy faces came out. Without looking at her and her servants, they took their meager possessions and carried them to the castle. Jane looked around. The vast courtyard, covered with fresh straw on the side of the stables and the barn, and in other places paved with large stones, stron

Once again, she was distracted from this exciting affair, this time by a slight noise behind one of the draped doors. With a cold heart, Jane waited to see what would happen next. Finally, the noise grew a little louder, and a key creaked in the lock. Jane ran to the fireplace and pulled out another poker. The door slowly opened, and a broken voice was heard from the dark opening:Please, Mademoiselle Jeanne! This is Bianca le Mui. May I come in? Holding the poker in her hands, Jane went to the draped opening, in which she saw the pale and sad face of Bianca.It is you? she asked in amazement, looking at the guest's black attire.I'm afraid it's powerless against my cousin," Bianca said, pointing to the poker. But I wasn't wrong about you. You are not stupid like those four stupid chickens.Against your cousin? Jane asked, lowering the poker. - Excuse me, but what are you doing here? And why did they enter in this way?Leave the questions, - Bianca rushed to Jane. - Run

Opening her eyelids with difficulty, Jane was surprised to see a glass of water and a biscuit on the table by her bed. She didn't want to eat, but the thirst was strong. “God, what did I eat for breakfast? she asked herself, feeling her head. The head was like a big cast-iron cauldron: empty and heavy. - What am I doing here? I had to run away from here yesterday. Where did Mary go? Maybe she was drugged with the same stuff that I was, and she just can't get up? God, how I want to drink! Despite her thirst, Jane fought with herself as best she could. Although she ate and drank only at the common table, she had no doubt that her incomprehensible dream after breakfast had something to do with the dishes served on it. Jane distracted herself, but her gaze stubbornly returned to the glass of water. Finally, unable to control herself, she rushed to him like a hungry wolf to a sheep. quench my thirst, she was surprised to feel that her anxieties had gone somewhere, and the light from th