Adventures with Cecylee Part IV ~ Different Clocks

My first novel Thwarted Queen is a fictionalized autobiography told mostly in the voice of Lady Cecylee Neville, the youngest daughter of Ralph, Earl of Westmorland and his second wife Countess Joan.

We know only two facts about Cecylee’s youth. The first is that she was born in May 1415. The second is that on 18 October 1424, she was betrothed to Richard Duke of York.

This was a splendid match as, upon receiving his inheritance, Richard would be the richest peer in the realm. He was also the closest male relative of the King of England, and so was Heir Presumptive to the throne of England.

But this was an arranged marriage, so how did Cecylee herself feel about it? As historical records about medieval women are generally scant, it is no surprise that there is no evidence about Cecylee’s feelings towards Richard. However, from reading around my subject I was able to glean that Cecylee was willful (she called herself Queen by Right after her husband’s death) and that she had Richard wrapped around her little finger (he made great efforts to make her comfortable in his various residences, as well as on board the ships they took between England and France and England and Ireland.)

So I created characters who fit into this meager amount of evidence. The Cecylee who inhabits the pages of my novel starts out as a bubbly, mischievous, quick-silver girl. Richard, who is extremely intelligent, nevertheless runs at a slower pace. This difference in time-settings causes problems in their relationship, for while Cecylee dazzles Richard, he doesn’t interest her.

As this was an arranged marriage, neither Cecylee nor Richard had any choice in this matter. But there are many things that cause immediate sympathy between people, or not. Smell is a powerful element that can control how comfortable people feel with each other. But timing is another one. You may have noticed that some people are set on fast, while others are set on slow. It is my contention as a former cognitive scientist, that these subtle differences can make or break a relationship. Two people with a similar clock setting will have an immediate sympathy, that two people with disparate settings will not. In Thwarted Queen, Cecylee is set on fast while Richard is set on slow and this causes continual friction in their relationship. When Cecylee meets handsome archer Blaybourne, one of the things that draws her to him, is that he is as fast as she is. 

Of course the heartbreak that happens in Thwarted Queen is that Cecylee has to choose between her lover and her children. This means that she has to return to her marriage and act as if nothing happened. Naturally, Richard is very hurt by her behavior, and finds ways to punish her, including making a disastrous match for their eldest daughter Nan. And because Cecylee is so close to the throne, her actions have political ramifications that reverberate down the ages.

If this has whetted your appetite for Thwarted Queen, please click here.

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