Free The Dragon and the Jewel by Virginia Henley Page A

sister. Isabella was the only one of that whole company who was not laughing. She was preoccupied, biting her lips, worried to death about something. Perhaps she didn’t approve of William giving away Marshalholdings. Perhaps she didn’t want William to take his wife away from Windsor to live with him. Something was wrong. Isabella’s food sat untouched. Of course, she misses her husband, Eleanor thought. He’s only returned from Ireland once in over a year.
    When the trestle tables were cleared everyone stretched his legs, and the company mingled happily as servants rubbed shoulders with royalty as if they did it every day of their lives.
    Eleanor dismissed everyone from her mind but William. She watched him with loving eyes as the cook proudly introduced him to her son, and the steward’s wife made her curtsy to him. He was such a fine man. He took a genuine interest in his people. He was deep in a serious conversation with his steward when he glanced up and caught her eyes on him. He immediately drew her to his side. “Eleanor, your steward has just been telling me of a dispute between one of your tenant farmers and a stockman. You will sit with me tomorrow while we hold a court. I’m sure there are many disputes that must be settled. I’ll show you how it’s done so that in the future you can sit in judgment yourself.”
    He was not treating her as a child, he was treating her as an equal. Her hopes soared.
    Isabella approached, nervously twisting a kerchief in her fingers. She seemed determined to attach herself to Eleanor, as if she was afraid to be alone. After quarter of an hour passed she said, “William, I think I should see that Eleanor gets to bed. The hour grows late.”
    William looked bemused. “Go away, Isabella, Eleanor and I are just getting to know each other. I’m sure I can see that she gets to bed. Bestow your prim, disapproving glances upon Richard, he seems in a reckless mood tonight.” William took Eleanor’s hand and they left the hall together.
    The steward’s wife said, “He’s besotted with her. I think it was a mistake to give them separate apartments.”
    “Don’t worry, the chambers I assigned adjoin each other, just in case his bed is cold to him,” the steward assured her, winking.
    “Trust a man to think of that.” She slapped his hand away from her bum cheek, but only playfully.
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    W hen the Earl of Pembroke entered his chambers with the countess on his arm, his squire Sir Walter had just lit a small fire to take the night’s chill from his lord’s rooms.
    “Oh, a fire … how lovely! If I could choose, I should always have a fire in my chamber.”
    “But you can choose,” William said, bemused. “Walter, build a fire in my lady’s chamber, then take yourself downstairs. The wine flows freely and the company is merry.”
    When they were alone William drew a chair to the fire for her. “Let’s be comfortable. Do you think you could handle a little more wine?”
    “Allow me to serve you, my lord. It would give me the greatest pleasure.”
    He stretched his long legs to the fire and his eyes followed her every move. He had seen her in three different outfits today, and each presented a different Eleanor to him. The black-and-white riding clothes had been striking, but at the same time had been cut to allow ease in mounting and dismounting. Her elegant black riding boots reached all the way to her knees beneath her skirts, showing him she was both practical and modest. This afternoon when she had stood in the orchard in thatpeach-colored creation he had thought her the prettiest girl in the world, and now as she came forward with the wine, the firelight caught the sheen of her dark velvet gown, which matched the glowing liquid in the crystal goblets. The sophisticated headdress with its fluttering veils and pearls made her look much older tonight, and William dared to hope that in another year perhaps she would be ready.
    “If we are