The Lady in the Tower (21 page)

It took about ten minutes for the prior to arrive, by which time I was fretting with anxiety and impatience, wondering every minute what my father was saying at the gates.

Dr Horde entered.

‘What is this I hear, Eleanor?’ he asked, and then he saw my mother. ‘Gracious Heaven, Lady Elizabeth!’

He fell back in shock, looking as though he had seen a ghost.

‘We desperately need your help,’ I began. But at that moment the monk from the gate hurried into the room. He bowed hastily to the prior and spoke his name breathlessly.

‘Brother William,’ said Dr Horde. ‘You interrupt.’

As he spoke the sound of raised voices from the front gate reached us. Dr Horde looked bewildered. ‘What is going on? Do we admit some guests, and leave others to call at our gates in vain?’ Brother William looked embarrassed.

‘No, indeed, Doctor,’ he replied. ‘But you see … ’ and he gestured helplessly towards me.

‘I took the key,’ I explained. ‘After the brother let us in. Please let me explain. We are being pursued. Our lives are in danger.’

Dr Horde’s bewilderment turned to astonishment. ‘But, Mistress Eleanor, who is chasing you at this hour of the night?’

‘Sir Walter,’ I said.

The prior paled, and his expression became grave. I hurried to explain: ‘Mother has been imprisoned for four years. She is not mad, as Sir Walter pretends. We need your help.’

Mother spoke in her soft voice: ‘Doctor Horde, I know my husband is your friend. But I swear to you, I was not ill when he imprisoned me in that tower. I have only been ill since as a result of the treatment I have received at his hands.’

‘But that would be monstrous,’ Dr Horde exclaimed, grasping the back of a chair. ‘There must be some mistake … ’ He stood there for a moment, apparently lost in thought, and then he seemed to come to a decision. ‘The key, please, Eleanor,’ he said firmly, holding out his hand. I looked beseechingly at him, but he did not relent. I thought he looked at me with kindness, not like a man who was about to betray me, so I gave him the key. Dr Horde turned to Brother William. I held my breath, waiting to see what he would do.

‘Please ask Sir Walter to have patience a few moments,’ he said. ‘Apologize to him from me and assure him he will have my full attention as soon as possible.’ I noticed that he kept the key, and I sighed with relief.

‘Now, my lady,’ said the prior, turning back to my mother. ‘Tell me, if you please.’

My mother related her tale of imprisonment and poisoning. It was a fearful one. There were details even I had not known. She told how on some days, before I began to send her food, she had even had to drink her own urine to survive. Then there were references to the chaplain that I did not completely understand, but I understood he had caused Mother great suffering.

The prior’s face grew graver and graver as he listened, and when she had done, a look of great sadness, even grief, came over him. There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the fire in the grate.

‘Oh, Eleanor!’ he sighed at length. ‘Why did you not come to me four years ago? In those days, I was a man of standing and influence. Now, I fear … ’ He paused, as though lost in thought.

‘I tried,’ I told him. ‘I came here, but you were away. Sir Walter discovered I had been here and punished me. I did not dare try again.’

The prior looked sad.

‘This is a difficult and dangerous situation,’ he said at last. ‘Far more so than you realize.’ He sighed heavily, and I waited for him to continue. ‘I pity you, Lady Elizabeth, from the bottom of my heart. I am certain God will reward your sufferings. I will help you. I promise you.’

‘Surely you are not going to turn us away?’ Mother asked fearfully. Dr Horde looked at her and his face softened, though the sadness remained.

‘How changed you are, my lady,’ he said, looking into her eyes. I could see he was deeply moved. ‘It is not in me to turn you away at this time of need. But understand this. My position here is precarious. Houses of God like this one are being shut down all over England. Their wealth is robbed, and goes to fill the king’s coffers, their brethren disbanded. At Henton, we continue to survive purely as a result of the friendship I enjoyed in happier days with Sir Walter and Lord Cromwell. Do you understand me? If I keep you here, if I anger them, I will lose that protection. It may be a few weeks, or even a month, but then this monastery will be torn apart, as countless others have been before us.’ He looked sadly around the room. ‘So many years’ devotion and service, and we are come to this,’ he sighed.

I squirmed, racked with guilt. How could we possibly stay here and bring such trouble upon him? But the alternative was also dreadful to contemplate. How could we calmly give ourselves up to my father? I was distressed at the choice. Dr Horde must have seen some of this in my face, for he smiled faintly at me. ‘Do not blame yourself unduly, my child. The end would have come sooner or later in any case. I am telling you so that you know that I cannot shelter you for long. You will not be safe here. You can, of course, resume your journey at any time, but meanwhile I will use my influence on your behalf—write letters and so on.’

I nodded my understanding. ‘You are very kind. I am truly sorry to bring such trouble upon you,’ I told him. ‘We were heading for London, but they came after us so soon … I have managed so badly.’

The prior straightened his shoulders. ‘I must speak to Sir Walter,’ he said. ‘Brother Thomas will see that you are given comfortable quarters for the night.’ So saying, he bowed and left us.

We were shown to a small but comfortable guest apartment at the back of the building, in which a fire had recently been lit. A bowl of hot broth was brought for each of us, which we drank gratefully. A jug of water was then brought for washing, and the monks withdrew for the night. I bathed Mother’s hands and face and combed her hair, and she sighed with pleasure.

‘It is so good to see you again, Eleanor,’ she said, her voice hoarse with weariness. ‘But I am so unused to so much excitement and exertion.’

‘Sleep,’ I told her. ‘I will wake you when it’s time to leave.’

Mother was quietly asleep within minutes. I, on the other hand, could find no rest at all. All was quiet both inside and outside the priory, so I assumed that Dr Horde had persuaded Sir Walter to return home without us. I paced the room, angry with myself for failing to get us properly away. I waited for the dawn in a fever of impatience to resume our journey. It was folly to be lingering here, but I knew Mother had to rest.

Long before first light, I heard the peal of the bell once more and a shout outside the gates:

‘Open the gates! Lord Cromwell demands admittance in the name of the king.’

I flung open the door of our chamber. No one was in sight, but I could hear the brothers moving about and the sound of agitated voices. I ran along the passageway to a window that overlooked the front gate. There were a large number of mounted men beyond it, all of them armed with swords and spears. A few carried crossbows.

We had left it too late to make our escape. I cursed myself for not setting out when it was quiet last night.

As I watched, Dr Horde himself crossed the courtyard, flanked by two of his brethren. He held himself very upright and walked with measured, unhurried steps. But I remembered what he had told us the night before, and I felt afraid. Not only was he unable to keep us safe, he might be about to lose his priory. And it was my fault. I felt dreadful for him—for all the good monks here. What would become of them?

I suddenly thought there might be a back way out of the priory. That Mother and I might get safe away and all may yet be right. I ran back to our room and roused Mother. She was heavy with sleep and struggled to waken.

‘Get up, Mother! Cromwell is here. Outside the gates. We need to try and escape.’

I pulled my cloak around me as I spoke. Mother looked as though she could not take in what I was saying. She looked dreadfully ill in the early morning light, with deep shadows, like purple bruises, under her eyes. When she rose from her bed, she was stiff and sore from yesterday’s short ride. She sank back down onto the bed, tears shining in her eyes.

‘I cannot do it, Eleanor,’ she said shakily. ‘We will have to submit. And yet I would rather die than return to Farleigh.’

‘No!’ I cried. ‘I need you. I am also afraid to be dragged back to Farleigh. Do you really think I will go unpunished for helping you escape?’

Mother struggled to her feet and wrapped her cloak around herself without another word and followed me downstairs. In the hallway, we met Dr Horde returning from the gate.

‘Have you admitted Lord Cromwell?’ I asked, peering fearfully over his shoulder.

‘I have stalled them,’ replied the prior. He passed a hand across his face, looking suddenly old and tired. ‘I have to write Lord Cromwell a letter, formally resigning the priory to the crown. They wanted to come in and stand over me while I did it, but I have persuaded Cromwell to wait while I write it.’

‘Oh, I am so very sorry,’ I cried. My stomach churned with guilt for what I had done to the good brothers. ‘I have made such a mess of everything,’ I cried, wringing my hands. ‘I have brought all this upon you, and have not even helped Mother. Did he mention Mother and me?’

‘There was no need,’ said the prior heavily. ‘He knows you are here as well as I do.’

‘Doctor Horde, is there a back way out of the priory?’

The prior looked at me sadly. ‘Yes, there are two. Hungerford’s men have stood guard over them all night. We have been watching them for you, hoping there might be an opportunity for you to escape. There was none.’ He sighed, and then continued: ‘It was a great misfortune for us that both the king and Cromwell were so close by, at Farleigh. Normally it would take weeks to get a warrant.’

I felt weak with despair. ‘Then we are trapped,’ I said hopelessly. I turned to my mother and she put her arms around me. I hugged her back, as tightly as I could. ‘I have let you down,’ I apologized into her shoulder. I was ashamed.

‘You have not,’ she said. ‘You have been brave and strong, Eleanor. And you will continue to be so.’

The monks began hurriedly packing their few belongings while Dr Horde withdrew to write his letter to Cromwell. Mother and I sat by the fire, trying to make the most of our last few moments of freedom together. It was difficult. I kept jumping to my feet with new ideas of how to escape, each more wildly impracticable than the last. I suggested leaping down from the priory walls or cutting our hair and dressing as monks. Mother begged me to be calm, but it felt too dreadful to just sit here quietly waiting to be recaptured.

The prior emerged with the letter he had written and paused as he passed us.

‘Lady Elizabeth, I am more sorry than I can say. You will have to return to Farleigh for the time being. Eleanor, do not despair. I will help you both. You have my word; I will do what I can to aid you.’

‘Thank you, good brother,’ said Mother, taking his hand and kissing it. ‘We depend upon you.’

The letter of resignation was handed to Cromwell, the gates were opened and his soldiers marched in. I had heard tales of the sacking of the monasteries. Of violence and theft, of desecration and burning. Of unspeakable cruelties to the monks. But if these things took place here, it was not done in our presence. Everything seemed orderly, almost polite. Perhaps the soldiers did not dare commit any atrocities with Cromwell himself present.

Cromwell sat astride his horse in the priory courtyard, giving orders. The brethren filed past him, eyes downcast, clutching their bundles. They were allowed to leave in peace, some would even get pensions. They wished to do nothing to anger the representatives of the crown. The prior handed over the keys of the priory to Cromwell himself. I could hear him pleading for our safety. Cromwell did not reply.

At last Mother and I were led out into the yard, where Cromwell regarded us steadily.

‘Sir Walter will be most relieved to see you safe, Lady Elizabeth,’ he said. I knew it was not true. Sir Walter would have been glad to find Mother dead so he could marry Maria.

I thought Cromwell should dismount and bow to Mother properly. It was rudeness to sit there on his horse as though Mother were merely some peasant woman. But then Cromwell always had been a very ordinary little man, sadly lacking in manners. His recently bestowed titles had not changed that.

‘And you, of course, Mistress Eleanor,’ Cromwell added as an afterthought. As he spoke my name there was a harder edge to his voice. I longed to hit him. I opened my mouth to insult him, but Mother laid a warning hand on my shoulder. So I said nothing. I spat at him instead. I missed his face, but got him on the shoulder. He wiped it away with one leather-gloved hand.

‘You will be sorry for that,’ Cromwell said. ‘Tie her hands!’ To my utter humiliation, my hands were tied firmly together in front of me. Our horses were led up to us, already saddled. We were assisted to mount, our reins firmly held by a soldier apiece. Cromwell was taking no chances.

We were led back to the castle at a sedate pace. With every step Arianna took, my spirits sank lower. As the shadow of the curtain wall fell on us, I felt chilled and despairing. After all the effort and courage it had taken to escape, here we were, back again. All that we had gained was the promise of help from Dr Horde.