'Let me go, you've got no right. . .' Elena tried to prise the old widow's fingers off her arm, but Hilda grasped her more tightly.
'I've every right to ensure my poor mistress is not deceived by little cats like you. She is a good, pious woman. She doesn't permit harlots to remain in her service. So we'll see what she has to say about this, shall we?' She pulled Elena towards the stone steps, still shouting. Elena, trying to resist her, stumbled against the first step and would have fallen had not a pair of strong hands reached out from behind and caught her.
'Say about what, Mistress Hilda?' Raffaele asked sternly. 'You're so eager to drag this girl to Lady Anne that you almost dashed her brains out on the stones. So it must be important, whatever it is.'
In the light of the writhing yellow torch flames Hilda's eyes glittered with fury.
'I saw her coming out of the barn. What business would a tiring maid have in that barn at this time of night? I can think of only one. I warned Lady Anne she was making a mistake taking a base-born villein as a maid. What can you expect from such as them? Their kind are like feral dogs out to grab whatever they can, when they're not scrapping and snarling at one another, they're fornicating. I don't blame them, it's in their blood, but like a pack of hounds they need the whip to control them and that's your job, Master Raffaele. The servants are supposed to be under your authority. Yet you ignore the shameless debauchery that goes on night after night in there, right under the mistress's window. You know they all laugh at you behind your back, and is it any wonder —'
Raffaele shot out a great hand and, grabbing Hilda by her puckered neck, he pinned her against the stone wall, pressing down hard on her throat.
You malicious old hag! Jealous, are you? Jealous that others are enjoying themselves when not even your poor husband was willing to bed you? No wonder the poor wretch died so young, he probably bribed the grim reaper to take him early just to get away from you. I doubt you ever gave him a warm word in his whole life. Your heart was shrivelled up like a dried pea long before the rest of you withered up to match it.'
Hilda was making a strange gargling sound and her eyes were bulging wide in fear. She struggled in vain to tear Raffaele's hand from her throat, but her movements were becoming more feeble.
Elena tugged at Raffaele's arm with all her strength, terrified he was going to throttle the old woman. 'Stop it, please, stop! You're choking her.'
The sound of Elena's voice seemed to snap Raffaele out of his rage and he slackened his grip. Hilda tipped forward, clutching the wall for support as she gasped for air and massaged her bruised throat.
Raffaele, breathing hard, seemed to be struggling to control himself. His fists clenched and unclenched, but his words to Elena were spoken softly. 'You should get yourself inside, girl, the mistress will be calling for you.'
Elena nodded gratefully and was half-way up the steps before Hilda lifted her head and snarled, You . . . you think she's so innocent, Master Raffaele, don't you, pure and pretty as a little white dove? Well, you take a good look at her belly. You feel it and tell me if the little whore's as sinless as you believe. She's taken you for a fool, Master Raffaele, right here in this manor, only you were too besotted with the little cat to see what was going on right under your nose.'
Night of the Full Moon,
December 1210
Crickets — Twenty crickets steeped in white wine are said to cure the wheezing of the breath and, if eaten, ease the colic and also pains of the bladder.
A cricket thrown into the fire will not burn. If they enter a house and dwell there they must never be killed or driven out, for they will bring good fortune and their chirruping on the hearth will warn of a gathering storm. A cricket will even tell a mortal woman when her lover is approaching her house. But should the cricket suddenly depart, ill fortune will follow.
But take heed, if a white cricket should chance to appear upon the hearth, one of those who warm their hands around that fire will surely