the marriage held in all
haste so that Raymond may the sooner leave for Gascony.”
Alys did not reply, and Elizabeth reached out and took her
hand. “I have always loved you, Alys,” Elizabeth said then. “Partly because you
were William’s child and partly because I never had a daughter. I know you love
Raymond, and yet you are not happy. Do you grieve at leaving your father and
your familiar place?”
“No.” There was no hesitation in that response. “I will miss
Papa, but…no. Now that I am sure he will not be lonely, I do not regret leaving,
nor leaving Marlowe. I always knew Marlowe was not mine.”
“You do not fear coupling, do you?” Elizabeth asked. “You
are small and may have some pain at first, but—”
“I am not afraid of pain,” Alys snapped, and then her eyes
clouded. “Not my own pain, but… Elizabeth, do you think I am fit to be Raymond’s
wife?”
“Fit? What can you mean?”
Mutely Alys drew her stepmother into Raymond’s chamber and
opened the clothing chest, from which she drew several items of court dress.
They were of striking magnificence, a soft leather belt all chased with gold
wire and studded with sapphires, a tunic all woven with gold thread in graceful
arabesques and embroidered at neck and wrists with more gold and small gems and
pearls, and a surcoat of brilliant blue velvet, cut and sheared so that acorns
and oak leaves of gold showed brilliant against the darker sheen of the cloth.
Neckband and fronts, hem and armbands, were again lavish with gold and gems.
“You mean that Raymond is rich, and we are not?” Elizabeth
asked. “But he knew that.”
“No, not the wealth. As you say, Raymond knew, and it seems
that I will be a richer prize than either of us thought anyway. But this
clothing shows the state in which he lives.”
“Alys, you have just lived in such a state yourself—”
“And I hated it,” Alys interrupted. “No, that is not true.
It was pleasant enough for the time we were at court, but if I had to live like
that always, I soon would hate it. I know I will burst into some speech or
action that will shame Raymond dreadfully. He would be hurt.”
“No, I think not, Alys. You are too clever for that. No one
is on show always. Queen Eleanor pisses and shits like the rest of us, and
doubtless quarrels with her husband and her servants, also. Merely, she does
not do so in company. Well, neither do you. When you are alone with your
husband, you may say and do what you like.”
“And what am I to do the rest of the time? Listen to
lovesick lyrics and twanging lutes?”
Elizabeth frowned at her thoughtfully. “I am not sure, my
dear, but I think you should trust Raymond. Ask him what you can do to help.
Tell him the truth, that idleness does not agree with you. As to the manners
you must use, you need only watch carefully and take your behavior from that of
the other ladies. Even if you think them silly, you must do things their way.
You are the stranger, and you cannot expect everyone to change for you. Is this
what you fear?”
“No, only that Raymond will be ashamed when I seem vulgar.”
At that Elizabeth smiled. “You need not fear that! He will
not notice, or if he should, he is so besotted he will think your way more
charming. It is only for your sake that I tell you to match yourself to your
new family and friends. And remember, you have a ready defense. You are a stranger. No one will know whether your difference is owing to your English
upbringing or to the simplicity of your father’s station in the past. But do
not defend your way. Do not always say, ‘We did it this way.’ There is no right
or wrong way to do a thing, so long as it is done well.”
“Is it worth it to change my whole life?” Alys asked.
“I cannot tell you that, dearling,” Elizabeth replied
softly. “You know you may change your mind if you wish. Your papa will even be
glad if you do. Do you wish to live without Raymond?”
“No!”
“But that is
haste so that Raymond may the sooner leave for Gascony.”
Alys did not reply, and Elizabeth reached out and took her
hand. “I have always loved you, Alys,” Elizabeth said then. “Partly because you
were William’s child and partly because I never had a daughter. I know you love
Raymond, and yet you are not happy. Do you grieve at leaving your father and
your familiar place?”
“No.” There was no hesitation in that response. “I will miss
Papa, but…no. Now that I am sure he will not be lonely, I do not regret leaving,
nor leaving Marlowe. I always knew Marlowe was not mine.”
“You do not fear coupling, do you?” Elizabeth asked. “You
are small and may have some pain at first, but—”
“I am not afraid of pain,” Alys snapped, and then her eyes
clouded. “Not my own pain, but… Elizabeth, do you think I am fit to be Raymond’s
wife?”
“Fit? What can you mean?”
Mutely Alys drew her stepmother into Raymond’s chamber and
opened the clothing chest, from which she drew several items of court dress.
They were of striking magnificence, a soft leather belt all chased with gold
wire and studded with sapphires, a tunic all woven with gold thread in graceful
arabesques and embroidered at neck and wrists with more gold and small gems and
pearls, and a surcoat of brilliant blue velvet, cut and sheared so that acorns
and oak leaves of gold showed brilliant against the darker sheen of the cloth.
Neckband and fronts, hem and armbands, were again lavish with gold and gems.
“You mean that Raymond is rich, and we are not?” Elizabeth
asked. “But he knew that.”
“No, not the wealth. As you say, Raymond knew, and it seems
that I will be a richer prize than either of us thought anyway. But this
clothing shows the state in which he lives.”
“Alys, you have just lived in such a state yourself—”
“And I hated it,” Alys interrupted. “No, that is not true.
It was pleasant enough for the time we were at court, but if I had to live like
that always, I soon would hate it. I know I will burst into some speech or
action that will shame Raymond dreadfully. He would be hurt.”
“No, I think not, Alys. You are too clever for that. No one
is on show always. Queen Eleanor pisses and shits like the rest of us, and
doubtless quarrels with her husband and her servants, also. Merely, she does
not do so in company. Well, neither do you. When you are alone with your
husband, you may say and do what you like.”
“And what am I to do the rest of the time? Listen to
lovesick lyrics and twanging lutes?”
Elizabeth frowned at her thoughtfully. “I am not sure, my
dear, but I think you should trust Raymond. Ask him what you can do to help.
Tell him the truth, that idleness does not agree with you. As to the manners
you must use, you need only watch carefully and take your behavior from that of
the other ladies. Even if you think them silly, you must do things their way.
You are the stranger, and you cannot expect everyone to change for you. Is this
what you fear?”
“No, only that Raymond will be ashamed when I seem vulgar.”
At that Elizabeth smiled. “You need not fear that! He will
not notice, or if he should, he is so besotted he will think your way more
charming. It is only for your sake that I tell you to match yourself to your
new family and friends. And remember, you have a ready defense. You are a stranger. No one will know whether your difference is owing to your English
upbringing or to the simplicity of your father’s station in the past. But do
not defend your way. Do not always say, ‘We did it this way.’ There is no right
or wrong way to do a thing, so long as it is done well.”
“Is it worth it to change my whole life?” Alys asked.
“I cannot tell you that, dearling,” Elizabeth replied
softly. “You know you may change your mind if you wish. Your papa will even be
glad if you do. Do you wish to live without Raymond?”
“No!”
“But that is
Similar Books
