Calm before the storm
Who: Elizabeth and Matthew (NPC)
What: After the ball, Elizabeth pays Matthew a visit.
Where: Clun
When: 1 October, morning.
Elizabeth was anxious, and not paticularily happy about it. She was on her way to Nottingham to find Walter and Alys, but since her mother had insisted she take an escort (privately Elizabeth agreed with her, but she was loath to admit it) she was taking a detour to ask Matthew if he would accompany her. She hadn't spoken to him since before the ball; at first she'd been too puzzled and hurt to want to, and then she'd been too busy. If she was honest with herself, she'd been avoiding him; not hard to do, since she had to make an effort to visit the glassblowers' and see him. But now she didn't have many other options; it wasn't like her brothers could take her, and she wasn't friendly enough with the boys in Clun to ask any of them. And since he was visiting relatives in Clun, it seemed to be the perfect time to ask. Truth be told, she was somewhat glad of the opportunity to see her friend again. Elizabeth hated fighting with friends; it made her feel sick and sad, like she had rocks in her belly. And Matthew had been her friend for as long as she could remember. She was happy to be seeing her friend again, but she didn't like that it was tying her stomach in knots.
Matthew's uncle Robert had never been especially close to either his brother or his nephew; when Matthew's parents had died, he'd seemed happy enough to let Elizabeth's father handle the work of getting his nephew apprenticed to the glassblowers. But in recent years, he'd seemed more inclined to take an interest in Matthew's life. Probably he realized that with no sons of his own, his nephew was the only onewho would be there to inherit what little lands he posessed, and it would be wise to befriend his only heir. Elizabeth had never liked the man- she still hadn't forgiven him for essentially turning his back on an orphaned family member- but when she'd asked Matthew about it, he'd just shrugged.
"He did what he had to," he'd said "and it's been years since then. Besides, I won't refuse an offer of land, if it comes." She agreed with that, at least- turning down land would be foolish. But even if Matthew had forgiven and forgotten, she still hadn't.
The door to his cottage was hanging open, revealing the empty room inside. Of course, they wouldn't be indoors; there were still some crops to be harvested, and Robert wouldn't miss the opportunity to have his nephew help. Loving uncle indeed. She left the cottage behind, and crossed to the fields beyond it, where she was sure to find them. Sure enough, she spotted two men- Matthew was a man now she realizing with a pang. It seemed strange to see her childhood friend standing shoulder to shoulder with a man old enough to be her father. She crossed the field to meet them, then stopped, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. Should she call attention to herself, or wait for one of them to notice her? This uncertainty was also a product of the argument; another product she didn't like. Thankfully, she was spared from having to make a decision by Robert, who looked up and spotted her. He gave her a guarded nod- she'd never gotten the impression that he liked her any more that she did him- and nudged Matthew with his elbow. "How've you been keeping, Elizabeth?"
She didn't answer immediately; her attention was on Matthew. He straightened, a frown ghosting across his face, and her heart dropped. Was he still angry? Then he smiled and nodded, only managing to confuse her further. Was he angry or wasn't he? She shifted her attention back to Geoffrey, who was still waiting for an answer, and forced a polite smile. "Well enough, thank you." She hesitated; she didn't want to bring up the cause of the argument, but she could hardly fail to mention it entirely. "I've been busy. Michaelmas, you know."
"Of course." Robert nodded. "Matthew tells me he was busy as well- goblets for the ball, you know." Elizabeth nodded automatically, shifting her gaze back to Matthew. His smile took on a strained look for a moment, but it vanished almost as soon as she spotted it.
"Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow Matthew." she said to Robert. The older man shrugged. "Fine by me. I think I could spare him for a bit." With that, he nodded to her, clapped his nephew on the shoulder, and set off to his other field, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.
"So," Matthew said. "How did the ball go?"
Elizabeth stared at him, incredulous. Was that it? Was he just going to pretend that nothing had happened? Anger followed the incredulity. He hadn't even bothered to tell her what had upset him, and now he was brushing it off? He owed her an explanation at least.
She sighed. Berating him now wouldn't do much good, and she didn't want to fight again anyway. She'd wanted to be friends again, after all; but this friendship felt odd, uneven. There was still something hanging in the air. Still, she had something to ask of him first, and she should put Walter and Alys ahead of her own problems. She could always bring the fight up later; they had a long road ahead anyway.
"It was fine." she said flatly. In truth, it had been far from fine, but he'd probably already heard, and she wasn't inclined to discuss it with him. "I was wondering if you could accompany me to Nottingham. Lord de Beaumont-" his name seemed to have touched off their first fight, so she paused to see if it would upset him again. He looked at her quizzically, and she continued. "-asked me about orphans who could take jobs at the manor; he picked Walter and Alys. I'm going to Nottingham to find them and bring them back to Clun, but my mother-" -and I- "would prefer that someone else went with me."
He looked at her with an unreadable expression. "When were you thinking of going?"
She gave a quiet sigh of relief; she didn't know what she'd have done if he refused. "I was thinking today, actually. I haven't got any work at the manor, and I was thinking that since you're not busy . . ." She trailed off lamely, not sure how to finish her sentence. Matthew, thankfully, nodded. "I'll ask Robert, then."
She sighed with relief as he vanished into the back. That awkward task was over with; now they had hours on the road to look forward to. Hopefully she could use the opportunity to find out what had upset him.
What: After the ball, Elizabeth pays Matthew a visit.
Where: Clun
When: 1 October, morning.
Elizabeth was anxious, and not paticularily happy about it. She was on her way to Nottingham to find Walter and Alys, but since her mother had insisted she take an escort (privately Elizabeth agreed with her, but she was loath to admit it) she was taking a detour to ask Matthew if he would accompany her. She hadn't spoken to him since before the ball; at first she'd been too puzzled and hurt to want to, and then she'd been too busy. If she was honest with herself, she'd been avoiding him; not hard to do, since she had to make an effort to visit the glassblowers' and see him. But now she didn't have many other options; it wasn't like her brothers could take her, and she wasn't friendly enough with the boys in Clun to ask any of them. And since he was visiting relatives in Clun, it seemed to be the perfect time to ask. Truth be told, she was somewhat glad of the opportunity to see her friend again. Elizabeth hated fighting with friends; it made her feel sick and sad, like she had rocks in her belly. And Matthew had been her friend for as long as she could remember. She was happy to be seeing her friend again, but she didn't like that it was tying her stomach in knots.
Matthew's uncle Robert had never been especially close to either his brother or his nephew; when Matthew's parents had died, he'd seemed happy enough to let Elizabeth's father handle the work of getting his nephew apprenticed to the glassblowers. But in recent years, he'd seemed more inclined to take an interest in Matthew's life. Probably he realized that with no sons of his own, his nephew was the only onewho would be there to inherit what little lands he posessed, and it would be wise to befriend his only heir. Elizabeth had never liked the man- she still hadn't forgiven him for essentially turning his back on an orphaned family member- but when she'd asked Matthew about it, he'd just shrugged.
"He did what he had to," he'd said "and it's been years since then. Besides, I won't refuse an offer of land, if it comes." She agreed with that, at least- turning down land would be foolish. But even if Matthew had forgiven and forgotten, she still hadn't.
The door to his cottage was hanging open, revealing the empty room inside. Of course, they wouldn't be indoors; there were still some crops to be harvested, and Robert wouldn't miss the opportunity to have his nephew help. Loving uncle indeed. She left the cottage behind, and crossed to the fields beyond it, where she was sure to find them. Sure enough, she spotted two men- Matthew was a man now she realizing with a pang. It seemed strange to see her childhood friend standing shoulder to shoulder with a man old enough to be her father. She crossed the field to meet them, then stopped, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. Should she call attention to herself, or wait for one of them to notice her? This uncertainty was also a product of the argument; another product she didn't like. Thankfully, she was spared from having to make a decision by Robert, who looked up and spotted her. He gave her a guarded nod- she'd never gotten the impression that he liked her any more that she did him- and nudged Matthew with his elbow. "How've you been keeping, Elizabeth?"
She didn't answer immediately; her attention was on Matthew. He straightened, a frown ghosting across his face, and her heart dropped. Was he still angry? Then he smiled and nodded, only managing to confuse her further. Was he angry or wasn't he? She shifted her attention back to Geoffrey, who was still waiting for an answer, and forced a polite smile. "Well enough, thank you." She hesitated; she didn't want to bring up the cause of the argument, but she could hardly fail to mention it entirely. "I've been busy. Michaelmas, you know."
"Of course." Robert nodded. "Matthew tells me he was busy as well- goblets for the ball, you know." Elizabeth nodded automatically, shifting her gaze back to Matthew. His smile took on a strained look for a moment, but it vanished almost as soon as she spotted it.
"Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow Matthew." she said to Robert. The older man shrugged. "Fine by me. I think I could spare him for a bit." With that, he nodded to her, clapped his nephew on the shoulder, and set off to his other field, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.
"So," Matthew said. "How did the ball go?"
Elizabeth stared at him, incredulous. Was that it? Was he just going to pretend that nothing had happened? Anger followed the incredulity. He hadn't even bothered to tell her what had upset him, and now he was brushing it off? He owed her an explanation at least.
She sighed. Berating him now wouldn't do much good, and she didn't want to fight again anyway. She'd wanted to be friends again, after all; but this friendship felt odd, uneven. There was still something hanging in the air. Still, she had something to ask of him first, and she should put Walter and Alys ahead of her own problems. She could always bring the fight up later; they had a long road ahead anyway.
"It was fine." she said flatly. In truth, it had been far from fine, but he'd probably already heard, and she wasn't inclined to discuss it with him. "I was wondering if you could accompany me to Nottingham. Lord de Beaumont-" his name seemed to have touched off their first fight, so she paused to see if it would upset him again. He looked at her quizzically, and she continued. "-asked me about orphans who could take jobs at the manor; he picked Walter and Alys. I'm going to Nottingham to find them and bring them back to Clun, but my mother-" -and I- "would prefer that someone else went with me."
He looked at her with an unreadable expression. "When were you thinking of going?"
She gave a quiet sigh of relief; she didn't know what she'd have done if he refused. "I was thinking today, actually. I haven't got any work at the manor, and I was thinking that since you're not busy . . ." She trailed off lamely, not sure how to finish her sentence. Matthew, thankfully, nodded. "I'll ask Robert, then."
She sighed with relief as he vanished into the back. That awkward task was over with; now they had hours on the road to look forward to. Hopefully she could use the opportunity to find out what had upset him.