shall not care who does, little twin. Which one are you? How can people tell you from your sister? What fun you must have.’
‘Yes,’ said Bersaba, ‘we do.’
‘I do not think I should care to have someone so like myself,’ said Carlotta. ‘I like to be different … no one like me … all by myself … unique.’
‘We have our differences,’ I said. ‘It is in our natures.’
‘One is the saint and one the sinner, I believe,’ said Carlotta.
‘That could be true,’ said Bersaba.
‘And which is which?’
‘Our mother says that no person is all bad, none all good. So we shouldn’t be so neatly divided,’ I said.
‘How you quote your mother!’ said Carlotta contemptuously. ‘You will have to learn your own lessons from life, won’t you? Is the old man watching us now, do you think?’
‘It may be,’ said Bersaba. ‘I have sometimes seen him at a window watching.’
Carlotta turned and looked up at the Seaward Tower. She clenched her fist and shook it.
Again we were horrified, and seeing this she laughed at us.
‘Let us ride,’ she said. ‘I have a fancy to see the countryside.’
‘We are not allowed to ride alone,’ said Rozen.
‘We shall not be alone. There are five of us.’
‘We are girls, so we have to take some grooms with us.’
‘What could happen to us?’
‘We could be set upon by robbers.’
‘Who would take our purses,’ said Gwenifer.
‘Or worse,’ added Rozen.
‘Rape?’ said Carlotta with that strange laughter in her voice.
‘I think that is what they fear.’
‘We could elude them,’ said Carlotta. ‘Come, we are taking no grooms with us.’
‘And if we are robbed or …’ began Rozen.
‘Then we shall have gained in experience,’ answered Carlotta. ‘Let us change into our riding-habits.’
‘You have yours with you?’ asked Rozen.
‘My dear cousin … for I suppose we are related in a way, since your grandfather was my grandmother’s husband, and “cousin” covers these complicated relationships. So, dear cousin, let me tell you that the pack horses brought our clothes and there are plenty of them, for my mother said the fashions here at Castle Paling will not be of the latest and your English ones of course could not compare with those of Spain.’
‘I believe the fashions at Court are quite splendid,’ said Rozen warmly.
‘Gaudy, no doubt,’ said Carlotta, ‘and I suppose that could be called splendid here. But let us change and then you can show me the countryside.’
As we went to our rooms to change Bersaba said to me: ‘I don’t like her, Angelet. I wish they hadn’t come.’
‘You don’t know her,’ I insisted.
‘I know enough.’
‘How can you in such a short time? You’re thinking of Grandfather and what he said.’
‘He’s right. She’s going to bring trouble … they both are.’
When we met in the stables Carlotta looked at us somewhat scornfully. I supposed our riding-habits with their safeguards were not very attractive. Her outfit was beautifully cut to enhance her tall willowy figure and the black riding-hat became her well.
She mounted the horse she had arrived on and she stood out among us all. As we were preparing to ride out Bastian rode in.
He smiled and his eyes came to rest on Carlotta.
‘Are you going riding?’ he asked. ‘Take two of the grooms with you.’
‘We are not taking grooms,’ retorted Carlotta.
‘Oh but …’
‘There are five of us,’ said Carlotta.
‘But you should …’
She shook her head, still smiling at him, and he could not take his eyes from her face.
‘I’ll come with you,’ he said.
‘It is as you wish,’ she answered.
And we all rode out together.
Bersaba brought her horse up and rode beside Bastian. Then Carlotta was there and Bastian was between them.
Carlotta talked about the countryside and Bastian told her of the quaint customs of the people and the crops that were grown.
I did not think she was very interested in that, but she
‘Yes,’ said Bersaba, ‘we do.’
‘I do not think I should care to have someone so like myself,’ said Carlotta. ‘I like to be different … no one like me … all by myself … unique.’
‘We have our differences,’ I said. ‘It is in our natures.’
‘One is the saint and one the sinner, I believe,’ said Carlotta.
‘That could be true,’ said Bersaba.
‘And which is which?’
‘Our mother says that no person is all bad, none all good. So we shouldn’t be so neatly divided,’ I said.
‘How you quote your mother!’ said Carlotta contemptuously. ‘You will have to learn your own lessons from life, won’t you? Is the old man watching us now, do you think?’
‘It may be,’ said Bersaba. ‘I have sometimes seen him at a window watching.’
Carlotta turned and looked up at the Seaward Tower. She clenched her fist and shook it.
Again we were horrified, and seeing this she laughed at us.
‘Let us ride,’ she said. ‘I have a fancy to see the countryside.’
‘We are not allowed to ride alone,’ said Rozen.
‘We shall not be alone. There are five of us.’
‘We are girls, so we have to take some grooms with us.’
‘What could happen to us?’
‘We could be set upon by robbers.’
‘Who would take our purses,’ said Gwenifer.
‘Or worse,’ added Rozen.
‘Rape?’ said Carlotta with that strange laughter in her voice.
‘I think that is what they fear.’
‘We could elude them,’ said Carlotta. ‘Come, we are taking no grooms with us.’
‘And if we are robbed or …’ began Rozen.
‘Then we shall have gained in experience,’ answered Carlotta. ‘Let us change into our riding-habits.’
‘You have yours with you?’ asked Rozen.
‘My dear cousin … for I suppose we are related in a way, since your grandfather was my grandmother’s husband, and “cousin” covers these complicated relationships. So, dear cousin, let me tell you that the pack horses brought our clothes and there are plenty of them, for my mother said the fashions here at Castle Paling will not be of the latest and your English ones of course could not compare with those of Spain.’
‘I believe the fashions at Court are quite splendid,’ said Rozen warmly.
‘Gaudy, no doubt,’ said Carlotta, ‘and I suppose that could be called splendid here. But let us change and then you can show me the countryside.’
As we went to our rooms to change Bersaba said to me: ‘I don’t like her, Angelet. I wish they hadn’t come.’
‘You don’t know her,’ I insisted.
‘I know enough.’
‘How can you in such a short time? You’re thinking of Grandfather and what he said.’
‘He’s right. She’s going to bring trouble … they both are.’
When we met in the stables Carlotta looked at us somewhat scornfully. I supposed our riding-habits with their safeguards were not very attractive. Her outfit was beautifully cut to enhance her tall willowy figure and the black riding-hat became her well.
She mounted the horse she had arrived on and she stood out among us all. As we were preparing to ride out Bastian rode in.
He smiled and his eyes came to rest on Carlotta.
‘Are you going riding?’ he asked. ‘Take two of the grooms with you.’
‘We are not taking grooms,’ retorted Carlotta.
‘Oh but …’
‘There are five of us,’ said Carlotta.
‘But you should …’
She shook her head, still smiling at him, and he could not take his eyes from her face.
‘I’ll come with you,’ he said.
‘It is as you wish,’ she answered.
And we all rode out together.
Bersaba brought her horse up and rode beside Bastian. Then Carlotta was there and Bastian was between them.
Carlotta talked about the countryside and Bastian told her of the quaint customs of the people and the crops that were grown.
I did not think she was very interested in that, but she
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