the flock. If I ventured too far away from their
prayerful protection, evil would find me. The devil seeks the
devil’s handmaiden.”
“Hope, it doesn’t work that way. I am
familiar with much that is evil and you are not a part of it.”
She looked at him with guilty eyes. “You
can’t know that. You don’t know what I’ve done. I dishonored my
father when I ran away without his consent or blessing, when I
chose to follow my mother’s calling. I met Lenny and became a
willing purveyor of evil. Not only did I profit from it, I used it
to seek out and invite abominations into my home. I have visited
the devil’s dens of iniquity, imbibed in his brew, invited strange
men into my bedroom, indulged in thoughts of sins of the flesh,
provoked men to attack me and now…” She looked down at the hand
still holding the knife and dropped the blade to the floor as if it
burned. “Thou shalt not kill,” she whispered. Her eyes filled with
tears. “I am the devil’s handmaiden.” She hung her head in
shame.
“You haven’t killed anyone.”
“I would have,” she said softly but with
conviction. “I almost killed you.”
“But you didn’t and there’s nothing sinful in
coming to the defense of an injured man. That’s bravery, not
sin.
She shook her head in denial. “I’ve never
been brave.”
Nico crossed the room to stand in front of
her and used his index finger to lift her chin. When she would have
pulled away, he gripped it with thumb and forefinger forcing her to
look at him.
“You’ve lived a sheltered life,” he said
quietly, but firmly. “You’re naïve and inexperienced in the ways of
the world. Not evil. I tell you again, I have seen evil, up close,
both in myself and in others. I recognize its stench. There is none
in you. You are not evil. The devil, as you call it, has no hold on
you.”
“Then why is all this happening to me?” she
pleaded.
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“I don’t know, but I vow to you on what little honor I have left,
that I will find out.”
She said nothing, but there was belief in her
eyes.
Still holding her hand, he stepped back.
“Now, there’s nothing we can do until nightfall. You are exhausted
and need sleep which you will get in your own bed.” He half smiled
when her eyes widened. “Dov can use the couch. No argument now.
He’s young and healthy and not nearly as injured as he would have
you believe. He’ll be fine. I’ll keep watch. Tonight, we’ll move
your things to our home. There’s a woman there, Grace, and another,
Manon, across the way. They’ll be a comfort to you and can teach
you things you need to know. They’re like you, Hope. Something
special.”
“I can stay here. I don’t want to
impose.”
“Someone is looking for you and until I find
out who it is, you can’t stay here. Besides,” again the half smile,
“I’ve broken your door. Grace will be more than happy to have
someone to talk to other than the smelly beasts, which is how she
refers to us, although to be fair, I think she considers it a term
of endearment. I promise you’ll like her, everyone does.”Hope
readied herself for bed, all too aware of the men downstairs. No.
Man downstairs. She refused to add lying to her list of faults. Dov
was a pleasant young man who, she suspected, was much as he
appeared; open, friendly, incautious and non-threatening. A firm
hand and a stern voice would keep him in his place. Nico, however,
was different. She thought it would take a great deal more than a
firm hand to keep him from his intended course. But what was his
intended course?
She understood her own silly, schoolgirl
attraction to him. He was, after all, the first decent man to treat
her as anything other than Preacher Parson’s daughter and she knew,
in her heart, that true love and commitment were a far cry from a
foolish crush. She had no illusions that her feelings might be
returned. A man like Nico would never be attracted to an
prayerful protection, evil would find me. The devil seeks the
devil’s handmaiden.”
“Hope, it doesn’t work that way. I am
familiar with much that is evil and you are not a part of it.”
She looked at him with guilty eyes. “You
can’t know that. You don’t know what I’ve done. I dishonored my
father when I ran away without his consent or blessing, when I
chose to follow my mother’s calling. I met Lenny and became a
willing purveyor of evil. Not only did I profit from it, I used it
to seek out and invite abominations into my home. I have visited
the devil’s dens of iniquity, imbibed in his brew, invited strange
men into my bedroom, indulged in thoughts of sins of the flesh,
provoked men to attack me and now…” She looked down at the hand
still holding the knife and dropped the blade to the floor as if it
burned. “Thou shalt not kill,” she whispered. Her eyes filled with
tears. “I am the devil’s handmaiden.” She hung her head in
shame.
“You haven’t killed anyone.”
“I would have,” she said softly but with
conviction. “I almost killed you.”
“But you didn’t and there’s nothing sinful in
coming to the defense of an injured man. That’s bravery, not
sin.
She shook her head in denial. “I’ve never
been brave.”
Nico crossed the room to stand in front of
her and used his index finger to lift her chin. When she would have
pulled away, he gripped it with thumb and forefinger forcing her to
look at him.
“You’ve lived a sheltered life,” he said
quietly, but firmly. “You’re naïve and inexperienced in the ways of
the world. Not evil. I tell you again, I have seen evil, up close,
both in myself and in others. I recognize its stench. There is none
in you. You are not evil. The devil, as you call it, has no hold on
you.”
“Then why is all this happening to me?” she
pleaded.
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“I don’t know, but I vow to you on what little honor I have left,
that I will find out.”
She said nothing, but there was belief in her
eyes.
Still holding her hand, he stepped back.
“Now, there’s nothing we can do until nightfall. You are exhausted
and need sleep which you will get in your own bed.” He half smiled
when her eyes widened. “Dov can use the couch. No argument now.
He’s young and healthy and not nearly as injured as he would have
you believe. He’ll be fine. I’ll keep watch. Tonight, we’ll move
your things to our home. There’s a woman there, Grace, and another,
Manon, across the way. They’ll be a comfort to you and can teach
you things you need to know. They’re like you, Hope. Something
special.”
“I can stay here. I don’t want to
impose.”
“Someone is looking for you and until I find
out who it is, you can’t stay here. Besides,” again the half smile,
“I’ve broken your door. Grace will be more than happy to have
someone to talk to other than the smelly beasts, which is how she
refers to us, although to be fair, I think she considers it a term
of endearment. I promise you’ll like her, everyone does.”Hope
readied herself for bed, all too aware of the men downstairs. No.
Man downstairs. She refused to add lying to her list of faults. Dov
was a pleasant young man who, she suspected, was much as he
appeared; open, friendly, incautious and non-threatening. A firm
hand and a stern voice would keep him in his place. Nico, however,
was different. She thought it would take a great deal more than a
firm hand to keep him from his intended course. But what was his
intended course?
She understood her own silly, schoolgirl
attraction to him. He was, after all, the first decent man to treat
her as anything other than Preacher Parson’s daughter and she knew,
in her heart, that true love and commitment were a far cry from a
foolish crush. She had no illusions that her feelings might be
returned. A man like Nico would never be attracted to an
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