“This seems so different from the sanctioned doctrines of our Church that put the needs of the soul above everything else.” The countess dropped her voice as if afraid that someone might overhear us.
“Do not be afraid,” I said. “None of this subverts the Church’s teachings. Augustine was a great lover of all creation. Many times he gazed on the blue waters of the sea through the windows of his house at Ostia, and their beauty was a source of spiritual elevation for him. I don’t believe the human body was hateful to him, nor did he advocate self-destruction in the process of seeking redemption. He would have considered it against nature.”
The air was becoming sultry and still, and we returned to the castle courtyard, empty as the household had retreated into the coolness of the keep’s stone interior.
“Your effort to remake the convent is the best way to honor my daughter,” Sophia said as we reached the door. “There is something I want to do for you too.” She put a hand on my arm. “Your mother wrote to me last year about a young woman named Griselda who wanted a place at St. Disibod but could not afford it. She asked me for a donation toward her dowry, but in truth I was reluctant, for I did not want another girl to go down my daughter’s path. But now”—she smiled, though there was still sadness in her eyes—“I would like to pay the whole sum.”
“That is kind and generous of you. I don’t know what to say.”
“Say nothing. I have no doubt that under your guidance, Griselda’s service will please God and honor the Church, and that is all we need from a religious vocation.”
She turned to enter the keep then stopped, remembering. “There will be a feast in your honor tonight.” She arched her eyebrows mysteriously. “And someone will be joining us whom I think you may have met before.”
26
Sponheim Castle, June 1128
Thus my path crossed that of Rudolf von Stade once more. He was the mystery guest, and the meeting would have profound consequences for me. But that night, I did not know that.
Unlike our two previous encounters—at Bermersheim when he was a squire in Count Stephan’s entourage, and later at St. Disibod before the town was attacked—this one was anything but accidental. When Rudolf had learned of my visit, he had sent a message to the countess that he would like to introduce his niece Ricardis to me.
The girl’s father was the previous Count von Stade, an old ally of Count Stephan’s with estates adjoining those of Sponheim. He had recently died, and Rudolf had assumed her wardship. In addition to her uncle, Ricardis came accompanied by a thin, dark-haired young man with a sallow face who wore a clerical robe. His bland features, dominated by a large, slightly crooked nose, were in stark contrast to Rudolf’s striking and masculine ones, but his black eyes—a shared family trait, apparently—were penetrating and intense. His name was Hartwig, and he was Ricardis’s cousin as well as a priest at Bremen.
“You may remember me from my all too hurried visit to Disibodenberg six years ago, Sister.” Rudolf bowed slightly when I arrived at the hall. His full head of black hair had grown grayer around the temples, but his gaze was as lively and honest as before, and the scar on his cheek had faded to a white line barely visible under his beard. He was fuller around the waist but still had the same erect and self-assured carriage of a knight.
“Of course.” I nodded as the servants conducted us to our seats. I was given a place between Countess Sophia and her son, and the guests from Stade faced us across the table. “Praise God, we meet under more joyful circumstances today.”
“Indeed. It was a trying time, but the town put up a good defense, in which you had a hand.”
The countess chimed in eagerly. “On returning from his mission, Herr Rudolf told us about how you had rallied the monks”—her countenance beamed with a maternal pride—“and other accounts reached us of how involved you had been throughout the siege. We all marveled at it, for you were scarcely more than a child.” Ever the hostess, she gestured to the servants lined up at the entrance. A moment later the hall filled with the appetizing smells of a roasted pig, capons on a bed of greens, haunches of venison in aromatic sauces, and almond balls dipped in honey. I smiled thinking of how Abbot Kuno would enjoy this table.
“My niece credits your accomplishments with awakening her religious calling.” As wine was being poured into our cups, Count Rudolf turned to Ricardis. Her big eyes were trained on me like two shining coals. They were as intense as those of her cousin, but the similarity ended there, for her face had a pleasing symmetry of feature and a flawless complexion fresh as a spring blossom. Her beauty was unlike anything I had ever seen in another human.
“That is why she wants to petition to enter your convent.” Rudolf’s words reached me, and I snapped out of my admiration to consider the girl more closely. The roundness of her face gave her beauty an innocent aspect, but
