enough to make one tunic each of different colors.
Edwina shook her head over this piece of extravagance for she wondered what Leah would do when they started to wear. You could not patch different-colored garments from each other. It was true that Lord Radnor promised generously, but Leah should know that men were not so generous after another woman had taken their fancy. Well, Leah had to learn some things the hard way, and after offering her advice, she allowed the girl to make her own choice.
For the bliauts, the sleeveless, wide-skirted, low-necked dress that laced up the side to fit the figure, Leah chose a deep mossy green wool, heavy and warm but soft as a kitten's fur, and similar pieces of cloth in a rich, warm brown, dark mustard, and tawny orange. She looked longingly at a deep red and deep blue, but her mother held them up against her and said that those colors made her look faded. For summer wear, lighter-coloured linens and wools were selected.
While Leah was engaged in this business, her mother had been in conference with the merchant. "Come here, child," she called when Leah, selection completed, stood sighing with repletion. "Do you like this cloth?"
Leah gaped. Never in her whole life had she seen anything so gorgeous. It was a pale silver green brocaded silk, embroidered throughout with silver thread. "Oh!" Leah gasped, perfectly speechless, "oh!"
"For your wedding gown, Leah, and you may use it for great occasions at court also."
Leah touched the cloth with reverent fingers. Such things had only been known in England for a few years. The men who had gone on the First Crusade, a hundred years before, had brought some back and now such cloth together with silks of lesser value and the precious and rare velvet cloth came regularly into the lands to the south—lands whose romantic names were the only things about them that Leah knew—Italy, Sicily, and Spain.
From there the cloth traveled slowly north through Europe until, finally, it reached England. Ordinarily a piece of such value would not be displayed at a country fair; it was meant for the great markets of London, but Edwina had asked for something very special and the merchant felt it worthwhile to take the chance of displaying his better wares.
"Then we will take it at the price of twelve marks." Edwina spoke in a firm voice, for she had bargained for a long time before she had a price she considered reasonable. The merchant had whined and expostulated at great length; actually he was well pleased. In London he would have had to sell to another cloth seller who would have paid far less than Edwina.
"Let us go now, Leah. We were to meet your father at noon and it is nearly that time now."
"Mother, I have not chosen the cloth for Lord Radnor's gown."
"Well, be quick." Edwina had grown colder and colder as the weeks passed to any mention of her future son-in-law, for his name brought a glow to Leah's whole countenance that not even discreetly lowered eyes could hide.
"There is a nice piece of dark blue wool of good quality. Take that. It will make up well and wear well." It was hard to hide the impatience in her voice, and Edwina felt a faint pang of conscience as Leah looked at her, puzzled and hurt.
"No," Leah said slowly, unused to acting against her mother's advice but determined to have what was best for her lord. "I do not think that color would become him." She wandered around the booth with the merchant in anxious attendance.
"Ah," she cried finally, "there, that is what I want."
The merchant drew in his breath softly and lifted down a bolt of the heaviest and finest velvet made. If he sold this too, he could leave his apprentice to dispose of the rest of the lot and return to Italy for more stock. Never had Eardisley been so profitable. This was going to be a great wedding. The cloth spread on the trestle used for a counter glowed with the same color and life as Leah's great ruby. She lifted a fold and put it against her
Edwina shook her head over this piece of extravagance for she wondered what Leah would do when they started to wear. You could not patch different-colored garments from each other. It was true that Lord Radnor promised generously, but Leah should know that men were not so generous after another woman had taken their fancy. Well, Leah had to learn some things the hard way, and after offering her advice, she allowed the girl to make her own choice.
For the bliauts, the sleeveless, wide-skirted, low-necked dress that laced up the side to fit the figure, Leah chose a deep mossy green wool, heavy and warm but soft as a kitten's fur, and similar pieces of cloth in a rich, warm brown, dark mustard, and tawny orange. She looked longingly at a deep red and deep blue, but her mother held them up against her and said that those colors made her look faded. For summer wear, lighter-coloured linens and wools were selected.
While Leah was engaged in this business, her mother had been in conference with the merchant. "Come here, child," she called when Leah, selection completed, stood sighing with repletion. "Do you like this cloth?"
Leah gaped. Never in her whole life had she seen anything so gorgeous. It was a pale silver green brocaded silk, embroidered throughout with silver thread. "Oh!" Leah gasped, perfectly speechless, "oh!"
"For your wedding gown, Leah, and you may use it for great occasions at court also."
Leah touched the cloth with reverent fingers. Such things had only been known in England for a few years. The men who had gone on the First Crusade, a hundred years before, had brought some back and now such cloth together with silks of lesser value and the precious and rare velvet cloth came regularly into the lands to the south—lands whose romantic names were the only things about them that Leah knew—Italy, Sicily, and Spain.
From there the cloth traveled slowly north through Europe until, finally, it reached England. Ordinarily a piece of such value would not be displayed at a country fair; it was meant for the great markets of London, but Edwina had asked for something very special and the merchant felt it worthwhile to take the chance of displaying his better wares.
"Then we will take it at the price of twelve marks." Edwina spoke in a firm voice, for she had bargained for a long time before she had a price she considered reasonable. The merchant had whined and expostulated at great length; actually he was well pleased. In London he would have had to sell to another cloth seller who would have paid far less than Edwina.
"Let us go now, Leah. We were to meet your father at noon and it is nearly that time now."
"Mother, I have not chosen the cloth for Lord Radnor's gown."
"Well, be quick." Edwina had grown colder and colder as the weeks passed to any mention of her future son-in-law, for his name brought a glow to Leah's whole countenance that not even discreetly lowered eyes could hide.
"There is a nice piece of dark blue wool of good quality. Take that. It will make up well and wear well." It was hard to hide the impatience in her voice, and Edwina felt a faint pang of conscience as Leah looked at her, puzzled and hurt.
"No," Leah said slowly, unused to acting against her mother's advice but determined to have what was best for her lord. "I do not think that color would become him." She wandered around the booth with the merchant in anxious attendance.
"Ah," she cried finally, "there, that is what I want."
The merchant drew in his breath softly and lifted down a bolt of the heaviest and finest velvet made. If he sold this too, he could leave his apprentice to dispose of the rest of the lot and return to Italy for more stock. Never had Eardisley been so profitable. This was going to be a great wedding. The cloth spread on the trestle used for a counter glowed with the same color and life as Leah's great ruby. She lifted a fold and put it against her
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