Land Of Silence Part 8

Bandits a stones throw from the walls of Jerusalem. My mother pressed her temples. What next? Will the Temple itself be pulled down about our ears?

Of course not. We are all well, as you see, I a.s.sured her.

Ethan s.h.i.+fted me in his arms. I could feel the muscles of his chest tighten against my cheek. I know you must see to the centurion, Elizabeth. Perhaps you would send one of your servant girls to help Elianna? A wash, I think, and fresh clothes. And herbs to help her rest. I will remain with her until the servant arrives. He gave my mother a rea.s.suring smile, his face a study of tranquility. No one would have guessed that minutes before he had pulled a knife on a Roman centurion.

My mother, soothed by the air of calm he exuded, sighed. You are right. It wont do to ignore an officer of the empire.

Ethan strode to the stairs, taking them two at a time, as if I weighed nothing. In my chamber he came to a stop, still holding me in his arms.

You can put me down now, I said.

You are s.h.i.+vering.

Now that the danger to Ethan was past, my body was starting to fall apart. My teeth began to chatter and I felt a.s.sailed by dizziness again. Its nothing, I managed to say. I am fine.

Ethan ignored my words and looked about him in the empty chamber. He seemed to consider my bed for a moment, but instead of taking me there, he grabbed a blanket from a chest and sat against the wall near the door, with me still cradled in his arms. He wrapped the blanket around me, tucking the edges under until I felt its warmth start to seep into my icy limbs.

I traced the pattern of stars that adorned the corner under my chin. Why are you sitting on the floor?

He lowered his lashes. If I take you to your bed, Ill have to let go of you. I cant seem to bring myself to do that yet. His eyes bored into me. Can you tell me what happened out there? You dont have to, if it proves too hard. But I should like to know.

I slipped my hand back under the blanket, where I could clench it unnoticed. My stomach churned at the thought of telling him the details of the attack. Of the bandits brutal hands on me. Of my fear. Of my fathers rejection. But I sensed that knowing was important to Ethan. Healing, even. He would be able to live with the truth better than with the images his imagination might awaken.

With halting words, I told him what had happened.

He turned the color of ash when I described my helplessness as the thief grabbed me. I did not detail the mans offenses. But by Ethans expression it was plain he knew that the thief had touched me in ways no one had. Not even Ethan. When I told him about making the mans nose bleed, Ethan threw his head back and laughed. To my own surprise, I started to laugh as well.

You should have seen the Roman knock him on the head. He went down like a felled tree. I wished I had hit him that hard.

I wish I had hit him much harder. His voice had turned icy and sharp.

We are terrible. Remember what Solomon said? I forced myself to sound obnoxiously prim. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles.

What would Solomon know about it? He had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, our wise king. He could spare one or two. Whereas I" he pulled me up against his chest"only have you. I cant afford to be quite so generous with evil men.

I pulled my hand out from under the blanket, dislodging it. Ethans eyes narrowed. That son of a she-dog. Look at what he did to you.

I looked down and saw a large bruise near my collarbone, already turning purple. Shoving up the torn fabric of my dress, I lowered my head. My cheeks were burning.

Ethan put a finger under my chin and lifted it. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Do you understand?

My father wouldnt agree with you.

What can you mean?

I shrugged, pretending an indifference I was far from feeling. After it happened, I ran to him. For comfort, I suppose. For an embrace, a rea.s.suring touch. Anything. He pushed me away. He didnt want me, Ethan.

In this, you are wrong, Elianna. I dont believe he turned away from you because of your shame. Or even because of Joseph.

I winced. Sometimes Ethans habit of forthright speaking could be like sitting in a room filled with sharp knives. Eventually, you were bound to cut yourself. Why then? My voice sounded small and young in my own ears.

Because of his shame. Elianna, do you know how horrifying it must be for a father to have to stand by and watch his daughter come under attack, and be utterly helpless to stop it?

What could he have done about it? He did his best to come to my aid. There were simply too many of them.

The heart is not always conversant with the ways of wisdom. It has its own logic. Your father will feel that he let you down. If he wont look you in the eye, it is his own shame that drives a wall between you. Not yours.

He has never forgiven me, you know. For Joseph. For what I did.

Ethans eyes softened. I thought for a moment that he might kiss me and sat mesmerized, unable to move. A noise on the stairs distracted me, and then one of the servant girls burst through the doors, forgetting to knock. She skidded to a halt when she saw me in Ethans arms.

Her face turned a curious shade of purple. She pulled her scarf lower over her forehead and cleared her throat. Your mother sent me with this medicine, mistress.

If Ethan felt embarra.s.sed, he did not show it. Give it to me and I will make sure she drinks it. Now fetch some hot water for a wash as well as a tray of food. Broth, I think, to settle her stomach.

My eyes grew round. I had not told him of feeling nauseated. How he had deduced that, I could not fathom. He ignored my wide-eyed perusal. I will remain with Elianna until you return, he told the servant girl.

Yes, master. She handed the silver goblet to Ethan and ran out.

I rolled my eyes. Now there will be trouble. I wriggled, trying to get up. His arms wrapped around me like bands of iron.

Be still. I want you to drink this.

I nestled back into the comfort of his embrace and, grasping the goblet, took a small sip. It tasted bitter and smelled like a wet sheep. Wrinkling my nose, I pushed it back at him.

Ethan took the goblet and placed it on the ground without comment.

I sighed, relieved that he had not chosen to fight me over drinking the contents. I should have known better. My relief came to an abrupt end when he spoke into the silence.

Elianna, I dont want to wait anymore. Its time we married.

ELEVEN.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

PSALM 27:14.

MY MOUTH FELL OPEN. What . . . what brought this on?

Give me an answer.

Soon.

No. Not soon. Soon means later in your tongue. I want to marry now.

You barely even wanted to marry me two years ago! Why this sudden haste? I glared at Ethan, forgetting the tenderness he had shown me for the past hour.

He raised a dark eyebrow. I see I offended you by asking you to wait after our betrothal. But it was for your sake as much as my own that I insisted on that condition. I didnt want you to be forced into the arms of a husband before you were ready.

I shrugged and looked away. Who said I wasnt ready?

I did. And it was no easy task to wait, I a.s.sure you. For quite some time, Ive had to battle my own desire for you, resist my longing to start our life together.

I gasped. You never showed it.

At last, he was telling me the words I had been desperate to hear. Ethan wanted me. He wasnt marrying me out of duty or resignation. He wasnt marrying me to please his father and mother. He wanted me.

He s.h.i.+fted, bringing my face around with resolute fingers until our eyes met and clung. Have I been so obtuse? Of course I wanted you, Elianna. Why do you think my father approached yours in the first place? I knew if I did not claim you soon, another man with no qualms about your age would grab you from under my nose. So I devised this long betrothal. But I have waited long enough. You turned eighteen five months ago. I dont wish to delay longer.

My stomach turned into a painful knot. I felt as if in one stroke he had delivered both life and death to my soul. I still could not face the thought of marriage. Grasping at the most obvious problem, I said, I cannot marry you yet, Ethan. My parents need me.

Then we will help them together. I will add my efforts to yours in order to make their lives easier.

Thats not right!

Whats not right is how you make us wait for no good reason. I shouldnt have to sit against the corner of your room and flinch when a servant girl walks in. I shouldnt have to fight myself every time I want to hold you. Kiss you.

I took a sharp breath. You said you would wait. For Josephs sake.

He nodded. I sensed how crushed you were when he died. Not merely because you lost a beloved brother, but with a weight of guilt I could not fully fathom. Although you tried to hide it, I sensed that you felt responsible for his death.

I thought with time you would learn that you are not at fault. In truth, I would be willing to wait if I thought it would help you. Help heal this wound in your heart. But time is only making your sorrow worse. You try to hide this mountain of guilt beneath your work, and still it follows you. You arent getting better. Josephs death still haunts you. You have paid enough for whatever indiscretion you are convinced you committed, Elianna. Its time you put it behind you.

I flung myself out of his arms and stood trembling before him. He did not try to stop me, but remained leaning against the wall, his legs bent at the knees where I had rested not one moment ago. You know nothing about it, Ethan. Ask my father, if you dont believe me. Ask him about my disgrace.

He waved a hand in the air, as if he could sweep my words away with one gesture. I know how your father feels. And though I hold him in high esteem, he is wrong in this. No doubt he will relent eventually; one day he will regret his own treatment of the daughter he once treasured. But by then, your heart may shrivel. You could be destroyed under the weight of remorse. Living here is not good for you, Elianna. In this house, you are constantly reminded of Josephs death and the fault you think you bear.

The fault I know I bear!

Explain it to me, then. Explain how you are culpable for this tragedy.

I paled. You already know"

As it happens, I do not. You have never spoken of it.

I owed this to him. This truth. This suppurating wound. This horror. But I could not say it. The words clung inside my throat and refused to leave. I shook my head.

He took a deep breath. If we marry, you will have me by your side every day to care for you. And at least you will be out of this place of sorrow.

Perhaps in a few months when"

No, Elianna. Im done waiting.

I bit the side of my thumb. The thought of marrying Ethan, moving into a home of our own, going to sleep in his arms, and waking up in their gentle embrace made my bones melt.

Then he said, If the Lord wills and we have children of our own, you will be too busy loving them to worry about your father. In them, you will find your healing.

I felt the blood drain from my face.

I did not trust myself with the life of a child. What if I managed to harm my own baby with my incompetence? I could not bear the thought.

I almost thanked G.o.d aloud when the door swung open and the servant returned, her arms heavy with a laden tray. Heaven had sent me a reprieve from having to give Ethan an answer.

Here you are, I mumbled. I need to change out of this tunic. Its sticky with sweat and that mans blood. I said this not only because it was true, but also because Ethan could not remain in my chamber once I started disrobing. He gave me a hard look that told me he knew exactly what I was doing.

At the door, he turned. I will want an answer this week, Elianna. I wont stand for more delay.

The following morning, Ethan sent word that his brothers wife had borne her child, a plump boy with ruddy skin and dark eyes, according to my mother, who went immediately to visit. Both were healthy, thank the Lord. With the bustle of the new birth, Ethan grew busy for a few days and did not come to our house. Disappointment warred with relief in my chest. I missed him every hour. Then again, he couldnt press me about the matter of our marriage if he wasnt present.

Two days after our terrifying experience with the Judean thieves, Decimus Calvus came in person to fetch my father, as he had promised, and accompanied him to the tax collectors booth. To my surprise, my father seemed to hold the centurion in high esteem.

Thats a good man, even though he is a Roman, Father said. He stepped in to ensure the publicans rates remained reasonable when I paid our taxes.

The next afternoon, Calvus sent my father an official letter that would render military road inspections easy and painless when we imported goods from other regions. My father had not asked for such a favor. Calvus offered it freely.

In exchange, my father invited him to our house on most days and welcomed him with open arms. He was served the best wine and the choicest meat and never left our home empty-handed.

One morning I saw him leaving with a cart full of fabrics, blankets, towels, and an extremely expensive purple cloak we had been saving for one of our wealthiest customers. My eyes bulged. A years worth of an honest generals salary wouldnt cover the price of everything piled up in that cart. I would be the first to admit that we owed the man a great debt, but surely my father had grown excessive in his generosity. We could not afford to give so much merchandise away.

Calvus noticed me goggling at him and the hard line of his mouth softened. He had eyes the color of flint, but when he smiled, they turned a warm gray color. Lady Elianna. He gave me a formal nod.

My lord.

Call me Decimus. Surely we are friends after all we have been through together.

I frowned. The familiarity he offered by asking me to use his praenomen was unusual. Roman men saved their first names for family and close friends. Did saving my virtue, perhaps my life, give him the right to such an intimacy? Although I sensed that I might be violating the bonds of propriety, I did not wish to offend him over such a simple request. Decimus.

He rewarded me with a smile. What brings you out so early?

I glanced at the shadow clock in the courtyard. It was still the first hour; the sun had just risen and the air had that crisp, fresh quality of when the day is young. I was about to ask you the same question.

He laughed. I came hoping for a glimpse of you. What else?

I pursed my lips. Now youve had it.

And it isnt nearly enough.

Then I hope you enjoy your consolation prize. I gestured at the br.i.m.m.i.n.g cart.

His eyes turned frosty. They will keep me warmer than your tongue, for certain.