a letter from the
Countess of Clare to Sir John de Bury, advising him that she would not
go North, as had been intended, but would wait and attend Her Majesty;
explaining that not only could she thus make the long journey with no
trouble to him and with more comfort to herself, but also that she was
moved by the express desire of the Queen, who was loath to lose her.

Sir John straightway sought the castle, and De Lacy had small trouble
in persuading him to remain and ride back to Yorkshire with the King.
That evening Aymer informed His Majesty that, on account of the new
orders, he would not relinquish for the present his duties as Knight of
the Body, and Richard smiled comprehendingly, but made no comment.

Three days later the Court moved to Windsor. On the morning after the
arrival there, as De Lacy rounded the front of St. George's Chapel, he
came upon the Queen, attended only by the Countess of Clare. He
uncovered, and with a deep obeisance was passing on when the former
addressed him.

"Sir Aymer," she said, and he halted and bowed low again, "methought
you had left us for distant Yorkshire. We are glad the information was
not sound.--Are we not, Beatrix?" with a sly glance at her companion.

"Whatever pleases you pleases me," the Countess answered with a frank
smile.

"And do you know, Sir Aymer," said the Queen, who was in a happy mood,
"that the Countess of Clare had also proposed leaving us for Craigston
Castle . . . and, indeed, upon the very morning you had fixed to go?"

"What rare fortune to have met her on the way," said Aymer.

"Greater fortune, think you, than to be with her here at Windsor?"

The Countess looked at her mistress in blank surprise.

"Could there be greater fortune than to be where Your Majesty is in
presence?" Aymer asked.

"Where she is in presence at this particular moment, you mean?" taking
Beatrix's hand.

"Your Majesty is hardly fair to Sir Aymer or to me," said the Countess
quickly. "You draw his scanty compliments from him like an arrow from
a wound--hurting him all the while."

The Queen laughed. "If all Sir Aymer's wounds hurt him no more, he is
likely to know little pain."

"I know he is French-bred and a courtier," Beatrix answered.

"As you told me once before in Pontefract," De Lacy observed.

"And as I am very apt to tell you again when you are presumptuous and
flattering."

"Henceforth I shall be neither."

"Charming, Sir Aymer, charming . . . i