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

coating. But this was just a sop to her con science, for she did not intend to study. Unrolling a sheet of scrape

175htnent/ she smoothed it with a pumice stone, then dipped her penJoherinkhorn.To the Lady Eleanor, my cousin, greetings.I write to you from the gardens at Winchester Castle, on this, the Friday after Michaelmas, whilst I await my lord father the King to ride in fromClarendon. I have not seen him since he did meet last month with the WelshPrince . . .Here she paused, having no idea how to spell Llewelyn. After some thought, she opted for a phonetic spelling, although she was not even ure if her pronunciation was correct.. Lliwelin. He had sworn to do homage to my father more than three years ago, but he was not overeager to make good his word, did only this summer agree to meet with Papa at Worcester. I hope their meeting did go well, hope, too, thatI shall have more time with my father now. I saw him but little this twelvemonth past, as you know. He was occupied in defending his lands against the French King, and I spent part of the year with my grandmother in Poitiers. . .Again she paused, remembering that her cousin, too, was Eleanor's grandchild.Inking out "my," she wrote "our" above it, and then added in an uneven hand, "may God assoil her." It lacked one day of being five months since Eleanor had died at Fontevrault, but Joanna's grieving was still green, her loss still keenly felt.She sat for a time, staring down at the parchment. Letters to her cousin were never easy, invariably written with a faltering, hesitant pen. But she felt compelled to persevere, knowing how lonely Eleanor must be. And then, too, Joanna liked to write letters. There was something almost mystical to her about the process. She enjoyed signing her name with a flourish, using large blobs of sealing wax, paying couriers Wl'h the silver pennies hoarded for such a purpose, remembering the ltfle girl who could do no more than draw her name in the dirt with a stick.Did you get the saddle my father ordered for you? I do not yet know where Papa shall keep his Christmas court, but I am sure he will want you to join us.Since I saw you last, I have acquired a dog. I had one once before; she died when I was ten, was run over by a cart, and I swore I would never have another. But my steprnother the Queen gave me a puppy for my New Year's

176gift. She is no bigger than a cat, with long, silky fur, comes from the island of Malta. My father suggested I name her Sugar because she was so costly!What to say now? Should she mention Arthur? Was Eleanor avva of the vile lies put about by Papa's enemies, that Arthur was dead? i was so unfair. He'd been nothing but kind to Eleanor, saw that she han every comfort, even brought her occasionally to his court. Why, then would he put her brother to death? Joanna shook her head, reaching f0 the inkhorn. Pray God Papa would soon be able to mount his campaign to win back Normandy and Poitou, to punish Philip as he deserved."Joanna!"The voice was Richard's. Joanna scrambled to her feet, ran to meet him."Richard, how glad I am to see you! Has Papa come, then? Did the council with the Welsh Prince go well? Did you meet him?""Yes, to all your questions. Hurry now, get your things together Papa is asking for you, wants to see you straightaway.""Indeed?" Joanna was delighted. Her father's arrivals were inevitably chaotic;sometimes hours passed before she had the chance to see him alone. "He truly wants to see me first?"Richard nodded. "You know, it was rather queer. When Papa asked after you, Aunt Ela and the other ladies acted right peculiar, almost as if they were reluctant to have you found. Even Lady de Braose professed ignorance of your whereabouts, and she most generally has an opinion on everything!""Lady de Braose has a viper's tongue," Joanna said emphatically, "and I care not a pin for her good opinion. Need I comb my hair first?" J"No, but your face is dirty." Richard spat on his fingers, wiped; away a smudge on her cheek, and then pleased Joanna by giving her a quick, awkward hug."The last time I remember you doing that," she laughed, "I'd spilled ink onPapa's favorite book, was about to be called to account for my sin!"Richard gave her a look she could not interpret, reached down fo' her basket."Come, I'll take you back to the castle."JOANNA fumbled with the cloth, unwrapped an exquisitely engrave'1 ivory case.At the touch of her fingers, it flew open to reveal a thin shee' of glass over brightly polished metal."Papa, what a beautiful mirror!" Setting it down beside her oth«' present, a bolt of deep blue linen, she gave John a grateful kiss. "^ you sent me a book for my birthday, do you not remember?"

277" nd can I not give you more than one gift7 A pity my men in the aiier are not as frugal as you' mayhap I'd not then be so deeply inThey were alone in John's bedchamber Much to Joanna's surprise, father had dismissed all others upon her arrival, even Richard, who ed strangely reluctant to leave, glancing back over his shoulder5 th the same enigmatic look he'd given her in the garden"I think, lass, that you're now old enough to have a lady in attene to assist you in dressing and the like So I've told Isabelle to choose someone suitable for you ""Thank you, Papa1" Joanna wondered if this was how Richard had felt when he'd learned he was to be squire to William de Braose the younger, was to take that first step over the threshold toward manhood "I have one more gift for you, sweethearta crown "Joanna giggled "And a halo,