Page 44 of The Forsaken
Hugh laughed. “No, he was too young to play chess. Guy had some wooden pegs that he wanted me to stack for him. Assoon as I built a tower, Guy would knock it down. He seemed to find that particular pastime very amusing.”
“Will I be a page to a great lord?” Adam asked, dismissing Guy from his mind.
“When the time comes. Is that what you want?”
“I want to be a knight like my father. I want to fight and slay evil King Edward and regain the throne for our rightful king.”
“That’s a noble sentiment, Adam, but by the time you’re a knight, things might have changed somewhat. King Henry is an old man.”
“Then I’ll fight for his son,” Adam exclaimed, fired up. “I will avenge my father.”
“I’m sure Edward of Westminster will be glad of your support,” Hugh replied.
Adam nodded, as if confirming something to himself, and returned to the board, no longer interested in the conversation.
Hugh ruffled Adam’s dark hair affectionately and approached the ladies. He gave a courtly bow to Eleanor and smiled at Kate. “Will you oblige me by joining me at the writing desk for a moment, my sweet?” Hugh asked.
“Of course.” Kate rose to her feet, gladly setting aside the mending.
“I’m glad to see you two are getting to know each other,” Hugh commented, his gaze on Eleanor. “I hope Kate will be of some comfort to you in your grief.”
Eleanor nodded miserably as her eyes filled with tears. “I’m grateful for the company,” she mumbled.
Hugh rested his hand on the small of Kate’s back as he guided her toward the ornate desk situated beneath the window to capture the light. He was all smiles but had a purposeful look in hiseyes. She obediently took a seat behind the desk when Hugh asked her to.
He pulled out a sheet of paper from a drawer and handed her a quill. “I’d like you to write a letter to the Earl of Warwick. Invite him to our wedding.”
Kate gaped at him. She’d thought he wanted her to write to her father, to perhaps ask for forgiveness or more money, but this request came as a shock. “Hugh, I’ve never met Cousin Richard. Why would he want to come to our wedding? Surely he has more pressing business to attend to.”
Hugh smiled at her indulgently. “I don’t expect him to come,” he replied, all patience. “He will decline the invitation, or more accurately his lady will, but Her Grace might invite us to visit them in Westminster or even at Middleham Castle. You are kin, after all. And if you assure your kinsman that your future husband is his great admirer and wishes fervently to be of service, surely he can find some use for me.”
“Hugh, I really don’t think…” Kate began, but Hugh silenced her with a severe look.
“Write the letter, Kate. Thinking is not required.”
Kate cringed with embarrassment as she penned the letter, acutely aware of how sycophantic it sounded and how transparent her invitation was, but she could hardly refuse. Hugh had asked her to do it, and as of last night, he was her lord and master. Kate signed the letter with a flourish and handed it to Hugh, who reached for her hand and planted a kiss in her palm.
“Thank you, dearest. I’ll send a messenger to deliver this tomorrow, and I’ll have him stop off at Newcastle and ask Master Reynolds to pay us a visit,” Hugh said, his earlier pique forgotten.
“Who’s Master Reynolds?”
“He’s a cloth merchant. His wares are vastly superior to anything you can find in Berwick. We’re rather provincial here, onthe border, so it’s either Newcastle or Edinburgh if we desire quality goods.”
“Master Reynolds comes with an added benefit,” Eleanor interjected from her place by the hearth. “He brings his sister along, who’s skilled with a needle and has keen eyes. She’s made all my gowns since I married William.”
The gown Eleanor was wearing that evening was made of rich brown velvet and trimmed with fox pelt. The color combination brought out Eleanor’s lovely brown eyes and accentuated her fair hair and complexion. Mistress Reynolds was indeed gifted, but Kate had no desire for such finery.
“Two serviceable gowns will do, Hugh,” Kate objected. “I don’t require anything so fine.”
Hugh looked at Kate in surprise, as if seeing her for the first time. She supposed it was unusual for a woman not to wish for beautiful things, but she’d spent the last two years at a priory, preparing to take her vows. She’d renounced worldly goods and found it difficult to go back on her promise, especially when fashionable gowns exposed more flesh than she was comfortable showing after being covered from head to toe even when alone in her cell.
“Kate, I admire your sense of economy, but you can’t spend your days wearing a sack gown or my mother’s castoffs. You are to be my wife, and your appearance is a reflection on me and my place in the world. I might not be a great lord, like your father, but I won’t have my wife looking like a peasant. You’ll need several gowns, one suitable to be wed in and worn to an important occasion should one arise, and several for every day. And you’ll need new undergarments, stockings, several veils, and a new cloak. That thing you wear looks like a moth-eaten horse blanket. I’m probably forgetting something, but I’ve no doubt Eleanor will be more than happy to assist you. She knows what a woman of your station will require. Don’t you, Eleanor?”
“I’d be happy to help,” Eleanor replied demurely and cast a melancholy look in Hugh’s direction. She pouted prettily until Hugh finally caught on.
“And, of course, you must order a new gown for yourself, Eleanor. And whatever else you require,” he added. “Master Reynolds doesn’t come this way often, so we must take advantage of his visit.”
“Thank you, Hugh. I could do with a few things,” Eleanor replied, a small smile tugging at her full lips.
