as my companion broke off, staring into the fire, obviously reliving the moment in her mind. ‘Dame Jacquetta?’ I leaned forward and gently touched her arm.
‘What?’ She jumped and turned a blank face towards me. Then understanding flowed back and she apologized.
‘I’m sorry, lad. I was lost in my own thoughts … What happened, you want to know. Well, I’ll tell you. My brother started to laugh, that’s what happened. Nathaniel sat down in his chair again and laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. “You minx! You baggage!” he kept on saying to Eris. Then he grabbed her away from Tom and pulled her down on his knee. “You’re not going to marry her, my boy,” he said. “
I
am!” One of the twins, I remember, started to laugh, a loud, embarrassed sort of laugh, and the rest of us smiled feebly thinking it was either a very poor joke, or Nathaniel’s way of ridiculing Tom. We were all feeling shocked and someone, Petronelle I think, shouted, “You can’t do that, Thomas!” Though why she thought he would attend to anything she said, I’ve no idea. And, of course, he didn’t even hear her. He was staring at his father, absolutely transfixed.’
‘So when did you realize that your brother was serious?’ I asked.
‘Almost immediately. Nathaniel stopped laughing and just stared at us all until he had reduced us to silence. Then he said quite quietly, “You’re wrong if you think I’m funning. Eris promised to be my wife only this morning.” He kissed her cheek. “Tell them, my girl. Go on, don’t be scared. I won’t let them hurt you.”
Scared!
’ Jacquetta’s lips very nearly disappeared and she breathed heavily. ‘That hussy wasn’t scared! She just smiled serenely at us and said, “It’s true. I’m going to marry the Master. I’m sorry, Tom, but I didn’t think you’d be going down to the Roman Sandal today or I’d have told you earlier. You’d better try to make your peace with Rosamund.”’
Jacquetta rubbed a hand wearily across her forehead before continuing. ‘As you can imagine, Tom went wild. He caught hold of her wrists and pulled her off his father’s lap, then put both hands round Nathaniel’s throat and tried to strangle him. If Ned and the boys hadn’t managed to drag him away, it would have been a hanging matter. Tom would have killed him, I’m sure of that. But Ned and the twins had no sooner released him than he turned on Eris and tried to throttle her instead. Ned had to haul him off again, by which time Tom had begun to come to his senses. He tore himself free and flung himself away towards the outside door, cursing both his father and Eris. It was shocking to hear, but I don’t know that any of us blamed him. “May your soul rot in Hell this very night!” I remember him shouting at Eris, and then he rushed out into the storm.
‘Petronelle started shouting at Eris, too. “Go home!” she kept screaming. “You slut! You scheming little whore! Go home and tell your mother! We’ll see what Maud has to say about it!” Ned told her to be quiet. He was still attending to Nathaniel, who was very white and shaken, but beginning to come round; enough at any rate to tell us that if we didn’t like his choice of bride, we could all leave his house on the instant.’
‘And you … and Mistress Merryman …’ I suggested hesitantly, ‘Did you say anything?’
Jacquetta looked a little sheepish. ‘Probably,’ she admitted at length. ‘Although exactly what, I can’t remember. Petronelle was still yelling at Eris to go home. I went over to calm her down because I thought her in danger of having hysterics. I could understand why, of course. She could see that if my brother and Eris Lilywhite had a child, a son especially, Nathaniel was going to play God with Ned’s and the twins’ inheritance. Ned wouldn’t be able to call his soul his own: he’d be under constant threat of being cut out of his father’s will unless he obeyed every order to
‘What?’ She jumped and turned a blank face towards me. Then understanding flowed back and she apologized.
‘I’m sorry, lad. I was lost in my own thoughts … What happened, you want to know. Well, I’ll tell you. My brother started to laugh, that’s what happened. Nathaniel sat down in his chair again and laughed until the tears ran down his cheeks. “You minx! You baggage!” he kept on saying to Eris. Then he grabbed her away from Tom and pulled her down on his knee. “You’re not going to marry her, my boy,” he said. “
I
am!” One of the twins, I remember, started to laugh, a loud, embarrassed sort of laugh, and the rest of us smiled feebly thinking it was either a very poor joke, or Nathaniel’s way of ridiculing Tom. We were all feeling shocked and someone, Petronelle I think, shouted, “You can’t do that, Thomas!” Though why she thought he would attend to anything she said, I’ve no idea. And, of course, he didn’t even hear her. He was staring at his father, absolutely transfixed.’
‘So when did you realize that your brother was serious?’ I asked.
‘Almost immediately. Nathaniel stopped laughing and just stared at us all until he had reduced us to silence. Then he said quite quietly, “You’re wrong if you think I’m funning. Eris promised to be my wife only this morning.” He kissed her cheek. “Tell them, my girl. Go on, don’t be scared. I won’t let them hurt you.”
Scared!
’ Jacquetta’s lips very nearly disappeared and she breathed heavily. ‘That hussy wasn’t scared! She just smiled serenely at us and said, “It’s true. I’m going to marry the Master. I’m sorry, Tom, but I didn’t think you’d be going down to the Roman Sandal today or I’d have told you earlier. You’d better try to make your peace with Rosamund.”’
Jacquetta rubbed a hand wearily across her forehead before continuing. ‘As you can imagine, Tom went wild. He caught hold of her wrists and pulled her off his father’s lap, then put both hands round Nathaniel’s throat and tried to strangle him. If Ned and the boys hadn’t managed to drag him away, it would have been a hanging matter. Tom would have killed him, I’m sure of that. But Ned and the twins had no sooner released him than he turned on Eris and tried to throttle her instead. Ned had to haul him off again, by which time Tom had begun to come to his senses. He tore himself free and flung himself away towards the outside door, cursing both his father and Eris. It was shocking to hear, but I don’t know that any of us blamed him. “May your soul rot in Hell this very night!” I remember him shouting at Eris, and then he rushed out into the storm.
‘Petronelle started shouting at Eris, too. “Go home!” she kept screaming. “You slut! You scheming little whore! Go home and tell your mother! We’ll see what Maud has to say about it!” Ned told her to be quiet. He was still attending to Nathaniel, who was very white and shaken, but beginning to come round; enough at any rate to tell us that if we didn’t like his choice of bride, we could all leave his house on the instant.’
‘And you … and Mistress Merryman …’ I suggested hesitantly, ‘Did you say anything?’
Jacquetta looked a little sheepish. ‘Probably,’ she admitted at length. ‘Although exactly what, I can’t remember. Petronelle was still yelling at Eris to go home. I went over to calm her down because I thought her in danger of having hysterics. I could understand why, of course. She could see that if my brother and Eris Lilywhite had a child, a son especially, Nathaniel was going to play God with Ned’s and the twins’ inheritance. Ned wouldn’t be able to call his soul his own: he’d be under constant threat of being cut out of his father’s will unless he obeyed every order to
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