"Off to bed, both of you. I'll stay a while longer and read," Abigail said, dismissing the two novices.
***
Bessie and Penelope roomed together inside the small cell. As soon as they entered the room, Bessie changed out of her plain novice garb and into a cotton dress.
"Be a love and don’t tell on me," Bessie whispered.
Penelope rolled her eyes. Bessie had taken to disappearing at night. She didn’t know where she went and didn’t want to know.
"You're a disgrace. We are novices, here to serve the Lord."
Bessie snorted.
"You may be, not me. I'm here because my father is trying to get rid of me. I've other ideas of serving and they have nothing whatsoever to do with the Lord."
Penelope changed into her small nightgown and felt her nipples pucker in the cold air.
"Go on then. I won’t tell," she said.
Bessie smiled and raced across the stones, leaving the convent by a kitchen door.
***
Bessie had been bored the entire day. The day had been filled with prayer, more prayer, and work. She had been on her knees half the day on the cold stone floor and it irritated her. She knew of much more exciting things to do on her knees that had little to do with prayer.
She took the large brush in one hand and combed the girl's long tresses. Across the bed from Bessie was the Abbess, reading the French Bible.
Bessie remembered the time she and the local milkman's son had been alone in her father's church one Sunday morning. It had been a cold morning and her nipples had hardened underneath the worn cloth of her dress. Ben had seen her nipples harden and had begun to rub his leg against hers. She told him playfully to stop, as the church services were to start soon, but he had continued his attentions.
Eventually, she had ended up against her father's pulpit with Ben's cock buried deep inside her pussy. She had milked him dry and smiled at the thought. She had sat through her father's service on chastity and virginity with Ben's cum dripping down the inside of her leg.
***
Bessie sighed. She drew the brush through the girl's golden hair as the Abbess continued reading.
She looked at the girl longingly and her heart felt heavy. She must have been a woman of a great house and then cast down because of the baby. Or maybe she was married and the man had died? Bessie's mind whirled and wondered. She saw that the woman wore no ring. The poor baby, she thought.
Just as the Abbess turned a page of the book, the woman began to moan in her sleep. It startled both woman, and the Abbess dropped her book in her haste to get to the girl.
"Did you hear that, my dear?" Abigail asked Bessie.
"Yes, Abbess. It sounded like gobbledygook," Bessie confirmed.
"No, no. It sounded like something else," Abigail said as she looked down at the girl sleeping.
She touched the girl’s forehead lovingly and found it burning with fever.
"I'll return shortly. Watch over her," she told Bessie.
***
Abigail settled herself behind the large walnut desk, pulled out a sheet of parchment from the drawer, and dipped her quill pen into the ink.
The letter was dated accordingly and began: To Father O’Day of Kilkenny Grey Friary.
Abigail finished the lengthy letter and would await a response. If the girl was as ill as she suspected, she must risk the journey to Ireland to have the Father in Kilkenny look after her. He was renowned throughout the land for his knowledge of medicine, and he could look after the young woman through this difficult time. Abigail breathed a sigh of relief when the letter was sent. If anyone could help her, it was Father O’Day.
***