The Merchant's Daughter
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"The hateful things I thought of doing to you would make the devil himself blush." "There, I said it," she thought. Now Sister Idonea would wonder what he would say in response to what she said. She thought he would become angry and punish her. She watched his face closely to see if anger would darken it. Expecting punishment for what she said, she sat quietly and waited in deafening silence. The archbishop sat still, staring at Sister Idonea, but had a small smile, and then began to laugh loudly. After finishing his laugh, he turned serious, bent across the table and said to her, "Idun, we were both thrown into a vocation we did not want."
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About the Book
Idonea did not want to live the rest of her life in a nunnery. Her father, Baldwin de Redvers, a knight for King Henry II and a well-known merchant, felt a nunnery was in his motherless daughter's best interest in the event he died in combat. Baldwin was encouraged by one of the most powerful men in the country, Chancellor Thomas Becket, to place his daughter, Idonea, in a nunnery. In later years when the chancellor became Archbishop of Canterbury and fled England to France in exile, now Sister Idonea had been called to his presence. She still felt hatred for this man whom she believed ruined her life. When she met with him, he asked a favor from her--a mission which was considered dangerous. Would Sister Idonea accept this mission? Sister Idonea met the archbishop on two further occasions--the last time to witness the most horrendous and sacrilegious murder in history.
About the Author
Sandra Mendyk taught English in a private school for twenty-two years after attending Southern Connecticut State University and receiving a B.S. degree in journalism and an M.S. degree in Secondary English Education. Presently she is retired but works part time as editor of a weekly newspaper, Valley Times, where she writes an opinion column. Sandra is also a disabled American veteran, serving four years in the U.S. Army and one year in the Army Reserves. She is a member of various veterans groups, a Degree Member of the Ladies Order of Ancient Hibernians, and of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Cosmic Society for Paranormal Research. For community service she received the "Woman Making A Difference in the Valley" award in 2008 for serving as chairperson of the Ansonia Cultural Commission to bring in fairs, the arts, her dedication to her school, church, and participation in other events in her hometown of Ansonia and nearby communities. Other awards include "Irish Woman of the Year" in 2002 by the Ancient Order of Hibernians and "Teacher of the Year" given by a local store. In 2009 Sandra published her first book, Miss M.'s Storybook. She enjoys writing, reading, traveling, knitting, Irish dancing (participant), sports (spectator), acting in Renaissance faires and other reenactment groups, and studying stage combat sword fighting. Sandra resides in Ansonia, Connecticut.