“Do I?” Jacquetta smiled. “I merely observe that Baldwin seems quite taken with her, though he tries to hide it. And she with him.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “Truly? I had not noticed.”
“You have been distracted with your own concerns. But I have seen how they look at each other when they think no one watches.” Jacquetta’s gaze grew distant. “There is something about her that reminds me of... well, it matters not. But I believe we should invite them both to court. Soon.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I shall speak to Edward about it.” She placed a hand on her still-flat stomach. “I should tell him about the child now. He will be pleased.”
“Yes,” Jacquetta agreed. “And I suspect he will wish to return to London sooner rather than later, once he knows.”
Edward IV,King of England, sat at the high table in Glenhaven’s great hall, tearing into a joint of venison with evident pleasure. He drank deeply from his goblet, youth and vitality evident in every movement as wine glistened briefly on his lips before he wiped them clean with a practiced gesture.
“Magnificent hunt yesterday, Baldwin!” he boomed. “I’ve not seen such fine deer since we rode in the royal forests at Windsor.”
Baldwin inclined his head. “Your Grace honors me. Glenhaven’s forests have always been blessed with abundant game.”
Beth sat further down the table, watching the interaction with fascination. She still couldn’t quite believe she was dining with a king. An actual fifteenth-century king who would father the princes that would later disappear in the Tower, presumably murdered by their uncle Richard.
The knowledge sat heavy in her chest. Should she warn them? Could she? The faces around her weren’t historical figures anymore, but real people with beating hearts and futures she could alter with a few words. If she prevented Richard’s rise to power, what else would change? Elizabeth might never come to power. How many lives? How many deaths? History would unravel like a poorly knitted sweater, leaving nothing but chaos in its wake.
Her gaze lingered on the royal couple. Elizabeth Woodville’s beauty was legendary, but seeing it in person made Beth’s breath catch. The White Queen radiated quiet power beside her husband. These weren’t just names in history books anymore. Their children would vanish, their dynasty would fall, and here she sat, breaking bread with them, the only person who knew what was to come.
Later that evening,Elizabeth dismissed her ladies with a wave of her hand, her heart fluttering beneath her ribs like a caged bird. The chamber assigned to them at Glenhaven was much smaller than their royal apartments but comfortable, with tapestries warming the stone walls and a fire crackling in the hearth.
Edward stood by the window, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the night sky. He’d removed his heavy court garments, and in his linen shirt, he looked almost like the youngknight who’d stolen her heart years ago rather than the King of England.
“Husband,” she called softly.
He turned, his face softening, as it always did when they were alone. “Wife,” he answered, crossing the room to take her hands. “You’ve been quiet this eve.”
Elizabeth drew a steadying breath. She’d suspected for a fortnight now, but Jacquetta had confirmed it during their walk by the lake that afternoon.
“I carry your child,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Another York prince grows beneath my heart.”
She watched his face transform. First confusion, then comprehension dawning, like the sun breaking through clouds. His eyes widened before a broad smile split his beard.
“By Saint George!” Edward exclaimed, pulling her into his arms with such force that her feet left the rushes. His embrace was crushing, yet she laughed against his chest, breathing in his scent of leather and spice. “Another prince for England!”
When he set her down, his hand rested on her still-flat stomach with surprising tenderness. “We must return to London,” he said, his voice rumbling through her. “You must not travel in your condition once the babe quickens.”
Elizabeth nodded, though she felt a pang at cutting their progress short. “We depart on the morrow?”
“Aye.” Edward kissed her forehead. “I’ll announce it in the morn.”
As he pulled her toward their bed, Elizabeth smiled. Seven more children after this one, her mother had predicted. Perhaps this one would be a son, with Edward’s golden hair and her own determined spirit.
The courtyard bustledwith activity as servants loaded trunks onto carts and stableboys prepared the royal horses. Knights in polished armor formed an honor guard, their pennants fluttering in the morning breeze.
Beth stood beside Eleanor, watching the organized chaos with wonder.
“Sir William seems quite taken with you,” Beth murmured to Eleanor, nodding toward a young knight who kept glancing in their direction.
Eleanor blushed prettily. “He is kind. He says he hopes I might visit court someday, so he might show me the Tower and the royal menagerie.”
“The Tower?” Beth suppressed a shudder, thinking of all the heads that would eventually roll there.
“’Tis a splendid palace as well as a fortress,” Eleanor explained. “Though I confess, I am more interested in seeing the lions they keep there.”
Before Beth could respond, a herald blew a trumpet, announcing the king and queen’s arrival in the courtyard. Edward looked magnificent in his traveling clothes, with a heavy gold chain around his neck and a jeweled dagger at his hip. Elizabeth glided alongside him, a smile on her face.
