to court! I must!” Her eyes were wild with open distress.
Rosamund remained seated. “Sit down, Philippa. I can see why the queen was concerned. You have lost all sense of proportion, and your behavior is out of control. I am not pleased with you, my daughter. What Giles FitzHugh did was childish, selfish, and thoughtless. He might have written his father of his decision before he returned home to announce it to one and all.”
“I lo-loved him!” Philippa began to weep.
“You barely knew him,” her mother replied bluntly. “You saw him first when you were ten and I took you to court to present you to the king and queen. A match was proposed that I did not decline, but neither did I accept. I said we must wait until you were older. By the time you returned to court Giles was on the continent studying. You have built up this romantic fantasy in your mind about Giles, Philippa. I suspect it is a good thing that Giles is not to be your husband, for I honestly doubt that he could live up to that dream lover.”
“Mama!” Philippa sniveled, “I never thought of him like that!”
“Didn’t you? Then he was absolutely not the man for you. A woman should lust after the man she is to wed. I might have been shy, but I could scarcely wait for your father to bed me. And believe me when I tell you that I lusted greatly after Patrick Leslie, and Logan Hepburn. Do you not remember the passion between Glenkirk and me?”
“I thought it wonderful, but odd,” Philippa admitted. “Most people do not love like that, mama. A good marriage is intended to improve your family’s connections and wealth, and for the purpose of procreating children. That is what the queen teaches the maids.”
“Does she?” Rosamund said. “Well, I suppose it must be enough for a princess of Aragon who weds a king of England. But it would not have been enough for me, nor should it be for you, Philippa.” She reached out and brushed the tears from her daughter’s cheek. “Giles has hurt you, my darling girl. Accept it, and then when your heart is once again content we will find you a young man you can love as I have loved the men in my life. You are no queen, Philippa. You are simply the heiress to Friarsgate.”
“You don’t understand,” Philippa said, drawing away from her mother. “I don’t want Friarsgate, mama. I don’t want to live here for the rest of my life. That was your dream. I love the court! I love the excitement, the pageantry, the intrigue, and the color. It is the center of the world, mama, and I want to be there forever!”
“You are upset, Philippa, and you do not understand what you are saying,” Rosamund said calmly. Not want Friarsgate? Certainly Philippa didn’t mean it. Of course she wanted Friarsgate. She was just distressed, and now was certainly not the time to discuss it. “I am sending to Otterly for Tom, and your sister Banon,” she said, turning the subject away from what was obviously an uncomfortable place for both of them.
“I hope Banon is cleaner than Bessie is. And better bred,” Philippa told her mother sourly. “How can you allow your daughter to run about barefoot and dirty, mama? She spends all of her days in the meadows with the sheep. I never found sheep to be of great interest. Does she not take lessons anymore with Father Mata?”
“She is far better read than you are, Philippa,” Rosamund said. “She is extremely proficient in several languages including Latin and Greek. She can speak Dutch, and German, which I certainly cannot.”
“Why would she speak Dutch and German, mama? French is a far more cultured tongue,” Philippa replied. “My French is much improved by my service at court. I know papa would be very proud, for he taught you to speak it. Who is there to teach Bessie such clumsy and coarse tongues?”
“Bessie is much interested in our wool business. She has accompanied me to the Netherlands twice. We have a factor in Amsterdam now who apprenticed his son to
Rosamund remained seated. “Sit down, Philippa. I can see why the queen was concerned. You have lost all sense of proportion, and your behavior is out of control. I am not pleased with you, my daughter. What Giles FitzHugh did was childish, selfish, and thoughtless. He might have written his father of his decision before he returned home to announce it to one and all.”
“I lo-loved him!” Philippa began to weep.
“You barely knew him,” her mother replied bluntly. “You saw him first when you were ten and I took you to court to present you to the king and queen. A match was proposed that I did not decline, but neither did I accept. I said we must wait until you were older. By the time you returned to court Giles was on the continent studying. You have built up this romantic fantasy in your mind about Giles, Philippa. I suspect it is a good thing that Giles is not to be your husband, for I honestly doubt that he could live up to that dream lover.”
“Mama!” Philippa sniveled, “I never thought of him like that!”
“Didn’t you? Then he was absolutely not the man for you. A woman should lust after the man she is to wed. I might have been shy, but I could scarcely wait for your father to bed me. And believe me when I tell you that I lusted greatly after Patrick Leslie, and Logan Hepburn. Do you not remember the passion between Glenkirk and me?”
“I thought it wonderful, but odd,” Philippa admitted. “Most people do not love like that, mama. A good marriage is intended to improve your family’s connections and wealth, and for the purpose of procreating children. That is what the queen teaches the maids.”
“Does she?” Rosamund said. “Well, I suppose it must be enough for a princess of Aragon who weds a king of England. But it would not have been enough for me, nor should it be for you, Philippa.” She reached out and brushed the tears from her daughter’s cheek. “Giles has hurt you, my darling girl. Accept it, and then when your heart is once again content we will find you a young man you can love as I have loved the men in my life. You are no queen, Philippa. You are simply the heiress to Friarsgate.”
“You don’t understand,” Philippa said, drawing away from her mother. “I don’t want Friarsgate, mama. I don’t want to live here for the rest of my life. That was your dream. I love the court! I love the excitement, the pageantry, the intrigue, and the color. It is the center of the world, mama, and I want to be there forever!”
“You are upset, Philippa, and you do not understand what you are saying,” Rosamund said calmly. Not want Friarsgate? Certainly Philippa didn’t mean it. Of course she wanted Friarsgate. She was just distressed, and now was certainly not the time to discuss it. “I am sending to Otterly for Tom, and your sister Banon,” she said, turning the subject away from what was obviously an uncomfortable place for both of them.
“I hope Banon is cleaner than Bessie is. And better bred,” Philippa told her mother sourly. “How can you allow your daughter to run about barefoot and dirty, mama? She spends all of her days in the meadows with the sheep. I never found sheep to be of great interest. Does she not take lessons anymore with Father Mata?”
“She is far better read than you are, Philippa,” Rosamund said. “She is extremely proficient in several languages including Latin and Greek. She can speak Dutch, and German, which I certainly cannot.”
“Why would she speak Dutch and German, mama? French is a far more cultured tongue,” Philippa replied. “My French is much improved by my service at court. I know papa would be very proud, for he taught you to speak it. Who is there to teach Bessie such clumsy and coarse tongues?”
“Bessie is much interested in our wool business. She has accompanied me to the Netherlands twice. We have a factor in Amsterdam now who apprenticed his son to
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