The Other Elizabeth

Chapter XV: March 1454

Chapter XV: March 1454

Little Easton, Essex, England

"Henry, why did you not tell me of such a splendid residence before?" I say in amazement, pulling off my gloves as we dismount from our horses, who are sweating from the weight of the saddlebags they both carry.

"Many repairs and improvements were underway." We have walked up the path to the sight of a very fine manor indeed, into a circular courtyard with many pedestals. A central fountain stands in front of an elongated house with bright, fresh wooden beams. The hedges about us are neatly trimmed, and to our left, stone steps lead down to the banks of a large pond.

The many adjacent red and white thatched outbuildings include a stable yard, from which two stable-hands rush to take our horses, and a small cottage, from which a man who presumably must be the steward hurriedly appears, doing up the buttons on his shirt and over his rather large belly.

"My apologies, my apologies. You must be Sir Henry and Dame Elizabeth." Henry and I quickly share a look, rather too embarrassed to correct him that Henry is not, indeed, a knight.

"I duly expected My Lady to greet you both; your lady mother must be coming. I shall take you inside and have your bags brought to your bedchamber." Henry and I share another glance, this time rather pained, for the steward did not say bedchambers- mayhap Lady Isabel did not know of the situation regarding our sleeping arrangements? Surely Henry would have mentioned it to Isabel? What should we do?

We follow him up through the door and walk inside to what must be the great hall, emblazoned all over with tapestries in gold thread baring the Bourchier arms, backed onto many different colours.

"Mother? Lady Mother?" Henry calls, looking about. We hear a pattering of feet and I inhale a deep breath as she appears, rather flushed, her eyes gleaming, her mouth smiling.

"Henry! Elizabeth! I bid you both welcome." She kisses Henry on the cheek, and we nod in deference to each other, unsure of how to behave after not having seen each other in so long. "I profusely apologise I did not greet you, thank you kindly William for showing them inside." I turn around, a stab of fear hitting my chest at the thought of William and his presence here. The steward, who must go by the name of William, bows and discretely takes leave. We pause until we hear the definitive sound of the front door closing, and I study My Lady. Can I put the past behind us, and look her in the eye?

"It is just I received some rather joyous news, but what of you, do you both fare well?" she says. We nod quickly.

"Your said news?" Henry prompts. We are still standing awkwardly, drenched in sweat from riding and rather weary, but Lady Isabel seems not to notice this in her flurry and fever of excitement as she hops from one foot to another.

"Of course, of course! Richard, my Richard has been made Protector and Defender of the Realm!" She holds the letter out for us to see. We widen our eyes. "He is king in all but name!" She says in a fervent, excited whisper. 

We sit down to dine at once, on carp caught from the lake and a fresh tun of Gascon wine, not caring for our aching bodies and travel-stained clothes, hunched over the letter.

"Whatever kind of illness is this that can have afflicted the king so he cannot wake?" I say, quite happy to make conversation with her, on this topic of utmost importance.

"The doctors who leech and bleed him know not either, but they must despair of his recovery so for the lords to elect my brother as ruler of the kingdom!"