«Maman, you're back!» Seffira squealed, twisting to throw both arms around her mother's neck and bestow a noisy kiss. «I've missed you terribly. And look how big Krispin has got!»
«Yes, I can see that», Jessamy replied, nodding to Anjelica, who smiled as she gathered up the infant and laid him in his mother's arms. «My goodness, you two have done a wonderful job while I've been away».
«Jesiana helped, too», Seffira admitted, «but I did a lot, didn't I, Tante Jeli?»
«Indeed, you did», Anjelica agreed. «He's a good baby, m'lady. «Sleeps through the night, and hardly ever fusses».
«I am glad to hear it», Jessamy replied.
Quickly she inspected her son, briefly probing the tiny mind, then settled on the edge of a fountain with Seffira beside her, the babe laid across her knees. Across the lawn, the queen had shifted Prince Brion onto her hip as she and Donal spoke with a tall, sandy-haired man of middle years, brightly clad in red and white, who was standing with a protective hand on the shoulder of a lad she judged to be eleven or twelve. Two retainers in the green and black of Corwyn hovered nearby, along with a matronly woman in russet and a thin, ascetic-looking man in vaguely Eastern-looking priest's robes and a flat-topped hat.
«Anjelica», Jessamy said in a low voice, beckoning the nurse back to her side, «do you know who that man is, with their Majesties?»
«The Earl of Lendour, m'lady, and his son and heir».
«I thought as much», Jessamy replied, nodding. «Do you know what brings him here?»
«Aye, m'lady. He has brought his daughters as well, to be fostered to the queen's household. I believe he intends that they should also spend a year or two at the same convent where your daughter resides».
Jessamy nodded thoughtfully. «That will be Alyce and Marie. Goodness, I've hardly seen those children since their mother died. Where are they, Anjelica?»
«There, m'lady, under the lilac tree with Lady Jesiana».
Affecting only casual interest, Jessamy turned her gaze in the direction indicated by her maid, far across the lawns, to where three young girls were chattering with a pair of handsome, somewhat older squires, all of them seated on the shady grass and with the girls' bright skirts spread like blossoms. The youngest of the girls was her own Jesiana, the nine-year-old, dark curls loosely tied back by a yellow ribbon.
The other two were clearly older, but not by much. One was fair and delicate of feature, golden hair tumbling around her shoulders and bound across the brow with a rose-pink ribbon-fillet that matched her simple gown; the other, clad in tender leaf-green, had hair more resembling bronze. Seeing them there, all full of hope and youthful innocence, Jessamy was reminded of a similar pair of girls in a similar season, that dreadful summer of her own passing into adolescence, when her father had died and everything in her life had changed.
That long-ago summer had borne Jessamy betimes into marriage and motherhood — estates that had come somewhat later to that other girl, the heiress Stevana de Corwyn: eventually abducted and married by force to the man now standing with their son and heir, young Ahern. (The boy was, in fact, a twin to young Marie — Stevana's second set, though Alyce's twin very sadly had died shortly after birth.) In the early years, when both their families were young, Jessamy had visited her friend as often as she could, and had brushed the minds of all three Corwyn children. The two women had remained friends until the day Stevana died, miscarried of yet another set of twins that would have been more boys for Corwyn's line-but sadly, not meant to be.
Jessamy had seen Stevana's surviving children but rarely in the years since then, but she was heartened to see that they appeared to be growing into handsome young adults — and now, apparently, were being prepared to enter the adult roles to which their birth entitled them.
Thoughtful, Jessamy handed young Krispin back into the care of Seffira and his nurse and rose, smoothing her skirts as she made her way toward the lilac tree. The squires, who were wearing the livery of Lendour, scrambled to their feet at her approach, as did the girls, and Jesiana darted into her mother's embrace with a glad cry.
«Maman! We saw your ship this morning, from the tower atop the house!»
«Yes, well, there was very little wind», Jessamy replied, kissing her daughter's cheek and nodding acknowledgment to the older girls' curtsies and the bows of the two squires. «Young sirs, should you not be about your duties?» she said mildly to the latter.
The pair took their leave with alacrity, to the obvious regret of the girls, and Jessamy opened her arms to Stevana's daughters.
«Dear Alyce, and darling Marie, come and give your Tante Jessamy a kiss», she said. «Do you not remember me? Your mother and I were of an age with you when first we met. She was like the sister I had never had».
Relieved recognition lit both young faces, and the girls crowded eagerly into her embrace.
«Of course we remember!» said the shorter of the two, the one with bronze-colored hair, as she bestowed a kiss on Jessamy's cheek.
The blonder one simply laid her head briefly against Jessamy's shoulder and breathed a sigh of contentment.
«My, but you have turned into quite the beauties», Jessamy said, drawing back to look at them. «Alyce, you are the image of your dear mother. And Marie… lovely. Simply lovely. Stevana would be so proud of you».
Alyce nodded her blond head. «Would that Papa agreed. He intends to marry again. Unfortunately, his intended bride does not like the idea of grown stepdaughters», she said bleakly.
«She's very vain», Marie chimed in, with a wrinkle of her tip-tilted nose. «We don't much like her».
«I see», Jessamy said, containing a smile of gentle amusement at Alyce's description of the two of them as «grown». But she could sympathize with the girls' recognition of their incipient stepmother's resentment. «Jesiana, why don't you go and see if your sister and Mistress Anjelica need help with Krispin?»
«Yes, Maman».
As the younger girl dipped her a curtsy and headed off at her mother's bidding, Jessamy drew Stevana's daughters farther under the shade of the lilac tree and sank down, patting the cool grass beside her.
«Sit down, my dears. I understand that you are to be fostered at court».
Marie's rosy lips parted in amazement.
«How did you know? You've only just got here».
«It often happens», Jessamy replied, not unkindly. «Do keep your voice down, child. Your father's new wife will wish to establish her own children in their father's affections. It is the natural wish of any mother».
«She shall not have our brother's title for her own sons, no matter what she does!» Alyce said in a fierce whisper.
«Of course she shall not», Jessamy agreed, patting her hand. «Your brother shall be Duke of Corwyn by right of your dear mother. Nothing can change that. In due time, he also shall be Earl of Lendour, for that is the right of your father's eldest son. And if, by chance, dear Ahern were to form an affection for a half-brother by this new marriage of your father's, it would be his right to decline the secondary title in favor of his brother — but that would be his decision, and no other's».
«As for you» — she drew the two of them into her embrace again — «your father does you a great service as well, by fostering you to court, for brilliant marriages can be made for the sisters of the next Duke of Corwyn».
«Aye, to some whiskered old graybeard who only wants our dowries», Marie pouted, as Alyce made a moue. «I want to marry for love!»
Jessamy regarded them with sympathy, but it would do no good to pretend that their station did not carry duties and responsibilities.
«Of course you do», she agreed. «But being who and what you are, that may not be possible». She cast a quick glance around to be certain she could not be overheard. «Even were you merely human, your ducal bloodline would demand that you marry to a certain station — that, else take the veil — and that you may not do until and unless your brother produces an heir».
Alyce lowered her gaze, shaking her head bleakly. «It matters little. I have no call to the religious life — and Marie certainly does not».
«I did not suppose that either of you did, child», Jessamy replied. «That grace is given to few — though I am told that you are to spend some time in the convent to finish your education. Don't pout; you may find that a very rewarding time. I understand that you are to go to Notre Dame d'Arc-en-Ciel — Our Lady of the Rainbow. It is just north of Rhemuth. Did you know that one of my daughters resides there?»
Marie looked startled, and Alyce's jaw dropped.
«She does?»
«Aye, my second daughter Jessilde — or Sister Iris Jessilde, as she is now called. She has found great contentment there».
Alyce bit at her lower lip, clearly taken aback.
«If she has a true vocation, then I am glad for her», she murmured, «though I cannot imagine it is a comfortable place for those of our kind».
«Actually», Jessamy said, with another glance over her shoulder, «the Church is quite happy for women of our kind to take up the religious life. Shut away in a convent, we are unlikely to reproduce more of our race». At the girls' scandalized expressions, she added, «You needn't look shocked, my dears. It does happen. Not all are able keep a vow of chastity. But such a life does have its compensations, of course. A cloister provides safety, sustenance, and ample time for study and contemplation. There are far worse fates».
After a pause, Alyce whispered, «Mother told me how you were forced to marry when you were near our age. Will the king force us to marry so young, do you think?»