Eléonore couldn’t stay at the inn, he invited her to reside at the castle.
"Who is this girl?” Gaston inquired.
“Let me introduce you Eléonore Thomassin, my future fiancée.”
“Your future fiancée! But she is not noble!”
"I know it, she has no title, but she is endowed with the nobility of the soul, which will make her a perfect wife.”
“You know that you have to choose a wife from your rank.”
“But you have to think of what the nobles are going to think about this!”
“And so what? I’m in love with Eléonore, and that’s the most important.”
“But Sir! You have to realize the nobilily is going make fun of you! You must marry a noble lady.”
“Good for them! Eléonore will become a noble lady by marrying me! I do what I want! Need I remind you that you are working for me!” Tescelin shouted.
“This castle belongs to us, my grandfather bought it for my grandmother because she disliked the hustle and bustle of the city.”
“It's a beautiful and soothing place,” the girl said.
“We’re going to marry here."
The announcement of the Count's engagement with Eléonore made some waves among the nobility of the region, some of them perceived this union as a misalliance.
At the end of this marvelous day, they were finally alone in their bedroom.
They kissed passionately, they removed all their clothes. The young man took his wife in his arms and laid her on the bed. He caressed her gently and introduced his penis in her vagina. She felt an intense sensation of pleasure and happiness and no pain. She had never felt that with her first husband, the few times he had deigned to honor her were pain. An intense pleasure overwhelmed both spouses, they were alone in the world, letting their past behind them.
Unlike Hodierne, Eléonore was loved by the servants, they did not fear her, she never shouted at them, she respected them. Life was returning to Castelmirail Castle.
Tescelin was looking for his wife, he was worried for her, and for some
time he had noticed that she seemed worried. He found her in the little
garden, and he studied his wife's face s. Her smile was gone.He approached her and took her face in his hands.
"You’re looking sad, what's going on?”
Eléonore's green eyes were full of tears.
“We have been married for a year and we don’t have our first child.”
“Do not worry about that, a year of marriage is not very long. I am sure that in a year or two we will have a child. My parents had been married for seven years when I was born,” He reassured her.
It gave hope to the young lady.
A strange red-haired woman in her early thirties introduced herself and asked for a private audience with the Countess. She wanted to talk to her about something important.
Eléonore agreed to receive the young woman the next day at the castle outside the city. The mysterious young woman was named Romelde Mainville.
"Lady Eléonore, I hope I don’t bother you”
“No, you do not bother me. What do you want to tell to me?”
“Madam, I know you are tormented, I can help you.”
“Eléonore looked at the young woman, she was surprised.”
“What worries are you talking about?” The Countess asked.
"I know you’re sad because you still don’t have children. It saddens me to see you so sad, any woman who desires it should be able to have a child to cherish. I can help you to get that baby you want so much.”
Eléonore was more and more surprised.
“You want to help me have a child? But how? I do not believe in spells or magic potions, these are twaddle.”
“No, it's not that at all. I can find you an orphaned or abandoned baby for hundred gold écus.”
“You mean to take under our wing an infant who has no family? But it’s maybe little early to consider adopting a child?”
“You’ve been married for six years and you don’t have children, this is worrying.”
“Perhaps I should first discuss all of this with my husband, it is not a decision that I can take alone.”
“No! Your husband mustn’t be aware of all this,” the young red-haired woman insisted.
“But how is possible? I cannot decently adopt a newborn without talking about it with the Count before!”
“He will have to believe that this child is his.”
“What! But it's impossible! Are you crazy?” Eléonore snapped.
“It's very easy, you’ll said to everyone you’re pregnant. During that fake pregnancy, you’ll put more and more cloth or bigger and bigger cushion under your dress. You’ll tell your spouse that your pregnancy is fragile and he shouldn’t touch you anymore. You’ll sleep alone in a room. Seven or eight months you’ll tell him that the baby is coming. A woman I know will come to the castle as a midwife. She will have a basket in which a newborn will be hidden. You’ll have to tell to everyone he or she is your baby.”
Eléonore stood up and glared at her interlocutor.
“How can you suggest me that! It's dishonest and ridiculous! I will never do that! Now get out of here!”
Romelde's face was now contemptuous, she stared at the young Countess.
“You're just an idiot! You’ll have only yourself to blame when you’re repudiated.”
“Now get out of my sight and never come back, otherwise you’ll be in a deep trouble!” Eléonore shouted.
The young, red-haired woman left the room while smirking at the Countess.
At the castle, Eléonore wanted to talk to her husband, she found him in the ballroom. He noticed immediately her trouble, he was worried.
"What’s wrong?”
“It’s because of this woman who wanted a private audience, Romelde Mainville.
“What has happened?”
“This young woman was at first compassionate, she understood my pain of not having children. She said she wanted to help me to get a newborn baby.”
Tescelin frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“I thought she wanted us to adopt an abandoned or orphaned baby. In fact it wasn’t that at all, wanted me to make everyone, you included believe that I was with child by putting cloth under my dress. At the supposed due date, she would have sent a midwife with a newborn hidden in a basket. I would have to tell you it was our infant. Of course I said no. I want a child with you.”
Tescelin was shocked by what his wife had revealed to him. He took her in his arms and hugged her.
“I dare not imagine what you felt.”
“It was horrible, at first she was kind, but when I declined her offer and I asked her to leave she was cruel and told you would repudiate me because I did not give you heir.”
“This woman tells whatever, I will never repudiate you. What was her purpose?”
“I think she wanted to take advantage of our misfortune to extract money, she told me she would find me a baby for hundred gold écus. I did not know this woman, I had never seen her before,” Eléonore concluded.
This mysterious woman was sought in the lordship, they didn’t find her.
"I’m not a good wife, I didn’t give you the child you wanted so much. I deserve repudiation.3
Tescelin gave her a look full of terror.
“You don’t think it, I hope! I will never accept that!”
“We have been married for sixteen years and we don’t have children.”
“I will not repudiate you because I love you, whether we have a child or not. If in ten years we still do not have child, we will adopt a baby he will be our heir.”
