Due to using pesticides inside the house, the birds were locked inside their cages earlier than normal. And, no, they were not happy about that. I'm sure I'll be hearing more about their displeasure in the morning.
Now let's get back to reading The Betrayal by R.L.Stine!
Chapter 5
Susannah doesn't like peeling potatoes. You and me both, girl that is obviously going to be blamed of witchcraft by the father of the year. So she should be rejoicing in the fact that she now has the ability to do something other than burn for a lie.
The mother thinks something is wrong as her daughter doesn't usually complain. Susannah, of course, denies that anything other than the task at hand is bothering her. Obviously no one by the name of Edward has done anything bad to her. Or, at least, she thinks her former boyfriend is a horrible person.
Heck, maybe he'll turn out to be a real bloodsucking monster by the end of this book.
Susannah wants to keep the meetings with Edward a secret as they are against the rules. But, really, I think the mother would be understanding. I'm sure our hero isn't the only one that has ever had a broken heart. Plus maybe the mother would be willing to listen when she hears that her fling with Edward helped her to better understand why certain laws are in place.
It doesn't appear that our dear Susie wants her pain to be relieved as she believes it's punishment for sinning so horribly.
Martha still senses, with her mother senses, that something is wrong with her daughter. But Susannah continues to deny that anything is wrong.
Okay, I don't think Martha would react good to hearing the entire truth about what happened between Susannah and Edward. This due to the fact that she says it's a sin for Susannah to complain about peeling potatoes when there is still food for their family to eat. That is some hardcore stuff right there.
As Susannah continues to peel potatoes, she thinks about Edward while believing that he isn't thinking about her. Her thoughts cause her to stab a potato and I'm not sure if that's due to anger or something else...Okay, I know it's due to anger.
Finally the mother can take it no longer and tells Susannah to go outside with the excuse that it's a nice day. But, of course, the daughter doesn't want to go outside as she's in so much emotional pain. Plus if she goes outside there's a chance that she'll run into Edward again.
So Susannah picks up another potato when suddenly the plot approaches!
Two men barge into the house startling both mother and daughter. It takes a moment until the baby is startled. Of course Benjamin Fier makes a totally awesome villain appearance. Martha tries her best to take control of the situation by saying that her husband isn't home and directs Benjamin to where he is.
Since Benjamin is the villain, he doesn't reassure Martha and instead says some creepy stuff that makes her even more afraid. Again the mother does her best to appear strong and demands to know what the villain is doing inside her house. And, of course, he doesn't give her an answer and just orders the two villagers to watch over the women as he looks for proof. Well...it'll be less looking and more planting.
Now Susannah is crying out and asking the villain to explain himself. Instead of answering her he takes proof of her being a witch that was totally in the house. Especially as the book explains it as "He bent down, as if picking up something from behind a kettle." Which is what a good author would do to make sure the reader knew that the proof didn't come from inside the house.
I never thought that Susannah was dumb. She's a teenager and people of that age are more likely than adults to do stupid things because they don't have many life experiences. But...why are you asking what the proof is for? Benjamin burns women he claims are witches. What do you think he would plant proof of?
Susannah and Martha are both shocked when the proof is revealed to them. They both cry out that those contents weren't theirs. But, of course, Benjamin doesn't listen to them and says they will go to prison to await a totally fair trial. And, since he is a man and rich, the two villagers don't think he's in the wrong. Or maybe they do know the truth and just don't care. Or maybe they do know the truth and Benjamin has threatened their own daughters.
Okay, it appears that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as Martha asks what the trial will be for. Again, this guy likes to burn women and uses the excuse of them being witches. What do you think the trial is going to be for?
Benjamin finally tells the two women that they are going on the fast track to being burned at the stakes. As the two villagers grab mother and daughter, they cry out that Benjamin can't do this and that he knows the Goode family worship God. But the Magistrate can falsely blame them of witchcraft as he's been doing so this entire time. Why should one family be the exception? Wonder if the arranged marriage doesn't work out that he'll blame the wife of being a witch. Or maybe that's actually the plan even if Edward ends up loving his wife.
Susannah manages to catch Benjamin looking very pleased about these events. I wonder if she'll realize it was her relationship with Edward that caused this. Maybe she'll even think that her former boyfriend always planned to accuse her of witchcraft.
Mary Halsey comes out to see what is going on. Martha then tells her to keep the baby. It would be very fitting if to protect the Goode family, that Mary is the one to unleash the curse on the Fier family.
Benjamin is extremely focused on Susannah. The young girl, on the other hand, realizes that peeling potatoes was the best part of her life. At least peeling potatoes didn't involve being dragged publicly through Wickham.
It might take a character spelling things out for Susannah as she asks why Benjamin is doing this to the Goode family. It can't have anything to do with the fact you pursued a romantic relationship with his son! It can't have anything to do with the fact that you're wrong about Edward! Nope, why you're being accused of witchcraft is a complete mystery.
Benjamin, being Benjamin, doesn't answer her question and says the two will burn by week's end.
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