If you sit still, put down what you are holding, relax your body and mind, and then just sort of look into the air around you, or more precisely allow yourself to feel it, it often comes to you more, this magic hovering all around. The world is quiet, still, there is a magical sensation in the air, though it is very subtle and wonderful. So, it was extra lovely this Saturday morning when I woke up super early for an errand – something I don’t normally do at the weekend – because it added to that special composition of the early morning, even ours in which actual daybreak arrives very late. I don’t really enjoy getting rained on, but I like watching it, eating, reading or watching a movie near it I even like walking in it if I’m covered properly.

It’s raining today, which is actually the way I like it. (As if I capture that all the time anyway, right?!) It’s also just a start and not meant to be an exhaustive catalogue of anything that could be written about the topic. That’s actually the more important part, rather than ensuring perfectly structured paragraphs and the like. The following not intended to be a book review, it could be read with contemplations, considerations, the turning of thoughts in mind. Having read through my draft, I’ll easily admit it’s a bit unorganized, but for my purposes here, I’m all right with this. Today we briefly explore a few thoughts I’m having while reading Alys Clare’s A Dark Night Hidden. For the Abbess, her friendship with Josse is deepening the longer he stays at the abbey, as is her awareness of his attractions as a man.

When Josse realizes that his desire to save the heretics cannot be condoned by Helewise, he is forced to act against her wishes, risking the greatest friendship he has.

And when it appears that a band of evangelical heretics, whom Micah condemned to the stake, might be behind his death, the Abbess is torn between her compassion for their suffering and her duty to the church. Josse D’Acquin and the Abbess Helewise are appalled by the fanatical new priest, Father Micah, but are even more horrified when his body turns up by the side of the road.

A Dark Night Hidden by Alys Clare