In The Shadow - стр. 6
– Hush, my love, keep your tongue! – hissed at her daughter Lady Norton and pulled so hard on the lacing of the kirtle that she even exhaled – so tight it was tightened. – Catherine is a great woman! Her parents are Isabella and Ferdinand! When she was young, Henry was delighted with her beauty and married her, despite neither the warning of his stern grandmother nor the displeasure of the court…
– You said it yourself, Mother: "When she was young!" – giggled the girl, setting aside her comb and straightening the folds in the hem of her rich dress.
– 'But you never saw her once; how can you laugh at her? – Lady Norton grumbled unhappily. – I saw her in the hall, and even dared to say a word to her, and she answered me so affectionately… Catherine is still beautiful, and her bearing is so majestic that you will know without a word that the Queen of England stands before you. She is beloved by the people, as is her daughter Mary. And mark my words, my dear: Anne Boleyn will not win the battle for Henry's heart. He will return to his lawful wedded wife's bedroom and conceive a son with her.
– And what will become of Anne? – Alienor asked indifferently.
– She will be sent home, or worse, banished from the court and her name shamed forever… Ah, my beautiful daughter! You shine like a ray of sunshine in a dark room! – Lady Norton walked round her daughter, and, taking her thin delicate palms in her own, added: – You will outshine everyone! Even that dishonourable favourite of the King's!
– Alas, mother, I cannot outshine Brigid," said Alienor, somewhat irritably.
Blond, with eyes as blue as the summer sky, Alienor was a beauty, and she knew the value of her beauty. Yet her humble friend, her named sister Brigid, copper-haired and blue-eyed, surpassed her in beauty. It was Brigid who was called the " The Flaming Rose," and at this moment, when the Norton castle was visited by the king, Alienor felt a slight envy for her.
"What on earth is that! Brigid is like a sister to me! If the king pays attention to her, it would be a sin not to be happy for her! – The girl's mind raced, and a slight smile appeared on her face. – And Brigid herself wants no other fate than to be the wife of that libertine William… He tried to kiss me. Twice. But I taught the fool a good lesson by tearing out a thick lock of his hair! And Brigid seems to be in love with him… Poor soul!"
– You may be second to her in beauty, but in all other things you are the one who holds the primacy: you play the lute and harp beautifully, sing as sweetly as the birds in May, and dance as gracefully as a white swan floating on the river. Why should you be afraid, my angel? – with a proud smile for her daughter's success, Lady Norton said.
– I'm not afraid, Mother! There is not a shred of fear in me! – Alienor frowned. – Find a maid to do my hair for me, and find me the prettiest hood the castle has to offer.
– To entrust such a thing to a maid! I will do your hair myself, my dear," said the lady of the castle, grabbed a comb and began to do Alienor's hair. – As soon as the king and Queen change their clothes, the feast will begin. Your father has ordered everything fresh for the table… Also, your favourite harp has already been laid out for you: we will make Henry hear your voice and fall in love with it… Ah, I hope he dances with you and never once looks at Brigid!