Page 49 of Lion and the Lamb: Easter

Chapter 16

“Mother, I don’t want to leave,” whined Drew the next morning as Rachael sadly packed her belongings, preparing to go back home to Torquay where she would marry Sir Clifford like her father had promised the man.

“I don’t either, sweetheart,” she said, trying hard to hold back her tears. “However, we have no choice. We need to go.”

It was the first night that she and Lionel hadn’t slept in the same bed since their fake marriage. He didn’t come to the room last night, and neither did he even acknowledge her this morning. Since there was no priest at the church now until another could arrive, there wasn’t even an Easter mass this morning.

This was supposed to be a happy day. A time for celebration. But nobody in the castle except for Clifford was smiling. She’d eaten the meal this morning in silence, sitting next to Lionel, but neither of them said a word.

There was a soft knock at the door and Raff stuck his head into the room. “My lady? Lord Lionel sent me to load your things in the wagon if you’re finished packing.”

“I am,” said Rachael with a sigh. “Is Lord Lionel down in the courtyard? I’d like to speak to him before I leave.”

“I’m afraid not, my lady. After I helped him load your dowry back into the wagon, he mounted his horse and left, saying he needed to go for a ride to clear his head.”

“Well, where did he go?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, I’m not supposed to tell you.”

“Raff? Why not?”

Raff scratched his cheek and looked the other way. “Please don’t ask me.”

“Raff? Where is he?”

“All right, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise me that you won’t let him know I’m the one who told you or he’ll have my head. He took a ride down to the church.”

“The church?” she asked. “But there is no priest there. Nothing is happening there today.”

“He’s very upset, my lady. I think he just wants to be alone to think. Or pray, or something.”

“I see. Raff, please don’t take my things quite yet,” she said, rushing to the door.

* * *

Lionel pulledthe last of the purple cloths off the holy statues in the church, feeling as if nothing would ever make him happy again. It hadn’t seemed like Easter today since there was no mass, and no happy celebration. He didn’t even care if he ever ate again.

He hadn’t been able to stay at the castle and watch as the woman he loved rode away with another man. Therefore, he left without saying goodbye, wanting to be alone.

“Why?” he mumbled, dropping to his knees, burying his face in his hands. “I love her,” he said, praying to God that things could be different. Tears filled his eyes and then, all alone in the dark church, he wept. It was something he’d never allowed himself to do before, not even with the deaths of his last wife or his father. He had been holding back all his emotions his entire life, and especially these past six weeks. Now they just came out like a bubbling brook and he couldn’t hold them back any longer.

Lionel wasn’t sure how long he was there before he heard the sound of a sweet voice ringing out. It was Rachael’s voice. He wasn’t even sure if he was imagining it or not.

“Lionel?” he heard once again, wanting to block her voice from his mind, because it hurt too much. Just thinking he heard her made him want to pull her into his arms and hug her and kiss her and never let her go. “Lionel?” the voice repeated and, this time, it sounded so real that he slid his hands from his face.

He wiped his eyes and stood up, turning around to see his beautiful angel – his sweet little lamb dressed in her purple velvet gown with flowers in her hair, climbing the dais toward him.

Sunshine streamed in the stained glass windows, lighting up her blond hair, making it look as if she had a halo.

“Rachael?” he asked, feeling confused. “Why are you here? Raff told you where I was, didn’t he?”

“Don’t blame him. I forced him to tell me.” She smiled and walked up to him, reaching out for his hands. He felt pain go through his heart when she touched him, and he quickly pulled away.

“Why are you doing this to me?” he asked her. “Why don’t you just leave instead of torturing me? I want to be alone.”

“I’m not leaving you,” she said. “Ever.”

“Stop it, Rachael. You know as well as I that we’re not really married and that you’re betrothed to another man. There isn’t anything we can do to change it.”