Though my husband never touched me but to take my hand to lead me into dinner, I found his home a welcoming place. The house had been without a mistress since his mother died three years before. But Maisie had run it beautifully ever since, so there was little for me to do but to sit in the sun and smell the green things growing in the garden. I would sit, taking in the sight of the river as it wound round its bend, down the hill from the castle keep.
Each day was peaceful in its simplicity. William knew I did not like to hunt, so he never invited me to ride out with him and his men. He was an avid hunter and came back with venison and boar from the forests. His lands were vast, but I had no interest in exploring them.
In those first days in my husband’s house, I waited to see what might
