17

Neemyn spoke quietly to Wulfgard. They went back to the courtyard. They found Madame Gertrude searching Lauryn’s body. The people around her were outraged, but afraid of her. Madame Gertrude looked up as Wulfgard approached and she fell over in shock at the look on his face.

“I think you must be detained, Madame,” he said. “Your behavior is sacrilege.”

Wulfgard signaled for two men to grab her. Wulfgard instructed them to lock her in Gideon’s rooms and stand guard outside the door. Wulfgard and Neemyn suspected that she knew some things about Lauryn’s death, Mairyn’s poisoning and all of Gideon’s odd behavior. They would speak to Madame Gertrude when Mairyn’s health became steadier and they organized the mess and confusion going on in the courtyard.

Wulfgard met with Maison and planned the cleanup of the celebration. He instructed Maison to leave the musicians platform so they could look at it in the daylight on the morrow. Maison already knew how to get the household reorganized. The only thing Wulfgard specified was to have Maison tell Cook to prepare only meals that could be doled out as people needed food. There would not be the large communal dining they normally had until Gideon was caught. The men, who had gone in search of Gideon this time, were just returning. Wulfgard instructed them to gather the hunting dogs for the search party to leave a sun up on the morrow and to pack provisions as they would not return until they had captured Gideon. The men went off to do his bidding and then for a quick meal before going off to sleep for the night.

Wulfgard made sure the musician’s stage was tented with tarps and then he and Neemyn went back into the halle.

Zina was still sitting by the women’s fireplace, crying with her face in her hands. Her friend Nanci and Zina’s mother, Zelda, were trying to talk to her but she just kept crying and shaking her head. Zelda said something to Zina that caused Zina to look up at her mother. Her eyes moved from her mother’s face, darting around the halle like a caged animal. She saw Wulfgard and Neemyn enter. Zina jumped up, eluding the men standing by to guard her. They ran after her, one grabbing her by her dress and hauling her to him. Wulfgard put up his hand to get Zina to stop.

“Sire, please, you must believe I did not wish to kill Miss Mairyn,” said Zina. She sobbed and sniffled like a two year old child. “He told me I was beautiful and said he loved me. When I told him I was with child, he said he would marry me if I proved I loved him by doing exactly what he said. I do love him, Sire, and I want a father for my baby.” Zina fell to the floor, whimpering and groveling at Wulfgard’s shoes.

“Luckily for you, we do not believe Mairyn will die, but she is gravely ill,” said Neemyn. Wulfgard was having difficulties breathing. Neemyn was afraid Wulfgard’s heart would give out if he heard any more wrong doings of his son.

Neemyn pulled Zina up to face him.

“Tell me what you did exactly and what you may know of the poison that we may help Mairyn heal and thus you will not be punished for being deceived by Gideon.”

“Gideon said I was pretty,” said Zina.

“You should have known he was lying right then,” said Zelda.

Zina sobbed into her hands.

“Madame, you are not helping,” said Wulfgard, “Be quiet.”

Zelda frowned at Wulfgard, but did not say anything more.

“Stop crying,” said Wulfgard. He spoke to Zina quietly. “I know how Gideon behaves. I do not blame you for falling under his spell. Continue with your tale.”

“When I told him I was with child, at first he was quite angry. Then he said that if I proved I loved him by completing a difficult and secret task, he would marry me because I would show him that I was worthy of his love.” Zina looked around begging everyone to understand.

“He just said I had to put the knife in her basket, to show him I could and would do it. He didn’t say it would make her sick. He said it was a test of my love for him. I don’t understand how it made her sick.”

“He must have coated the knife with some poison. You are lucky you are not sick from touching it,” said Neemyn.

“He gave it to me wrapped in a cloth,” said Zina.

Wulfgard spoke to Zina’s guards.

“Accompany Zina to Mairyn’s room. Have her find the basket she placed the knife in and bring her and it back here.”

They waited a few minutes. Zina came back with a basket cradle on her arm as if she were going to a picnic.

“Place the basket here on the table and find the item you place within it,” said Wulfgard to Zina.

“Be careful as you go through the basket so you do not cut yourself,” said Neemyn.

Zina took each item in the basket out of it and placed it on the table. Towards the bottom she found the copper knife. The blade was uncovered but the handle was still wrapped in the cloth. She picked the knife out with finger and thumb by its handle. She placed it on the table near Neemyn.

Neemyn unwrapped the knife completely. He asked one of the women to bring him a lamp so he could look at the knife more clearly. The knife had a coating of a brown syrupy substance. Neemyn could also see some blood dried on the point where Mairyn must have cut herself.

“The knife definitely has poison on it,” said Neemyn.

“Gideon handed this to you himself, Zina?” asked Wulfgard.

“Yes, sire. He opened it to show me what it was but he did not say there was poison. I thought it was just dirty and old.”

“Did he say how he would know you had accomplished your task?”

“He said the next time we sewed Mairyn would find the knife and ask who it belonged to and then everyone would know it was there and he would know about it.”

“I’m sorry, sire, but I needed a father for my baby. I knew my mother would not let me stay with her when she found out I was with child.”

Wulfgard looked at Zelda. She frowned at him again, knowing what was coming.

“You will not turn your daughter out nor abuse her. If you had been more caring this would not have happened to your daughter.” Wulfgard turned to Zina.

“You must go home with your mother,” said Wulfgard. “Stay with her. Do not sneak out to find Gideon. He will not marry you and you should not want him. He is not a good man. I will help you with your child, but my son will not be around to do so, even though it pains me to tell you this. You will find you a good man for husband before your child is born. Neemyn or Flora will come visit you on the morrow to check on your health and the health of the child. Do not disobey me in my wishes Zina, or I will be harsh with you for your deeds this day.”

Neemyn wrapped the knife in the cloth. Wulfgard took all of the other items out of the sewing basket, placing each on the table. He and Neemyn checked all of the items, checking with the other women to see if anything else was out of order or out of the ordinary. Wulfgard lingered over the needle roll, carefully unrolling it, remembering when Marlyn had used it last and wondering again why she had left it behind. Each needle in the roll looked clean. He rolled it back up. They put everything back in the basket. Wulfgard had Nanci put the basket back in Mairyn’s room.

Wulfgard sent the women home. The men, who were guarding Zina, were sent of to eat and then go to their beds to rest before the morning search.

Wulfgard and Neemyn went back to Mairyn’s room to show Flora the poisoned knife. Neemyn laid it on the table in Mairyn’s room and unwrapped it. Neemyn and Wulfgard sat on the stools nearby and waited for Flora. She was removing the old poultices and putting on new ones, and putting on new bandages. Mairyn had her eyes open and she was watching what Flora was doing. When Wulfgard saw that Mairyn was awake, he went over to the bed to see how she was doing. Mairyn smiled at Wulfgard.

“We have been having an interesting time, Father.”

“I would have called what we are going through something else, daughter.” He smiled back at her but his eyes were very sad.

“I am afraid that your entry into my family has not been good for you.” Wulfgard reached over the bed to straighten the quilts. He moved Flora’s bag a bit to make more room for Mairyn. When he shifted Flora’s bag, a small white quartz amphora rolled out of its folds. Wulfgard reached over and picked it up. He held it in front of Flora.

“What is this?”

“That is one of the items I was going to give Mairyn as a gift for her adoption celebration,” said Flora.

“Where did you get it?”

“I got it and the other items from Madame Gertrude. I have been collecting them for many years now. There is a matching bowl.”

“Show me,” said Wulfgard.

Flora moved around the other side of the bed and pulled her bag to her. She moved a few items around and pulled out a white quartz bowl. With foreign looking designs etched around the rim. The carvings on the bowls edge looked like figures dancing in circles.
“You say you got these from Madame Gertrude?”

“Each time I performed a service for her, I made Madame Gertrude pay me with one of these items. There is also a cloak, embroidered with forget-me-nots and blacked-eyed daisies, a cooper mirror, and a silver knife with a blackwood handle and a green pommel and a child’s sling shot.” Flora pulled each piece out of her bag as she listed it. Wulfgard touched each piece with his finger tips, stroking them as if they were priceless items.

“Why were you getting these things from Madame Gertrude?”

“She said they had belonged to Mairyn and Lauryn’s mother.”

Both Mairyn and Wulfgard gasped at this news.

“I knew Madame Gertrude would never give any of these things to you Mairyn so I gathered them and saved them until the best time to give them to you,” said Flora. “I would have left it up to you to give anything to Lauryn, if you thought she might want and appreciate them.”

Tears welled up in Mairyn’s eyes. She lifted the cooper mirror with her left hand and looked into it. She had never seen herself in a mirror before, only a rushing stream or a rippling lake. She saw her sister looking back at her. She put the mirror back down.

“Did Madame Gertrude say anything about the girls’ mother,” asked Wulfgard.

“She never would tell me anything except that some day all would be revealed. These things seem to distress you, Wulfgard. Why?”

“Each of these things belonged to Marlyn.”

“Are you sure, Father? How could that be?”

“I gave the amphora and the bowl to Marlyn as a wedding gift. The pattern is very distinctive. The sling shot was hers when she was a child. Her father taught her how to use it to her mother’s despair. Marlyn sewed that cloak and embroidered it with her favorite flowers. The cooper mirror was a gift to her from her mother and the knife was a gift from her father.”

“It makes no sense father. How could Madmae Gertrude come by these things and why would she say they are from my mother if they belonged to Marlyn.”

Petre, who stood by Mairyn’s head, stroking her hair, cleared his throat.

“We should ask Madame Gertrude. Have her brought here, Uncle and ask her these questions. She has caused enough trouble. She should be made to give some straight answers.”

“I think before we do that, everyone needs some refreshment and sustenance,” said Neemyn. “I don’t think a conversation with Madame Gertrude will be an easy one, especially with mysteries and questions.”

Wulfgard had wine, cheese and bread brought to Mairyn’s room. Those people gathered in the room, Flora, Roban, Neemyn, Petre, Wulfgard, Smyth and Briin ate and drank. Mairyn was not hungry but she was thirsty. Flora brewed her some willow bark tea to ease Mairyn’s pain. Everyone took turns going to the toilet. The women followed Petre who carried Mairyn to the toilet. They helped her go and then Petre carried her back to bed. Wulfgard had the room cleared of dishes, the fire built up and the room neatened. Then they were all ready for what they knew would be a very difficult meeting with Madame Gertrude.

Wulfgard sent Smyth and Briin to bring Madame Gertrude and her guards to Mairyn’s room.

“We can go somewhere lese to talk to Madame Gertrude if you are feeling up to it Daughter.”

“I do not wish to miss one word of what Madame Gertrude will say. Lie or truth, I want to know how she will explain these things.”

“Mairyn is right," said Petre, “Madame Gertrude is not known for telling the truth. We must weigh what she tells us with great care.”

“You are suggesting that I do not allow my love for Marlyn to cloud my view of reality. Wise advice nephew.”

“I know how much you want answers, Uncle, and I do not blame you, but Madame Gertrude may not tell us the truth; she may not know the truth or she may wish to cause us more pain.”

“I will listen very carefully,” said Wulfgard. “Too many years have passed now for me to accept just any tale as truth.”