Guy pushed open the door and stepped onto the snow-covered roof. It was square and flat, surrounded by thick, crenellated stonework. He saw the deep footprints immediately, left by small feet, and turned around to see where Aileen had gone.
He froze when he saw her in the northwest corner, sitting in the snow, her back leaning against the stonework and her head falling sideways. Her legs stuck out in front of her and her arms hugged her middle, as if she were in pain. Guy knew the girl was dead before he approached her. Her skin was bluish, and the crows had already gotten at her. Her face was a grotesque mockery of the girl she’d been only yesterday, her eyes nothing more than hollow sockets, and her cheeks pockmarked by eager beaks. Guy turned away, feeling ill, but not before he noticed that the snow on the parapet above Aileen’s head had been cleared away. She had leaned against the stonework, far enough to brush the snow away along the furthest part of the stone. She’d either been looking for something, or she’d meant to throw herself from the roof.
Guy walked to the opposite side of the roof and glanced down, his gaze searching for Hugh. Hugh was just coming out of the stable, his stride purposeful as always.
“Hugh, come up here!” Guy shouted. “Alone!”
Hugh appeared a few moments later, out of breath from running up the steep spiral staircase. When he saw Aileen’s body, he sighed and shook his head in disbelief. He approached the girl and looked at her carefully, not appearing in the least revolted by the sight of her mutilated face.
“How did she die?” he asked at last. “I don’t see any signs of violence.”
“I think she meant to throw herself off,” Guy said, pointing to the lack of snow on the stone.
“Clearly she didn’t. So how did she kill herself? I can’t imagine she sat here till she froze to death.”
Guy had known from the moment he saw Aileen’s body that she’d taken her own life, but it wasn’t until Hugh had spoken the words that the magnitude of what Aileen had done really sank in. She had committed suicide—a mortal sin in the eyes of God. Perhaps that was why she’d done it here, on the roof, where she’d hoped not to be found.
“We’ll have to inform Father Joseph,” Hugh said as he continued to stare at Aileen in heartless fascination.
“You know what he’ll say.”
“Yes. We’ll have to bury her at a crossroads at midnight with a stake through her heart.”
“I won’t do it, Hugh.”
“What do you suggest? There’s no place for her in consecrated ground. We must obey the Church in this.”
“Well, I won’t. She was an innocent girl who found her life too heavy a burden to carry. I won’t dishonor her in that way. Let’s bury her in the woods. No one need ever know. She has no family, aside from Jed, and he won’t tell anyone.”
Hugh turned around to look at Guy, an expression of pure contempt on his face. “You’ve grown soft, brother. No, let me rephrase that. You’ve always been soft.”
“Do as you wish,” Guy spat out and left the roof before his anger had a chance to overflow. “I’ll send Alf to help you with the body.”
“Did you see anything?” Kate asked as she came out of one of the bedchambers. She froze when she saw Guy’s face.
“Don’t go up there,” Guy replied.
“Why?” she whispered. “What’s happened to Aileen?”
“She’s killed herself, Kate.”
“Why?” Kate cried as her hand flew to her mouth in shock. “Why would she do that?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps she saw no good reason to go on.”
“She was eighteen,” Kate whispered, shaking her head as if she could chase away the truth. “She had her whole life ahead of her.”
She pressed herself against the wall when Hugh came awkwardly down the steps holding Aileen in his arms. Thankfully, her face was turned inward, so Kate couldn’t see the full ugliness of the girl’s death.
“Come away, Kate. Come away,” Guy said as he tried to pull her away from the staircase. But she wouldn’t budge. She stared at Aileen’s body in horror, her hand reaching toward the girl.
“Get her away from here,” Hugh barked as he reached the landing. “Move, you stupid woman.”
Kate reacted as if she’d been scalded by boiling water. She turned on her heel and fled, disappearing into the nearest bedchamber.
“You didn’t have to be so harsh,” Guy said. “Kate was overcome with shock.”
“If I need advice on how to treat my wife, I’ll be sure to ask for it. But for now, keep your own counsel, brother, since I have no need of it.” Hugh leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. “Help me get her down. She’s heavy and stiff.”
Guy took Aileen by the ankles while Hugh grasped her beneath the arms. They carried her down in silence, each lost in his own thoughts.
Chapter 43
Dinner was a subdued affair. Joan served cold meat and cheese, accompanied by yesterday’s bread and a jug of ale. She hadn’t had any time to prepare a hot meal, since it had fallen to her to see to Aileen’s body. Everyone was in shock, but Kate sensed Hugh seething beneath his quiet exterior, outraged that this shame had been brought on his household. Guy ate in silence, his gaze never meeting anyone’s, but Kate felt his warm hand on hers when no one was looking, a gesture of comfort and support. She was relieved when Joan came in to clear away the remnants of the meal.
“Well, what have you got to say for yourself, Nurse?” Hugh asked. He was normally more respectful to Joan, but at the moment, he couldn’t be bothered to control his temper.
“I think we should speak in private,” Joan replied.
“Speak now. I’ve no patience for games, and they’ll all find out the truth anyhow.” Hugh jutted his chin toward Guy, Kate and Eleanor, indicating who he meant.
“All right.” Joan sighed. “Aileen was with child. About six months gone, I’d say. I found yew berries in her pocket. They are poisonous, so she would have died quickly. I think she brought them along in case she couldn’t find the strength to throw herself off the tower.”
“Who’s the father of her bastard?” Hugh roared, his face turning puce with anger.
His vehemence surprised Kate. Hugh had barely noticed Aileen, at least in Kate’s presence, but she quickly realized the reason for Hugh’s fierce reaction had nothing to do with the loss of a young girl. They were a small household, and there were only three people who could have got Aileen with child. As master, Hugh would have to find out who was responsible and mete out the punishment—something he wouldn’t relish, given his relationship to the possible miscreants.
“Excuse me,” Kate said and left the room. She grabbed her cloak and walked out to the stables.
Walter was sitting on a bale of hay, his head resting against the wooden planks of the wall and his eyes closed. His cheeks were wet with tears and his lower lip was bitten to the quick. His eyes flew open in surprise when he heard Kate enter the stables and he angrily wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand.
“Walter, are you all right?” Kate asked as she drew closer to the boy.
Walter shook his head. His face contorted with anguish and his hands balled into fists. “How could she do it? How could she commit a mortal sin? She’ll never be at peace now. She’ll burn in Hell for eternity. Didn’t she know that?”
“Walter, did you lie with Aileen?” Kate asked, deciding to be blunt. If Walter was the father, Hugh would skin him alive, but he was the likeliest candidate.
Walter shook his head again. “We were friends; that was all. I never touched her.”
“She was a comely girl, and I think she had feelings for you,” Kate persisted in the hope that he would tell her the truth.
“Aye, she was comely, and she did have feelings for me, but I had no wish to hurt her. I could never offer her a future. I must marry where my family chooses when the time comes.”
“Many men marry where they are told, but that doesn’t stop them from satisfying their needs elsewhere before
they do.”
“I never touched her, I told you,” Walter spat out. “I cared about her.”
“Then help me figure out who did this to her. Aileen was with child.”
Walter sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve, but he showed no surprise at Kate’s revelation.
“You know who the father is, don’t you?” she asked.
“There’s only one person it could be,” he replied bitterly.
“Who?” Kate’s stomach contracted with fear. If Walter said that Hugh had forced himself on Aileen, she wouldn’t be able to remain a wife to him. She didn’t know what she’d do, since Hugh owned her, but she’d find a way. She wouldn’t stay at Castle de Rosel a moment longer. Kate stared down Walter, waiting, but he seemed reluctant to name the father, despite his loyalty to Aileen.
“Walter, please, you must tell me who did this to her,” Kate persisted.
“He didn’t do anything to her, at least nothing she hadn’t wanted done,” Walter replied stubbornly. “She wanted it. She told me so herself.”
“Was she not afraid of the consequences?”
“She thought he’d look after her.”
“Who was it?” Kate held her breath. She couldn’t bear for the father to be Hugh, but if Walter named Guy she’d feel even more broken. She had no right to blame Guy for desiring a bit of affection. He didn’t belong to her, nor did he owe her anything at all, but if he had lain with Aileen, it would still feel like a terrible betrayal, especially since Aileen would have been at his mercy and in no position to deny him. Kate didn’t believe Guy capable of taking advantage of a vulnerable disabled girl, at least not the Guy she knew, but people had a way of hurting each other in ways that weren’t always planned.
“It was Emmett Walsh,” Walter finally said.
Kate released her breath in a rush. Thank you, Father, she thought. Thank you. Thank you. It wasn’t until that moment that she realized how little she trusted Hugh, and how desperately she loved Guy and needed him to be innocent of using Aileen, even if she had been a willing participant.
“Who is Emmett Walsh?” she asked, dragging her errant thoughts back to the issue at hand. She’d never heard of the man.
“Emmett is the lad who brings the hay,” Walter explained. “For the horses,” he added, seeing Kate’s puzzled look. “We don’t make our own hay. We get it from the farmers on the estate.”
“Oh, of course.” She’d never given much thought to the horses and their dietary needs.
“Emmett comes once every fortnight and brings a cartload of hay. Aileen always made sure to find her way to the barn when Emmett arrived. That’s where she lay with him.”
“Would this Emmett have married her, had he known about the child?”
Walter raised an eyebrow, reminding Kate that she was awfully naïve for a woman of her station. “No serf can marry without his lord’s permission. I don’t think the master would have refused had Emmett asked, but he’s already married. He was wed a year ago and his wife just birthed twins in November.”
“Did Aileen know that?”
Walter shook his head. “Aileen never goes to the village, and being nearly deaf she isn’t one for gossip. She had no idea.”
“I see. Did you not warn her?”
“I didn’t know he was wed until it was too late. I don’t go into the village much, and I sit with the family in church, so I never paid him any mind. Besides, it seems his wife was laid up for months during her pregnancy. She was very ill, so she never came to church. Aileen never saw them together. She was devastated when she found out. She was in love with him.”
“Did she confide in you?”
Walter nodded. “Aye, she told me. She was frightened and didn’t know what do to. I told her to speak to Mistress Joan. She’d have advised her. She knows about such things.”
“How do you mean?”
“She has sway over the master,” Walter explained. “She’d have asked him to go easy on Aileen. Master Hugh would not have turned her out.”
“I’ll have to tell Hugh,” Kate said. “He might wish to speak to you about this matter.”
“Do what you must. I don’t care a jot what happens to Walsh,” Walter replied brutally. “I hope he burns in Hell.”
Kate sighed and left the stables, heading back inside to find Hugh. She had no wish to speak to him, but he needed to know.
Hugh was still in the hall, drinking ale. He looked murderous, and the drink wasn’t helping matters. Guy was standing by the narrow window, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked pale and tired, and upset. He’d been the one to break the news to Jed while Hugh saw to the body. The boy was now in the kitchen, being comforted by Joan and Alf.
“Walter says that Aileen was spending time with Emmett Walsh,” Kate said, getting straight to the point. She had no wish to draw this conversation out.
“Who the devil is Emmett Walsh?” Hugh drawled.
“He brings the hay,” Guy replied. He was a lot more familiar with the tenants on the estate. Hugh only collected tithes and gave the occasional blessing to a marriage or a child, following the example of William, who’d been a benevolent lord.
“I want him brought to me,” Hugh ordered as his fist thundered on the wooden table. “I’ll show him the meaning of de Rosel justice.”
“He’s newly married and has two-month old twins,” Kate said quietly. “Hugh, please be merciful. He didn’t force her.”
“Be quiet! I’m master here and I will punish him as I see fit.”
“What will you do to him?” Guy asked, turning from the window.
“Aileen was our property. And her child would have been our property as well. This worthless maggot robbed us of two serfs. He will pay for taking what’s not his.”
“What will you do to him?” Guy repeated. He hadn’t raised his voice, but Kate could sense his anger.
“I’ll have him gelded. He’s already produced two pups. He’ll not enjoy his wife’s favors again, or anyone else’s.”
“That’s not justice; that’s cruelty,” Guy retorted. “I won’t permit you to do that.”
“I’m not asking for your permission. No man’s died from having his balls snipped. He’ll still be able to work and pay his tithes.”
Guy rounded on him. “Hugh, I will not allow you to torture a man. He’s not the first or the last to lie with a woman that’s not his wife. Aileen chose to take her own life. He didn’t murder her. She could have come to us. We’d have looked after her. She knew that.”
“So, how would you have me punish him?” Hugh asked, his voice suddenly low and silky. “Or do you suggest I simply let him use what’s mine whenever his feels like it?”
“Have him flogged, but don’t take his manhood,” Guy said quietly.
“Since you’re in favor of leniency, you soft-hearted fool, you’ll do the flogging.”
“I won’t.”
“You will. I’m master of this house, and you answer to me. You will give him thirty lashes. And if you refuse, I’ll double the number.”
“You can’t do that,” Guy snarled, staring at Hugh as if he’d never seen him before.
“Sixty lashes. Go on, argue some more, and I’ll make it one hundred.”
“I no longer recognize you, Hugh,” Guy said, his voice dripping with contempt.
“I no longer have to answer to father or to William. I’m finally my own master, and I will do as I see fit. Now, have Walsh brought here and administer the punishment. Sixty lashes.”
“As you wish, brother.” Guy turned on his heel and strode out the door.
“What are you staring at?” Hugh demanded when he turned toward Kate. “Get out!”
She didn’t need to be told twice but fled the hall and locked herself in one of the vacant bedchambers on the top floor. She couldn’t bear to look at Hugh, nor could she bring herself to witness the punishment when the man was flogged in the yard. As she listened to the whistle of the whip and the young man’s screams, in her mi
nd’s eye she saw droplets of blood landing in the snow and blooming into red flowers of pain. She knew the man couldn’t go unpunished for what he’d done, but Hugh’s pleasure in causing him suffering and taunting Guy made her sick with disgust. He would have gelded the man had Guy allowed him to, and that was what scared her the most. He didn’t care about Aileen or her baby; he wanted to exercise his power over another human being, the way he’d done with Kate that very morning. Hugh had grown harder and meaner since their marriage, and she feared what the future would bring now that he could no longer rely on inheriting her father’s estate.
Only a few minutes after the screams abruptly came to an end, Kate heard the thunder of hooves on the frozen ground and knew with sickening certainty that Guy was gone. Tomorrow, Alf and Walter would bury Aileen in the woods, Hugh’s one concession to Guy’s wishes, and this terrible episode would be over, but the scars it left would last a lifetime.
Chapter 44
August 2014
London, England
Quinn wiped the gel off her stomach while Dr. Malik turned off the ultrasound machine and recorded the results of the scan in Quinn’s chart. Gabe stood by quietly, waiting for the final word from the doctor, but Quinn had seen the relief in his eyes when he watched their baby cavort on screen. He’d been really worried.
Dr. Malik turned back to Quinn and Gabe and gave them a reassuring smile. “Everything looks good. Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, but not enough to be of concern, and your ankles are swollen, but it has been rather warm these past few days. Try to drink more water and keep an eye on the ankles. Ring me if the swelling gets worse. I see no reason for complete bed rest as of now, but I’d like you to rest at least two hours every day. Are you resting?” she asked, peering at Quinn over her rimless specs.
The Forsaken (Echoes from the Past Book 4) Page 24