"Ye know the queen?" Cavan said. This was a subject that hadn't come up before, and it did not bode well, he thought.

"Of course I know the queen," replied Aidan. "I was one of her maids of honor. She personally arranged my match with Conn for he was a great favorite of hers."

Now that, thought Cavan, was better. Conn's seeming involvement in a plot against Elizabeth Tudor would seem doubly worse by virtue of the fact he had been in her favor.

"When," Aidan continued with a grin, "Conn's natural exuberance got him sent down from court the queen made his punishment more palatable by marrying him to me. She told him that there were those who would hardly think her too harsh marrying him to an heiress."

Conn laughed. "Ye've heard of the reluctant bride, Cavan? Well, I was a reluctant bridegroom." He slipped his arm about Aidan. "What a fool I was, but then how was I to know I should fall in love with this witch?"

Aidan looked up tenderly at her husband. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my lord," she said softly.

"Why were ye sent from court?" asked Cavan, wondering if the information might aid him in his plot.

"For getting caught with too many ladies at once," said Aidan mischievously. "A mother, her two daughters, and an amba.s.sador's wife!"

"All at once?" Cavan was stunned and admiring all in the same breath.

As much as Conn would have loved to let the misunderstanding on Cavan's part remain, he knew he couldn't. "Within the period of several days," he said, and Aidan giggled.

Cavan chuckled back at the two of them, but in his mind he was already formulating a scenario. Conn, angry at Elizabeth Tudor for sending him from court, and forcing him into marriage; Conn, raised in the Holy Mother Church, and his eyes suddenly open to the royal b.a.s.t.a.r.d; Conn seeking revenge for himself while at the same time helping to place England's rightful Catholic queen, Mary of Scotland, upon the throne. It was perfect, and it was all he could do not to show his exultation. With that background, the Spanish plot could not help but succeed.

London was several days' traveling from Pearroc Royal, and once again Cavan FitzGerald was impressed by all he saw. The countryside was green and fertile, the towns appeared prosperous. They stayed at clean, comfortable inns along their route, and Lord and Lady Bliss and their party were welcomed graciously; the accommodations given them s.p.a.cious and cheerful, the food served them the best of what England had to offer. There was peace and contentment here, Cavan realized. It was something he could never remember feeling in his entire life, and he suddenly realized that he was jealous of Conn. Why should all this good luck go to an O'Malley, and not a FitzGerald? Why should Aidan not be his wife? Her wealth, his wealth?

Suddenly he knew for certain that he did not want to return to Ireland. He didn't want to have to lick the boots of his cousin, Eamon, in order to ensure his very survival. He wanted a wife and a family, things long denied him. He didn't want to have to depend upon others for his very existence. He wanted to be his own man, and having Aidan for his wife would ensure that. He had never had any real feelings where the politics of Ireland were concerned. He was too busy surviving to have time to waste on patriotic emotions. He didn't give a d.a.m.n what happened to Ireland or the FitzGeralds. He just wanted to be a man of property with a cozy wife.

Conn and Aidan bid Cavan FitzGerald farewell at Greenwood, and sent him on his way with a wave and good wishes. Then as their coach turned into the drive of the house Conn heaved a mighty sigh.

"Thank G.o.d he's gone!" he said with deep feeling.

"Conn! He's my cousin!"

"He's the b.a.s.t.a.r.d get of yer great-uncle, and I don't like him, Aidan. Oh, he was pleasant enough, but I don't believe for one minute that he's in England on 'estate' business for yer grandsire. Ye can't even be certain the old man is still alive, sweeting. All ye have is cousin Cavan's word on it. If he is, and yer cousin is in his favor, then why didn't the old man send a personal message written by the priest for ye?"

"Then why did Cavan bother to come see us?" she demanded irritably.

"Who knows! Perhaps to cadge a few weeks' lodging and food off us at the least. At the worst, I don't know."

"Yer a suspicious man, Conn, and I never knew it," Aidan said.

"In Ireland ye learn to be suspicious for yesterday's friend can easily turn out to be today's foe. Remember until just four years ago my whole life was spent in Ireland. I've an instinct for troublemakers, and Master Cavan FitzGerald is a troublemaker." Leaning over he gave her a quick kiss. "Don't fret, sweeting. We've come to London to see if the queen has forgiven me, and so ye may lord it over all the other la.s.sies. 'Tis a pity ye can't claim a babe, but it cannot be long now, I suspect."

"But I am with child," Aidan said calmly.

"What?" He shifted himself from her side into the coach seat opposite her, and looked into her face. "Yer going to have a baby? Yer certain?" His eyes were alight with his happiness, and somewhat damp with emotion.

"I wasn't sure at first, and I wanted to wait until I could be sure. I am now. I believe I conceived on May Day. The baby will be born next winter, Conn."

"We're going to turn right around and go home immediately," Conn declared. "London in the summer can be terrible, and I would never forgive myself if the plague broke out, and ye caught it."

Aidan laughed merrily. "Don't be silly, Conn! It is too early for plague, and the June weather is cool yet. This is a wonderful opportunity to regain the queen's favor. If she will see us, and I know she will, we will tell her of our grat.i.tude to her, our happiness, our coming child. She will love being the first to know, and we will ask her to be our baby's G.o.dmother! Even if she is still somewhat piqued at ye, she will forgive ye at our news. We will also tell her we plan returning to Pearroc Royal immediately, and that we just came to London to share our news with her. The queen is really a very sentimental woman, Conn. Ye know that."

"Aye," he agreed. "Bess's heart has been known to soften on occasion." He caught her two gloved hands and raised them to his lips, kissing them pa.s.sionately. "A son," he said. "We'll have a son!"

Aidan's laughter rang out. "Or a daughter, my lord," she said. "Babies have been known to be daughters."

"But we'll have a son!" he insisted with a grin.

"I shall do my best to please ye, my lord," she said softly, a smile upon her lips. She had never felt happier in her entire life!

The coach had drawn up before Greenwood, and the servants hurried from the house to greet Lord and Lady Bliss. Cluny and Mag had come on ahead that morning to be certain that everything was in readiness for their master and mistress. They squabbled constantly, each trying to gain superiority over the other in the service hierarchy of the household. Now as the coach door was opened, the steps pulled down so the occupants might descend, Mag was heard to say, "The capes, Master Cluny, the capes! When will ye ever learn they are yer job?"

"Perhaps," snapped Cluny "if ye'd but give me a chance to do me job without all yer interference I could, old woman."

"Old woman?" Mag was mortally offended. "If I'm an old woman, then yer an old man, Master Cluny!"

Conn and Aidan alighted from the coach laughing, hearing their servants scolding at each other again. Since neither of the pair would give over they provided a constant source of amus.e.m.e.nt to Lord and Lady Bliss. Quarrel as they might amongst themselves, they would, however, defend each other from anyone else.

"Cluny!" Conn's voice was sharp. "Did ye dispatch a footman to Lord Burghley with our message?"

Cluny, free of Mag's carping, hurried forward. "Aye, m'lord! First thing we got here, and I told him just what ye told me to, that he was to wait for a reply. He ain't back yet."

Conn nodded, and escorted his wife into the house and up to their apartments. "We'll have to stay here at Greenwood until William Cecil decides to reply to our message. Neither of us can be seen at court until we are invited. I hope we'll not be kept waiting. I don't want ye in the city any longer than is necessary."

"Conn, I am not invalided," protested Aidan.

"The city is not a healthy place with all the d.a.m.ned garbage in the streets, and open sewers. If I'd known last week what I do now we'd not have come to London at all."

"I wasn't sure last week," replied Aidan sweetly.

"My sister always knew," said Conn suspiciously.

"Each woman is different, my lord, and I doubt that Skye would allow anyone to prevent her doing what she chose to do, certainly not a husband. Ye cannot deny that!"

The arrival of the returning footman brought the conversation to an end. Now they would know if they were welcome at court, or if they had made the trip in vain. The note from William Cecil, Lord Burghley, however, was gracious. He was certain that her majesty would welcome Lord and Lady Bliss back, if only for a short time, and he therefore bid them come to Greenwich in two days' time before the queen left on her summer progress to present their compliments to Elizabeth.

"I have nothing to wear!" Aidan announced dramatically.

"How could ye have nothing to wear?" her husband demanded. "Ye knew we were coming to London for the express purpose of seeing the queen."

"Our decision to come was so hurried I really didn't have time to pack properly," said Aidan with very feminine logic. "I will have to send to yer sister's dressmaker, the one who made my wedding-journey traveling dress for ye, and have a decent court costume made for the occasion. Would ye have me looking like a country drab so that all yer admirers will feel sorry for ye?"

She was doing it again, he chuckled to himself. Turning a situation about so that in the end it was he who was responsible for the entire thing. There had been more than enough time to prepare herself. "Ye want a new gown?" he accused.

"Of course," she answered him blandly. "I want the most outrageously fashionable gown that can be made! I want every woman at court that ignored me when I was there fearfully jealous, not only of my handsome husband, but my gorgeous clothing as well!"

"Then there is nothing for it but that I send for the dressmaker," said Conn laughing. "May I help ye choose?"

"No! I want to surprise ye, too!"

"Minx!" he grumbled, and pulling her against him began to unfasten her gown, kissing her shoulder as he bared it.

Aidan squirmed away scolding, "No, no, my lord! First send for the dressmaker! We have but two days' time before we are expected at Greenwich." She drew her gown back up over the shoulder.

He laughed. She was full of surprises, his darling wife. "Very well, madame. I'll send for the dressmaker first," he said, reaching over to yank at the bellpull.

Madame came, and with her three a.s.sistants, each heavily laden with bolts of fabric. "My lord Bliss," she said smiling broadly, for Conn paid in honest coin for her work, "welcome back to London. Will ye and yer good lady be with us long?"

" 'Tis a short visit, madame, but we are called to court in two days' time, and my lady was so pleased with the gowns ye sent to Pearroc Royal that nothing would do but ye make her a gown to visit the queen in."

"The most magnificent and fashionable gown in all of London, madame!" said Aidan, and the dressmaker smiled at Lady Bliss' ingenuousness.

"Then we must begin at once!" she said. "Will ye be helping m'lady to choose, my lord?"

"Nay, my wife says it is to be a surprise, and so I will take my leave of ye now," Conn said with a smile, and blowing a kiss at the a.s.sembled females he departed the room.

One of Madame's a.s.sistants, a very young girl not more than twelve, almost swooned at Conn's leaving, but the sharp voice of her mistress, punctuated with a small slap, quickly brought her around. Aidan settled herself in a high-back chair, and waited expectantly for a show of fabrics.

"I have brought along many bolts, m'lady Bliss," said Madame, "but seeing ye now in person, I have one which I know will be utterly perfect for it is a color that not every woman could wear. Certainly Lady de Marisco could not, but ye can! Susan! The gold-bronze silk!"

The girl named Susan lifted from the pile of fabrics a bolt which she then unrolled across the floor in Aidan's direction. It was a wonderful, rich bronze-colored silk with dull gold overtones. Aidan adored it instantly, but Madame said, "Think of it with the bodice and the skirt panel sewn over with olive-green peridots and pearls. This color will highlight yer beautiful hair to perfection! I have just received it from France. It is very sophisticated, and," she added slyly, "ye will be the envy of every woman at Greenwich! I swear it!"

"Then I must have it, of course," laughed Aidan, "for that is just the effect I wish to inspire. Pea-green envy!"

Her tone was so positively gleeful that the dressmaker had to laugh, and so did her three a.s.sistants although in a more restrained fashion lest they offend the lady. At Madame's instruction they set at work to measure Aidan, Madame setting the figures upon a small piece of parchment as she was the only, one who could read and write. It was silently noted that Aidan had not increased with girth since the last gowns had been made, and yet Madame would have sworn that Lady Bliss was with child. There was something in the eyes of a woman when she was in that condition. The dressmaker shrugged to herself.

The day they were to go to Greenwich dawned fair and cool. Aidan was beside herself with excitement for her gown had been delivered in the early hours of the morning, just before the dawn, and it was everything that she had hoped it would be. Conn had been chased from their apartments with Cluny to be dressed elsewhere while Mag aided by two young maidservants belonging to the house readied her mistress.

Aidan's glorious coppery hair had been washed first, and then she herself had bathed. Dried, her silken undergarments had been handed her one by one; knitted stockings of palest gold with pretty matching ribbon garters with their saucy rosettes sporting pearl centers, gossamer silk chemise of a creamy hue shot through with gold threads in the sleeves which would show through the slashes in Aidan's dress sleeves only as a glittering, a verdingale over which several petticoats were added, but Madame disdained hipbolsters which she considered clumsy, and Aidan was much too lithe for a corset. The underskirt of the gown was put on, its center panel embroidered with sparkling green peridots and tiny seed pearls in a field of wheat pattern upon the faintly greenish silk. Next came the overskirt, and the bodice of the gown, sewn from the wonderful golden-bronze fabric that Madame had shown Aidan just two days before. The skirt of the gown was bell-shaped, the bodice very low-necked, so low-necked that Mag drew in her breath with sharp disapproval, and Aidan's eyes widened to see her swelling b.r.e.a.s.t.s exposed almost to the nipple.

"Whatever was that dressmaker thinking of, m'lady? Ye can't be seen publicly like that!"

" 'Tis the fashion, Mistress Mag," said one of the other maidservants. "All the fine ladies dress like that now."

"M'lord won't let ye go out looking like that!" said Mag severely.

"M'lord won't see me until we reach Greenwich," chuckled Aidan. "I'll have my cloak on, and by then 'twill be too late."

"Milady, ye wouldn't!" Mag was scandalized. "To show yer t.i.tties to virtual strangers, 'tis a scandal!"

"Nay, Mag, 'tis the fashion," laughed Aidan, looking at herself in the mirror, and extremely pleased with what she saw. The gown was simply wonderful! Not only the deliciously low neckline but the sleeves too were perfect. The leg-o'-mutton sleeves were slashed on the upper arm allowing her beautiful chemise sleeves beneath to show to their best advantage. Below her elbows the sleeves were molded to her arms, and dotted with gold ribbons that had been embroidered with the crystallike green peridots. "Is there a neck wisk?" she asked.

"Aye, milady," said Jane, and handed the item to Mag who fastened the wired golden-green, fan-shaped upright collar in its place.

Jane next handed the tiring woman a flat case which Mag opened to reveal a magnificent necklace of olive-green peridots. "And where did these come from?" she demanded.

"My lord asked what jewelry I should like while we were here in London, and I told him these. Mary," Aidan spoke to the younger serving maid. "There should be another box with earbobs."

" 'Tis here, m'lady," said Mary, offering the box to Aidan.

While Mag fastened the glittering necklace of peridots about her lady's neck, Aidan calmly put the green stones in her ears. They hung twinkling from large baroque pearls. Aidan surveyed the effect critically, and decided that she had never looked better. "Now, Mag," she said pleased, "do my hair, and I shall be ready to see the queen."

"More than likely the queen is going to see ye," grumbled Mag, "but whether she'll like what she sees, I don't know." She shot a quelling look at Jane and Mary who giggled behind their hands at her words. Then setting to work she parted Aidan's thick long hair in the middle, and affixed it into a very elegant chignon that rested at the base of her mistress' neck in heavy coils. Lady de Marisco's tiring woman, Daisy, had taught her the style. Standing back she surveyed her work a moment, and satisfied she fastened the hair securely with gold and diamond pins. "Well, yer as done as yer going to be, my pet! You! Useless giggling Mary! Fetch m'lady's cloak at once!" She had no words for Jane who already knelt dutifully at Aidan's feet putting on her mistress' pretty matching silk slippers with their high heels, which were narrow-toed, and decorated with pearls.

Aidan stood up, and the cloak was placed over her shoulders. It was long and loose-fitting, the same bronze silk as her gown, and lined in cloth of gold. A gauzy gold veil was handed to her which she placed over her head to protect her hair upon the river from its breezes. A small, elaborate m.u.f.f decorated with lace and jewels completed her costume. Within the m.u.f.f she carried a lace-edged handkerchief and a pomander ball studded with precious cloves. As an afterthought she added several rings to her fingers, the better to flaunt her wealth.

For a moment she studied herself in the mirror thinking that fine feathers did indeed make a difference. Her clothing had never been either this magnificent or elegant, nor had the woman who stared back at her been quite so pretty. She wondered how much of it had to do with her clothing, and how much of it had to do with her own personal happiness. Whatever the reasons she had never felt more confident, or more lovely in her entire life, and she was definitely ready to take on the court, but this time upon her own terms.

Conn, awaiting below, smiled as she came down the stairs. "Ye've put yer cloak on," he said disappointed. "Do I not get to see the wonderful gown?"

"We are almost late as it is," she said, her tone worried. "Ye'll see it when we get to Greenwich. It will not do for us to be late, Conn. Ye know how her majesty prizes punctuality."

"Yer absolutely right," he agreed, not in the least suspicious as he escorted his wife down to Greenwood's stone quay for the voyage downriver to Greenwich in their barge.

Their boat, by good fortune, had caught the tide, and was quickly sped down the Thames River to the royal residence at Greenwich. There it joined a line of other barges, both privately owned like theirs, and public conveyances hired for the trip to court, that waited in a somewhat ragged line to land at the Watergate of the palace. Several persons in the other boats recognized Conn immediately, and called out to him. Elegant in the black velvet suit his wife had requested he wear, he bowed right and left.

"Why is it," Aidan teased her husband, "that there are more ladies than gentlemen addressing ye, m'lord?"

"I made many friends while I served Bess in the Gentlemen Pensioners," Conn said dryly with a mischievous wink at his wife.

"Indeed ye seem to have, but should any of those jades attempt to renew old acquaintances, I shall claw them to ribbons!"

Leaning over he kissed her ear sending a ripple of pleasure down her spine. "Ye can't deny me the looking, sweeting, for there's only one who has my heart in her gentle keeping, and 'tis ye."

"Yer a rogue," she muttered at him.

"Aye, but a rogue who loves only his wife, Aidan. Believe that. I'm a courtier by nature, but I'll never play ye false though I flirt with relish."

"Then ye'll not mind if I flirt also?" she asked.

"Nay, sweeting, for as I am true to ye, I know ye'll be true to me. Just be careful, Aidan, for yer not practiced in such arts, and ye could mislead a man easily which I know ye wouldn't want to do. Still, sweeting, have yer fun as long as yer careful."

"I wonder," she mused smiling, "how many other husbands give their wives leave to flirt?"

"Not many. They cannot trust their spouses as I can trust ye."

Their barge's turn now came to make a landing, and they quickly, with the help of royal footmen, stepped from their boat onto the little stone quay, and hurried up the staircase and into the palace of Greenwich. There waiting servants took their cloaks from them, and Conn got his first look at his wife's new gown. His surprised expression was so comical that Aidan began to giggle.

"Jesu!" he hissed. "Ye leave little to the imagination, do ye, sweeting?"

" 'Tis the height of fashion, m'lord."

"Says who?" He dragged her into a corner where none could overhear them, or see her.

"Madame," said Aidan calmly. "She made my gown to yer sister's specifications, her exact specifications. I carried them from home, and gave them to Madame when she came two days ago. Madame says that Skye is a perfect authority on fashion, and I am wise to take her advice."

"That gown is positively indecent! If ye breathe deep once ye'll be out of it! Yer going home to change, Aidan! I'll not have every man at court ogling yer t.i.ts!" He grasped her by the arm, but she pulled away angrily.