The Lady's Keeper: Captivating Medieval historical fiction set at the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine (The Medieval Ladies Series Book 1) by Mooney Coirle

Author:Mooney, Coirle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sapere Books
Published: 2022-02-09T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Alice opened the shutters and morning’s light poured into their apartment, brightening all their familiar objects. They’d arrived back in Poitiers so late the night before they’d gone to bed directly. Her eyes soaked up the clear blue sky and rejoiced at the sight of the trees dressed skimpily in frost. Last night’s fires had been built so high the embers were still glowing in the grate.

Joanna stirred, shielding her eyes against the light. ‘Ugh, draw the shutters over a bit,’ she grumbled, ‘until my eyes have adjusted. My goodness, it’s warm in here! What a perfect day for hawking!’

‘I’ve laid out your things,’ said Alice, nodding towards her costume. ‘I can help you into it, if you like, or perhaps you’d prefer the maid?’

‘I’d rather you did it, please.’

The outfit was similar to the one she’d been wearing on that hateful day. Curiously, the attack hadn’t put Joanna off hawking. If anything, she approached the sport with more determination.

Joanna made no objection to Alice accompanying her on the expedition. Alice herself was wearing a heavy woollen tunic and her hair was twisted in a turban. After Alice had buttoned her up, Joanna sat at the glass and angled a new feathered cap artfully on her head. That cap would look ridiculous on me, thought Alice, yet it looks perfect on her.

Joanna rested her gaze on Alice in the glass. ‘Are you excited?’

‘Oh, I shall enjoy being out-of-doors on such a day,’ Alice replied, lightly. In fact, she’d have much preferred to spend the day in quiet contemplation. Perhaps take a gentle stroll in the woods later with Marie…

‘My blood is pumping so fast around my body, I can scarcely catch my breath for excitement!’ said Joanna. ‘My senses are so alert I believe I am capable of anything. I feel most alive like this, as if I am an elemental thing, a part of nature and nothing — not even death — can harm me. I am composed of the very same matter as the horses, the hawks, their prey, even the forest foliage!’

In winter, Eleanor and her ladies went hawking without the customary knightly escort. The clear day induced a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere, and the ladies stood around chatting as the groomsmen brought out their horses. The falconer stood apart with his birds. Eleanor and Marie made their entrance last, both dressed in leather camouflage. Marie threw up her hands to Alice, as if to say, what choice do we have? She didn’t care for the sport either. Alice’s heart flushed with warmth.

In the absence of the noblemen, Eleanor let her vibrant hair hang loose, wearing only a pale green band and looking like a fairy queen. Her cheeks looked delicately flushed against her pale skin and her eyes were sparkling like crystals in the sunlight.

‘Joanna, come ride alongside me!’ she called.

Alice thought they resembled a pair of beautiful, bloodthirsty goddesses.

They trotted through the picnicking area, past the place where the tall trees had once sheltered Joanna’s songbird.

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