LITMIR.BIZ

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at firsthand.

      On that day so many years ago, the port had been busy with many ships loading and unloading their cargoes, but on this day it was quiet with only a few people walking or standing in conversation. Turning her head to look about her, Katherine saw that Celestine had been speaking earnestly to a man. Realising she was observed, she left him and walked towards Katherine. The man seemed to look hard in Katherine’s direction for a moment before turning away.

      What had they been talking about? And why had the man, who was a stranger to Katherine, been so interested in her?

      ‘It seems there are no ships bound for France at the moment,’ Celestine said when she came up to Katherine. ‘One of those you see is bound for Cyprus, another for the shores of Byzantium and the other for England. A French ship may not be here for some weeks to come.’

      ‘I do not want to linger here so long,’ Katherine said anxiously. ‘Our money will dwindle and may not then be enough for our passage to France.’ In fact, she had wondered if her small purse would see them safely home. Most of their goods had been lost when her father was attacked and killed, supposedly by brigands.

      ‘Here comes Sir Alain now,’ Celestine said. ‘We may hear what he has to say.’

      ‘I fear the news is not what you would wish to hear,’ Alain told them as their anxious eyes beseeched him for the news he could not give. ‘A French ship is not expected for some time. There was a terrible storm last month and two French merchant vessels were lost at sea. The English ship you see anchored cannot sail for another week at least. It, too, was caught in the storm, and though it managed to limp to port it has sustained damage that has not yet been repaired.’

      ‘Then we have no choice but to remain,’ Celestine said and there was a gleam of something that might have been satisfaction in her eyes. ‘Do not fear, Katherine. I have sufficient money for the three of us. I shall take lodgings and—’

      ‘No need for that,’ Alain assured them at once. ‘Bryne has friends here and we have all been invited to make use of the Villa Maderno, which lies in the hills just above us. Bryne has gone on ahead to make sure that everything is in readiness for our arrival.’

      ‘But we cannot trouble you…’ Celestine began, faltering as she saw his frown. His manner told her that he would brook no interference with his plans. ‘Surely you will travel on the English ship once it is repaired?’

      ‘Yes, that is our plan,’ Alain told her. ‘Had a French ship been the only one available, we should have taken that and found an English berth when we reached Marseilles. The voyage to England will be longer and perhaps less comfortable without a sojourn in France to break the tedium, but we shall take passage. I think it might be best for you to accompany us, Katherine. The Lady Celestine also, if she wishes?’ He raised his brows to her and she smiled at him, her long lashes fluttering against her cheeks.

      ‘Thank you. May I have time to consider?’

      ‘I have taken the liberty of booking passage for all of us,’ Alain told her. ‘If you would prefer to remain here, that is your privilege, but I fear it might be months before you could be sure of finding a ship that can carry you home. You would find it much easier to purchase a passage from England—and the expense of travelling to England will not fall on you as I have contracted with the English captain for our whole party.’

      ‘You are very kind,’ Katherine said, and then, taking a deep breath, ‘But I had hoped I might gain an audience with the Holy Father while we are in Rome.’

      ‘An audience with his Holiness!’ Celestine exclaimed. ‘My dearest Katherine, what reason can you possibly have for making such a request? It is certain to be refused. Pope Innocent III is a busy man and hardly likely to give his time to a young girl.’

      ‘I dare say his Holiness might find time to see you, Katherine,’ Alain said, seeing her expression, which was a mixture of distress and embarrassment. ‘However, I happen to know that he is not in Rome at this time.’

      ‘Oh…then I shall not…’ Katherine sighed. ‘I had hoped, but it is obviously not meant to be.’ She looked at him. ‘Then I think I shall accept your invitation to accompany you to England, sir. I do not see what else I can do.’

      ‘Is there something I may help you with, my lady?’ Alain asked, sensing that she was deeply worried. ‘Anything I might do that you cannot do yourself?’

      Katherine hesitated. It would be so good to share her burden with someone she could trust. Her instincts told her that Sir Alain de Banewulf was an honourable man, but still she did not dare to share her secret with him.

      ‘I thank you, but, no, there is nothing, sir. It was merely that my father had spoken of a meeting with his Holiness, and I would have liked to give him…something.’

      ‘Could you not leave it with one of his cardinals?’ Alain asked. ‘I am sure I could arrange that for you if you wished, for I had an audience with his Holiness when I was first in Rome on my return from the Holy Land.’

      ‘You are very kind, but, no, I shall not trouble you,’ Katherine replied, though she did not know why. It would have been easy to hand over both the treasure and the provenance that her father had documented so faithfully. Or what was left of it, for so many of her father’s notes had been lost with his baggage.

      She turned away from Sir Alain’s penetrating gaze to find that Celestine was looking at her with barely concealed eagerness. Katherine felt annoyed with herself for saying so much. If Celestine had somehow learned of the treasure Katherine carried, she might try to steal it, either for herself or for the Lord Hubert, with whom she professed to have quarrelled.

      Was it unkind of her to suspect her erstwhile friend? Katherine felt that it was unworthy to be so suspicious, yet she could not help it. She almost wished that she had confided the whole to Sir Alain and left it to him to solve her dilemma.

      But he was telling his men to mount up and the moment had passed. Perhaps, after all, it was best to keep the secret a little longer. Soon she would be in England and from there she could find a ship to take her to France and her uncle’s home.

      Until then, she would just have to carry her burden alone.

      ‘Is this not a beautiful villa?’ Celestine asked as Katherine met her after having been able to indulge in the luxury of a proper bath in scented water, something she had not done since leaving Cyprus. ‘My room is next to yours, and charming. I think Sir Bryne’s friend must be very wealthy to own something like this, Katherine.’

      ‘Yes, I believe you are right, for I understand that he owns several homes, both here and in the wine country to the north and in Salerno. It was from one of his estates that Sir Alain and Sir Bryne were coming when they met us.’

      ‘My home in France would seem dark and bleak compared to this,’ Celestine told her. ‘Sometimes I wonder if I truly wish to return—and yet I might if I had a companion to make me smile.’

      ‘I dare say you will marry again.’

      Katherine felt uncomfortable; she knew that Celestine was trying to coax an answer from her and she did not wish to give it, though she did not know why. A return to her own home was not appealing. In truth, the more she thought about returning to Grunwald, the less appealing it became. She had grown used to living and sleeping in her pavilion, though that had been lost with her father’s baggage, and she had been forced to sleep under the stars until they met Sir Alain and were given shelter in his own camp.

      Like Celestine, she was impressed by the villa, which had many light and airy rooms and was very beautiful with marble mosaics on the floor and white pillars to support the arches that led from one part of the villa to another. There were statues of women clothed in flowing drapes, couches with soft cushions where one might sit or lie to take one’s ease and a bathhouse with a bathing pool filled with cool scented water.

      Katherine had never experienced such luxury, and knew that it was unlikely she would again. She made up her mind to thank Sir Alain for bringing her here

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