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She lingered though, because he had the right of it. Humbling herself in front of her people would be the hardest thing of all to bear. Far harder than the spanking she’d just borne.
“You will do this, unless you want all of your people to see me birch your already crimson behind in front of them!” he threatened, his voice now hard and cold again.
She bit hard into her lip, but she made herself follow him because she knew there was no choice and that what he threatened to do would be even more humbling than what he was now asking of her. She braced herself for it, striving to take her mind away from what was happening. It was as in a dream that she and Tristram walked in front of all the people that had gathered in the Hall. Judith knew only too well Tristram was still carrying in his hand the birch from her punishment. She suppressed a deep sigh, telling herself she should no longer care. They all gathered there, at Tristram’s behest, Sir Roderick, all her people, Tristram’s men and Lord FitzRolf who was now looking at her with a sympathetic expression on his face, as well as Tristram’s dour cousin who was casting her a look of dark triumph. She opened her mouth to speak the hateful words Tristram had commanded her to say, yet she didn’t have the chance to utter them.
Tristram suddenly halted her. “My lady wife has been finally chastened, as you can well perceive, and she has learnt true repentance for her deeds,” Tristram said in a high, grim voice. “And she is now forgiven. Because it’s Christian to forgive,” he added, giving a pointed look in his cousin’s direction.
And Judith saw Tristram’s cousin cast an assessing look at her teary face and at the way she held herself.
“Aye,” the prelate reluctantly said after a long while. “At last she looks repentant.”
Tristram spoke to him with a mirthless smile, “Good. You have spoken the words in front of all to hear. And now I want you gone. And give your news to Henry and the Church. I have fulfilled my vow.”
“You have also vowed to make sure she would never defy you again!” Tristram’s cousin countered.
“Sheis still called Lady de Brunne, and you should strive not to forget! I will make sure she won’t either. Just as I vowed. And now you are to go from Redmore,” Tristram said in the same hard, grim voice he’d employed earlier.
“Tomorrow’s fasting day. And I’ve yet to attend Sunday Mass. I shall leave after the Lord’s Day,” his cousin stated coldly.
“Fine. As long as you are well and truly gone, and I never set eyes upon you again. FitzRolf will accompany you. He’s in a hurry to rejoin his own wife,” Tristram said just as coldly.
He then took hold of Judith’s arm and led her up the stairs. She followed him without protest, still stunned and musing upon the words which had been spoken. When they went back to her bedchamber, she attempted to sit down, but she found that the sting in her bottom was too fierce.
“Lie on your belly,” Tristram said, and his voice sounded warm and gentle.
Again, she obeyed him, beginning to recall what he’d said to his cousin. Tristram went to fetch something from his trunk. She cast a worried look over her shoulder when he bent over her, hoisting her skirts to bare her bottom.
“You…”
Her heart started thumping in alarm, because perchance he meant to spank her again.
“Shush,” Tristram said and his voice sounded warm and caring. “It’s just a salve. I promise it is soothing.”
He started rubbing a thick sort of ointment onto her bottom, and Judith began to experience that shameful, maddening sensation in her quim, because her behind felt sore under his touch, yet at the same time the cold salve felt like a blissful balm upon her skin. She sighed in sheer regret when he was done, and felt a renewed soreness in her rear when he attempted to cover it with her skirts.
“Off then?” he asked ever so gently, hoisting her skirts again after he’d perceived she was in pain.
She nodded and felt grateful for the cool air upon her heated bottom.
“You will feel better in the morning. The sting will fade,” Tristram said in a voice which, to Judith’s surprise, sounded somewhat remorseful.
And she recalled the look of dark triumph upon his cousin’s gaunt face when Tristram had brought her down to the Hall, and she also recalled how the prelate had always goaded Tristram to punish her.And give your news to Henry and the Church. She plainly recalled Tristram’s cousin telling him she should have been forced to take the veil. In spite of this, Tristram had allowed her to remain in her home. At the time, she’d thought he meant to have his revenge upon her. But now she plainly recalled Tristram had not even let her utter the humbling words of repentance in front of all to hear. Instead he’d spoken them himself, in a challenging voice, daring his cousin to disprove his words. And he’d used the birch but very sparingly upon her, although he could have delivered a savage punishment with it which would have made her cower in front of him. Yet, in truth, he hadn’t. He’d spanked her soundly, but the punishment had been bearable. Harsh, but not one to inflict numbing, mindless pain upon her.
Judith stared at her husband in sudden understanding. Oh, but she’d been so foolish! And she recalled Lord FitzRolf’s words, urging her to see Tristram was not vain, not cruel and not petty.
“You punished me because they asked it of you, if I was to stay your wife. They made youvowit,” she muttered, berating herself for not understanding sooner he’d meant to shield rather than harm her.
He only shrugged, choosing not to answer.
“Just go to sleep. The punishment is done and over with. And you’ve no more to fear from me, I vow.”
She’d spurned this man. And she’d humiliated him by seeking an annulment of their marriage contract. Yet, instead of seeking his revenge, he’d thought to aid her. Judith blushed fiercely, berating herself for having misjudged Tristram so. He may not have kept faith with her during their marriage, but he preserved his knightly honour. And he’d thought to protect a woman who was still his wife, rather than drive her from her home and see her harshly punished by the King and the Church. Tears spurted in her eyes. And through the haze of these tears, she saw Tristram cast her a look of sheer compassion and regret.
“Don’t cry. It’s done and over with. I promise,” he repeated in a heart-breaking voice.
Judith found she no longer cared for the fierce sting in her bottom as she turned and sat up, reaching for her husband.
“Tristram, will you hold me now? Please?” she asked in a pleading voice.
