Claudia Dain by The Fall Read Free Book Online Page B

to be giving good cloaks to the poor when he has no land of his own," Avice said. "That is not generous; it is foolish."
    "If any man be foolish in his charity, surely God will make up the lack?" Edward said.
    "I am more than willing for God to prove such upon me," Roger said. "I have so little in this life that any generosity which pours out from God's provision would be noted by me without delay and I would sing His praise upon the hour, proving the example that God blesses those who bless Him."
    Avice grinned and ducked her head to hide it. She was engaged in tender warfare with Edward and did not want to so easily be turned from it. Ulrich was not the only man among them who understood women.
    "I am quite sure, having listened well to all that Father Matthew has to say on the nature of God, that it is required of God's creatures to bless Him no matter what the gifts He has bestowed. I do not think our blessing of Him is to be in the nature of a bribe," Avice said, scolding playfully.
    "I do not believe that God can be bribed," Lunete said.
    "Of course He cannot," Marguerite said.
    "Then by that fact, which is most certainly true, we know that Ulrich's charity in the giving of his cloak was a gift rooted in piety and greatness of heart, and not in vain bribery to pry from God's bounty that which God has prized to keep," Edward said with a nod to Roger.
    "If I listen to you long enough, I will be persuaded not to keep up my prayers for a new cloak," Roger replied. "Keep still then, brother; I want that cloak."
    "Did you not bargain in good faith for one?" Edward said with a sly grin.
    "A bargain?" Avice said, moving around the fire, the younger maids trailing in her skirted wake. "You have struck a wager... about Juliane?"
    "You strike well, lady," Edward said, "even striking blind."
    "Oh, 'tis not a blind strike, not when it concerns Juliane," Lunete said, coming to stand near Roger and give him a firm looking over.
    "Then there has been a wager?" Avice asked again, this time looking at Roger.
    "There is always a wager between men, Lady Avice," Roger said. "Let it not dishearten you. No insult to your sister was intended."
    "Disheartened?" she said. "Nay, I am not disheartened. Tell me only, what was this wager... and may I lay my own wager on Juliane's success in the defeat of Ulrich."
    Roger looked down into the lovely blue eyes of Lady Avice. She appeared to be in earnest. Roger then looked into the stunned hazel gaze of Edward. Edward appeared as blindsided as Roger felt. Edward looked at Roger. Roger looked back at Edward. They blinked almost in unison and then turned to Avice of Stanora.
    "You would wager? On your sister?" Edward asked.
    "I would hardly wager against her," Avice said with a small smile.
    "Is it... that is," Roger said haltingly, "is it quite proper for a lady to wager on such a thing?"
    "On such a thing as a seduction?" Avice said cheerily. "I will not counter by asking if it is the stuff of knightly honor for men to wager on such a thing as a seduction. I will instead point out that I am not wagering on Juliane being seduced, but on Ulrich failing in his... rising to the occasion of a successful seduction."
    "Lady Avice!" Edward said sharply. "This is beyond the bounds of courteous discourse."
    "Yet not beyond the bounds of knightly wagering?" she countered, unbowed.
    "Lady Avice," Roger said slowly, "you astound me."
    "I think, my lord, that there is little in this life which astounds you," she said with a half grin. "In the matter of Ulrich, I think that nothing would surprise you."
    "Nothing but his defeat in this... matter."
    "Then," she said slowly, encouragingly, "we have a wager?"
    "You are confident," Roger said, stroking his chin.
    "I have good cause to be. Is not the weight of legend behind Juliane le Gel?"
    "And what of Ulrich of Caen? He bears the weight of legend as well, and one that is older than your sister's."
    "Older and perhaps weaker? Enfeebled by time, or falsely inflated by the