Epic Historial Collection (142 page)

Elizabeth stared at her. “Is it true?” she said with pitiable eagerness. “Is it true?”

Aliena nodded. “That's why I'm here.”

“I could go home?” Elizabeth said, her eyes filling with fresh tears. “I could go home to Weymouth, to my mother?
Today?
”

“Yes. But you'll have to be brave.”

“I'll do anything,” she said. “Anything! Just tell me.”

Aliena remembered explaining how she could acquire authority with her husband's employees, and she wondered whether Elizabeth had been able to put the principles into practice. “Do the servants still push you around?” she asked candidly.

“They try.”

“But you don't let them.”

She looked embarrassed. “Well, sometimes I do. But I'm sixteen now, and I've been countess for nearly two years…and I've been trying to follow your advice, and it really works!”

“Let me explain,” Aliena began. “King Stephen has made a pact with Duke Henry. All lands are to be returned to the people who held them in the time of the old King Henry. That means my brother Richard will become earl of Shiring—sometime. But he wants it now.”

Elizabeth was wide-eyed. “Is Richard going to make war on William?”

“Richard is very close right now, with a small company of men. If he can take over the castle today, he will be recognized as earl, and William will be finished.”

“I can't believe it,” Elizabeth said. “I can't believe it's really true.” Her sudden optimism was even more heartrending than her abject misery had been.

“All you have to do is let Richard in peacefully,” Aliena said. “Then, when it's all over, we'll take you home.”

Elizabeth looked fearful again. “I'm not sure the men will do what I say.”

That was Aliena's worry. “Who is the captain of the guard?”

“Michael Armstrong. I don't like him.”

“Send for him.”

“Right.” Elizabeth wiped her nose, stood up, and went to the door. “Madge!” she called out in a piercing voice. Aliena heard a distant reply. “Go and fetch Michael. Tell him to come here right away—I want to see him urgently. Hurry, please.”

She came back in and began to dress quickly, throwing a tunic over her nightdress and lacing up her boots. Aliena briefed her rapidly. “Tell Michael to ring the big bell to summon everyone to the courtyard. Say you've received a message from Earl William and you want to speak to the entire garrison, men-at-arms and servants and everyone. You want three or four men to stand guard while everyone else gathers in the lower courtyard. Also tell him you're expecting a group of ten or twelve horsemen to arrive at any moment with a further message, and they must be brought to you as soon as they arrive.”

“I hope I can remember it all,” Elizabeth said nervously.

“Don't worry—if you forget, I'll prompt you.”

“That makes me feel better.”

“What's Michael Armstrong like?”

“Smelly and surly and built like an ox.”

“Intelligent?”

“No.”

“So much the better.”

A moment later the man came in. He had a grumpy expression, a short neck and massive shoulders, and he brought with him the odor of the pigsty. He looked inquiringly at Elizabeth, giving the impression that he resented being disturbed.

“I've received a message from the earl,” Elizabeth began.

Michael held out his hand.

Aliena was horrified to realize that she had not taken the precaution of providing Elizabeth with a letter. The whole deception could collapse right at the outset because of a silly mistake. Elizabeth threw her a despairing look. Aliena cast about frantically for something to say. Finally she was inspired. “Can you read, Michael?”

He looked resentful. “The priest will read it to me.”

“Your lady can read.”

Elizabeth looked scared, but she said: “I shall give the message to the whole garrison myself, Michael. Ring the bell and get everyone assembled in the courtyard. But make sure to leave three or four men on guard on the ramparts.”

As Aliena had feared, Michael did not like Elizabeth taking command like this. He looked rebellious. “Why not let me address them?”

Aliena realized anxiously that she might not be able to persuade this man: he could be too stupid to listen to reason. She said: “I have brought the countess momentous news from Winchester. She wants to tell her people herself.”

“Well, what
is
the news?” he said.

Aliena said nothing and looked at Elizabeth. Once again Elizabeth looked scared. However, Aliena had not told her what was supposed to be in the fictitious message, so Elizabeth could not possibly accede to Michael's request. In the end she simply went on as if Michael had not spoken. “Tell the guards to look out for a group of ten or twelve horsemen. Their leader will have fresh news from Earl William, and he must be brought to me immediately. Now ring the bell.”

Michael was clearly disposed to argue. He stood still, frowning, while Aliena held her breath. “More messengers,” he said, as if it were something very difficult to understand. “This lady with one message, and twelve horsemen with another.”

“Yes—now would you please go and ring the bell?” Elizabeth said. Aliena could hear the quaver in her voice.

Michael looked defeated. He could not understand what was happening, but he saw nothing to object to either. Finally he said a grudging “Very well, lady,” and went out.

Aliena breathed again.

Elizabeth said: “What's going to happen?”

“When they're gathered in the courtyard, you'll tell them about the peace between King Stephen and Duke Henry,” Aliena said. “That will distract everyone. While you're speaking, Richard will send out an advance party of ten men. However, the guards will think they are the messengers we are expecting from Earl William, so they won't immediately panic and raise the drawbridge. You have to try to keep everyone interested in what you're saying while the advance party approaches the castle. All right?”

Elizabeth looked nervous. She said: “And then what?”

“When I give you the word, say you have surrendered the castle to the rightful earl, Richard. Then Richard's army will break cover and charge the castle. At that point Michael will realize what's happening. But his men will be in doubt about their loyalty—because you have told them to surrender, and called Richard the rightful earl—and the advance party will be inside to prevent anyone from closing the gates.” The bell began to ring. Aliena's stomach knotted in fear. “We've run out of time. How do you feel?”

“Scared.”

“Me too. Let's go.”

They went down the stairs. The bell on the gatehouse tower was ringing as it had when Aliena was a carefree girl. Same bell, same sound, different Aliena, she thought. She knew it could be heard all across the fields, as far away as the edge of the forest. Richard would by now be saying the Paternoster slowly under his breath, to measure the time he had to wait before sending his advance party.

Aliena and Elizabeth walked from the keep across the internal drawbridge to the lower courtyard. Elizabeth was pale with fear, but her mouth was set in a determined line. Aliena smiled at her to give her courage, then pulled up her hood again. So far she had not seen anyone familiar, but she was a well-known face all over the county, and someone was sure to recognize her sooner or later. If Michael Armstrong were to find out who she was he might smell a rat, dimwitted though he undoubtedly was. Several people gave her curious glances, but no one spoke to her.

She and Elizabeth went to the middle of the lower courtyard. Because the ground sloped somewhat, Aliena could see over the heads of the crowd and through the main gate to the fields outside. The advance party should be breaking cover about now, but she could see no sign of them. Oh, God, I hope there's no snag, she thought fearfully.

Elizabeth would need something to stand on while she addressed the people. Aliena told a manservant to fetch a mounting block from the stable. While they were waiting, an elderly woman looked at Aliena and said: “Why, it's the Lady Aliena! How nice to see you!”

Aliena's heart sank. She recognized the woman as a cook who had worked at the castle before the coming of the Hamleighs. She forced a smile and said: “Hello, Tilly, how are you?”

Tilly nudged her neighbor. “Hey, it's the Lady Aliena come back after all these years. Are you going to be mistress again, lady?”

Aliena did not want that thought to occur to Michael Armstrong. She looked around anxiously. Happily, Michael was not within earshot. However, one of his men-at-arms had heard the exchange and was staring at Aliena with a furrowed brow. Aliena looked back at him with a simulated expression of unconcern. The man only had one eye—which no doubt was why he had been left behind here instead of going off to war with William—and it suddenly seemed funny to Aliena to be stared at by a man with one eye, and she had to choke back a laugh. She realized she was slightly hysterical.

The manservant came back with the mounting block. The bell ceased to toll. Aliena made herself calm as Elizabeth stood on the block and the crowd went quiet.

Elizabeth said: “King Stephen and Duke Henry have made peace.”

She paused, and a cheer went up. Aliena was looking through the gateway. Now, Richard, she thought; now is the time, don't leave it too late!

Elizabeth smiled and let the people cheer for a while, then she went on: “Stephen is to remain king until he dies, then Henry will succeed him.”

Aliena scrutinized the guards on the towers and over the gatehouse. They looked relaxed. Where was Richard?

Elizabeth said: “The peace treaty will bring many changes in our lives.”

Aliena saw the guards stiffen. One of them raised his hand to shade his eyes and peered out over the fields, while another turned and looked down into the courtyard as if hoping to catch the eye of the captain. But Michael Armstrong was listening intently to Elizabeth.

“The present and future kings have agreed that all lands shall be returned to those who possessed them in the time of the old King Henry.”

That caused a buzz of comment in the crowd, as people speculated whether this change would affect the earldom of Shiring. Aliena noticed Michael Armstrong looking thoughtful. Through the gateway she at last saw the horses of Richard's advance party. Hurry, she thought, hurry! But they were coming at a steady trot, so as not to alarm the guards.

Elizabeth was saying: “We must all give thanks to God for this peace treaty. We should pray that King Stephen will rule wisely in his declining years, and that the young duke will keep his peace until God takes Stephen away….” She was doing magnificently, but she was beginning to look troubled, as if she might be about to run out of things to say.

All the guards were looking outward, examining the approaching party. They had been told to expect such a group, and instructed to bring the leader to the countess immediately, so no action was required of them, but they were curious.

The one-eyed man turned around and looked through the gate, then turned back and stared at Aliena again, and she guessed he was frowning over the significance of her presence here and the approach of a troop of horsemen.

One of the guards on the battlements appeared to make a decision, and disappeared down a staircase.

The crowd was getting a little restless. Elizabeth was meandering magnificently, but they were impatient for hard news. She said: “This war started within a year of my birth, and like many young people up and down the kingdom I am looking forward to finding out what peace is like.”

The guard from the battlements emerged from the base of a tower, walked briskly across the compound, and spoke to Michael Armstrong.

Through the gateway, Aliena could see that the horsemen were still a couple of hundred yards away. It was not close enough. She could have screamed in frustration. She would not be able to contain this situation much longer.

Michael Armstrong turned and looked through the gate, frowning. Then the one-eyed man pulled Michael's sleeve and said something, pointing at Aliena.

Aliena was afraid Michael would close the gates and raise the drawbridge before Richard could get in, but she did not know what she could do to prevent him. She wondered whether she had the nerve to throw herself at him before he could give the order. She still wore her dagger strapped to her left arm: she could even kill him. He turned away decisively. Aliena reached up and touched Elizabeth's elbow. “Stop Michael!” she hissed.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She looked petrified by fear. Then her expression changed. She took a deep breath, tilted her head up, and spoke in a voice ringing with authority. “Michael Armstrong!”

Michael turned back.

This was the point of no return, Aliena realized. Richard was not quite close enough but she had run out of time. She said to Elizabeth: “Now! Tell them now!”