Honey had often said to me: “Edward is a good man.”
She was right.
I did not accompany them to the winter parlor naturally; I went back to my bedroom, where Jennet had returned to her task of putting my clothes away.
“Oh, Mistress Catharine,” she said, “do you think the master’ll find a place for him?”
“He does not seem to me to be fitted for hard labor in the fields and that is what will be looked for at this time of year.”
“He did look a real gentleman,” said Jennet, smoothing my fly cape. “They make handsome men in the North.”
“You are far too interested in men, Jennet,” I said severely.
“Oh, but they’m interesting folk, Mistress.”
“I should warn you. You know full well what can happen to girls who don’t take good care of themselves.”
“Oh, Mistress, you be thinking of the sailors. Them that’s here today and gone tomorrow. If this young Richard Rackell do come he’s here to stay, and what he does will have to be answered for.”
“Jennet, I have noticed that you are inclined to invite attention.”
“Oh, Mistress.” She flushed deeply and giggled.
I went on severely: “And if this young man should be fortunate enough to be given work here you would do well to wait until he shows interest in you before you betray yours in him.”
“’Tis but a boy, Mistress,” said Jennet, her eyes sparkling, and I was angry with her because I knew that she was comparing the young Richard Rackell with Captain Pennlyon.
It was typical of Edward that he should find a place for Richard Rackell in the household. He came into the solarium where Honey and I sat together, she embroidering, I idly watching her, and sat down with us.
He said: “I’ve put him into the stables. They need an extra groom, though how he will fit in I don’t know. He has not the appearance of a groom, but he certainly has a way of handling horses. In time we’ll find something else for him. My opinion is that he would make an excellent scribe, though I have no need of a scribe.”
Honey smiled at her husband over her needle; she was always tender and gentle with him; he, of course, adored her. She looked beautiful with her needle poised thus and a quiet, dreamy look of contentment on her face.
“Let him serve in the stables then,” said Honey. “And if something other should arise he will be there to take it.”
“A pleasant young man,” said Edward. “Of some education, I believe.”
“He speaks with a strange accent,” I added.
“That is because he comes from the North. Their speech is oft so different from our own that it can be difficult to understand it.”
“One can understand Richard well enough.”
“Oh, yes, but he is a young man not without education … not the sort who normally come knocking at the doors begging for work.”
“He is reticent, Jennet tells me. She has lost no time in making his acquaintance.”
Edward cleared his throat and said, “Thomas Elders will be visiting us at the end of the week.”
Honey paused slightly, her needle poised. I knew that remark had made her a little uneasy.
I wanted to tell them both that they had nothing to fear from me. I would not betray what I knew, which was that Thomas Elders was a priest who traveled from one Catholic household to another, that he came as a guest who was said to be an old friend of some member of the household; and that during his stay in the house he heard confession and celebrated Mass; and at the same time ran the risk of incurring the Queen’s displeasure for himself and for the members of that household he visited.
He had been once before. I had thought little of his coming then although I had quickly assessed the purpose of it.
Everyone was expecting a more tolerant attitude toward religion with the new reign and indeed it could not be more severe than the last, but that extreme tolerance had not yet come; the Queen had her reasons and so did her ministers. It was, to say the least, unwise to
She was right.
I did not accompany them to the winter parlor naturally; I went back to my bedroom, where Jennet had returned to her task of putting my clothes away.
“Oh, Mistress Catharine,” she said, “do you think the master’ll find a place for him?”
“He does not seem to me to be fitted for hard labor in the fields and that is what will be looked for at this time of year.”
“He did look a real gentleman,” said Jennet, smoothing my fly cape. “They make handsome men in the North.”
“You are far too interested in men, Jennet,” I said severely.
“Oh, but they’m interesting folk, Mistress.”
“I should warn you. You know full well what can happen to girls who don’t take good care of themselves.”
“Oh, Mistress, you be thinking of the sailors. Them that’s here today and gone tomorrow. If this young Richard Rackell do come he’s here to stay, and what he does will have to be answered for.”
“Jennet, I have noticed that you are inclined to invite attention.”
“Oh, Mistress.” She flushed deeply and giggled.
I went on severely: “And if this young man should be fortunate enough to be given work here you would do well to wait until he shows interest in you before you betray yours in him.”
“’Tis but a boy, Mistress,” said Jennet, her eyes sparkling, and I was angry with her because I knew that she was comparing the young Richard Rackell with Captain Pennlyon.
It was typical of Edward that he should find a place for Richard Rackell in the household. He came into the solarium where Honey and I sat together, she embroidering, I idly watching her, and sat down with us.
He said: “I’ve put him into the stables. They need an extra groom, though how he will fit in I don’t know. He has not the appearance of a groom, but he certainly has a way of handling horses. In time we’ll find something else for him. My opinion is that he would make an excellent scribe, though I have no need of a scribe.”
Honey smiled at her husband over her needle; she was always tender and gentle with him; he, of course, adored her. She looked beautiful with her needle poised thus and a quiet, dreamy look of contentment on her face.
“Let him serve in the stables then,” said Honey. “And if something other should arise he will be there to take it.”
“A pleasant young man,” said Edward. “Of some education, I believe.”
“He speaks with a strange accent,” I added.
“That is because he comes from the North. Their speech is oft so different from our own that it can be difficult to understand it.”
“One can understand Richard well enough.”
“Oh, yes, but he is a young man not without education … not the sort who normally come knocking at the doors begging for work.”
“He is reticent, Jennet tells me. She has lost no time in making his acquaintance.”
Edward cleared his throat and said, “Thomas Elders will be visiting us at the end of the week.”
Honey paused slightly, her needle poised. I knew that remark had made her a little uneasy.
I wanted to tell them both that they had nothing to fear from me. I would not betray what I knew, which was that Thomas Elders was a priest who traveled from one Catholic household to another, that he came as a guest who was said to be an old friend of some member of the household; and that during his stay in the house he heard confession and celebrated Mass; and at the same time ran the risk of incurring the Queen’s displeasure for himself and for the members of that household he visited.
He had been once before. I had thought little of his coming then although I had quickly assessed the purpose of it.
Everyone was expecting a more tolerant attitude toward religion with the new reign and indeed it could not be more severe than the last, but that extreme tolerance had not yet come; the Queen had her reasons and so did her ministers. It was, to say the least, unwise to
Similar Books
