The Widow's Tale by Margaret Frazer

Author:Margaret Frazer
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Historical mystery
ISBN: 9780425200186
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Published: 2005-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

In the late afternoon’s westering sunlight the orchard’s shadows lay long and black across the grass, and Cristiana stood staring at her own stretched out among them, the afternoon’s warm stillness all around her, no near sound but the late summer whir of insects as Lady Alice waited for her answer. Not near were manor sounds: men’s voices calling to each other; a cow lowing in a byre, agrieved at something; a laden wagon rumbling over a rearyard’s cobbles. In the kitchen would be the heat and hurry of readying a supper worthy of the duchess of Suffolk and in the great hall the high table was by now being laid with Beth’s best linen and plate. Manor life, and all of it as familiar to Cristiana as the sunlight, because all of it had been her life when she was Edward’s wife and making their home. But none of it had to do with her here, with her now. Not now that she was Edward’s widow and had no home anymore. All she had was other people’s kindness. Or unkindness, if they chose.

With a hand pressed over the ache in her breast, she stared at her shadow laid black across the grass, and wished Edward had not done this to her. Wished with a smothering despair that Edward had not died and left her facing this. Wished Gerveys were here with her. But the nun had come for only her, not him, and it hardly mattered whether he were with her or not. There was only one answer she could make to Lady Alice’s demand.

But still she held back from giving it. Because once given, what then?

“Well?” Lady Alice asked, impatient.

She hardly needed to be impatient, Cristiana thought. She had to know Cristiana had no real choice. But with that thought, Cristiana rebelled, and turning not to her but to Dame Frevisse waiting a little aside from them both, demanded at her, “Can her grace’s word be trusted? Would you be able honestly to swear that she’ll keep her promise to me if I take it?”

Lady Alice drew in a hissing breath of displeasure, but Dame Frevisse considered the question with neither displeasure nor surprise for a long moment before she answered, “I’ve never known her to break her word. Aside from that, I think you can trust her to keep it in this because what she offers in return for you giving her what she asks will cost her very little.”

“A simple ‘yes’,” Lady Alice said tautly, “would have been enough.”

Biting the words short, Dame Frevisse said back at her, “Not in this matter.”

Cristiana had sensed Dame Frevisse’s anger when the nun fetched her from the house. She was relieved now to know the anger was not at her. That Dame Frevisse was willing to vouch for her cousin even while this angry at her, was to the good, too. But not far enough to the good, and Cristiana asked, “Flow can I know to trust you? You might be willing to lie to help her in this.

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