Gilda shrugged and smiled at her interest. “So some women believe. But I’ve never had much faith in potions. The latest rumor is that Gerberga has predicted that Charles will one day take his father’s place as Holy Roman Emperor. Of course the bishops are outraged at this, as is Lothar, the king’s eldest son.”
“Why would Gerberga make such a dangerous prediction?”
“She probably believes it. Considering this, Charles is a lot younger than his three brothers and may indeed one day be emperor. The abbess knows Gerberga well, and she says the nun is getting old and is unconcerned about her own safety.”
“How does her prediction result in the charge of witchcraft?”
Gilda rested her head on the wall as though the story tired her. “Gerberga has been accused of reading the entrails of chickens. It’s an old Roman ritual for predicting the future. Of course the church frowns on such practices, but they never really died out completely. Whether Gerberga has been doing this is uncertain, of course, and I myself doubt it.”
“So the bishops are using the queen’s connection with Gerberga to drive her from court,” Isabel said.
“That’s the way it seems to me. It’s unlikely they will be able to force Queen Judith to take the veil, but they can keep her here for a long time. It has happened before. When Charlemagne died, and King Louis became emperor, the first thing he did was send two of his sisters to a convent. Each had consorted with several men and had several children out of wedlock. It was behavior encouraged by Charlemagne who they say was fond of having grandchildren. But Louis the Pious has different ideas about how women should conduct themselves.”
Gilda stood up and brushed at her dark habit. “I have wandered with my explanation, Isabel. Queen Judith will be with us for a while, although I somehow doubt it will be for long. I’m sure she has plenty of resources to call upon for help. In any case, being sent to a convent is not the worst thing that can happen to a woman.”
Isabel nodded, remembering Gilda’s own story. “I noticed the queen has brought a great many of her belongings with her. She intends to be comfortable during her stay. Is there room enough at Saint Ives to accommodate her?”
“We’ll have to move some people around, including you. But there’s also a large guesthouse reserved for royalty when they come on retreats. Queen Judith will be afforded the best accommodations, although I suspect she is already making plans for her return to the palace.”
Just as Gilda was preparing to help Marianna move Isabel’s belongings, Chetwynd appeared at the door. Isabel noticed that he didn’t look in any better humor than when he had demanded that she stay at the bath and return with Jerome. The scowl on his face deepened as he looked at the small stack of Isabel’s things that Marianna had piled by the open door.
“What’s all this?” he asked.
Gilda spoke up. “We’re moving Isabel to my chamber. This is a large room, and it’s needed for some of the queen’s people.”
He nodded abruptly. “You can move her things to my bedchamber,” he said.
Chetwynd’s reply caused all three women to stare at him. When he saw their reaction, he added, “I’ll sleep elsewhere.”
As Chetwynd watched Isabel’s eyes narrow, he wondered why he never managed to say the right thing.
Lifting her chin in the air, Isabel said, “I prefer to stay with Gilda.”
Before Chetwynd could respond, his sister took Marianna’s elbow and headed for the door. “We were just leaving. We’ll come back later to help with Isabel’s things.” The two women disappeared quickly.
Staring at each other, Chetwynd and Isabel hardly noticed their departure. Finally, Chetwynd spoke. “That came out wrong, Isabel. I want you near me. I said I’d sleep elsewhere for the benefit of Gilda and Marianna.”
As he spoke, Isabel watched weariness replace impatience on his face. She remembered that except for a few hours kneeling at the side of her bed, he hadn’t slept the previous night. But she felt too vulnerable to let herself soften. “Did you tell the queen that you are married?”
“No. There is a crisis in progress, in case you haven’t noticed.” He closed his eyes then, and for a moment there wasn’t a sound in the room. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I can’t get this right. Please allow your things to be moved to my bedchamber. I have a lot of explaining to do. But please believe me, right now is not the time. Did Gilda fill you in on the details of what has happened?”
“Yes. I think I know most of the story.”
“Good. Did she tell you about Gerberga?”
“Gilda said she’s a nun and a friend of the queen’s. I know she has been accused of witchcraft in the past.”
Chetwynd nodded. “In this case, she has been accused of bewitching the queen, encouraging her to believe that Charles will inherit his father’s empire. We just received word that Gerberga has been executed.”
Isabel could see the anger in his eyes. “Does Gilda know? She was just telling me about Gerberga,” she asked.
“The abbess will speak to the nuns later. She wants to handle telling them in her own way. The queen doesn’t know either, but the abbess confided in me. I’m telling you because I want you to understand how serious this matter is.”
She moved a step closer to him. “Is the queen in danger?”
“I don’t think so. I’m sure Gerberga’s fate was meant as a warning for the queen, but the poor woman is dead, and her execution is a terrible shock to the many people who knew her. It shows how desperate Bishop Agobard has become. Although I doubt anyone would dare harm the queen, he has kept Charles at court as an added threat.”
“How terrible. The queen must be frantic at being separated from her son.”
“The queen believes Charles is
