Skeptical about the plan, Rodger drew Edward into the adjoining chamber so that they could speak privately. "How do we get through the city's gates? How do we gain entrance to the Tower? "
"We'll stop at Westminster and get Richard of Cornwall. He issued the bloody order to keep me out, now he can issue another to let me in."
"I don't want Rosamond to know that we have withdrawn our support from Simon de Montfort."
"She'll find out sooner or later, my friend. You'll have to tell her sometime soon."
"Not yet! She assuredly won't help you if she knows you have defected. Eleanor and Simon were like parents to her!"
"Well, I certainly shan't tell her; we have always kept each other's secrets," Edward pledged.
In the end, Rosamond was dressed in Griffin's clothes, so that garbed identically, they might easily pass for one another. When the small cavalcade arrived at Westminster, Rodger headed to the stables with Rosamond and the two squires, while Lord Edward went into the palace in search of his uncle, Richard Plantagenet.
He was gone for the better part of an hour, but of course most of that time was taken up by Richard thanking his nephew for repudiating Simon de Montfort and returning to the Plantagenet fold where he belonged. Richard of Cornwall was more than happy to take Edward in his own barge to the Tower of London so that the prince could see his bride and assure the queen that he was a dutiful son.
Aboard the barge, Rosamond followed her husband's instructions and remained in the stern so that Richard of Cornwall could not see her face. In reality, Rodger did not want Rosamond to overhear any of Edward's conversation with his uncle. He remained with her and the other
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two squires, pointing out London's landmarks to his fascinated, wide-eyed bride.
"Which is Durham House?" Rosamond asked avidly.
With a sinking heart, Rodger pointed it out to her.
"They have waterstairs! When I visit Demi, perhaps I could come by watercraft and avoid the twenty-mile ride." She grinned at her husband and rubbed her bottom through the chausses she wore.
To change the subject, Rod gestured toward a cluster of buildings. "These constitute the New Temple, where all the banking is done. Goldsmiths make their loans here, but not without taking your worldly goods as security and locking them away in their vaults."
Rosamond wondered briefly if Sir Rodger had borrowed gold from these men, but stopped short of asking. What he had done in the past was really none of her business; only what he did now and in the future mattered to her.
Suddenly, there was the great city of London, its streets, lanes, and buildings so close and crowded, they seemed to be built one on top of another. She pinched her nostrils at the stench of the river, which was no longer clear, but dotted with small boats, floating rubbish, and a dead animal or two. Above their heads, seagulls screeched and swooped for dead fish or other offal.
"Oh, it's all so—"
"Disgusting?" Rod asked sympathetically.
"No! It's fascinating ... enthralling!" Rosamond stood up to get a better view. "I've never seen anything to compare!"
"Sit down, hang on, we're about to shoot under London Bridge." Rodger pulled her down ungently, and Rosamond clamped her hands to her hat so it wouldn't go sailing off on the wind. The square barge suddenly picked up speed and bobbed about on the roiling tide as the oarsmen tried to control it. It shot beneath the bridge, nearly colliding with one of the stone arches, then almost immediately the massive, Norman-built Tower loomed before them.
When Richard Plantagenet took them through Traitor's Gate, Rodger watched Edward's face for any sign of guilt, but there wasn't even a flicker upon his handsome countenance, and Rod wondered if the prince was even capable of feeling guilty.
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Owen walked directly behind Lord Edward, while Sir Rodger, flanked by his two squires, brought up the rear. When Rosamond almost tripped over her sword, making it clatter, as she climbed the stone steps, she sent Rodger a quick look of apology.
"Clumsy young devil!" he muttered, "watch your feet instead of gaping about like a Welsh bumpkin."
Rosamond lowered her head and kept her eyes on her boots as she and the men climbed all the way to the top floor. Richard entered the royal apartments alone, while the rest of them waited outside the door. When he returned, he said, "The queen has consented to see you, Edward; I advise an attitude of contrition." He led them into an anteroom, then led Edward through the door on the right.
Edward had described in detail the layout of the royal apartments to Rosamond, who knew she had no time to waste. Without hesitation, she slipped through the door on the left and strode through two more chambers, affecting a confidence she did not feel. Due to the small windows in the Tower, the chambers were dim, and the first sign Rosamond had that she was nearing the princess was Bebe, Eleanora's Maltese terrier. He ran toward her, tail wagging, as Rosamond came upon three ladies who were doing embroidery.
Princess Eleanora followed the dog and apologized to the squire.
Rosamond swept off her hat and bowed low. "It is me, Eleanora, I have urgent messages from Edward."
The princess quickly dismissed her two ladies. When they were alone, the princess took Rosamond into her bedchamber and closed the door. "Oh, you are so brave to do this for me!"
"Nay, you are the one who must be brave. Edward has come to rescue you and take you to Windsor. You are to change clothes with me quickly and leave with your husband as one of his squires."
"I cannot put on male attire!" she said, aghast.
"If I can do it, so can you. Think of it as a game," Rosamond urged. "Do you wish me to go back and tell Edward you are too afraid? "
"Ah, no, no, but what will happen to you when they find you dressed in my clothes? "
"Nothing will happen to me. I am Lady de Leyburn, they will have to let me go. I shall bring your ladies and Bebe to Windsor." Rosamond
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hoped it would be as easy as she made it sound. She removed her tabard and began to help Princess Eleanora from her gown and petticoats. Then she removed her own boots, unfastened the chausses, and slipped them off. Eleanora gingerly stepped into the chausses and struggled to pull them over her round hips. Rosamond fastened them for her and pulled the wide, loose tabard over her head.
The boots, however, were too big for Eleanora's small feet, but she solved the problem by taking a pair of her own riding boots from the wardrobe. Rosamond then pulled the hat low on Eleanora's head and hoped no one would notice that the fair-headed squire now had dark brown hair. When Rosamond was satisfied she could do no more to disguise the princess, she donned Eleanora's gown and draped her lace mantilla over her golden hair.
"Keep your head down and your eyes on your feet so you don't trip over the sword," Rosamond advised. When she took Eleanora's hand, she found it trembling like a leaf. "It's an exciting game." The words were to reassure herself as much as the princess. She pulled Eleanora through what felt like endless chambers, then literally pushed her through the doorway where Rodger waited. The squires closed ranks about the princess, and Rodger gave her a reassuring smile and placed his finger to his lips.
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Inside the royal apartments, Edward Plantagenet feigned contrition, but his mother's haughty manner soon set his teeth on edge, and he began to pace like a caged lion.
"I doubt your father will ever be able to forgive you for this betrayal, unless you go on your knees to him!"
"That will never happen," Edward promised. " 'Tis not my knees, but my strong arm the king craves. I am taking my men and Eleanora to Windsor," he stated flatly.
The queen thrust out her chin aggressively. "When Henry arrives, he will decide if you get your men back."
Richard of Cornwall spoke up quickly. "I think we can release his men to him, Eleanor. Now that he has repudiated Simon de Montfort, he will need his men for his own safety."
"So be it, but I shall keep your bride here with me to
guarantee your good behavior." Eleanor smirked slightly. "The bait worked."
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Edward silently prayed that Rosamond's ploy had worked. If it had, he would give anything to see his mother's face when she found out he had spirited his wife from beneath her royal thumb!
Back in Princess Eleanora's bedchamber, Rosamond locked the door and stretched out on the bed to try to relax. It was almost impossible, because she found the Tower of London so oppressive. She had to determinedly push away thoughts of the ordeal that awaited her, but she consoled herself with the fact that she had Bebe for company, and gently stroked the small white dog nestled beside her.
It was at least an hour before one of Eleanora's ladies knocked on the bedchamber door. Rosamond jumped, and her heart began to thud, but she issued forth a couple of loud snores and went weak with relief when there were no more knocks.
Another hour went by before there was another tap on the door. This time, delaying tactics did not work, and reluctantly Rosamond had to open the door. The two Spanish ladies began to panic when they discovered that their mistress was nowhere to be found and that Rosamond had changed places with her. Both of them, reduced to tears, ran for Queen Eleanor, while Rosamond clutched Bebe and waited with trepidation.
The queen arrived with a gaggle of her own ladies. She stared hard at the tall, slim girl, then snatched the lace mantilla from her head. When she saw the pale golden hair, Eleanor's eyes narrowed with suspicion and envy. "Who are you, and where is Princess Eleanora?"
"I am Rosamond Marshal—that is, Rosamond de Leyburn, Your Highness." She sank into a respectful curtsy.
"Marshal? Marshal?" the queen hissed, knowing how much land that hated family had once owned in England, Ireland, and Wales. Suddenly her brows shot up with suspicion. "Not the Marshal girl who lived at Kenilworth with that she-bitch Eleanor de Montfort?"
Bebe began to bark, then he bared his teeth in a snarl.
"That dog is vicious; it needs to be destroyed! Where the devil is my daughter-in-law? Has she been kidnapped by the bloody de Montforts? Call the guard!"
Rosamond's heart began to hammer with alarm. "Your Highness, please, Princess Eleanora is perfectly safe. The de Montforts have nothing
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to do with this. Lord Edward has taken his wife to Windsor. I must confess I helped them."
The queen drew back her hand and slapped Rosamond full in the face. "De Leyburn, did you say? That rake whom Edward made his steward? His reputation stinks to high heaven; no woman is safe in his company. De Leyburn is a bad influence on my son, always has been, and now we have his Marshal slut of a wife added to the mix. Well, let me warn you, madam, in the war that is coming, we will destroy the de Montforts and you along with them!" She turned to the Tower guard, who had just arrived. "Remove her, and the damned dog too! Make certain she is secured."
It was the first time anyone had ever struck Rosamond, and she was mortified. The Queen of England had made it plain, not only by her words, but also by her actions, that they were enemies. The queen had actually ordered her imprisoned here in the Tower of London, and Rosamond tasted fear.
Rosamond was marched out by the armed guard and taken down two flights of Tower stairs, before they came to a halt. "My lady, are you Sir Rodger de Leyburn's wife?"
She clutched Bebe tightly. "Yes, I am."
"He appointed me a guard here, when he first became Lord Edward's steward; everyone likes Sir Rodger, my lady. I will carry out the queen's orders to the letter. She ordered me to remove you, which I have done. She also said to make certain you were secure, and I believe you will be most secure with your husband."
Rosamond looked at him with hope dawning in her eyes.
"Sir Rodger left the Tower only a short time ago with Lord Edward's Gascon men-at-arms. We will go down and see if there are any stragglers who can escort you back to Windsor."
Rosamond thanked him profusely. She was vastly relieved that he was purposely misinterpreting the queen's orders, because the Tower terrified her, making her feel trapped, and she did not dare to think what she would have felt if she had been placed in a cell.
When they arrived on the ground floor, there standing beneath an archway was Griffin. Tears of gratitude flooded her eyes. "Oh, Griffin, I thank you with all my heart."
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"It is an honor to serve you, my lady." He took off his cloak and laid it across her shoulders. "It will be cold on the river."
"Did she get away?" Rosamond asked breathlessly.
"Lord Edward and Owen took the new squire into service, my lady. The uniform was so ill fitting, I warrant she will be most anxious to get her gown back."
Twilight had descended before the small boat reached Windsor. Rosamond saw that Rodger was waiting for her at the waterstairs, with Chirk at his feet. The minute her feet touched the first step, he swept her into his arms.
"Thank God you are safe; I should never have allowed it." He took Bebe and helped her up the steps. "Good work, Griffin."
Rosamond picked up her own dog, who immediately licked her face with joy. "I met the queen, but I wish I hadn't. Rodger, I have so many questions about the dreadful things she said."
"Not now, love, the princess is fretting about you, and she will be pleased you have brought her dog."
Rodger led the way up to Lord Edward's apartments in Windsor's new tower, and when they entered, Rosamond saw that Edward and Eleanora had just finished their evening meal in the privacy of Edward's chambers. "Your Highness, I managed to bring Bebe, but it was impossible to bring your ladies."
"Oh, Rosamond, thank you so much, but, please call me Eleanora." She took Bebe from Rodger and dropped a kiss on the dog's head, but he wriggled from her arms, showing far more interest in Chirk.
Rosamond set her own dog to the carpet, and the two terriers ran off together. She eyed the princess, wondering whose gown she was wearing. "You have no clothes; I'll go and get you some of mine."
Lord Edward took hold of Rosamond's hands and drew them to his lips. "How can I ever thank you? You were so very brave, my dear, and it gave Eleanora the courage she needed."
"I wasn't brave at all, I was terrified."
"But that's what bravery is all about... overcoming fear enough to do the courageous thing. My sweet Nora had to put on one of the queen's gowns, but it is much too big for her. I deeply appreciate your lending her your gowns until she has a new wardrobe sewn."
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"I'll get them now."
Eleanora blushed. "May I come with you, Rosamond?"
The two young women, one dark, the other fair, were already like old friends, because both had left behind everyone they had known and were starting a new life. Nan, who had no notion what Rosamond had been up to that day, curtsied to Princess Eleanora.
"Her ladies haven't arrived yet, Nan, but I know you will be pleased to serve her if there is aught she needs." They went into the dressing room and Rosamond opened her huge wardrobe.
The princess gasped with delight when she saw Rosamond's lovely clothes. "Ah, muy bonita! How very pretty your gowns are."
"Take whatever you like. I'm so tall, the gowns will be long on you. This peacock color will look wonderful with your dark hair."
"Ah, but the train will make it too long; I will tip."
Rosamond laughed. "You mean trip."
Eleanora touched the red velvet. "This is beautiful."
"Yes, and it will be even more beautiful when you wear it. Pick some others," Rosamond urged.
"One more ... perhaps this lavender, embroidered with pearls?"
"Good choice! Now, what about tonight? You will need a night rail and a warm bedgown."
Eleanora blushed prettily. "Tonight . . . can I not stay here with you, Rosamond?"
"Oh, darling, Lord Edward wants you to be with him. Don't you want that too?"
"Ah, yes, I have waited for six years ... but now I am afraid."
Sweet Jesu, Rosamond thought, Edward is so big, no wonder
she is afraid. Rosamond touched Eleanora's hand. "I understand, I'm newly wed too." She chose a white lambswool bedgown and a white silk night rail for the princess. "You take these and I'll carry the gowns."
"Rosamond, I cannot undress upstairs... in front of Edward!"
"Well, let's see ... why don't you put them on down here, and I'll help you? The bedgown is very modest and will cover you from chin to toes. I'll put mine on too, so you can have your dress back."
Eleanora nodded shyly. "I love him so much, Rosamond, my heart is chasing."
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"Your heart is racing," Rosamond said gently, and warned, "Edward must do the chasing. Don't tell him you love him, not until he declares his love for you, Eleanora."
"Oh, I have not enough breath even to speak when Edward is near me."
They entered Lord Edward's apartments and carried the gowns into the adjoining chambers that had been especially designed for Princess Eleanora. They hung the garments in the wardrobe, then Rosamond called for Chirk, who came running to her with Bebe in hot pursuit. When they rejoined the men, Rod gave Rosamond a clear sign that he and she should leave so that Edward and his bride could be alone.
Rod and Rosamond bade them good night, then Edward closed the heavy oaken door and threw the bolt across it. When he turned to Eleanora, his breath caught in his throat. He had never in his life seen a maiden whose loveliness matched hers. She had an abundance of dark silky hair whose waves fell to her hips. Her huge almond-shaped eyes and dusky skin lent her a unique, exotic prettiness. But it was her air of sweetness and innocence that attracted him most. She was small, dainty, fragile almost, and Edward's heart turned over in his breast.
He held out his hands to her. "Eleanora, Nora . . . come to me." She hesitated for only a moment, but it told him she felt a measure of trepidation. As she came trustingly toward him and placed her hands in his, he was overcome with a wave of protectiveness. No female had ever provoked such a tender emotion in him before. "My little sweetheart, don't be afraid of me. I will never, ever hurt you. I shall cherish you always," he swore fervently, lifting her fingers to his lips.
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