Jonas St. Johnwas a tall, thin man, older, with a full head of dark and curly hair. He had been in the clergy for the majority of his life, having grown up as an acolyte at St. Bartholomew the Great Cathedral before working his way up to become a fully consecrated priest. He was a fairly simple man without the vices or addictions his fellow priests indulged in, hiding behind holy robes to mask their deviations. Jonas was an exception to that rule, a truly pious man in a world where such things were increasingly rare.
He had been summoned this day to Bellham Place, home of the mighty de Lohr family, by one of de Lohr’s knights. Without question, he went with the man and enjoyed a leisurely ride to the outskirts of London where the great manor houses lay along the Thames like the pearls of an enormous necklace. The day was fine and the birds sang in the great oak trees overhead as Kevin, Jonas and a small escort made haste back to Bellham.
Arriving at the great, white-stoned manor, Jonas greeted David amiably and was kind to Emilie and Christina. David and his wife took the man into the lavish reception room to go through the pleasantries of social graces, providing the priest with food and drink. But when the wine was halfway finished and the food had run out, David politely excused his wife from the room. In her place came an enormous knight with a shaved head and deadly look about him. Gart moved off into the shadows as David closed the door behind Emilie and Christina.
Jonas eyed the massive knight in the corner as David returned to him and reclaimed his seat. His dark eyes moved over the enormous hands, long, thick legs and broad chest. David could see where the priest’s attention was and he indicated Gart.
“I would have you meet my most trusted knight, Sir Gart Forbes,” he said, noting the apprehensive expression on the priest’s face. “He is as deadly as you think he is but I assure you,he is quite docile at the moment. I wanted him to be a part of this conversation, with your permission. It is important.”
Jonas agreed, casually, as if the man’s deadly countenance didn’t matter in the least. He reclaimed his cup.
“It is your home, my lord,” he said. “You have the right to demand who stays and who goes. Now, I assume you did not call me from St. Bartholomew’s simply for polite conversation.”
David shook his head. “I did not,” he confirmed. “We seek your counsel.”
“We?” the priest looked over at Gart, still standing just inside the door. “You and your knight?”
David nodded, waving Gart over. “Come and sit,” he told the knight, looking back to the priest in his woolen robes, dusty from travel. “Gart has some questions that I am hoping you can answer.”
Jonas focused expectantly on the big knight as the man assumed a seat across from him. But the knight was perched uncomfortably, stiffly, and Jonas observed the uneasy display. He was coming to feel somewhat sorry for the man, so ill at ease in the comfortable and lovely room.
“Well?” Jonas asked politely. “What is your question, my son?”
Gart cleared his throat, eyeing David as he did so. “I was wondering, Your Grace,” he cleared his throat again and coughed for good measure. “What…. What does the Church consider grounds for a divorce?”
Jonas looked rather thoughtful at the question. “The Church is very clear on its stance for divorce,” he settled back in his chair. “Only under the most extreme circumstances is it considered, for example, adultery or grievous sins such as heresy. Do you want to divorce your wife, my son?”
Gart shook his head, looking at David for support. Gart was never particularly good with spoken word, especially when hewas uncertain on the subject matter. Already he was rattled and struggling not to look like a fool.
“Nay,” he assured him. “It is more complex than that.”
The priest wasn’t following him. “Complex? What do you mean?”
Gart was quickly sliding into embarrassing misery and David came to his aid. “The story is long and complicated,” he told the priest. “I will provide you with the details. Gart is in love with a woman whose husband beats her mercilessly. The lady is in love with Gart also and they wish to be together. Gart would like to know if the lady, under extreme circumstances, can divorce her husband.”
Jonas tried not to appear shocked as his gaze moved between Gart and David. After a moment, he simply shook his head. “I know of no circumstances that would allow for such an intervention unless the man was proven in the extreme.”
“What is extreme?” David pushed.
Jonas was uncomfortable discussing the subject but he obliged. “If the husband was somehow proven to be a follower of Satan or a heretic, the Church might consider a divorce because to remain with such a man would endanger the wife’s immortal soul.” He looked back at Gart. “But this is not the case. You want the lady to be free of her husband so that you can marry her.”
Gart felt like he was already condemned to Hell by the way the man was looking at him. Still, he was not ashamed of his love for Emberley. “Aye, Your Grace.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“Months, Your Grace.”
“Have you had relations with the woman in the conjugal sense?”
“Aye, Your Grace.”
Jonas sighed faintly. “My son, you are committing adultery with this woman. Do you not understand that?”
Gart nodded. “I do,” he whispered. “But… her husband beats her regularly and is cruel to her and the children. He is a vile excuse for a man and does not deserve her. Why can she not divorce a man who treats her no better than an animal?”
Jonas could see the vulnerability in the man’s eyes. He didn’t even know him but he could see that there was longing and concern and compassion there. He began to feel some compassion of his own in spite of himself.
“A husband may do as he pleases with his wife,” he said quietly, somewhat gently. “As long as he does not kill her, the Church will not intervene. Beatings alone are not grounds for a divorce.”
