The Lady in the Tower (20 page)

‘Your Aunt Beatrice?’ repeated Maria blankly. ‘That would be … your father’s sister?’ she asked. ‘Or … ?’ To my misery, I could see comprehension dawning.

‘Aunt Beatrice?’ I urged Mother. ‘Tell Mistress Maria that it is so!’

‘Yes … I … ’ faltered Mother. But then to my chagrin, her face crumpled and she began to cry. I turned to Maria and grasped her sleeve. ‘Please, Maria!’ I begged. ‘Just go into supper and tell Sir Walter I have had too much sun today and am laid upon my bed with a headache. You have been a good friend to me once, today, Maria. Please be so once more.’

‘It is Lady Hungerford, is it not?’ asked Maria, her eyes fixed on my mother, a strange expression on her face.

‘Yes,’ I answered for Mother. ‘And I trust you to help us.’

‘I’ll make your excuses,’ said Maria turning to me abruptly. ‘But where do you plan to go?’

I sighed with relief. ‘Thank you! We’re heading for London. On horseback. We shall ride as far as we can tonight and then find somewhere safe to rest. I’m hoping our flight won’t be discovered until tomorrow.’

Maria smirked and bridled as was her wont, and then she kissed my cheek. ‘Go,’ she said. ‘I’ll do what I can.’

‘Thank you,’ I said warmly, before leading Mother swiftly to the stables. A couple of stable hands crossed the yard, but barely glanced at us. They were too young to remember Mother. ‘Send Tom to me!’ I ordered them, heading for the stalls. Tom arrived by my side in seconds.

‘Mistress Eleanor,’ he gasped. ‘My lady.’ He bowed to my mother, keeping his voice low. She had regained her self control, and nodded to him. Tom turned back to me. ‘I’ve unsaddled the horses,’ he groaned. ‘I’d given you up for today.’

‘Then let us saddle them again, quickly!’ I ordered him. Tom passed me the bridles to put on, while Tom went running for the saddles. To my frustration, my injured hand hindered me. My fingers were numb and the wound painful. Tom saw when he returned, and took over.

‘Must I indeed ride, Eleanor?’ asked Mother tremulously. I paused a moment, remembering how much she disliked being on horseback.

‘I’m afraid you must, Mother,’ I told her. ‘There is no alternative. I cannot order the carriage out, and we would be forced to stay on the roads if I could.’

‘But, Eleanor,’ Tom interrupted suddenly, in the middle of tightening Arianna’s girth, ‘how’s you going to get out through the gatehouse at this time o’ night? You can’t pretend you’re just going for a ride like you planned.’

‘I’ve thought of that. Just get Mother on to Beau and keep the horses hidden until I come back—no matter what you hear.’

So saying, I unhooked the lantern from the doorway and slipped out into the dusk. I ran across the yard to a lean-to where straw for the horses’ bedding was stored. It stood hard against the curtain wall, and far enough from the stables not to be a danger to the horses. Neither would there be any danger to the main castle from here.

Putting down the lantern, I shook out a pile of loose straw from one of the sheaves, and placed the lantern on top of it. I fed straw into the flame, until a smoky, choking fire was well and truly burning. I stood back, coughing, and watched the flames spread, curling and blackening the stalks of straw. Soon I needed to retreat from the smoke and the heat. Leaving the door swinging open, I ran towards the gatehouse.

‘Fire!’ I cried. ‘Help! The stables are on fire! Quickly!’

The guards were alert when I reached them but still at their posts. ‘It’s the stables!’ I cried again. ‘We need everyone to help!’ As I spoke, a tongue of flame shot up into the sky beyond the stables. We could all clearly hear the flames crackling, and a coil of smoke rolled across the stable yard towards us.

‘You go,’ shouted one guard to the other. ‘I can’t move from here. The castellan’ll have me flogged if I leave the gate.’ But as he spoke he looked fearfully at the smoke and flames.

I stared at him in dismay. If he stayed there, how were we to get out? I had to get rid of him.

‘Sir Walter will have you flogged if you let his guests’ horses burn to death!’ I shouted. I could see the indecision in the guard’s face. There was a crash of falling timber in the distance and a dull red glow in the sky. I turned and ran back towards the stables and to my relief I could hear the guard’s feet pounding behind me.

As the grooms ran to the well to help the stable hands draw water, I turned and slipped back into the stables. The horses were restless, pulling at their halters and whinnying with fright at the noise and the stench of smoke. I could smell them sweating with fear.

‘Get them all out safely, Tom,’ I pleaded. ‘If the fire should spread.’

‘I will,’ he promised.

I spoke a soothing word to Arianna. Tom threw me into the saddle and squeezed my uninjured hand. ‘Go, Eleanor,’ he urged. I clung to his hand for a moment, looking down into his familiar face dimly lit by the remaining lantern. ‘Go,’ he repeated. I released his hand and gestured to Mother to follow me. We headed towards the gatehouse. Nobody noticed us go, their attention fully occupied by the fire.

Once we were over the drawbridge, I urged Arianna into a brisker walk and she stepped out obediently up the steep hill, Beau following close behind.

‘Are you well enough, Mother?’ I asked anxiously, turning in my saddle. I had had no thoughts to spare for her for the last many minutes.

‘Yes,’ she answered breathlessly, clutching her horse’s mane. ‘But I fear I cannot go far.’

‘Then let us at least go swiftly,’ I said. As the horses reached the brow of the hill, I urged Arianna into a canter. It was almost dark now, but I could hear Beau keeping pace beside us. Both horses were fresh and covered the ground swiftly.

The evening air was clear and cool after the warmth of the day. I felt exhilarated. I had done it. We were free. I wanted to smile at Mother and rejoice in our escape, but even as I turned towards her, my ears caught an ominous sound. A thunderous drumming, some distance behind. Hoof beats. We were being pursued.

Mother had heard the horses too. We looked fearfully at one another.

‘We must gallop!’ I said, urging Arianna on.

‘It’s not safe, in the dark,’ my mother moaned in fear.

‘It’s not safe to be caught either,’ I replied. Our horses were willing to brave the dark, and stretched their legs into a gallop. The sound of pursuit faded behind us. How could Sir Walter have discovered our flight so quickly? He must have been in the stables within minutes of us leaving.

Several miles further on, I slowed Arianna to a trot, and then a walk, leading the way off the road and into a wood. We paused, while I listened to the sounds of pursuit. We waited, holding our breath, praying they would not notice we had left the road. The horses passed by us, continuing on the road towards Bath and London. Mother sobbed with mingled fear and relief. She was swaying in the saddle. ‘Eleanor,’ she whispered. ‘I cannot … ’

I thought quickly. Sir Walter would soon realize what had happened and turn back to look for us. We could not outride him all the way to London. Even alone, I doubted I could do it. Neither could we hide. Sir Walter knew the land around Farleigh as well as I did. And he might have dogs with him. That thought gave me a sharp spur of fright. There was only one option that I could think of.

‘Mama, do you think you could ride as far as the priory?’ I asked. ‘Dr Horde will shelter us, I’m sure of it.’

‘Yes, I could manage that. But he’s a friend of Sir Walter’s, Eleanor!’

‘Yes, I know. And of Cromwell’s. But he will not hand us over. He is good man, a man of God. Come!’

I led Mother through the woods, glad of my familiarity with the paths in this gloom. Even so, twigs snagged in our hair and snatched at our clothes as we pushed our way through the trees. I heard Mother cry out softly as a small branch that I had not been able to hold out of her way whipped her face. We crossed a field and emerged into a narrow lane that led through a small hamlet. Our passing set all the dogs barking.

‘Who goes there?’ cried a rough man’s voice.

‘A friend!’ I replied, and heard him grunt in dissatisfaction at my words, but I wasn’t about to give him my name. We drew away from the houses and could see the priory lights glimmering in the distance. ‘Look, Mother!’ I said, keeping my voice low. ‘We’re nearly there. Let us be swift.’

Arianna pricked up her ears and quickened her pace at the sound of my voice. It seemed she was enjoying this nocturnal outing. But then she paused, laying her ears back again. I listened intently. At first I could hear nothing. My ears were not as sharp as Arianna’s. A few moments later, however, I heard the unmistakable sound of hounds baying.

‘They’ve tracked us!’ I cried. All caution was thrown to the winds. We broke into a crazy gallop. What matter noise, when there are hounds following your scent? I was afraid for the horses, galloping like this in the dark, but I was even more afraid of the dogs and men behind us. A hedge loomed suddenly before us, and Arianna almost sat on her haunches to stop, crashing into the branches, snorting with fright. I hunted frantically along the hedge for the gate I knew must be here somewhere. Having wasted precious minutes finding it, I fumbled with the wooden latch, knowing it was useless asking Mother to jump a gate. As we passed through, I banged it shut behind us, hoping it might slow our pursuers. Then we were flying through the darkness towards the lights of the priory. But the dogs were very close now. One, ahead of the rest, was already snapping at Arianna’s heels. I felt rather than saw Arianna kick out at the dog. There was a sudden yelp of pain, and then it was no longer there. I patted Arianna, surprised. She was trained to ride to hounds. But it seemed she knew as well as I did that we were the hunted, not the hunters, tonight.

At long last the iron gates of the priory appeared before us. But when I leaned down to open them, they were already locked for the night. Desperately, I tugged on the rope, and heard the bell pealing inside the building.

‘Help!’ I shouted. ‘Help us, please!’

A brother appeared, and made his unhurried way towards us across the courtyard. His robes swept the ground as he walked and his face was hidden in his cowl. As he reached us, he put it back and peered at us.

‘Who asks for admission so late?’ he asked calmly.

‘For the love of God, let us in,’ I begged. ‘Here are the Lady Elizabeth Hungerford and her daughter Eleanor, and we are pursued with dogs, though we’ve done no wrong! We are in danger of our lives.’

I could hear the horses crashing through the undergrowth behind us. I could even hear a voice, raised in a curse, in the distance. The monk blinked at me in surprise, but made no move to unlock the gate.

‘We are friends of Doctor Horde,’ I said in desperation. ‘I request sanctuary.’ I had said the right thing. The monk produced a key, fitting it into the lock. I could now hear the panting of the hounds as they raced through the darkness behind us. As soon as the key clicked in the lock, I threw my weight against the gates, pushing them open and obliging the monk to step smartly out of the way. The leading dog appeared out of the darkness behind us. At the sight of us, he flung back his head and howled. There were answering barks behind him, and as we led our horses quickly through the gates, I heard the triumphant shouts of the men too. I flung myself out of the saddle and shut and locked the gates. One dog tried to dart through as I banged them shut, but lost his nerve at the last minute and fell back.

I turned the key and removed it, and began leading the horses to the stable. Mother was still mounted on Beau, clinging weakly to the pommel of the saddle.

‘Can we stable our horses?’ I addressed the monk.

‘Madam, you still have the key to the gates,’ he protested, bemused.

I pretended not to have heard him.

‘Would you please send for Doctor Horde?’ I asked. ‘And tell him I desire urgent speech with him? And whatever you do, please don’t open the gates to anyone else, especially not to Sir Walter.’

‘Doctor Horde is at evening prayer,’ said the monk indignantly. ‘He is not to be disturbed. And he would be most annoyed if I were to deny entry to Sir Walter, who is a friend and benefactor of the priory.’

‘In that case, it is certainly better that I retain this key until I have had speech with him,’ I said, surprised at my own boldness. A shout at the gate diverted the brother’s attention from me.

‘Halloo there!’ called my father’s voice. ‘Gate!’ The monk hesitated. After standing indecisively before me for several minutes, he finally turned back to the gate. I led Arianna and Beau to the stables, praying the brother had not a second key.

When I helped Mother to dismount, she could barely stand upright. I put an arm around her waist. A groom appeared, tousle-haired and heavy-eyed.

‘Asleep?’ I asked him scornfully. ‘At this hour?’

‘No,’ he retorted unconvincingly.

‘See our horses rubbed down and watered,’ I requested him. ‘We are expecting to stay the night.’

‘Wot, two ladies? ’ere?’ he asked rudely. ‘I don’t fink so.’

I ignored him and supported Mother through a side door into the priory itself. There we found a bench, onto which she sank down gratefully, overcome with exhaustion. I thought how long she had stayed in one room, with no activity or exercise of any kind and realized how strenuous and frightening this evening must have been for her.