you must feel," Elizabeth said, sympathetically. "Your father and mine have much in common, which is doubtless why they are good friends. They understand one another."
"As do we, dear Lizzie," said Catherine. " Tis a pity they do not understand us as well. But then, they do not truly wish to understand. Men never do."
And thinking of her argument with Smythe, Elizabeth sighed and said, "No, it seems that they do not."
Chapter 3
GODFREY MIDDLETON'S STATELY, TURRETED STONE manor was elegant testimony to his success in business, thought Smythe as their little caravan turned up the winding road leading to the estate. It was dramatic evidence of how the world was changing, when a "new man" like Middleton could, with luck and industry, pull himself up by his own bootstraps and enter the new—and much despised by some—English middle class, though there was nothing at all middling about Middleton's estate.
Located a few miles to the west of Westminster, Middleton Manor overlooked the Thames, fronting on the river's north bank. The large river gate gave access to several terraced flights of wide stone steps that led up to the house, and it was this way that most of the wedding party would arrive during the grand nautical progress that was planned. Part of the duties of the Queen's Men, aside from putting on a play, would be to act as costumed greeters for the wedding guests, so they had been provided with a map drawn up especially for the occasion, showing the general layout of the estate, with instructions as to where their stage should be erected, as well as where the pavillions and the booths for the fair would be set up.
The house was set back a considerable distance from the road, on the crest of a gently sloping hill. The narrow, winding drive that led up to the imposing stone house from the main thoroughfare curved around a copse of good, stout English oaks and shrub thickets that hid a large pond from view from the road. They saw it as they came around the bend, where the road ran below and past the house for a short distance and then doubled back to the top of the hill, leading past lushly planted gardens and an elaborate maze with its tall hedges carefully clipped to perfection. As the road curved around the side of the house, leading towards the front entrance on the river side, it gave way to a cobblestoned plaza large enough for a coach to turn around.
Past the stables and some outbuildings, on the gentle slope to the east of the house, they could see the gayly striped and berib-boned pavillions for the wedding and, just beyond them, in the field, the stalls for the fair were being erected. Already, merchants were arriving and setting up their tables. Most came by boat, disembarking and unloading their goods at the ornately carved stone river gate, but others, eager for an opportunity to sell their wares to some of the wealthiest citizens of London, were braving the road in carts and wagons, taking their chances not only with highwaymen, but with the weather as well, which could easily render the road from the city impassable in the event of rain. The river was by far the preferable and most reliable way for most people to travel in the environs of London, but unfortunately, it would not serve a company of players setting out upon a wide-ranging tour of the surrounding countryside.
"Quite the hurly burly," Shakespeare said, as he observed all the activity. "That ground will be all churned up into mud by the time this festival is over. I do not envy the groundskeepers all the work that they shall have to do to put it right again."
"They shall doubtless merely plough it up for planting," Burbage said. "There shall not be too much damage, as this is only a small, private fair, a social event for the wedding guests alone," Dick Burbage said. "The merchants are allowed to participate by invitation only."
Smythe shook his head. "Even so, I should not wish to clean up after all of this. How many stalls and tents are
"As do we, dear Lizzie," said Catherine. " Tis a pity they do not understand us as well. But then, they do not truly wish to understand. Men never do."
And thinking of her argument with Smythe, Elizabeth sighed and said, "No, it seems that they do not."
Chapter 3
GODFREY MIDDLETON'S STATELY, TURRETED STONE manor was elegant testimony to his success in business, thought Smythe as their little caravan turned up the winding road leading to the estate. It was dramatic evidence of how the world was changing, when a "new man" like Middleton could, with luck and industry, pull himself up by his own bootstraps and enter the new—and much despised by some—English middle class, though there was nothing at all middling about Middleton's estate.
Located a few miles to the west of Westminster, Middleton Manor overlooked the Thames, fronting on the river's north bank. The large river gate gave access to several terraced flights of wide stone steps that led up to the house, and it was this way that most of the wedding party would arrive during the grand nautical progress that was planned. Part of the duties of the Queen's Men, aside from putting on a play, would be to act as costumed greeters for the wedding guests, so they had been provided with a map drawn up especially for the occasion, showing the general layout of the estate, with instructions as to where their stage should be erected, as well as where the pavillions and the booths for the fair would be set up.
The house was set back a considerable distance from the road, on the crest of a gently sloping hill. The narrow, winding drive that led up to the imposing stone house from the main thoroughfare curved around a copse of good, stout English oaks and shrub thickets that hid a large pond from view from the road. They saw it as they came around the bend, where the road ran below and past the house for a short distance and then doubled back to the top of the hill, leading past lushly planted gardens and an elaborate maze with its tall hedges carefully clipped to perfection. As the road curved around the side of the house, leading towards the front entrance on the river side, it gave way to a cobblestoned plaza large enough for a coach to turn around.
Past the stables and some outbuildings, on the gentle slope to the east of the house, they could see the gayly striped and berib-boned pavillions for the wedding and, just beyond them, in the field, the stalls for the fair were being erected. Already, merchants were arriving and setting up their tables. Most came by boat, disembarking and unloading their goods at the ornately carved stone river gate, but others, eager for an opportunity to sell their wares to some of the wealthiest citizens of London, were braving the road in carts and wagons, taking their chances not only with highwaymen, but with the weather as well, which could easily render the road from the city impassable in the event of rain. The river was by far the preferable and most reliable way for most people to travel in the environs of London, but unfortunately, it would not serve a company of players setting out upon a wide-ranging tour of the surrounding countryside.
"Quite the hurly burly," Shakespeare said, as he observed all the activity. "That ground will be all churned up into mud by the time this festival is over. I do not envy the groundskeepers all the work that they shall have to do to put it right again."
"They shall doubtless merely plough it up for planting," Burbage said. "There shall not be too much damage, as this is only a small, private fair, a social event for the wedding guests alone," Dick Burbage said. "The merchants are allowed to participate by invitation only."
Smythe shook his head. "Even so, I should not wish to clean up after all of this. How many stalls and tents are
Similar Books
