This last remark, unfortunately, focused Guy’s attention, once again, on Stefano.
“Forget her?
Forget her?
”
For a moment Stefano thought Guy might strike him and then suddenly his demeanor changed as André arrived with his horse.
Guy took the reins and was instantly in the saddle, but turned back to snarl at Stefano, “Can
you
forget her?”
The gates to the courtyard opened and Guy was gone.
As Stefano walked to the warehouse, he was pondering this latest development. He had no idea where Guy had gone or what he would do. It seemed to Stefano that the matter was closed. Richard would be pardoned. He wondered if Christina would actually marry Richard. Stefano still believed that he was the one she really cared for, but of course, unless he could see her, he would never be sure.
A man came alongside him. “Signore Ferro?”
Stefano stopped. “Yes?”
The stranger handed him a message and was gone. Once again, the writing was Christina’s.
If you will call again this afternoon, I promise this time you will see me.
Christina
At that moment, it seemed the answer to his prayers.
“Christina, are you sure this is what you want to do? Wouldn’t it be better if we waited until Robert returns?” Maryse wasn’t sure Christina’s decision to meet with Stefano was wise.
“We’ll be quite safe. We have the guards, though I don’t believe there’s any real danger. Do you?”
“No, I’m not concerned about your safety. I just don’t understand the necessity of seeing him right now.”
Christina took both Maryse’s hands in hers. “Maryse, something’s happened. Grégoire has been hurt and Raymond has not returned or sent any word to Cybelle. If they had Richard’s pardon, what’s become of it? If Grégoire was able to let them know who he was and to send for Robert, wouldn’t he have been sure that the pardon came with that message? And if Raymond was the one carrying it, where is he?”
“I don’t know.” Maryse could see how worried Christina was. “But even if something has happened to the King’s pardon, the Pope’s pardon should be here very soon. And there’s still time.” She was worried, herself, but had tried to hide her feelings from Christina.
“Is there? How do we know that? Nothing has gone as it should have. How
can
we know?” Christina got to her feet and paced back and forth across that end of the salon. “I confess…I have a feeling—and I know you may think me silly for it—but something is very wrong. Somehow, what’s happened to Grégoire is just another link in the chain binding Richard. I can’t just sit and wait for the next link to be forged. I have to try to do
something
.”
Maryse caught her as she passed and hugged her. “I know. I do. But from the little I know of Monsieur Ferro, I can’t believe you’ll be successful,” Maryse said gently. “You know, not all men love in the same way.”
“Well, I have to try, don’t I?”
Just then, Denis came in. “Monsieur Ferro is at the gate.”
“Thank you Denis,” Maryse said. “I’ll go.”
She squeezed Christina’s hand. “Courage, my friend. He can’t harm you now.”
When Maryse met Stefano at the top of the stairs this time, he smiled.
“Madame
.
” He gave her a brief bow. “Though I am pleased to see you again, of course, I hope I haven’t been misled.”
“
Non
, Monsieur. Madame Jonvaux awaits you.” She gestured to the door and both Stefano and the guard followed her into the salon.
Interesting, Stefano thought. Is it possible that neither Maryse nor Christina knew about the annulment? Or did they believe that he didn’t know? He found that quite surprising and decided that it might afford him some leverage. But of course it was too soon to tell. And then he saw Christina and all his other thoughts evaporated. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. The pregnancy, which was more obvious than it had been at the trial, seemed to suit her. She was radiant.
He started to go to her, but Maryse put her hand on his arm and directed him to one of the two chairs facing the sofa where Christina sat. That left a good eight feet between them and he was doubly surprised when Maryse took the chair beside him.
“Forgive me…I’d hoped this would be a private interview,” he said looking from one to the other.
“Did you?” Christina said lightly. “I’m sorry, that’s not possible. If you would prefer to go…?”
Stefano was taken by surprise. This was a different Christina! She seemed very sure of herself. But she was so beautiful! The scenarios he had imagined of their reunion and all his fantasies of how they would go away together, how happy they would be, erupted with a terrible clarity. After a moment of silence he realized Christina was waiting for him to say something.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked if you would prefer to go as I’m not willing to be alone with you?”
“No, no, of course not. I’m just so pleased to see you.”
Christina looked at him. After all they had been through she was still surprised by his resemblance to Richard, and at the same time, what a different man he was. Nonetheless, she offered what she hoped was an encouraging smile. She waited for him to say something. She wanted the promised profession of love that might turn things to her advantage. It didn’t seem to be forthcoming.
“And so?” she said when Stefano still seemed to be unable to remember why he’d come.
Stefano glanced at the guard and then at Maryse. His usual dissembling skills had deserted him. For all his planning, his persuasive words had also disappeared. Somehow, he’d imagined Christina in his arms when he spoke them. The distance between them was hampering his performance.
“Forgive me, please. This is very awkward. I imagined we would be alone.”
“As I said, that’s impossible. You may speak freely in front of Madame Chabannier. She is familiar with what happened between us.”
“Yes, of course.” Stefano rushed ahead, hoping to forestall the blush. It still bothered him that Christina had apparently told a number of people the most intimate details of what they’d shared. And though his memories tended to gloss over the more unpleasant aspects of those events, he knew very well that she was justified in doubting him.
“But it’s unnecessary to protect yourself from me, you know. I am no threat to you, Christina. I love you. I love you more than I can possibly tell you—here. And I wanted to see you so I could say so. And so I could ask your forgiveness.”
“You want me to forgive you?”
“Yes. There must be some way I can make you understand why things happened the way they did.”
“Go on,” she said. “I’m willing to listen.”
This was not as Stefano had imagined it. Not at all. He wanted to be honest with her, to explain how sorry he was for everything. He was finding it very difficult to do it in front of an audience. He took a deep breath.
“In the beginning, I was honest with you. Guy had asked me to seduce his wife and I had taken him up on the offer before I met you. It was also true that my brothers’ jobs were at stake. And I admit, I was full of myself. As you soon found out, your husband was more interested in me than he was in you. At that point I honestly hoped the three of us would be comfortable together.”
He could sense the outrage behind the pleasant expression on Christina’s face and he rushed ahead.
“But that was before I got to know you. And when I convinced you to go away with me—well—I really thought it could work. Then I realized that with no money there was no way I could give you the life you deserved.”
Christina listened, wondering if there was any end to the ways this man chose to deceive himself. Did he think she would believe him? Just because he seemed to believe it, himself, didn’t make it true.
“Do you believe me?”
It seemed a very long time before Christina answered him.
“I’m not sure. I can believe that my husband may have tried to control you through threats to your family. And it was easy to see that he cared more for you than he did for me, but…”
“But?”
“But if the way you treated me was the way you would treat the woman you loved—well, then you must not understand how very cruel you were.”
Stefano hung his head. She was right, of course. He had been cruel to her. He’d thought to protect himself and his relationship with Guy at all costs. He had never lived so well and he’d been willing to do anything, at the time, to protect that.
“You’re right, of course. And I’m not proud to admit it, but I was afraid. What you don’t know about me is that I grew up on the streets and canals of Venice from the time I was nine years old. I had to beg or steal every crumb of food, or blanket or piece of clothing. When my first patron rescued me from that life, I found out what it could be like to live as a gentleman. I was determined that would be my future. When Guy found me, I had no idea why he was really interested in me, and to be honest, I didn’t care.”
“Then what is it you feel will convince me to forgive you?” Christina knew she was taking a chance but she felt pushing him was the only way she could maneuver him into the position where she wanted him.
Maryse just sat back and watched. She would never have imagined Christina capable of such a cold appraisal of the man who had done so much damage in her life. She couldn’t help but wonder if she might be so self-possessed if it were Guy who sat across from her.
“I need to make you understand how things changed when I got to know you.”
“Things may have changed then for both of us, but hardly for the better in my case.”
“I know that. I’m sorry. I am. And it wasn’t until after you sent me away that I realized how much I loved you and how I had missed the chance for us to be together.”
“And yet you returned to my husband?”
“It’s true. I searched him out in Venice where he was supposed to be with you. Remember, at that point I was looking for you and our child. I was told you were with Guy.”
“When you found out that wasn’t true, you stayed with him.”
“But only because I wanted to find out what had really happened to our baby.”
Despite herself, Christina winced at the mention of the child she’d lost. She recovered quickly.
“What did you plan to do?”
“I suspected that Guy was somehow responsible. If that proved true I was going to kill him.” He stated it as a simple fact.
“Were you?” Christina looked at him for a moment. “The beatings Guy gave me caused the miscarriage. So now, tell me—will you kill him?”
Stefano was shocked. He had his answer. Much to everyone’s surprise — not the least Stefano himself—he burst out with an anguished sob. Maryse put her hand on his arm, but he brushed her off gently and stood up. The guard took a step toward him, but Christina waved him off. Stefano went to the window and looked down on the courtyard while trying to regain his composure.
Christina waited a moment then got to her feet. Maryse, too, stood up, making a gesture, cautioning Christina, but she could see it wasn’t necessary. Christina went to Stefano and gently put a hand on his back.
He turned to look at her and took her hand, covering it with kisses.
“I am so, so sorry.” He wept openly, quite unable to stop himself.
Christina touched his hair. “Come,” she said and led him back to the chair She allowed him a few minutes to recover.
Finally, he said, “What can I do to convince you how much I love you?” At that moment he would have done anything to have her back in his life. To have a life
with
her.
“You know, there
is
something you could do.”
Stefano jumped on the opportunity. “Anything, just tell me. Do you want me to kill Guy?”
Christina smiled.
Oh, the temptation!
“No. Guy is no longer part of my life. He doesn’t matter.”
“What then?”
“I want you to change places with the Baron.”
Stefano just stared at her. He looked at Maryse. Had she known this was what Christina intended to ask of him? He couldn’t tell.
“It’s a simple request. After all, as you say, he’ll be pardoned so you wouldn’t really be in any danger. I would just feel better knowing that Richard was as far from here as possible.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Stefano was shocked.
“You said you’d do anything. There is certainly less danger in this than in murder?”
“Yes, but—I never considered…”
“Never considered I would ask you to prove your love? Surely, if you really love me you want me to be happy?”
“I want us to be happy,
together
.”
“I haven’t said that’s impossible, but how am I to believe you, if you refuse me this?”
Again he looked from one woman to the other. He couldn’t think what to say.
“Are you telling me that if I take the Baron’s place so he can escape, that you and I will be together when he’s pardoned?”
She looked at him for a long time.
“No, I’m afraid I can’t lie to you as easily as you’ve lied to me. But if you will do it, I’ll believe that you love me. It’s a place to begin.”
Finally, Stefano stood up. “I think I should go.” He offered them each a bow. “
Mesdames
.”
Maryse started to say something, but Christina shook her head.
When Stefano was gone Maryse said, “Well, that was interesting!”
“Certainly not what I was expecting.”
“Do you think he’ll do it? And if he’s willing, will he be able to fool the guards?”
“Well, I think it would allow Richard enough time to get away. But the minute they looked for the shoulder wound, it would be obvious. That would protect Stefano from being executed in Richard’s place.”
Ce dont on a envie qui se tarde à venir.
Deux coeurs s’unissent l’un en devient l’autre.
—Zarte
Something longed for, late to come: Two hearts joined, one to one.
Mars 1760
Arles
Maryse decided she would call on the Magistrate. She’d known him in her time at Madame Dijol’s and knew that he’d found her enchanting. Since her marriage, he’d been helpful to her in several minor matters and she expected he would be willing to see her.