A Winter's Knight by Fiona Neal

Author:Fiona Neal [Neal, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fiona Neal Books
Published: 2019-02-28T05:00:00+00:00

“What is your name, boy?”

“My name is Godwin, my lady.”

“Where are your parents, Godwin?” Alice asked.

“They are dead, my lady,” the boy said. “My uncle apprenticed me to the baker this year.”

“Did you cheat these people?”

“No, my lady,” The boy shook his head. “I just followed my master’s instructions,” the boy whispered.

“You were just following instructions?” she queried.

“Yes, my lady. I did exactly as my master ordered.”

“I am sorry you have to suffer this humiliation and the physical suffering, Godwin.”

The poor boy was covered with filth, and she took her handkerchief and wiped his face, fighting the nausea the odor caused.

Edmund approached with the mulled wine and gave it to Alice. She held the cup and put it to the shivering boy’s lips. Godwin drank all the warm liquid.

“Edmund, I think we could give this boy a place in the castle.”

“But we would have to pay his master.”

“I have money,” she said. “Please call him.”

Edmund called the baker. He was a large man, with a wide girth. He looked wily, and Alice got a bad feeling about the man. Nevertheless, she had to help this poor young man.

“What is your name?” Alice asked.

“My name is Edward,” the man said.

Alice did not like the man. He seemed brutish. Poor Godwin must has suffered under this man’s tutelage.

“Please take the funds and find another apprentice,” Alice said with authority. “I want this young man in my service.”

“He is a cheat,” my lady.

“Is he?” She glared at him.

“He was caught,” my lady, Edward replied.

“But he has learned the error of his ways.” She did not think it would be beneficial to accuse him to the crime of cheating. Alice just wanted to give the boy a chance at a decent, honorable life.

Alice gave the man more money, and he stared at it and said, “Thank you, my lady. The boy is now in your service.”

“I thank you,” she replied.

A serving woman from the castle was passing, and Alice called out to her. “Marjorie, please take this boy to the castle. Let him have a bath and a new suit of clothes. See that he is fed well. Then have him wait for us in my apartment. Do also inform his lordship that the boy is now in my service.”

“Yes, Lady Alice,” Marjorie said.

“Can you walk, Godwin?”

“I think so, my lady.” The boy staggered to his feet. He seemed unsteady.

Alice saw a man delivering wood. “You there,” she called out. “Take this woman and boy to De Winter Castle. She then gave the man some money.

The woodman stared at the money. Then he said, “Thank you, my lady.”

“You are welcome,” Alice said.

Likely, the man had never seen that much money at one time in his hand.

“Go now,” Alice told the man. “Edmund, would you please help me get into my saddle?”

Her new husband quickly helped her mount the lovely white mare.

Alice felt good about helping the boy, but she was not sure how Edmund felt. Furthermore, she had never been as assertive and as she had been a few moments ago.

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