Johane followed hurriedly with,
“Sed libera nos a malo”
—But free us from evil—and crossed themselves in an uneven flurry.
Outside, Domina Alys and Master Porter’s voices rose into a greater height of rage. Sister Emma, Sister Amicia, and Sister Cecely, giving up completely to their laughter, collapsed into their seats. Frevisse and the others escaped the choir and then the church with more haste than grace, stood briefly together in the cloister walk looking at each other with nothing to be said, and then went their ways.
Frevisse, with a curiosity she admitted to, went to learn how it had fared between Joice and Benet but realized as she paused outside the open door to Lady Eleanor’s room that he was still there, saying earnestly, “… three manors. They’re none of them large, but all of them are good. You’d have one for your dower…”
Wooing her with properties, Frevisse guessed. Something he should have tried first, instead of yesterday’s stupidity.
She scratched lightly on the door frame and Margrete came to let her in as Lady Eleanor, Joice, and Benet all turned to look at who had come. Lady Eleanor was seated in one of the chairs, her embroidery frame in front of her and turned a little toward the window, away from the room in a polite pretense of leaving Joice and Benet alone, while Joice was seated in the other chair, across the room from her, with Benet standing uncomfortably in front of her. She might be willing to listen to him but she was not going to make it easy for him.
Seeing him there, quite obviously scrubbed and neatened, Frevisse thought what a pity it was he had not troubled to let Joice see him this way before: a not uncomely young man with a very real longing to win her liking.
“Should I come back later?” she asked.
“No!” Joice sprang to her feet before Lady Eleanor could say anything. “Please stay. Sit here!”
“Thank you but no,” Frevisse declined graciously. It was not her place to come between them and Domina Alys’ purpose. “I’ll keep Lady Eleanor company instead. Pray, go on,” she urged.
Neither of them much looked as if they wanted to go on, but she passed them to join Lady Eleanor beside the window and they had no choice. Warily they faced each other again, trying to find another thread of conversation to follow.
Lady Eleanor, watching them circumspectly from the corner of her eyes, smiled. “She isn’t making it easy for him.”
“Nor for herself,” Frevisse said. Equally trying to seem she was not watching them, she sat down on the window seat.
“If she did, he’d likely be suspicious. He’s not a fool, is young Benet.” Lady Eleanor’s smile deepened. “Only foolish. And weren’t we all when we were young, one way or another?”
“Too true,” Frevisse agreed. To her surprise she found she was wishing Benet well, however his present foolishness turned out. “If nothing else, he’s learning now that more than liking goes into love. Unfortunately, it’s at Joice’s cost.”
“Unfortunately for both of them,” Lady Eleanor said mildly.
With a smile and nod of agreement, Frevisse turned a little away, toward the window, to stop watching them. In the yard below, a goodly number of Sir Reynold’s men were idling on guest-hall steps and around the well. She looked to be sure there were no priory servants idling among them, then looked more intently at the group beside the well, half rising to her feet to see them better. The whorled glass of the small panes blurred what she saw, but someone was there who did not seem to be either one of Sir Reynold’s men or anyone of the priory. As she looked, there was a burst of laughter and scattered clapping among the men around him, and he rose to his feet and bowed with a wide sweep of his arm, acknowledging them. Frevisse stood completely up.
“Is something wrong?” Lady Eleanor asked.
“No. Only there’s someone new come down there. I should go see he’s been taken care
“Sed libera nos a malo”
—But free us from evil—and crossed themselves in an uneven flurry.
Outside, Domina Alys and Master Porter’s voices rose into a greater height of rage. Sister Emma, Sister Amicia, and Sister Cecely, giving up completely to their laughter, collapsed into their seats. Frevisse and the others escaped the choir and then the church with more haste than grace, stood briefly together in the cloister walk looking at each other with nothing to be said, and then went their ways.
Frevisse, with a curiosity she admitted to, went to learn how it had fared between Joice and Benet but realized as she paused outside the open door to Lady Eleanor’s room that he was still there, saying earnestly, “… three manors. They’re none of them large, but all of them are good. You’d have one for your dower…”
Wooing her with properties, Frevisse guessed. Something he should have tried first, instead of yesterday’s stupidity.
She scratched lightly on the door frame and Margrete came to let her in as Lady Eleanor, Joice, and Benet all turned to look at who had come. Lady Eleanor was seated in one of the chairs, her embroidery frame in front of her and turned a little toward the window, away from the room in a polite pretense of leaving Joice and Benet alone, while Joice was seated in the other chair, across the room from her, with Benet standing uncomfortably in front of her. She might be willing to listen to him but she was not going to make it easy for him.
Seeing him there, quite obviously scrubbed and neatened, Frevisse thought what a pity it was he had not troubled to let Joice see him this way before: a not uncomely young man with a very real longing to win her liking.
“Should I come back later?” she asked.
“No!” Joice sprang to her feet before Lady Eleanor could say anything. “Please stay. Sit here!”
“Thank you but no,” Frevisse declined graciously. It was not her place to come between them and Domina Alys’ purpose. “I’ll keep Lady Eleanor company instead. Pray, go on,” she urged.
Neither of them much looked as if they wanted to go on, but she passed them to join Lady Eleanor beside the window and they had no choice. Warily they faced each other again, trying to find another thread of conversation to follow.
Lady Eleanor, watching them circumspectly from the corner of her eyes, smiled. “She isn’t making it easy for him.”
“Nor for herself,” Frevisse said. Equally trying to seem she was not watching them, she sat down on the window seat.
“If she did, he’d likely be suspicious. He’s not a fool, is young Benet.” Lady Eleanor’s smile deepened. “Only foolish. And weren’t we all when we were young, one way or another?”
“Too true,” Frevisse agreed. To her surprise she found she was wishing Benet well, however his present foolishness turned out. “If nothing else, he’s learning now that more than liking goes into love. Unfortunately, it’s at Joice’s cost.”
“Unfortunately for both of them,” Lady Eleanor said mildly.
With a smile and nod of agreement, Frevisse turned a little away, toward the window, to stop watching them. In the yard below, a goodly number of Sir Reynold’s men were idling on guest-hall steps and around the well. She looked to be sure there were no priory servants idling among them, then looked more intently at the group beside the well, half rising to her feet to see them better. The whorled glass of the small panes blurred what she saw, but someone was there who did not seem to be either one of Sir Reynold’s men or anyone of the priory. As she looked, there was a burst of laughter and scattered clapping among the men around him, and he rose to his feet and bowed with a wide sweep of his arm, acknowledging them. Frevisse stood completely up.
“Is something wrong?” Lady Eleanor asked.
“No. Only there’s someone new come down there. I should go see he’s been taken care
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