Free Lilies for Love by Felicity Pulman Page B

all the wheat we'll reap here.' He took the cloth bag from the child and held it out in front of them. 'See,' he said, indicating the gleaned wheat that the child had gathered. 'Instead of keeping one of the mothers back to supervise the children, perhaps you might do it instead? The young ones especially need watching.'
    Agnes's smile stretched from ear to ear. 'Oh, I would like that,' she breathed.
    'Then I'll see you both tomorrow.' The bailiff's glance rested on Agnes for a moment, before he walked away to deal with a question from a waiting villein. Janna took Agnes's left arm to help her up and, together, they strolled back to the abbey. While Agnes babbled happily about the bailiff's kindness, and what a good man he was, Janna wondered if kindness was his only motivation, and where it all might end.

FIVE
    I T WAS J ANNA'S turn to scythe the wheat on the following day. She and Agnes were late coming to the fields for, as expected, there'd been a complaint from Sister Martha at chapter.
    'He picked her up in his arms. He carried her over to a tree!' From her awed, horrified tone, Janna was quite sure the gnat's imagination had turned an act of kindness into a scene of utter debauchery. She hurried to intervene.
    'The bailiff was merely trying to help,' she said. 'Sister Agnes was . . .' She hesitated, suddenly aware that it was not up to her, as a newcomer, to explain Agnes to her sisters.
    'I was in great pain from having to lift the heavy bundles of wheat in order to tie them,' Agnes said, with dignity. 'Master Will carried me over to a tree so that I might sit under it in comfort.' She glared at Martha. 'You cannot make any more of it than that!'
    'You had better stay within the abbey today, Sister Agnes,' the abbess decided.
    'But Master Will has a very important task for her to do!' Janna protested, knowing how disappointed her friend would feel to be denied the day's outing.
    'You will allow Sister Agnes to speak for herself!' The abbess turned a fiery glance on Janna. 'I know you are new to our community, but you will remember St Benedict's Rule of Silence, and you will only speak when you are spoken to.' She turned her attention back to Agnes. 'What is your task?' she snapped.
    'To . . . to look after the children who follow the reapers and glean the fallen wheat.' Agnes waited, with bent head, for the abbess's decision.
    'Very well.' But Abbess Hawise sounded somewhat reluctant. 'You may go out to the fields today, to see how well you acquit yourself in your new task. But if you feel you could use your time to better purpose in the abbey, then I expect you to make a proper choice thereafter. Be sure I shall ask you for your decision at chapter tomorrow.'
    Neat. Janna admired the abbess's tactics, while feeling sorry that her friend had been put in such a bind. She cheered herself with the thought that Agnes's care of the children was genuinely useful in that it freed someone else to take on the burden of her labour.
    The villeins were already hard at work in the fields by the time they came out of chapter, and the other lay sisters hurried on ahead while Janna kept pace with Agnes. Leaving her friend to go out to the children in the fields, Janna entered the shed in search of a scythe and a pair of gloves.
    It was dark after the brightness outside and she waited a moment for her eyes to become accustomed to the gloom. The door suddenly banged shut behind her, cutting off what light there was. Janna jumped at the sound and turned around, only to find herself enveloped in a pair of strong arms.
    'I knew if I waited long enough, I'd catch you alone,' Mus murmured.
    Janna knew a moment of sheer panic. She was just about to lash out but realised she was powerless in his grip. She forced herself to relax. 'What do you want?' she asked, her voice made husky with fear.
    His grip tightened. He gave a short laugh. 'You know what I want,' he said, and kissed her, pressing his lips hard against her own.
    Janna swallowed