Beloved Pilgrim Page 16

  Alain offered, "Andronikos said he has been ill since he arrived. He won't be coming with us."

  The morning after the grand feast Elisabeth awoke late. The sun streamed through the open latticed window. She looked over to find a small round table sitting next to the bed with a sweetened drink made of honey, fruit, almonds and yogurt, some flat bread and a hot drink that was bitter to the tongue. Somewhere someone was playing an exotic stringed instrument. The breeze wafting lazily into the chamber was fragrant with the scent of orange blossoms. She sighed deeply with pleasure.

  "Why don't you come in and share this food with me?" she called to Albrecht who slept on a palette near the room's door.

  "Are you awake, Excellency?" came a soft voice from the balcony of her chamber. The gauzy window drapes parted and the honey-eyed Maliha looked in.

  Elisabeth scrambled to pull up the cover so that her loose shirt, open in the front, would not give away her possession of small but decidedly female breasts. "You?" she cried. "I thought you were Albrecht."

  She realized that with the sound of Maliha's voice the music had stopped. "Was that you playing?"

  "Did it disturb you, my lord?"

  "No, of course not. It was delightful. But Maliha, you must stop coming into my room unannounced. It's . . . unseemly." Elisabeth knew she must be scarlet with embarrassment.

  Maliha stood framed in the door to the balcony, a shaft of morning light giving her dark hair an aura effect. Her face was open and unhappy. "But exalted one, you asked me to come back. If this lowly servant displeases you, I am sure my master will find you one more to your liking." Her eyelashes dropped to kiss her cheek. She ventured, "Mayhap a young man or boy?"

  From the bed, Elisabeth stared at her. "N-no, I mean, you do not disturb me. It's just, well, in my homeland a young . . . man . . . values his . . . um, privacy. We expect servants to make themselves known by tapping or scratching on the door before entering."

  The darkly lovely young woman looked as if to weep. "But, your Excellency, I did tap on the door. You did not call out, so I came in."

  Open-mouthed, Elisabeth shook her head. "No, Maliha, I mean tap on the door, wait, and only come in when you hear Albrecht or me say to come in."

  Maliha nodded, but it was not clear if she understood. She glanced up to peer sideways into the bed. "Is Albrecht not here?" She quickly added, "My lord?"

  "He must not be, if you came in the door there." Elisabeth pulled aside the light bed curtain to look to where Albrecht slept. The palette was cleared away, probably stowed under Elisabeth's bed. "No, he is not here."

  "I have displeased your Excellency. I hope you will accept an apology from so unworthy a person," Maliha murmured meekly.

  Elisabeth gazed at her, exasperated. "I know you are supposed to talk like that to . . . well, your master's guests, but I wish you wouldn't. I hate that sort of talk from a woman, from anyone." Elisabeth glared off to the side. She did not therefore see the flash of surprised anger in the woman's eyes.

  Just then a tap came at the chamber door. "Come," she called. She was relieved when the person who looked in was not one of the three knights. Nor was it Albrecht. One of the male servants bowed, hardly giving Maliha a glance, and said, "My master would like to have the company of his honor to sup with him this day in the pavilion. May I tell his Excellency to expect the young lord?" He waited silently for an answer.

  "What time of day is it now, and when is the supper?" Elisabeth inquired.

  With another bow, the man supplied, "The sun is near zenith, your lordship, and supper will be in just over two hours."

  She wracked her brain for any sort of commitment. Thinking of none, she nodded. "Tell my gracious host that I should be honored to have supper with him. May I ask, who else will attend?"

  Now the man glanced at Maliha who stood, her honey-colored eyes again downcast and shaded from view by the luxuriant lashes. Looking back but not quite at the bed, the man replied, "You are to be my master's especial guest."

  "Oh. Very well. Can you find my squire and send him to me? I wish to dress."

  Again the man looked over at Maliha. "May this lowly maidservant be of service in that regard, your honor?"

  "No. I want Albrecht."

  With raised eyebrows the man at the door bowed and said, "Very good, your Excellency. Maliha!" He clapped his hands and said something in Greek that Elisabeth could not understand. Whatever it was, it distressed the young woman. She scurried to the door and slipped out behind the manservant.

  Elisabeth hurried to assure. "The maidservant is not at all displeasing to me. I just prefer my squire."

  The man bowed once more, very deeply, and backed out.

  "How peculiar," Elisabeth breathed.

  With her tardy squire's help Elisabeth washed and dressed to be ready for the supper.

  Albrecht hesitated after speaking the words, "My lord?"

  "Yes?"

  "It might sound odd coming from me, but remember the other day, what the knights were saying about eunuchs? That you need to watch out that they don't, well, take advantage?"

  Elisabeth stared dumbfounded at her squire. "Are you saying that this supper is . . . a seduction?"

  "I-it could be."

  She laughed. "Somehow I don't think the Basileus would think much of even a cousin, albeit three times removed, raping the pilgrim knights he has asked to help him repel the Turks. Men can be raped, can't they?"

  "Indeed they can, my lord. But Andronikos might think you may, well, want to be seduced. He is a fine looking man. You are too, after a manner of speaking."

  Adjusting her belt to allow for the proper draping of her tunic, she protested, "But he sent me a woman to, well, wash me, and do whatever I wanted." She looked up at Albrecht, realization dawning. "And I keep sending her away. Oh, sweet Jesus."

  Albrecht looked away. "Just be aware. That's all I am saying."

  He looked back at her face and saw an impish grin there.

  "It would be rather a comedy, wouldn't it?"

  He saw the laughter building in her eyes and started to laugh himself. Through his laughter, he managed to get out, "It certainly is a situation I never thought I'd witness."

  Chapter Nine ~ Seduction

  Entering the garden from the villa, Elisabeth looked for the pavilion. It was a large tent, made of pure white muslin. She crossed the garden to where it stood, right in the middle of the walled inner garden. As she approached it a manservant in pristine white bowed and held the flap for her to enter.

  The interior of the pavilion was cool but bright. She saw why instantly. It had been built over and around a small fountain that kept the heat of the sun that radiated through the white walls from making the space into an oven. The scent of jasmine and some exotic oriental incense met her delighted senses. The floor of the tent was all luxuriant rugs. She saw Andronikos settled comfortably into a pile of opulent, brocaded and be-tasseled pillows. He was drawing smoke through some sort of bottle with water in it. She gave him a courteous bow.

  "Ah, my lord. Welcome to my humble pleasure garden. I hoped you would be able to share my supper with me. Come, come and sit here." Andronikos was in royal blue silk with gold thread embroidery in a geometric pattern down the frogged front. It was a color that became his graying hair and beard. She went to the pile of cushions and sank into a position with her legs crossed at her ankles. "Will you take wine?"

  "Your Excellency, I am flattered at the invitation. We are not expecting any of the other knights?"

  Andronikos smiled languidly. "No indeed, we shall be quite alone."

  The man poured wine into a cup from a ewer with a long spout. Elisabeth took the wine cup and drank . "What is that bottle you are smoking from?"

  "It is called a hookah. The water takes the bite out of the smoke. The herbs in it are a mix of mild drugs and fragrant leaves. It is harmless," he added, seeing her hesitation. He went on, "I shall have the servants bring in the dishes right away, if you please, so we wil
l not be disturbed."

  Elisabeth accepted the pipe's mouthpiece and sucked while her host clapped his hands and ordered his servant to bring in the food. She coughed. "If the water takes out the bite, I hate to taste it without the filtering."

  The older man reassured, "One gets used to it. Take the smoke into your lungs and hold it there for a while. That hastens the effect."

  "And what is that effect?" she asked, taking in a deep breath and holding it longer.

  "Not unlike inebriation, and like inebriation, its impact depends on the quantity you take in."

  The servants came in with platters and bowls of what seemed as rich a variety of delicacies as the Basileus's great reception. Andronikos had them put the dishes on a low table placed in front of the two reclining on the pillows. "Have some oysters," the eunuch suggested.

  Elisabeth reached into the plate and picked out an oyster that simmered in a rich garlicky sauce and popped one of them into her mouth. Andronikos did the same, looking into her face as he bit his oyster in half, ate the rest and sensually licked the sauce from his lips.

  "I thank you, your Excellency, for your generosity in providing me and my servant such a magnificent lodging."

  Andronikos proffered different bowls and platters, and asked, "And you are being served well, my lord, by my own servants?"

  She nodded vigorously. Around a mouthful of rice and fruit wrapped in a dark green leaf and cooked, she said "Indeed, most satisfactory."

  "And the girl. She pleases you?"

  Elisabeth looked up sharply. Blushing, she said, "Maliha? Well enough, my lord. I have not had much for her to do. She is willing enough."

  The older man looked down as if trying to think how to say something. "You do not take her to your bed?"

  Elisabeth reddened further. Telling herself it might be a proper question for a host in this part of the world, she counseled herself to calm. "M-my lord, no. It is not necessary. I have no need of that . . . her."

  A pleased smile spirited across the eunuch's lips. "If there is anything at all you require, my lord, do not hesitate to ask."

  "I did ask the young woman to make herself known and wait for invitation to enter the chamber. I should like all the servants to do the same," she asserted.

  "I shall make it known. Never fear. Now let us enjoy this modest fare so we can relax and . . . talk . . . after."

  The meal was pleasing but did not leave one over-full. The older man continued to press wine and the hookah on Elisabeth. Though the air in the tent was not hot, it was warm and fragrant. She took her cup and leaned back on the cushions, feeling more than a little somnolent.

  "My lord, may I call you Elias? I insist you call me by my given name." The eunuch said softly.

  "But of course, Andronikos," she replied and toasted him with wine.

  Andronikos smiled and gazed up at the roof of the tent. The sun was creeping behind a thick tree, muting the light within. "In Germany, in your home, did you have a betrothed?"

  "I did. I left . . . her behind."

  "Did you have anyone . . . special? Besides her, of course."

  Elisabeth thought about Elias. "There was one . . . fellow, like a brother to me, really."

  "A brother?"

  "Yes, very much like a brother. He is no longer with us."

  "You mean he left the pilgrimage?"

  "No." Her voice trailed off. "He passed on. He died."

  Andronikos lifted himself on his elbow and leaned closer. "Oh my dear, how sad. I grieve for his loss, for your loss."

  Elisabeth smiled gratefully. "I miss him terribly. So does Albre . . . so does my squire."

  Andronikos's eyebrows lifted. "So?"

  Elisabeth closed her eyes. A languor had stolen over her. She thought she might drift off, but lacked the volition to fight it. She felt the older man shift on the cushions. All at once, he was lying lightly on her, his arms on the cushions on either side of her waist. Her eyes shot open to find the man's face inches from her own. His eyes were so full of longing that it took her breath away.

  "Andronikos!" she breathed when she could speak again. The languor, the sensuality of the food, the drink, the scented air, the muted light and soft pillows made her want to let the man sink down into her.

  "My sweet, do not fear. I know the truth, your secret. It is safe with me." He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "So soft, so smooth."

  "You know? How can you know?"

  Andronikos reached his hand to her throat and caressed it, letting his finger slip under the collar of her tunic. "I sense it. If you know what to look for, it is easy to see."

  She glanced down at her tunic to see if her breasts were defying the cloth that bound them. "Ah," she sighed.

  He let his lips just brush hers. "So sweet. So fair. I have never seen a man so seductively soft yet fully a man." He stopped astonished as Elisabeth jerked and pushed him away.

  "No, no, you don't understand. I am not . . . you are not . . . I can't!" She had lifted one knee to push herself with her heel and barely missed kneeing the man in his groin. She felt the stiffness there. "I am sorry. You are such a good-looking man. It's just . . . "

  Andronikos, his eyes lowered and a sardonic smile on his lips, pulled himself to a sitting position. "No, no, my lord, do not apologize. It is for me to do so. I misread the signals, I am sorry. I hope you will not despise me now."

  Elisabeth sat up and shifted to her knees. Her head was still fuzzy, but the sudden awareness was bringing her back to her senses. "No, no, I shall not despise you. I never would. Love is love. Pleasure is pleasure. I don't care what anyone says. It's just that you and I are not . . . "

  The man's chin lifted and he smiled ruefully. "Meant to be?" he suggested.

  She gazed at him. "That's it. We were not meant to be. But . . . " She smiled. "It is not without some regret, your Excellency."

  His eyes reflected relief and gratitude. He started to his feet. "I thank you, young lord, for your excellent company. Now I must beg your leave. I am afraid I have an appointment."

  Elisabeth sprang to her own feet and bowed. "I understand. Thank you as well for this lovely afternoon and the succulent supper." She backed away, while Andronikos looked regretfully after her.

  Outside the pavilion the eunuch's servant gave her one wondering look, then fell back into inscrutability. She glanced at him, mumbled something, and made her way quickly into the villa.

  For the rest of that day and much of the next, Elisabeth had little time to dwell on the awkwardness of any encounters with Andronikos.

  The honey-eyed woman did not appear that same evening nor in the morning. Elisabeth realized she had not seen her anywhere. She found herself looking for Maliha as she moved through the house, longing to catch a glimpse of her.

  "Where is the woman who was serving me, you know, Maliha?" she finally asked the man who seemed to be a sort of chamberlain to Andronikos.

  "Who, my lord? Oh, the half-Turkish woman? We let her go. She was not working out in the house."

  "You did what?" she cried. "Why?"

  The man looked annoyed. Pulling himself up to his full height, he replied in a dignified way, "She did not fit. She had no understanding of what was required of her. You yourself said . . . "

  "I said nothing of the kind. Where did she go?" Elisabeth was frantic. She felt responsible for the young woman's departure. "Where does she live?"

  The man pressed his thin lips tight together. "I am sure I do not know."

  Growing ever angrier and more frustrated, Elisabeth put her hand to where her sword would normally be. The fact that it was in her chamber just fueled her irritation. She glanced about. "I shall speak to your master about your insolence!"

  The manservant's face paled. "Please, my lord, do not. I can only tell you that the girl must live outside the city walls. Turks are not allowed to live within unless they have some employment with a Greek household."

  "But she's only half Turkish!"

  The man's li
ps curled almost imperceptibly. "Is she? That is what they all claim."

  Elisabeth moved close to the man to use her superior height to intimidate him. "Has it ever occurred to you that there are lots of children in this city who are the product of Greek cocks not caring where they leave their seed?" She stood glaring and breathing hard on the man whose face was still pale and averted. "Where do I find the Turkish sector?"

  The man tried to ease away. She stepped forward to keep her face above his. "Your Excellency, you should go to the Gate of St. Romanus and ask there. It is just outside. Ask for the street of the laundresses."

  "And where might that gate be?" she demanded.

  "North and west. On the other side of the city. Ask anyone on the street. But, my lord, you will have to go through some rough sectors. Stay on the main avenue."

  Her lower lip thrust out menacingly, Elisabeth stared into his face a few moments, then stepped back. Without another glance or sound, she spun on her heel and dashed to her own chamber.

  When she arrived she remembered that Albrecht was out arranging for provisions. She would have to go alone. She found her coat of chain mail and her belt, sheath and sword. She struggled into the coat and belted her sword atop her crusader's tabard. Without a word to anyone, she hurried out of the house, stood looking up and down the wide street with its rows of villas, and turned to the west.

  Elisabeth's long strides helped to make up for the fact that she was unsure how to get to the gate. That and the fact that at the sight of chain mail and a sword on a knight who looked fit to kill opened a path before her as she went. She did not look at the buildings as she threaded her way, so she did not notice the change from marble halls to rickety wooden tenements. Instead of more or less clean cobbled-streets the way was muddy. During the first part of her journey, people she passed were in various dress, from elegant to modest but neat. Here the people she passed became ragged and dirty and their demeanor hostile. She did not know how close she came to being pounced upon by a gang of youths. It was only her determination that made them fall back, that and the guards at the gate.