Part 9 (1/2)
Ralf was awake and propped up on pillows. Though pale, his eyes were clear, and his expression had a spark of vitality and alertness. Thomas sent away the servant who'd been sitting with the squire and settled in to talk with the young man for a while.
Chapter Eleven.
Juliana roused slowly, aware at first only of a peace she knew was too fragile to last. No one else lay beside her in the bed. Gradually memory returned. Her mother was gone. Her confession to Sir Thomas had been interrupted by her mother's collapse, but it still loomed before her. Not today, though. She had too much else to bear today.
She rose and rang for a servant to come help her dress. From the angle of the sunlight, it had to be near noon. She never slept so late, but exhaustion had overtaken her when she'd finally cried herself to sleep in Sir Thomas's arms.
There was much to do. She forced herself to drink the tea and eat the slice of toasted bread the servants brought her. Her stomach wanted none of it, but she dared not let her strength wane.
Sir Thomas was out in the bailey somewhere, she was told when she inquired about him. A quick stop in to see Ralf found him sleeping peacefully, with no trace of fever.
He roused a bit when she put a hand on his brow, mumbling something at her, but not
waking fully. ”Sleep,” she told him as she left.Her mother's body had been removed to the chapel. Two servants accompanied her there, carrying the things she would need to prepare Lady Ardsley for burial. The procedure should only have taken an hour or so, but because she had to stop frequently to control her emotion, it was almost mid-afternoon before she finished.
The priest came in as Juliana was completing the preparations. Along with the two servants who'd come with her, they said a rosary for the repose of her mother's soul before they discussed arrangements for the funeral ma.s.s in the morning.
Once that was done, Juliana went on to the kitchen to ensure they could lay out extra
food for the mourners the next day.
On her way back through the great hall, a group of people led by Peter Randolph stopped her.
”He knows, my lady,” the younger Randolph said, his voice low but angry. ”He knows, and he'll report it to the king if we don't stop him now.””What does he know?””He knows Lord Groswick did not leave the keep.”
”But he doesn't know of Groswick's fate?””Nay, though he strongly suspects. He'll take his suspicions to the king, and the king will act.”
”Then so 'twill be,” she answered. ”Perhaps 'tis time and beyond for this to be set right. I'll not have him or his people hurt any further. My mother is beyond worrying about consequences, and my soul is sick of the stain of deception.”
”Your mother is beyond your care, but what of the rest of us?” the maid, Avice, asked. ”We need you as well. And what of the king's retribution should he learn of the deception? We've lied to protect you, my lady. Will you now betray us by exposing those lies?”
It stopped Juliana for a moment. ”You've none of you done other than what I ordered or requested, and should I have to answer for my deeds to the king, I'll make that clear. The responsibility is entirely mine, and the consequences shall be also. The king will not fault you for following the orders of your lady, as is your duty to do. As for you needing me... There are others here who can maintain order and keep things running smoothly in my absence. The king will appoint a new lord, and I feel sure Sir Thomas will see that our new lord is better than the former one.”
”Yet you cannot a.s.sure us of that,” Avice argued. ”And you've done well by us, lady. What happened was no evil on your part. We would not wish you to suffer for it.””I'd prefer not to suffer for it either. Yet, I fear if I do not at least own to my guilt and pay for it in this world, 'twill be worse for me in the next.””Then you will tell Sir Thomas?””Aye. I would have already had not my mother fallen ill.””My lady, I beg you-”They were all so engrossed in the confrontation that none of them noted the arrival of the man who stood in the arch-until he spoke. ”I would very much like to learn what confession you have to make, my lady. I presume it concerns Lord Groswick's mysterious disappearance?”
Several of them whirled and gasped at once, a few others squealed or murmured, ”Sir Thomas!”
Juliana had a moment of dizziness and disorientation while it felt as though the floor beneath her wobbled. She groped for a table nearby and leaned against it as she fought for control.
While struggling not to faint, she managed to miss a piece of action, though she heard the sound of a scuffle, raised voices, yells, squeals and the thunk of a fist on flesh. When she could risk straightening and turning to look she realized that several of the man had surrounded and overcome Sir Thomas. They now held him tightly, a man on either arm, pinning them back behind him, wedging him between them to keep him still.
Peter Randolph held a long, wicked-looking knife, and as she watched, he raised it to the knight's throat. Juliana had no doubt of what he intended.
She screamed, ”No!”It froze them for a moment, long enough to let her throw herself between Sir Thomas and the knife. Peter took a step back but didn't lower the weapon. ”Drop it, Peter,” she ordered.
He hesitated. Watching his eyes told her he planned to try to move around her. ”Drop it now, before I step forward into it.” She said it with so much force that several of the people around screamed and surged forward to stop her. She held out a hand to halt them.
Peter looked dumbfounded and his breath came out on a sob. ”My lady!” He slid to the side and so did she, then she moved forward. The young man dropped the knife hastily before she could impale herself on its point.
She felt and heard movement behind her and turned in time to see Thomas free himself
from the two men hanging onto him. But others rushed in and pinned him once again.”No,” she ordered, seeing Peter reclaim the knife and approach. ”I'll not have it. He's done nothing to harm us. He merely seeks the truth.”
”He'll harm you if he learns the truth, my lady,” Avice said.”He'll learn the truth now. I'll have no more lies. There have been too many already.”
”My lady,” several people protested.”Nay.” She shook her head to deny their protests. ”Release him.”The men holding Thomas looked uneasy. One let go but others continued to hang onto him. Peter's hand tightened around the knife, and his expression grew more determined.”If you harm him, I'll go to the king myself and tell him all.””My lady, you cannot,” Peter insisted.”No more lies. I cannot live this way. Too much harm has been done already. I'll tell my story and take whatever consequences may come. Sir Thomas-” She turned to face him. ”I rely on you to ensure the king understands whatever guilt there is here belongs to me alone. These people must not be punished for my actions.”
She dreaded meeting Sir Thomas's gaze, but stiffened her will and did so anyway. All the anger and betrayal she expected brightened his eyes.”What happened to Lord Groswick?” he asked, ignoring the men holding him as though they were no more than flies lighting on him.
”I killed him.”For several long, unbearable moments, he just stared at her. Shock and astonishment kept him still. Her words took time to penetrate beyond his surprise, and even then they had to burrow into his awareness before he started to comprehend. Belief took a few minutes longer. ”Tell me all,” he demanded.Juliana breathed out on a long sigh. ”I will. But not here.”She drew herself up and looked around at the crowd that had gathered. ”I am still your lady,” she told them in her most authoritative voice. ”Release Sir Thomas. Take Peter Randolph into your custody instead.” For a moment she feared they might not obey so she added, ”Now!”
The men acted. Randolph protested as the knife was removed from his hand, and the two men who'd held Sir Thomas wrapped up the young man's slighter form instead.
”My lady, please!” the young man pleaded. ”I was trying to protect you.””I know that. But I told you more than once I wanted no harm to Sir Thomas and his people. You did not listen or obey. Now I cannot trust you.”
She turned to the men holding him. ”Remove him to one of the dungeons until I decide what to do with him. I'll not have a guest in this place go in fear of his life during his stay here.”
The men did as she ordered and dragged off a protesting Randolph. Juliana turned to the others present and asked them to return to their work, reminding them that her mother's funeral would be on the morrow. When they'd dispersed, she nodded for Thomas to follow her to her quarters.
As they entered the room, she tried to read his expression, to gauge how he felt about
her admission. What would he do when he heard all of it?She sighed, grieving for what might have been. If she'd been the innocent, sorrowing widow he'd thought her. If she hadn't been persuaded to hide the truth. If she'd hadn't argued with Groswick that day. If her life had worked out along different lines. If she'd married someone else...What might it have been like if she'd married Sir Thomas instead of Groswick?”The story,” Sir Thomas said, once he'd closed the door behind them. ”The truth this time, if you please.”
She nodded, but initially her voice refused to work. Something clogged her throat,
making it difficult to force the words out. She drew in a long breath, letting it out on a sigh.”You never met Groswick, so you would not know what he was like.” She paused, not sure how to frame her explanation. ”He was not a kind man. Nor an honorable one like yourself. He had no patience. And when he was angry, he had little control of it. If events didn't go as he wished, he was as like to strike out at what he saw as the cause of his frustration.”
She watched Thomas, but still couldn't read anything from his expression.”He often struck out at others. The entire household was terrified of him.” She drew another breath trying to calm herself. ”Within a day or two of our wedding, I was also. Unlike you, Sir Thomas, my Lord Groswick had difficulties with his manhood. It often refused to rise to his desire. I did all I knew how to rouse him, but more often than not, I failed. He faulted me for being unable to inspire him. Indeed, at first, I did believe it was my lack. But then I learned he'd approached most of the presentable women in the area, and none had been able to draw more reaction. More, I discovered he... But, nay, he's dead now and 'tis best not to speak of it.””In any event, as I said, he blamed me for his failure. He beat me for it.” She stopped to control a sob that tried to escape.”The scars on your face?” Thomas asked.She still could tell nothing from his expression. ”Aye. I learned early to allow him to do as he would. Once, just months after our wedding, I called for help. A servant came and tried to protect me. Groswick killed him. Beat him to death. My mother tried to talk to him, and when that failed, she tried to stop him, but he paid her no mind. He even pushed her once and made her fall. Between his mistreatment of her and the servant, I learned not to argue, to be as silent as I could when he...struck me.”