Alys Clare: The Rose of the World

Where are you, child? Helewise asked silently. If you are able, come home to those who love you. If you cannot, hear me now and know that we will find you.

She sat for a few moments concentrating all her thoughts and all her love on her youngest grandchild. Then she went back to thinking about Dominic and wondering how they were going to tell him Rosamund had disappeared.

As they sat round the table eating food for which nobody had much appetite, Josse summed up everything they knew concerning Rosamund’s disappearance, not that it amounted to much. He wanted to build up a picture of the previous day and, quickly understanding, both Helewise and Meggie volunteered information.

‘Dominic left her here late yesterday morning,’ Helewise said, ‘and we had a bite to eat before going through the forest to the abbey.’

‘I met them on the way,’ Meggie added, ‘and we all went into St Edmund’s Chapel. Rosamund and I left Helewise praying and went to sit on the slope above the abbey.’

‘Did she say anything?’ Josse asked eagerly.

‘She said a lot,’ Meggie said with a faint smile, ‘but then she always does. Nothing of any relevance, I’m afraid.’ She frowned, clearly thinking. To Helewise, she appeared preoccupied, almost absent, as if whatever was absorbing her so profoundly was not precisely the same as what they were all discussing. Then Meggie said, ‘No. As far as I recall, our talk was light and did not touch on anything serious.’

Helewise put out her hand and laid it on Josse’s. ‘We have to go down to Tonbridge and inform Dominic,’ she said. ‘Morning is here, we have found no sign of her and we can wait no longer.’

‘Aye, you’re right,’ Josse said heavily, getting to his feet. It was a dreadful prospect, but he knew it would not improve by being postponed. ‘Will’s been tending to Alfred, so he’ll be ready to leave as soon as he’s saddled up again. Dominic’s staying with Gervase — there was some matter that Gervase wanted to ask him about — so I shall be able to inform both of them at the same time.’

There was a short silence, and then Helewise said, ‘I shall be able to inform them?’

He looked down at her. He knew what she was suggesting, and for a moment his heart leapt with relief. But her place was here. ‘No,’ he said. ‘You should stay here, where you can-’

‘Make soup?’ she said spiritedly. ‘Josse, Tilly and I have prepared an ocean of soup. Dominic is my son,’ she went on softly, ‘and he left Rosamund in my care.’ She raised her chin, and an expression spread over her face that he knew of old. ‘I will not have it that this frightful news is broken to him by anyone but me.’

She, too, had stood up. She stood before him, straight and tall, and he knew there was no more to say. He held out his hand, and she took it. ‘Come on, then,’ he said.

They rode down the road to Tonbridge in silence. Josse was trying not to think about what lay ahead: it was something that had to be done, and he dreaded it, but it would not be improved by dwelling on it. Instead, he let his mind ramble, and presently he found himself recalling other journeys he and Helewise had made together. I used to have to slow old Horace’s pace, he mused, but now our mounts are more evenly matched. He glanced over to Helewise’s grey mare, another of Honey’s descendants. Her name was Daisy.

Too soon they were at the bottom of Castle Hill and the town was before them. The river curled through the valley, and swirls of fog hung over the marshy ground to the east. The town was already about its business, and Josse had to shout out several times to clear their passage along the narrow, crowded streets.

They turned off to the left, and the crowds quickly thinned. Gervase de Gifford’s house was some distance out of the town, and Josse, who had visited many times, led the way unhesitatingly. They rode into the courtyard, and almost immediately a lad emerged to take their horses.

‘Morning, Sir Josse,’ he said with a grin. Then he saw Josse’s expression and the grin faded.

‘Is the sheriff at home?’ Josse asked as he dismounted.

The lad nodded, then jerked his head in the direction of the steps leading up to the house. ‘Him and the mistress are having breakfast,’ he said.

Josse nodded his thanks and then gave Helewise a swift, questioning look.

‘Ready,’ she whispered.

Together they mounted the steps and went into the hall.

Helewise looked around her at the home of Gervase and Sabin de Gifford. The hall was generously sized and well furnished. The rushes on the stone floor were fresh and sweet-smelling, and the table at which the family were sitting to eat was sturdy oak.

Gervase was on his feet, greeting his guests and calling to a servant to bring more food. Helewise paused briefly to respond to his welcome, but her eyes were on her son.

Dominic had also risen. Unlike Gervase, he stayed where he was at the table. He was staring at her, and she recognized that even in that first moment he was aware something was wrong.

Josse was muttering something to Gervase, who turned to stare at Dominic. Helewise, hardly noticing, walked steadily across to her son.

‘Rosamund is missing,’ she said. ‘She was last seen yesterday at dusk and we have had been out all night looking for her. We believe she was taken away by a young man who was lurking close to the House in the Woods.’

She watched Dominic’s face. She saw doubt and anger and, finally, agony so severe that instinctively she reached out to him.

He pushed her hands away. ‘She is eleven years old, Mother,’ he said, and his voice was like ice. ‘Could you not have taken better care of her?’

Helewise felt as if she had been stabbed through the heart. She dropped her head, fighting tears. She sensed a swift movement beside her, and Josse’s arm went round her shoulders. She heard his words as from a great distance — he was saying it was not her fault, it was the result of mistaken identity, and that Dominic should take back his harsh comment — but she did not take them in.

He blames me, she thought. He blames me and he hates me.

A tear slid down her cheek.

She was ushered to a chair, Josse holding her as if he feared she would fall, Sabin disentangling herself from her children and rushing to take Helewise’s hand. Then Dominic was before her, his face stiff as he said curtly, ‘I apologize, Mother. Apparently, I was wrong to put the blame on you.’

She met his eyes. ‘She was, as you say, in my care,’ she said. ‘I will do my utmost to help you find her.’

He studied her for a moment longer. Then he turned away.

Josse sat with Dominic and Gervase as they worked on how best to hunt for Rosamund. Helewise, still looking so stunned that Josse longed to comfort her, sat alone and silent at the end of Gervase’s long table. Gervase had already summoned a group of his most reliable men and, when Dominic had asked if somebody could ride over to the Old Manor to ask his brother Leofgar to come to help, Gervase had readily agreed. Now, as they waited for the others to assemble, the three of them divided up the terrain and decided who should lead the hunt in which sector.

‘We should each concentrate on the areas we know best,’ Gervase said. ‘This means you, Josse, concentrate on the forest between Hawkenlye Manor and the abbey.’

‘We have searched the ground there all night!’ Josse exclaimed impatiently. Although he knew it was sensible to sit here and organize the search so as to make best use of the available men, in his heart he felt they were wasting time and he longed to be out looking for Rosamund.

Gervase looked at him, sympathy in his light eyes. ‘I know, old friend,’ he said, ‘but it was dark. You may well have missed something important.’