The Lady in the Tower (28 page)

We agreed to stay overnight in the lodging house, mainly because we could think of nowhere safer to go. The following morning, when we went downstairs to breakfast, Mother paused in the hallway to exchange a few words with our landlady. She was a business-like matron past middle age. The house door opened and a man walked in. Mother jumped and made to withdraw at once, but he had recognized her.

‘Lady Elizabeth!’ he lisped, stepping forward, his hand held out.

I stared at the man. He was a stranger to me. He was tall, thin, and dark haired, with a very dainty, fussy air about him. And he looked completely oblivious to there being anyone else present.

‘Why, Sir Thomas!’ Mother responded, putting her hand in his without hesitation. And then she blushed. Mother actually blushed.

‘
Lady
Elizabeth?’ asked the landlady. ‘Do you know something I don’t, Sir Thomas?’

Her voice seemed to bring the man back to a sense of his surroundings. I was biting my lip, looking for some sign from Mother, because it seemed to me we were undone. The landlady had heard her real name.

The man called Sir Thomas turned to the landlady and said: ‘Yes, indeed, Mistress Myers, this is … was Elizabeth Hussey. I was page to her father for a number of years, and we have met infrequently since. Elizabeth, Mistress Myers is my old nurse. She runs the boarding house now, and I visit her from time to time.’ He bestowed an affectionate smile upon the landlady, who beamed back at him. ‘But in the name of all that is wonderful, Elizabeth, what are you doing here? You married Lord Hungerford and were living at Farleigh—I heard you were ill.’

‘It’s a long story,’ said Mother, with a glance at me.

‘Well then, don’t stand in the hallway telling it!’ exclaimed Mistress Myers good-naturedly. ‘Come into my parlour and sit down comfortably. I’ll bring your breakfast in there.’

I tried to send Mother a warning glance as we were ushered into the parlour, but she was not attending. And after all, I thought, it was a little late for caution now.

‘Eleanor, dear,’ said Mother a little breathlessly once we were in the room with the door closed behind us. ‘Can I introduce to you my good friend, Sir Thomas Throckmorton? Thomas, this is my daughter, Eleanor.’ Sir Thomas shook my hand warmly.

‘Delighted to meet you,’ he said, but it was clear that he had eyes for no one but my mother. I stood by and listened while she poured her whole tale into his ears. I was vexed. I could see no reason to trust him, but Mother seemed to have no hesitation in doing so. Under his adoring gaze, she blossomed. A delicate colour rose to her cheeks and her weary eyes glowed with pleasure.

I felt left out. After a while, I slipped away, fetched a veil from our room and made my way across the city to the stables where we had quartered our horses. I unlatched Beau’s loosebox and slipped into the gloom, stroking his nose and breathing in his comforting horse scent. He was not a beautiful horse like Arianna, but he was familiar and I felt soothed as I leaned my face into his neck.

‘What is to become of us?’ I asked him softly. ‘Mother trusts anyone who smiles at her and Sir Walter is hunting us all over Bath. If he thinks to search for our horses we shall be in trouble.’ Beau let out his breath in a snort and shifted his weight. ‘Is that all you can say?’ I remarked. ‘I expected more sense.’

Mistress Myers knocked and entered our room in an anxious flutter early the next morning.

‘Two guest houses in the next street have been searched this morning!’ she gasped. ‘What shall I do if they come here? They may have a warrant to search the building!’

Mother and I exchanged frightened glances. We did not know what to say.

‘Mother,’ I said, ‘we must leave Bath. We cannot stay here another day.’

Mother nodded, looking pale and drawn. ‘Perhaps Sir Thomas may be able to help us,’ she said hesitantly.

‘Who is this Sir Thomas?’ I flared up immediately. ‘Why do you trust him so unreservedly, Mother?’

‘He … I … we loved one another, Eleanor,’ said Mother. Her eyes took on a faraway look. ‘He asked to marry me. I wanted to say yes, but in those days he was not wealthy. His family live quietly and have no influence at court. My father hesitated to agree to the match. And while he was hesitating, Sir Walter offered for me: Lord Hungerford, the Earl of Heytesbury. There was no comparison. I was ordered to forget Sir Thomas.’

‘I did not know,’ I said softly. I looked at my mother in a new light. She had been married against her will, and then treated so badly. ‘I thought you loved Sir Walter,’ I said. ‘You always seemed to, before … ’

‘I did grow to love him,’ Mother admitted. ‘He was my husband, and for many years he was a good husband. But I never forgot Sir Thomas.’

I did not ask any more. It seemed almost indecent to pry into my mother’s private feelings. But I felt a new tenderness, a new solicitude towards her.

Neither of us could eat any breakfast. We kept to our room all morning, where we were soon joined by Sir Thomas. I tried to like him, for Mother’s sake. He was perfectly friendly to me, but he had fussy, almost womanish, manners that I found irritating. He flattered her and fussed constantly about her comfort, placing a rug over her knees to protect her from draughts, and ordering refreshments in case she should be hungry. To all of this she patiently submitted, smiling tenderly up at him. After an hour or so of this, I felt like a fifth leg on a horse. I put on my cloak and went to check on the horses once more.

As I approached the stables, I almost ran into one of Sir Walter’s men. He was standing on a street corner watching the passers by. I barely had time to dive down an alleyway before he turned. I stood concealed in a doorway and watched as he was joined by one of Sir Walter’s grooms. To my dismay, I saw them disappearing into the stables. If they had not already found Beau and my father’s hunter, they soon would.

When they emerged ten minutes later, Sir Walter was with them, and they were leading both the horses. I pressed myself back into the doorway, not even daring to watch them go. I felt despair at the loss of the horses, but I had one thing at least to be thankful for. The stables had no idea where Mother and I were lodging, I had been careful of that at least.

I fled back to the lodging house, frequently turning to check I was not being followed.

I burst into our room, panting and hot. ‘Mother!’ I cried. ‘They have our horses! I was nearly caught by one of Hungerford’s men! We are not safe here!’

Both Sir Thomas and Lady Jane were with Mother. They all looked up at my words.

‘Ah! Eleanor!’ exclaimed Lady Jane. ‘We were just talking about you. Heavens, child! Whatever is the matter? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost!’

I related what had happened in a breathless disjointed way, and the adults exchanged serious looks.

‘Are you sure you were not followed?’ asked Mother fearfully.

‘Quite certain,’ I told her.

‘Well, my dear, that confirms what we’ve just been saying,’ my aunt told me. ‘Although Mistress Myers is completely to be trusted and will protect you as much as she can, if they are searching the city, and they have a warrant, there will be nothing she can do. You need to leave Bath.’

‘Yes, indeed,’ I agreed warmly. ‘But how? Will they not be watching the city gates?’

‘Yes,’ said Lady Jane briskly. ‘But they are looking for a mother and a daughter. So you will have more chance of getting away undiscovered if you leave separately.’

This made sense to me, but I could see my aunt and Mother exchanging uneasy glances.

‘What is it?’ I asked. ‘Tell me.’

‘Eleanor, my dearest child, we think it safest if we are parted for a spell,’ said Mother gently.

I jumped to my feet. ‘No!’ I cried.

Sir Thomas got up also and made me a fidgety little bow.

‘Mistress Eleanor, forgive us, but this is for your own safety. My mother, who is an invalid living a few miles outside Bath, has need of a companion. Your mother has very kindly agreed to fill that post. Under an assumed name, of course. We believe she will be quite safe from your father there.’

I looked at Mother desperately. She rose and embraced me. ‘It’s for a short while only, I hope, my darling,’ she said.

‘Your mother,’ I said to Sir Thomas. ‘Does she live quite alone then?’

‘Ahem, well, no, not quite. I am there much of the time to attend to the farm and other business. My house in Bath is not my main residence, you know.’

I regarded him with gathering hostility. ‘It sounds as if she already has a companion. So why does she need another?’

‘Hem, well, female companionship, you know, is quite a different thing. I do not always have the leisure … ’

‘So, in fact, you are asking Mother to come and live with you,’ I stated rudely. I could hear my mother and aunt murmuring protests in the background, but I ignored them.

‘It will be quite proper, you know,’ Sir Thomas assured me. ‘It is a large house, and they will have their own apartments, quite separate from mine.’

‘And what about me?’ I asked. ‘Where do I fit into all this?’ I felt hurt and abandoned that Mother was prepared to consider any plan that separated the two of us.

‘You are invited to stay with me and my husband in London for a spell,’ my aunt said quickly. ‘Posing as my young cousin, Mary. My friend Mistress Aubrey has promised to take you out of the city in her carriage this very afternoon. We will meet at the inn in the village of Box, some miles from Bath. It should be safe for you to travel with me from there. And I promise you, Eleanor: I shall look after you as if you were my own daughter.’

I looked at Mother again. ‘This afternoon? And when do you leave?’

‘I am going in an hour or so, Eleanor. Sir Thomas thinks it safest.’ She took my face in her hands and looked at me lovingly. ‘Please, Eleanor. It’s only for a while. Just until the hue and cry has died down.’ She looked as though she meant it. But then, as she let me go, I saw her exchange a glance with Sir Thomas, and I realized they were in love. I felt a fierce stab of jealousy and resentment. I had gone through so much to be with Mother, and now she was going to be with this man instead. I knew, in some part of my mind, that I was being selfish. I knew Mother deserved happiness after suffering so much. But the truth was that I wanted her all to myself and I was hurt, angry, and humiliated.

‘Very well, Mother,’ I said tightly. I curtseyed stiffly to my aunt and said, ‘Thank you, Aunt Jane, for your kind offer. I accept. But now, if you excuse me, I shall take a walk.’

No one stopped me. No one pointed out that I had had one lucky escape already that day. They understood that I needed some time alone to accustom myself. I walked the streets of Bath for an hour, not caring where I was going. I just needed to keep moving to hold my misery at bay.

When I returned, Mother was alone in our rooms, her few possessions packed. She held out her arms as I came in, and I went to her. As she held me close, I breathed in her sweet scent, soaking it up to remember her by.

‘I know,’ she said simply, and stroked my hair as I leaned my head against her shoulder. We stood thus until there was a soft knock upon the door. Sir Thomas had arrived to collect Mother.

The journey to London took several days and was very tedious. I begged to be allowed to ride, but my aunt was afraid I would be recognized.

I had visited the city before, so its sights and smells were not completely unfamiliar to me. I quickly found myself longing for the hills and valleys around Farleigh. I missed the green of the fields and woods and the sweetness of the summer air, which here was turned to foul corruption. The narrow, dirty streets were filled with noise and bustle. They were crowded with carriages, street sellers, dogs, horses, and people in a hurry to get somewhere. I had been jolted for endless hours over bad roads and longed for peace.

We crossed into the city by way of London Bridge. It was evening, but being high summer, it was still light enough to see the grisly sight of heads impaled on the spikes. I looked at the rotting shapes and shuddered. My aunt followed my gaze.

‘They parboil them, you know,’ she said conversationally. ‘To preserve them.’

‘I am not sure I wished to know that,’ I replied. Then I gasped with terror and a small scream escaped me.

‘What is it, my child?’

I pointed to one of the heads, rigid with fear.

‘Cromwell,’ I whispered. ‘I would know him anywhere.’

The sightless eyes of my father’s friend stared at me, livid in death.

My uncle Sir Edward Cranbourne, a blustering, hearty man some ten years older than his wife, met us in the hallway of my aunt’s London home.

‘Welcome home, my dear Jane!’ he said, greeting her fondly. ‘I’ve missed you greatly whilst you’ve been jaunting around England! And this is Cousin
Mary
,’ he said for the servant’s ears, turning to me. ‘Well, you are very welcome too. Come in, come in!’ So saying he shook my hand and gave me a conspiratorial wink. He ushered us into a fine apartment, furnished with bright tapestries, and containing a large fireplace, unlit today in the warm summer weather.