We were young: when the ceremony was performed I was sixteen years old and Richard was twenty—but only in years. We had both suffered experiences that had inevitably matured us. We were both deeply aware of our good fortune in being together and were determined to enjoy this happy state to the full. How fresh seemed the northern air! And what a happy journey that was, riding side by side on the way to the home that we both loved. The north was for Richard. The people liked his quiet ways, preferring them, I imagined, to the ostentatious splendor of his brother the king. They came out of their cottages to cheer for the Duke of Gloucester and to give him a “God bless you, your Grace,” to which he responded with a dignified greeting. How different he was from Edward and George, that pale shadow of his magnificent brother! These people knew that they could trust Richard and it was to him that they gave their loyalty. Edward had shown his wisdom when he had selected Richard to guard the northern territories.
