Red Rose, White Rose by Hickson Joanna

Author:Hickson, Joanna [Hickson, Joanna]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9780007447022
Publisher: Harper
Published: 2014-12-04T08:00:00+00:00

25

Ludlow Castle, September – October 1450

Cicely

I cannot deny that I had left Ireland agitated, fearful and exhausted, desperate to return to England and to check on the health and wellbeing of my two elder sons. Having Hilda back at my side restored my equilibrium and allowed me to admit that the relationship between myself and Richard had been on the verge of disintegrating. We had been in urgent need of a break from each other. Looking back I am guilt-struck by my marital disloyalty but the fact remains that one day at the end of September, while out riding with Hilda and my four oldest children I admired the sun shining on the golden stubble fields along the valley of the River Teme and suddenly realized that I had not felt so alive and energetic for years. When I remarked on this, Hilda made an observation which gave me pause for thought.

‘Little George will be one year old next month and you are not yet expecting again, Cicely,’ she said. ‘Perhaps that is why you feel so well. I do not believe you have had more than three or four months’ break from pregnancy since Edward was born.’

I gazed ahead at the four children. Edward had cantered along the river, followed by Anne, Edmund and Elizabeth, to a place where cattle had trodden a slope down the bank for drinking and there they had waded in, their ponies hock deep so that they could bend down from the saddle and splash each other, shrieking with laughter as they did so. Two grooms stood sentinel in case of accidents but were content to let the youngsters frolic in the warm autumn sunshine while the patient ponies dropped their heads and took the opportunity to drink. I recalled when baby Henry had died and I had come to believe that I would never carry a living son. Now, God be praised, I had my two strapping lads and little George, as well as three healthy girls; enough for any noble dynasty. But I could never forget the sons I had lost and the bitter heartache endured in grieving over their tiny corpses. The recent break from childbearing had been a break as well from the dread of another such tragedy. And there was no escaping the fact that it had only been achieved by putting the Irish Sea between Richard and me.

‘I hope that by starting late I will not be quite so fecund,’ added Hilda with a wry smile.

I halted my horse and stared at her. ‘You are pregnant?’

‘I am,’ declared Hilda gaily, not drawing rein but adding over her shoulder, ‘You are not the only one who can achieve it, my lady!’

I spurred my horse to catch her up. ‘Congratulations!’ I cried. ‘Please feel at liberty to take over the birthing role entirely. When is the baby due?’

‘I assure you we did not anticipate the wedding, so I should think sometime in April. I shall need all your expert advice.’

‘Get a good midwife is my advice.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.