A Love for All Time (12 page)

“Master O’Malley must leave court, Mag. Don’t deny that ye know the scandal he has caused.”

Mag chuckled lewdly. “What a rare devil he is, m’lady Aidan! The mother
and
the daughters both! Then the ambassador’s wife! Hee! Hee! Hee!”

“I would have thought ye’d be shocked,” Aidan said puzzled.

“If ye’d been wed to him then I would have been, but a bachelor is entitled to his little adventures, and since time began there have always been women who were willing. Besides it attests to his virility, m’lady. Ye’ll be with child quick enough, and that will be good for
Pearroc Royal.
”

Aidan barely heard her for she was staring at herself in the pier glass. I am pretty, she thought. In this dress I am really pretty! It was a gown that had been made by the dressmaker who sewed for Robin’s mother, and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever owned. It had been finished in time for the holidays, but Aidan had been shy of wearing such an exquisite gown, afraid of drawing attention to the richness of her dress which would have possibly meant explanations of her worth. The dress had been left to hang in the cabinet. It was the only gown she owned, however, that was lovely enough to serve as a wedding dress.

The overskirt and the bodice were of a heavy, soft velvet in a wonderful shade of peacock’s-tail blue. The underskirt was a rich cream-colored satin embroidered in a gold thread pattern of windflowers, small hearts, and darting butterflies. The sleeves of the dress were leg-of-mutton and held by small gold silk ribbons, the embroidered wristband turned back to form a cuff. The fan-shaped neck-wisk was made of a creamy old lace.

Aidan scarcely dared to breathe for the neckline of the dress was shockingly low. She remembered protesting when the gown had been fitted, but the dressmaker had brushed her protests aside proclaiming, “It is the fashion, madame!” Now, however, that she saw herself in the finished dress Aidan worried for only the lace edging in her chemise prevented her nipples from bursting over the rim of the neckline.

“Ye’ll be wearing yer mother’s pearls,” said Mag, handing Aidan a long rope of pink-tinged beads, and as her mistress looped the strand once about her neck, allowing the rest of the pearls to fall over her bosom, the tiring woman fastened the large matching earbobs into Aidan’s ears.

Aidan was pale with her lack of sleep, and the sudden realization of what was happening. “How shall I wear my hair?” she asked Mag.

“Loose, of course, as befits a maiden on her wedding day, m’lady. I’ll dress it with the rest of the pearls. Sit down.”

Mag parted Aidan’s hair in the center, and brushed it free of its sleep tangles. Then she pinned several loops of pearls on either side of the girl’s head. “There, now, yer ready, but for yer shoes, m’lady,” and the tiring woman knelt to fit them to Aidan’s feet.

The clock on the mantel struck five o’clock of the morning as Mag stood up. “ ’Tis time,” said Aidan, and there was a knock upon the door.

Mag handed her mistress a lovely round muff of ermine tails, and opening the door said, “Good morning, Lord Southwood. The bride is ready.”

“Good morning, Aidan,” said Robin, and she managed a small smile for him thinking how handsome he looked in his red velvet suit that dripped elegant lace.

Mag picked up their cloaks, and together the three hurried through the darkened, cold corridors of Greenwich Palace to the royal chapel where the queen, her chaplain, and Conn O’Malley awaited them. As they reached the chapel a footman came up to Aidan, and handed her a wreath of gilded rosemary and bay leaves saying, “Her majesty wished ye to have this for yer head, m’lady.” Mag took the wreath, and placed it upon her mistress’ head as a second footman stepped forward and proffered a small bouquet of white violets and green leaves saying, “These are from Master O’Malley.”

Aidan took the little bouquet thinking that it was kind of Conn to remember such a thing. In her mind it somehow augured well, this small thoughtfulness.

At the door of the chapel Mag left her mistress, and entered alone. She was dressed in her best gown of black velvet with a fine lawn collar and cuffs. Quietly she made to the front of the chapel to stand behind the queen, but Elizabeth turning drew the tiring woman forward.

“Come, Mistress Mag, for she is your child, and ye will want a good view.”

Mag was overwhelmed, and tears sprang to her eyes. “Thank ye, yer majesty,” she whispered.

“Let the ceremony begin,” the queen commanded, and Conn entered the chapel from a side door with the priest. Escorted by Robin Aidan was brought to the altar to take her place on Conn’s left side.

Aidan peeped at her bridegroom from beneath her sandy lashes. His beauty almost took her breath away. He was garbed in black velvet, his doublet encrusted magnificently in pearls, and tiny diamonds sewn with silver thread. His short trunk hose were made of black velvet and cloth of silver in wide stripes, and his stockings were black with silver thread clocks embroidered upon them. His shoes were black leather with rounded toes, cut high over the instep, each adorned with a silver rosette. His short Spanish cape with its half-erect collar was black velvet lined in cloth of silver. He wore no cap, his dark hair brushed simply, its tempting forelock falling over his forehead.

The queen’s chaplain raised his prayer book, and began.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in Holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted by God in the time of man’s innocency, signifying unto us this mystical union that is betwixt God and His Church.”

The words seemed to burn themselves into Aidan’s brain. Marriage was a sacrament. Should she be partaking of such a sacrament with a man she barely knew? Bridal nerves, said her more practical side. Many brides are married to men they don’t know. There is nothing unusual in that. Her eyes swept the altar with its lace-edged linen cloth, the tall and shapely beeswax candles that burned in the graceful gold candleholders. There was a lovely peace within the chapel. The candles flickered on the stained-glass arches. It was still dark outside.

The queen’s chaplain now questioned whether “any man could show just cause” why this couple should not be “lawfully joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.” He paused for a long minute during which time there was not a sound within the royal chapel but for Mag’s gentle sniffling. The chaplain turned to Conn.

“Wilt thou have this Woman to live with . . . after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony . . . to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health forsaking all others for so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will,” said Conn O’Malley, and Aidan’s heart skipped a beat.

The priest then repeated the same question to Aidan. “Wilt thou have this Man to live with after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony . . . to obey and serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others for him so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will,” whispered Aidan, and then Robin gave her over to the queen’s chaplain, who placed her ungloved right hand in the right palm of Conn O’Malley who repeated after the priest the words:

“I take thee to be my wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God’s ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.”

His hand firmly clasping hers was warm and strong. She felt a small sense of loss as he loosed her hand so she might reverse the procedure, and taking his hand in hers she spoke her vows to him. Next came the exchanging of rings, and the queen’s chaplain took them sprinkling them with holy water, and blessing them then accepted a symbolic bag of gold and silver from the groom. He then gave the bride’s ring to the groom who took it with his thumb and his first two fingers, and said in a strong voice, “With this ring I thee wed, and this gold and silver I thee give, and with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly chattels I thee endow, in the name of the Father,” he held the ring over the thumb of her left hand, “and of the Son,” then over the end of the first finger, “and of the Holy Ghost,” over the tip of the second finger, “Amen!” and he pressed the ring down on her third finger.

The queen’s chaplain offered the benediction: “May ye be blessed by the Lord, who made the Universe out of nothing!” Then concluding the ceremony with a recital of the Lord’s Prayer, and several other prayers, the priest said as he united Conn and Aidan’s hands, “Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” Then he declared them Man and Wife, and giving the benediction finally concluded the service by blessing the refreshments of wine and cake that the queen had prepared. “Bless, O Lord, this bread and this drink and this cup, even as thou blessed the five loaves in the desert, and the six water pots at Cana of Galilee, that they who taste of them may be sane, sober, and spotless: Savior of the world, who lives and reigns with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost.”

The bridecup with a sprig of rosemary was passed about, and the queen’s chaplain gave Conn the benediction kiss which he then gave to Aidan who blushed becomingly. The few guests smiled at this, and the queen raising her goblet toasted the newly wedded couple.

“Happiness, long life, and healthy children, Lord and Lady Bliss.”

Conn took the queen’s hand, and kissed it. “My thanks, Bess. I suspect it is not too harsh a punishment ye have visited upon me.”

The toast was drunk, and then the queen said, “It is time for ye to leave now lest ye be seen. It is almost dawn.” Then to Aidan’s surprise Elizabeth Tudor kissed her on both cheeks. “I shall miss ye, my country mouse, but I know ye will be happy. We will look forward to welcoming ye both back to court in another year.”

Aidan curtsied, and kissed the queen’s hand. “I shall never forget yer kindness, madame,” she said.

“Be good to her, Conn St. Michael, or ye shall answer to me,” said the queen, and then she turned and left the chapel.

Mag had already donned her cloak, and now she placed her mistress’ cape about her, drawing the hood up so that Aidan’s identity might be protected. Then she handed her gloves which were lined in warm fur.

Robin drew from his doublet several black velvet masks which he passed to Conn, Aidan, and Mag. “ ’Twill doubly protect us,” he said.

Masked they hurried from the royal chapel, and through the palace out into the gardens down to the quay where a barge awaited them. The tide was with them, and they swept down the river to Greenwood House where they might change into more comfortable traveling clothes before beginning their journey north to
Pearroc Royal.
It was damp and bitter cold upon the river, and Aidan shivered, snuggling down into her cloak. The sky was beginning to lighten, but the dawn was gray, and there was the slap of the wavelets against the barge.

Finally Robin said in an effort to break the tension, “Ye’ll find my coach quite comfortable, and warm, Aidan. ’Twill make the journey bearable.”

“I thank ye, Robin, for it would have been impossible for my coach to come from
Pearroc Royal.
Have ye sent men ahead along our route of travel to book us rooms at respectable inns?”

“Aye. Whenever we stop there will be comfortable accommodations for us all. Mag will ride in the baggage coach with Uncle Conn’s man, Cluny, and will be as comfortable as we are. I want to ride a ways today so I hope ye will excuse my company.”

Conn was quite impressed by his young nephew’s command of the situation, and amused at his attempt to give himself and Aidan some privacy. He had not known Robin’s father, but if the stories were true then Robin was certainly becoming as his father had been before him, a perfect courtier. Conn was amazed to realize that he could learn much from the boy.

The barge arrived at Greenwood, and Robin leapt lightly to the stone dock. Reaching down he aided Mag in clambering out. Conn followed, and turning back reached out to draw Aidan up.

“Good morning, Lady Bliss,” he said softly.

“Good morning, my lord,” she answered, her face grave and her eyes serious.

“Ye wore yer hair down,” he said.

“ ’Tis tradition, my lord, for a maiden to leave her hair unbound.”

“Ye looked beautiful, Aidan.”

“All brides are beautiful.”

“I have arranged,” he said as he escorted her up to the house, “that we break our fast before we begin our journey. Then ye will want to change into more comfortable clothing for traveling. We will eat together, alone.”

“Alone ?” She eyed him nervously.

“We are married, Aidan. Yet we know little of one another. I have not come willingly to this wedding for I wanted to choose my own wife, according to my own tastes. Instead I find that for my indiscretions I am punished by being given a wife not of my own choice. My views of marriage are varied, and most not pleasant. I barely remember my father who died when I was still in nappies, and long skirts. My mother never remarried. I have six half-sisters. One is a nun. Four are sour-faced, disapproving women made old before their time by the harshness of life in Ireland. Perhaps that is why I did not want to stay there. I cannot remember in my entire lifetime ever seeing my sisters laugh with their husbands, or share an intimate moment or touch with them. My brothers are not much better with their wives. Until I came to England I did not know that a marriage could be a good thing. I learned this from my sister Skye. Ye will meet her in a few days, and I want ye to like her, Aidan. She is the most incredibly loving and magnificent woman I have ever known.”

“And ye wanted a wife like her,” said Aidan in a small, tight voice.

“I don’t know what I want in a wife exactly, Aidan, but surely Skye and Adam cannot be the only married couple in the entire world who share everything, and respect one another’s individuality. That is what I have always wanted when the time came for me to marry. I still want it.”