Chapter 25
Presumption on the part of the beloved causes suspicion in the lover.
That night, Esmeralda explained to Frollo how she knew the thief. Years of filth that clung to him made him appear an old man, when he was only a little older than she. Guaril had been part of the troupe who had found her in the dirt roads as a child. In truth, she admitted, he was the son whom their leader wanted her to marry.
Frollo remembered him clearly from Quasimodo's conversation during the first night of the snow storm at Notre Dame. Esmeralda had in any event corroborated Quasimodo's information shortly after their marriage, when Frollo plied her with questions about her past. He desired to know every detail about his wife, so far as she could recall them.
"How is he now in Paris, and, by all appearance, alone?"
"I asked Clopin. Don't prickle, Claude, please. You know he visits me from time to time. And he had heard about the commotion. So he slipped into the cathedral after mass to make sure I was fine while you were conversing with your officials. He told me that there were rumors of Guaril's troupe being attacked by a rival troupe years ago, and Guaril's head being injured in the process, affecting his mental faculties. Clopin does not know how he became separated from the rest, or what happened to them."
"I understand why you think yourself obliged to intervene, my dear, but you risk setting a precedent," Frollo reminded her gravely, "Any devious person may play on your sympathies and rob an honest merchant simply to trick you to pay for him."
"I had to help Guaril, Claude. His family was always kind to me."
I had to. For as long as Frollo had known Esmeralda, those three words may well define her character, her soul. Without consideration for her safety, Esmeralda would protect anyone out of an abundant sense of justice. Frollo doubted that he would ever reconcile his jealousy for her open heart for all and sundry. Even to those who were undeserving. An insidious thought snaked into his mind. Was he not one of the undeserving too? No. He swiftly repressed that thought. God had always intended her for him. It was His divine plan.
Esmeralda perceived a myriad of emotions crossing Frollo's face, but could not discern them. When he carried her and sat her on his lap, his pensiveness struck her. His need for her tangible presence was not an overture for intimacy. Rather, it was an assurance that she was with him.
"Yes, that was how you came to me." Adoration flickered in his eye, but the regret in his voice was unmistakable. "Your compulsion to help anyone and your defiance were how you came to my attention."
"You conveniently forget my dance." As a couple, Esmeralda recognized that they had not met under the most ideal of circumstances, to put it mildly. However, they could not alter the past, and were committed to their present and their future. "What disturbs you?"
"I ask the questions, Esmeralda, not you," Frollo's tone was brittle, but they both knew that that was no longer the dynamics of their relationship. He felt her body tense, and grimaced. He peppered her neck with kisses by way of apology, and she heard his heavy sigh, "What disturbs me, my sweet wife, is you. I fear you will be your own undoing. I shall do anything to prevent that. Even you shall not stop me."
"How solemn you are, Claude!" She attempted to lighten the mood, "I am not reckless."
"That is a matter of perspective."
"Did I seek to antagonize you when I helped Quasimodo at the Feast of Fools? Remember, Claude, I addressed you politely first. I called you 'Your Honor.' It was your petty rage that angered me and led to our tempers clashing."
"Yet, as you pointed out to me a moment ago, you danced. You displayed yourself in a most provocative manner, and courted death by mocking me."
"I suppose that wasn't wise," Esmeralda conceded, "Clopin dared me to do it. He always wanted to know if you had a pulse, those were his words."
"And you wonder why I loathe him."
"It was the Feast of Fools," she repeated by way of explanation. There was silence for a while. Frollo was still, his face pressing against her shoulder.
"You must obtain my permission before proceeding with any action such as that today," he murmured.
"That is difficult, if we are not together." To placate him, Esmeralda added, "I promise, Claude, I shall not do anything rash."
Frollo's words, however, would soon prove prophetic.
-0-
The death of a baker, even when murder was behind it, may arouse excitement among the populace, but would hardly cause a crinkle on the surface of the nobility. Under previous circumstances. All eyes, however, were on their Minister, as people in all circles speculated on how he would resolve it. Political conflict and controversy were not novel in Frollo's long career, but he had kept his reputation pristine. This time, he was caught in an unusual bind.
Guaril had not been caught red-handed, but he had been found close to the scene of the crime, with a bloodied knife. Conclusions had been swiftly drawn, especially in light of the recent scuffle he had with the baker, and Phoebus had been compelled to arrest him and place in the dungeons of the Palace of Justice.
"Claude, it is a week since that boy is in the dungeons." Antoine spoke to Frollo privately in his chambers and pressured him for an answer.
"Antoine, you are aware that I am not delaying the case deliberately. I am thorough in my work. I do not like loose ends." Rattled, Frollo snapped, "If the suspect was not Romani, everyone would allow my men to carry out the necessary investigations without paying any attention."
"But the suspect is Romani," the emphasis on the word highlighted that Frollo had changed, that he stopped using the derisive word "gypsy" and that that change disturbed his peers. "You cannot deny it, and you cannot deny its implications or the inferences drawn by everyone. It is the first case since your marriage with Esmeralda that a Romani is caught. And for murder of a Parisian at that. I can vouch for you before the king and convince him that your loyalties have not changed. I cannot persuade those who have never liked you, Claude. Word has reached the court. You must not carry on investigations indefinitely. You must take a stand and issue a verdict against him."
"Is that how the justice system is devised? Am I to do as the court pleases?"
"Be careful, Claude. I am not the enemy, and you serve at the king's leisure. One wrong turn, and you will be stripped of your title and your estate. I learned that painful lesson myself. This matter with the boy. It is no longer a case. It is a test. Your reputation remains iron-clad, even after your marriage to Esmeralda. But everyone sees the influence she has over you. If you let this boy walk, you will never be seen as autonomous."
"Even if the boy is innocent of the crime?"
"You are no babe in the woods, Claude. There is more than one interpretation to the phrase 'Justice must be seen to be done.' And for your sake, you will show that your judgment is not swayed by your wife." Antoine's eyes became cold, "On a personal front, I have need of you here. You are one of my few solid allies, and you are a friend. I will not stand by and watch you ruined, even if it is by your own hand. If you betray any foolhardiness, I will stop you."
Frollo flinched, as that same sentiment he had towards Esmeralda now echoed back at him.
"I appreciate the seriousness of the situation, Antoine. Your advice is invaluable to me."
"See that you follow it."
But Antoine was not the only one who badgered him. Esmeralda was incessant about obtaining updates, and Frollo could not dismiss her as easily as he did Antoine, given that they shared the same bed.
"Phoebus told me that Guaril carried the knife, but that there was no blood on his clothes. Does that not suggest... No, does that not evidence that he was not the one who stabbed the baker? He could have picked that knife anywhere."
"We considered that, Esmeralda. That is why investigations are ongoing."
"But why don't you release him? He is unwell, the dungeons are ill-suited for him, he needs a doctor."
Agitated that Esmeralda again showed more concern for the boy's welfare than his, Frollo struggled to maintain a calm tone. "Even if he is innocent - and that is not yet established - I cannot release him without finding the actual murderer. If I do that, I will no longer have any credibility." He stared hard at Esmeralda, hoping his dilemma was conveyed to her. "I have tried, Esmeralda, I have tried to hide it. But it would seem that everyone sees it clearly."
Dread filled Esmeralda. "Hide what, Claude?"
"My weakness. You." Frollo drew a deep breath. Although constantly assured of her love for him, doubt flared as to where her loyalties lay if push came to shove. Would she support him in times of trouble, or would she choose her people over him? This innocuous case of the murder of the baker became not only his test, but hers, even if she may not know it. Anxiety caused his voice to sharpen. "Esmeralda." He sounded menacing, "Impressions, once formed, even if false, are difficult to eradicate. I must handle this case without you appearing to interfere with my authority."
And he ended the conversation then.
-0-
Esmeralda spent the next day puzzling over the case. While ill-experienced in political intrigue and court affairs, she was intelligent. She grasped the import of Frollo's words. So instead of the Romani hating him for persecuting them, he was now on treacherous ground because the nobility thought he had grown soft because of her. Frollo had said not to interfere with his authority. But that did not mean she could not help solve this mystery in other ways, right?
Phoebus had told her that Guaril had kept saying that he did not do anything wrong. Beyond that, no one had been able to extract any useful information from him. Maybe if Guaril saw a familiar face. True, he had not given any indication that he knew her when she had stepped forward to rescue him, but she had not spoken to him then. Maybe all he needed was a reminder of the past!
Yes, Esmeralda decided. She would visit the dungeons. In her eagerness, she did not think it necessary to consult Frollo about it.
-0-
A/N: It has been a very long time since I updated, many apologies! And many, many thanks for everyone's touching reviews and continual readership. I just don't know what else to say except that I am really grateful. In answer to a few queries, yes, I have every intention of finishing this story. Thank you so much for your patience!