I shooed the children upstairs where, I was quite sure, they would continue their game, but Hannah would not harry them so long as they were out of sight. I considered her claim that if the city’s witches feared extermination they might be driven to do even more evil. It was one thing to hang a frail old woman like Hester Jackson, one who had fallen into witchcraft by accident. But what if the magistrates threatened a genuinely powerful witch? What revenge would she exact on the city? Even worse, what if there truly were an entire company of witches in York and they acted together? I said a prayer that God would have mercy on us, and pushed such fearful thoughts from my head.
That afternoon, just as we were sitting down for dinner, I heard the front door open and a few moments later Will entered the dining room.
“We did not expect you,” I said. “Why aren’t you at the hall with Mr. Breary?” I had heard that the Council was meeting again to discuss the witch-hunt.
“The meeting is nearly over,” he said. “And I wanted to give you the latest news. The first witches will soon be taken.”
“Will Mother Lee be among them?” I had told him about Lucy Pierce’s labor and asked him to keep his ears pricked for any news from Upper Poppleton.
“Probably in the morning,” Will replied. “Joseph has been collecting the names of witches and will give the beadles their orders this afternoon.” I could not hide my surprise at the speed with which Joseph had moved. But I supposed there could be no dallying once the battle against Satan had begun.
“And then what?” Martha asked.
“They’ll be taken to the Castle, and Joseph will interrogate them there.”
“Is Mr. Breary still at the hall?” I asked.
Will nodded. “He said he’d be there a while longer, but he asked that you join us tonight for supper. He wishes to discuss the witch-hunt, but he said he has other business for you as well. I suggested that Martha should join us, and he agreed.”
“Thank you, Will,” I said. “Are you returning to Mr. Breary now?” He’d not removed his coat, and he seemed anxious to go.
“Aye, I will see you this evening.” He stepped forward as if to give Martha a kiss before recovering himself. His ears were bright pink by the time he made it to the door.
“Supper with an Alderman!” Hannah teased Martha. “Soon enough you’ll be the Lord Mayor’s guest!”
Martha’s ears pinked, and I could not help laughing along. “It’s the lot of a midwife,” I said. “Rich silks, fine wines, and sumptuous meals.”
“And bastard births, blood, and death,” Martha added. I could see she regretted her words, but it was too late, and they cast a shadow over the meal.
I nodded. “Those, too. And soon enough, witches and hangings.”
Chapter 8
That afternoon, as Martha and I turned from High Petergate onto George Breary’s street, it occurred to me that the city hardly needed a night watch; only fools such as ourselves would venture abroad, and we moved as quickly as we could. If someone were lying in wait, he would be frozen before he found his prey. Though George’s home was just a few minutes’ walk from my own, Martha and I were both shivering by the time we arrived.
“Thank God,” Martha sighed as we stepped into George’s parlor, shed our cloaks, and allowed the heat from his hearth to wash over us.
George and Will stood when we entered, and George crossed the room to embrace me. Over his shoulder, I could see Will and Martha looking into each other’s eyes, and they clasped hands briefly. George called for spiced wine, and soon the cold had been banished from our bones.
For a time we talked of the smaller news of the city and nation, avoiding the darker developments that plagued York of late. Of course the brutal winter was near the top of everyone’s concerns.
“This afternoon a boy walked across the Ouse,” Will said. “He went all the way from the King’s Staith to the Queen’s. He said he heard the ice crack once, but it held firm.”
George nodded. “And I heard the Thames has frozen as well. You should think such happenings would warn the Parliament-men that the Lord does not own their cause. The closer they come to overthrowing His Majesty, the more terrible God’s wrath becomes.”
I could tell from the expression on her face that Martha was about to argue the point, and I shook my head slightly. Such arguments could be found in both of our warring factions, as both the King’s men and Parliament’s believed God had a hand in everyday affairs. The victor in every battle took it as proof that God fought on their side. Strangely enough, the losers never interpreted defeat as God’s rejection of their cause: They simply claimed that the Lord was testing them as He had tested Israel.