The Adventurer's Bride

by June Francis

  Nicholas’s hazel eyes gleamed and he settled himself more comfortably on the bed. ‘Would you like me to tell you about the ship?’ He did not wait for her reply, but continued enthusiastically. ‘It is a much improved version of the Portuguese galleon on which I sailed to the Americas. Did you know that the explorer John Cabot set out from Bristol in search of a passage to the east by going west? He did not succeed in his aim, neither did he reach the Americas. Even Christopher Columbus knew that other men had crossed the ocean, for the west, before he did.’

  ‘Is it because so many other explorers have sailed from Bristol that you are intent on living there?’ asked Jane, fascinated.

  Nicholas shrugged. ‘Columbus didn’t sail from Bristol, but the port’s merchants had heard of an island to the north-west where the waters teemed with fish. They were having strife with the Hanseatic League at the time about buying fish from the Icelanders without involving that organisation, so they wished to find a new source of fish for themselves.’

  She stared down at him, frowning. ‘I don’t understand. Why should Willem Godar be interested in a plan of a ship? I must admit I did wonder if what the package contained had aught to do with Cardinal Wolsey, because Rebecca let slip something about you and Pip that I suppose should have remained secret. It made me wonder if whilst you are abroad you spy for him.’

  ‘Spy!’ He gave her a look of mock horror. ‘That’s not what I would call what Pip and I do for the Cardinal. The word smacks of slyness and dishonesty. All we do is keep our ears and eyes open where’er we travel and if it involves our king, country and their enemies...’

  ‘Then you report back,’ said Jane drily. ‘You could still be carrying information that others would be interested in knowing about.’

  ‘No, unless I have a document to deliver to the Cardinal, I keep what I know inside my head,’ said Nicholas, reaching for more bread and cheese. ‘I deem that Godar was just curious, perhaps hoping he would discover some information that he could sell for money. He must have been disappointed. Now the package, Jane, if you would be so kind.’

  She nodded and went downstairs, pondering on all that Nicholas had said, not only about Vives and Willem, but of the ship he had designed. Did he have it in mind to build the vessel and possibly sail in it?

  She picked up the package and carried it upstairs. As she handed it to Nicholas, there came a knocking at the front door. ‘You’d best go and see who it is,’ he said, inspecting the seal on the package.

  She hesitated, wanting to see him reveal its contents, but it seemed he was waiting for her to leave, so she went to answer the door.

  Standing on the doorstep was a serious-faced Anthony Mortimer. For a moment she could only stare at him. ‘Aren’t you going to invite me in, Jane?’ he asked.

  ‘What is it you want? I—I am busy.’

  ‘I feel I should warn you,’ he said.

  She frowned. ‘About what?’

  ‘I noticed you at the bedchamber window with Nicholas Hurst. You must have been up there a long time alone with him. I consider that not at all seemly.’

  She felt the colour rush to her cheeks and for a moment was too angry to speak. Then she squared her shoulders. ‘If I had, indeed, been up there since before you left then it would seem a long time to you, but I have not! I have been up and down attending to various matters. It is a wonder you did not see me visiting the bakery. I had just carried up some food to him when you saw us. Not that I need to explain my actions, but I will tell you this,’ she added impulsively, ‘he has asked me to marry him and I am seriously considering doing so. Good day to you, Master Mortimer!’ And on those words she closed the door.

  Mortimer banged on the wood.

  Jane would have ignored him except that she did not want him waking Simon or bringing Nicholas downstairs, so she whipped the door open. ‘Please, go away, Anthony! I have nothing more to say.’

  ‘You must listen to me, Jane,’ he urged. ‘I have only your well-being at heart. You are newly widowed and need a sensible man to advise you. I can understand the attraction that Nicholas Hurst’s fame must have for you, but your connection with him could put your life in danger. This attack on him yesterday—I suspect the pair of you were not listening attentively when I told you I had callers yesterday at Draymore Manor. I did not make the connection between them and the attack on him until a short while ago, but now I have thought on the matter more deeply, I feel I must tell you of these travellers.’

  Jane hesitated. ‘I admit I was distracted, so it was a little difficult to give you my full attention.’

  He nodded. ‘I understand that, but I deem you will find what I have to say interesting. May I come in?’

  She held the door wide and he stepped over the threshold. She showed him to a chair by the fire and sat down opposite him.

  ‘Well?’ she asked.

  He settled himself comfortably. ‘Two women came seeking shelter during the blizzard. I had not long arrived at the house when they came banging at the door. The younger of the women’s faces was bruised and she was very agitated. Apparently she had fallen from her horse during an attack by two men.’

  ‘Go on!’ urged Jane, unable to take her eyes from his face. ‘Who was this woman? Did she tell you her name?’

  ‘She was Flemish.’

  Jane started. ‘Are you certain?’

  ‘Of course! I speak the language.’

  ‘What of the other woman?’

  ‘She was also Flemish, much older and of a better class.’

  ‘I presume you offered them shelter?’

  ‘Naturally. I could scarcely turn them away when they were in obvious distress.’

  ‘Where are they now?’

  Anthony hugged his knees and sighed. ‘When I rose this morning they were gone. I admit to being extremely annoyed by their rudeness, especially as I found the older woman very interesting. She told me that her family was involved in the tapestry-weaving business and I thought she could have been of use to you.’

  ‘That is thoughtful of you,’ said Jane hastily, ‘but returning to what they said about an attack by two men—did they tell you more about what happened? The two men—did they mention their names?’

  ‘No, instead they spoke of a child whom the older one said was some kind of princess.’

  ‘A princess!’ Jane was flabbergasted.

  Anthony nodded. ‘Apparently the younger woman was doubtful about this and their conversation became heated and a bit confused. I could not understand every word they said because they spoke so fast.’ He paused. ‘I have to say that they were speaking between themselves some of the time and I eavesdropped.’

  ‘Did you catch what the child’s name was?’

  ‘Matilda!’

  Involuntarily Jane glanced upwards to where the bedchamber was and wished Nicholas could hear this conversation. Then she went over to the cradle and gazed down at the sleeping Matilda before turning to Anthony. ‘What are you saying? That this child is the one that woman refers to?’

  He scrubbed at his face with his fist. ‘Nicholas Hurst claims the child he brought here to be his daughter. What if that’s not true and he abducted her? She could be a member of the European royalty.’

  Jane gasped. ‘I don’t believe it!’

  ‘Why not? I assure you, Jane, that there is much about Nicholas Hurst that you do not know. You know so little about the places beyond the area you inhabit here in England. There is much that goes on abroad that you are completely unaware of,’ said Anthony earnestly.

  ‘I do not believe him capable of abducting a baby,’ said Jane firmly. ‘The younger woman you mentioned must be the wet nurse he hired, but I have no idea of the identity of this other woman. What else can you tell me about her? Describe her to me. Master Hurst might recognise her from your words. Please do not delay; I have much to do this day.’

  * * *

  Nicholas rose from the bed and went over to the window and gazed out, wondering how long it would b
e before Jane came back upstairs. So far there had been no sign of Anthony Mortimer leaving the house and he wondered what he and Jane could be talking about. Should he go downstairs? He needed a message to be taken to Matt. Even as he debated about what to do, he heard the front door open and the murmur of voices.

  He watched as Mortimer crossed the street and walked down the High Street before disappearing from sight. He was about to turn away from the window when his eyes were drawn to a woman emerging from an alley. He pressed his face against the glass because there appeared to be something familiar about her. He stared intently and then drew back, squeezing his eyes shut before opening them and gazing out once more. She had vanished. Surely that bump on the head was not causing him to see ghosts now?

  At the sound of the bedchamber door opening, he turned.

  Jane stared at him and shook her head. ‘You just cannot be trusted, can you?’ she said vexedly.

  ‘Is that the way to speak to your future husband?’ he said lightly.

  ‘There is no guarantee of that.’ She could not disguise the sharpness in her voice. ‘The way you are behaving, your shoulder wound will never heal.’

  ‘Forgive me, Jane. I was curious to see who was at the door and when I realised it was Mortimer, I was glad I went over to the window. I heard what you told him about seriously considering marrying me.’ He touched her cheek with a gentle hand. ‘You have lovely skin.’

  ‘There is no need to flatter me.’

  ‘I speak only the truth.’ He lowered his hand. ‘So what else did Mortimer have to say after you invited him inside?

  ‘He told me that he gave shelter to two travellers yesterday.’ She paused, toying with her fingers.

  Nicholas’s eyes narrowed. ‘Go on?’

  ‘He tried to tell us earlier in the day, but we weren’t listening,’ said Jane rapidly. ‘They were two Flemish women. The younger woman had fallen from her horse and suffered bruises. The older woman said that they had been attacked by two men. What does that say to you?’

  He sat down on the bed. ‘One of the women was Berthe. Did he find out who the other one was?’

  ‘Apparently neither woman gave their name.’

  He frowned. ‘Didn’t he consider that odd?’

  Jane pursed her lips. ‘I didn’t think of asking, but now you mention it I suppose the natural thing to do if you ask for shelter would be to identify yourself.’

  ‘But they didn’t and Mortimer didn’t think of asking,’ he said drily.

  Jane shrugged. ‘Maybe he did, but the moment passed and he was more concerned in providing them with warmth and food.’

  ‘Surely they spoke to each other, addressing themselves by name?’

  ‘Of course they conversed,’ she replied. ‘Otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to tell me what he did.’

  ‘And what was that?’ asked Nicholas sharply.

  Their gazes locked and Jane said slowly, ‘Matilda! They mentioned a child called Matilda. The older woman seemed to believe she was some kind of princess.’

  ‘What?’ exclaimed Nicholas incredulously. ‘It’s all nonsense. Surely Mortimer didn’t believe it?’

  ‘He said the younger woman didn’t seem to want to believe it.’

  ‘Berthe shows sense.’ Nicholas paused and there was something in Jane’s expression that caused him to add, ‘You’re holding something back. What else did he have to say?’

  Jane bit on her lower lip. ‘That perhaps Matilda isn’t your daughter, but a member of the European royalty and you abducted her.’

  Nicholas’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Tell me you told him that he’s been listening to too many travellers’ tales, Jane.’

  ‘I can’t believe you’d abduct a baby,’ she said.

  ‘You’re right—I wouldn’t.’ His eyes glinted with anger. ‘Matilda is my daughter!’

  ‘I believe you and I told him so,’ said Jane hastily. ‘But who is this woman?’

  Nicholas shrugged. ‘Did she tell him anything about herself?’

  ‘That her family are tapestry weavers.’ She hesitated. ‘But perhaps she spoke falsely, having heard that Witney was a weaving town. I think she made an impression on him.’

  Nicholas rolled his eyes. ‘Did he describe her?’

  ‘He told me that she must have once been beautiful, but now her skin was pockmarked.’

  ‘I see.’ He frowned in thought. ‘So what happened to these women?’

  ‘They’d gone when he got up this morning.’

  ‘By all the saints, didn’t he have the sense to keep a watch on them?’ he exclaimed, exasperated. ‘I wonder what happened to the two men? I presume he did not ask their names either.’

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘Perhaps the women thought they’d manage better without them?’ mused Nicholas. ‘I’d guarantee Mortimer wouldn’t have allowed two strange men into his house.’

  ‘You think they must have been hiding somewhere in the vicinity?’

  ‘Or they’ve abandoned the women and their attempt to kill me and left for the coast.’ Nicholas lay back and closed his eyes. ‘So Mortimer is prepared to believe me to be an abductor of children?’ he said beneath his breath. ‘I think he’s jealous and trying to blacken my name.’

  ‘If he is, it didn’t work,’ said Jane softly.

  ‘Thank you for that, Jane.’ He held out a hand to her and then let it drop for she had turned away.

  ‘I’ll leave you to rest and mull over what I’ve told you,’ she said, standing in the doorway. ‘I wonder where the women are now?’

  ‘I wonder. Will you send a message to Matt about my wishing to speak to him?’ said Nicholas, yawning.

  She nodded and went downstairs.

  He waited until the sound of her footsteps faded before rising from the bed and going over to the window. He gazed out, but could see no sign of Mortimer or the ghostly figure he had thought he had seen earlier. If he did not ache all over, he would have chanced Jane’s anger and left the house in search of old man Mortimer.

  He returned to the bed and noticed the rope Jane had brought up earlier. He smiled and placed it beneath the pillow and lay down. For a while he lay there thinking of Jane and what she had told him and then fell asleep.

  * * *

  Outside in the garden, Jane was attempting to scrub the bloodstains from Nicholas’s doublet. As she worked she imagined that she could still feel the touch of his lips on hers. She wanted him to make love to her, but not only were there were so many questions she’d like answers to before she could definitely agree to be his wife but she also needed to gather her courage and be completely honest with him about Willem. She sighed and put that aside and thought instead about what Anthony had told her. Why should the older woman believe Matilda to be a princess? Could she have got her mixed up with another baby? Who was the woman? Nicholas appeared to have no idea. If he did, he was concealing it well.

  Jane decided it was pointless letting the thoughts go round and round in her head and concentrated on what she was doing, but came to the decision that she was fighting a losing battle trying to rid the doublet completely of bloodstains, so hung it outside to dry. As she did so it occurred to her that she needed to visit the priest and explain that there would have to be a delay in Nicholas fulfilling the proxy vows his brother had made on his behalf.

  * * *

  It was evening when Jane returned from the priest’s house. She went round the back into the garden to bring in Nicholas’s doublet. Fortunately there was no sign of Willem in the workroom when she entered the house. But on entering the other room, to her astonishment she saw Nicholas leaning over the cradle, attempting to lift out a crying Matilda. She dropped the doublet on a bench and hurried over to him.

  ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ she demanded.

  He glanced over his shoulder and showed her a harassed expression. ‘As there was no one here to respond to Matt’s knocking, I came downstairs. He’s not long gone. I decided to wait down
here to keep a watch on the babies until you came and then my daughter began to cry.’

  She remembered the children were outside playing with their friends and felt guilty. ‘I should have told Margaret to keep an eye on the babies. I’ve just had so much on my mind.’

  He nodded. ‘I understand. Anyway, I have rested enough and wanted to speak to you about making arrangements with the priest for our wedding.’

  She gave him a baffled look. ‘You must be patient. Anyway, I visited the priest earlier,’ she said, nudging Nicholas out of the way with her hip and lifting Matilda out of the cradle with ease.

  ‘Obviously not about our wedding,’ he said tersely, raising an eyebrow.

  She flushed and explained her visit, adding, ‘Besides, we couldn’t possibly get married until your wound has healed and the men who attacked you are apprehended and only the Almighty knows when that will be.’

  ‘I see that I must visit the priest myself and discuss the need for a special licence for our marriage,’ he said, tickling his daughter under the chin. ‘Best to be prepared so we can marry at a moment’s notice.’

  ‘Why should you consider that necessary?’ asked a startled Jane, watching his lean face relax as Matilda gurgled up at him. She wished Anthony could see Nicholas with his daughter now.

  ‘You’re a sensible woman, Jane, surely you can see the sense in being prepared as a family to move away from here at any sign of trouble? For the children’s sake,’ said Nicholas.

  She hesitated before saying, ‘Maybe an earlier wedding is perhaps just what the children need, but I could be wrong, even if the older three are already exceedingly fond of you.’

  ‘And for that I am glad,’ said Nicholas lightly.

  There was a silence and both were busy with their thoughts. Jane was filled with indecision.

  ‘Of course, you’ll have to inform your brothers of your intentions,’ said Jane. ‘Surely they’ll both want to attend your wedding if we decide to go ahead with it?’

  ‘I’m not so sure about Christopher.’

  She looked surprised. ‘You cannot be serious? Not attend his own brother’s wedding?’