“Do you miss the court?” Elsbeth wondered aloud.
“Nay, not at all. I prefer Stanton, and my own company,” Adair said. “I wonder if my sisters think of me. I must write Bessie today. Perhaps I can get a message south before the snows. I’ll send it to Middleham. Uncle Dickon will send it with his own Christmas correspon-dence.” She straightened the gown’s neckline. “Give me a jeweled headband, Nursie. The one with the pearls and little purple gemstones.” She held out her hand, and when Elsbeth had placed the required item in it, Adair fit it upon her head.
“You look beautiful, m’lady,” Elsbeth told her mistress. “Your parents would be very proud that you are being married here, and I know they would approve of Lord Andrew. He’ll be a good earl to us.”
Would he? Adair wondered. She barely knew the man who was now her husband by virtue of the contracts that they had both signed at Middleham several days back. The man to whom she would pledge her troth today before the local priest who lived in Stanton village. Adair barely knew him either. He had not been at Stanton in her childhood. Father Gilbert, he was called, and she could not tell if he was an English borderer or a Scot by his accent. Still, she was grateful to have a priest, even if he was a bit old, and slightly deaf.
Her people were comforted by his presence.
“Time to go down,” Elsbeth said, interrupting her mistress’s train of thought.
“Can you tell me nothing of tonight, Nursie?” Adair asked her servant.
“It isn’t for me to educate you, my lady. Your husband will do that. It would be different if your mother, God assoil her good soul, were alive, but she isn’t, and it isn’t my place. I’ve said what I could, and I’ll say no more.”
“And when the babies come, Nursie,” Adair asked dryly, “can you help then?”
“Then I can help,” Elsbeth replied with a small smile.
“Now, the bridegroom awaits you, m’lady. You don’t want him to think you’re reluctant. You did agree to this marriage before God, Duke Richard, and his good duchess.”
“I did,” Adair agreed. “Let us go down.” Then she looked startled as a knock sounded upon her bedchamber door.
Elsbeth hurried to answer it, and the open door revealed the new earl.
“May I come in a moment?” he inquired of her politely. “Elsbeth may remain.”
Adair beckoned him forward. “Are you so anxious then, my lord, or do you fear I shall cry off?” she asked him.
“You can’t cry off,” he told her. “Legally we are already wed, but I am not fearful you will run away from me as you did the court, Adair. Before we left Middleham I sent word to my grandsire and brother of the match the duke had made between us. They have both just arrived at the hall. I want you to know that I did not invite them. I wanted to have some time for us to live together as man and wife before I inflicted my grandsire upon you,” he said ruefully. “He is a hard old man, and he will, I have not a doubt, have something to say about my taking the Radcliffe name. How he managed to ride over I do not know, as he is quite crippled with his age.
Will you be patient with him?”
“Will you?” Adair asked him.
“Probably not,” Andrew admitted. “You’ve met my older brother, Rob.”
“If they are here then they are here, and there is naught we can do but welcome them as kin,” Adair told him. “Tell me what your sister-in-law is like.”
“Allis is patient and wise. She tolerates my grandsire,”Andrew said.
“I cannot promise to be patient, and I do not know if I am wise or not, but I will tolerate your grandsire while he is in our house because he is your blood, Andrew. I have come to respect you while you have been at Stanton.”
Andrew took her two hands up, and kissed them.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
Adair colored prettily. Then she said, drawing her hands from his, “If Lord Humphrey and your brother are here we had best go down to greet them together, my lord.”
He nodded, and with Elsbeth following they descended to the great hall below. There they found Lord Humphrey Lynbridge sprawled in a large chair by the fire, a goblet of ale in his fist. It was obvious that the early morning ride had exhausted him quite thoroughly.
Robert Lynbridge stood by his side. His mild blue eyes lit up as Andrew and Adair entered the hall, and he smiled warmly.
Seeing the state her guest was in, Adair went immediately to his side. “My lord, what on earth possessed you to make such a journey? I was given to understand that you were no longer able to ride.”
“The day they can’t get me a-horse is the day they’ll put me in my coffin,” Lord Humphrey growled. “Well, come closer, girl, and let me look at you. Aye, you still look like your mother, and she was passing fair. I see nothing of the Radcliffes in you. What is this foolishness about my grandson taking the Radcliffe name?”
“It was my father’s wish when he became Earl of Stanton. The king agreed. It is not an unheard-of thing, my lord,” Adair said quietly.
