“Monsieur? Is this true?”
“It is
not
!”
“It
is
true!” Christina insisted. “I beg you, let me testify!”
The three judges put their heads together, whispering as they cast occasional glances in Christina’s direction. Christina, sure that her chance had come to save the man she loved, stood still and waited.
“Very well, we will hear from Madame…?”
“Jonvaux,” Christina said, though it was a struggle to wrap her tongue around the hated name.
The minute she said it, the courtroom buzzed again, louder and louder until the Magistrate was forced, once again, to call for order. Richard reluctantly stepped aside as Christina made her way to the witness box, but the look in his eyes begged her not to speak. She just smiled at him and regarded the three officials confidently.
“You are Madame Jonvaux, sister to the deceased?”
“I am.”
“Please state your full name.”
“Christina Maria Antonia Sophia DiClementi.” She would have stopped there but she felt Guy’s eyes boring into her and she couldn’t help but look at him. “Jonvaux,” she finished softly.
Guy stood up and made his way to the desk where the secretary sat recording the proceedings. He snatched a sheet of paper and took the pen out of the man’s hand, scribbling furiously.
“And you say that you were with Richard de Magniet on the night your brother was killed? Please tell us what it is you would like us to know.”
“I’d been waiting for him to return and when I saw the light from the stable door, I went down. When I reached the doorway, Monsieur Magniet was talking to my brother. I waited until my brother left, then went in. It was raining and I was very wet and I spent the night there with him.”
The room began to buzz again. Guy finished what he was writing and handed it to one of the bailiffs who then took it to the judges as Guy returned to his seat. Christina was beginning to be nervous. The judges didn’t seem to be very impressed by what she’d told them. The Magistrate read the note and then shared it with the two other men.
“Thank you Madame. That will be all.”
Christina was confused. Why didn’t they question her? With an anxious glance at Richard, she stepped down from the box.
“We will now hear from Madame’s husband, Monsieur Jonvaux.”
Guy walked confidently to the witness box, smiling at Christina as he passed.
“Please state your name.”
“Guy Eugène Jonvaux.”
“There was something you felt it was important for this court to know, Monsieur?”
“Yes, and I beg the court’s indulgence…this is very difficult for me.”
For a moment Christina thought he might actually start to weep!
“My wife and Monsieur Magniet were very close as children, and it is true that she was a little upset when she learned that her father had given his blessing to my proposal.”
Christina started to rise but Cybelle kept her in her seat.
“But I assure you, she was happy in our marriage until she suffered a miscarriage early last year.” Guy seemed to choke up for a moment. “Since then, she has been very unstable. I hoped she would improve with this pregnancy, but she has only grown worse. She seems to be living constantly in the past…I’m sorry to say that she no longer recognizes me as her husband.”
“Are you telling us that your wife is lying, Monsieur?”
“Oh, you must forgive her,” Guy said anxiously. “She ’s not trying to deceive you. I know she believes what she says, but I assure you that when I married her, she…well, she’d never been with a man…so I can only assume that when she said that she…” Guy seemed to be terribly upset. “When she says that they…well, it’s just not true.”
Christina pulled free from Cybelle and tried to get to Guy. Two bailiffs stopped her, holding her as gently as they could since it was obvious she was pregnant.
“Liar!” she screamed at Guy. “Liar!”
“Madame
,
please restrain yourself!”
The courtroom erupted into shouts as the crowd rose, shaking fists and screaming objections to the entire procedure.
“I will not! He’s lying! He hates Richard! For all I know
he
killed my brother!”
This stirred the crowd even more.
“Remove her!” the Magistrate shouted above the confusion, banging the table again and again to no effect.
As Christina began to struggle, Richard tried to stand, but was restrained by his two guards. He watched helplessly as two baliffs came for Christina. Her own guards rose and the four men escorted her from the room. Maryse, Cybelle and Lauro fought their way through the unruly mass of people, trying to reach one of the doors so they might get to Christina, whose muffled cries could still be heard in the hallway.
The courtroom was out of control. People screamed their outrage at the judges and certainly would have done them harm had they breached the line of armed policemen at the front of the room. So great was the agitation of the crowd that few beyond the first two rows heard the sentence pronounced.
Robert was one of them. When Richard was sentenced to hang, something inside him shattered. Disbelief washed over him, leaving a hollow sensation at the pit of his stomach. It was not possible that his brother was condemned to die for a murder that he never
would
have committed and in fact
did not
commit.
After assuring himself that Christina was safe at the townhouse, Robert returned to the abbey.
Je m’y étends la main mais je faillis à saisir
Une heureuse résolution a ce but fuyant de désir.
Veuillez me faire voir comment je puis y réussir.
—Chancell
I reach for but cannot grasp happy resolution to this cause.
Show me how I may prevail.
Février 1760
Arles
Sometime before three the next morning Stefano was able to extract himself from Guy’s celebration at Madame Dijol’s. He was relieved to find himself outside in the cold night air with a chance to clear his head by walking home. Despite the distractions, he hadn’t managed stop thinking about the anguished expression on Christina’s face when they’d forced her from the courtroom.
He’d had quite a bit of time to think about what might have driven Guy to press so hard for Richard’s conviction. Stefano knew Guy didn’t really love Christina. Guy considered his wife a prize he’d snatched from Richard, and though he occasionally seemed to long for her to love him, Stefano had also seen how much Guy enjoyed humiliating her.
It didn’t make any sense…and had made even less since the trial. Guy had gotten the conviction he wanted, but to Stefano, it seemed his high spirits at Madame Dijol’s verged on hysteria.
These were his thoughts when neared the Baron’s townhouse. He stopped beneath the flickering lanterns on either side of the gates. Before he he was really aware of where he was, the heavy gate was flung open to reveal a large man who was pointing his pistol directly at Stefano’s chest. Startled, Stefano stepped back.
“State your business,” said the guard, his tone menacing.
“Hold friend,” said Stefano at his most charming—though even he could hear the quaver in his voice. “I’m only passing by on my way home.” He produced what he hoped was a winning smile. It had no effect.
“Then be on your way. This is no place for you.”
Stefano gave the man a curt nod and moved on, his heart pounding in his chest. He felt the man had recognized him, or certainly his resemblance to Richard. He’d nearly reached the arena before he heard the gate slam shut, and the sound of the bolt echoing down the quiet street.
The startling encounter gave Stefano something else to think about. It was obviously going to be far more difficult to see Christina than he’d imagined.
Robert worked throughout the night. After Prime he asked Dom Siguero to accompany him to his study in the tower.
Adolfo Siguero had been at the abbey for twelve years. He was thirty-seven, tall and fair with a soldier’s strong body and would have been considered handsome but for the broad scar that divided the right side of his face from brow to chin. He’d been a mercenary from the age of fourteen, the youngest son of a wealthy Italian family, but by the age of twenty-five had lost his taste for battle. He’d meant to die a soldier’s death, a suicide at an enemy’s hand, but was instead gravely wounded. Robert met him while treating him at the Abbey of Ste. Croix. The man credited Robert with his recovery and had followed him back to Montmajour, grateful for the opportunity to exchange his bloody vocation for one of peace. He was the perfect choice.
He stood before Robert, waiting to hear what his Abbot wanted of him.
“Brother, I have a mission for you.”
“Of course, My Lord, I am at your service.” He had no idea what he might be called upon to do, but he would have even gone back into battle in the service of the man who had given him back his life.
“I am sending you to Rome.”
“Rome, My Lord?” This was a surprise.
“Rome,” Robert repeated while placing a pistol, a purse obviously quite full of coins, and a leather packet on the desk between them. “These messages must reach my old friend Cardinal Tambourini.”
Though Dom Siguero was surprised, he was more than willing. Still, he looked questioningly at the pistol that lay between them.
“You must go with all haste and you must not fail. Travel as a monk or in disguise, whichever you feel will best serve. Use the money to speed you on your way, buy whatever you need, bribe whoever you must, but go swiftly.”
“Will I find it difficult to contact the Cardinal when I reach Rome?”
“No. He’s an old friend, when he knows you come from me, he will see you. The
Isabella
is waiting for you at the dock.”
Robert blessed him and when he rose, he collected the things from the desk. Robert handed him a second, smaller packet.
“Give this to the Captain, it goes to Bonifacio.”
Dom Siguero was safely on his way, but Robert’s thoughts were still in turmoil. No matter from what angle he observed the situation, he could not see the basis for the animosity that had suddenly fallen on his brother from the law enforcement and governing powers of Arles. While he had no doubt about Guy’s hatred for Richard, he couldn’t imagine that Guy had either the time, or the influence to create this carefully woven web in which Richard found himself ensnared. How could Guy’s resources threaten the Baron’s family, which was held in high esteem by those in power throughout the region? Even if one of them had committed a crime, even one as serious as murder, it was doubtful they would ever have been brought to trial. Conviction was unthinkable for most of the nobility and impossible for a family as well loved as his own.
Nonetheless, with surprising speed his innocent brother stood tried and convicted in a most irregular way. While he had no doubt the King would produce a pardon and also that his friend the Cardinal would be able to secure the support of the Holy See, Robert felt the undercurrents of something quite beyond his control sweeping his brother swiftly toward the gallows.
There were too many unanswered questions and Robert had a very good idea where he might begin to ask them. He sent for Dom Louis.
In the morning, while he waited for Agnes to serve his coffee, Stefano wrote to Christina.
Dearest Christina,
My heart is breaking for your suffering. I beg you to let me see you, however briefly, so that you will understand how much I need your forgiveness. I also need you to believe you can trust me, for I will do anything in my power to help you. This I swear.
Your servant,
Stefano
When he had finished his breakfast he sent André to deliver the note.
“Christina?” Maryse spoke softly, hoping not to startle her.
She was dozing in the chair, a book open on her lap.
“Come in, I was just resting my eyes.” She smiled at her friend, so grateful for her company. “Is there any news?”
“Nothing yet, but the Abbot is doing everything he can. We’ll hear from him this evening, I’m sure.” Maryse studied her for a moment. She was encouraged by the spark of determination in her eye and pleased that Christina no longer seemed to fear her husband. She hoped that was truly the case.
“There is something…this just came for you. And please forgive me — I’ve opened it. I was concerned because it was delivered from your husband’s house.” Maryse saw the brief flutter of anger in Christina’s expression, but it disappeared quickly. She handed her Stefano’s note.
Christina read the note. It was hard to imagine what it might mean.
“What do you think?” Maryse asked. Christina had told her briefly what had happened between herself and Stefano, and it hadn’t been too difficult for Maryse to imagine what had beem left unsaid.
“I know you have no interest in seeing him, but if you like, I can meet with him and see what he really wants. It’s possible I might be able to learn something that could be of use to us.”
There were so many possibilities. Christina knew Stefano could be intending to trick her into seeing Guy or to returning to his house or try to lure her away, as he had before. But now knowing herself to be immune to his persuasions, she agreed with Maryse—there might something to gain.
Christina’s reply was waiting for Stefano that evening when he returned from the warehouse. According to Agnes, Guy had not been home. With a feeling of anticipation, he read the invitation to call on Christina that evening.
As he bathed and changed, a hundred different reunion scenarios ran through his mind. Though some allowed for a little resistance on Christina’s part, all included him making elegant—and convincing—professions of his deep love. And all of them ended with Christina realizing that she, too, loved him. Yes. Richard was forgotten and it was Stefano she really loved, something she’d realized when she’d finally reunited with Richard after so many years. She saw the difference between them and knew her choice was Stefano.
And he was pleased. This time he had much more to offer her. He had been skimming from Guy’s accounts for some time and had been augmenting that source with his card playing. He was sure that Richard would be leaving her an income as well—for the child, no doubt. While he didn’t think much about the child beyond being amused that it would resemble Richard and hence, himself, Stefano believed he and Christina would do quite well together.