Love Conquers All...

Chapter Two

Chapter Two:

Henry looked out of the window of Stafford’s manor he was pleased to hear from his father that Jane was getting better although he had not enjoyed being berated in front of the whole party for allowing Jane to go out with him. How he should have known that rain was on its way and how he could have been so foolish not to have known. Although he did not like being publically humiliated around people he took it because he did not want her to be subjected to it.  When he thought she had learnt her lesson enough – she had been hurt by it. He thought she had been through enough really. But if Charles was to ask then it had nothing to do with her and he had been foolish for allowing the little girl to come riding with him. Henry for some reason thought that Charles thought that it was not his fault but the young Stafford girl that Charles seemed to becoming increasingly bored with.

He thought no one would realise that it was because he was intrigued by the girl, Jane, something that he had not felt before. And he was not sure what this feeling really was. That was until his mother came to him when he was walking the next day that he began to feel nervous. She had a look in her eye that she had whenever she saw Arthur and Catherine together or when Henry noted she would look at his father. She was looking at him now as if he was up to something he should not or that he was about to. When his mother looked at him like that he could not help but feel like he was guilty of something.

‘Mother’ he smiled and bowed.

‘Jane told me to tell you that she liked the gown and thank you’ His mother looked to him, ‘she said you would know what that meant’

He did, she was saying thank you for not getting her in trouble that maybe she was pleased that he would do that for her. Or so he hoped if not she was likely to have a go at him for putting himself in the firing line. With her he could not be sure which one she would go with  ‘How is she mother?’

‘Hopefully back on her feet tomorrow, but I should suggest no more adventures the both of you’ she smiled softly at her son.

‘We shall try’ Henry nodded.

For some reason and she could not be sure why she did not believe him, she had a feeling Jane and Henry were going to get into a lot of trouble together. And she could not help but smile at that fact although she could see her scolding the both of them numerous times, she could not help but think the both of them would learn a lot from each other maybe some for the better some maybe not so.

The next day Jane was allowed out of the confines of the bedchamber, the fear that she could have caught a fever had passed. Jane was happy about this she hated being confined to bed especially when she could hear Henry and Charles practicing their sword fighting just below her window. How Jane wished she could do that to fight like the two men. To be able wield a sword, to feel the metal scrape against another, but she knew that she would never be able to do that her father never allow it and if she was ever to find a husband then he would not want her, his wife to do that. Jane sighed it was easy for the men they could effectively do what they want while she had to sit and embroider if she was good at it she may have been able to enjoy it but since she was not she found it boring.  If she had practiced maybe she would be better but her sisters when they were younger used to laugh at her attempts while they could create masterpieces, it was something Jane would never find pleasure in it.

As she stepped down the long staircase she was greeted by the Prince, he smiled to her and extended his hand. She took it willingly. She noticed him look to her dress as it was the one he had told his father to get for her as she had ruined the last one. She wondered if he had a hand in picking out the material but of course she would never say that out loud to him. She could not describe the delight that she had when she saw that it was of green silk embroided with gold leaves running down.