Solomon seemed rather interested in her now, now that she had sung so beautifully for his son. He had been in his own world for so long that it was strange to see him so lucid and curious. As Warenne paid the priest for his services, Solomon reached out and took Isobeau’s hand.
“I am sorry that I have been such a terrible host since your arrival,” he said. “I pray you can forgive a grieving old man. But you are grieving too, are you not? This cannot be an easy thing for you.”
Isobeau glanced at Atticus, who was paying attention to the conversation closely. He seemed quite interested in his father’s sudden turn-about behavior. She returned her focus to Solomon.
“It is not,” she said. “And I am sorry that you and I had to meet under such circumstances. I am sorry that you could not come to our wedding. Those were much happier times.”
Solomon continued to hold her hand, his old, yellowed eyes inspecting her from the top of her long, blond head to the bottom of her dark surcoat. As if just seeing her through new eyes, because he essentially was, he thought she was an exquisite creature.
“I do not travel these days,” he told her. “As much as I wanted to go to Coventry, my old bones would not have withstood the travel. I, too, am very sorry I was unable to attend your marriage to Titus. It was heartbreaking for me.”
Atticus stepped in before his father could go on another emotional tangent about missing Titus’ wedding, which was more than likely about to happen. Atticus knew his father well. “Do not fret, Papa,” he said. “You will be able to attend my marriage. We will be married right here at Wolfe’s Lair.”
Solomon looked at his youngest son with surprise. “What is this?” he demanded. “A marriage, you say?Whatmarriage?”
Atticus tried to be calm and reasonable in his delivery; he hadn’t yet had the chance to tell his father of Titus’ request tohim and he was categorically uncertain as to how the man would react. Solomon tended to react first and think later. He honestly wasn’t sure how the man would take the news.
“When Titus lay dying, he made a request of me,” he said quietly. “He asked me to marry Isobeau and that is what I intend to do. He wanted her taken care of. He said he could not stand it if she was to marry another.”
Surprisingly, Solomon didn’t react overly. He actually appeared thoughtful. His gaze moved between Atticus and Isobeau as he pondered Atticus’ statement. Then, he scratched his yellowed, graying beard.
“I can understand his concern,” he said. “I would want my wife taken care of, too.”
Atticus was quite surprised that he hadn’t met with any resistance. “Then you approve?”
Solomon shrugged. “It is what Titus wanted.”
Evidently, it was as simple as that. Atticus tried not to let his astonishment show at his father’s easy acceptance of what could be construed as an odd, if not marginally distasteful, situation.Marrying his dead brother’s wife. Oddly enough, Solomon had accepted the request far more easily than Atticus had at first.
“Do we have your blessing, Papa?” he asked. “Obviously, I have Titus’. It would mean a great deal to have yours.”
Solomon looked between Atticus and Isobeau. Mostly, he was looking at Isobeau. “My lady?” he asked her. “I would like to know how you feel about marrying Atticus. Are your affections so easily transferred?”
It could have been construed as an insult, but Isobeau viewed it as an honest question from a grieving father who was in a very strange position. He’d just lost one son and now his surviving son was about to marry the dead son’s wife. She did, however, think it odd that the man asked her opinion. She was chatteland nothing more, so she wondered why he even cared to know. After a moment, she shook her head.
“They are not, my lord,” she replied. “Atticus has not asked for my affection. Only my hand.”
Solomon was satisfied with her frank reply. His gaze lingered on her a moment. “Did you love my Titus?”
Isobeau lifted her eyebrows, smiling faintly. “Everyone loved your Titus,” she said. “He was a great man.”
Solomon pondered her answer, thinking on her and Atticus and Titus. Titus had something Atticus didn’t, and that was emotion. He had a tender heart;tootender. Atticus had well learned to control his emotion but Titus never had. Solomon suspected that was what made the man so endearing to others and especially his wife. But Atticus… he was the perfect warrior. No emotion, only duty.
Solomon wondered if Lady Isobeau realized that about the man she was marrying. If she didn’t now, she soon would– Atticus was nothing like Titus. He was hard, immovable, unbreakable. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the priest who had conducted Titus’ funeral and a thought occurred to him. He turned to the tiny man in the smelly, woolen robes.
“You will perform a wedding mass before you leave,” he told him. “Prepare your sacrament.”
Atticus looked to Isobeau in surprise and she seemed equally stunned. Atticus reached out and grasped his father by the arm.
“Papa,” he said quietly. “I fear this is too much for Lady de Wolfe. She has only just lost her husband and….”
Solomon threw up his hands in an impatient gesture. “Why should this be too much?” he wanted to know. “You promised that I could witness your wedding, Atticus. There is no better time than now. I see no reason to delay.”
Frankly, Atticus didn’t, either, but he was genuinely concerned about Isobeau’s feelings. She was physically weak,and undoubtedly emotional, so Atticus thought remarriage on this day of days might be a little much for her. But he also remembered what he had told her;I will not marry you until my brother is in the ground.Titus was now officially buried, and truth be told, there was no reason not to marry the woman. The situation, at the moment, was optimal. With a sigh of resignation, he turned to Isobeau.
“My lady?” he said politely. “Are you agreeable?”
Isobeau looked between Atticus and Solomon, thinking much the same thing Atticus was– that there was no reason to delay. There was no point. Given the situation, she didn’t view the marriage as an emotional event, merely one of duty, and she had already established that she was agreeable to marrying Atticus. She nodded to the question.
