fire, feeling the chill descending on the gallery. “Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking this has nothing to do with Maud’s succession. I’ll wager that virago Ermintrude had a hand in this if the girl is a lady-in-waiting. But who is she, and why do they want to get her away from Westminster? I would have expected Henry to increase the number of Angevins at his court.”
They sat in silence for a long while as the shadows lengthened. A servant came to light the torches. Baudoin rose and stretched. “I am for my bed. Forgive me, I was lost in the memory of the tales Caedmon told us of Blythe’s days as lady-in-waiting to Maud when she was married to Emperor Heinrich. Blythe deemed her a selfish girl at the age of twelve.”
Mention of his half-uncle’s daughter only served to remind Gallien of the happiness she had found with her German husband, Dieter, years ago in Köln. It seemed even the children of the illegitimate branch of the family could find love. Blythe and Dieter had been married more than ten years.
Was he to be the only one denied love? It was unlikely this Angevin wench would bring anything but heartache. He resolved to steel his heart. If it shattered again, he would never recover.
~~~
Peri stepped back from the malodorous sluice where the slopboys disposed of the Palace’s waste into the River Thames. She had been fortunate to befriend a lad who insisted she not be the one to clean the chamber pot once it was emptied. If the stench clung to her after she left the place, at least it was not because any of the offensive material had splashed onto her.
To Peri’s relief, Lady Francine Beaujoie turned out to be the person with whom she shared a chamber. They helped each other dress and disrobe. Peri fretted that Alys and Francine’s maid were nowhere to be found. When they enquired of Ermintrude they were told in no uncertain terms that junior ladies-in-waiting were not entitled to maidservants.
Francine proved to be a stalwart friend, sharing potpourri filched from the laundry mistresses. Peri fashioned a sachet from muslin with a ribbon for her neck. Tucked into the cleavage of her breasts, the sachet of aromatic herbs and spices was hidden, but provided Peri with a reassurance she did not stink like a privy.
She was glad of it when a grim-faced Lady Ermintrude stepped in front of her as she was regaining the royal bedchamber. She clutched the chamber pot to her belly, thinking back through the events of the day, wondering what transgression she had committed. Had the dragon sensed she daydreamed of Geoffrey, far away in Anjou?
She missed him, missed his handsome face. He had behaved wrongly, impetuously, but it was because he craved her, nay perhaps even loved her. She grieved for him—doomed to wed Maud when he loved Peri. She knew the isolation of being a foreigner in this hostile Norman court. She felt his pain, his loneliness, his resentment at being made to do something he did not want to do.
She lowered her gaze as Ermintrude glowered at her. “ Bonjour, milady Ermintrude.”
The dragon wrinkled her nose. “You stink of the slop yard. King Henry has commanded your presence in the Throne Room. A tub has been sent to your chamber. You have one hour to bathe and dress in clean garments.”
To Peri’s further astonishment, the harridan grabbed the pot, shooed her away, and disappeared into the royal chamber.
Peri trembled, rooted to the spot. Why would King Henry summon the likes of her? Not for any good reason. Monarchs did not suddenly summon ladies-in-waiting, or anyone for that matter, unless they had done something dire.
Approaching voices jolted her from her reverie. One hour. She forced her feet to move in the direction of the chamber she shared with Francine. A bath. Something she had longed for. At least she would go to her fate clean and smelling sweetly.
~~~
As the palace guard prepared to push open the doors to the Throne Room, Peri adjusted the ribbon of the
They sat in silence for a long while as the shadows lengthened. A servant came to light the torches. Baudoin rose and stretched. “I am for my bed. Forgive me, I was lost in the memory of the tales Caedmon told us of Blythe’s days as lady-in-waiting to Maud when she was married to Emperor Heinrich. Blythe deemed her a selfish girl at the age of twelve.”
Mention of his half-uncle’s daughter only served to remind Gallien of the happiness she had found with her German husband, Dieter, years ago in Köln. It seemed even the children of the illegitimate branch of the family could find love. Blythe and Dieter had been married more than ten years.
Was he to be the only one denied love? It was unlikely this Angevin wench would bring anything but heartache. He resolved to steel his heart. If it shattered again, he would never recover.
~~~
Peri stepped back from the malodorous sluice where the slopboys disposed of the Palace’s waste into the River Thames. She had been fortunate to befriend a lad who insisted she not be the one to clean the chamber pot once it was emptied. If the stench clung to her after she left the place, at least it was not because any of the offensive material had splashed onto her.
To Peri’s relief, Lady Francine Beaujoie turned out to be the person with whom she shared a chamber. They helped each other dress and disrobe. Peri fretted that Alys and Francine’s maid were nowhere to be found. When they enquired of Ermintrude they were told in no uncertain terms that junior ladies-in-waiting were not entitled to maidservants.
Francine proved to be a stalwart friend, sharing potpourri filched from the laundry mistresses. Peri fashioned a sachet from muslin with a ribbon for her neck. Tucked into the cleavage of her breasts, the sachet of aromatic herbs and spices was hidden, but provided Peri with a reassurance she did not stink like a privy.
She was glad of it when a grim-faced Lady Ermintrude stepped in front of her as she was regaining the royal bedchamber. She clutched the chamber pot to her belly, thinking back through the events of the day, wondering what transgression she had committed. Had the dragon sensed she daydreamed of Geoffrey, far away in Anjou?
She missed him, missed his handsome face. He had behaved wrongly, impetuously, but it was because he craved her, nay perhaps even loved her. She grieved for him—doomed to wed Maud when he loved Peri. She knew the isolation of being a foreigner in this hostile Norman court. She felt his pain, his loneliness, his resentment at being made to do something he did not want to do.
She lowered her gaze as Ermintrude glowered at her. “ Bonjour, milady Ermintrude.”
The dragon wrinkled her nose. “You stink of the slop yard. King Henry has commanded your presence in the Throne Room. A tub has been sent to your chamber. You have one hour to bathe and dress in clean garments.”
To Peri’s further astonishment, the harridan grabbed the pot, shooed her away, and disappeared into the royal chamber.
Peri trembled, rooted to the spot. Why would King Henry summon the likes of her? Not for any good reason. Monarchs did not suddenly summon ladies-in-waiting, or anyone for that matter, unless they had done something dire.
Approaching voices jolted her from her reverie. One hour. She forced her feet to move in the direction of the chamber she shared with Francine. A bath. Something she had longed for. At least she would go to her fate clean and smelling sweetly.
~~~
As the palace guard prepared to push open the doors to the Throne Room, Peri adjusted the ribbon of the
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