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my lord,’ murmured the little girl shyly.
    He picked her up and kissed her. Children were charming. Then he picked up John and did the same. When he set him down he looked at Alice. She blushed slightly. ‘And you, my lady,’ he said, ‘I must offer you like treatment, must I not?’
    He lifted her in his arms. Her face was close to his. The texture of children’s skin was so fine, so soft. Even beauties like Rosamund could not compare with them. It gave him great pleasure to hold this beautiful child in his arms. He kissed her soft cheek, but he did not put her down. He went on holding her. He looked into her eyes so beautifully set. Richard, he thought, you have a prize in this one. The idea of monk-like Louis siring such a perfect little creature amused him.
    John and Joanna were looking up at him. He held Alice against him and kissed her again, this time on the mouth.
    ‘You kiss Alice more than you kiss us,’ said John.
    Henry put the girl down. ‘Well, she is our guest so we must make sure she knows she is welcome.’
    ‘Is Alice our guest then?’ asked John. ‘They say she is our sister.’
    ‘She is to be your sister and she is our guest.’ He took one of her ringlets and curled it round his finger. ‘And I want her to know that there was never a more welcome one in my kingdom. What say you to that, little Alice?’
    She said: ‘My lord is good.’
    He knelt down, feigning to hear her better, but in fact to put his face closer to her own.
    ‘I like you well,’ he said; and he patted her face and his hands went to her shoulders and moved over her childish unformed body.
    He stood up.
    ‘Now I will sit down and you shall tell me how you progress in your lessons.’ He looked at John whose expression had become a little woebegone.
    ‘Well, well, my son,’ he said, for his spirits were higher than they had been since he had heard of Becket’s death, ‘we’ll not go too far into the subject if it is not a pleasant one, for this is an occasion for rejoicing.’
    He took Alice’s hand in one of his and Joanna’s in the other and led the way to the window. He seated himself there. John leaned against one knee and Joanna against the other. ‘Come, Alice, my dear child,’ he said, and drawing her between his knees held her close to him. ‘Now,’ he said, ‘we are a friendly party. John, my son, I have come to see you because I have some good news for you.’
    ‘For me, my lord,’ cried John starting to leap up and down.
    ‘You must not do that,’ said Joanna.
    ‘Oh, we will let him express a little joy, daughter,’ said the King, ‘for it is a most joyful matter. I have a bride for him.’
    ‘A bride,’ said John. ‘What is that?’
    ‘He is too young to understand,’ said Alice.
    ‘Of course,’ said the King tenderly stroking her arm. ‘But you are not, my little one. You have been betrothed have you not … to my son Richard?’
    ‘Yes, my lord,’ said Alice.
    ‘You are too young as yet to go to him,’ went on the King and was amazed at the relief he felt. It would be unendurable to allow this beautiful child to go to some bumbling boy. Richard of course was handsome, but he was too young yet.
    ‘It will be soon though,’ said Alice.
    ‘No,’ said the King firmly. ‘There is some time yet.’
    ‘What about me?’ said John.
    ‘Listen to our young bridegroom. Joanna, Alice, my dears, listen to him!’
    ‘You said it was my bride, Father.’
    ‘So it is, my son. I have found you a bride who will bring much good to you and us, and her father and I have agreed that when you are old enough you shall be married. Her name is … why, she has the prettiest name in the world. What do you think it is? Alice! The same as my dear daughter here. Alice, I have already grown to love that name.’
    She smiled delightedly. A little dimple appeared in her cheek when she did so.
    ‘You are a dear child,’ he said, ‘and I love you.’ He held her tightly against him and kissed her