Beloved (38 page)

As Guy’s behavior with Stefano changed, so it changed with Christina. He was more thoughtful and considerate than ever before and she began to hope, once again. While he’d not yet sent Stefano away, she could tell that the handsome young man no longer had the same hold on her husband. The frequency of Stefano’s absences increased and Christina was less often forced to endure his company.

A week later, Stefano returned from the warehouse early in the afternoon, determined to confront Christina. He found her in the salon and when it was obvious she had no intention of talking to him, he blocked the door to prevent her leaving. Christina retreated to one of the chairs that flanked the fireplace, and sat down with her back to him.

“I think it’s time we had a little talk,” he said, at the same time remembering her passion that night in Aix. It was certainly too bad their life together couldn’t have gone on as Guy had intended.

“I have nothing to say to you,” she replied coldly.

“But I have something to say to you. I’m beginning to believe it might be best for all concerned if I left Arles.”

Christina, suspicious of his motives, said nothing. She knew she was not likely to achieve her goal of ridding them of Stefano so easily. She sat very still, waiting.

“Your husband’s attitude toward me has changed, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.” He paused, but she remined silent. “And, of course, it’s obvious that you don’t want me here.”

“Are you surprised?” she asked bitterly.

“I was kind to you, Christina.”

“You betrayed me!” She stood and whirled to face him, her clenched fists emphasizing her anger, her resolve to control her emotions dissolving as she glared at him.

“I gave you a child.” Stefano smiled, gratified by her response. Would she be this angry if she didn’t care for him? “That should be worth something to you.”

“What do you want?”

“I need money. It’s little enough to ask, considering all I’ve done for you.”

Christina looked at him and found his expression of smug satisfaction disgusting. Still, if it was possible that he really would leave, it would be worth a great deal.

“How do I know you’ll leave?”

“Believe me, I have no wish to see your husband make good his threats, but I seem to find myself a little short of cash.” He smiled. “Traveling is so expensive.”

Three days later, Christina gave him the sum he’d named. Now she would have a chance to pull her marriage together and create a family for her child. She prayed she’d done the right thing.

It was two days more before Guy realized Stefano had gone. A note was delivered to the house one evening after supper. In it Stefano said he’d miss him terribly, but Guy should concern himself with the coming child. He also casually mentioned the fact the Christina had been the one to provide him with the means necessary for his departure.

Guy was angry, but his new feelings for his wife confused him. Perhaps she was right. With Stefano gone they might have a chance to be a family. But she’d gone too far. It was wrong of her to bribe Stefano. Guy knew he could have sent him away at any time and certainly without any money. He just wasn’t sure he wanted Stefano to leave. Christina had nearly succeeded in convincing him that the three of them could no longer remain under the same roof, but other arrangements could have been made.

Determined to let Christina know her actions did not please him in the least, Guy found it necessary to bolster his resolve with a sizeable quantity of cognac before confronting her.

“You had no right to send him away,” Guy said quietly as he entered her room.

Christina could tell by Guy’s expression that Stefano was finally gone. The genuine note of grief in Guy’s voice touched her and she went to him, putting her arms around his waist.

“I had to, can’t you see that? It’s our only chance, Guy.”

As she looked up at him, his eyes filled with tears.

“But he was mine! He loved me!” Guy broke down and cried.

Christina was so disconcerted by this behavior that she could do nothing but attempt to comfort him.

“It’s all right,” she said gently, unable to bring herself to mouth the obvious response and tell him she loved him, too. “You’ll have me to love and our child. Oh, Guy, it will be all right. I promise. Just give it a chance.” She didn’t know what to say. Of all the reactions she’d imagined, she could never have imagined this. He wept like a child who’d lost a favorite pet and she felt genuinely sorry for him.

“Come to bed,” she said, beginning to unbutton his shirt. She was sure if she could get him to sleep, the effect of the alcohol would wear off and give him a better perspective. Surely he would see they were well rid of Stefano.

She finally got him undressed and into bed. As she gently stroked his hair, she felt him reach for the ribbon at the neck of her gown. He untied it slowly and then carefully pushed it down, exposing her breast. She felt his passion for her grow as his mouth moved over her, slowly, gently, with more tenderness than he had ever shown her.

“You see, I can please you,” she whispered as she closed her eyes and offered a fervent prayer it was true. “You don’t need Stefano.”

At the mention of Stefano’s name, Guy felt his desire wilt. He continued to kiss her, but he was unable to recapture the emotions he’d felt only moments before. It made him furious and he slapped her, hard.

“Don’t you ever mention his name. Do you hear me?” He was wild with anger. He hit her again, and again. What had she done to him? His body had never betrayed him before. It was all her fault. He quickly gathered up his clothes and left the room.

And things did not improve. Guy decided that if Christina wished to replace Stefano in his affections, then he’d use her accordingly. But he was unable to satisfy himself with her, even in that fashion, and so his anger and frustration led to more liquor, more failures, followed by more beatings.

Any hope Christina might have had of salvaging their relationship disappeared forever.

The ancient Benedictine Abbey of Montmajour stood on high ground, just a few miles outside the walls of the city of Arles. The top of its imposing tower offered a fine view of the surrounding area, once swampland, now converted to rich farmland by the diligent work of its monks over the centuries. And Robert made a point of climbing the one hundred and twenty-four steps to the top of the tower daily to admire the fruits of their labor.

He had spent his entire adult life surrounded by the impenetrable walls of Montmajour and he took his strength from them. He’d joined the Church at the age of twenty-two after completing his medical studies and his skills were put to the ultimate test just two years later when plague struck Provence. His selfless efforts in treating the victims of that dread disease earned him great respect and consequently led to his being offered the position of Abbot after only thirteen years in the order. Robert did not delude himself. His sudden change of position was also because the population of the abbey, itself, had been decimated by the epidemic.

But his extraordinary efforts on behalf of the afflicted had not been enough to save the life of his older brother, Jérôme. Jérôme, his father’s firstborn, his father’s pride and joy, who had been so much like Richard.

As Abbot, Robert had undertaken some extremely ambitious building projects including the restoration of many of the older parts of the abbey and under his direction, it was enjoying the most prosperous period it had known since its founding in the tenth century.

And there’s still so very much to do, he thought, as he sat in his office, idly gazing out at the garden. The fruit trees were in full bloom and the yearly appearance of the fragrant blossoms never failed to give him a feeling of renewal, even after so many years.

His attention returned to the page before him, a letter from Grégoire who was studying in Rome. Robert was so much older than the children of his father’s second marriage that he had felt more uncle to them than brother. He was proud of their accomplishments. What wonderful adults they’d all become! Richard, in spite of his ill-fated love for Christina, seemed content in his life with Arabella and did a magnificent job managing the business. And Cybelle seemed happier than ever, all four of her children were bright and healthy and he suspected her contentment—as well as her last two children—were the consequence of Lauro becoming a permanent part of their household. Robert smiled. He didn’t begrudge Cybelle her happiness, though he kept his rather liberal views on love and marriage to himself.

There was a soft knock at the door. Robert looked up at the sour-faced man who served as his personal secretary, the cousin of the priest who had mistreated Arabella. Despite the man’s excellent family connections, Robert had always found Dom Louis more ambitious than devout. By giving him the position as his secretary, he’d hoped to guide him toward a more spiritual path. Robert was undecided if he was making any progress in that direction.

Though he was looking questioningly at Dom Louis, the man said nothing.

“There was something?” Robert prompted.

“Yes, My Lord. Madame Jonvaux requests an interview.”

Robert couldn’t hide his surprise. “Why, of course…” He rose to greet Christina as the monk ushered her through the door, wondering what might have brought her back to them so soon. He offered her a cheerful smile as she entered.

“My dear, how good to see you!” He crossed the room to meet her, taking her hand and leading her to one of the chairs that faced the desk. He was concerned as she leaned heavily on his arm and puzzled by the veil that hid her face. “But what brings you?” he asked as he helped her to sit. Had her difficulties with Guy proved insurmountable?

“I’m sorry to bother you…I had nowhere else to turn,” she said wearily.

Christina’s entire demeanor indicated a problem far beyond that of a straying husband.

“Can I get you some wine?”

“Wine? Oh, yes…Thank you.” She was lost. She had no idea what she was going to say to him.

Though Christina had given up any hope of saving her marriage, she was greatly concerned about her child. The baby had come to represent her only hope for the future. The new life she carried engendered fierce protective feelings that had given her the strength to leave her husband and seek temporary sanctuary at the abbey. No matter how difficult it might prove to be, she was determined to make a new life for herself and the child.

“Father, I’m pregnant.” Her voice was trembling and the words slipped out more suddenly than she’d intended.

Robert nearly missed the glass as he poured the wine from the decanter.
Pregnant? After all these years?

“Congratulations, my dear,” he said, cautiously. “A happy event, surely?” He did his best to keep his tone of voice even.

“Perhaps under other circumstances, but…” Her voice trailed off and it took her a moment to gather enough courage to speak again. “As things are, I fear for the child’s safety…and for my own.”

Robert handed her the glass. “Have you told your husband?”

Her hand began to tremble and she nearly spilled the wine as she remembered their last encounter in the early hours of that same morning.

“He knows.”

Robert, wanting to give her time to tell him what had happened, offered to help her off with her cape. She stood up shakily and set the glass on his desk. As she removed her veil, Robert saw her black eye and the bruises on her cheek.

“Christina! Dear girl, are you all right?” Robert was shocked. When they had talked during her last visit, Christina had said nothing to make him believe that Guy abused her physically. And if not Guy, then how had this happened?

As she looked at him, her defenses collapsed. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she opened her mouth to speak. Before she could utter a word, pain like the point of a knife shot through her. She bent forward, clutching her abdomen. The light in the room seemed to fade and Christina, no longer willing or able to resist, let the darkness take her.

Robert sat in a chair beside Christina’s bed. She looked frail as she lay back against the big pillows, her eyes closed, her delicate features marred by the bruises that covered one side of her face. There was no sound in the room except the quiet movements of two monks as they finished cleaning up the last of the evidence of her miscarriage.

“Thank you,” Robert said quietly to the men as they left.

For the first time in nearly seven years, Robert forced himself to really look at Christina. She had become a mere shadow of the beautiful young woman he remembered. Had she seemed so frail when she’d last come to them?

“Christina…”

She opened her eyes and tried to smile. She was exhausted. Robert looked so austere in his somber black robes, which only accentuated the concern on his face.

“Please don’t trouble yourself. It was for the best.” Christina’s voice was shaky. She felt so weak. “You have no idea how grateful I am that I was here when it happened.”

“There must be something I can do for you. Anything? You can’t begin to imagine how ineffectual I feel.”

“Dear Robert…You’ve done so much already. I’m very grateful.”

He hesitated to question her, but felt he must know what had caused this terrible misfortune. He was beginning to think he might have misjudged the gravity of her domestic problems.

“Christina, tell me what happened.”

She studied his face. What could this kind, gentle man know of the horrors she’d endured at Guy’s hands? And why burden him? Nothing mattered anymore. With Richard gone, and now the baby, there was really no point to any of it—her marriage, her future, her life.

“It’s really not important now, is it?” She tried to smile, but it only caused the tears to overflow and slide down her cheeks.

Robert took a deep breath and stood up. He went to the tall, arched window that looked down toward the chapel of Ste. Croix. It was the same peaceful view he saw from that side of his office two floors below.

“Perhaps you should have accepted Grégoire’s proposal, afterall,” he said quietly. He clearly remembered the day the Grégré had confided in him, the same day he had told him that he wanted to join the Church. It seemed so very long ago.