Chapter 24
Ireland
January 2007
Laetitia was surprised by him time and time again. They talked and kissed, and each time he became bolder in his caresses, she bolted to her room.
While she had begun to eagerly await his visits, she also dreaded his changing moods. She never knew when he would be gentle or harsh, considerate or aggressive.
Laetitia’s curiosity knew no end. She had never had the courage to spy on a session or a formal purification ceremony and, for sure, not a baptism, because of the painful owl screeches, weird chants, and strange stories whispered behind the new acolytes’ hands. What concerned the monastery had long lost interest for her. Yet, that night she couldn’t stay put. Not even the screeches that had echoed a few minutes ago had kept her away from her post on
