The Penwyth Curse by Catherine Coulter Read Free Book Online Page A

mouth?”
    â€œThe third one, Flammond de Geoffrey,” Merryn said. “A mercenary who spoke little English.”
    â€œWhen he forced her to kiss him, he gummed her,” Lord Vellan said, and shuddered. “It was dreadful to watch. Merryn clouted his ear. He couldn’t kill her since he had to have an heir from her, and so her punishment was to be the death of one of my men. He lifted his sword to run it through Crispin, held by six of his men, then he suddenly dropped it, stared straight up at the beams overhead as if someone were there, and started screaming and screaming. Then he vomited up mounds of white foam.”
    â€œAye,” Merryn said. “It just kept pouring out of his mouth as he screamed and choked. Then he finally fell to the floor, gagging and ripping at his own throat.”
    It was a nice performance, Bishop thought. They did itwell. Anyone listening would be petrified to his toes. He wondered if it was true. He said, “Your third husband has nothing to do with me, Lady Merryn. Now, I doubt any of the husbands particularly wished to wed you either, but a man does what he must to gain what he wishes to have.”
    He could have sworn he heard her curse him behind her teeth. It would be a major task to educate her on the manners befitting a widowed lady. He went right ahead, ignoring her. “Now, again, you have misunderstood me, apurpose this time. I will speak it plainly so the meanest brain can understand: There will be no more deaths at Penwyth. It is the king’s command. ”
    She said something under her breath, but not under enough. “By God’s divine angels, this is idiocy, brought to us by an idiot.”
    â€œI am not an idiot.” Bishop knew it was time to get all of them in line. A dose of fear should do it. He spoke loudly so that all in the inner bailey could hear him. “Heed me, madam. I am a wizard. I have my own powers. And if my powers chance to fail me, why then I am also a warrior, able to split a man’s head open with my sword.”
    The girl shouted, “You, Sir Bishop, wizard and warrior, just how would you split open the head of the spirit of a Druid priest?”
    â€œI should use my invisible sword,” he said and slashed his hand through the air. One of the old men-at-arms jumped back. “You see, he felt the sting as my invisible sword sliced through the air.”
    She laughed. Bishop sheathed his invisible sword, smiling a bit himself. There was talk among the people in the inner bailey. He heard a woman say, “I felt the hiss of the blade, I did.”
    â€œI smelled the heat of his sword,” another man said, and crossed himself.
    Good, Bishop thought, that pleasing threat of the supernatural should bring even this loudmouthed girl in line.
    A little boy said, “Father, is he the pope?”
    â€œHe is a sinner,” Merryn said. “Ah, but just look at how I’m quaking from the threat of his invisible sword.”
    The sneer on her face was full-bodied, inviting a clout, but he contented himself with the high ground. “You will see. Now, are you and Lord Vellan agreed? No more deaths at Penwyth?”
    â€œWe have not the magic to prevent death, Sir Bishop,” she said, the sneer still well in place. “Think you that we are witches here?”
    A witch, he thought. Aye, she could easily pass for a witch, what with that mouth of hers. He said, “I will speak even more plainly. There will be no more strange deaths at Penwyth, be they a husband of two hours or a tradesman who has cheated you.”
    â€œMust we include a man who calls himself a bishop and expects us to treat him with unwarranted respect?”
    He drew a deep breath and said, “If you kill me, you will have the king on your necks, doubt me not.” He paused a moment. He was content that Lord Vellan and the little witch understood him. At least Dienwald was right about her hair. Red as a