Philippa explained their presence. “We wanted to be here when you met young Tilly – she’s part of our family.”
Ralph had commanded the nuns of Kingsbridge Priory to bring his fiancee here to meet him today. Interfering busybodies, the nuns had obviously told Earl William what was happening. “Lady Matilda was the ward of Earl Roland, rest his soul,” Ralph said, emphasizing that the wardship had ended with Roland’s death.
“Yes – and I would have expected the king to transfer her wardship to my husband, as Roland’s heir.” Clearly Philippa would have preferred that.
“But he did not,” Ralph said. “He gave her to me to wed.” Although no ceremony had yet taken place, the girl had immediately become Ralph’s responsibility. Strictly speaking, William and Philippa had no business to invite themselves here today, as if playing the role of Tilly’s parents. But William was Ralph’s overlord, so he could visit whenever he pleased.
Ralph did not want to quarrel with William. It was too easy for William to make Ralph’s life difficult. On the other hand, the new earl was overreaching his authority here – probably under pressure from his wife. But Ralph was not going to be bullied. The last seven years had given him the confidence to defend such independence as he was entitled to.
Anyway, he was enjoying crossing swords with Philippa. It gave him an excuse to stare at her. He rested his gaze on the assertive line of her jaw and the fullness of her lips. Despite her hauteur, she was forced to engage with him. This was the longest conversation he had ever had with her.
“Tilly is very young,” said Philippa.
“She will be fourteen this year,” Ralph said. “That’s the age our queen was when she married our king – as the king himself pointed out, to me and to Earl William, after the battle of Crécy.”
“The aftermath of a battle is not necessarily the best moment to decide the fate of a young girl,” Philippa said in a lowered voice.
Ralph was not going to let that pass. “Speaking for myself, I feel obliged to comply with the decisions of his majesty.”
“As do we all,” she muttered.
Ralph felt he had vanquished her. It was a sexual feeling, almost as if he had lain with her. Satisfied, he turned to Daniel. “My wife-to-be should arrive in time for dinner,” he said. “Make sure we have a feast.”
Philippa said: “I have already seen to that.”
Ralph slowly turned his head until his eyes were on her again. She had overstepped the bounds of courtesy by going into his kitchen and giving orders.
She knew it, and reddened. “I didn’t know what time you would get here,” she said.
Ralph said nothing. She would not apologize, but he was content in having forced her to explain herself – a climbdown for a woman as proud as she.
For a short while there had been the noise of horses outside, and now Ralph’s parents came in. He had not seen them for some years, and he hurried to embrace them.
They were both in their fifties, but his mother had aged faster, it seemed to him. Her hair was white and her face was lined. She had the slight stoop of elderly women. His father seemed more vigorous. It was partly the excitement of the moment: he was flushed with pride, and shook Ralph’s hand as if pumping water from a well. But there was no grey in his red beard, and his slim figure still appeared spry. They were both wearing new clothes – Ralph had sent the money. Sir Gerald had a heavy wool surcoat and Lady Maud a fur cloak.
Ralph snapped his fingers at Daniel. “Bring wine,” he said. For an instant, the bailiff looked as though he might protest at being treated like a maidservant; then he swallowed his pride and hurried off to the kitchen.
Ralph said: “Earl William, Lady Philippa, may I present my father, Sir Gerald, and my mother, Lady Maud.”
He was afraid that William and Philippa would look down their noses at his parents, but they acknowledged them courteously enough.
Gerald said to William: “I was a comrade-in-arms of your father, may he rest in peace. In fact, Earl William, I knew you as a boy, though you won’t remember me.”
Ralph wished his father would not call attention to his glorious past. It only emphasized how far he had fallen.
But William seemed not to notice. “Well, d’you know, I think I do remember,” he said. He was probably just being kind, but Gerald was pleased. “Of course,” William added, “I recall you as a giant at least seven feet tall.”
Gerald, who was short in stature, laughed delightedly.
Maud looked around and said: “My, this is a fine house, Ralph.”
“I wanted to decorate it with all theeasures I’ve brought back from France,” he said. “But I’ve only just got here.”
A kitchen girl brought a jug of wine and goblets on a tray, and they all took some refreshment. The wine was good Bordeaux, Ralph noticed, clear and sweet. Due credit to Daniel for keeping the house well supplied, he thought at first; then he reflected that for many years no one had been here to drink it – except, of course, Daniel.
He said to his mother: “Any news of my brother Merthin?”
“He’s doing very well,” she said proudly. “Married with a daughter, and rich. He’s building a palace for the family of Buonaventura Caroli.”
“But they haven’t made him a conte yet, I suppose?” Ralph pretended to be joking, but he was pointing out that Merthin, for all his success, had not gained a noble title; and that it was he, Ralph, who had fulfilled their father’s hopes by taking the family back into the nobility.
“Not yet,” said his father gaily, as if it were a real possibility that Merthin might become an Italian count; which annoyed Ralph, but only momentarily.
His mother said: “Could we see our rooms?”
Ralph hesitated. What did she mean by ‘our rooms’? The dreadful thought crossed his mind that his parents might think they were going to live here. He could not have that: they would be a constant reminder of the family’s years of shame. Besides, they would cramp his style. On the other hand, he now realized, it was also shameful for a nobleman to let his parents live in a one-room house as pensioners of a priory.
He would have to think more about that. For now he said: “I haven’t had a chance to look at the private quarters myself yet. I hope I can make you comfortable for a few nights.”
“A few nights?” his mother said quickly. “Are you going to send us back to our hovel in Kingsbridge?”
Ralph was mortified that she should mention that in front of William and Philippa. “I don’t think there’s room for you to live here.”
“How do you know, if you haven’t yet looked at the chambers?”
Daniel interrupted. “There’s a villager here from Wigleigh, Sir Ralph – name of Perkin. Wants to pay his respects and discuss an urgent matter.”
Ralph would normally have told the man off for butting into a conversation, but on this occasion he was grateful for the diversion. “Have a look at the rooms, Mother,” he said. “I’ll deal with this peasant.”
William and Philippa went off with his parents to inspect the domestic quarters, and Daniel brought Perkin to the table. Perkin was as obsequious as ever. “So happy to see your lordship safe and whole after the French wars,” he said.
Ralph looked at his left hand, with three fingers missing. “Well, almost whole,” he said.
“All the people of Wigleigh are sorry for your wounds, lord, but the rewards! A knighthood, and three more villages, and Lady Matilda to wed!”
“Thank you for your felicitations, but what was the urgent matter you needed to discuss?”
“Lord, it doesn’t take long to tell. Alfred Shorthouse died without a natural heir to his ten acres, and I offered to take on the land, even though times have been very hard, after this year’s thunderstorms in August-”