The House of Arden, E. Nesbit [best historical fiction books of all time TXT] 📗

Lieutenant of the Tower, and behold Lady Arden and Edred were abruptly sent home in their own coach, which had been suddenly sent for from Arden House; but Elfrida was left in charge of the wife of the Lieutenant of the Tower, who was a very kind lady. So now Elfrida was in the Tower, and Edred was at Arden House in Soho, and they had not been able to speak to each other or arrange any plan for getting back to 1908 and Arden Castle by the sea.

Of course Elfrida was kept in the Tower because she had sung the rhyme about⁠—

“Please to remember
The fifth of November⁠—
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,”

and this made people think⁠—or seem to think⁠—that she knew all about the Gunpowder Plot. And so of course she did, though it would have been very difficult for her to show anyone at that time how she knew it, without being a traitor.

She was now allowed to see Lord Arden every day, and she grew very fond of him. He was curiously like her own daddy, who had gone away to South America with Uncle Jim, and had never come back to his little girl. Lord Arden also seemed to grow fonder of her every day. “Thou’rt a bold piece,” he’d tell her, “and thou growest bolder with each day. Hast thou no fear that thy daddy will have thee whipped for answering him so pert?”

“No!” Elfrida would say, hugging him as well as she could for his ruff. “I know you wouldn’t beat your girl, don’t I, daddy?” And as she hugged him it felt almost like hugging her own daddy, who would never come home from America.

So she was almost contented. She knew that Lord Arden was not one of those to suffer for the Gunpowder Plot. She knew from the History of Arden that he would just be banished from the Court, and end his days happily at Arden, and she was almost tempted just to go on and let what would happen, and stay with this new daddy who had lived three hundred years before, and pet him and be petted by him. Only she felt that she must do something because of Edred. The worst of it was that she could not think of anything to do. She did not know at all what was happening to Edred⁠—whether he was being happy or unhappy.

As it happened he was being, if not unhappy, at least uncomfortable. Mr. Parados, the tutor, who was as nasty a man as you will find in any seaside academy for young gentlemen, still remained at Arden House, and taught the boys⁠—Edred and his cousin Richard. Mr. Parados was in high favour with the King, because he had listened to what wasn’t meant for him, reported it where it would do most mischief⁠—a thing always very pleasing to King James the First⁠—and Lady Arden dared not dismiss him. Besides, she was ill with trouble and anxiety, which Edred could not at all soothe by saying again and again, “Father won’t be found guilty of treason⁠—he won’t be executed. He’ll just be sent to Arden, and live there quietly with you. I saw it all in a book.”

But Lady Arden only cried and cried.

Mr. Parados was very severe, and rapped Edred’s knuckles almost continuously during lesson-time, and out of it; said Cousin Richard, “He is forever bent on spying and browbeating of us.”

“He’s always messing about⁠—nasty sneak,” said Edred. “I should like to be even with him before I go. And I will too.”

“Before you go? Go whither?” Cousin Richard asked.

“Elfrida and I are going away,” Edred began, and then felt how useless it was to go on, since even when the 1908 Edred⁠—who he was⁠—had gone, the 1605 Elfrida and Edred would of course still be there⁠—that is if⁠ ⁠… He checked the old questions, which he had now no time to consider, and said, in a firm tone which was new to him, and which Elfrida would have been astonished and delighted to hear⁠—

“Yes, I’ve got two things to do: to be even with old Parrot-nose⁠—to be revenged on him, I mean⁠—and to get Elfrida out of the Tower. And I’ll do that first, because she’ll like to help with the other.”

The boys were on the leads, their backs to a chimney and their faces towards the trap-door, which was the only way of getting on to the roof. It was very cold, and the north wind was blowing, but they had come there because it was one of the few places where Mr. Parrot-nose could not possibly come creeping up behind them to listen to what they were saying.

“Get her out of the Tower?” Dick laughed and then was sad. “I would we could!” he said.

“We can,” said Edred earnestly. “I’ve been thinking about it all the time, ever since we came out of the Tower, and I know the way. I shall want you to help me, Dick. You and one grownup.” He spoke in the same grim, self-reliant tone that was so new to him.

“One grownup?” Dick asked.

“Yes. I think Nurse would do it. And I’m going to find out if we can trust her.”

“Trust her?” said Dick. “Why, she’d die for any of us Ardens. Ay, and die on the rack before she would betray the lightest word of any of us.”

“Then that’s all right,” said Edred.

“What is thy plot?” Dick asked; and he did not laugh, though he might well have wanted to. You see, Edred looked so very small and weak and the Tower was so very big and strong.

“I’m going to get Elfrida out,” said Edred, “and I’m going to do it like Lady Nithsdale got her husband out. It will be quite easy. It all depends on knowing when the guard is changed, and I do know that.”

“But how did my Lady Nithsdale get my Lord Nithsdale out⁠—and from what?” Dick asked.

“Why, out of the Tower, you know,” Edred was beginning,