He noticed me immediately as I hid behind Mistress Yvette, almost as if he’d been looking, and gave an imperceptible nod.
‘Ah, my children,’ Pengraic said, and then they were all looking at us, and I tried to shuffle even further behind Mistress Yvette.
To no avail. Both the earl and the king looked directly at me, no doubt reliving my earlier humiliation. I glanced at Lady Adelie and saw that her face was sympathetic.
They had told her then, yet she did not condemn me.
The older children, Alice, Emmette and the twins, dipped or bowed before the king, then Pengraic beckoned Alice forward a step.
‘Gilbert,’ the earl said, ‘this is my daughter Alice.’
Alice dimpled prettily at the closer of the two noblemen, and curtsied again. I looked at the gleam of interest in the nobleman’s eyes, and wondered if Pengraic was arranging a match between Alice and this man — the Earl of Scersberie. Scersberie was an old man, older even than Pengraic, and I thought it likely Alice was to replace a wife lost to the ravages of childbirth.
I wondered if Alice were to be the first replacement, or a second or third. I had a momentary gladness that I had no estates or dowry, that I, too, might be handed about, offered to old men who lusted after my riches.
Pengraic beckoned Emmette forward, introducing her, then the twins stepped forward at his gesture.
‘Ancel, Robert,’ Pengraic said, ‘you remember my lord of Summersete. It seems you will be going to his household a little sooner than expected.’
The boys dipped their heads and looked suitably restrained. The Earl of Summersete, a much younger man, and darkly handsome, gave them a friendly enough nod.
Sweet Jesu, I thought, was Pengraic about to dispose of all his children at this one gathering?
‘And these two are the babies I have left,’ the countess said, and gestured me forward.
John was wriggling about on my hip, and I was having trouble holding him, but Rosamund behaved beautifully, walking forward docilely but confidently, and dipping in a little courtesy that put my attempt to shame.
I still could not look at either the earl or the king.
‘The little boy I have met previous,’ said Edmond. ‘On the stairs a short while ago.’
He paused, and I finally looked at him. His eyes were warm, glinting with secret amusement.
Then Edmond saved me by bending forward so he could look Rosamund in the eyes and take all attention away from myself and John.
‘And who is this pretty little maid?’ Edmond said, his voice soft, and he held out a hand.
I let Rosamund’s hand go and she walked over to the king, her arms out, laughing, and the king grinned and swung her up to his lap.
‘And this is the daughter I shall lay claim to, Raife, should ever I lose my beloved Adelaide.’
All attention was now on the king and the girl in his lap, and I faded backward, keeping a firm grip on the still-wriggling John, who seemed determined to get down.
For a few minutes the group exchanged pleasantries about the children, then Pengraic caught Lady Adelie’s eye, who in turn summoned Mistress Yvette over to her side.
Mistress Yvette listened, nodded, then took Rosamund from the king, caught the twins’ eyes and jerked her head toward the door.
Alice, ever watchful, smiled and dipped in yet another pretty courtesy, taking leave of the men and her mother. Her sister Emmette followed Alice’s example, and both girls walked over to where I stood with Evelyn.
Thank the Lord, I thought, we are to be dismissed.
Mistress Yvette brought Rosamund over, and handed her to Evelyn.
‘Take the children, Evelyn, and keep them in their chamber for the day,’ she said quietly, keeping our consultations from disturbing the group by the window. ‘Their mother does not want them running about the house today. Not the twins, certainly not the girls. I need to find William, and confer with him about tonight’s feast.’
Yvette surprised me by taking John from my arms and handing him to Alice. ‘Maeb,’ she said, ‘stay here and serve the men and our lady their wine, and if Lady Adelie should look too exhausted, then run to find me, that I might aid her back to her bed.’
‘But —’ I started. But I can’t stay here and serve these great nobles their wine! What if I should drop —
‘You will do well enough, Maeb,’ Mistress Yvette said in a tone that brooked no dissent, and with that she, Evelyn, and the children turned and left the room.
I briefly closed my eyes, seeking courage. The closest I had ever come to high nobility was standing in a small crowd in Witenie on May Day, three years past, watching silently as a knight wearing a magnificent surcoat over his maille hauberk, and his two squires, rode past in splendid indifference to our awed gaze.
I opened my eyes, automatically seeking out Lady Adelie for reassurance.
She saw me looking and gave a little nod, either to hurry me up or to impart some sense of confidence.
I chose to believe the latter and so, wiping my hands among my skirts to dry away my nerves, I walked over to a small chest on which sat several ewers and a number of silver wine cups.
I poured out six cups of a rich, spiced and unwatered wine, then carried two across to the group, offering one first to the king, and the other to Pengraic.
The king gave me a warm look as he took the cup, the earl a cool and somewhat calculating one. I got the sense from the earl that he could not wait for a chance to berate me again; one did not have to consult all the saints in heaven to know I’d given him reason enough this day.
The next two cups I took to the other two earls, serving the Earl of Summersete first.
Summersete gave me a long look as he took the goblet from my hand. ‘Is she to be trusted?’ he said to Pengraic. ‘I do not see why we cannot this once serve our own wine.’
‘She can be trusted,’ said Lady Adelie. ‘She has no loyalty but to this household, and will not betray it. And she is not here just to serve wine. I am not well with this child I carry, and would prefer that one of my women remain to attend me if needed.’
Over the past weeks I had come to like and respect Lady Adelie. Now she had my complete loyalty for these words of confidence.
Something in my back straightened. ‘I will not speak anything I hear in this chamber,’ I said. ‘I swear it, my lords.’
‘For God’s sake, Summersete,’ said Edmond, ‘the next thing you’ll be wanting to rack her to see if she will confess to being in the King of Sicily’s employ. Leave it be. I am too weary and too heartsick to want to find new shadows among the army that already gather about us!’
A few short weeks ago I had been but the orphaned daughter of a lowly knight, lost in her rustic idyll. Now I was not only serving wine to the King of England and some of his greatest nobles, but this king and these nobles were engaged in an argument about whether I might be a spy in the employ of the King of Sicily.
My mouth twitched. I caught Stephen’s eye as I moved about Summersete to serve Scersberie, and, God help me, the amusement in Stephen’s face almost undid me.
I retreated hastily to the chest and collected the final two cups for Lady Adelie and Stephen, keeping my eyes downcast as I served them. I then moved to a spot several paces away from the group and sat on a stool, distant enough not to be obtrusive, yet close enough to see if any needed his goblet refilled, or if the Lady Adelie needed my attention.
And close enough to hear the conversation that ensued.