a tournament. A bridal tournament.” She skipped around the room.
“Stop this instant. Or I’ll be certain you have the dancing mania and will send for the physician.” Alyce hurried toward her. “Finish the tale. Penelope believed Odysseus would return, so she made the contest impossible for anyone but her beloved husband to win.”
Eleanor froze mid-step.
“Is that what you’re going to do, Eleanor?” Alyce asked, her voice softer than usual. “Set the bar so high only you can prevail? You are all the things you say Richard deserves. Are you but giving yourself time to see if you could care for him? Or if Arthur remains true?”
Slowly, Eleanor turned. Could Alyce be right? Of course not. “The only fair way to have Arthur is by providing an excellent new bride for Richard.”
“Didn’t Odysseus kill all the suitors after he won?” Alyce crossed her arms.
“’Tis like you to be absolutely literal,” Eleanor said.
“Plan or not, perhaps Arthur will prefer the bride Richard offered. How do you know he still wants to marry you?”
The question hung in the air like unwelcome fog.
“Arthur says I should accept Richard,” she admitted. “I don’t believe he means it.”
“Has Richard agreed to this lunatic scheme?”
The thought of discussing this with him made her uneasy. “I’m not sure he’ll need to. Once he meets the winner and sees how much better suited she is, the means of finding her won’t matter. Richard seems perfect in every way but two. He’s not Arthur, and he’s pursuing alchemy. Yes, he’s handsome. Yes, he seems honorable, kind, intelligent and many more good, manly things.” Including inspiring stirrings of what she had to admit was desire.” But I want to marry Arthur.”
“You sound like a spoiled child. I half expect you to stomp your foot.”
Eleanor stiffened. “I’m not upset over being denied a mere sweetmeat or toy. Mayhap I am a bit stubborn. Nay, persistent. I won’t give up on the one thing I’ve always wanted.”
“You’re a married woman now and have—”
“Here it comes. Your ‘I’m the younger but because I’m going to the Church wiser sister’ voice.” Eleanor hated when Alyce talked in that superior fashion. Because she was almost always right.
Alyce took her hands. “Sometimes we can’t have what we think we want. But then what we get is actually better. If you have faith, if you trust in God, perhaps what you must do can become what you truly want to do.”
Tears of frustration and sadness welled in Eleanor’s eyes. She kept her eyes open until a fat tear was ready to roll down her cheek. Then she blinked, sending the tear on its way.
What good timing.
Alyce smoothed back Eleanor’s hair. “Ellie, please don’t cry. I don’t agree with you, but if this is what you think is best, you know I’ll help.”
Eleanor bit her lip to keep from smiling. A surge of guilt erased her satisfaction when Alyce’s eyes also filled with tears.
“Promise me that for once you’ll carefully consider all of the consequences,” Alyce ordered. “What will happen if you fail? What if you succeed?”
“Stop fretting. ’Tis action that wins the day.”
At least she hoped so, for she had no answers to Alyce’s questions.
“You don’t have the satisfied smile a man should have the morn after his wedding. I saw the bloodied sheets,” Blanche said, resting her hand on Richard’s arm. “What could be amiss?”
She’d cornered him on his way to the great hall where guests gathered to break their fast. The clamor of conversation mixed with laughter.
He shook her hand free. “You’ve outstayed your purpose and your welcome.”
“Does your unpleasant disposition this morning reflect on her?”
Richard wouldn’t let her goad him, but she was right. He hated the emptiness he’d felt when he’d awoken and realized Eleanor wasn’t beside him. He’d quell such feelings and reinforce the armor around his heart. No sense caring for a
“Stop this instant. Or I’ll be certain you have the dancing mania and will send for the physician.” Alyce hurried toward her. “Finish the tale. Penelope believed Odysseus would return, so she made the contest impossible for anyone but her beloved husband to win.”
Eleanor froze mid-step.
“Is that what you’re going to do, Eleanor?” Alyce asked, her voice softer than usual. “Set the bar so high only you can prevail? You are all the things you say Richard deserves. Are you but giving yourself time to see if you could care for him? Or if Arthur remains true?”
Slowly, Eleanor turned. Could Alyce be right? Of course not. “The only fair way to have Arthur is by providing an excellent new bride for Richard.”
“Didn’t Odysseus kill all the suitors after he won?” Alyce crossed her arms.
“’Tis like you to be absolutely literal,” Eleanor said.
“Plan or not, perhaps Arthur will prefer the bride Richard offered. How do you know he still wants to marry you?”
The question hung in the air like unwelcome fog.
“Arthur says I should accept Richard,” she admitted. “I don’t believe he means it.”
“Has Richard agreed to this lunatic scheme?”
The thought of discussing this with him made her uneasy. “I’m not sure he’ll need to. Once he meets the winner and sees how much better suited she is, the means of finding her won’t matter. Richard seems perfect in every way but two. He’s not Arthur, and he’s pursuing alchemy. Yes, he’s handsome. Yes, he seems honorable, kind, intelligent and many more good, manly things.” Including inspiring stirrings of what she had to admit was desire.” But I want to marry Arthur.”
“You sound like a spoiled child. I half expect you to stomp your foot.”
Eleanor stiffened. “I’m not upset over being denied a mere sweetmeat or toy. Mayhap I am a bit stubborn. Nay, persistent. I won’t give up on the one thing I’ve always wanted.”
“You’re a married woman now and have—”
“Here it comes. Your ‘I’m the younger but because I’m going to the Church wiser sister’ voice.” Eleanor hated when Alyce talked in that superior fashion. Because she was almost always right.
Alyce took her hands. “Sometimes we can’t have what we think we want. But then what we get is actually better. If you have faith, if you trust in God, perhaps what you must do can become what you truly want to do.”
Tears of frustration and sadness welled in Eleanor’s eyes. She kept her eyes open until a fat tear was ready to roll down her cheek. Then she blinked, sending the tear on its way.
What good timing.
Alyce smoothed back Eleanor’s hair. “Ellie, please don’t cry. I don’t agree with you, but if this is what you think is best, you know I’ll help.”
Eleanor bit her lip to keep from smiling. A surge of guilt erased her satisfaction when Alyce’s eyes also filled with tears.
“Promise me that for once you’ll carefully consider all of the consequences,” Alyce ordered. “What will happen if you fail? What if you succeed?”
“Stop fretting. ’Tis action that wins the day.”
At least she hoped so, for she had no answers to Alyce’s questions.
“You don’t have the satisfied smile a man should have the morn after his wedding. I saw the bloodied sheets,” Blanche said, resting her hand on Richard’s arm. “What could be amiss?”
She’d cornered him on his way to the great hall where guests gathered to break their fast. The clamor of conversation mixed with laughter.
He shook her hand free. “You’ve outstayed your purpose and your welcome.”
“Does your unpleasant disposition this morning reflect on her?”
Richard wouldn’t let her goad him, but she was right. He hated the emptiness he’d felt when he’d awoken and realized Eleanor wasn’t beside him. He’d quell such feelings and reinforce the armor around his heart. No sense caring for a
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