His words touched the mother’s heart within her and she questioned if that had been Jack’s intention. She did not blame him if it was, because she would have done all in her power to provide for her son’s needs in such circumstances.
There was a knock at the door and Jack called, ‘Entrez!’
The serving maid entered with their next course and took their bowls away. After that they ate in silence and to her disappointment he made no more mention about his house. She wondered if he was regretting his proposal, but could not see why he should do so. He needed her help.
When she had finished eating she asked Jack to excuse her, saying that she was tired. He agreed that it must have been a tiring few days for her and asked how she had got along with Raoul. ‘Better than I expected,’ she answered. ‘He was all kindness. Now if you’ll excuse me, Jack?’
She left him alone and was shown upstairs by one of the maids to a bedchamber. She had not lied to Jack. After two days’ travelling she was weary, and due to her concern for him she had not slept well in the inns where she and Raoul had spent the two nights on the road. So she undressed and climbed into bed.
She lay on her back, gazing up at the ceiling, thinking over Jack’s proposal and the days spent in his company. They had been filled with the unfamiliar, interesting sights and excitement, as well as fear, sadness, pain and sensual pleasure. She would carry away with her many memories, but most of all she would never forget that it was here that she had learnt so much about herself and what was important in her life. If she married Jack, there would be pleasure to be had in the marriage bed and she felt confident that she would be able to organise the household to his satisfaction. She had been in his company long enough to know they shared certain similar interests which boded well for their future. Most of all she could give his son the love he needed.
She rolled over on to her side and closed her eyes. She would accept his proposal. It would have given her much joy to have Jack’s love, but she must be content, knowing that she was doing what she believed to be right for the three of them.
When later she rose and went downstairs there was no sign of Jack. She presumed he had gone to visit Hortense and Philippe. For a moment she was tempted to go to the house, but knew that she must allow father and son this time together without her. She must also leave it to Jack to decide matters concerning their departure without her interference.
That evening Anna and Jack had supper with Raoul. She asked her half-brother what his friend had had to say about her parchments.
‘He showed great interest and made an offer.’
Jack looked surprised. ‘You have the parchments with you?’
‘Aye. When I knew we were coming to Amiens, I thought it possible that an opportunity might arise to find a buyer. So, what is your opinion?’
‘You haven’t told us the sum he offered,’ said Jack.
Raoul lowered his head and brought it close to theirs and whispered an amount. Jack whistled and even Anna was impressed. ‘Accept it,’ she said. ‘I would like some of the money in French coin, the rest can be paid by banker’s draft into one of Jack’s banks. I’m sure he has one somewhere in Europe.’
Jack said curtly, ‘I cannot accept.’
‘It’s the most sensible answer,’ insisted Anna. ‘I cannot carry such a large sum of money on my person.’
‘You’re very trusting of this knavish fellow,’ said Raoul, a twinkle in his eye.
‘Indeed. And I have not forgotten your commission, Raoul,’ said Anna hastily.
He protested. ‘It is a pleasure to be of help to you, Anna.’
She smiled and wagged a finger at him. ‘Just because we are related, it does not mean that I expect you to work for me without being paid.’
She glanced at Jack. ‘I deem I could get very interested in trading if it is this profitable and exciting.’
‘Printing is where it’s going to be worth investing your money in the future, Anna,’ said Raoul. ‘Would you not agree, Jack?’
‘Certainly,’ he replied, toying with the stem of his goblet. ‘But it is not for the faint-hearted and requires patience, cunning and a great deal of tact with some customers.’
Raoul agreed.
After that the conversation was conducted by the two men. It was about the new printing presses and a Londoner called William Caxton, who had held the position of Governor of the English Nation of Merchant Venturers in the Low Countries until recently. Jack had made no mention of Hortense or Philippe and Anna wondered why, but did not like to interrupt the men’s conversation by asking. So, instead, she excused herself and went to bed.
The following morning Anna woke early and dressed and went downstairs. She was relieved to find Jack alone in the parlour. He was pacing the floor, but stopped as soon as he became aware of her presence. He did not beat around the bush, but said, ‘Have you made your decision?’
She nodded. ‘Indeed, I have. I accept your proposal, Jack.’ His face lit up and she smiled. ‘It seems to me the most sensible course for both of us to take. As long as you have no more secrets up your sleeve. For instance, I would like to know how matters went with Hortense and Philippe?’
‘Of course. It went pretty much as I expected. The boy is still nervous of me and so I told Hortense that I had asked you to marry me. I thought that might make Philippe easier in his mind if he believed that you were to stand in place of his mother. I hope you didn’t mind my doing so?’
‘Of course not! I want to make both you and Philippe as happy as possible.’
Jack brought her against him and pressed a hard kiss on her mouth. ‘Thank you, Anna. So shall we make our vows?’
‘You mean now?’
His face fell. ‘I thought it would be most sensible. Will you agree to take me as your husband from this day forth?’
Of course it was sensible, she thought, so agreed. ‘I will. Do you agree to take me as your wife from this day forth?’ she asked, her lips humming from his kiss.
‘I do. It will make our sleeping arrangements so much simpler on the road.’
‘Of course, you’re right. It is eminently sensible,’ she said with a sigh.
Jack sensed he had made a mistake. ‘Unless…?’ He stopped abruptly.
‘Unless what?’ asked Anna, gazing up at him.
‘You would prefer to wait until we reached England?’
‘That certainly would not be sensible,’ she said, realising just how much she wanted to share his bed as soon as possible. ‘But why do you ask when we have already agreed and have taken each other as husband and wife?’
‘It suddenly occurred to me that you might want to have Kate and the family present to witness our vows. Perhaps you would like to have a proper ceremony with a new gown and women to attend you. To have flowers in your hair?’ He touched a stray red-gold curl. ‘To have bride cakes baked. If that is so…then I am prepared…to wait…on your convenience.’ His voice came to a haltering stop.
Anna had not given thought to any of those things, but now she did and hastened to reassure him, adding, ‘If we waited until we get to England, who is to say how long it might take to gather all the family together? I think we should invite them to a celebratory feast and I should like to have a priest bless our union, but right now that is out of the question. But we should have someone to witness us take our vows.’
Jack surprised her by seizing her by the waist and swinging her up into the air. ‘Well said, Anna! Your words prove to me that I made the right decision in asking you to marry me.’
She laughed. ‘I am glad you think so. Now put me down. You are making me dizzy.’
He did what she asked, but did not instantly set her free, just stood gazing down at her. ‘I will make certain you won’t regret your decision, Anna,’ he said softly.
‘I pray, too, that you have no regrets.’
‘I’m certain that I won’t. Now let us break our fast; as soon as Raoul makes an appearance, we will tell him our news and repeat o
ur vows in his presence.’
She nodded.
Jack would have liked to have drawn her close and kissed her again, but already she was separating herself from him. She walked over to the table. ‘Will you now accept the money for the parchments being paid into your bank?’
‘I suppose I must.’ His eyes were thoughtful. ‘But you must have my ring to wear on your finger, Anna.’
She nodded, realising this would mean removing Giles’s ring. She took it off without any show of reluctance and placed it in a concealed pocket in her gown.
Jack looked relieved. ‘I will buy you a new one this very day.’
There was a sound at the door and Raoul entered the parlour. ‘You have not yet broken your fast?’ He stifled a yawn.
‘As you can see,’ said Jack. ‘We will eat soon, but first, mon ami, I must tell you our news. Anna and I have agreed to be husband and wife. We hope this meets with your approval and ask if you would witness our vows?’
Raoul’s eyes lit up. ‘I am delighted to hear such wonderful news. From the moment I saw you both together, I decided that you would suit.’ He clapped Jack on the back and kissed Anna on both cheeks.
‘We will ratify our agreement with a blessing ceremony and a lawyer once we are settled back in England and can gather our family together,’ said Jack.
‘It would be good, Raoul, if you could join us,’ said Anna, smiling at him.
‘I am not as certain of that as you, Anna. I am my father’s son and I doubt I would be welcome.’
‘You consider us less gracious in England than here in France?’ she asked in a sad voice.
‘The circumstances are different, Anna. Besides, am I not here now to witness your vows and will I not share a wedding breakfast with you?’ His face eased into a smile. ‘I presume in the circumstances you will not be needing me for the bedding ceremony?’ he said with a wicked gleam in his eye.
‘Definitely unnecessary,’ said Jack, remembering those heart-racing moments in his friend’s garden. He turned to Anna. ‘Shall we now repeat our vows?’
She nodded.
He took her right hand in his own and repeated the simple vows that he had made to her earlier. Then she did the same before they exchanged a kiss and smiled at each other. Her smile reminded Jack of the carefree girl he remembered from years ago. Whistling cheerfully, he left the parlour to order breakfast.
Anna followed him with her eyes and found herself praying that one day their marriage would be a true union of body, heart and soul.
Over breakfast, Jack and Anna agreed that they must visit Hortense and inform her of their marriage. ‘I shall tell her that we will be leaving on the morrow,’ said Jack. ‘I see little point in delaying our departure.’
‘You do not think he should have time to get to know us better?’ asked Anna.
Jack hesitated and then shook his head. ‘He will get to know us better by spending whole days in our company and he might as well do that as we journey home. Being parted from Hortense and his home was always going to be difficult for him.’
Anna did not argue with his reasoning. She could only do her best to be there to comfort Philippe. So after they parted from Raoul, who was to meet with his friend Jules to arrange the transfer of monies in exchange for Anna’s parchments, they set out for Hortense’s house. Anna guessed that it would be just as painful for the Frenchwoman to part with Philippe as it was for him to say goodbye to her.
Soon after they had arrived at the house and informed Hortense of their marriage—news that she appeared to be delighted to hear—Jack told her to pack Philippe’s belongings ready for the journey to England the next morning. Anna could tell that news came as a shock to her.
‘So soon!’ she exclaimed.
‘I have been away from my home six years, Hortense,’ said Jack gently. ‘There is much work for me to do there.’
‘I understand,’ she said, sighing. ‘But I tell you now there is little in the way of clothing for me to pack for Philippe. He has only one other set of clothes, for he grows apace.’
Jack stared at his son who had been sitting listening to them and noticed that he looked ashamed. He was dressed plainly in a well-worn linen shirt, a darned homespun woollen tunic, hose and wooden sabots.
‘He must have some new clothes,’ said Anna.
Jack agreed. He felt shamed by his son’s obvious embarrassment and wanted to explain that it was not Philippe’s fault. ‘But where can we get new clothes for him at such short notice?’ he asked.
‘True. Perhaps Hortense knows of a used clothes-dealer, then you can provide her with coin to purchase some decent garments for him. He will also need boots. When we reach England he can be measured up for some new ones,’ said Anna.
‘An excellent notion,’ said Jack, pleased.
Turning to Hortense, he told her of Anna’s suggestion and handed over a purse and told her to buy what was needed. He was aware of the change in his son’s expression as he listened to his words. Hortense beamed at Jack. ‘I know of an excellent dealer. I will take Philippe to see him immediately. I will make you proud of him.’
‘We’re already proud of him, aren’t we, Jack?’ said Anna in French, smiling at the boy.
He nodded. ‘We will come for you in the morning, Philippe. This day we thought you might like to spend with Hortense or your friends.’
‘The lady is to be my new maman?’ blurted out Philippe, looking at Anna.
‘I am,’ she said firmly. ‘You will like being on the ship and living in England, Philippe. You will see.’
Philippe shot his father an uncertain glance and then he lowered his head and mumbled, ‘I have never been on a ship before. What if it were to sink—who would save me?’
‘It’s not going to sink,’ said Jack, startled.
‘But if it did?’ persisted Philippe.
‘Then your papa would save you,’ said Anna, bobbing down so that her face was on a level with Philippe. ‘He is a brave man. He saved me when I fell from my horse and a man attacked me. More than once he has rescued me when I was in trouble.’ She brushed back the boy’s brown hair. ‘I know you will be brave like your papa. You are going on a big adventure and there will be lots of exciting sights to see.’
He squared his shoulders. ‘I will be brave.’
‘Good.’ She smiled and kissed his cheek before straightening up. ‘Then we will see you on the morrow.’
Philippe nodded. Jack hesitated, then kissed his forehead and took his leave of Hortense.
As Anna and Jack walked through the bustling streets they were silent. The enormity of what lay ahead was giving them both cause for much thought. ‘We should buy Hortense a bride gift from Philippe,’ said Anna suddenly. ‘Do you know of a goldsmith’s shop where we could do so?’
He nodded. ‘How thoughtful you are, Anna. I forgot to thank you for boosting my image in the eyes of my son. Do you really consider me as brave as you said?’
She laughed. ‘Of course I do! You think I would speak falsely to your son? He needs to know the kind of man you really are.’
‘I am not always brave, Anna,’ he said with a sigh. ‘But I will try to live up to your belief in me.’
‘I should have also told him that under that stern exterior of yours beats a generous heart.’ She squeezed his hand. ‘Now Hortense. I thought she might like a bracelet or a brooch. A keepsake from Philippe.’
He grinned. ‘Is it that you speak of my generosity so as to get me to spend lots of money?’
Anna’s eyes twinkled. ‘Of course.’
Jack lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. ‘We both jest. But there are several goldsmiths here in Amiens and we will do what you say. I will also give Hortense a sum of money in appreciation of what she has done for me in keeping my memory alive so Philippe did not forget me.’
Holding Anna firmly by the hand, he led her through the city streets to the goldsmiths’ quarter. Inside one of the shops they were shown a variety of brooches. Jack as
ked her opinion of several of them and she picked one that resembled flowers and leaves.
‘You have excellent taste, Anna,’ he said. ‘The goldsmith tells me that the lords and knights of the English army frequented his establishment and admired pretty pieces like this one.’ He turned back to the vendor and spoke rapidly in French. The man smiled and went and unlocked a display case and brought forth a tray of ready-made gold rings. ‘Now, Anna, it is your turn. You must pick a wedding ring,’ said Jack firmly.
Thrilled that he had remembered his promise, she gazed down at those rings displayed on the tray. Three were made of plain gold and one was patterned with grapes and leaves. The fifth was intricately designed and reminded her of a Celtic ring made of silver that she had seen in Caernarfon, formed of flowing knots. ‘I like this one the best,’ said Anna, pointing to it.
Jack gave a nod to the goldsmith and the ring was handed to Anna. ‘If it doesn’t fit, then I am sure it can be altered in time. You must have the one you want,’ he said.
‘It is very pretty,’ she murmured, inspecting it more closely and musing on what the knots symbolised. Yet she hesitated to put it on.
‘Is something wrong, Anna?’ he asked,
She lifted her head and gazed from beneath her eyelashes at him, feeling suddenly shy about voicing what she wished him to do.
‘Here,’ he said, plucking the ring from her fingers. He took her hand and slid the ring on to the third finger of her right hand. ‘There, it is a perfect fit.’
Indeed, it was and that, for Anna, was symbolic. But she did not speak her thoughts aloud, only hoping that they would come true.
Chapter Twelve
Jack paid for the purchases and they left the shop.
‘Where next?’ she asked.
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Where do you wish to go?’ She gazed towards the soaring towers of Notre Dame Cathedral, but did not speak. Jack sighed. ‘If we must.’
‘Why do you say that, Jack?’ she murmured. ‘Is it that you blame God for what happened to you?’
June Francis Page 19