Richard remembered a soldier who had fought with his brother and with him in the past. He was a northerner, the king remembered, but he could not remember the man’s name. Waving a servant to his side, Richard sent for Lord Dacre, who wasted no time in bowing himself into the private solar and accepted an offered goblet of wine. The king explained his difficulty. “I cannot,” he said, “for the life of me remember the fellow’s name. Wait! Jasper! ‘Tis his Christian name.Jasper!But Jasper what?”
“Sir Jasper Keane, my liege,” replied Lord Dacre.
“Aye, that’s the fellow!” The king grinned, pleased, then a frown crossed his features. “Is he wed, Dacre?”
“He has been widowed several times, my liege, but has no wife at the present time, to my knowledge.”
“Children?”
“Nay, Sire.”
“What’s his age? I would not force an old man upon the girl,” the king said.
“I am not certain, for we are not intimate, my liege, but I would say that Sir Jasper is nearing his thirtieth year.”
“A good age,” the king noted, “and he is a good fighter. What do you think, Dacre? Would he be a good choice to defend Greyfaire Keep, and would he make my wife’s young cousin a good husband? Is he to be trusted?”
“His loyalty is unquestioned, my liege, and I believe he would, indeed, be a good man to place upon the border in England’s interests,” replied Lord Dacre. He did not mention to the king Sir Jasper’s reputation with women, for Richard did not approve of such men. It was the one area in which he had disagreed with his late brother, who adored the ladies. Richard had always been loyal to his Anne, but he was unique in such behavior. England’s interests came before any form of morality, and so Lord Dacre remained silent on this matter.
“Has he lands of his own?” demanded the long. “His birth must be at least equal to my cousin’s.”
“His family has connections, distant however, with my own, and closer ties with the Percys,” Lord Dacre answered. “He has property of his own, but his home, Northby Hall, was recently burned to the ground in a savage, but isolated attack by the Scots. No one was killed, but his cattle, horses, and sheep were all driven off. He’s a good man, my liege, and I imagine such a fine match would cheer him greatly and bind him even closer to your side.”
“A king,” observed Richard, “cannot have too many friends, eh Dacre?”
Lord Dacre laughed politely. “Sir Jasper is here at Middleham, my liege, should you decide to favor him.”
“Is there anyone else, Dacre, to whom I might give this rich plum? The girl won’t be marriageable for at least two years, and will have no formal betrothal lest they do not suit. My queen is firm upon this point, having suffered from personal experience in an unhappy marriage. She would have her cousin’s child happy, and I am inclined to give her this small boon, for Anne asks for very little.”
Lord Dacre thought for a time and then replied, “Nay, Sire, I believe Sir Jasper is eminently suited for both Greyfaire Keep and as little Lady Grey’s husband.”
“Say nothing of this,” the king warned him. “I must think on it further before I make my decision.”
“As my liege commands,” Lord Dacre said, and bowed himself from the king’s presence. He had no sooner left the royal solar than he hurried to find Sir Jasper Keane to tell him of his possible good fortune. “Keep your cock under control,” he warned Sir Jasper, “that the king does not hear of your loose behavior. He will not award you the girl and her lands should he learn of your extreme penchant for female flesh. King Richard III is a moral man.”
“I know of Greyfaire Keep,” Sir Jasper replied. “It is a cozy little castle. Is the heiress rich?”
“There is some small wealth, but were she rich, my friend, I should have had her for my own bastard son,” came the answer. “You will not be uncomfortable, but the king will not have the wedding for a year or two. It pleases his queen that the girl like you. If she does not, there will be no wedding. Be warned.”
In the Great Hall of Middleham Castle that night the king called Sir Jasper Keane to his side and told him that he would match him with his wife’s young cousin, the heiress of Greyfaire Keep, Lady Arabella Grey. Expressing his delight at this honor, Sir Jasper pleased his liege lord, showing no displeasure at the terms to be imposed.
“Shall I be permitted to meet my bride, Sire?” he asked politely.
“I see no reason why not,” the king replied. “I will ask you to escort Lady Rowena and her daughter, Lady Arabella, back to Greyfaire that you may judge the condition of its defenses and make any changes you so desire. This keep is the first warning beacon upon my borders with Scotland, and the safety of Middle Marches depends on Greyfaire Keep remaining in English hands.”
“I will not fail you there, my liege,” Sir Jasper replied with complete sincerity. He was a soldier first, and the challenge presented him was a pleasing one. He did not fear that the little girl would not like him, for he had never met a woman who did not like him. Tall, with bright gold hair and light golden-brown eyes, few females looked past his pleasing features with his oval face, high cheekbones and forehead, straight nose, dimpled chin, and sensuous mouth, to see that those eyes were cold and fathomless. That the sensuous mouth could grow narrow with cruelty. He was as skilled a seducer as he was a soldier, although as a soldier he had never been known to take a foolish chance. A man did not live to enjoy the fruits of his labor by being reckless and foolish in war. Only in passion did a man dare to be reckless.
“Come to the queen’s solar tomorrow morning after the Mass, Sir Jasper,” the king said, “and you will be introduced to your proposed bride and her widowed mother.”
“Thank you, my liege,” Sir Jasper Keane replied.
“And be prepared to leave immediately afterward for Greyfaire Keep,” the king said. “It will take you a week or more traveling with the ladies to reach there. You are not used, I would imagine, to traveling at such a slow pace, but it will give you time to get to know Lady Rowena and her daughter. It is best you leave tomorrow before the autumn rains begin. The ladies will not like traveling in the rain.”
“I shall endeavor to make the trip as easy and as pleasant for the ladies as possible, my liege,” Sir Jasper replied, and he gave the king a warm smile.
In the morning Sir Jasper Keane made it a point to attend early Mass that he might secretly observe his bride-to-be and her mother. They were obviously amongst the women attending the queen, but all he was able to see was the backs of heads and gowns. It was not until the queen departed the chapel with her ladies that Sir Jasper saw the petite girl with the pale hair, the only child, excepting the little prince, amongst the others. This then was his bride, but which of the ladies was his mother-in-law he could not tell. Waiting for a few discreet minutes, he finally made his way to the queen’s solar and was admitted.
Sir Jasper bowed elegantly to Queen Anne and kissed her hand politely. “Madame.”
