Chapter Seventeen #2
He squeezed her hand. “I would prefer honesty to pretty speeches and unnecessary words,” he said.
“But before you say anything, I must speak. If you are here about the necklace, I have not sent it to you not because I did not want to, but because I have not had the opportunity. I have not changed my mind about you or about anything else. I still feel the same as I did that day we parted in Bishop’s Waltham. ”
Vesper sighed heavily, so heavily that she closed her eyes, hanging her head with relief. Sweet Jesù, she had hoped to hear those words.
“I am so very glad to hear that,” she said softly.
“Because that is why I have come. I know the day of my brother’s execution was a chaotic day at best. We were thrown into a great deal of turmoil, both of us, and I suggested we part company to think on our true feelings for each other because I thought it was the right thing to do.
But I must admit that I was wrong. No amount of separation could change my feelings for you.
I did not mean to chase you away on that day. ”
A smile filled his expression. For all of the relief she was feeling, he seemed to be feeling the same.
“You did not,” he said, bringing her hand to his lips for a gentle kiss.
“And no amount of separation could change my feelings for you, either. But you did not have to come all the way to Selborne to tell me this; you could have sent a missive and I would have moved heaven and earth to come to Eynsford to see you.”
His tender kisses were sending bolts of lightning up her arm and her heart, already racing at the sight of him, was in danger of bursting.
“I would have,” she said. “But I came because I heard some very troubling news at Eynsford. I felt compelled to come to you, to tell you that no matter what happens, I will stand by you. You must know that there is at least one person in England who still believes you are noble and wise.”
The smile faded from his lips. “What did you hear?”
“That you assassinated the Archbishop of Canterbury,” she said.
Then, quickly: “I do not care if it is true. I did not come to ask you that. But soldiers from Canterbury Castle stopped at Eynsford on their way to London bearing the message that you had assassinated the archbishop. I thought they were lying and told them so, but if they are spreading such lies, then surely others are, too, and many people will hear. I thought… I thought that it would bring hateful people to you, trying to harass you, and I wanted you to know that I do not believe their lies. I thought you would want to know that someone in this world still has faith in you.”
Her words melted his heart. He settled back on his buttocks, sitting on the wooden-planked floor of the loft while still holding her hand.
He averted his gaze a moment, trying to think on what he should tell her, exactly, but because she had been forthright with him, he decided the best course of action would be to be equally forthright with her.
It was time for total honesty.
“That you would risk yourself to come here tonight tells me all I need to know about you,” he murmured.
“You are a woman of great bravery and great loyalty, and that makes me the richest man in all of England. It is true that I was there when the archbishop was murdered but I did not kill him. It is a great mistake that I am being blamed for, however. I am sorry you had to hear about it from others.”
Vesper had to admit that she was hugely relieved to hear that he was innocent. “May… may I ask what happened?” she asked. “I know I said I did not come to ask you if it was true, but I cannot understand how you could be mistaken for an assassin.”
Val shifted position, turning so he was sitting alongside her as she sat on the little stool.
Very carefully, he lowered his head onto her lap in a moment he would remember for the rest of his life.
It was sheer bliss, the softness and warmth of her surrounding him, easing his troubled mind.
He’d spent the past several days in such turmoil that he was certain he’d never feel any comfort in his life again, not ever.
Up until the moment he saw Vesper coming through the doors of the great hall, he continued to wallow in that turmoil, his thoughts on riding to Winchester on the morrow to face Henry.
His life, his reputation, was in so many pieces that it would be difficult to put them back together again.
But the moment he saw Vesper, everything changed.
There was light and beauty and warmth left in the world.
He couldn’t believe he’d been foolish enough to think that he would distance himself from her simply to keep her away from the troubles that were descending on him.
Perhaps he was weak in not sending her away this very moment, letting his emotions rule him and not his head.
But her support meant so very much to him that he couldn’t send her away, not now.
Not when he needed what she was offering.
With his head in her lap, it was comfort such as he’d never known and when her hand timidly touched his head, stroking his dark hair, all was right in the world. He never wanted to be separated from her, not ever. Therefore, he dreaded saying what he needed to.
“What I tell you must never leave yours lips,” he murmured.
Vesper cradled his big head on her lap, her fingers in his wavy, dark hair. “I would never repeat what you tell me, I swear it.”
He believed her and continued on with his sordid tale.
“There was evidently a plot to murder Canterbury and I was unknowingly caught up in it,” he said.
“Now, whoever has created this plot is attempting to make me guilty for it. Tomorrow, I must ride to Henry at Winchester Castle and tell him what has happened. I saw four knights, men who I thought were honorable men, murder Thomas Becket. I did not participate. In fact, I stopped them from doing worse damage. But because I was placed at the scene by witnesses, I am being blamed.”
Vesper closed her eyes briefly, indicative of the anguish of his confession. “I am so sorry,” she whispered. “You are a true and noble man, Val. For these evil men to try and blame you for such a thing… it will not work. I am confident that God knows of your innocence and He will not let you fall.”
Val sighed faintly. “I am not concerned with God at the moment, only Henry,” he said.
“He and Canterbury were friends from long ago. Although they have been in contention for the past several years, it was not always like that. I fear that Henry will take Canterbury’s death very hard and will seek to punish those involved. ”
“Like you?”
“Possibly.”
Vesper didn’t like the sound of that at all. Fear began to clutch at her. “But Henry knows you too well, does he not?” she said. “He appointed you his itinerant justice, which means he must trust you greatly. Do you truly think something like this would change his mind regarding you?”
Val was feeling so much comfort as she stroked his hair that he was becoming drowsy with it.
He’d hardly slept the past several days and, now, all of his exhaustion was catching up to him.
Something about her touch, her mere presence, built a cocoon around him that made him feel as if everything in the world was right, just for that brief moment.
“I cannot know,” he said. “I wish I could predict how he will react, but I truthfully cannot know. But one thing is for certain, Vesper – if he punishes me, then I do not want you to be punished also. It would break my heart if something happened to you because of me.”
Vesper could feel the sorrow radiating from the man. The fingers in his hair moved to his cheek and she put a soft, warm palm on his face.
“I am not afraid,” she said quietly, firmly.
Her touch was like heaven and he closed his eyes to it, savoring it.
“I know you are not. But I am. As much as it pains me to say this, for now, you should distance yourself from me. I am not the itinerant justice you knew when we first met. Now, I am a suspect in a murder that will shake England to its very foundation. You should not be associated with me.”
“And, yet, here I am.”
“But….”
She cut him off gently. “Let me tell you what I have learned during our separation, Val,” she said.
“When I left you at Bishop’s Waltham, I told you that I was afraid for your reputation should you be associated with a family of murderers.
I was afraid of how it would reflect upon all you have built for yourself.
I told you that something dark and terrible had happened to damage our relationship and you said that you felt it could be mended.
You never wavered on that opinion. Now, I tell you – whatever plot you have been pulled in to and whatever the rest of England may think of you, I know differently.
I am not afraid or ashamed to be associated with you.
You once told me that you were unconcerned being related to the House of d’Avignon.
I tell you now that I am unconcerned being related to the House of de Nerra.
Whatever happens, I will stay by your side. ”
It was a speech that saw Val’s own words turned against him.
Once, he’d told her all of that. He would not have been ashamed to have been associated with the House of d’Avignon and he meant it.
But now, Vesper was in a similar position and telling him exactly what he had told her.
He had no recourse to deny her, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t terribly worried for her still. Sitting up, he looked at her.
“You have lived a protected and genteel life, Vesper,” he said, trying to force her to understand what she was committing herself to. “What I am about to face… people have been executed for less. I cannot even promise that will not happen to me if Henry is enraged enough.”