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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

K evin de Lara had informed Father Jonas of the circumstances currently embracing Bellham and the priest, with a full de Lohr escort, made all haste to the gray-stoned manse that sat along the River Thames. He honestly wasn’t sure what he would find once he arrived and was pleased to see that there was no blood or carnage, and that the place was still intact. Everything seemed peaceful for the most part as softly glowing light emitted from the windows of the big structure.

Dismounting his horse in the yard in front of the house, he was met by David. The fair, young lord was tense as he approached.

“Where is Forbes?” Jonas asked before any greeting could be given.

David came to a halt. “With Lady Emberley,” he told him. “I have kept him away from Buckland. He has not seen or spoken to the man.”

Jonas removed his gloves. “Excellent,” he replied, eyeing David. “De Lara has told me what has happened.”

David nodded, his manner laced with anxiety. “You were supposed to offer Buckland a ransom in return for his cooperation in a divorce,” he pointed out what he had been wondering most of the day. “What happened?”

Jonas faced David with some anger. “I could not locate the man,” he hissed. “I have spent the better part of the day sending out missives, looking for him. He was not at the Tower and no one seemed to know where to find him. Now I see that he has been at Westminster all along. There was no way I could have possibly known that.”

“So you have not been able to propose the divorce at all?”

“Nay.”

David sighed, turning to look at the house with the softly glowing light emitting from the reception room windows.

“He is here with Father Mellitus from Westminster,” he said as they started to walk towards the house. “The canon from Westminster has demanded we turn Lady Emberley over to the custody of the Church so she can be returned to her husband.”

Jonas seemed to harden, pausing just before they went inside. He faced David seriously.

“I have heard of Father Mellitus and from all accounts, he is a fair and just man,” he said in a low voice. “But if there is any chance of swaying the man’s mind, I must go in there and hit hard and furious. I will attack Buckland with his foul reputation and horrific deeds, and it may be necessary to have Lady Emberley corroborate my assertions. Perhaps if we can prove the lady is in mortal danger, then Mellitus will not demand she be returned to her husband pending further investigation. Do you believe the lady is capable of defending herself?”

David lifted an eyebrow. “She will have to be,” he said, opening the door. “It is not her I am worried about. It is Gart.”

Jonas moved through the door. “Bind him if you have to,” he muttered. “The man must remain in control while we settle this.”

The warm entry hall of Bellham greeted them and Father Jonas removed his cloak, handing his things over to a hovering servant. Followed by de Lara, David took Jonas into the reception room.

An odd looking standoff unfolded before them. Father Mellitus was sitting in the center of the room, looking impatient and bored as Julian sat several feet away near the hearth.

Christopher was standing next to Julian, practically hovering over the man like a great, powerful sentinel. Two Westminster guards stood by the door and two other priests were over near the lancet windows.

In spite of all of the people in the room, it was as silent as a grave. The mood was cold and uncertain. Jonas walked in, eyed the occupants of the room, and headed straight for Father Mellitus.

“I am Father Jonas of St. Bartholomew,” he introduced himself to the gray-haired canon. “You are Father Mellitus?”

Mellitus stood up, nodding his head. “I am,” he said. “We have been waiting for you for several hours. What connection do you have to this issue?”

“I am an advisor to the earl and his brother,” Jonas replied, sensing Mellitus’ impatience. “I am here to speak on behalf of Lady Emberley de Moyon.”

Julian suddenly bolted up from his chair. “Who are you that you would speak for my wife? I do not know you.”

As Jonas focused in on Julian, David sent Kevin for Gart. As the knight fled, David watched Jonas stalk Julian as a hunter would stalk prey. He could sense that things were about to get interesting.

“But I know you, my lord,” Jonas was cool as he approached Julian, sizing up the man he had heard so many horrible things about. “I thought the queen’s lover would be a big man of handsome countenance but I see I was mistaken. You are not the mighty hero I expected. What of your relationship with the queen, Baron Buckland? What will she think of your attempt to regain the wife you forsook when you sated your lust with the queen’s flesh?”

He was bending down, whispering his vile words in Julian’s face. Julian, having entered the room as the properly desperate and anxious husband, immediately found himself on the defensive.

“You have no right to involve yourself in matters that do not concern you,” he snarled. “Who are you that you would spout such slander?”

Jonas cocked an eyebrow. “I am Father Jonas St. John and I have heard the queen’s confession many a time,” he replied, knowing he was divulging privileged information but also knowing he had to attack Julian’s character immediately if they were to have any chance of succeeding. “I have heard of her exploits with you many a time.”

By this time, Mellitus was on his feet. “You may not speak of what was delivered in confessional,” he said strongly. “You may not speak of….”

Jonas swung around, cutting him off. “I realize that Your Grace, but I am seriously wondering if you know the character of the man you are representing.” He moved towards Mellitus, lifting his eyebrows when he saw the confusion on the man’s face. “No? Then allow me to educate you. This man you are advocating, Baron Buckland, has been the queen’s lover for almost a year. He has a wife and four children, yet he has openly cavorted with our most gracious and virtuous queen. Did you not know this?”

Jonas was bordering on mocking as he spoke, watching Mellitus’ expression carefully. He continued. “I see by your face that you are perhaps confused by my words,” he went to the canon in a companionable manner, wanting to pull the man to his side. “Baron Buckland is something of a monster, Your Grace. He has beaten his wife to the point of death many times. He has been cruel beyond measure to her. He abuses her in every way possible, this fragile woman that God has created as one of his most beautiful creatures. To further cement his beastly behavior, he has taken up with the queen in a lustful and sinful affair, humiliating his wife and openly defying God’s sacred laws of marriage. And you have come here to retrieve this woman so he can continue his appalling treatment of her? Does this seem fair or just to you, Your Grace?”

By this time, Mellitus was looking at Julian with a great deal of contempt. Jonas, completely in control of the situation, turned his smug expression in Julian’s direction to see that Buckland was red in the face. The man’s jaw worked angrily, his entire body twitching with contempt.

“Is this true, Buckland?” Mellitus asked with veiled patience. “Tell me the truth or I walk from this room.”

“She is my wife!” Julian burst, moving towards the priests and tripping when his careless foot caught the edge of a chair. “She is my property to do as I please and you cannot take her from me. She is my wife .”

Mellitus gazed at the man for a long moment before turning to Jonas.

“A man is held accountable only to God for his marriage,” he said frankly. “Whether or not any of this is true is not of issue. The fact remains that the lady is indeed his wife and, as his property, will be returned to him.”

Jonas was unmoved. He turned back to Buckland. “What do you want with the woman, baron? Why do you want her returned to you if you are the lover of the queen?”

Julian was so red in the face that he began frothing at the mouth. “She is mine,” he growled. “You cannot keep my wife from me.”

“Divorce her,” Jonas snapped before Julian could finish his sentence. “Did you hear me? Divorce her. She has been committing adultery and you have every right to divorce her. I would if I were you. Rid yourself of your unfaithful wife and find yourself another bride who will tolerate your hideous behavior. Find someone else you can beat to death.”

Mellitus looked at Jonas as if the man were insane. “Divorce?” he repeated, incredulous. “What manner of madness is this?”

Jonas looked at him. “No madness at all, I assure you,” he said frankly. “Lady de Moyon has committed adultery. She is pregnant with another man’s child. Baron Buckland must divorce her to save his honor. The Church would not refuse his request under these circumstances.”

The rapid-fire exchange of conversation was overwhelming everyone in the room, Julian included. His eyes bugged at the shocking information.

“She is… she is pregnant ?” he gasped. Suddenly, he looked to David and his entire face tightened with rage. “You bastard! You stole my wife and compromised her!”

David, standing by the door, remained cool. “I did nothing of the sort,” he said evenly. “But I can promise you that if you accuse me of deceit again, I will call you out and you will lose. Is this in any way unclear?”

Julian was mad with shock and rage. With a throaty growl, he turned his back on the occupants of the room, grabbing the nearest piece of furniture he could find, which happened to be a small cherrywood table, and began banging it against the floor. Jonas and Mellitus watched him closely, watching the building rage, as Jonas returned his attention to Mellitus.

“He is unstable and unsuitable,” Jonas said to the canon, his tone low. “He will kill the lady if we return her to him and we would be responsible for her death. I cannot, in good conscience, support any manner of reunion between the baron and his wife.”

Mellitus looked at him. “I agree with you but we cannot dispute the law of marriage,” he ran a hand over his gray head, an indecisive gesture. “What more can we do?”

Jonas had been waiting for that question all night. He was prepared.

“We can take the lady into custody as a ward of the Church,” he replied. “She will be removed from her lover as well as her husband. Until we can decide what is to be done in regards to the dissolution of the marriage, I do not see where we have a choice.”

“We cannot dissolve the marriage.”

“We can if Buckland appeals for a divorce on the grounds of adultery. Meanwhile, we will hold the lady in protective custody.”

Mellitus was starting to think like Jonas. He turned to watch Buckland as the man pulled a small table apart as if he were peeling a lemon. He was talking to the table as he destroyed it. As the two priests contemplated their next course of action, they caught movement over near the reception hall door.

Gart entered the room, looking strong and composed. David and Christopher immediately moved towards him to both support and restrain the man if necessary. The emotions of the room were volatile to the point of madness and the introduction of Gart would only heighten that explosion.

But Gart was calm. As he moved through the door, it was apparent he had hold of someone. Gently, he pulled Emberley through the door behind him, whispering encouraging words to the woman who had the look of a hunted animal on her face. She hovered near the door, not entirely into the room yet able to see the entire chamber from where she stood. And she was fully able to see Julian.

Christopher was surprised to see the woman but David was not. He had sent Kevin for both Gart and Emberley. David wanted Father Mellitus to see the source of all of the contention, the sweet lady who had caused all of the trouble. If the canon was going to insist that the lady be returned to her husband, then David wanted the man to see the flesh and blood woman he would be condemning. It was a calculated risk he felt necessary to take.

“My lady,” David went to her, taking her other arm. Between Gart and David, they were able to pull her into the room. “I am glad you have come. I want the priest from Westminster to meet you. It is important.”

Emberley’s gaze never left Julian. His back was to the room as he ripped apart a table. She took a few unsteady steps into the chamber as Gart and David gently pulled, but then she came to a halt and refused to move any further. She was in as far as she wanted to go.

Gart looked at David over her blond head, shaking his head faintly at the man. Then he put his arm around her shoulders gently.

“No worries, kitten,” he murmured. “You do not have to go any further.”

Emberley stood there and trembled, her eyes never moving from Julian. Truth was, Gart was surprised she had come this far. It had taken some convincing but when he made it clear that it was important for her to face the Church as well as Julian, she understood. Her fate was being decided and she needed to be a part of it. Her bravery held up as long as Gart was next to her but even now, with the man pressed up against her, it wasn’t enough to chase off the terror entirely. The sight of Julian had her reeling.

David, standing on her left, suddenly felt something brush up behind him. He turned to see Romney behind his mother, straining to catch a glimpse of his father, so David stepped aside and directed the boy up beside his mother so he could see.

David thought that having the boy there could only bolster their case. The Church, that institution of laws and absolute rules, needed to see the face of terror that a marriage had brought a family. They needed to see all of it.

“Father Mellitus,” David said. “This is the Lady Emberley de Moyon and her eldest son, Romney. Perhaps they can help you determine….”

Hearing Emberley’s name, Julian whirled around, his expression wide with shock. He had pieces of the table in his hands, holding them up above his head as if they were trophies. He stared at Emberley, spittle dripping from his mouth, coiled like a man gone completely insane.

“Emberley!” he gasped. “You bitch! How could you humiliate me like this? How could you do it?”

Emberley was trembling so violently that she was having trouble standing. Even though she was surrounded by men who would not let Julian hurt her, still, she was beyond terrified. She was in the realm of panic, an insanity that made it difficult to think rationally. All she could see was Julian standing before her, screaming at her as he had screamed so many times. All she could feel at that moment was complete, utter hatred.

“Because…,” she sputtered. “Because I hate you. I have hated you since the day of our marriage when you beat me so badly that both eyes swelled shut and I could not sit up or eat for two days. I have hated you since the day Romney was born and to celebrate the birth of your heir, you became ragingly drunk and raped me within hours of his birth. I have hated you since you killed the daughter I carried and blamed me for your actions. I have hated everything about you every day of my life, praying that God would strike you down and end your evil ways. But still you lived, tormenting me, and my hatred for you has only grown. I hope you rot in hell, you vile bastard.”

Every man in the room looked at her, startled by her brutal and honest speech. Gart had his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her gently to let her know that he was in full support of her words. He could feel her composure returning, proud of the woman who had been so utterly terrified only moments earlier. She was beginning to show her strength, the strength he knew she had.

Julian, however, had a decidedly different reaction. He threw the wood in his hands and it sailed across the room, missing everyone by a wide margin but the message was obvious. He screamed like a madman.

“You cannot speak to me that way,” he howled. “I will punish you severely, do you hear me? Not de Lohr nor his guard dogs nor the holy church will be able to spare you from my wrath for your insolence!”

He was yelling but he wasn’t moving towards her, which fed Emberley’s bravery. It was the first time she had spoken her mind to the man and the sensation was liberating. She took a deep breath, swallowing hard as her composure gained strength.

“You will not touch me again,” she told him, sounding more in control of herself. “I will not allow it and neither will Gart. Julian, you have no use for me. Why do you want me returned to you so badly?”

Julian was verging on another tantrum but steeled himself. Something in her softly uttered sentence had his attention.

“Gart?” he repeated, looking at Forbes with his arm around Emberley. He didn’t know why he hadn’t noticed that before except that Emberley had held his complete focus. Oddly, he seemed to relax. “Of course. I should have known this. It was not de Lohr at all but Forbes. Fleeing to Trelystan and then safe haven here at Bellham has all been a cover for Forbes.”

Emberley was feeling much more confident than she had been only moments earlier. Gart’s presence and the fact that she knew Julian wasn’t going to run at her and grab her helped her to regain her composure. She looked at Father Mellitus.

“I am the Lady Emberley, Your Grace,” she sounded much more in control of herself. “I would be happy to answer any questions you would have for me regarding my marriage to Baron Buckland.”

Everyone in the room was looking at her as the focus of the entire situation, the key to hell or peace in so many ways. Father Mellitus cleared his throat softly.

“My lady,” he greeted. “Your husband has asked me to intervene on his behalf so that you may return to him as his wife.”

Emberley took a few steps towards the priest, patting Gart’s arm reassuringly when he tried to follow her. She wasn’t going far and she realized that this was something she had to do on her own. Gart, David, Christopher and a host of other men had supported her and made her feel strong. Now, she could finally handle her fear of Julian. But the rest she had to do on her own.

“My husband has made it clear that he does not wish to be married to me,” she said frankly. “He has spent the past year bedding the queen. He would not bed me because he said it was immoral for him to do so because he was in love with another woman. Now he suddenly wants me returned to him like a stray dog that has run away? I find it astonishing that the Church should support his request.”

Mellitus sighed heavily, passing a long look at Julian. “The fact remains that he is your husband and it is his right to have his wife,” he told her. “Father Jonas and I have discussed taking you into protective custody at this time.”

Emberley was close enough to the man that he could grab her if he reached out his arm and she quickly stepped away from him, feeling her calm stance waver.

“I will not go,” she asserted. “I will never go back to him. I love Gart and he loves me and we will be together, whatever comes. I will never go back to that hell of a marriage and face certain death.”

“Forbes,” Julian hissed. “He has turned her against me.”

“You did that yourself,” Gart growled, knowing he should keep his mouth shut but unable to restrain himself. “Your own actions have cost you your wife and family.”

David grabbed Gart to hush him and also to prevent him from trying to move against Julian as Emberley focused on her husband.

“You have no use for me,” she repeated, almost pleadingly. “Your focus is with the queen and if not the queen, I am sure there are any number of noblewomen who can occupy your time and your bed. You never wanted me, Julian. You agreed to a marriage because my father supplied me with a large dowry. It certainly was not because you loved or needed me. You are incapable of such feelings. Let me go. Please.”

Julian was grinding his teeth so hard that he bit his lip, and the frothy saliva around his mouth began to turn pink.

“You are my wife,” he snarled. “I will never let you go. I will take you back to Dunster and I will erase all of this madness from your mind as I erase the touch of Gart Forbes from your body. I will exorcise you as one would exorcise a demon. I will purge you until there is nothing left to purge.”

He was shouting by the time he was finished and David was having a devil of a time hanging on to Gart. As Julian shouted and Emberley began to back away fearfully, Romney suddenly ran forward.

“You leave my mother alone!” he shouted. “You are a bad man and I do not want you to be my father anymore. You hurt my mother and make her cry. I hate you!”

Emberley grabbed the boy before he could rush on his father and possibly get hurt. Julian was so coiled there was no telling who he would lash out at. Emberley picked up Romney, her big boy, cradling him against her.

“Please, Julian,” she begged softly. “A divorce….”

“No divorce!”

“If you do not divorce me, I shall run with Gart and you will never find me or the children, not ever. Do you understand me? We will run away and never look back. That will be more shameful to you than a divorce would.” A sob caught in her throat as she spoke beseechingly. “I am willing to be labeled an adulteress so you can save your honor. Is that not worth considering?”

Julian almost charged her but thought better of it. Forbes was too close and his colossal hands were working furiously, Julian was sure, in waiting for the opportunity to wrap around Julian’s neck. Julian may have been bordering on madness but he was not a fool.

As he gazed at Emberley, holding Romney, he knew what he had to do. He had to get the woman alone. Then, no one could stop him from doing as he must. This had to end.

He had to kill her.