Alex was alone in the dining room, but his sword was at his
hip, gauntlets in hand, breastplate and helmet in place. He was every inch the
soldier and none of the lover. "I must drill the brigade," he told
her without preamble.
"
While I do so, you will pack
th
ose possessions you may carry easily on the journey to
London."
"I go to London as a prisoner?" She looked at him
across
t
he dining room, once again his
adversary, proud and challenging, the gray eyes cool.
"As a ward of Parliament and my personal
responsibility," Alex replied, almost wi
th
detachment. "You are a most resourceful Royalist rebel, Mistress
Courtney, but your subversion will now cease. I will not hand you over to the
proper au
th
orities, but I
will
assume
responsibility for your conduct myself, until such time as it is safe to let
you loose again. The Scottish army has crossed the border, and Cromwell
is preparing for a forced march to meet them. I am ordered to join with the
main force at London, there to await further instruction. You will accompany
us"
"I was under the impression, Colonel, that you did not
permit camp followers." As she goaded him, with that insolent
little
smile that so infuriated him, it was
as if the time on the beach had never been, as if time had telescoped and they
were back at the beginning again.
"This is the way it is to be, then, between us?" he
asked, slapping the leather gauntlets against his palm.
"
You will not accept your position
gracefully?"
"Prisoner of a conquering army is not an easy position
to accept, gracefully or otherwise
"
she countered. "Have we not agreed that we are enemies? You will have your
work cut out, sir, to keep me from my duty."
A tiny smile touched his lips as she delivered the bold
challenge. "Doubtless I shall, Ginny, but I shall do so, nevertheless.
Now, make all speed. We leave for Newport within the hour, and take ferry for Southampton with the dawn tide."
Her commanding officer had spoken, and what choice did she
have anyway? She could perhaps slip from the estate during the drill and take
shelter with friends on the island. But she could not get far in an hour, and
Alex would not rest until he found her, and when he did, her freedom would be
even more severely curtailed. Besides, there was little she could do on the
island, without her house, now that Parliament's net h
ad
closed. And she could find no pleasure at all in the
prospect of being without Alex, even when they were in antagonism. No, better
to fall in with his plan for the moment, at least it would mean no immediate
separation, and who could tell what opportunities might come her way to further
her own cause?
An hour later, she was again mounted, the mare standing in
the late afternoon sunlight on the driveway before the house. The silent ranks
of men stared rigidly ahead, their officers as still and quiet as they, when
heavy wooden planks were nailed across John Redfern's door, sealing it as
Parliament's property until such time as it should come beneath the
auctioneer's hammer, to belong to a faithful adherent of Parliament's cause.
Ginny blinked back her tears, as she
look
ed
at her home for the last time. Alex was beside her, but could not bear to look
at him as he waastle ited for his orders to be fulfilled. Then the task was
completed. The
bugle
call
ed, a parade ground
voice barked a command, and the
brigade
wheeled to begin the march back to war.
Chapter 5
They rode at the head of the ranks of marching men along the
fragrant country lanes where wild
fl
owers
and herbs stimulated by the warmth of the early evening sun threw out their
mingled scents, and flocks of cawing crows arced above the pin
e
trees before settling in chattering groups for the
night.
The messenger, appearing suddenly, galloping toward them, his
body crouched low over the saddle as an indication of his urgency, bore the
insignia of Colonel Hammond.
"
Now
what
triviality's exercising Hammond?'' Alex muttered, and Ginny shot him a
surprised, sideways look. He had spoken with a degree of irritation that seemed
to indicate a familiar exasperation with the governor of Carisbrooke
Castle
, the man who was, to all intents and purposes,
the king's jailer.
"Colonel Marshall?" The messenger saluted smartly,
reining in his mount with an abrupt tug that was quite unnecessary unless one
wished to imply extraordinary haste.
"
The
very same, Ensign." Alex returned the salute without checking his horse.
"You have a message from Carisbrooke?"
The ensign was obliged to turn his horse in the narrow lane
as the cavalcade proceeded calmly on its way. Ginny felt
so
rry for the young man, struggling to complete the awkward
maneuver whilst keeping pace with the front riders. Any self-consequence he
might have felt in his mission had cer
t
ainly
been punctured by the colonel, and Ginny wond
e
red why it should have pleased Alex to take out
h
is exasperation at Colonel Hammond on this fresh-faced
inno
cent
. But
then
there
was a great deal that she did not
yet k
n
ow about Alex Marshall.
"Your message, Ensign?
"
Alex inquired, eyebrows qu
ir
ked, once the youngster was facing the same way as the r
e
st of them.
"
Colonel
Hammond wishes to speak with you urgently, sir, before you leave the
island."
"On what business?"
"I do not know, Colonel
.
" The messenger flushed as if he w
e
re in some way responsible for his lack of knowledge.
"
But t
he
governor is much concerned and says that he must consu
l
t with you before you take ferry at Newport."
They rode in silence for a moment, Alex frowning into the
middle distance, allowing the suspense to develop. He
cou
ld not possibly refuse the governor
'
s request, Ginny
though
t,
feeling curiously relaxed and detached as her body
m
oved easily in the saddle. But
this
hesitation was definitely some part of some game,
some politicking perhaps. Isolated as she had been, she knew little of what
went on elsewhere on the island, only what snippets were brought by fugitives
to her saf
e
house. Edmund and Peter had had
little to add, in spite of their residence in the castle. The king held court,
rode, and hunted apparently at will; tennis courts and bowling gr
eens
were kept in immaculate condition for
h
is use; his entourage dined lavishly on twenty courses
every afternoon.
C
arisbrooke
Castle
could have been St. James's Palace
or
H
ampton Court
, except for the whispers, and the
comings and goings of closed-face Roundhead soldiery.
"Major Bonha
m
?"
Alex's crisp voice broke the quiet.
"
You
will command the b
ri
gade from here to Newport, supervise
the
embarkation. I will rejoin you by the morning
tide."
The major acknowledged receipt of the order with n apparent
surprise.
"
Do you go alone, Colonel?
"
"
No.
"
Alex turned sideways
i
n his saddle.
"
Diccon,
you
will accompany me. I would have Jed,
also. He is riding with the spare horses at the rear. Fetch him.
"
"And what of Parliament's ward?" Ginny mused softly
,
she to fend for herself overnight?"
"I beg your pardon, Mistress Courtney. Did you say
something?" Alex smiled down at her. If she thought he h
ad
forgotten her in the past distracting moments, the
look in
his
eyes rapidly corrected the
impression.
She shrugged with an appearance of nonchalance.
"
Noth
i
ng of any importance, sir. Am I also to continue to Newport?"
"
Eventually
,
" he said.
"
I’
l
l not lay the responsibility of watching you on Major
Bonha
m
; he has enough to do. You
will come with me to Carisbrooke where Lady Hammond
will have a care for you until morning."
Ginny felt a thrill of excitement. She was to pass the night
under the same roof as her king. Maybe, if she played h
er
hand well, she might be granted an audience, and
maybe, just maybe, there would be a task for her, something that could be
accomplished by one marching with Cromwell
’s
army.
Jed appeared on a sturdy cob, batman and mount looking
stolidly comfortable with each other, as if they had both just been plucked
from some accustomed peacetim
e
activity in
field or yard—
a
s, when this war started, they
probably had, Ginny reflected. The four of them, with the messenger i
n
tow, increased their speed, leaving the orderly ranks
of th
e
brigade behind as they made their way
to Carisbrooke.
The gray stone castle was a familiar enough sight t
o
Ginny, as it was to all the islanders, but there had
been
little
need to garrison the castle in
peacetime, and she had not seen it in recent months, so was unprepared for the
signs o
f
fortification on the ramparts, the
abundance of armed guards, the closed drawbridge and portcullis. The draw
brid
ge was lowered and the portcullis raised rapidly,
however
,
when Colonel Marshall was
identified, and they passed th
ro
ugh into the
first inner courtyard where Govenor Hammond, a harassed-looking gentleman with
worried eyes, stood waiting to greet them.
"My thanks, Colonel Marshall, for coming so promptly
,
"
h
e
said with a short bow.
"
We have uncovered another escape
plot, more elaborate than the others. I do not know how I
am
to deal with the situation. I am both jailer and host
to His Majesty, and it is a damnable position. Parliament has offered no
guidance as to how I am to comport myself
"Ju
st a minute, Hammond!" Alex interrupted the governor sharply.
"I
would prefer to discuss this when we
are without an audience."
the governor seemed to see Gi
n
ny for the first time, and his eyes widened even as he recollected
himself and his surroundings. The courtyard, crowded with the king
'
s couri
ers
and Parliament's soldiers, was not the place to pour fo
rt
h his woes, and the gray eyes of the young woman so
pec
u
liarly accompanying Colonel Marshall
held the most
cand
id curiosity. He coughed
apologetically and looked at
hi
s visitor
for enlightenment.
"Mistress Virginia Courtney
"
Alex said. "She is the orphaned
daughter of John Redfern, and widow of Giles C
o
urtney of the Dorsetshire Courtneys
."
The governor bowed.
"
In
happier times, I was acquainted w
i
th
your father, mistress. He was a brave gentleman
.
"
"
T
hank you," Ginny responded
politely. There was
little
else to be said.
Governor Hammond, however, still looked as
if
he did not fully understand matters, and Alex seemed to
be
ta
king a malicious pleasure in teasing
him by withholding
furt
her explanation.
Ginny wanted to laugh. The governor was so obviously nonplussed by the presence
of a bona fide C
av
alier at the side of one of Parliament's
most dedicated
adherents.