it, a just penance for breaking his priestly vows.
“She’s married since several months back, to a much older man. I hope he treats her kindly.” He looked away. “I never intended to, I have been a priest for over fifteen years, and I have never had a problem with that particular vow. Until I met her, a woman I could laugh with.”
“How did you meet?” Alex said, imagining all sorts of sordid scenes in the confessional booth.
“She was a maid in waiting to the princess Henriette,” Don Benito said, “probably chosen for her somewhat plain face and her lovely voice. I was the chaplain, the up and coming man of God, delighted to find himself chosen by the queen mother to be a member of the exiled royal household.” He grimaced. “It was wrong; I was entrusted with her spiritual wellbeing, and she came to talk to me so often about what she perceived as her vocation to serve Christ, her eyes glittering with longing. And then one evening as she was leaving, she placed her hand on my sleeve and just…she just kissed me.” The tip of his tongue darted out to wet his lips, as if he were recapturing a sensation once experienced and since then lost.
In a low voice he detailed months of clandestine meetings, long afternoons spent in secret designations that were put to a brutal end the day the queen mother came upon them.
“She threatened me with public exposure, and berated poor Louise for having had the temerity to seduce a man of the Church. I tried to tell her that wasn’t how it was, but my lady queen ordered me to be quiet.”
The next day he had been removed to a nearby Benedictine abbey, charged with doing heavy penance to expiate his sin. A month later a messenger came from the queen, and he was informed that he had to find a home for the expected child.
“I turned to my brother, and he showed me great kindness by promising to raise the child as his own.” At a price, he added, looking towards the east. Raúl had made it very clear that Benito was no longer welcome in Seville, disgraced priest that he was. And so it was all decided; Louise was to have the child and give it up, and then she would be hurriedly wed – to a man chosen by the queen mother.
“I was never allowed to see her again, not even to write to her. Instead I was sent to accompany his Majesty when he returned to his kingdom last year.”
Alex raised her brows, thinking he couldn’t have loved this unknown Louise all that much, given how quickly he had given up. He frowned, shifting from foot to foot as he studied her face.
“You have not been much about the royals, have you? There is very little an ordinary man can do.”
“Elope? Ride off into the night?”
He made a disparaging sound. Louise was used to a high level of comfort, how was he to keep her in such style? Well, he had her there. Alex had no idea what a former priest could do for a living, suspecting that whatever options available would lead to penury.
“Are you still a priest?” Alex asked.
“Yes, I will remain always a priest. The ordination is a sacrament that cannot be reversed, but somehow I feel God has turned his face away from me. I have been charged with a mission, and that’s why I’m going to Virginia. Not as a representative of the Tabacalera.” He turned towards her. “I’m carrying certain things from the King to his Governor, that much is true, but my main task has been given me by his mother. I am to spread the word of God – among the heathen Indian tribes.” He looked at her bleakly. “Do you think they will be willing to listen? Or do you think they will put me to death?”
“I don’t know.” She gnawed at her lip. “I don’t think you should do this, to me it smells of petty revenge, not of any genuine wish to bring the word of God to the Indians.”
Don Benito blinked. “Not do as I’ve been ordered to?”
“Who would ever know?” She scrunched up her brows, thinking hard. “You could go south; to Cartagena de las
“She’s married since several months back, to a much older man. I hope he treats her kindly.” He looked away. “I never intended to, I have been a priest for over fifteen years, and I have never had a problem with that particular vow. Until I met her, a woman I could laugh with.”
“How did you meet?” Alex said, imagining all sorts of sordid scenes in the confessional booth.
“She was a maid in waiting to the princess Henriette,” Don Benito said, “probably chosen for her somewhat plain face and her lovely voice. I was the chaplain, the up and coming man of God, delighted to find himself chosen by the queen mother to be a member of the exiled royal household.” He grimaced. “It was wrong; I was entrusted with her spiritual wellbeing, and she came to talk to me so often about what she perceived as her vocation to serve Christ, her eyes glittering with longing. And then one evening as she was leaving, she placed her hand on my sleeve and just…she just kissed me.” The tip of his tongue darted out to wet his lips, as if he were recapturing a sensation once experienced and since then lost.
In a low voice he detailed months of clandestine meetings, long afternoons spent in secret designations that were put to a brutal end the day the queen mother came upon them.
“She threatened me with public exposure, and berated poor Louise for having had the temerity to seduce a man of the Church. I tried to tell her that wasn’t how it was, but my lady queen ordered me to be quiet.”
The next day he had been removed to a nearby Benedictine abbey, charged with doing heavy penance to expiate his sin. A month later a messenger came from the queen, and he was informed that he had to find a home for the expected child.
“I turned to my brother, and he showed me great kindness by promising to raise the child as his own.” At a price, he added, looking towards the east. Raúl had made it very clear that Benito was no longer welcome in Seville, disgraced priest that he was. And so it was all decided; Louise was to have the child and give it up, and then she would be hurriedly wed – to a man chosen by the queen mother.
“I was never allowed to see her again, not even to write to her. Instead I was sent to accompany his Majesty when he returned to his kingdom last year.”
Alex raised her brows, thinking he couldn’t have loved this unknown Louise all that much, given how quickly he had given up. He frowned, shifting from foot to foot as he studied her face.
“You have not been much about the royals, have you? There is very little an ordinary man can do.”
“Elope? Ride off into the night?”
He made a disparaging sound. Louise was used to a high level of comfort, how was he to keep her in such style? Well, he had her there. Alex had no idea what a former priest could do for a living, suspecting that whatever options available would lead to penury.
“Are you still a priest?” Alex asked.
“Yes, I will remain always a priest. The ordination is a sacrament that cannot be reversed, but somehow I feel God has turned his face away from me. I have been charged with a mission, and that’s why I’m going to Virginia. Not as a representative of the Tabacalera.” He turned towards her. “I’m carrying certain things from the King to his Governor, that much is true, but my main task has been given me by his mother. I am to spread the word of God – among the heathen Indian tribes.” He looked at her bleakly. “Do you think they will be willing to listen? Or do you think they will put me to death?”
“I don’t know.” She gnawed at her lip. “I don’t think you should do this, to me it smells of petty revenge, not of any genuine wish to bring the word of God to the Indians.”
Don Benito blinked. “Not do as I’ve been ordered to?”
“Who would ever know?” She scrunched up her brows, thinking hard. “You could go south; to Cartagena de las
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