'Congratulations, Ranulf,' Sir Garrick Taliferro said. 'A son is a good thing, and now you have an heir for your manor.'
'The first of several, I hope.' Ranulf could not stop smiling. Suddenly he sobered. 'We will go on to Worcester from the convent. You say you do not know why it is Duke Henry wishes to see me?'
'Nay. All I can tell you is he came secretly, then sent me to fetch you. I know not what it is he wishes you to do. The sooner we get there, the sooner you will know.'
'We will have to remain the night at the convent,' Ranulf said. 'We will reach it just before dark, but we can go no farther until the morning.'
'I did not expect us to reach Worcester for at least a week,' Sir Garrick said. 'The duke will be pleased to see us so quickly.'
The two knights and the serving girl departed shortly thereafter for St. Frideswide's. The sun had dipped behind the hills separating England from Wales when they arrived. Sister Perpetua opened the gates for them, smiling as they rode through. Dismounting before the stables, they gave their horses into Sister Joseph’s care.
'Praise God you have come, my lord,' the abbess said, hurrying forward. 'Eleanore is most eager to see you, and I imagine you are most eager to see your son, eh?' She smiled at him.
Everybody was smiling, it seemed, Ranulf thought. The introduction of his companion accomplished, the new father said, 'Sir Garrick and I must beg a night’s hospitality of you, my lady abbess.'
'It is granted, gladly.'
'Where is Eleanore?' he asked.
'Willa will take you to the guest house, my lord,' the abbess replied.
'We have few men as guests,' the abbess told Sir Garrick. 'The lady Eleanore’s serving woman will show you where you may lodge, sir. Food will be brought to you both.' Then with a nod she left him.
The two men followed Willa into the guest house. Willa showed Sir Garrett where men guests were housed, as Orva had hurried forward to curtsy and claim Ranulf’s attention.
'Welcome, my lord. The mistress is eager for you to come to her and for you to see young lord Simon Hubert,' she said.
'Was it difficult for her?' Ranulf asked the midwife.
Orva shook her head. 'I would have thought such a little girl birthing such a fine strapping infant would have had a far harder time than she had, my lord. Her labor was but a few short hours, and she bore her child easily. It is rare to see such a simple birth. It was as if the angels were on her side, my lord.'
'They surely were,' he said softly, 'for my Eleanore is the best of women, Orva.'
'She is in there, my lord.' Orva pointed to the door into the women’s dormitory, and her master hurried through it.
'Petite!' Ranulf knelt by Elf’s bedside, kissing her forehead.
Elf smiled up at her husband. Dear God, how she loved him! 'You are here at last,' she said. 'I wanted them to send for you when I went into labor, Ranulf, but they said birthing was no place for a man. Look by the fire in the little manger. It is your son.'
'You are all right, petite?'
She nodded. 'Go, and see Simon Hubert! He is the most beautiful child, my lord.'
He arose from her side and went over to the makeshift cradle. Kneeling, he gazed in rapt admiration at his son, lying upon his stomach, his perfectly round little head turned to one side. The head was topped with reddish fuzz. 'He has your hair,' Ranulf said softly as his finger gently touched the infant’s head. 'He is beautiful.' Standing again, he came back to her side, drawing up a stool so he might sit next to her. 'Simon we agreed upon. Why Hubert?'
'It is St. Hubert’s feast day, Ranulf,' she explained, 'and St. Hubert is the patron saint of hunters. I thought it a manly name, but he cannot be baptized until the morrow, so if you do not Like it, we do not have to call him so.'
'Nay, I think it a fine name, Eleanore.'
'You were right, my lord,' Elf said. 'I should not have come visiting at St. Frideswide’s so near my time, but I never thought for a moment that I would have my child here.'
He took her hand in his and kissed each finger in a now well-loved gesture. 'While I would have preferred our firstborn birthed at Ashlin, petite, you were as safe here as you would have been there. I know your travail was made easier surrounded by the good nuns, whom you love so well and who love you. I am not angry at you.'
'They were so sweet, Ranulf. The abbess was as calm as ever. Sister Winifred brought herbs to help my pains and relax me. Sister Joseph scoured a small manger, then filled it with sweet grasses, and covered it with a fine linen cloth so Simon would have a cradle. Matti stayed with me throughout it all. Whatever fears I harbored secretly, I lost encircled by their love and prayers.'
'We shall make them a fine gift, Eleanore, to show our gratitude,' Ranulf said quietly.
'Can we go home tomorrow?' She smiled hopefully up at him. How very handsome he was! How strong and yet tender, and she loved him even if she did not dare to say it. Her gaze strayed to their son. What a marvel the babe was! His voice cut into her thoughts.
'I believe you should rest for a few days before we attempt to bring you home,' Ranulf said. 'I am on my way to Worcester in the morning. When I return, I shall stop here, and we shall journey home together, petite. Orva says it was an easy birth, but it cannot harm you to rest for a few days. I have given orders that a dozen of our men-at-arms come here in a week’s time to act as our escort. You are not to attempt to leave without me, petite. Do I have your word on it?'
'Aye.' She was puzzled. 'Why are you going to Worcester?'
'I have been sent for by Duke Henry, who is there secretly. Do not ask me why, because I do not know myself the reasons behind it all. As Duke Henry knows, my allegiance is to King Stephen, but I am certain there is no plot afoot. Sir Garrick was sent to me, and I hold him to be an honorable man. If I can render our future king some small service without infringing upon my loyalty to King Stephen, then it cannot harm us, petite. Duke Henry’s reputation is also one of honor, so I doubt he has asked me to come to Worcester for any nefarious purpose.'
'I wonder what he wants,' Elf said slowly. 'If it is something that no one else can do, and you do it well, Duke Henry will undoubtedly be grateful. That could bode well for our son.' She had begun to think like an ambitious mother. 'Do not the duke and his wife have a son who is but an infant? Maybe one day Simon could serve him at court! If they grew up together, they might become friends.
Ranulf de Glandeville looked at his wife in amazement. Now, here was a side of Eleanore he would have never expected existed. She had but birthed their son a few hours ago, and already she was aspiring and envisioning a grand future for him. He did not know whether to be pleased or fearful of this new woman to whom he was wed. 'Simple knights rarely, if ever, do great lords such great a service that they are rewarded so magnanimously, petite. My name is not so proud that our son would become a playmate of Prince William's.' He smiled at her, and patted her hand.
'You cannot know that for certain, my lord,' Elf said to him.
Ranulf chuckled. His wife was not about to give up her dreams simply at his say-so. 'Duke Henry, being unfamiliar with the country, has probably been asking the men with holdings in the
