A Queen's Spy, - [best books under 200 pages .txt] 📗

been visiting and once I escorted her back here.” He grimaced. “I know where you’re heading, and I’m not sure that she’ll trust me. I can get her out of here, but only if she agrees to come with me, and I’m guessing she’ll be kicking and screaming.”

“Well, out she must go and stay, at least until the country declares for Mary. My charity knows no ends, does it? I entrust you to save the lady and take her somewhere safer. Take Jack with you as well, she knows him as well,” Richard instructed bluntly.

Dan faced Richard squarely. “And where are you going to dispose of her now you have arranged her untimely death. Edward thinks his son killed her, right?”

“I hadn’t given it much thought. It wasn’t at the top of my list of current priorities. Any suggestions?” Richard asked wearily.

“I’ll think of something, I suppose,” Dan replied.

“Meet us at Framlingham, if we are still there,” Richard told him.

“And if you’ve still got your head,” Jack mused darkly.

“Have some faith. I believe the lady will give me a hearing,” Richard said, then added, “go with Dan, Jack. Get out of here before the place starts falling over itself trying to stop us leaving. I’ll see you again at Framlingham,” Richard said dismissively.

“Wouldn’t I be better with you? I am sure Dan can manage a girl on his own?” Jack protested, not liking the idea of the task at all.

“She’s the daughter of Peter de Bernay, and he’s one of Mary’s supporters, his gratitude might be quite valuable to us shortly,” Richard responded levelling his gaze on his brother. “Her safety could be key in ensuring ours.”

 

†

 

Fixing what he hoped was a reassuring smile on his face, Jack popped his head over the edge of the hayloft. Thankfully, she didn’t scream as he had feared she would. The girl looked at him, her face drawn, resignation painted on its features. Fear appeared not to be there as she matched his stare, but not his friendly smile as she listened.

“We need to get out of here as soon as the horses are ready. I’ll come back for you,” Jack assured her.

It took some time, even under the cover of the mass of men and activity, to manoeuvre three horses from the courtyard and tether them at the back of the stables. Catherine wordlessly allowed him to lift her from the perch and lead her out through the stable to where Dan held the reins of the horses. The three mounted and made their way in no great hurry across the fields and towards the sanctuary of the woods.

 

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

†

 

“We will leave in two days, when the appropriate arrangements have been made, and move to London.” Mary observed the man kneeling before her. “It is our wish that you join us on our procession south.”

“As Your Majesty wishes,” Richard said, still kneeling at her skirt hem.

Mary held out her hand absently to Derby. He knew what she wanted and retrieved the roll of parchment from the table, placing it in her small hand. “As a sign of our appreciation, and your continued good service and loyalty to our cause, it is our wish that you have this,” Mary proclaimed royally, and handed the Latin script to Richard.

“Your Majesty is too kind,” Richard replied humbly.

Mary looked down at him but she offered no reply. Few could blame Mary for trusting little. Her whole life she had been subject to her father’s whims and desires and she had borne witness to his harsh and cruel treatment of her mother. Constantly unsure of her position, her status never secure, she had been left tight-lipped and with a hard face.

“Your Majesty,” ventured the Earl of Derby quietly, “there is much to attend to if I could…” He let his words trail off, his hand indicating the pile of waiting papers.

“Yes, yes, of course. Richard Fitzwarren, we shall look to see you on our journey to London.”

Richard heeded the dismissal and bowed his way from the chamber. Walking down the stairs to retrieve his sword from the guard below, he absently tapped the scroll against the palm of his hand, the vaguest trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Jack, waiting for Richard, leant idly against a wall amongst the throng of Mary’s supporters gathered around the main gates. Finally, he saw his brother’s unmistakable form emerging from between the door in the gate, flanked by two guards, and moved quickly through the crowd to intercept him.

“Well?” Jack was impatient.

“Here.” Richard handed the papers to Jack, who unfurled the heavy vellum pages.

“It’s in Latin,” Jack’s pace slowed as he tried to read. “Here,” he handed the papers back. “It’s legal Latin, I cannot fathom it.”

“You should have paid more attention to your tutor, Jack,” Richard said absently.

Jack scowled. “All right, suppose you tell me what is says.”

“I can’t,” Richard replied. “I haven’t read it myself.”

“You must have some inkling,” Jack protested. Getting no reply he continued sarcastically. “So, you just strolled in there, no one said a word, they merely handed you that and, not remotely inquisitive, you asked no questions and left?”

He received only a withering look and was forced to wait until they returned to Richard’s tent before his brother decided to finally study the documents. After a lengthy read, which tried Jack’s patience immensely, Richard looked up smiling.

“Come on then, tell me,” Jack growled.

“It appears I have a manor and land at Burton near Lincoln, with a forest, a mill, and all rents from the village and farm land thereabouts,” Richard finally volunteered.

Jack was amazed. “How you managed that I don’t…”

“I thought you wanted to know.” Richard looked up from the papers darkly.

“Sorry, continue,” Jack muttered through tight lips.

“And a house in Chapel Street in London,” Richard concluded.

“Well, that’s an improvement on our present situation. What will you do next?” Jack asked eagerly.

“I have little choice in that. I have to accompany Mary to London as she makes her triumphal entry into the city. However, in view of this,” Richard indicated the papers, “I think I shall send half of the men to Burton, to find out what I have and what it’s worth.”

The bestowal had piqued Jack’s curiosity, and if asked, he would have left straight away. Burton was not more than a day’s ride from Framlingham. They could be there tonight, appraise the place, and be back here before the procession to London. “So when do I leave?”

“Did I say you should go?” Richard responded shortly.

“No. I just thought that as you were going to London I would…” Jack’s words trailed off.

Richard relented, “Alright, I would like you to go to Burton, find out what we have and what it’s worth and send a report down to me in London. I’m following Mary as she enters the city and it could be a long journey, so send one of the men with the report to Chapel Street and I’ll pick it up when I get there.”

“You’ll need to give me a letter of representation. Otherwise, no one will take me seriously when I get there.” Jack sounded as if he liked the plan.

“Not a problem. Find out what kind of annual income we can expect from this manor, if any. I suspect it’s a fairly small place and not up to supporting much more than its own upkeep, but it’s a start.”

“It’s a bloody good start, I’d say. You have certainly moved yourself up in the world. This time let us try and hang on to it, though,” Jack said warningly.

“If I was ever cautious, Jack, we would not have ended up with Burton in the first place. It’s a game of chance we are playing, and as the rewards are high, the stakes must be as well,” Richard replied.

“Well let’s hope your luck holds out, eh?” Jack said, then asked, “Mat told me you almost rode straight through the middle of the Earl of Oxford’s men on the way here. What happened?”

Richard regarded him with serious grey eyes. “I told the Earl that Mary had already turned her sights on London and had taken her supporters and left Framlingham.”

Jack’s brows furrowed. “And he believed you?”

Richard nodded slowly. “He did. The Earl has been receiving and sending messages through Whickham to Byrne and the rest of the supporters, I’d added my own messages, so he had no reason to disbelieve me.”

Jack still remained confused. “But how? What did you tell him that made him believe you?”

“Just enough, Jack. He had been sure Northumberland had been a fool to leave London, and as soon as he heard Mary was marching there then it was the excuse he needed to return himself. His was a half-hearted rebellion at best.”

“I never know which side we are supposed to be on!” Jack sounded exasperated.

“I would have thought the answer to that was fairly obvious,” Richard said, rubbing a hand over his face.

“No, it’s not obvious, one moment we are working for Byrne supporting Northumberland, then we’ve swapped to Mary, and then when you rode here you swapped back to supporting him again when it suited you,” Jack sounded utterly confused.

“You are getting too caught up in the details. We, Jack, are on our side.”

The pair returned to the camp raucously drunk. Dan received the body of Jack as it slid from the horse’s saddle and Richard hauled him to the tent, his own feet a little unsure. He dumped Jack on the bed none to carefully and slept soon after on the rug-spread floor.

 

†

 

Hal clearly saw that Richard Fitzwarren was surrounded by his own men and heading to Framlingham. So he cut his losses and returned to his master with what news he had.

London had declared for Mary with Cecil himself making the declaration. Harry knew his father had pledged himself to the Queen, so he had no worries about the change of policy. That had little effect on Harry. What really did annoy him, though, was that Richard had allied himself to Mary long before the tide had changed. Richard had been playing both sides for as much as he could get, and that he had ended up the better for it, Harry did not doubt.

 

Chapter Fifteen

Framlingham – July 1553

 

†

 

On the 22nd of July 1553, Mary, Queen of England by the Grace of God, left Framlingham, her household and supporters moving with no great haste toward London. Many of those who had gathered followed her; others returned after the revelry to their farms and villages. Harvest time was upon them, and that would wait for no man and certainly no queen.

Richard was bound for London and left with the gaggle of supporters that followed the triumphant Mary, whilst Jack made for Burton. It was Jack who arrived at his destination first and Jack, desperate to find out what the place was like and to prove his own worth, had left quickly.

Burton was a small fortified Manor house, nestling in a lap of green land surrounded on three sides by forest and on the fourth by a stream. A mile, maybe two, from the Manor was the village of Burton. It was small, centred around the church and an open space that served