– For Christ's sake! Forgive me, sir! Forgive me, miss! For Christ's sake! For the sake of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God! God knows I've been blinded by the beauty of Miss Norton's sunshine! – The frightened gardener fell on his knees and crossed himself repeatedly.

– Go away, you dog! If you ever look at my sister again, I'll have you quartered! – Philip spat out, and his face showed such anger that Alienor frowned.

– I don't recognise you, my brother… To be so angry over a miserable gardener! Dance with me! – She grasped her brother's hands again, wishing to win back his good spirits by dancing, and he, with a deep sigh, joined her again. – Happy Brigid! How happy she is! Think of it! She's been in love with this man for years!

– In love? Did she tell you that? – Young Norton's heart thumped as loudly as a horse's iron horseshoes against a stone bridge.

– Who else? – Alienor laughed gleefully. – Soon she will have what she desperately desires, and I am happy that she is happy! And even if her fiancé is not worthy of her, even if he is a fool and a buffoon…

– How nice to receive such praise from my own sister! – Philip laughed.

– They are not for your ears, you fool! They are for the ears of Brigid's betrothed!

– He is the one you are talking to now.

Alienor stopped abruptly, pushed her brother away from her and gazed intently into his face.

– Are you Brigid's fiancé? – She asked uncertainly, but she did not need an answer: Philip's imperious smile spoke for itself. – But Father got the letter! It is not you… No, it is not you who should be her husband! It is not you she loves!

– If she doesn't love me now, she'll love me later, when I give her a beautiful, healthy baby," Philip said smugly. – We'll have many children.

– Philip, she loves William Tury! She'll die when she finds out that he was the first to ask for her hand in marriage, but they gave it to you and not to him! – Alienor threw herself indignantly. – She will be miserable! All her life!

– But she will never know that, will she? Her own father never said a word to me about this lickspittle boy wanting to marry her.

– Sir Guise knows nothing! William's father did not write to him, he wrote to our father! I begged our father for a generous dowry for my poor Brigid, and Sir Tury was pleased! And here you are…

– Ah, Philip, you must have pleased your sister by now with the news of our engagement? – suddenly the Nortons heard Brigid's voice, and it made them stop their heated argument, turn to Miss Guise and hide their feelings behind smiles.

– 'Yes, he told me… But, Brigid, you must kno…-' Alienor cast an inquiring glance at her brother, as if asking: "Do you love her?" to which his gaze, full of pain and hope, replied, "More than life! And you will plunge a knife into my heart if you tell her the truth!"

– To know what? – Brigid smiled as she approached the Nortons.

– That your wedding day will be the most joyous occasion this huge old castle has ever seen! – Swallowing the lump lodged in her throat, Alienor exclaimed with fake joy. Feeling unable to stay here any longer, and not wanting the tears of bitterness pressing in her bosom to burst out and upset her friend, she added hastily: – I will find Mother and tell her! – She hugged Brigid tightly, in her thoughts begging her forgiveness for her deception, and then gracefully raised the hem of her dress and left the garden.

***

Lady Gilda did not yet know of her son's return, so when Alienor found her mother in her chamber embroidering a tapestry, she was so delighted that she dropped both tapestry and needle to the floor. The poor woman's eyes filled with tears of happiness: her son, her firstborn son, Christ's warrior, and defender of England had returned to her! After years of separation, filled with prayers for Philip's health and life, she would at last be able to press him to her motherly heart and tell him how much she had missed him, how much she loved him, her son! And even if he came back crippled, she would care for him tirelessly, still with the same love and patience.