A Column of Fire

by Ken Follett

  Mary could not cross the little compound without being seen, for it was home to about fifty people: as well as the family and the men-at-arms there were Sir William’s secretaries and a large staff of household servants. The gate was kept locked, and anyone who wanted to come and go had to get it unlocked or climb over the wall. Three or four boats were always pulled up on the beach, but Mary would need a strong accomplice to row her, and she could quickly be followed. Then, on the mainland, she would need friends with horses to whisk her away to a hiding place somewhere safe from pursuit.

  There was such a lot that could go wrong.

  Alison found it hard to sit still during the morning service in the chapel. She was desperate to escape, but she also feared the consequences if they were caught: she and Mary would probably be confined to one room, perhaps even forbidden those walks along the top of the perimeter wall which, though depressing, at least gave them fresh air and a distant sight of the world outside. Worst of all, they might be separated.

  Mary was nothing if not bold, and she was ready to take the risk, as Alison was. But the penalty for failure would be dire.

  After church there were May Day festivities. Willie excelled himself as Lord of Misrule, doing a hilarious drunk act while shrewdly remaining one of the few people on the island who was completely sober.

  Pretty Geordie was on the mainland, and should by now be in the lakeside village of Kinross. It was his job to assemble horses and men to escort Mary and Alison away from there before they could be recaptured. Alison was frantic to know whether he had carried out his part of the plan. She was anxiously awaiting a signal from him.

  Mary dined early in the afternoon with Sir William and the family, and Alison and Willie helped to serve. The dining room was on an upper floor of the square tower, with views from the little windows to the mainland; a necessary defensive feature. Alison had to stop herself constantly looking over the water.

  At the end of the meal Willie left. The plan was that he would scramble over the wall and wait outside for a boat bringing a message from George saying that all was ready.

  During the planning of the escape, young Willie had suggested that Mary should jump off the wall to the ground outside, a drop of seven feet that he did easily. As an experiment Alison had tried it, and had sprained her ankle. They could not risk Mary being slowed by an injury, so Willie’s suggestion had been dropped. Instead, they would have to leave by the gate, which meant getting hold of a key.

  Alison, as a noblewoman as well as a servant, was permitted to join the others at table as they sat chatting after dinner, eating nuts and fruit, Sir William sipping wine. There was not much to talk about on Loch Leven, but conversation was the main form of entertainment for lack of much else.

  It was Sir William’s mother, Lady Margaret, who glanced out of the window and noticed something on the far shore. ‘Who are those horsemen, I wonder?’ she said in a tone of mild curiosity.

  Alison froze. How could George be so careless? He was supposed to keep his men out of sight! If Sir William became suspicious, he could easily lock Mary in her room, and then the plan would be wrecked. Surely it could not have failed already?

  Sir William looked out and frowned. ‘No reason for them that I know of.’

  Mary rose to the occasion brilliantly. ‘I must speak to you, Lady Margaret, about your son James, my brother,’ she said in a challenging voice.

  That got everyone’s attention. Lady Margaret in her youth had been one of the many mistresses of Mary’s father, King James V. She had borne his illegitimate son James Stuart, the half-brother Alison had met at St Dizier with the enigmatic Ned Willard, when the two young men had tried to persuade Mary not to return to Scotland. For Mary to raise this topic was not good manners.

  Embarrassed, Lady Margaret said: ‘James is in France.’

  ‘Visiting Admiral Coligny – the hero of the Huguenots!’

  ‘Madam, there is nothing I can do about James, as you surely know.’

  Mary kept everyone looking at her instead of out of the window. Indignantly she said: ‘I have been fond of him. I made him earl of Moray!’

  Margaret was intimidated by this suddenly angry young queen. Sounding nervous, she said: ‘And I know how grateful he is for your kindness.’

  No one was looking out of the window now.

  ‘Then why has James plotted against me?’ Mary cried. Alison knew that her anger, though calculated, was genuine. ‘Since I was brought here, he has forced me to sign abdication papers, he has crowned my baby son as King James VI, and he has made himself regent. He is now king of Scotland in all but legitimacy!’

  The Douglases felt sorry for Mary, but they undoubtedly approved of what James Stuart had done, and they looked awkward – which was fine, Alison thought, for they had forgotten about the horsemen on the shore.

  Sir William tried to be pacific. ‘Of course this is not how you would wish it, madam,’ he said to Mary. ‘On the other hand, your child is king and your brother is regent, so the arrangement has a degree of legitimacy that cannot be denied.’

  Alison stole a glance out of the window. There was no sign of horsemen now. She imagined that George might have angrily told them to get away from the shore. Perhaps they had been in Kinross for an hour or two and were getting restless, letting discipline slip. But the semblance of normality had been restored.

  The crisis was over, but it had underlined how chancy the whole plan was, and it left her feeling even more edgy.

  Mary seemed to run out of patience. ‘I feel tired, after the May Day festivities,’ she said, standing up. ‘I’m going to rest.’

  Alison went with her. Outside the door, a dark and narrow spiral staircase of stone led up and down to other floors. They climbed to the queen’s quarters.

  Mary was not in the least tired. She was excited and jittery, constantly getting up from her chair to go to the window, then returning and sitting down again.

  Alison checked their disguises, folded in a trunk under Mary’s gowns. They had got hold of coarse home-made wool-and-linen kirtles of the kind worn over petticoats by the many serving women at the castle, complete with the type of headdress known as a Flemish hood, which covered the hair and made it difficult for others to see the face except from directly in front. Servants sometimes wore stout leather boots that were so hard Mary and Alison could not even walk in them, but, fortunately, the women also used their mistresses’ cast-off silk and satin slippers. For weeks Alison and Mary had been wearing old shoes whenever they were alone, to make them look shabby enough to have been handed down.

  Their main problem was Mary’s height. That could not be disguised. No other woman on the island was anywhere near so tall. Alison could hardly imagine that they could get away with it.

  She put the disguises away again.

  They had to be patient for another hour then, at six o’clock, Mary’s supper was brought to her room.

  As usual, it was served to her by Sir William, a courtesy by a jailer to his royal prisoner. Alison left the room and went looking for Willie to find out what was happening. Outside, a holiday game of handball was in progress, soldiers versus servants, with supporters cheering each side. Alison noticed that Drysdale, who was supposed to keep a close eye on Mary, was captain of the soldiers’ team. That was good, she thought; he was distracted.

  Willie was coming across the courtyard towards her, looking excited. ‘It’s come!’ he whispered, and showed her a pearl earring.

  This was the signal from George on the mainland. The earring meant all was ready for Mary’s escape. Alison was thrilled. But Willie had been less than discreet. ‘Close your fist!’ she hissed at him. ‘We don’t want anyone asking questions.’

  Fortunately, the people in the courtyard were intent on the game.

  ‘Sorry,’ said Willie. He closed his fingers around the jewel then passed it to Alison with a display of casualness.

  Alison said: ‘Now, slip over the wall and sabotage all the boats but o
ne.’

  ‘I’m ready!’ he said, pulling aside his coat to reveal a hammer hanging from his belt.

  Alison returned to Mary’s quarters. Mary had not eaten much. Alison could imagine why. She herself was so tense that she could not have swallowed food. She handed Mary the jewel, saying: ‘Here’s the earring you lost. One of the boys found it.’

  Mary knew what it meant. ‘I’m so glad!’ she said, beaming.

  Sir William looked out of the window and grunted in surprise. ‘What is that foolish boy doing with the boats?’ he said in a tone that combined fondness with exasperation.

  Alison followed his gaze. Willie was on the foreshore, kneeling in one of three boats that were drawn up on the beach. What he was doing was not obvious to a distant observer, but Alison knew he was making a hole in the hull so that the boat could not be used to pursue escapers. Alison suffered a moment of pure panic. She had no idea what to do. She turned to Mary and mouthed: ‘Willie!’

  Mary knew what Willie was supposed to do to the boats. Once again she showed her ability to think fast in an emergency. ‘I feel terribly faint,’ she said, and slumped in her chair with her eyes closed.

  Alison realized what she was up to and played along. ‘Oh, dear God, what’s wrong?’ she said, putting on a frightened voice.

  She knew that Mary was faking, but Sir William did not. Looking fearful, he came at once to Mary’s side. If she died in his care he would be in trouble. The regent, James Stuart, would be obliged to deny that he had connived at her murder, and to demonstrate his sincerity he might well have Sir William executed. ‘What is it, what has happened?’ Sir William said.

  Alison said: ‘She should have strong wine to revive her. Sir William, do you have some canary?’

  ‘Of course. I’ll fetch it at once.’ He left the room.

  ‘Well done,’ Alison said quietly to Mary.

  Mary said: ‘Is Willie still at it?’

  Alison looked out of the window. Willie was doing the same thing in a different boat. ‘Hurry up, Willie!’ she murmured. How long did it take to make a hole in a boat?

  Sir William returned with a steward carrying a jug of wine and a goblet. Alison said: ‘My hands are shaking. Sir William, will you hold the cup to her lips?’

  Sir William obliged, taking the opportunity to put a hand tenderly behind Mary’s head, and did not think to look out of the window.

  Mary took a sip, coughed, and pretended to revive a little.

  Alison made a show of touching her forehead and feeling her pulse. ‘You’ll be all right now, your majesty, but perhaps you should retire for the night.’

  ‘Very well,’ said Mary.

  Sir William looked relieved. ‘Then I’ll leave you,’ he said. ‘Good night, ladies.’ He glanced out of the window. Alison looked too. Willie was no longer on the beach. It was not possible to see whether he had succeeded in holing the boats.

  Sir William left without making any comment.

  The steward cleared the table and went out, then Alison and Mary were alone. Mary said: ‘Did we get away with it?’

  ‘I think so. Sir William may forget what he saw from the window: he’s been drinking all afternoon, and he must be at least a little fuddled by now.’

  ‘I hope suspicion doesn’t make Sir William vigilant. Willie still has to steal the key.’

  Sir William kept the gate key close at hand. When someone went to the mainland or came back, he would either open the gate himself or entrust the key to a guard for a few minutes only. Otherwise no one needed to leave the compound: there was nothing outside apart from the boats.

  Mary and Alison had to get out of the compound, and Alison’s experiment had established that they could not climb over the wall, so they had to unlock the gate. Willie had assured Alison and Mary that he would be able to steal the key without Sir William noticing. They were dependent on him.

  ‘We should be dressed and ready,’ said Alison.

  They took off their costly gowns and put on the rough kirtles, then changed their shoes for old worn ones. The Flemish hoods covered their heads and usefully concealed Mary’s distinctive auburn hair.

  Now all they could do was wait.

  Sir William liked Willie to serve his supper. His fondness for the orphan boy was what led everyone to speculate that they were father and son. But Willie’s loyalty had been undermined by Alison.

  She imagined that right now, one floor down, Willie was putting down and picking up plates and napkins and jugs. Perhaps the key lay on the table next to Sir William’s wine goblet. She visualized Willie dropping a napkin over the key then picking up both. Would he get away with it? How drunk was Sir William? They could only wait and see.

  If the plan worked, Mary’s escape would be a political earthquake. She would disavow the abdication papers she had been forced to sign and claim her rightful throne. Her half-brother James would assemble a Protestant army, and Mary’s Catholic supporters would rally – those of them who had not lost faith in her. The civil war would be renewed. Mary would be cheered by her brother-in-law the King of France, who was fighting a similar long-running civil war with the Huguenots. The supportive Pope would be glad to annul her marriage with Bothwell. Speculation about possible husbands for her would be renewed in every royal court from Rome to Stockholm. The European balance of power would shift seismically. Queen Elizabeth of England would be furious.

  All that depended on Willie Douglas, aged fifteen.

  There was a tap at the door, soft but insistent. Alison opened it. Willie stood there, beaming, holding a big iron key.

  He stepped inside and Alison closed the door.

  Mary stood up. ‘Let’s go at once,’ she said.

  Willie said: ‘They’re still at table. Sir William is asleep over his wine, but Lady Margaret is talking to her granddaughters. They might see us, through the open door, as we go down.’ The spiral staircase went past the doors to each floor of the castle.

  Alison said: ‘But this is a good time – the soldiers are still playing handball.’

  Mary said decisively: ‘We have to take chances. We’ll go.’

  Willie looked woebegone. ‘I should have closed the dining-room door. I never thought of it.’

  Alison said: ‘Never mind, Willie. You’re doing wonderfully well.’ She gave him a soft kiss on the lips. He looked as if he had gone to heaven.

  Alison opened the door, and they went out.

  Willie led the way, followed by Mary, with Alison last. They tried to tread softly on the stone of the spiral staircase, hoping not to attract attention. Both women pulled their hoods forward as they approached the open door to the dining room. Light spilled from the doorway, and Alison heard low female voices. Willie went past without looking in. Mary put her hand to her face as the light fell on her. Alison waited to hear a shout of alarm. She walked past the door and went on down the stairs after the others. She heard a peal of laughter, and imagined Lady Margaret chortling scornfully at their pathetic attempt to disguise themselves; but it seemed her amusement had some other cause. They had not been noticed; or, if Lady Margaret had happened to glance up, perhaps she had seen nothing more remarkable than a few servants passing the doorway on some errand.

  They went outside.

  It was just a few steps from the tower door to the compound gate, but it seemed more. The courtyard was full of people watching the game. Alison spotted Drysdale, hitting the ball with his two hands clamped together, concentrating hard.

  Then Willie was at the gate.

  He put the iron key into the big lock and turned it. Alison kept her back to the crowd, hiding her face, but that meant she could not tell whether anyone was looking at them. It took an effort of will to resist the temptation to look back over her shoulder. The massive timber gate creaked noisily as Willie pushed it open: did anyone hear that sound over the cheering? The three fugitives stepped through. No one came after them. Willie closed the gate behind them.

  ‘Lock it,’ said Alison. ‘It
may slow them down.’

  Willie locked the gate, then dropped the key into the barrel of the cannon that stood beside the entrance.

  No one had seen them.

  They ran down to the beach.

  Willie took hold of the one undamaged boat and pushed it into the shallows, then held it with its keel just touching the shore. Alison clambered in, then turned to help Mary. The queen stepped into the boat and sat down. Willie pushed it off from the beach, jumped in, and started to row.

  Alison looked back. There was no sign that they had been missed: no one on the ramparts, no one leaning out of the castle windows, no one running down to the beach.

  Was it possible that they had escaped?

  The sun had not yet set, and a long summer evening stretched ahead. The breeze, though stiff, was warm. Willie pulled strongly at the oars. He had long arms and legs, and he was motivated by love. All the same, their progress across the wide lake seemed agonizingly slow. Alison kept looking back, but there was no pursuit yet. Even if they realized the queen had gone, what could they do? They would have to mend one of the remaining boats before they could give chase.

  She began to believe they were free.

  As they approached the mainland, Alison saw the figure of a man she did not recognize, waiting on the shore. ‘Hell,’ she said. ‘Who’s that?’ She was possessed by a terrible fear that they had come this far only to be trapped again.

  Willie looked over his shoulder. ‘That’s Alistair Hoey. He’s with George.’

  Alison’s heartbeat slowed again.

  They reached the shore and jumped out of the boat. Alistair led them along a path between houses. Alison heard horses stamping and snorting impatiently. The escapers emerged onto the main road through the village – and there was Pretty Geordie, smiling in triumph, surrounded by armed men. Horses were saddled ready for the fugitives. George helped Mary onto her mount, and Willie had the joy of holding Alison’s foot while she swung herself up.

  Then they all rode out of the village to freedom.