Gabriel's Promise (Gabriel's Inferno 4)

“Fear and shame.” Julia froze. “Can we sit down for a minute?”

“Are you all right?” Gabriel crowded close, his hand going to her lower back.

“Yes, but I think you’ve said something important. Is there a place to sit?”

Gabriel looked around. “Just past the church, there’s some trees and a low wall; we can sit there.” He grabbed her hand and piloted her forward.

When they reached the wall, he positioned Clare under the shade of the trees, facing him, and he and Julia sat down.

He placed his hand on her knee. “What is it?”

“I was just thinking about what you said about fear and shame. When I look back on my life, there are a lot of things I was ashamed about. And I’m still afraid of things.”

“Julianne, you don’t need to be afraid. Not anymore.”

Julia entwined her fingers with his. “When you heal from a wound, you’re supposed to move on. You should remember the lesson you learned, but not focus on the pain. I think that’s Dante’s point about the river Lethe. We need to forget the pain and put aside fear, and shame, and guilt, but remember the lesson.”

“I think that’s in line with what he’s trying to communicate. But his exchanges with Beatrice are puzzling. After he drinks from Lethe, he says he can’t remember being a stranger to her. But we know he reacted to her scolding with shame in a previous passage.”

“Lethe takes away the shame.”

“But the memory of inconstancy seems to be gone, too. That’s the problem I’m having. I think your account is healthier, but in canto thirty-three he says he doesn’t remember the estrangement, nor does his conscience trouble him.”

“Yes,” Julia conceded. “That is a problem.”

“Since we’re on the subject . . .” Gabriel toyed with the ruby-and-diamond trinity ring he’d given her after Clare’s birth. “Beatrice uses the allusion if smoke is proof of fire to argue that Dante’s forgetfulness is evidence of a fault in his will.”

“Smoke isn’t proof of fire.”

“Exactly. Smart girl.” Gabriel touched her ring again. “There’s a puzzle there—a puzzle inside a puzzle. Someone reading quickly would pass over Beatrice’s remarks, finding nothing wrong with them. But if you stop to think about it, smoke isn’t proof of fire; it’s evidence of fire, perhaps, but not proof. Smoke could be caused by other things.”

“Rarely, but yes.”

“I think Dante wants us to dig a little deeper to excavate the allusion to forgetfulness and Lethe. And that’s what I’m working on as part of the lectures.”

“I hope you figure it out.” Julia smiled. “I have no clue.”

“Sure, you do.” He admired her manicured fingers, evidence of her trip to the hotel spa. “You’re my muse. You help me see things I can’t see. And you propel me to be a better man as well as a better scholar.”

“It’s funny to hear that since I’m still a student.”

“Wise people are always students. It’s when you think you’re beyond learning that you’re really in trouble.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers.

“Happy anniversary, darling.”

“Happy anniversary.”

Clare threw her bunny over the side of the stroller and stared in dismay as it dangled out of reach. She hadn’t figured out yet that she could pull on the tether to retrieve it. She pointed to the bunny and made an indignant noise.

“Princess Clare commands me.” Gabriel mock sighed. He retrieved the bunny and had it kiss Clare on the cheek.

“Lunch?” he asked. “I suppose we should have Italian, given the theme of our conversation.”

“I was thinking of sushi, since Dr. Rubio banned me from eating it for so long.”

“We need to go through her list of banishments and indulge in all of them. There’s one in particular I have a craving for.” He paused, and hurried to clarify, “Next week, of course.”

“Yes, please.” Julia’s stomach flipped in anticipation.