June Francis - MAIDEN in the Tudor Court

‘I am as well as can be expected in the circumstances’ she gasped. ‘I have decided that the troupe will wear masks to create an air of mystery. What is your opinion, my dears?’

‘It sounds exciting,’ said Rosamund.

Alex said politely, ‘I am certain it will delight their Majesties and the Scottish lords and archbishops.’

‘I am glad you deem it so.’ Lady Elizabeth winced and rubbed her forehead with a trembling hand. ‘I have such a megrim coming on. I will have to take my potion soon.’

Rosamund stared at her anxiously.

Lady Elizabeth forced a smile. ‘You must not worry about me, my dear. You know, when I heard your father had died, I could not help thinking it was a pity he did not go sooner in place of my dear Jane and your poor brother.’ Her eyes were suddenly damp and she took a kerchief from the velvet pouch that hung at her waist and dabbed her eyes before flicking white flakes of paint from her gown.

‘I must tell you some good news, Godmother,’ said Rosamund, glancing across at the Baron. ‘My brother, Harry, is not dead as we believed.’

Lady Elizabeth raised her head and fixed her with a hard stare. ‘I don’t understand. What sorcery is this? Your father told me fifteen years ago that he had drowned.’

Alex said, ‘He was deceived. I met Harry twelve years ago in Visby. I will not go into all the details now, but he had escaped captivity aboard a pirate ship and was in need of a friend. After I missed seeing you at Lathom House, I met Mistress Appleby who was on her way to visit you. It came as quite a shock when we introduced ourselves because, just the same as yourself, she had believed Harry had died fifteen years ago. Now there was I informing her that I knew him and believed that Sir James had recognised him last time he was in London. Whether they met I do not know, because Harry disappeared and Sir James died unexpectedly.’

‘I believe Father was murdered,’ said Rosamund. ‘And I believe my stepmother had Harry abducted.’

Lady Elizabeth drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. ‘This is all too much for me to make sense of right now. I do know that woman was ambitious for those sons of hers and gave the elder an exalted idea of himself. I remember thinking that they should be stopped. You know what this means?’ she said breathlessly. ‘Harry is the rightful heir and can evict that woman from Appleby Manor and get rid of the sons, as well. We have to find him.’

Alex smiled. ‘Of course.’ He glanced at Rosamund. ‘My hope is that he is plying his trade in the ship my grandfather bequeathed him when he died.’

‘You did not tell me that your grandfather willed my brother a ship,’ said Rosamund, startled.

Lady Elizabeth let out a cackle. ‘Good for Harry. The Baron must have thought well of him. Let us hope he will soon return. In the meantime I will mention this whole affair to my kinsman when we are at Richmond,’ she wheezed, nodding her head vigorously and then groaning and holding it with both hands. ‘You and I have matters to discuss, Baron. Rosamund, you must be weary after so much travelling. I will have a maid show you to a bedchamber. You must rest and will be summoned when the midday meal is ready.’

Rosamund felt she had been summarily dismissed, having noted that her godmother had called Master Nilsson Baron again. She supposed it was possible that at her age and in her state of health that she was confusing him with his grandfather, the baron. She wondered what the business was that they needed to discuss. The purchase of more amber jewellery, perhaps? She left them alone and went upstairs with the maid.

Lady Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. ‘So, Baron, your natural father wants my help,’ she murmured.

‘Aye.’ Alex stared at her with a mixture of sympathy and exasperation, wondering what his father was thinking of when he suggested this interesting, but sick, old lady as a fellow conspirator. ‘Have you ever met him? He said you are kin by marriage to the wife of one of his allies.’

‘Cicely. She married Lord Mackillin. Like me, they are getting old,’ she said mournfully.

‘You are not too old to help ensure future peace between Scotland and England,’ said Alex politely.

She opened her eyes and leaning forward, patted his knee. ‘It was your grandfather who told me that Earl Douglas was your natural father. He was proud of you and often spoke of your sense of diplomacy and your courage.’ Her voice was barely above a whisper. ‘He is a loss to me, but I presume you will settle down soon and take the reins of the business into your own hands?’

‘Eventually,’ he said after a moment’s hesitation. ‘Right now it is my plan to prevent members of certain clans from destroying the proposed alliance between England and Scotland. I was interested to hear you say that your goddaughter’s stepmother was a McDonald. We must keep our eyes and ears open and ensure that any plot they might conjure up will be thwarted. It is possible they will enlist those Englishmen who wish King Henry’s rule to fail.’

‘Sons whose fathers supported the Yorkist cause and whose lands were taken from them when Richard was defeated at Bosworth,’ whispered Elizabeth. ‘Young lords of noble birth who will have pledged their allegiance to Henry, not only to regain some part of their father’s lands, but to be in a position where they know what is happening at court. I have one such lord amongst my troupe of dancers. I am not saying he will turn traitor, but it may serve you to have him watched.’

‘His name?’ asked Alex, his eyes narrowing.

‘Lord Bude. He is fair-haired and handsome like you, but younger.’

‘You will introduce us?’

‘Of a certainty.’ She smiled. ‘I will introduce you to the troupe this afternoon. My health is not good, as you can see, but I will manage the steps as long as you follow my lead and do not rush me.’

Alex would have needed to be blind and deaf not to have noticed she had difficulty breathing and could not conceal his concern. ‘You do not have to do this, Lady Elizabeth. I deem that your goddaughter could be of use to us.’

Her smile faded. ‘I will not have her putting her life at risk. Do not stop me playing my part just because I am old and ill. I would gladly die in the service of my country. Now, I would appreciate your help in getting up from this chair and out of this hall.’

He did as she requested and she clung to his arm as they crossed the hall to the door. ‘I suspect I do not have much longer to live,’ she gasped, ‘that is why I wanted to see Rosamund while I was staying at Lathom House.’ Her expression was wistful. ‘Unfortunately I caught a chill and could not leave the house. I would that I—I had made the effort sooner, but her father never approved of me.’ She paused. ‘I need to retire to my bedchamber for a while and take the potion that my physician prescribes. I must rest if I am to initiate you into the dance this afternoon.’ They paused in the entrance. ‘You will stay here, of course, Baron, until we leave for Richmond.’

‘I will happily do so,’ said Alex gravely. ‘It has occurred to me that Mistress Appleby’s stepmother might visit Lathom House and ask whether her stepdaughter left for London in your company. She will receive a negative reply, but she still might decide that her stepdaughter has followed you to London. It is possible that she will travel south herself to inform her elder son that Rosamund has escaped. It is likely that he might reason that she will have come here.’

Lady Elizabeth gave him an exhausted look. ‘You are suggesting that either or both of them might present themselves at my door. The nerve of that woman! What is her son’s name? I have forgotten.’