Aunt Beatrix was sympathetic. Wilda, on the other hand, showed surprising objections. She was disgusted that Leonie would let Amelia have Rolfe without a fight. Her feelings where Amelia was concerned were quite strong, and she revealed that it was Amelia who had ordered her and Mary whisked out of Crewel. If Amelia could use foul means to get whatever she wanted, why couldn’t Leonie show some of her fighting spirit? Leonie simply kept Wilda busy so that she would not have to listen to her.
She could not do the same with Sir Guibert. When he arrived that evening and was told her plans he was furious. He strode into the hall to find her, glowering as he approached.
“Have you taken leave of your senses?” he demanded without even a nod of greeting. “You would make war against your own husband? I cannot—”
“Not war,” Leonie interrupted. “I just refuse to abide with him any longer.”
“You cannot do that!” Guibert sputtered. “God’s mercy, Leonie, he is your lord now. You are bound to him in every way!”
Truth or not, the saying of it grated on her. She would not give in. But she needed Guibert’s support,so she did something she had never done before. She burst into tears, gauging the effect it had on the man who had been like a father to her. In between heart-rending sobs, she confessed everything to Guibert, sparing nothing, not even that she was carrying her husband’s child—his second child.
But the revelations she made about Amelia were not as shocking to him as she had hoped they would be, for she had forgotten that her situation, though painful, was not unique.
“You are not the first woman who has been asked to raise her husband’s bastards, Leonie,” Guibert scolded gently. In truth, he was shocked at Rolfe’s behavior, and he hurt for Leonie, but coddling would do her no good now.
“If it were only that, I could live with it,” she said. “But my husband will not send this child’s mother away. I have asked him and he refuses. He flaunts her in my home. He gives her responsibilities that are mine by right. I feel like a second wife!”
“You exaggerate, Leonie.”
“I do not! I have told you plainly how it has been. I tried to live with it, Guibert. If—if my feelings were not entangled, perhaps I could. But—”
“You love him?”
“Yes,” she said, sobbing in earnest now. “I fought against loving him, I did. I knew it would cause me only pain. And he expects me to continue sharing him with that woman. I cannot do it anymore. It is killing me, Guibert.”
Guibert sighed. “I do not see what you hope to accomplish by coming here, Leonie. The man has besieged stronger keeps than this and won them.”
“He would not do so here!” Leonie told him. “I am his wife.”
Guibert shook his head at her. “You think that will stop him? That is the very reason he will not turn away from our closed gate.”
“No, Guibert,” she said confidently. “Rolfe has two keeps to secure yet. He will not take his army away from victory there to come here. He will come himself, yes, but I will tell him plainly how I feel—if I have to shout it from the walls. He will have to accept my decision.”
“Does he know of your condition?” Guibert asked shrewdly.
“No,” she admitted, glancing at him and then away. “I will not give him that excuse to force me to return to Crewel.”
“I pray he will let you go,” he said, sighing. “If not”—he shook his head—“God help us.”
Chapter 45
LEONIE worried over Guibert’s misgivings for days to follow, for she had believed that Rolfe would come to Pershwick immediately, but she was quite wrong. Days turned into weeks, and still he did not come. She was as miserable as she had ever been.
After two weeks, Leonie opened Pershwick again, allowing things to take their normal course. She sent back the extra men she had requested from her other keeps, but kept her men-at-arms ready. The stores were full with the recent harvest, so she had no worry there. Time dragged by, taking with it the remains of her good humor. Nearly four weeks had passed since she left Crewel. She was two and a half months into her pregnancy, with a thickened waist her gowns could barely disguise. She was disgusted, having wanted to give Rolfe her ultimatum without bringing their child into the argument.
One unseasonably warm day, she stood on the parapet and watched her husband approach the keep. Four of his knights rode directly behind him. But beyond that was a sight that froze her where she stood.
“Sweetest Mary, he’s brought his whole army!”
There seemed to be a thousand men moving toward Pershwick. The army stopped well out of range of Pershwick’s weapons. Did that mean Rolfe truly expected a battle?
“I warned you, my lady,” her friend and vassal said dolefully.
Leonie tore her eyes away from the horrifying sight below and made no attempt to hide her fear from Sir Guibert.
“I will have the gate opened,” he said.
“No,” she returned, and his face collapsed into a picture of misery.
