through which she usually passed; the gatekeeper knew her and might question her carrying a pack at this time of the evening. She remembered that at the opposite side of the ward, farthest from the river, the builders had cleared a narrow path between the wall and the edge of the ditch, just wide enough for one person pushing a cart of bricks or timber. It was dark there, made darker still by the huge earthwork that blocked out any light from the inhabited parts of the castle wards. Mary shivered as she chose the dark path. It frightened her, but for her plan to succeed she must not be seen.
Early the following morning Sir William of Wyndesore made ready to depart for the Scottish border, where he was to assist in protecting the Marches. Alice did not know why Sir William must leave now, before Easter. She had looked forward to watching him joust. He was impressive in his fearlessness. She could imagine him on the battlefield. Tall, steely eyed.
This morning his eyes were almost as bloodshot as Mary’s had been yesterday. Impetuous Mary. Where could she have gone? Alice had sent Gilbert out atfirst light to search the castle precinct for her. So far he had found only Mary’s dagger in the lower ward.
‘You are gathering wool, Mistress Alice,’ Wyndesore said.
She shook herself. ‘I am indeed, Sir William. I am remembering a certain strong knight, the firelight reflected in his eyes.’ She handed him his stirrup cup with a smile. ‘Your eyes betray your late night. Perhaps it is best that you leave court. You will get some rest.’
He grinned, took a long drink. ‘You are most generous, Mistress Alice.’
Alice looked round, noticed that Wyndesore’s squire was busy securing one of the pack-horses. ‘Sir William, I must speak to you privately.’
Wyndesore glanced round, nodded, drew her to the side of his horse away from the crowd, gave her waist a little squeeze. ‘Why did you not ask it last night?’
She put a hand on his shoulder, leaned close. ‘I did not wish to spoil the evening.’
‘Spoil the evening? What is amiss?’
‘My maid, Mary – she disappeared last night.’
Wyndesore looked unconcerned. ‘She is off keeping a vigil for her lover in some chapel.’
‘No, Sir William. She took clothing. I fear she has gone in pursuit of Ned Townley. His party is far from the castle by now, I should think?’
Wyndesore drank down the wine, handed Alice the cup. ‘Too far for her to catch up, if that is what you ask.’ He gazed off in the distance for a moment, then nodded. ‘So you think she’s gone after him? I suppose it is the sort of thing she might do.’ He shook his head. ‘Poor, foolish girl. If she does not find him, she will find trouble instead.’ He touched Alice’s cheek. ‘I shall keep a watch out for her as we ride north.’
Alice straightened the brooch on Wyndesore’s cloak. ‘Nothing must happen to her, Sir William.’
Wyndesore took Alice by the shoulders, looked her in the eye. ‘She has removed herself from your protection, Mistress Alice. By her own free will. You cannot be to blame if aught happens.’
Alice shook her head. ‘By her own free will, perhaps. But she willed it because I told her that Ned was not good enough for her. I had ambitions for her.’
‘Then she is an ungrateful child. All the more reason why you cannot be to blame.’ Wyndesore touched the tip of Alice’s nose. ‘Forget her, eh?’ He suddenly frowned, cocked his head. ‘’Tis troubling, though, her running away. You said Mary was loyal to you.’
Alice bristled. The touch on the nose was the gesture of a man to a child. ‘She
is
loyal to me.’
‘More so to Ned Townley.’
Alice shrugged. ‘She is of the age when love for a man blinds a young woman to all else.’
Wyndesore smiled. ‘I cannot imagine you blinded by love!’
‘You are a charmer, Sir William.’
‘And you, Mistress Alice, are not as clever as you think. To run from you is an odd way to show loyalty.’
Early the following morning Sir William of Wyndesore made ready to depart for the Scottish border, where he was to assist in protecting the Marches. Alice did not know why Sir William must leave now, before Easter. She had looked forward to watching him joust. He was impressive in his fearlessness. She could imagine him on the battlefield. Tall, steely eyed.
This morning his eyes were almost as bloodshot as Mary’s had been yesterday. Impetuous Mary. Where could she have gone? Alice had sent Gilbert out atfirst light to search the castle precinct for her. So far he had found only Mary’s dagger in the lower ward.
‘You are gathering wool, Mistress Alice,’ Wyndesore said.
She shook herself. ‘I am indeed, Sir William. I am remembering a certain strong knight, the firelight reflected in his eyes.’ She handed him his stirrup cup with a smile. ‘Your eyes betray your late night. Perhaps it is best that you leave court. You will get some rest.’
He grinned, took a long drink. ‘You are most generous, Mistress Alice.’
Alice looked round, noticed that Wyndesore’s squire was busy securing one of the pack-horses. ‘Sir William, I must speak to you privately.’
Wyndesore glanced round, nodded, drew her to the side of his horse away from the crowd, gave her waist a little squeeze. ‘Why did you not ask it last night?’
She put a hand on his shoulder, leaned close. ‘I did not wish to spoil the evening.’
‘Spoil the evening? What is amiss?’
‘My maid, Mary – she disappeared last night.’
Wyndesore looked unconcerned. ‘She is off keeping a vigil for her lover in some chapel.’
‘No, Sir William. She took clothing. I fear she has gone in pursuit of Ned Townley. His party is far from the castle by now, I should think?’
Wyndesore drank down the wine, handed Alice the cup. ‘Too far for her to catch up, if that is what you ask.’ He gazed off in the distance for a moment, then nodded. ‘So you think she’s gone after him? I suppose it is the sort of thing she might do.’ He shook his head. ‘Poor, foolish girl. If she does not find him, she will find trouble instead.’ He touched Alice’s cheek. ‘I shall keep a watch out for her as we ride north.’
Alice straightened the brooch on Wyndesore’s cloak. ‘Nothing must happen to her, Sir William.’
Wyndesore took Alice by the shoulders, looked her in the eye. ‘She has removed herself from your protection, Mistress Alice. By her own free will. You cannot be to blame if aught happens.’
Alice shook her head. ‘By her own free will, perhaps. But she willed it because I told her that Ned was not good enough for her. I had ambitions for her.’
‘Then she is an ungrateful child. All the more reason why you cannot be to blame.’ Wyndesore touched the tip of Alice’s nose. ‘Forget her, eh?’ He suddenly frowned, cocked his head. ‘’Tis troubling, though, her running away. You said Mary was loyal to you.’
Alice bristled. The touch on the nose was the gesture of a man to a child. ‘She
is
loyal to me.’
‘More so to Ned Townley.’
Alice shrugged. ‘She is of the age when love for a man blinds a young woman to all else.’
Wyndesore smiled. ‘I cannot imagine you blinded by love!’
‘You are a charmer, Sir William.’
‘And you, Mistress Alice, are not as clever as you think. To run from you is an odd way to show loyalty.’
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