The summer was drawing to a close. If we meant to take a serious invasion force to Ireland in the year of Our Lord 1170, we must set sail soon. I went to the holding that belonged to Raymond le Gros’ family, to say goodbye to my sister. If all went well in Ireland, in time she would be living in a fine castle of her own rather than a small mean house with her husband’s kin. We didn’t know what to say to each other. I couldn’t ask her if she was happy. I couldn’t tell, from the look on her face. Then she smiled at me as she always had, and ran into my arms. ‘Oh Richard, do be careful in Ireland!’ she breathed in my ear. ‘And take care of Raymond for me, will you?’ I knew she was happy, then. One small stone was lifted from my heart. ‘I’ll not only take care of him, I’m going to make him a very wealthy man,’ I promised Basilia. I said it as firmly as I could, to make her believe it.
