Her hands trembled as she stared at it. One hand fluttered down and gingerly touched the cover. She began to breathe so fast she feared she would faint.
A Holy Bible.
Tears blurred her vision as she looked up at him. “Thank you, my lord. I — “ Her voice cracked and a tear slid down both cheeks. Mortified, she wiped the tears away with the corner of her apron as quickly as she could. “I’m so sorry. Forgive me.”
Lord le Wyse actually owned a Bible and was allowing her to read it! She took deep breaths, working to calm herself and force back the tears. What must Lord le Wyse think of her? That she had lost her mind? Besides, she couldn’t risk getting tears on the precious book.
Feeling as though she had successfully forced back the tears, she nodded her head. “I am ready now.”
When he didn’t say anything, she glanced up at him again. She was startled by the expression on his face. He almost looked like a different person. Gone was the scowl, and he stared back as though he were trying to see into her mind.
They were now alone in the large room, except for Mistress Eustacia, who was sitting in the corner by the window, sewing.
Finally, Lord le Wyse asked in a surprisingly quiet tone, “Why did you cry?”
She stared back at him, wondering at the change in his tone. “I have wanted to read the Bible for many years. My father promised to try to get one for me, but then he lost all his ships and his money.” She added quietly, “And then he died. Just today I asked the priest if I might borrow his Bible. I begged him, in fact.”
She blinked rapidly as she stared down into her lap. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry …
“What did the priest say?”
“He said that even if he had one, he wouldn’t let me read it. So you see, I cried because I am very happy.” She could feel herself blushing, embarrassed at revealing so much about herself to this man who obviously didn’t hold her in very high esteem.
He continued to stare, but now he was scowling at her again. She felt almost relieved that he had reverted to himself. She didn’t know how to react to the kind look that had been on his face.
“Please allow me to read for you. Where shall I begin?” She placed her hands reverently on the Holy Writ and prepared to open it.
“Anyplace, I don’t care.”
“Oh! I want to read it all.” She clasped her hands to her chest, a giggle threatening to bubble over.
At her outburst, Lord le Wyse looked at her suspiciously, narrowing his eye. But his tone sounded almost — dare she believe it? — gentle, as he said, “Genesis speaks of God creating the world. Or, one may want to begin with the birth of the Christ child and his life on Earth.”
“Let us begin there, with Jesus. May I?”
He leaned over her and turned the pages until he found the Gospel According to St. Luke. He sat back and she began to read aloud.
Chapter
7
She wanted to savor every sentence.
She read of Zechariah not believing God’s angel and being struck dumb. I must never doubt what God says.
She read of Mary’s conception, announced to her by the angel Gabriel, showing nothing is impossible with God. Having this book before me is proof.
Later, Mary proclaimed, “My spirit rejoices in God.” There’s that word, rejoice.
Annabel read about the Caesar whose proclamation sent Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem during Mary’s time of childbirth. How interesting that God should announce the birth to lowly shepherds instead of rich people or kings.
Oh, she wanted to read it all! There must be so much she’d never heard, so many stories revealing God’s nature and expectations.
Lord le Wyse didn’t stop her, so she read on.
She relished Jesus’s words, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.”
She stopped and silently pored over the words again, trying to memorize each verse. There was something so comforting about the passage. But she mustn’t stop; Lord le Wyse would be waiting for her to go on.
She raised her knees to bring the words closer, cradling the heavy book in her arms.
Annabel read about Jesus teaching in the synagogue. When the people in the synagogue, being filled with wrath at his words, tried to throw him off a cliff, she gasped. She looked up at Lord le Wyse. He had a strange expression on his face, but he nodded at her to keep reading.
She smiled at the way Jesus spoke to the Pharisees who didn’t want him to heal on the Sabbath day. Then she came to a long discourse in which Jesus said people were blessed when they were poor, hungry, or hated, because God would reward those who belonged to him. Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, offer to let someone hit you or take your coat. Most of this she had heard before, but she couldn’t recall actually seeing anyone do such things. And she hadn’t either, as she certainly didn’t love or bless Bailiff Tom. She would have to think about that.