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| The benefit of the doubt and good character; Charles Brandon | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 17 2011, 09:20 PM (114 Views) | |
| William Spencer | Jan 17 2011, 09:20 PM Post #1 |
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Lord Winchester (courtesy)
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As he had said he would do to the Duchess, William had requested an audience with her husband and fully intended on aiding the young woman in acquiring a horse. He doubted it would be a difficult endeavor. Knowing himself, as he and Suffolk were close in age, he would make sure his wife had anything she wanted as he had the money to do so; William figured Suffolk would be the same. The only difficulty was in making the gesture as honestly as it was meant. A young duchess should have a fine horse and be a fine equestrienne. William had those connections and enjoyed sharing them with those he deemed worthy. He never sold a horse to someone outside of the nobility, because he kept his animals value as they were fine bloodlines from all over the world. Spencers had been carefully breeding for generations and were well-known for their horse stock and personal lines of sport and war-horses. He wanted to make the gift or allow the man to purchase the horse, if he so desired, without it seeming like William was trying to garner some favour with his wife. He was simply not that dumb, and he had no desires concerning the young duchess at all, despite what rumours about his hedonistic character said. It was not that people did not talk about this man either. Did he know that Charles Brandon had come from nothing? Yes. Was William haughty about noble blood? Assuredly. However, William had also been taught that merit was not something small. He fully believed in any person advancing themselves by their merits, and obviously the King saw something in this other man, so who was William to judge? He did not think to know better than the king. Plus, before his elder brother had died and he'd become heir to Wilmington, William had not been in a dissimilar scenario to Brandon, although he did have the benefit of being the son of an Earl and high-born even if untitled. Before his brother's death his own advancement and title either depended upon marriage or upon the fact that the future king, Francois de Valois was his friend from childhood. He had served in Francois' household. If things had gone quite differently in his life, he could very well have gained title that way. Granted, Brandon did not come from old noble families with influence, but William could empathize and feel the similarity. It kept him from thinking Brandon rather common and undeserving which many people thought. He would at least reserve his own judgment for after he knew the man better than from talk. William knew first hand how absolutely fantastical stories could be. How his mother had become some random french whore in talk and gossip, when she was the daughter of Louise of Anjou and the Duke of Nemours, he had no idea. William, at least, hoped the Duke of Suffolk would give him the same benefit of the doubt, but he was not holding his breath either. Men were given to arrogance, and William had grown irritatingly accustomed to being on the receiving end of it. He had received slights he was quite certain he would not have received if he was an England-born, full-blooded English Earl of Wilmington, and not a born-in-France, half-french Earl of Wilmington. Maybe Suffolk would surprise him. He arrived at the appointed time and walked in after he was announced, giving the other man a gracious bow. "Your Grace. I do hope I find you well?" He gave the other man a smile, "I appreciate your time in seeing me, and it will not be in a fruitless or pointless endeavor or request." He was quite sure that Suffolk had every manner of person seeking him out for every manner of things, probably a good few of them ridiculous or completely self-serving. "I will get straight to the point, with your permission?" William was a young man who appreciated blunt and not wasting his time, and he figured most men of his age were the same way. He was not fond of lengthy preambles. |
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10:53 AM Jul 11