for the chapel altar?’ The strength of her voice surprised her. God was co-operating for a change. The cloth was narrow, a fine linen, draped over the embroidery stand and folded carefully on the floor behind. The end on which Lady Pagnell was working depicted a knight in armour sitting astride a prancing chestnut horse with black mane and tail. The ground beneath the pair was a carpet of tiny flowers. The knight’s tabard was white with a large red cross, signifying a crusader.
‘It is for the chapel altar. On the other end is a cross-leggedknight. Though why I play to that foolishness I do not know.’ Lady Pagnell’s voice said otherwise.
‘Father’s wish to go crusading was not foolishness.’ Emma spoke sharply.
Lucie prayed that she and Gwenllian never grew so distant. ‘Sir Ranulf would be moved by your work, Lady Pagnell.’
‘You see, Emma? Lucie does not find me heartless.’
‘Do sit down,’ Emma said to Lucie, ‘and tell us about the fire last night.’
At last a subject of use to her. She settled beside Emma. ‘I would as lief not repeat what you already know. What have you heard? Was anyone from your household there?’
‘Matthew was out, but he missed the excitement,’ said Emma, glancing towards the table where the steward bent over his work. ‘It did not occur to him to come to the aid of the bishop.’
Now Matthew glanced up, his face moving from light to shadow so that Lucie could not see his expression, but his voice was quiet as he said, ‘There were so many people in the street I thought I would only be in the way.’
‘And right you were, of course, Matthew,’ said Lady Pagnell. ‘Emma, watch your tongue with my steward.’
‘Then he should be so good as to watch his with my servants.’
Mother and daughter locked eyes, both with high colour born of anger, not health. Lucie had never witnessed such discord in the Ferriby house. Something was very wrong, but she could not believe Emma’s suspicion, that the steward harboured hopes of winning Lady Pagnell. The Pagnells were too proud a family.
Lady Pagnell stabbed at the embroidery and pricked the finger she held beneath as a guide.
‘You should follow your own advice, Mother. “Never place your fingers beneath your needles. The frame makes that unnecessary.”’ Emma did a perfect imitation of her mother’s voice.
Lady Pagnell sat down on a stool beside the large frame and sucked her finger, pausing to say, ‘Really, Emma, you are acting the petulant child. This is not like you.’ She paused. ‘As for our household helping in the fire, Lucie, I regret to say we were dining quietly here. It was Stephen’s last night in the city.’
Stephen was Lady Pagnell’s eldest son, the heir. Emma often complained of her brother’s efforts to control all the family, so it seemed odd to Lucie that Stephen had departed for home before the negotiations with Wykeham had been completed. The manor was soon to be his own home.
‘Will he be returning to meet with the Bishop of Winchester?’ Lucie asked.
Lady Pagnell shook her head. ‘Stephen said as he has little knowledge of our neighbour he would leave it to Matthew and me to choose what might be acceptable. I must say I was disappointed. I should have welcomed my son’s guidance in this. I fear that I shall offer something too dear in exchange for the modest piece of property on which I wish to live. Stephen withdrew from the deliberations just to vex me.’
Emma had caught Lucie’s eye at the mention of Matthew and made a face as if to say, ‘You see?’
‘It is fertile land with a stream of clear water,’ said Lady Pagnell, ‘and it will require an equally pleasant and useful property to wrest it from that man’s clutches.’
‘He was good enough to contribute to Father’s outfitting,’ said Emma, ‘and he deserves a fair exchange. Stephen was in too much haste to return tohis Pippa.’ His wife was pregnant with her fifth child and could not make the
‘It is for the chapel altar. On the other end is a cross-leggedknight. Though why I play to that foolishness I do not know.’ Lady Pagnell’s voice said otherwise.
‘Father’s wish to go crusading was not foolishness.’ Emma spoke sharply.
Lucie prayed that she and Gwenllian never grew so distant. ‘Sir Ranulf would be moved by your work, Lady Pagnell.’
‘You see, Emma? Lucie does not find me heartless.’
‘Do sit down,’ Emma said to Lucie, ‘and tell us about the fire last night.’
At last a subject of use to her. She settled beside Emma. ‘I would as lief not repeat what you already know. What have you heard? Was anyone from your household there?’
‘Matthew was out, but he missed the excitement,’ said Emma, glancing towards the table where the steward bent over his work. ‘It did not occur to him to come to the aid of the bishop.’
Now Matthew glanced up, his face moving from light to shadow so that Lucie could not see his expression, but his voice was quiet as he said, ‘There were so many people in the street I thought I would only be in the way.’
‘And right you were, of course, Matthew,’ said Lady Pagnell. ‘Emma, watch your tongue with my steward.’
‘Then he should be so good as to watch his with my servants.’
Mother and daughter locked eyes, both with high colour born of anger, not health. Lucie had never witnessed such discord in the Ferriby house. Something was very wrong, but she could not believe Emma’s suspicion, that the steward harboured hopes of winning Lady Pagnell. The Pagnells were too proud a family.
Lady Pagnell stabbed at the embroidery and pricked the finger she held beneath as a guide.
‘You should follow your own advice, Mother. “Never place your fingers beneath your needles. The frame makes that unnecessary.”’ Emma did a perfect imitation of her mother’s voice.
Lady Pagnell sat down on a stool beside the large frame and sucked her finger, pausing to say, ‘Really, Emma, you are acting the petulant child. This is not like you.’ She paused. ‘As for our household helping in the fire, Lucie, I regret to say we were dining quietly here. It was Stephen’s last night in the city.’
Stephen was Lady Pagnell’s eldest son, the heir. Emma often complained of her brother’s efforts to control all the family, so it seemed odd to Lucie that Stephen had departed for home before the negotiations with Wykeham had been completed. The manor was soon to be his own home.
‘Will he be returning to meet with the Bishop of Winchester?’ Lucie asked.
Lady Pagnell shook her head. ‘Stephen said as he has little knowledge of our neighbour he would leave it to Matthew and me to choose what might be acceptable. I must say I was disappointed. I should have welcomed my son’s guidance in this. I fear that I shall offer something too dear in exchange for the modest piece of property on which I wish to live. Stephen withdrew from the deliberations just to vex me.’
Emma had caught Lucie’s eye at the mention of Matthew and made a face as if to say, ‘You see?’
‘It is fertile land with a stream of clear water,’ said Lady Pagnell, ‘and it will require an equally pleasant and useful property to wrest it from that man’s clutches.’
‘He was good enough to contribute to Father’s outfitting,’ said Emma, ‘and he deserves a fair exchange. Stephen was in too much haste to return tohis Pippa.’ His wife was pregnant with her fifth child and could not make the
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