"Simon," said Friar Mathieu quietly. "How much do you really know about
Sophia?" Simon thought he heard pity in the old man's voice.
He felt a twinge of fear, and inched away from the Franciscan. Almost
against his will, his head turned toward Friar Mathieu. He felt himself
forced to repeat the little that Sophia had told him about herself since
they met. The thought of that afternoon by the lake came to him,
stabbing him like a spear. He would not tell Friar Mathieu about that,
not yet. This was not confession.
Friar Mathieu did not meet Simon's intent gaze, but looked downward, and
Simon saw deep, shadowed pouches under his eyes.
"Simon--you recall the girl Rachel."
_What of her?_ Simon wondered, annoyed at the change of subject. Then he
remembered.
"It was Sophia who asked me to speak to you about Rachel."
"Just so. I had already tried everything, including prayer, to get John
Chagan to free Rachel, but I could not move his heart. He prizes her
almost to the point of madness. But I did continue my efforts, because
you asked me to. I begged, appealed to his better nature--he does have
one--and threatened the fires of hell. Nothing worked. For a time, when
we learned that Hulagu Khan had died, we thought that John and Philip
would have to go back to Persia. John even spoke of taking Rachel with
him and making her his chief wife. Do you have any idea what an honor
that would be for Rachel?"
"No," said Simon impatiently, not caring.
"Tartars take new wives and concubines, but their chief wives hold that
status for life--usually. For John to say he wants to supplant his chief
wife with Rachel shows the depth of his passion for the girl."
"Father, what does all this have to do with Sophia?" Simon burst out.
"I come to that now. I had long talks with Rachel to find out if she
really wanted to be rescued from the Tartar. She told me about her life
before she came to Orvieto, about what it was like in Tilia Caballo's
brothel."
"And?"
"While we talked, Rachel let slip some things about Sophia that--I hate
to hurt you, Simon, but she said things that made me think Sophia is not
what she has seemed to be."
Anger vibrated in Simon's voice. "I do not want to hear any brothel
gossip. Rachel is a prostitute and a child. What could she know about a
woman like Sophia?"
He had an urge to get up and leave. But he realized that behind his
anger, and fanning it, lurked the fear of learning something he did not
want to know.
Friar Mathieu put a gentle hand on Simon's arm. "Did you tell Sophia
about Count Amalric's treason, and about who your real father is?"
"Yes."
"Because you wanted her to know you. If you love Sophia and want to
marry her, you have to know all about her. There is no other way."
"But I want her to tell me, if there is anything to tell."
"Perhaps she cannot."
"Blood of Christ, why are you torturing me?"
The old priest shook his head. "Do you understand that if there were any
way out of this conversation for me, I would take it?"