As well as the carriage arranged to transport Roselyn’s belongings, there is also a mule for Cassandra. It takes some persuading to get her to mount but once in the saddle, the four travellers begin to make good time as they move onward to London. They go on ahead and the carriage will catch up in its own time.
As they journey, Raoul looks around often at Roselyn with a smile. Their eyes always meet, then they will look away. A fondness is developing between them, Jean becoming more aware of this as he inevitably detects their admiring glances.
Following the Canterbury Road, they pass agricultural fields tended by busy serfs. A handful of ragged, dirty children chase a squirrel as they approach a sign for Canterbury and notice the city in the distance.
Jean, in the lead turns to Roselyn, ‘We will stop at Canterbury for lunch then move onto Rochester to spend the night. Tomorrow we will still have some distance to go.’
***
They arrive outside a travellers tavern. Jean and Raoul dismount to help down Cassandra and Roselyn respectfully. Jean enters the tavern to order food, taking in the appetising aroma of dumplings while Raoul tends to their horses.
Roselyn smoothes her skirts. ‘Thank you, Squire Raoul, I am in debt to you.’
He bows his head. ‘What greater pleasure than to serve you. And please call me Raoul.’
‘If I’m allowed. And you may call me Roselyn. After all, from two days travel together we are like old friends.’
‘We are indeed. I kiss your hand.’ With that, he takes her hand to kiss her finger tips, bows, then follows Jean into the tavern, passing Cassandra who gives him a look of outrage. She turns to Roselyn. ‘He is far too familiar with you. You should put him in his place.’
She shakes her head. ‘Don’t make waves Cass. Come let us rest under that tree.’
She heads toward a table positioned below an oak tree.
They all sit back, finishing their lunch, their empty bowls of stew cooling on the table. Relaxing a little longer, enjoying the sunshine. Jean pours himself some more wine. Roselyn turns to him.
‘May I show Cassandra the Cathedral before we set off, it’s only a short walk away. Thomas Becket has a shrine there.’
Jean looks toward the spires in the near distance. ‘You won’t be too long?’
‘We won’t go in. If we walk swiftly, we can be there and back in no time at all.’
Cassandra makes a face, ‘I feel breathless with the very idea.’
Roselyn rises, ‘Oh come on Cass, we can look around the cloisters garden.’ Stepping away from the table she gives Raoul who’s watching her, his elbows spread either side of his plate, a meaningful nod.
A red-faced Cassandra tries to keep up with Roselyn hurrying down a shady path which runs through a sunlit glade full of spring flowers, the trees becoming luxuriant once again.
‘We can’t be too long.’ Cassandra stops a moment to catch her breath.
Roselyn calls back over her shoulder, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll soon be back, the cathedral is just ahead.’
They reach the long, low Cathedral, looking up at its soaring central tower, the pale, cream coloured stone walls. They go through the main building into an area of garden within the cloisters, at one side are some gravestones. Roselyn points, ‘Let’s see if any famous persons are buried there.’
Cassandra, fanning her face with a handkerchief moves forward to take a look. As she does so, Roselyn backs away slowly. When Cassandra bends to read an inscription, she turns and runs back toward the cloisters entrance.
As she gets there, Raoul stands away from the shadows.
She giggles meeting him, ‘We don’t have much time.’
‘A minute is an eternity in your company.’
‘But short time enough that I planned for.’
Raoul looks surprised. ‘You planned?’
‘Why do you think we came here. How can we speak when our hearts are always surrounded by so many ears?’
He sighs. ‘Yes, I’ll never get used to the idea of chaperonage.’
‘Cass is a dear but can take her role too seriously and has always been protective.’ She looks back at the gravestones for Cassandra, then back to Raoul. ‘We have some time to speak now, no matter how hasty we must be.’
Although he is smitten with her, he is well aware of the class difference between them. ‘We come from different worlds you and I. There are oceans between us.’
She lowers her eyes to speak softly, ‘I am ashamed to say, I have let myself lie awake and dream of you.’
‘And I, you,’ Raoul feels relief. ‘You speak with honesty. Your beautiful eyes tell me to hope, but have I to offer you anything? I have no title, no castle.’
‘What does it matter when love knows no rank! We can share moments like this. We can always find a way to meet. It will be our secret.’
‘Another time we could have a future. I could take my place as a song writer. You would be my muse.’
His words please her. ‘That would be a dream worth dreaming.’
He nods, ‘To dream of being together.’
She leans against the wall. ‘Yes, we could disappear. They would never find us. But it would be a sin, do you think?’
Raoul shakes his head. ‘Only to those who believe in sin.’
They hear Cassandra call out for Roselyn, she squeezes his hand a moment then hurries away. ‘It’s Cass, I must go.’ The sweetness of her scent lingers in his nostrils as she leaves.
Passing more ploughed fields, seeing countryfolk working, Roselyn is happily humming Pastime With Good Company, a song composed by Henry V111.
Raoul rides up alongside her reaching for his lute. He begins to sing the first few lines, Roselyn watches him a moment then joins in, the two become a duet.
Pastime with good company
I love and shall unto I die
Grudge who list, but non deny,
So God be pleased thus live will I.
For my pastance
Hunt, song and dance
My heart is set
All goodly sport
For my comfort,
Who shall me let?
Youth must have some dalliance
Of good or ill some pastance
Company methinks then best
All thoughts and fancies to digest
For idleness
Is chief mistress
Of vices all.
Then who can say
But mirth and play
Is best of all?
Company with honesty
Is virtue vices to flee
Company is good and ill
But every man hath his free will.
The best ensue,
The worst eschew,
My mind shall be
Virtue to use,
Vice to refuse,
Shall I use me.
They laugh as they finish on a high note. Cassandra riding behind gives them a stern look.
Jean is not so pleased either. He stops to let the couple catch up to him. ‘We will be at Rochester this evening, my lady, then London tomorrow where we leave you, our mission over.’