2023-03-06 22:26:25In turn, there was never a crowd of admirers around Jane. She, unlike her brother, did not shine with beauty, but she was too independent and proud to be just an attachment to her husband. Stupid men considered her an arrogant ugly girl and a hardened old maid. And the smart ones, who could hardly be counted on the fingers of one hand, stayed with her like friends or brothers. However, it never occurred to either of them that it was possible to fall in love with her.
And now, like a bolt from the blue - a proposal from Bertrand de Gault, a French baron, whose family could be considered as ancient as the Gladstone family. Jane, who was well aware of her situation, from the very first days began to make inquiries about this man. She was surprised and alarmed why a noble, rich and young seigneur wanted to marry a noble, but poor and ugly girl, and not her first youth. Yes, even without seeing her and really knowing nothing about her. Moreover, from England, when France is full of noble ladies who can make him happy. Rumors and gossip horrified her. Nothing good was said about the de Gault family. Everything that Jane learned was little like envy, since information was delivered to her from different walks of life. Once a camp passed through Gladstone. Assuming that the nomadic camp could also roam in France, as it roamed in England, plucking up courage, Jane disguised herself as a maid, and in the late evening went to the tents and fires in the field. At the mention of the name de Gault, the gypsy camp burst into a hubbub of various sizes. The cries and lamentations, of which Jane did not understand a word, ceased when the gray-haired wrinkled gypsy spoke. He asked Jane sternly why she needed to know about de Gau. Jane, entering the role of a servant, replied that her mistress was marrying Bertrand de Go. To her surprise, the old man crossed her and said: Jane, entering the role of a servant, replied that her mistress was marrying Bertrand de Go. To her surprise, the old man crossed her and said: Jane, entering the role of a servant, replied that her mistress was marrying Bertrand de Go. To her surprise, the old man crossed her and said:
When you Christians want God to help you, they bless you. God bless and all your saints your mistress, for there is no worse evil than becoming the wife of a demon.
His words interested Jane. She began to question. And although the old man's words sounded like gypsy tales, Jane decided that there was a grain of truth in them. This was confirmed by other people whom she had a chance to question.
Bertrand de Gau, the only son of the baron de Gau, who died not so long ago, was handsome as Apollo, but cruel. Two of his sisters lived with him in his castle - Katerina, an exact copy of him, and Bianca, whom no one had ever seen. Katerina was known as a witch, like her twin brother, because they could appear from nowhere and disappear into nowhere. With them in the castle lived their uncle, the brother of their father, the ugly hunchback Guillaume le Muy. There were rumors that a crazy little old man was hiding in the castle. But the old gypsy knew nothing about him.
Aunt Jane, Eloise Cunningham, née Gladstone, behind the back of the girl, established a correspondence with a potential groom, and one day he sent Jane his portrait. When she unpacked it, she was struck by the rich finish of the frame and the brilliance of the decorations in the picture. It seemed that the artist painted what he saw, and not what he came up with. In the attached letter, it was very politely written that although they were not even engaged and therefore sending a portrait by the groom to the bride is against all the rules of etiquette, but “I can understand your hesitation. The terrible sin of my ancestor and the rumors of a curse associated with it may well turn your eyes away from me. However, I counted on your intelligence and insight, and that is why I am sending you my portrait. So that you can see that there is nothing in me from my unfortunate ancestor. That I am not a beast at all, as they say about me.
Jane glanced at the portrait as she read the letter. The clear gaze of Bertrand de Gault could not dispel the doubts in her soul. The expression "counted on your mind and insight" would be appropriate to pronounce, addressing a man, not a woman, albeit a mature one. Still, this somewhat bribed Jane. The words of the old gypsy that the twenty-six-year-old baron had already been married four times and that all his wives somehow died very quickly made her heart clench with anxiety. Her soul did not want this marriage. Her whole being protested against him. However, the fear of losing Gladstone made her aunt agree to the marriage without really talking to the bride herself. And today her aunt put her before the fact: Jane Gladstone is the bride of Baron Bertrand de Go. Their church has already announced this. Now Jane has to leave to get married.
Jane's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Her aunt Eloisa stood at the door with a letter in her hand.
Take heart, dear, said Eloise Cunningham in a flat voice. “I just received a letter from your brother.
Jane got up. A terrible premonition pierced her.
What's there? she asked, turning pale.
Aunt walked over to her. Her face was also pale. But calmly.
The letter was brought by a servant. Read. I will convey to you what he said to me verbally.
Jane took the letter. With an unsteady hand and a florid style, George complained for a whole page about the vicissitudes of fate and the evil people in his life. Then, through omissions and hints, pathos and ostentatious sacrifice, Jane realized that her brother simply decided to live at the expense of rich women. Having read this far, Jane blushed indignantly. However, she forced herself to read on. The husband of another lady once returned ahead of time from an audience with the king. Either he was in a bad mood, or the gout broke out again, or the king gave him a dressing down, but this time the deceived husband did not pretend that he had not seen anything. First, he beat George hard with the scabbard of his sword. Having thus earned himself a scar on his face, the handsome man challenged him to a duel. “And now,” George wrote. - Tomorrow I will teach this upstart, who dared to raise his hand against a nobleman who did not appreciate the habits of the court. Where has it been seen: to beat the wife's lover! And ruin my pretty face! This I could not bear. And no further than tomorrow, Madame will be a widow.
Seeing that Jane had finished, Eloise Cunningham went up to her and took her hands.
Take heart, dear.
So my brother is dead? Jane asked with pale lips.
Yes. The servant said that your brother ordered his confessor not to send this letter, so that he would add how he won the duel. But he could not: the duke's sword pierced his chest into a slit in armor.
Duke?
Yes. The Duke of Cavendish is the lady's husband.
God. One of the king's favorites." Jane covered her mouth with her hands.
Yes darling. Now you understand that your departure to France must take place as soon as possible?
But this is against all rules of etiquette! I will have to live until the wedding in the groom's house!
The engagement has been announced. Yes, and in France, I think they will understand. Here, I will take care of everything.
Jane lowered her head.
To you, Lord, I entrust my soul,” she whispered, raising her eyes. - Don't leave me in the days of hard trials. And give me the strength to bear them.
Eloise Cunningham silently crossed herself.
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67
“I told you to leave the sword,” the woman said calmly. The knight's fingers loosened. “I didn’t see you or your coat of arms. I haven't heard of you or the sorcerers. I was just waiting for you.- How did you know that I would come? the knight asked furiously. The woman shrugged and turned to the shack. - No, you say! The knight grabbed his sword again. But the woman, without turning around, waved her hand, and his fingers seemed to burn. He stared at his hand, then at the back of the retreating woman, and with a cry he rushed to grab her and strangle her. But his hands passed through the void. And the woman herself was a few steps ahead of him. The knight hesitated.- Well? the woman asked as she continued walking toward the shack. - Will you come in? Or am I here to predict your future? The knight hesitated and followed her. Indignation bubbled in his soul - this peasant woman dared to turn her back on him, and even expose him to ridicule with her tricks. Muttering curses,
66
After a while, when there was no place for the apple to fall in the hall, the door slammed shut with a loud noise. Katya looked doomedly from one face to another: so different and so the same. Bodily deformities and mental pathologies, the gifts of the psyche and the curses of the soul - all this must soon be destroyed. All this will die and not be reborn. The poems written by a novice boy centuries ago were just poetry. And no prophecy. And now some fanatic decided in his own way to fulfill what he considered a prediction. All of a sudden, all heads went up to the glass ceiling. Katya also heard a sound and raised her head. High above her in white robes and a white mask on his face stood a man.Dear relatives! Suddenly, a voice sounded in her head. “Today, the prophecy of the old monk who was killed right on this spot will be fulfilled. Many years ago, the abbot Gilbert Orsi was crucified by our ancestor and, dying, predicted his punishment up to the thirteenth degree. Only
65
During the same week, Katya tried to leave the castle , worrying about Agnia. She was also made nervous by the ever-increasing number of relatives gathering in the castle . And also the strange behavior of golems, wearing something all the time, dragging and repairing. What caused such a pilgrimage of relatives to her, no one could clearly say. However, the sane, interrogated by her, fell into some kind of inhibited state and insisted that they should be here. By the end of the second week, Katya became more and more worried. Moreover, Guillaume became somehow apathetic and clearly tried to avoid her. And Katerina just stopped noticing her. Discouraged Katya tried to act herself. But then her clothes suddenly turned out to be dirty or washed, then the keys to the car or passport disappeared somewhere, then it rained from morning to evening, turning the roads into impassable obstacles, then the candles in the car flooded, then gasoline disappeared somewhere, then she herself ha
64
Guillaume looked attentively at Katya, sighed and opened his mouth to continue the story. Suddenly he became alert. Katya also had an unpleasant feeling. For a while, an uneasy silence surrounded and weighed on them. Then there was a thump of feet, and the door swung open. Katerina stood in the doorway, alarmed.Catherine,” Guillaume turned to her. “I feel the presence of a member of our family. Who is this? Katerina suppressed her surprise and spoke quickly.Some woman came and brought the police. She screamed that her friend had gone mad here and she was being locked up like a beast. That people are being killed and eaten here. She brought her hands up to her face. “And worst of all, the commissar who came with her is a distant descendant of ours. Guillaume looked at Katya with a smile. Then he turned to Katherine.But is it possible to influence him?Bertrand finds out just that,” Catherine said calmly.And what is the name of a friend, she did not say? Katya ask
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Well, - Guillaume clapped his hands and rubbed his hands. – Would you like to have a bite to eat? A simple question reminded Katya of a monstrous feast, and nausea rose in her throat.No, no, she shook her head. - Do not worry.Then coffee. Suddenly, quickly, the little man rode up in his chair to the corner where he had a kitchen. It really was a miniature kitchen with a refrigerator, electric stove, microwave and dishwasher. A switch flipped, and a soft, muted light lit up the corner. Everything was sparkling clean and tidy. Jars of coffee, a sugar bowl, a teapot, a salt shaker and other little things were at arm's length. Katya watched in amazement as Guillaume deftly managed all the objects, moving his chair along the way.Yes, in this sense I am not disabled, - he said without looking at her. I have been living with a chair for a long time. It is my legs, and it would be surprising if I had not learned to manage it for so many years. He pointed Katya to
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The room they arrived at was huge, dark, lit only by candles and torches. Through the high window openings one could see the starry sky and the full moon. A circle was drawn in the middle of the room, in which a pentagram was inscribed. There was an inscription in Latin around the circle, black candles burned at the corners of the pentagram. A cross was inscribed inside the pentagram. A smaller part of him was looking at the door. In the place where the planks of the cross met, there was a bowl. Along the walls of the round room were couches with pillows and bedspreads, which could be guessed from the outlines, since most of the room was in the shade. Bertrand de Gault came out of the darkness with a tarred torch.“Here you are,” he said, and lit a torch from a nearby candle. Sweetish smoke drifted across the room. Bertrand waved his hand. Pierre put a three-legged stool over the cup in a pentagram and led Boris to it. Boris, who had already begun to have its effect on the smoke,
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