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Authors: Posie Graeme-evans
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situation, yet there is good news at this time also, especially for your guardian. And that, in turn, will be good news for you, I am certain.’
He said it kindly, earnestly. Anne looked at him measuringly. ‘Now that is the second time you’ve hinted at something extraordinary, Master Caxton. Will you tell me this important news?’
William smiled broadly, happy to tell her. ‘News that we have long suspected is at last confirmed. Duke Charles is to marry again.’ He watched her closely as he spoke, but her face did not change. He was not a man who thought he understood women very well, but she seemed unaffected, emotionally, by the news. ‘Well then, I wish him and his new duchess much happiness.’ Anne was quite calm. ‘When will the marriage be celebrated?’
‘In the later summer, I understand.’
Anne’s breath was suddenly ragged; rage flushed through her. He was sharing remarkable trading information with her because it didn’t matter. She would not be permitted to join their guild, so being told of the wedding was merely pleasant gossip. She’d never profit from it.
‘And who is the bride, Master Caxton?’ She was proud of how detached she sounded.
William Caxton was delighted to tell her. ‘The Lady Margaret of England — sister to the king.’ Even now he couldn’t quite believe it — such remarkably good news! An English princess as the Duchess of Burgundy would massively strengthen the bonds of the English trading community to the court and all its wealth, its disposable wealth, in this previously hostile city.
‘Mistress, are you ill?’ All the colour had washed from Anne’s face. Her eyes were closed and she’d slumped against the embossed back of the chair. William, panicked, leant forward to pat her hand. Another moment — and he stroked her brow, touched her cheek, was about to gather her from the chair and call out ... when Anne spoke. ‘No, no, please I, I must have eaten something putrid. It was just a wave of ...’ She swallowed hard and opened her eyes, forcing herself to smile ‘There, see, it’s gone. Whatever it was.’
Margaret of York. Edward’s sister! Would Edward, King Edward —
her
Edward — come to Brugge to give his sister to Duke Charles in place of his dead father?
Would she see the king again?
‘Lady, you’re not well. Shall I ask for your maid?’
Anne laughed shakily. ‘No, Master Caxton. I am well, believe me. There, you see?’ She stood, suddenly filled with energy.
Now she was desperate for William to leave so that she could think and make plans — such plans — in private.
Caxton was astonished — truly women were odd creatures. Here was this girl, one minute fainting, the next pacing alaunt, a war-hound. It was curious, too curious — William Caxton was no fool.
‘Mistress, there is also the other matter of your personal happiness, as we began to discuss.’
Anne was finding it hard to be polite now. ‘Master Caxton, perhaps we could meet to talk again, if you would like that, in a day or so?’ She stopped pacing and looked at her guest, smiled at him, trying hard to soften the directness of her words.
‘But, Lady Anne, allow me to repeat how concerned we’ve been, my colleagues and I, about the case you find yourself in?’ Anne could not help it, she was sharp in response.
‘Case, sir?’
He looked slightly embarrassed. He could hear the edge in her tone. ‘Mistress, as I said to you, plainly you need a husband to protect you.’
‘Sir, you are not my father.’ She was flushed, hot; the one thing she could not control, even if her voice was low and carefully steady as she spoke.
‘No, mistress, that is true. But I speak as if I were since I am so much older than you.’ He laughed slightly to lighten the mood, so did she, to be polite. They both knew that in other circumstances — if his wife were not alive — he might have considered himself her suitor. That spark between them again.
‘Unscrupulous men covert
He said it kindly, earnestly. Anne looked at him measuringly. ‘Now that is the second time you’ve hinted at something extraordinary, Master Caxton. Will you tell me this important news?’
William smiled broadly, happy to tell her. ‘News that we have long suspected is at last confirmed. Duke Charles is to marry again.’ He watched her closely as he spoke, but her face did not change. He was not a man who thought he understood women very well, but she seemed unaffected, emotionally, by the news. ‘Well then, I wish him and his new duchess much happiness.’ Anne was quite calm. ‘When will the marriage be celebrated?’
‘In the later summer, I understand.’
Anne’s breath was suddenly ragged; rage flushed through her. He was sharing remarkable trading information with her because it didn’t matter. She would not be permitted to join their guild, so being told of the wedding was merely pleasant gossip. She’d never profit from it.
‘And who is the bride, Master Caxton?’ She was proud of how detached she sounded.
William Caxton was delighted to tell her. ‘The Lady Margaret of England — sister to the king.’ Even now he couldn’t quite believe it — such remarkably good news! An English princess as the Duchess of Burgundy would massively strengthen the bonds of the English trading community to the court and all its wealth, its disposable wealth, in this previously hostile city.
‘Mistress, are you ill?’ All the colour had washed from Anne’s face. Her eyes were closed and she’d slumped against the embossed back of the chair. William, panicked, leant forward to pat her hand. Another moment — and he stroked her brow, touched her cheek, was about to gather her from the chair and call out ... when Anne spoke. ‘No, no, please I, I must have eaten something putrid. It was just a wave of ...’ She swallowed hard and opened her eyes, forcing herself to smile ‘There, see, it’s gone. Whatever it was.’
Margaret of York. Edward’s sister! Would Edward, King Edward —
her
Edward — come to Brugge to give his sister to Duke Charles in place of his dead father?
Would she see the king again?
‘Lady, you’re not well. Shall I ask for your maid?’
Anne laughed shakily. ‘No, Master Caxton. I am well, believe me. There, you see?’ She stood, suddenly filled with energy.
Now she was desperate for William to leave so that she could think and make plans — such plans — in private.
Caxton was astonished — truly women were odd creatures. Here was this girl, one minute fainting, the next pacing alaunt, a war-hound. It was curious, too curious — William Caxton was no fool.
‘Mistress, there is also the other matter of your personal happiness, as we began to discuss.’
Anne was finding it hard to be polite now. ‘Master Caxton, perhaps we could meet to talk again, if you would like that, in a day or so?’ She stopped pacing and looked at her guest, smiled at him, trying hard to soften the directness of her words.
‘But, Lady Anne, allow me to repeat how concerned we’ve been, my colleagues and I, about the case you find yourself in?’ Anne could not help it, she was sharp in response.
‘Case, sir?’
He looked slightly embarrassed. He could hear the edge in her tone. ‘Mistress, as I said to you, plainly you need a husband to protect you.’
‘Sir, you are not my father.’ She was flushed, hot; the one thing she could not control, even if her voice was low and carefully steady as she spoke.
‘No, mistress, that is true. But I speak as if I were since I am so much older than you.’ He laughed slightly to lighten the mood, so did she, to be polite. They both knew that in other circumstances — if his wife were not alive — he might have considered himself her suitor. That spark between them again.
‘Unscrupulous men covert
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