Here Be Dragons - 1 by Sharon Penman (best inspirational books txt) 📕

poor 'misbegotten males'one small virtue You will admit that without women, your Aristotle andTertulhan would never have been born7"There was laughter, and some of the women cheered, spirited debates were always a favored form of entertainmentHubert de Burgh was smiling, quite unperturbed "Indeed I will, Madame But even as a breeder, woman is of secondary importance in the divine order All know that the child belongs more to the man than to the woman, since the fetus forms from the male's seed You need only think of a tree sending forth rootsThe father is like the tree, the mother like the earth that nurtures it Whilst it cannot exist without the two, it clearly belongs more to the tree from whence it sprang than to the earth where it was planted "It may have been the smugness of his smile It may have been the memory of a bloody birthing chamber, those endless hours of agony and fear It may only have been the proverbial last straw in a day of ernotional turmoil SuddenlyJoanna was trembling, as angry as she'd ever been in her life But Llewelyn had been alerted by her first outburst, had known at once that this was no gameNow he saw how her eyes narrowed, saw the pupils contract, like the eyes of a cat about to Pounce, John's eyes in a blazing Angevin rage, and he said swiftly, with Us* enough sardonic inflection to be insulting, "You surprise me, my °rd de Burgh Surely you have not forgotten the Lady Mary, mother of rSaviour7 If Our Lord Jesus was not ashamed to be born of woman, V should you be7"De Burgh's smile froze "I never said I was1" Mayhap you should learn to choose your words with greater care,

552then," the Earl of Chester observed coolly, "for I, too, took that as your meaning."The crowd had fallen silent. Even the most politically naive among them were aware that the conversation was heading for deep waters, pushed by currents that had nothing whatsoever to do with the Virgin Mary or the failings of women.De Burgh had reddened, but he was too well manneredand too intelligentto provoke an open row while a guest under Chester's roof. He could wait. "It grows late," he said tersely.He heard someone in the crowd, one of the Earl's partisans safely cloaked in anonymity, mutter, "Later than you think," and there was some scattered laughter.It was Joanna's Uncle Will who acted to defuse the tension, to avert a confrontation. Will was not as friendly with Chester as he'd once been, and he had yet to forgive Llewelyn for that scene in Worcester Abbey. But Joanna was still his niece, and for her sake he raised his wine cup high, saying loudly, "It is indeed late, and for certes we want this evening to conclude upon a cordial note. Let's drink, then, to the happiness of the bride and groom. ToJohn the Scot and the Lady Helen!"The ploy worked; others took it up, until John and Elen's names rang from the rafters. People began to make ready to depart, those who were not bedding down in the castle. Llewelyn and Chester were talking together; Joanna heard them laugh. So, too, did Hubert de Burgh."Mama, that was wonderful, the best part of the whole wedding!" Davydd was grinning. "I was so proud of you.""You should not have been, Davydd. If not for your father, I'd have caused a scene that they'd have been talking about for the next twenty years.""Really? I wish you had! Hubert de Burgh went red as a radish; it was so hard not to laugh. Why do he and my lord Chester hate each other so much?""The usual cause, Davyddpower. Chester was on crusade when the old Earl ofPembroke died, and when he returned, it was to find that de Burgh was now clinging closer to Henry than a limpet. Chester feels that he was shunted aside, that de Burgh usurped his rightful place as Henry's chief counselor.And because de Burgh feels threatened by Chester, he is beginning to side withLlewelyn's foe, the Earl of Pe"1" broke. Does any of this make sense to you?"Davydd nodded. "Oh, yes, Mama. You have to counter your oppO" nent's moves, try to guess what he'll do ere he does it. Just like chess.Llewelyn was coming toward them now, and Joanna moved meet him. "Ought I to thank you?" she murmured, and he shook head.

553"No neM.^ l eiWed mXself thoroughly!""Yd i/alve on turmoil, I'H grant you that. Llewelyn, I want to go, rV?ey. If this night does not end soon"^a //]S, jei. I've a surprise for you." Ignoring her protests, he put'YA her waist and escorted her across the hall, into the solar, his a ,t stairwell. As she followed him, still objecting halfheart-tovvar aine , herself thinking of her stairwell encounter with Will de edry/ n Wondered how long it would take for that memory toBraose, and sh ° yA th /ched the top of the stairs, the door swung open. "Mor-, re/as utterly baffled by now. "What are you doing up here?gan. J0^, **% broke off, gazing about her in wonder. The chamberM . ^4 light, with scented wax candles. The floor rushes were vvas . ...A across the bed coverlets were scattered the last flowers fresn y / an .arjgolds, lilies of the field, even a few Christmas roses.of the season- r °, . , , ,, T,,, , ., , "T 1k ' *)'e a bridal chamber, Llewelyn, Joanna exclaimed, and,,rj />rd, it is! This is the chamber in which we passed our then, Good L/, rWe 11I 'as 'au8hing. "I decided it was time to rectify a wrong.-ro we neglected to get the nuptial blessing for our bed.ef ^ ,,e over here with me, breila, Morgan is prepared to remBut if you II cor>^ Llewelyn's