Chapter Thirty #6
Nicolas left his wife to walk beside Remington, glancing at her with concern. She was preoccupied and dazed. When they reached the priests room, he helped her through the door by shoving several servants out of the way.
Gaston and de Vere were huddled by the window, a serious conversation between them.
One look at Gaston’s face and Remington could see that he was having the exact same concerns she had been having not ten minutes earlier.
She forgot about protocol, knowing she shouldn’t be calling to him across a room full of people, but not caring at the moment. He had to know.
“Gaston!”
His head snapped to her, his eyes full of concern. Before he could break from de Vere, she was rushing to him, the vellum held in an outstretched hand.
“The parchment de Tormo gave me yesterday,” she stammered, unsure as to where to begin. “You must….for God’s sake, read it.”
Puzzled, he took the missive from her and read the contents. His reading slowed as he reached the bottom and he, too, turned amazed eyes to her.
“By God,” he breathed.
She nodded shakily. “He knew he was going to die. Gaston, if we present this to the council, they’ll surely grant the annulment.”
Gaston glanced at the missive again and John interrupted. “What is it?”
Gaston cleared his throat, roving over the message again as if he were still trying to convince himself they were real. He held out his arm to Remington, and she pressed herself against him.
“It says…,” he glanced up, eyeing the servants and various employees of the earl. De Vere, sensing his hesitation, ordered the room cleared.
Not a minute later, the room was devoid of the household staff. Jasmine and Skye crowded closer to hear Gaston.
“It says that de Tormo heard Guy’s confession, in which he admitted his servitude of Satan.
De Tormo states that Guy confessed to killing infants and drinking their blood, transforming into an incubus during the full of the moon and seducing virgins, only to return to eat the offspring their union produced, and furthermore trying to prepare his wife to be a receptacle to house a demon soul,” his eyes moved from the missive to Remington.
“He also confessed to be the concubine of Hecate.”
“Who is that?” Nicolas demanded, horrified by what he was hearing.
“The Greek goddess of pernicious sorcery,” de Vere answered softly. “She is as vile and as evil as Lucifer himself and is the queen of the dead. Continue, Gaston.”
A muscle in Gaston’s jaw twitched. “It goes on to say that Guy also confessed to such crimes as sodomizing goats, changing the course of the weather by burning snakes, and having sex with his wife’s sisters in hopes of planting a demon seed; he hoped to bring Satan back to earth in the flesh.
De Tormo furthermore states that he is a personal witness to the sanctuary in which these dark spells were cast.”
The room was eerily silent. Remington watched Gaston’s face intently, seeing the emotions that were usually so well controlled. Gaston lowered the missive and turned his eyes to the body of the priest, stiffening on the bed.
“He signed it as his dying declaration, swearing that Satan was taking his life because he knew too much of Guy’s dark workings. He says the only way to be rid of such evil is to desecrate Guy’s body and erase all written record of his name.”
Jasmine and Skye were terrified. “Remi…,” Jasmine whispered. “What of the story Father de Tormo had us memorize? Is what he says really true?”
Remington was shaking. “No, it is not. He lied, Jassy. He is probably burning in the fires of hell right now for this falsehood, but he did it for Gaston and I. As a dying declaration, it will weigh more heavily that any testimony any living person can give. The church will take it almost as the word of God.”
Everyone in the room turned to look at the cooling corpse, thinking of the most unselfish sacrifice from a most arrogant and annoying man.
“Why would Guy confess these things? Was he looking for absolution?” De Vere asked thoughtfully. “If the church believes he was confessing to repent, the missive could mean nothing.”
Gaston shook his head. “De Tormo says that Guy was not confessing in the literal sense, but more to brag of his accomplishments. The priest claims that Stoneley was very proud of his dark alliance and told de Tormo these things simply because he was well aware of the priest’s inability to discuss confessions.
He knew de Tormo would not, and could not, tell anyone. ”
De Vere nodded, clarified, and moved away thoughtfully. Gaston clutched the missive in one hand and Remington in the other. He tore his gaze away from de Tormo, turning to his knights.
“Mobilize the men. We leave in an hour.”
*
Exactly an hour later, everyone was ready to leave but Remington. Gaston searched everywhere for her, but was unsuccessful in locating her.
He wasn’t truly concerned, merely annoyed. Nicolas and the earl were looking for her, too, when Gaston finally met up with de Vere near the keep’s chapel.
“I found her,” de Vere announced. “She’s in the chapel.”
“In the chapel?” Gaston repeated. “What on earth is she doing in there? Remi does not believe in God.”
John smiled and jerked his thumb toward the stained-glass structure. “Go and see for yourself.”
Puzzled, Gaston did as he was told.
Remington was sitting in the front pew. On either side of her sat Dane and Trenton. Gaston entered quietly, skirting the outside aisle as he approached, hearing the soft rumble of Remington’s voice. Gradually, her murmured words became clearer.
“…..he was considered the wisest man in the world. The Queen of Sheba, hearing of Solomon’s wisdom, traveled to Israel by camel caravan to test the king’s intelligence.
With her, she brought all sorts of valuable goods; spices, gold, precious stones as gifts for the king,” her arm was casually draped around Trenton, gazing at Dane as she spoke.
Gaston slowed his pace, listening. “She tested Solomon with many, many difficult questions, but he answered every one of them perfectly. Impressed, she praised the god of Abraham for creating such a brilliant man and she fell madly in love with him. Solomon had many wives, but he courted the queen on his magic carpet that was carried by desert winds, bringing her costly gifts. The only problem, however, was the fact that the queen worshipped the sun instead of the one true god. Solomon would not marry her unless they worshipped the same deity.”
“I would not marry her, anyway,” Dane sniffed. “What a bold wench to attempt to test a man’s intelligence.”
Trenton nodded in agreement. “Queen or no, I’d take my hand to her backside, the saucy female.”
Remington scowled at the boys. “Since when do you address women in those terms? I do not think I like it.”
“Not all women. Only women who do not know their place in the world,” Dane insisted.
Remington raised an eyebrow at her son. “Dane, I fear you have been listening to arrogant knights and their loud talk. Men respect a woman who knows her mind and is a valuable asset.”
Dane wrinkled his nose. “Wenches are no good.”
Trenton tittered and Remington was about to lay into both of them when Gaston came to the rescue.
“She’s right, you know. ’Tis a good thing to have an intelligent, beautiful woman by your side and you’d better watch your next move, or I suspect your mother will plant her hand in a place few have touched.”
Remington tittered now as Dane and Trenton looked uncertain. Gaston sat down next to Dane, smiling at the three of them. “The column is ready when you are, my lady.”
She gave Trenton a squeeze and lowered her arm. “I am ready, I suppose. I just wanted to see the boys one last time.”
Gaston glanced at the two young men. “And so you have. More glory tales?”
“Solomon and Sheba,” Trenton told him.
“Pushy wench,” Dane muttered and his mother pinched him, much to Trenton’s amusement. “Ow!”
Gaston laughed softly at Dane’s discomfort. “Enough abuse, Remi. We must be on our way.”
The boys stood up and kissed her dutifully, telling their father a warm good-bye. When they vacated the chapel through a small side door, Gaston pulled Remington to her feet and assisted her from the pew.
“What were you doing in here, anyway?” he asked softly, curling her hand into the crook of his elbow.
She watched the ground as they walked down the center aisle. “Praying. Dane and Trenton found me.”
“Praying?” he looked at her curiously. “You do not believe in God, Remi. Just whom were you praying to?”
“God,” she insisted. “I thought… mayhap he would listen to me and forgive de Tormo for his lies on our behalf. I had to try, Gaston.”
He patted her hand and she stopped at the wide oaken doors that led into the chapel, her gaze raking over the still hall.
The polished oak altar thirty feet away caught her attention, as did the polished pewter candle banks.
A huge ivory cross hung on the wall overlooking the altar, and lavish silk curtains graced the walls.
“I would be married in a church, Gaston,” she whispered, turning her gaze to him. “Guy and I were married in the dining hall of Mt. Holyoak. When you and I are married, I want it to be in a church.”
He kissed her hand. “Westminster. I promise.”
She smiled shyly, allowing him to lead her out into the bright sunlight.