“Think, my lord!”
“There were servants…Leonie’s man Guibert…my wife.”
It made no sense. Leonie’s people would not hurt her, and Judith wasn’t strong enough to do Leonie harm. Sir Guibert wouldn’t have hurt her.
“What did Leonie say when you told her the news? Did she attempt to leave Pershwick?”
“I have already told you she was upset. She saidnot a word to me but fled to her room. If she came out before the next day, I do not know.”
“You didn’t even try to talk to her?” Rolfe demanded. What was wrong with this man?
William dropped his head abjectly. “Judith felt it would do no good, after my unpardonable forgetfulness had caused Leonie’s dismay. She insisted I leave the matter…to her.” William’s voice faded again. “She pointed out that I would be in the way of the preparations. She had Guibert amuse me with a hunt. You see? I am beginning to remember things.”
Rolfe stepped to the door and called for Sir Piers. “Where did you take Lady Judith?”
“Below.”
“Bring her back—quickly.” To William he said, “She is a woman. What man here would do her bidding without question?”
“All,” William admitted. “I am ashamed to say I cannot remember the last time I dealt directly with my people for anything.”
“Do you tell me your wife has had full control of Montwyn for a matter of years?” Rolfe asked incredulously.
“I…she must have,” William whispered.
William’s mind was still very slow, but one thing was becoming crystal clear. If he could believe all that his son-in-law had been telling him, then Judith was not simply guilty of tricking him into marrying her—and yes, he did remember that—but she had also kept him separated from his daughter. He didn’t know how she had done it, but she had.
Leonie’s husband was enraged over the pain inflicted on her because of the wedding, but William was devastated by the pain she must have borne thinking her father had abandoned her for so long. And hehad abandoned her, in truth, abandoned her to his grief, to his weak will, and to a woman who manipulated and lied to him so easily, for so long.
He was remembering too many things all of a sudden, and the blackest rage engulfed him from deep within himself. He was to blame. He had let it happen, let his scheming wife take over his whole existence.
When she stepped into the room, Judith was met by such a murderous look from her husband that she knew she had been found out in some way. She couldn’t brazen it out with lies, for William was sober and in control of himself. She hadn’t seen him like this since the time he discovered she had tricked him into marrying her. He was looking at her as if he wanted to kill her. She would have to throw herself on his mercy and play for time until they were left alone and she could get him to drinking again.
Her fear was real enough as she threw herself at her husband. Tears came quickly, and she looked up at him beseechingly.
“William, whatever you think I have done, I am still your wife. I have served you well and—”
The back of his hand sent her sprawling to the floor. “Served me well? I am nearly dead from what you have served me!” he spat.
Judith’s fingers touched her burning face, her stomach twisting in knots, remembering the last beating he had given her. She was no longer aware of Rolfe. Her husband’s hate-filled eyes impaled her. He would show no mercy, she knew that. She would have to save herself with lies after all.
“No one could have stopped you from drinking yourself into oblivion, William,” she said. “I did not like it, but what could I do?”
“Liar!” he hissed, and she cringed as he took a step toward her. “You encouraged my drinking. Do you think I don’t see that now? And the one person who could have helped me wasn’t here. You made certain of that. You made certain she did not return here, while you lied to me, convinced me I saw her often. Why did you keep Leonie away from me?”
Judith froze in terror. How had he figured so much out already? Desperate, she latched on to the first thing that came to her. “I did it for you, and for her. Can you not see how devastated she would have been to see you as you were? I tried to save you from shame. And I tried to protect her innocence.”
“By Christ’s holy blood! Do you take me for a complete fool?” William snarled. “The only one you were protecting was your despicable self! You knew I wanted none of you. You knew you would have been cast out if I had come to my senses. So you kept me senseless. And I believe you kept my daughter away by making her think she was not welcome here.” He saw the truth of this in Judith’s eyes, and he reached for her.
Rolfe stopped him. It was not in him to stand by and watch a woman beaten, though he knew how William would deal with her later, when there was no one to stop him.
“My lord, I would have a word with her.” Rolfe’s tone impliedbefore you do what you will.
William forced himself to muster some control. He owed Rolfe whatever he could give him.
Rolfe extended a hand to Judith, and helped her up. “Why did you have my wife beaten?”
His voice was deceptively calm, and Judith’s eyes flew to William, looking for his reaction. But his faceregistered nothing. Had he already known about the beating? She looked back at Rolfe.
