Daughter of York by Anne Easter Smith Read Free Book Online Page A

she had expected Edward to pay little attention to her in public. She found her tongue and managed, “I thank you,” despite the hurt of his last comment, for she was sensitive about her inches. She put it from her and gave him her warm smile. “You are right welcome home, Ned.”
    “Ah, there you are, ma mère . Well met!” Edward greeted Cecily, who had not been waiting by the window for her son’s arrival, as Margaret had, and thus was caught napping, literally. She hurried into the hall. Her widow’s wimple was askew, and she had obviously slept in her overdress. Edward grinned and, picking her up as if she were a child, kissed her openmouthed astonishment.
    “Really, Edward!” she admonished him as he set her down again, before she remembered his rank and sank to her knees. “I mean, your grace.”
    He raised her up. “Edward suits me well, Mother. It always has. I am not used to this new state, and until I am, I shall not expect my family to treat me any differently from before. Besides,” he said, as he set her down and appraised her, “how can I take your lecture seriously when you come before your king in such disarray?”
    Margaret gasped and expected Cecily to upbraid him again, but Cecily pretended not to have heard his last remark.
    “Then I shall school you in the way things should be at court,” Cecily retorted, rearranging the folds of her wimple. “You now are king of En—gland, and I shall expect you to behave like one!”
    “Oui, ma mère,” Edward said meekly, winking at Margaret. “But first, I have a gift for both of you.”
    “You are incorrigible, my son,” Cecily replied, hiding a smile. Margaret made a note to ask her mother what the word meant; she liked the sound of it.
    Edward whispered to his chamberlain, Will Hastings, who in turn sent a page running back outside. Everyone waited as Edward stood between his mother and sister, a sly grin on his face. Those closest to the door began to cheer as two small figures clothed in velvet doublets and bonnets entered the hall.
    “George! Dickon!” squeaked Margaret, forgetting where she was and running the length of the hall to embrace them. Highly embarrassed, the boys forestalled the dreaded kissing that was sure to follow and both bowed low.
    “Lady Margaret,” George said, hoping to avert the inevitable. “Greetings.”
    But to no avail. In a trice, they were both bowled over by their sibling’s exuberance, and Richard ended up on his backside. Tears streamed down Margaret’s cheeks as she hugged George to her. She knew she had missed them, but until she had seen them again she had not realized how much. George extricated himself from her and straightened his bonnet, while Richard scrambled to his feet and ran past Margaret headlong into his mother’s waiting arms. Edward stood by quietly, pleased his surprise had been so successful. George bowed to his mother and gravely kissed her hand.
    Cecily smiled. “I see you have learned some nice manners with Duke Philip, George. Was he kind to you?”
    “Aye, Mother,” George said enthusiastically. “The court at Bruges was so magnificent and everyone was very kind. Madame la duchesse gave us these clothes when we left. She said she could not have the brothers of the king of England looking shabby upon their arrival home.”
    Edward laughed. “Aye, I fear we now owe Burgundy a favor for this kindness. Let me see, what can we send him? His son already has a wife or I’d offer him our Meg!” He chucked Margaret under the chin, and she was furious with herself for blushing.
    “I shall stay in England, Ned. This is where I belong!” she told him firmly. “Anyway, I am much too young to be wed yet.” She sent a prayer to the Virgin to delay the dreaded arranged marriage she knew was her lot in life and let her stay at home for many more years.
    “Oh, no, you are not, my beauty! But I have other things on my mindat present”—he paused and grinned down at her—“like