Rashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam (26 page)

“There’s nothing wrong with me—just answer my question.”

“I already told you. I’ve never said anything bad about you to Papa. Never!”

He released his grip. “Then why would he tell me, not one hour ago, that he wouldn’t consider a betrothal between us because of the manifest disaffection you feel for me?”

“You just asked to marry me and my father turned you down?” Rachel’s voice rose in indignation. “Because I didn’t like you?”

Eliezer was so shocked by her change of appearance that he could only nod. The two of them had sparred so many times that he thought he knew her anger, but now he saw that he had misjudged her. He took a step backward.

“How dare Papa discuss such an important matter without my presence? What does he think I am, a cask of wine to be sold to the highest bidder?” She stamped her foot so hard that a cloud of dust billowed around her. “He can’t treat me like this.”

Eliezer waited silently as she continued to furiously abuse her father and almost missed it when she railed, “And if Papa thinks I’m like my sisters, that I’ll calmly accept for my husband any scholar he brings home to
disner
, he’d better think again. I’d sooner marry you than a stranger.”

“So you will marry me,” he said triumphantly.

“What?” Rachel had been too busy spilling her wrath to notice exactly what she’d said.

“You just said you’d sooner marry me than a stranger,” he accused her. “I heard you quite clearly.”

She looked up at him in alarm, a bird caught in a trap. He seemed taller than she recollected, and, close up, she could see that his brown eyes had small gold specks around the pupils. His eyebrows were definitely black, but in the bright sunshine the curls that had escaped his hat looked more brown than black. Rachel wondered what color his beard would turn out to be.

Somehow she had just agreed to marry this young man standing before her, and, surprisingly, the idea pleased her. Suddenly, before she could elude his grasp, he put his arms around her and kissed her. She struggled to escape, but his embrace was like iron and his mouth moved over hers with a fierce hunger, as if he intended to devour her that very moment. Her legs, however, were free.

An explosion of pain between his thighs sank Eliezer to the ground, clutching his groin.

“Eliezer, stop this nonsense and get up immediately.”

But he couldn’t stand up—he couldn’t move. He could barely squeak out a reply. “I can’t—it hurts too much.”

Suspecting a trick, she cautiously knelt down beside him. Only when she saw the tears in his eyes did she realize he was injured. “How could this happen? I’ve seen boys fight, and they hit each other much harder than I did, yet nobody gets hurt.”

“It’s different ... getting hit down there.”

Her face flushed as understanding dawned on her. “Wait here. I’ll be back right away with something for the pain.”

She ducked into the cellar and quickly returned with a large cup in her hand. “Drink this. It’s our strongest wine.”

“What did you have to hit me like that for?” Eliezer found his voice again. “I wasn’t hurting you.”

“You startled me,” she said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Why had she rebelled against his kisses? She began to feel sorry about that action as well.

“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Eliezer said, wondering if he had been possessed by Keteb Meriri. “I hope this hasn’t changed your mind.”

“I guess I’ll still marry you, but I want you to understand something,” she said. “First of all, don’t run back to Papa about this. You’ll just make him mad. Let me talk to him.”

“I’ll wait until my father arrives for the Hot Fair then.”

“Secondly, just because I’ve agreed to marry you doesn’t mean you can kiss me anytime you feel like it.” Rachel regretted her choice of words at once. She wanted him to kiss her again so she could appreciate it properly, but she didn’t want him thinking he owned her.

“Don’t worry about that,” came his stinging reply. “After what I just went through, I’d rather kiss a rabid dog.”

“Liar.” Unable to resist his challenge, she leaned over and kissed him.

Stunned into acquiescence by her boldness, Eliezer sat back as her lips softly played on his, her fingers stroking the back of his neck. Then he pulled her into his lap, the ache in his loins soon replaced by an altogether different feeling. When he thought he was about to die of pleasure, she pulled away.

“We can’t sit here all day like this,” she rebuked him, as if it were his idea to start kissing again. “I have work to do in the vineyard and I’m sure you have studying to do.” She shook out her skirts and began to walk away.

“
Non
, I don’t.” He caught up to her and pulled her toward him. “I’ve already memorized today’s lesson.”

“Then you can help in the vineyard,” she said. “But no more kissing until our fathers have signed a betrothal agreement.”

Eliezer allowed her to take his silence for assent. Walking beside her, he grinned as he imagined what Asher would say about the afternoon’s amazing conclusion. Then a disturbing thought assailed him.

“Belle Assez, where did you learn to kiss like that?”

“Are you accusing me of kissing somebody else first?”

“Of course not,” he said, recalling her earlier display of anger. But there was a calm expression on her face. “
Oui
actually,” he admitted with a smile.

She smiled back at him. “I’ve learned a lot from spying on my sisters.”

“Both your sisters?” Eliezer had heard rumors about Meir’s virility, something to do with a magic mirror, and he’d seen Joheved and Meir embrace passionately on occasion. “I’d have called Miriam and Judah a couple of cold fish.”

“I don’t mean Miriam and Judah, I mean Miriam and Benjamin, the one she was betrothed to first.”

“Oh.” Eliezer sighed, sadly remembering his brother’s best friend. But the afternoon’s events had been too wonderful for him to think about death, and when his intended asked him what he thought of today’s Talmud lesson, he deliberately gave an answer she’d be sure to contradict.

 

Sure that the footsteps coming up the steps belonged to her husband, Miriam rolled over so the light from the open door wouldn’t wake her fully. She didn’t mind him coming home so late. While she was
niddah
during the Hot Fair, Judah could stay up studying every night. But instead of opening, there was a soft knock on the door.

“Mistress Miriam,” the maidservant Jeanne whispered. “Cresslin is here for you. His wife needs you tonight.”

It was about time, Miriam thought, as she quickly dressed and headed downstairs. Muriel looked big enough to burst. “Is my aunt still asleep?” she asked Jeanne.

“
Oui
. Shall I wake her?”

“
Non
, let her sleep.” Miriam took up her midwife’s basket and headed for the door. “I’ll send for her if I need her.”

Cresslin was waiting outside with a lamp, not that they needed it. During the fair seasons Count Thibault kept torches burning throughout the city streets at night. They had only gone a block when she saw Judah coming toward her, accompanied by Meir, Shemayah, and her father.

“I don’t know what time I’ll be back,” she said.

“I understand,” Judah replied. “If you’re not back in the morning, I’ll have breakfast with Papa and be extra quiet when I return from synagogue for
disner
.”

She hurried off to Muriel’s, her face burning as she heard Shemayah say, “Between her delivering babies all night and him staying out studying, those two will still be barren when the Hot Fair closes.”

Muriel’s front door opened as they approached, and one of the servants took Miriam’s cloak. Climbing upstairs to the lying-in chamber, Miriam tried to shake off memories of the previous time she’d been there. There was a stack of ferns waiting outside the door, and Miriam saw that the room was already prepared. The walls were chalked against Lillit, and both Muriel’s birth amulet and her husband’s tefillin were hanging on the bedstead. A sweet smell came from the fennel scattered among the rushes.

“Her water broke just before Matins,” Muriel’s sister said.

Conscious of Muriel’s female relatives watching her, Miriam slowly examined the pregnant woman. Were they even now wishing that Aunt Sarah had come?

“Her womb is not yet open,” Miriam said. “But that usually happens quickly when a mother already has children.”

Something tugged at her mind, and she again ran her hands over the huge belly, probing gently here and there. Miriam could feel her throat tighten as her excitement grew. Forcing herself to remain calm, she continued her examination until she was almost certain.

She stood up and addressed Muriel. “Cresslin needs to go out again and get my aunt.” She quickly smiled at the worried women. “I believe there are two babies to be born tonight.”

Miriam sent her mind back to the barn at Ramerupt, to the hundreds of twin lambs she’d delivered. As long as neither baby was sideways, she should be able to handle the birth. And it felt like at least one head was pointed down.

By the time Sarah arrived, a head was clearly visible whenever Muriel had a contraction. The experienced midwife congratulated Miriam on her acumen; Muriel was indeed having twins. “If you don’t mind, Miriam, I’ll let you continue from here.” Sarah leaned back on the bench and closed her eyes.

By the time the bells tolled Prime, Muriel’s womb was completely open and her pains were coming very fast. When Muriel cried out that she needed to push, Miriam threw some rosemary on the brazier to sweeten the air, and soon the first baby’s head was in her hands.

“It’s a daughter for you,” she said, handing the small but well-formed child to Aunt Sarah to slap.

Miriam reached up to check its twin and feeling a foot, took a deep breath. If this had been a lamb, she would simply have grabbed the other foot and pulled. But with a woman maybe she should try to turn the baby around.

She looked questioningly at her aunt. “I have a leg.”

“We have a little time,” Sarah said. “Try to shove it back in; now that the first child is out, this one may have room to turn. But if the foot is still down when Muriel needs to push again, then take its fellow and draw the baby out.”

Aunt Sarah didn’t say it, but Miriam knew she had to be careful that turning the baby didn’t crush or tangle its cord. However, luck was with them, and though the second baby refused to turn, Miriam was able to find both feet and guide him into the world.

For this one was a boy, and soon the room was filled with sounds of babies crying and women jabbering. Miriam sagged into Aunt Sarah’s arms and sobbed with relief. She had asked for help, but she had delivered both babies herself.

When mother and infants were cleaned up and settled, Miriam finally came downstairs, where she was surprised to find Judah and a group of swarthy strangers in turbans among those praying for Muriel and the twins.

“When Cresslin came to get Sarah and I heard there were twins, I thought they would need more prayers than usual,” Judah said. “So I brought along the Eastern merchants I study with in the morning. They all get up early anyway.”

“
Merci
, Judah. That was very diligent of you.” Miriam knew he would appreciate the comparison to Ben Azzai, whom the Talmud considered the exemplar of diligence.

 

Salomon suspected nothing unusual when his wife announced a month later that she needed to speak to him. Trying to decide if they could afford new garments for Rosh Hashanah, he set aside several responsa inquiries when Rivka walked into the salon. But when Rachel, Joheved, and Miriam followed her, it became clear that new clothing was not her objective.

“Isn’t it strange that nobody has approached you about marrying Rachel?” Rivka’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “After all, Joheved was younger at her betrothal, and that was before you became rosh yeshiva.”

“With Joheved we had to act promptly. For who knew if Meir’s family would wait or if another such offer would appear. But with Rachel there’s no need for haste.”

The truth, Salomon suddenly realized, was that he wanted to delay for his own sake. He couldn’t abide the thought of anyone taking her away from him. The longer Salomon waited, the longer Rachel would stay his little girl.

Rachel stepped forward. “But surely some men at the Hot Fair have asked for me, Papa?”

“
Oui
.” Unwilling to meet her gaze, he began to sort through the letters before him. “Several approached me last summer, but I refused to betroth one daughter at the same time I was marrying off another.”

“That was wise of you.” Rivka surprised him with her support, until she continued, “But you should have told me.”

“So what about this year?” Miriam asked.

“Rachel is still young.” Why was he feeling uncomfortable, the way a deer must feel as hunters stalk it?

“What about Eliezer ben Shemiah?” Joheved tried to sound nonchalant. “Meir tells me that he was among the first to ask for her last year.”

“Oy, Eliezer.” Salomon sighed. “His brother did approach me, but surely you can’t expect Rachel to marry him. Look at the way they fight all the time.”

“But I like fighting with him, Papa.” Rachel’s voice was as sweet as honey. “And I think I’d like to marry him, too.”

It was as though she had stabbed him in the heart. Meir and Judah studied Torah because they loved it, but not Eliezer. He studied because he couldn’t abide somebody knowing things he did not. And Salomon was sure that he wanted to marry Rachel from the same competitive motive. Not because he cared for her. “But Rachel, dearest Rachel, don’t you see that he only wants to marry you because you’re beautiful and because your father is the rosh yeshiva?”

“I think you’re wrong, Papa,” Miriam said. “Maybe you can’t see it because you’re her father, but the way his eyes follow her, the way his face lights up when she enters the room ...”