love you more than you can ever know.’
‘Then you must agree to my conditions, Robert.’
‘Command me and I will obey but do not refuse to be my wife. I could never give you up now that I know you live.’
‘You must allow me to live here at the convent for one year and six months. I need time to pray and meditate, and to recover all the memories of our past life. There are still black holes in my memory. Until I can accept all that has happened I cannot live as your wife, Robert.’
‘A year and six months is too long. You ask too much, Melloria.’
‘Then perhaps I should ask Mother Abbess for sanctuary so that I can devote my life to God…’
‘No.’ Robert moved towards her. He would have taken hold of her but she put up her hands, a look of disgust in her eyes. The look held him as no words could have and he tasted bitterness in his mouth. ‘You hate me? You blame me for everything…’
‘I need time to learn to know you and myself,’ Melloria said. ‘Give me what I ask and perhaps I can love you as I once did, Robert. Force me to return too soon and I shall hate you.’
‘One year and one month…’ he said. ‘It will be torture for me, Melloria. It is more than I can bear to live without you for so long.’
‘It will be a part of your penance.’ Melloria’s face was hard as she faced him. He could see no softness in her. ‘You have sinned, Robert. Your neglect has left my poor child without her mother for too long. Anything might have happened to her. Bring her back to me and I shall be your wife again.’
Robert inclined his head. Her demands were just and he was aware of the heavy burden of guilt he bore.
‘I shall send messengers to every corner of the country to look for her,’ he promised. ‘I shall send Rhoda away but let her choose where – what more do you ask of me?’
‘Make your peace with God, Robert. Only then will you be the man I once loved. Use the time we have apart to live honestly and humbly, and then perhaps we may recapture what we once had.’
‘Promise me that you will come back to me if I do all you ask.’
Melloria raised her head and gazed into his eyes. She was so calm, so composed as she smiled.
‘If you do all that I ask and do not fail me I shall consider that you have paid the debt, and then I shall be your wife. If you fail me I shall take the veil and you will never see me or your daughter again.’
Robert’s nails curled into the palms of his hands. He was angry. So angry that he wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her. He wanted to kiss her until she melted into him, to feel her soft body beneath his and hear her cries of passion as she surrendered to him. His jealous nature made him wonder if she had indeed been Malvern’s wife. Had that lying Devil known her sweetness? A part of Robert wanted to take Melloria’s white throat in his hands and squeeze until she begged for mercy but he controlled his anger with an iron will. She was his wife and safe here at the abbey. If she demanded a period of time apart he must give her what she asked. One day he would make his own demands. He would make her confess the truth and if he discovered that she had lain with Malvern…he dared not let his thoughts take him to that dark place, because he was not sure what he would do.
‘I agree,’ he muttered, the words forced out of him because there was no other way. ‘I shall do all that you ask of me – but you must
‘Then you must agree to my conditions, Robert.’
‘Command me and I will obey but do not refuse to be my wife. I could never give you up now that I know you live.’
‘You must allow me to live here at the convent for one year and six months. I need time to pray and meditate, and to recover all the memories of our past life. There are still black holes in my memory. Until I can accept all that has happened I cannot live as your wife, Robert.’
‘A year and six months is too long. You ask too much, Melloria.’
‘Then perhaps I should ask Mother Abbess for sanctuary so that I can devote my life to God…’
‘No.’ Robert moved towards her. He would have taken hold of her but she put up her hands, a look of disgust in her eyes. The look held him as no words could have and he tasted bitterness in his mouth. ‘You hate me? You blame me for everything…’
‘I need time to learn to know you and myself,’ Melloria said. ‘Give me what I ask and perhaps I can love you as I once did, Robert. Force me to return too soon and I shall hate you.’
‘One year and one month…’ he said. ‘It will be torture for me, Melloria. It is more than I can bear to live without you for so long.’
‘It will be a part of your penance.’ Melloria’s face was hard as she faced him. He could see no softness in her. ‘You have sinned, Robert. Your neglect has left my poor child without her mother for too long. Anything might have happened to her. Bring her back to me and I shall be your wife again.’
Robert inclined his head. Her demands were just and he was aware of the heavy burden of guilt he bore.
‘I shall send messengers to every corner of the country to look for her,’ he promised. ‘I shall send Rhoda away but let her choose where – what more do you ask of me?’
‘Make your peace with God, Robert. Only then will you be the man I once loved. Use the time we have apart to live honestly and humbly, and then perhaps we may recapture what we once had.’
‘Promise me that you will come back to me if I do all you ask.’
Melloria raised her head and gazed into his eyes. She was so calm, so composed as she smiled.
‘If you do all that I ask and do not fail me I shall consider that you have paid the debt, and then I shall be your wife. If you fail me I shall take the veil and you will never see me or your daughter again.’
Robert’s nails curled into the palms of his hands. He was angry. So angry that he wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her. He wanted to kiss her until she melted into him, to feel her soft body beneath his and hear her cries of passion as she surrendered to him. His jealous nature made him wonder if she had indeed been Malvern’s wife. Had that lying Devil known her sweetness? A part of Robert wanted to take Melloria’s white throat in his hands and squeeze until she begged for mercy but he controlled his anger with an iron will. She was his wife and safe here at the abbey. If she demanded a period of time apart he must give her what she asked. One day he would make his own demands. He would make her confess the truth and if he discovered that she had lain with Malvern…he dared not let his thoughts take him to that dark place, because he was not sure what he would do.
‘I agree,’ he muttered, the words forced out of him because there was no other way. ‘I shall do all that you ask of me – but you must
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