prevent a love match as it brought so much.”
Catheryn looked approving. “That is indeed a good match; for both you, and her family. It is rare indeed to marry for love. When do you hope for children?”
Adeliza shrugged. “I do not expect it, although I certainly do hope. I think she is a little young to be a mother. She was but fourteen when they wed.”
“I do not know,” mused Catheryn. “I was near her age now when I was blessed with Annis.”
“Tell me about her,” said Adeliza. “I feel that I have spoken far too much about my brood.”
“I do not blame you.” Catheryn watched as Emma and Isabella pushed their plates aside, and they leaned together to whisper. “But really, there is not much to tell.”
“Nonsense – I know that every mother has almost too much to say about her children!”
Catheryn smiled unwillingly. “I suppose you are right. Annis is… I suppose she is a wilful child. She has long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and loves being in the kitchen, at the centre of any home.”
Adeliza looked shocked. “You – you let her serve you?”
“It is not as it seems,” Catheryn said hastily. “It is not that Annis is a servant, but more that she loves it… and who am I to deny her.”
“I agree with you there,” Adeliza said heavily. “It has never been in my power to refuse my children anything.”
Silence fell between them, but it was a comfortable one. Catheryn knew that she had to break it.
“Adeliza?”
“Yes?”
Catheryn swallowed. She knew that what she was about to say would probably end the friendly accord between herself and the mistress of the house, but there was no way that she could forgive herself if she did not speak now.
“I was hoping –”
“You know,” Adeliza interrupted, “I must apologise for my behaviour when you first arrived here. I am ashamed to admit that I saw you as more of a burden on my household than a blessing. Having you here brings greater scrutiny from the royal household and…” Her voice trailed off, but it regained its strength again. “And that is not always welcome.”
Catheryn opened her mouth to speak, but Adeliza put up a hand to stop her. A dark ruby ring encircled her middle finger.
“I know that you have done nothing to deserve the treatment that you and your people have suffered. But in these last few hours, you have become a wonderful mixture of friend and stranger to me. I hope,” Adeliza smiled nervously, “I hope we can continue to be friends.”
Catheryn was overwhelmed. “I don’t know what… I don’t know how to respond to that. That I have gained your faith and friendship – it is too much.”
The two women smiled at each other, but one of them knew that she had to speak up now, before it was too late. And so she did.
“Adeliza. I cannot hear you speak of our friendship without asking one great favour from you.”
The smile that covered her friend’s face fell slightly.
“Catheryn –”
“I know that what I ask is much,” Catheryn said in a rushed voice, “but I must ask. Can you help me… can you help me find my daughter?”
Adeliza looked at the woman sitting next to her. Still in the vigour of life, Catheryn unmistakably showed signs of difficult living. Grief was etched into the lines around her eyes, and there was a sadness in her mouth that never really left.
“Catheryn,” Adeliza said gently, placing a hand over her companion’s, “I know something of the pain that you feel, and if it is even half of that which I imagine, I know that it is agony. But I cannot help you. You forget. As much as our friendship may blossom and grow, you are still a prisoner here.”
Chapter Nine
Fitz dropped his head into his hands. The haze of voices around him washed over his sore head, with a few phrases managing to reach his tired mind despite himself.
“It simply cannot be –”
“It must be him, or I shall forbid it!”
Raising himself to attention once more, Fitz
Catheryn looked approving. “That is indeed a good match; for both you, and her family. It is rare indeed to marry for love. When do you hope for children?”
Adeliza shrugged. “I do not expect it, although I certainly do hope. I think she is a little young to be a mother. She was but fourteen when they wed.”
“I do not know,” mused Catheryn. “I was near her age now when I was blessed with Annis.”
“Tell me about her,” said Adeliza. “I feel that I have spoken far too much about my brood.”
“I do not blame you.” Catheryn watched as Emma and Isabella pushed their plates aside, and they leaned together to whisper. “But really, there is not much to tell.”
“Nonsense – I know that every mother has almost too much to say about her children!”
Catheryn smiled unwillingly. “I suppose you are right. Annis is… I suppose she is a wilful child. She has long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and loves being in the kitchen, at the centre of any home.”
Adeliza looked shocked. “You – you let her serve you?”
“It is not as it seems,” Catheryn said hastily. “It is not that Annis is a servant, but more that she loves it… and who am I to deny her.”
“I agree with you there,” Adeliza said heavily. “It has never been in my power to refuse my children anything.”
Silence fell between them, but it was a comfortable one. Catheryn knew that she had to break it.
“Adeliza?”
“Yes?”
Catheryn swallowed. She knew that what she was about to say would probably end the friendly accord between herself and the mistress of the house, but there was no way that she could forgive herself if she did not speak now.
“I was hoping –”
“You know,” Adeliza interrupted, “I must apologise for my behaviour when you first arrived here. I am ashamed to admit that I saw you as more of a burden on my household than a blessing. Having you here brings greater scrutiny from the royal household and…” Her voice trailed off, but it regained its strength again. “And that is not always welcome.”
Catheryn opened her mouth to speak, but Adeliza put up a hand to stop her. A dark ruby ring encircled her middle finger.
“I know that you have done nothing to deserve the treatment that you and your people have suffered. But in these last few hours, you have become a wonderful mixture of friend and stranger to me. I hope,” Adeliza smiled nervously, “I hope we can continue to be friends.”
Catheryn was overwhelmed. “I don’t know what… I don’t know how to respond to that. That I have gained your faith and friendship – it is too much.”
The two women smiled at each other, but one of them knew that she had to speak up now, before it was too late. And so she did.
“Adeliza. I cannot hear you speak of our friendship without asking one great favour from you.”
The smile that covered her friend’s face fell slightly.
“Catheryn –”
“I know that what I ask is much,” Catheryn said in a rushed voice, “but I must ask. Can you help me… can you help me find my daughter?”
Adeliza looked at the woman sitting next to her. Still in the vigour of life, Catheryn unmistakably showed signs of difficult living. Grief was etched into the lines around her eyes, and there was a sadness in her mouth that never really left.
“Catheryn,” Adeliza said gently, placing a hand over her companion’s, “I know something of the pain that you feel, and if it is even half of that which I imagine, I know that it is agony. But I cannot help you. You forget. As much as our friendship may blossom and grow, you are still a prisoner here.”
Chapter Nine
Fitz dropped his head into his hands. The haze of voices around him washed over his sore head, with a few phrases managing to reach his tired mind despite himself.
“It simply cannot be –”
“It must be him, or I shall forbid it!”
Raising himself to attention once more, Fitz
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