Chapter 14: Discovery

Home.

Here I thought that I was going to have a nice relaxing afternoon.

I was greeted by a small flying body that tried to bowl me over. “Charles!” She exclaimed, while wrapping her legs around my waist. “I missed you.” How she achieved a 40” vertical leap was beyond me.

“What brought this on, I have been gone for only a few hours?” I said cupping my hands under her bottom supporting Celia.

“I just missed you. What’s an hour?” Celia mumbled into my chest.

“That’s ok, I guess. Hours are increments of time, don’t worry about it.” She unwrapped here yellow covered legs from her divided skirts. I kissed her once she was standing again. “Where’s Chandra, I have news for her.”

“What is it? Tell me, tell me.” She was literally bouncing.

“No. This is for Chandra. She can tell you after. Ok?”

“Meanie.” The strangely effervescent strawberry blond, petulantly replied.

“Where is she?”

“Chandra has been in the sitting room since Jacob left a while ago.”

“Give us some time so that I can break the news.” Without waiting for a reply, I strode off to learn which room was the ‘sitting room’.

Chandra knew I was home and was waiting for me, she didn’t look pleased. With my purloined chest, open beside the disgruntled woman, I sat in the armchair across from her. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Jacob took the correspondence.” No, she was not happy.

“Did you get to read any of it?” I intended to give it to them anyway, after I read it.

“Some, just one scroll. They were instructions for the treaty between Fairview and Kalabar, slaves for supplies. He read something that got him mad. That’s when he ripped the scroll from my hands and fled with the rest of them. I tried to get him to stop but he wouldn’t listen.”

“Look at me.” I waited until she met my gaze. “It’s not your fault that your brother took them.”

“But I was the one that told him what the scrolls were and together we read them. It was my fault.”

This was getting me nowhere. “Are you sorry?”

“Yes.” She said in a small voice.

“Good, you’re forgiven. Now come over here and give me a hug. I have news for you.” I stood and accepted her hug. “You are going to the temple at dawn tomorrow for evaluation.”

“What!” She screamed.

“What’s the matter? You’ll do fine.”

“But ... but...”

“Mother Browynn has decided. Your job is to have faith in yourself and do the best that you can.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Good, now who are you?”

“Chandra.” She answered.

“Tell me your title and who do you serve.” I countered louder.

“Postulant Chandra of Kassandra.” She replied getting my drift.

“Much better, now I want you to remember that tomorrow. No one can take that from you. Now tell me what you found in the chest besides the scrolls.”

“Just money and a lot of it. There are fourteen gold coins, seventy-six silver, fifty-four copper and seventy-one half copper pieces.” She walked over to the chest; bent over and lifted something out of it. “Added to that, is this pouch of 7 gems, three emeralds three sapphires and a diamond. You’re rich.”

At a hundred to one conversion rate for both the copper to silver and silver to gold, I was. “Do you know how to open the chest?”

“Yes, it’s easy. Just push this here, here and here, then pull this bit when it is exposed.”

I took out a silver and closed the lid, then squatted in front of the chest. “Easy you say. Show me again.”

She bent down and pointed to each location in order for me to manipulate. It opened easily by following her instructions.

“Go tell Celia where you are going to be for the next few days, while I take this upstairs. Then meet me outside.” We both left the ‘sitting room’; I detour to the kitchen to see Cara who was baking some of her fabulous bread and she to find her partner in crime. “Cara, this is for you as a thank you for all your hard work.”

“This is too much, my Lord. I can’t take this.” She was wringing her hands on her apron.

“You make the best bread I’ve ever tasted, you always have fresh fruit for us; even though some can’t be in season yet and your meals are to die for. I haven’t a clue how you do it nor do I care as long as you keep it up.”

“Thank you, my Lord, but I can’t take all the credit. One of Lady Janice’s maid does our shopping.”

“Good, give her an extra two coppers this week as a thank you for her efforts. Now from you, I’ll not hear another word on the matter and don’t you dare spend this on me, this is for you to enjoy.” She curtsied ay my command and I left for the back yard for some teaching.

Chandra warmed up while Celia bounded towards me “Is she going to be a Sister?”

“I don’t know. Mother Browynn is going to have to decide that.”

“Can I have two gold?” Came from out of the blue from Celia.

“My Lord, you have a messenger from Miss Theresa.” This from Cara

“What? Why?” Two gold was a fortune.

“I don’t know My Lord, you have to ask her.” Replied Cara.

“Cara, tell the messenger that I will be there shortly.” I turned to Celia. “Tell me why do you need the money.”

“For an engagement party, silly.”

“Oh,” I should have known not to ask.

“Well?” She demanded.