Free The Squire’s Tale by Margaret Frazer Page A

safe here.”
     
    They were beyond the hedge-gap now, St. Frideswide’s lost to sight, and Frevisse, giving in to the curiosity, asked, “What changed to bring on this sudden leaving? From the way Master Fenner talked of it, I thought you’d be longer with us.”
     
    ‘So did I. But there’s been ongoing trouble over Lady Blaunche’s dower land from her second husband and it seems that all of a sudden the Allesleys and Master Fenner have finally both agreed on arbitration, to settle outside the courts if possible.“ She paused but so clearly with something more to say that Frevisse held silent until slowly Katherine went on, staring forward at her horse’s ears. ”From what Lady Blaunche says, the Allesleys have said they’re willing to consider my marrying their heir as part of the recompense Master Fenner would otherwise have to pay for them for having been wrongly kept from their land this while.“
     
    If Katherine was as wealthy an heiress as seemed likely, she had probably understood all of her life that her marriage would be something arranged for her, to one person or another’s profit, and Frevisse passed by the question of her marriage to,
“Have
the lands been wrongly kept?”
     
    Katherine looked up from her horse’s ears toward Lady Blaunche’s back. “Master Fenner says so, but Lady Blaunche”—Katherine dropped her voice even lower than it had been—“holds to her own way of seeing things.”
     
    Held to it come what may and in despite of everybody, Frevisse silently suspected and had the regretful thought that she was probably not going to like the trouble into which she was riding; but since there seemed no help for it, she might as well know more and asked, “Have you met this Allesley heir they’re thinking of for your husband?”
     
    ‘No.“
     
    A flat and simple statement that invited no other questions that way. Frevisse tried instead, “Is it much land in question?”
     
    That Katherine answered readily enough. “The smaller of the Northamptonshire manors.”
     
    ‘Master Fenner has others, then?“
     
    ‘One other in Northamptonshire and Brinskep where we’re going in Warwickshire. The one the Allesleys claim is the least of the three.“ Katherine hesitated, then said on a rush, ”And Master Fenner says it would be worth being rid of it for him not to be bothered over it anymore.“ Katherine turned her head to look at her, still remembering to keep her voice low as she went on, as if glad to say it out, ”The mother of Lady Blaunche’s second husband was married first to an Allesley. She had the manor of Northend for her dower from him. When she was widowed, she married again and had her only child, Sir Ralph, and inherited everything from his mother. But when she died, the dower land should have gone back to the Allesleys and instead Sir Ralph kept it and gave it to Lady Blaunche as her dower when they married and she’s kept it ever since, declaring it’s hers and that the Allesleys can go hang before they have it from her.“
     
    ‘She’s not pleased that her husband is trying to settle with them, then?“
     
    Katherine gave Lady Blaunche’s back a worried glance. “Not pleased in the least.”
     
    ‘But she brought the token from Master Fenner and you’re certain he’s sent for you?“
     
    As soon as she had asked it, Frevisse wished she had not because there was nothing to be gained by alarming the girl. But come to that, why had it even crossed her thoughts that there might be cause for alarm?
     
    But Katherine said without worry, “Oh, yes.”
     
    ‘Look!“ Mistress Avys exclaimed behind them. ”Blue sky!“
     
    There was a patch of it indeed and when that diversion was done, neither Frevisse nor Katherine took up their talk where it had been but rode silent save when Lady Blaunche or either of the waiting-women passed comments to them that must needs be answered, until somewhat late in the morning the road passed through Banbury’s