June Francis - MAIDEN in the Tudor Court

She was combing her hair when there came a knock on the door.

‘Mistress Appleby, are you awake? We must make haste.’

Her pulses raced. ‘Aye. I am almost ready, Master Nilsson.’

‘You have chosen some gowns to take with you?’ he asked.

Rosamund hesitated and then opened the door. She caught a whiff of almond-and-honey soap and noticed he was clean shaven. His tawny hair curled about his ears and he had changed his garments and now wore a cream linen shirt beneath a russet doublet; his wellformed legs were clad in red hose. Her senses were roused; she realised that not only did she still want him to kiss her, but that she was desperate for his approval of her appearance.

Alex’s breath caught in his throat at the anxiety in her eyes and he wanted to punch those who had given her such a low opinion of herself. ‘Blue is a colour you should wear often,’ he said, taking one of her hands and twirling her round. ‘How lovely you look.’ He felt some of the tension leave her and her obvious delight made him want to reassure her by taking her in his arms and kissing her. But he knew that he must keep a rein on his passions.

‘You can have no notion of how different I feel wearing such a gown,’ she said shyly.

‘Your eyes are like sapphires. I scarcely recognise you as the same person who rode me down near Appleby Manor,’ he teased.

‘That seems so long ago now,’ said Rosamund, blushing. ‘But you must go downstairs, Master Nilsson. There is no need for you to wait for me. I will be down as soon as I have tidied my hair.’

‘I am content to wait for you.’ He released her hand and went over to the dressing table and picked up a net of silken blue threads. ‘What a pretty trifle this is. You will wear it?’ Rosamund eyed the hairnet and agreed that it was indeed pretty. He handed it to her. ‘Have you chosen other gowns to take with you?’

‘I have picked another two,’ she answered, ‘that is, if you are willing to fund me to that extent? I need boots and shoes and other fripperies, as well.’

‘Of course I am willing.’ He picked up the cloaks hanging over the back of the chair. ‘You will have these?’

Rosamund gave them a fleeting glance. ‘I need only one.’

Alex placed a fur-lined blue velvet cloak about her shoulders. ‘Now how does that feel?’

Rosamund had noticed the cloak earlier, but had deemed it too costly to try on. Now she could not resist stroking the blue pile. ‘I have never worn velvet before.’

‘You will need a brooch to fasten it as it has no ties,’ said Alex.

‘I do not have a brooch.’ She made to remove the cloak, but he stayed her with a hand.

‘I have a brooch you can use. Please accept this cloak as a gift. I know you do not wish to be beholden to me, but I would like to see you wearing it.’

She would have refused him, only he lifted a fold of the material and brushed it against her cheek. ‘Imagine wearing such a cloak in your stepmother’s presence. Picture her gnashing her teeth in envy and fury.’

A faint smile replaced Rosamund’s serious expression. ‘You tempt me, Master Nilsson. But I cannot wear it now—it is an evening cloak.’

‘Then wear this brown woollen one for travelling and we will take the blue one with us. Now tidy your hair and let us be on our way.’

Rosamund submitted to his will. When Harry returned, she felt certain he would willingly pay her debts. She pinned up her hair beneath the blue silk net, whilst Alex neatly folded the garments she had chosen.

She followed him downstairs and into the parlour where Maud and Walther were eating breakfast in front of the fire. Walther said something in Swedish to Alex, but it was Maud who translated his words. ‘My husband says how lovely you are and I agree with him. You will have some bread and honey and ale?’

Rosamund thanked her, and was shown to the table. Maud left her for a moment, but she was soon joined by Alex and Walther. Whilst their host poured ale into drinking vessels, Alex produced a silver brooch from a pouch. He handed it to Rosamund and she gazed at it with interest because its design was unusual.

‘What does it symbolise?’ she asked. ‘It looks like Christ’s cross, only…’

‘It was once an amulet of Thor’s hammer,’ said Alex. ‘As you can see, it has been made into a cross in the form of a brooch.’

‘You must value it highly,’ she said.

He hesitated. ‘It belonged to Harry. I bent to pick it up and it was then that I was attacked from behind.’

She paled. ‘You’ve kept this because you believe it is evidence against my brother?’

Alex shrugged. ‘I kept it because I did not wish to be rid of it. You can keep it.’

She was greatly moved by the thought of having in her possession that which had belonged to her brother. ‘Thank you. I will take care of it until I see him again.’

At that moment Maud returned, along with a serving maid, so no more was said about the brooch.

When the meal was over and Rosamund came to look for the bundle of clothes, there was no sign of it. She spoke to Alex about it.

‘Maud has tied it up with cord and it awaits us in the next chamber. We will collect it on our way out.’ He stood and helped her to her feet.

Rosamund thanked Walther and Maud for their hospitality.

‘We hope all goes well with your plans and look forward to seeing you both soon,’ they said.

Alex and Rosamund spoke little as they rode through the streets to Lady Elizabeth’s mansion, which was situated near the Strand. Two watchmen stood on guard at the gates. Alex dismounted and spoke to them. The gates were thrown wide and a stable boy summoned to tend to the horse. Alex led Rosamund to the entrance of the house and the door was opened to them by the butler. Alex handed him a missive that he had written last night in his bedchamber. He exchanged a few words with him and, after a curious glance in Rosamund’s direction, the man showed them into a large hall and told them to wait while he informed Lady Elizabeth of their arrival.

Rosamund’s heart was beating fast, but she did her best not to reveal her nervousness to Alex and gazed about the hall. She hoped that her godmother would recognise her. But would Rosamund remember Lady Elizabeth? Suddenly her eyes alighted on a portrait on a far wall and she hurried over to take a closer look at it.

Alex followed her. ‘Your godmother when she was young,’ he said. ‘I recall that I once visited here with my grandfather. It had slipped my mind until I saw the house.’

‘Godmother was beautiful! I wonder if she has changed much.’

‘She is an old woman,’ said Alex in a low voice. ‘This was here when I visited as a boy.’

‘Her skin looks as soft as rose petals,’ she murmured.

Alex rubbed his chin with his knuckles. ‘Aye, it is a pretty picture.’

Rosamund darted him a sidelong glance. ‘How did your grandfather come to be invited here?’

‘If I remember rightly, it was due to her having visited Visby a few months previously. She had been widowed the year before and had decided she wished to travel. She commissioned some amber-and-silver jewellery to her own design. Grandfather took on the role of her agent and she asked him to deliver the commission in person. He decided it would be useful for me to visit London and so brought me along.’

‘I had no notion you were so long acquainted,’ said Rosamund.

‘The lady scarcely noticed me.’ Alex paused. ‘We need to decide what to tell Lady Elizabeth. We cannot tell her the whole truth.’

Rosamund went over to the fire and removed her gloves. ‘If we did so, she wouldn’t want to have aught to do with me.’ She held her hands out to the flames. ‘Besides, we don’t know what else she might have been told about me during her sojourn in Lathom House except that I was ill and slightly crazed in the head.’