The Eternal Shadow

Chapter 12

XII

"Well, don't you two a make a pretty picture!?"

Joseph was delighted to receive a visit from Lady Francesca and Sir Guy, arriving arm in arm no less.

Francesca groaned and disentangled herself, not wishing for Joseph to get carried away with such ideas. "Please Joseph; we've already had our fill of teasing from Prince John today."

"You ran into him did you? I thought he'd be down 'ere today wantin' to go hunting with everyone else..."

"No, he err... had some errands to run I believe." Guy groaned straight after he'd said it - it was such a terrible joke but much to his surprise Francesca began laughing so hard that he could see tears in her eyes. He was shaking his head - could hardly believe he'd stooped so low as to steal a joke from Prince John and laughed only because he was relieved to see her laugh. Joseph stood there looking at them as if they'd both lost their marbles.

Encouraged by her reaction, Guy pressed on; one eyebrow raised mischievously, "Actually I better be getting off, for I too have..."

"Don't say it! Please don't say it!" She could barely speak now, the words coming out in breathless bursts, her body shaking with the fits of laughter passing through her. She looked up at him but this only made her worse and her face crumpled the instant they made eye contact.

Guy smiled. Beamed actually. Happy to have made her happy. He mercifully spared her the much overused punchline, deciding instead to silently watch her, a warm contented feeling spreading through him.

Joseph was smiling too, he wasn't in on the joke but it was a pleasure to see Francesca laugh. He also couldn't help but wonder at Sir Guy, he'd never had the knight down as one to say something funny but here was Francesca wiping tears from her cheeks. "Well milady, you'll 'ave to fill me in on that one at some point, I've been run off me feet this mornin' what with all the lords an' ladies off to the hunt an' I could do with a laugh."

Francesca had by now recovered enough to speak, "Oh it was just something silly that Prince John said Joseph."

"Aye well, better you catch him in a silly mood milady, for he can scold as well as your sister when he's so inclined."

This comment received murmurs of agreement from Francesca and Guy. Neither had been so unfortunate as to be on the receiving end of one of Prince John's fits of temper but it was common knowledge how fiery the prince could be and as for Natalia, well, nobody needed to say anything there.

"I should just hide behind Natalia next week; she can dance with him instead." Francesca murmured.

"It is not a bad idea milady; Prince John is notoriously fickle in his affections, if your sister should capture his attention then there is a fair chance that he may forget any previous offers he has made... and err... if you should wish to hide, you could always hide behind me, I'm tall enough I'm sure."

Francesca felt her heart swell. She was certain he had no clue what he did to her in moments like this. How much his kindness meant to her. An attempt to reassure or console was perhaps of no great consequence to him but for her, coming from the background she did, it meant the world.

She knew how fragile such kindnesses could be however, how quickly they could shatter under the weight of future words and deeds and so was careful not to get used to them. She would put the memories of them away inside her mind, keep them safe for times when she needed them, times when she despaired at the ugliness and cruelty of the world and the people in it, and then she would dust them off and remember that things were once different, that people were once kind, that the world is ever changing and that life is very much worth living even if it is just to find comfort in the smallest of kindnesses or most fleeting of moments.