by ML BINELLI
Dalila, your mother who adores you above all else."
Barbara, folded the original letter and stored it away. She ripped up the copy she made. She thought it was sweet irony that Dalila had become a fortune-telling gypsy. She didn't care if her words were true or not, she simply didn't care. She left the room and returned to the deck. She wanted to take some sun.
A few days later, Barbara decided to tell Vidal a few things. He was her husband after all and he should know everything so he could help her. She needed to convince him to follow her, no matter what direction she had taken.
After a night of lovemaking, Barbara woke him up.
"Vidal, we need to talk."
"Now? Let me sleep a little bit more."
"No, it has to be now. We are arriving at Southampton. I need to tell you a few things."
Vidal yawned, scratched his forehead and sat up on the bed.
"Well, since you are intent on not letting me sleep, go on then. Don't you prefer to eat something first?"
"No, I am decided."
"Go on then."
Barbara told her story to Vidal. How when she was a baby she was taken to Leonardo. The abuse she suffered in his hands. Who her real mother was. And that she intended to run away from Leonardo.
Vidal was in a state of shock. Barbara cried. Vidal put his arms around her, trying to comfort her but saying nothing. He knew she needed to cry to lessen the pain and anguish she carried.
Both remained hugging until Barbara began to talk again.
"Vidal, I need to know what you think. What you feel for me. What you would be willing to do for me."
Vidal kissed her.
"Barbara, I am in love with you. It doesn't matter to me what you went through nor what you did. But you can be sure that I will do everything within my reach to make you happy. What about you? What do you feel for me?"
Barbara remained silent for a few minutes. Even though lies came easily to her, she held back. She thought it would be too much to tell him so soon that she loved him.
"I don't love you Vidal. I will not lie. Not yet. I hope that time will change that because I am not sure I am capable of loving someone after everything I have gone through. Not now."
"I will be patient, Barbara."
Vidal hugged her and kissed her. They made love again. Barbara then fell asleep, Vidal did not. He thought about everything he had heard, everything she had said. He started to remember his own father. He couldn't believe that a father could do what Barbara's father did, it was vile and inconceivable. Even if he was not her biological father. Vidal pitied her. No, more than that. He felt compassion for her.
When Barbara finally awoke, Vidal hugged her and kissed her again.
"Vidal, will you help me?"
"Yes, tell me what you plan to do. I will help you wherever necessary. I can't believe that a father, even if he is not the true father, could do what was done to you," said Vidal. His fists closed tightly, he could not put into words the disgust and the hate that he felt for Leonardo.
"After everything I told you Vidal, I would not blame you if you wanted to leave me. You must be thinking I am a tramp, a harlot!"
"Barbara, Barbara. You are not to blame."
"What do you tell me now? What will you do? Will you leave me?"
Vidal remained silent for a few minutes. Yes, she was a harlot if she lay with him shamelessly knowing she had not feelings for him but what wife loved her husband? Most marriages were arranged. They were bonds formed between families for their mutual benefit. If Barbara was a harlot, then all wives were.
"Barbara, I will honor the vows we made in church. I will stay with you but one thing worries me."
"What's that?"
"How do you plan to get away from your father?"
She told him about the plan to get rid of Leonardo, the letter to the archbishop, Jonas' involvement. No question of Vidal's went unanswered; however, a doubt niggled at the back of his mind.
"Barbara, if the archbishop jails and accuses your father of being a mason, perhaps Teodoro and Alicio will be put in a situation they have no way out of. Did you think of that?"
"Now it is too late to think of them. The wheel of destiny has already started turning. In any case, they will pay for a crime that they have committed. That you also committed."
"Yes, but they are not at fault for what happened to you! They were simply helping a brother!"
"As for that, I can do nothing about it. Let us see what happens. Another thing Vidal, please, do not send any letters to Portugal. I cannot put myself at risk. I don't want anyone coming after me. I don't want another shadow in my life."
Vidal agreed with Barbara.
"It is a pity, I didn't want to lose contact with Alicio. But it will have to be as you say. One other thing is bothering me. If your father abused you, how was he planning to continue doing so in the new land after your marriage?"
"Vidal, my father is a mad man. He planned to get rid of you. He then would be able to pretend he was my husband. He would continue with the abuse and I would become his sexual slave until the end of my life. Or his."
Vidal then realized the mess he had gotten himself into. A mess that would certainly cost him his life.
"What are you thinking now, Barbara? Do you want to get rid of me also when you get what you want?"
"Vidal, I am not as mad as my father. We don't even share the same blood. I would never be able to do anything like that. You were attracted to this situation, but I see in you my salvation. I have no illusions and I think we can live as a married couple. Haven't I proven myself to you by telling you everything?"
Vidal then told Barbara the story Fatima told Alicio about their time together in school and he asked her if she had in fact had an amorous relationship with the archbishop. He wanted to know everything.
"Vidal, I looked for his help. I confessed to him. I used to torture myself thinking that the blame for the abuse was mine. He helped me realize that in this story there was only one culprit, my demented father. I hoped he would do something to help me get out of that situation. And he did. He began to spread around town that my father belonged to a dark brotherhood. He thought it best to do it this way so I wouldn't be exposed. The archbishop planned to take him to the inquisition so I would be free of him. It was the way he found to help me, simply out of Christian kindness but my father knew of the archbishop's intentions. That is how we came up with this escape plan, but that you already know. Maybe my proximity with the priest may have given Fatima the wrong idea. I can't believe that she thought that of me. I hope you didn't believe her."
"Barbara, I am going to be honest with you. I did believe it, but I am ruined. I accepted the marriage only for money. At least at first. But when I met you, the money seemed unimportant. Can you understand that?"
Barbara nodded her head and snuggled into Vidal's chest. He remembered Alicio's mistrust of Fatima and asked Barbara about it.
"It is true, she doesn't like men. Sometimes I would play with her, caressing her thighs to see her reaction. She enjoyed it. I wouldn't doubt it if she loved me and wanted me to be more than just a friend."
"Don't take this the wrong way, Barbara. But what about your father's money? How will we cope without it?"
"Don't worry. Most of it is with me."
Vidal breathed a sigh of relief. If the money was with her, it was with him also.
"Let's eat something, Barbara? I can't stand staying closed up here."
"You can't stand being near me? asked Barbara, lowering her head like a naughty child caught red-handed.
Vidal put his arms around her and began to kiss and caress her. Supper could wait.
Avenger
19. Jonas returns
The trip back was exhausting for Jonas. He was worried about Barbara's marriage and her escape. Could Leonardo already have left? What if he managed to reach her, what would happen to her? Vidal would protect her but what he saw in the man was not encouraging. He seemed cowardl
y. Would he really protect her?
He collected himself when he saw Leonardo standing outside his house. He went to greet him. Leonardo embraced him and both went inside to talk.
"So, Jonas, tell me. How was the wedding? What is her money-hungry husband like?"
"Everything went as planned. They are at high sea by now and may have already reached England. Did you receive Teodoro's letter? I haven't seen Dorival yet, I came straight here."
"Yes, I received it. I liked the idea of accompanying them on the ship. It will be easier to negotiate with this bloke, what is his name again?"
"Vidal," replied Jonas.
"Yes, Vidal! If he doesn't agree with my proposal, I can throw him overboard into the Atlantic."
"So, how do you plan to go to Lisbon? If you prepare for a journey, you will draw the attention of the archbishop.
"Come here and look at the map of the region."
Leonardo opened a map full of markings.
"What are these marks?"
"They are three different escape routes. I will choose one on the day. These points have supplies, horses and a person I trust to keep them from getting stolen. I have spent most of my time on the vineyard. Sometimes a week at a time. I am sure that the spies of that bastard are watching me. When the time comes, instead of going to the vineyard, I'll set off to Lisbon. The scoundrel will take about ten days to realize I'm not coming back. He will come here and ask you for an explanation."
"What should I tell him?"
"That you don't know anything. I went to the vineyard one day and never got there. He will spend a few more days hunting for me here. When he realizes what has happened, it will be too late. You can tell him that I plan to sell my properties."
"When do you plan to leave, Leonardo?"
"Tomorrow or the day after. I was just waiting for your return so we could say our goodbyes. We won't be seeing each other for a long time. We will continue as planned. Look for buyers and when you manage to sell the properties, follow me."
"It shall be done, Leonardo. Now, let me excuse myself, I'd like to go home."
"Your home is now this one, stay here."
"No, I need to see to my things!"
"Very well. Go then and return in two days. Get ready for the move."
Both men embraced and said goodbye. Jonas left the house with Leonardo watching him make his way home.
On the way, he wondered about the archbishop's reaction to Barbara and Aia’s letter describing the atrocities done to her. He would know if he planned to act. The first action would probably be to track Leonardo down. He needed to pay for what he'd done. Only one thing was bothering him. If everything worked out as Barbara hoped it would, Leonardo would end up in the hands of an inquisitor. He would certainly implicate Jonas. He would tell them that Jonas was a sodomite. When this happened, he needed to be far away with Dorival.
When he arrived at his house, Dorival was there waiting for him. Jonas walked up to him and kissed him. The tension was such that they didn't even bother closing the door. They ripped each other's shirt off and headed to the room, knocking over whatever was in their way.
If love is a fire that burns invisibly then theirs was a furnace.
Jonas lay on the bed with an arm holding up his head. His other hand was stroking Dorival's hair, who was nestled sleepily on his chest.
"Dorival, we need to continue as planned. Leonardo will run away tomorrow or the day after. You need to leave today."
Dorival raised his head and looked at Jonas.
"But already? We haven't had enough time with each other!"
"Everything is happening very fast. I thought we could stay here for a few days, but it is not possible. You need to go to Santiago de Compostela no later than tomorrow."
"When will you go?"
"I will deliver the letter to the archbishop. I will give Leonardo a one- or two-day head start so you have enough time to get away from here."
"But didn't we plan to find someone to deliver the letter? You could ask someone else to do it and we could go together."
"No, I cannot draw the attention of the archbishop to me, or to us. If I disappear also, he will go after Leonardo and I. It is better if I wait for him to leave in pursuit of Leonardo. I will then follow you."
"What do you think will happen when the archbishop arrests Leonardo? Do you think he will rat on us?"
"Certainly, Dorival and he will know who betrayed him. When he finds out that the departure date of the ship was changed, he will suspect me and you because you delivered it. We will be the first he will look for. That is why I don't mind taking the letter to the archbishop. The contents will prove I am innocent but it may be that he will want me to bear witness against Leonardo. If that happens, I will be put in jail here until the end of the trial. I will travel faster if I am alone. And it reduces the risk of you getting caught."
"And from Santiago, where do we go from there? That part you didn't tell me."
"I thought of moving north through Spain, up to France. When we get to the Mediterranean, we get a ship bound to Africa. We will make our life there."
"Africa!" said Dorival. "Why Africa? We could stay in France. Maybe start our own vineyard."
"Well, we'll see. We can stay for a while there. What we can't do is stay in Spain. The Inquisition has a greater hold there than here. Maybe we can make a living in France."
"I have always wanted to go there. But now, I don't want to lose another minute of your company."
Dorival sat on Jonas' lap and they kissed.
20. Worried
Torres' thoughts were filled with Barbara. He hadn't had a moment of rest or peace since he was informed by the spy he placed closed to Leonardo's home that she had traveled. He knew she had left accompanied by Jonas and the same man had informed him that Jonas had returned a few days later alone.
"Where is Barbara? What has that monster done to her?”
He reprimanded himself for not having acted faster. He should already have had the inquisitors throw Leonardo into the dungeons. But he was wary of the reaction of Leonardo's friends. They were all very powerful people in the city. If these men were to side with Leonardo, what would he do then? Arrest all of them?
He remembered his campaign against the masons in his home town on Madeira island. When the persecutions and arrests began, they didn't stop. The torture system ensured the prisoners would rat on each other. If they were to incarcerate all of them, the whole island would be in prison. He couldn't use the same strategy. This was why he was being so careful but now everything seemed irrelevant.
He asked his servant to fetch him another jug of wine. Maybe if he numbed his brain an idea would emerge. He approached two of the housemaids to ask them for information but the poor creatures knew only what he knew - that the lady had traveled to some unknown destination.
When the servant brought the jug, Torres lifted his glass. He drank it and lifted his glass again. The servant made a gesture with his head, as if to say something. Torres held out his glass in front of the lad and the boy kept his silence. He poured again and left with a bow. The archbishop drummed his fingers on the table, fidgeted with his ring, which was a symbol of his power, rearranged his sitting position and drank from the glass again. This time he would pour it himself.
Barbara may have gone to visit her grandmother. If so, he wouldn't see her for months. He thought maybe Leonardo had sent her to a convent but he dismissed the idea with a shake of his head. Leonardo would not take her to a place where Torres had influence. Maybe she had gone to one of the larger cities to shop. Lisbon. Maybe Paris. But no, she would not go alone. From the information he had gathered, only Jonas was with her and he had returned. If it was a shopping trip, he would have accompanied her and returned with her.
Jonas. He would know where she is. But what could Torres do? Order him to be arrested? Under what accusation? He could have him kidnapped but the disappearance of his trusted servant, would alert Leonardo.
; There were only two options to consider in this situation. He either waited for Barbara's return or he arrested Leonardo. His spies had noticed that Leonardo had changed his routine after Barbara's departure. He would leave the house, go to the vineyard and stay there for days. He would then return home. "Maybe he is thinking of running away and meeting Barbara someplace. If that is true, then she is somebody's prisoner. Yes, it is possible." He recalled that Leonardo had received the visit of a friend, maybe another mason from another city, Lisbon or Coimbra, he couldn't remember the details. Barbara had told him. But he was not sure where this man came from nor his name. Timothy maybe. Torres was not sure. As things stood, his hands were tied. There was nothing to be done. He would have to wait patiently.
Jonas asked the house servant if he could speak to the archbishop. He was taken to him. The archbishop was told of his visitor and agreed to see him only in the presence of his royal guard.
"Jonas, we haven't seen each other in so long. What brings you here? Have you come to kill me by order of that shit pile you work for?"
"Archbishop you have the wrong impression of me and my relationship with master Leonardo." Jonas walked towards him and kissed Torres' ring.
"Tell me where Barbara is, Jonas, or I swear I will have you thrown in prison right now."
"Archbishop, I bring you a letter from her. She made me vow that I would deliver it to you personally and that I would never show it to her father."
"Letter? Why didn't you bring it earlier?"
"Because of master Leonardo. He was watching me like a hawk. But yesterday afternoon he went to the vineyard. I didn't come yesterday because it was late and I had to finish my chores. But as soon as I woke up, I came here to you."
"Give it to me!"