Page 47 of Lion and the Lamb: Easter

“How is my namesake?” asked her father, picking up the boy who was named after him.

“I’m fine, Grandfather,” said Drew excitedly. “I have a new father now.”

“So we hear,” said Lord Andrew, putting down the boy. “Why don’t you go play while I talk to him.”

“All right,” said Drew, running off to play with the other children. Rachael had never seen her son so happy since he was no longer being bullied.

“Lord Hatchet, I am Rachael’s father, Lord Andrew Bainard, and these are my sons, Milton and Simon.”

“Glad to meet you,” said Lionel, shaking the man’s hand and then doing the same to Rachael’s brothers. “And who are you?” he asked Clifford.

“I am Clifford DuPont, Rachael’s betrothed,” said Clifford, holding out his hand. Lionel was about to shake it, but then pulled his hand back.

“I’m sorry, but Rachael is my wife now,” Lionel told him.

“Rachael, your uncle had no right to betroth you to Lord Hatchet because I previously betrothed you to Lord DuPont,” said Rachael’s father. “We already had an agreement.”

“I’m sorry, Father. You weren’t here, and I had to listen to Uncle. He said the agreement you made wasn’t in writing and so it didn’t matter.”

“I gave my word, and that is good enough for me,” said her father sternly.

“I just heard someone say that you two were married by a man who was only pretending to be a priest,” said Clifford, raising a brow. “I’m not sure that even counts.”

“Well . . . he had us repeat the vows,” Lionel told them. “Look, she is my wife, like it or not.”

“That’s right,” said Rachael. “We were married on the eve just before Lent began, six weeks ago.”

“Right at midnight,” added Winifred.

“Midnight?” Sir Clifford asked. “It doesn’t sound to me as if you two had time to consummate the marriage. If not, then you aren’t really husband and wife after all, and you can still marry me, Rachael.”

“Did you consummate the marriage or not, Sister?” asked Simon. “We need to know.”

“Well I . . . I . . . ” She looked over at Lionel who was staring at her, begging her with his unspoken words not to tell them their secret. “Yes, of course we did,” she lied, hoping not to go straight to hell for saying this.

“That’s not what you told me, Winifred,” said Gilly playing with the eggs in the basket. “I thought you said they never consummated the marriage but just told everyone they did.”

“What?” snapped Rachael’s father. “Daughter, is this true?”

Rachael’s eyes sought out Lionel’s once more and her heart about burst in her chest. She’d just lied because she didn’t want to be married to Clifford anymore. Nay, she wanted to be Lionel’s wife now.

“What the boy says is true,” said Lionel, his face remaining stone-like, his honor restored. “We never consummated the marriage, but it was my idea to tell everyone we had because I was embarrassed.”

“You should have timed that a little better,” said Milton with a chuckle.

“Oh, we had time,” said Lionel, his eyes once again interlocking with Rachael’s.

“Then why didn’t you do it?” asked Simon.

Lionel’s jaw clenched and he turned and looked the other way. “It doesn’t matter,” he replied.

Rachael felt tongue-tied and emotional and didn’t know what to say.

“Then you’ll marry me on the morrow, as was promised,” said Clifford. “After all, you’re not really his wife, or anyone’s wife for that matter.”

“Nay, that’s not true. I am Lionel’s wife,” said Rachael, looking to Lionel once again.

“Nay, he’s right,” muttered Lionel. “We were wed by a fake priest and never consummated the marriage at all. I’m sorry to say, you don’t belong to me, Rachael.”