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Shop Till You Drop; Elizabeth Spencer
Topic Started: Dec 15 2011, 12:34 PM (199 Views)
Margaret Spencer
Unregistered

early December, 1512

When Margaret decided to take a trip into London to buy fabrics for her Christmas wardrobe, the first person she thought of to accompany her was Guy's sister Elizabeth. Although they had spoken many times, their conversations had never progressed beyond mere trivialities. Margaret wished to get to know the other woman better and hoped that they could eventually become friends.

Yet with becoming adjusted to married life and remodeling the apartments she shared with her beloved husband, she had not really had the time. She wished to remedy that, and a few days previous, she had sent Elizabeth a missive asking her if she would like to go shopping. Surprisingly, her new sister-in-law had accepted and Margaret had eagerly planned the excursion.

Guy had been pleased that she would be spending some time with his sister. She believed that he, too, hoped that the two of them could become close. Margaret had no idea how Elizabeth felt about her, but sometimes she wondered if the other woman entertained the notion that she had stolen her brother away from her. She herself had felt that way once about Guy … back when she was a child and had referred to him as Willsy. Margaret had hated him then because Henry spent so much time with him whenever he had visited. It seemed to her that her brother ignored her in favor of his friend, and she did not want her sister-in-law to think the same about her.

And she was certain that Guy spent time with Elizabeth, for whenever he spoke of her, Margaret could tell how much he loved her.

Now the two women sat in the carriage as it trundled along the road to the city, headed toward an area of shops that catered to the higher echelons of society. Although Margaret did love to shop at the regular markets with their wares from all over the world, she never ventured there without an escort … usually either Guy or Henry … and they did not have the quality of fabrics she preferred for her garments. She wondered if Elizabeth knew of any good places to buy such things, for she had been at court longer than Margaret had.

It was, perhaps, something to ask when they arrived at their destination. At the moment, she was regaling Elizabeth with a story from her childhood. Margaret had been quite a practical joker in her youth and had tried to pull the old coin-on-a-string trick on Guy when she was twelve. But the joke had been on her.

“He said because I had given him money, I had to marry him." She spoke in French, for she knew that was the language that her sister-in-law preferred. “I was so shocked that I thought I would die. In fact, I would rather have died than marry him then. I still remember how my mouth dropped open and the way my heart hammered so loudly in my chest as I tried to think of a way to get out of it. But it turned out that Guy and Henry had turned the tables on me and had played a trick of their own. I was so relieved that I didn't have to marry 'Willsy' that I couldn't even bring myself to be angry.

“It is funny how things change. I did not like him at all then, and now ... only six years later ... I don't know how I could live without him.” Shaking her head at the memories and her own youthful silliness, she smiled at her companion. “So what about you? What was it like for you growing up in France? I have to confess I am quite curious about what life is like there.”
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Elizabeth Spencer
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Vive le Français
It had been several  months now since her Guy had taken Margaret Courtenay as his bride, but Ellie's opinion on the matter had changed very little. Though a women high-born and well raised, and one whom the Spencer sister had spoke with on occasion, it did not change the fact she had taken away her Guy. It was selfish, Ellie supposed, and wicked to think so, but in her eyes it was true. Her brother had been ever absent, it seemed following his marriage, and although Ellie knew that the option was always available to pay him visit, she dare not attempt such a thing. The worry of interrupting her Guy and his wife from…well, whatever it was married couples did behind closed doors, it was always a fact that plagued her mind. 

Today, however, it seemed as though this opinion of her new sister-in-law would be changed. An invitation had arrived inviting her to accompany Margaret as she went out to purchase dress fabric. Though Ellie was not necessarily in need or a new dress, she decided that shopping was not the main objection. No, her sister-in-law wished for them to be friends. That was the only reason Ellie supposed she had been invited. Unless, of course, Guy had had something to do with it. Either who was she to decline such a sweet gesture? 

That was how Ellie had found herself seated alongside the newly appointed Lady Wilmington this day in December, listening to her speak of an incident in her childhood. Ellie had known that Henry Courtenay and her Guy had been acquainted as young men, but she had been quite unaware that Margaret had known him as well. The very thought irritated her. While she had been in France, so missing her eldest brother, he had been here, joking and laughing with this woman instead. How could God be so cruel? Instead of revealing her dissatisfaction, Ellie smiled slightly as the story drew to a close, and a question was thrown her way. Smile quickly turning into a frown, she focused on the pattern of her skirts, trying to conjure up an explanation that would amuse her companion. 

"I would have though my Guy would have told you stories of it already," she replied in French. "But I do suppose he spent a great deal of his time here. The French court is not entirely different from the English court. The king has his men, and the queen her ladies. I myself served the princess for many, many years. Me and all of my cousins — including the dauphin — we were all raised together. Several of them have even inquired of my marital status, but Guy wishes to find me an English match. However, if one is not found for me by the end of this year…I suspect I will be sent back to France once more. You, surely, will find out what court is like there soon enough. Guy…he misses France."
[align=center]Elizabeth is in a grand total of 2 thread(s).
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Margaret Spencer
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Margaret sensed a slight tension in the way Elizabeth sat as she told her story, and she wondered if perhaps she should have chosen an anecdote from her childhood that did not include her companion's brother. Now that she thought about it, she remembered how jealous she had been when she had first came to court and … upon finding out that she was Henry's sister … a few women had described their own encounters with him, especially those whose expressions had clearly shown that they fancied him. Now she wondered what her reaction would have been had Henry married before her. Most likely she would not have dealt it as well as the woman sitting beside her and there was a possibility it would have been a lot longer than a few months before she would have been willing to spend time with the woman who had taken her brother away from her.

Or perhaps her sister-in-law was simply a bit anxious about spending time in the company of someone she barely knew. From her own observations, Elizabeth seemed, shy, quiet, and rather reserved, and usually people with those traits were slow to trust others. Margaret might just have to work a little harder to gain her friendship. She believed it was important that they did become friends, for that would make life easier for her beloved Guy.

The stories she had heard from her husband were almost identical to the one told by his sister, although he had elaborated a lot more, regaling her with tales of his childhood, both good and bad. When he spoke of France, it was quite apparent in his expressive blue eyes how much he missed it, and she knew that eventually he would go back permanently to take over his obligations there. Margaret would, of course, go with him for her place was by his side wherever he might be. And she was quite curious about the country that had made such an impression on her Guy. Would she love it as much as he did? Or would it be her eyes that held a wistful expression whenever she spoke of England?

And she would most likely have one English friend to reminisce with … the future Queen of France, no less … if indeed there was to be a marriage between Mary and the French prince. The two really seemed to be smitten with each other, although she supposed that Francois might be pretending in order to get the alliance he wanted with England. Mary's affections were definitely genuine, though. She tried to hide her infatuation in public, but in private, she was quite transparent.

Margaret's thoughts turned back to Elizabeth as she spoke of possibly being sent back to France if Guy did not find a suitable husband for her. Considering his own reluctance to marry for anything other than love, she did not believe that he would force a marriage on his sister, no more than her own brother had forced one on her. Yes, Henry had brought her and Guy together but he had not known that they would get along so well. Perhaps that was what Guy would do with Elizabeth ... introduce her to someone he believed she would get along well with. And perhaps things would work out as well for her as they had for Margaret.

They were nearly at their destination now, moving though a more populated area of London. The roads were now smoother underneath the carriage wheels, and the muted sounds of a typical day in the city wafted through the closed windows.

“Yes, I know that he misses it,” she said, favoring her sister-in-law with a soft smile. “I can tell every time he speaks of it that he wishes to go back. And I am certain he will take me there. He has talked of it often, and I look forward to visiting the country that has captured his heart."

“And what about you?”
she continued, tilting her head to the side. “If you do not mind my asking, would you rather find an English husband and stay here for the rest of your life, or are you hoping that you will be sent back to France? If you had a choice in the matter, what would you do?”
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Elizabeth Spencer
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Vive le Français
(I apologize for the poor quality of this. Originally, I wasn’t going to post, as I’m not feeling very good, but I just really wanted to write. If you need me to add more, let me know.)


When she had accepted Margaret’s invitation to go shopping, Elizabeth had been quite unaware of what she was to expect in her Guy’s wife. Whether or not their personalities would mesh well together was something Ellie had been stewing over for quite some time, and it had only been recently she had come to the conclusion that Margaret was a respectable young lady, and all things considered, they should have had a lovely time together.

Or at least, that was what Ellie had assumed.

One factor she had not considered was Margaret’s tendency to continuously revert the conversation back to her Guy. Ordinarily, Ellie would not mind discussing and sharing stories of her beloved elder brother, but somehow, with her sister-in-law, it was different. Even the story Margaret had offered of her childhood had featured Guy, and only reminded Elizabeth that while such an encounter had been taking place in England, she had been across the Channel in France, counting the days until her brother would return and they would be together again. In a way, this woman had not taken her brother away mere months ago. It had been years.

Listening to her reply now, Ellie found her lips pressing together tightly, especially as the idea that her Guy might take his new wife back to the country that they both loved to such a degree. Now that was not fair. Even if Ellie had been trying for so long now to push any selfish thoughts from her head, trying desperately to retract such sins, it was impossible not to be angry that her Guy would present to Margaret what she longed for daily. “I am certain you will enjoy it there,” she said instead. “I miss France more than anything in the world. I have not seen my mother in over two years now.”

Her mother. It had indeed been over two years – closer to three – since they had last spoken words to one another. Often Ellie tried to bring the face that should have been just as familiar as her own to mind, but had recently been finding that it had blurred. Certain features she seemed to have forgotten, and what used to be identifiable was now reduced to nothing more than a woman with dark hair and eyes of blue.

“And what about you?”

Broken from the lamented thoughts of her mother, Ellie’s attention was commanded once again by Margaret and the question that had been posed to her time and time again. “It does not matter to me, Margaret,” she replied, the answer now something of second nature. “The sole reason I came to England was to be with my brother. We grew up apart, and that was very hard for me, so now I wish to marry so that I may stay close to him. Now that he has taken you as his wife, he will stay in England, so I must secure an English husband so that I may do the same.”


[align=center]Elizabeth is in a grand total of 2 thread(s).
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Margaret Spencer
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There seemed to be a coolness in Elizabeth's demeanor that had not been present when they had first set off from the palace. Margaret was not certain what to make of it, or what could have caused it. Had she said something wrong? Should she not have mentioned the fact that Guy wished to take her to France, especially as her sister-in-law had just confessed how much she missed it? Guy had spent time in England during his youth and knew what to expect; it must be more difficult for Elizabeth who had grown up entirely in France.

Or it could have something to do with the jealousy she had considered earlier, although Elizabeth gave no hint of it. Margaret felt a pang of guilt for coming between brother and sister, although she had never set out to do so. Had her husband felt such guilt all those years ago when she had made no pretense of her own resentfulness? She found it rather amusing that she was now on the other side. It served her right, she supposed, for her bad behavior in the past. What goes around comes around, or so it was said.

She wished to form a friendship with her sister-in-law, though, and now it looked as if it was going to be more difficult than she had first believed. Yet Margaret enjoyed a good challenge and she would do her best to win Elizabeth over. If she failed, it would be no fault of her own. Or so she told herself. In truth, she would probably think she should have tried harder.

And she understood what Elizabeth meant about missing her mother. Margaret had been away from her own mother for nearly a year before she had come to court for her wedding. There were some things that a woman only wished to share with her mother, and that was not easy when there was so much distance between them. Letters … which they exchanged frequently … were not nearly as satisfying as speaking face to face.

Margaret decided to forgo any comment, for she was afraid that whatever she said would just make matters worse. Elizabeth had attended her wedding and knew that Margaret's mother had also been present. Commiserating with her would seem false, and she could not say she wished to meet the woman either. All she needed was her sister-in-law to believe that she planned to take her mother away from her too. Nor could she mention that Guy would most likely wish for Elizabeth to accompany them when they visited France. It was better to let the subject go.

She was quite surprised that Elizabeth seemed to have little opinion as to her own destiny, other than to stay close to her brother. The pretty dark-haired woman was not at all like her cousin Catherine La Zouche, who seemed to have an opinion about everything and was as strong-willed as Margaret herself. Elizabeth was quite demure and seemed to content to do as she was bid. Guy's relatives were quite diverse when it came to personality. As she supposed all families were. Her own extended family was so small that it was something she had never considered. Her cousins were nothing like Henry or herself ... but her cousins were the King of England and the probable future Queen of France. Of course they would have different ways of looking at the world, considering their lofty positions.

“I'm sure Guy will find a match for you soon. He cares for you very much … he speaks of you quite often … and I know that he wants you to be happy. Perhaps the right man has not yet come along, although I would think he would have had many offers.” Now that his star was on the rise, she guessed that many courtiers would wish to ally themselves with her husband, and what better way than through marriage? She knew that Guy would never accept just anyone for his beloved sister. In that, he was like her own brother. And like Henry, he would find the best possible husband for Elizabeth. He would also have an easier job of it. Elizabeth wanted to be married. When Henry had brought Margaret and Guy together, both of them were determined never to marry at all.

The carriage slowed and then stopped. “Ahhh, it looks like we're here,” she said as she glanced out the window. This shopping area was generally frequented only by the wealthy, and there were well-dressed nobles strolling around the streets and going in and out of the shops, many with servants walking behind them laden with packages. As Margaret intended only on buying fabric for a holiday outfit, she did not believe she needed such assistance. She was perfectly willing to carry her purchases herself. Odd, she supposed, considering that by birth she probably outranked them all, and yet did not share their pompousness.

The door opened and Margaret was helped from the carriage. After a cursory glance at the many shops available, she smiled at her sister-in-law. ”Is there anywhere you would like to go first, Elizabeth? Do you favor any particular shops?”
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Isabel Leigh
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Virtue alone is invincible.
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