by David Skuy
“How does that help?” Harold said.
Pip looked at Archie. “Do you know where we can get clothes fit for a lord and his noble family?”
Archie smiled. “I think we can find something at my house.”
“It might work,” Lucy said.
“Am I the only one who has no idea what’s going on?” Harold said.
“We will dress them up like nobles — Lord Merec and Lady Anne of Shrewsbury — as if they were on their way home from the mayor’s party,” Pip said. “No one will dare stop them, and why would they?”
“Our fathers should be at the mayor’s party for at least another bell,” Archie said. “If we hurry, we can get the clothes and be gone before they come back.”
Arabella swung the torch to the right. “Follow me,” she said.
She was clearly still upset, but just as clearly willing to help. Pip wondered if Sir Duncan knew where her father was imprisoned. Of course, his own father would be of no help. He knew how to sell wool blankets and not much else.
“One question,” Harold said. “How will they get over the wall?”
“That is a good question,” Merec said. “Did Arabella not say the wooden wall is too smooth to climb?”
“Leave that to me,” Pip said, patting Harold on the back. “I have a plan.”
rom the window of Sir Duncan’s bedroom, Pip saw Harold and Lucy go into the stable to saddle Aubrey and Garrick. Merec and Anne came in.
“How do we look?” Anne said. She held out the hem of her dress.
Pip could not believe his eyes. Merec wore a red and green tunic with a brocade vest, dark green crushed velvet pants with red piping up the side, and a cherry red hat with a big feather. The clothes were a bit baggy, but he actually looked like a lord. Anne’s transformation was even more remarkable. Her dress was a blaze of intricately colored patterns, the stitching so precise and structured it seemed the cloth-ing was lit from the inside. She wore a wide-brimmed hat, also with a feather.
It made Pip wonder whether, if you took away the money and the fancy clothes, there was really much difference between the rich and the poor. He thought again about what his mother had said to him, that “we are all God’s creatures.” She had been right. Merec and Anne were more noble than the baron, at least in his opinion.
“I’d swear you really are Lady Shrewsbury,” Pip said. He burst out laughing.
“I have never worn such beautiful and fine clothing as this,” Anne said.
“I always thought you were the most beautiful woman in the county,” Merec said.
Anne blushed. “Stop, Merec. This is not the time for tell-ing lies.”
Archie opened the door and shooed Fendral and Barda in.
“Is that really you, Mother?” Barda said. “You look like a princess.”
She lifted her head. “We are a noble family now, dear Barda, and you are the Honorable Barda, son of Merec, Lord Shrewsbury.”
“No, I’m just Barda, and this still Felix.” Barda pressed his doll to his chest.
Anne bent down and held Barda’s hand. “We need to pretend. There are bad people here, the same bad people who made us stay in the house with the locked door. Do you remember when Baron Geoffrey’s son came to the manor?”
“The mean boy with the curly hair and loud voice?” Barda said.
“That’s our Ronald,” Archie said.
“Aye, dear Barda, the very boy. Remember how he behaved?” Anne said.
“You said he acted like a peacock.”
“I did,” Anne said, “and that’s how I want you to act, and then we can leave this place and get away from the bad baron.”
“I must admit to some nerves,” Merec said. “Will people really believe I am a lord? I am nothing — a peasant.”
“The important thing is to act like a lord,” Archie said.
“I confess I do not really know how to ‘act like a peacock,’” Merec said.
“It’s easy,” Archie said. “First, look everyone straight in the eye, especially the sheriff’s soldiers, and look as if you can barely stand the sight of them, unworthy scum. Second, keep your shoulders back and your chest out. A nobleman never slouches. Finally, give orders, don’t take them. Tell them what to do, and they will do it.”
“I suppose …” Merec’s voice trailed off.
“I can do it, Father,” Barda said. He put Felix on the bed. “Look at me.” Barda strutted about the room, head held high, chin up, eyes fixed, his steps deliberate and strong.
They all laughed.
“I will try to copy your example, dear Barda,” Merec said with a smile. He stood tall and stiff, narrowed his eyes and made them cold and hard, and glared about fiercely.
“I think this might work,” Harold said.
Merec relaxed his body. “I truly hope so,” he murmured.
“About the wall?” Archie said.
Pip waved him off. “I have that planned out. Did you get the rope and the bow and arrows?”
“I did. I put them all in this bag, like you said.” Archie handed it over.
Arabella came in. “Harold and Lucy are ready with the horses.
Pip gestured to the stairs with a flourish. “My lord and my lady, I believe it is time for your nightly walk.”
Anne bowed and took Merec’s arm. “Thank you. Would someone be so kind as to fetch our horses? I shan’t touch the dirty ground with my shoes. It’s unthinkable.”
“Yes, my lady.” Archie grinned. “The horses are prepared.”
“Come, Lady Shrewsbury. I will escort you,” Merec said.
They left, side by side, Fendral, Barda, and Archie behind them. Barda was trying his best to be serious, but the fun-loving child could not resist a giggle.
“Are you sure about the wall?” Arabella said.
Pip shook the bag with the bow and arrows.
Arabella nodded slowly. “I think I understand. That might work. But who will do it?”
“Don’t worry about that.” He paused. “When we come back, we can talk to Sir Duncan about your father. I’m certain they know each other. They’re both knights. Sir Duncan is really nice. He’ll be able to find out where your father is being held.”
Arabella seemed to be struggling to keep her emotions in check. “It’s so hard to keep going sometimes,” she said quietly. “I thought I’d find him quickly, and together we’d rescue my mother. Now … I’m not sure I will ever see either of them again. It’s like I’m in a nightmare, and I can’t wake up.”
Pip thought about his Black Knight. He could never shake that nightmare either.
“I’ve learned one thing on this trip. It’s harder when you try to do things all by yourself. You need to let people help you,” Pip said.
Arabella brushed her hair to the side. They’d found a new dress for her, and she’d been able to clean her face. She really was a pretty girl.
“Are you coming?” Archie shouted. “Everyone’s ready.”
They walked to the top of the stairs.
“Take the fast way.” Archie grinned.
Pip slid down the banister — and Arabella came flying behind him. For a brief moment Arabella looked happy — then the moment passed, and the worry and strain in her face was back.
“Harold and Lucy, you should lead the horses,” Pip said, closing the front door. “Fendral and Barda can walk in front. We’ll follow, but farther back. It would look strange for there to be too many servants.”
“We really should go,” Lucy said urgently.
“You’re right,” Pip said.
“Where’s Felix?” Barda started. “Where is he?”
“We have to leave,” Anne said.
“I need Felix,” Barda said. He looked around wildly.
“We’ll get another doll,” Anne said. “Please, come, dear Barda.�
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“I want Felix. I want Felix,” Barda cried. “I think he’s upstairs.”
“I will get him,” Pip said. “You go ahead, and I’ll catch up.”
“Are you sure?” Barda whimpered. “Do you remember what he looks like?”
“I think so,” Pip said. “You can trust me.”
Lucy and Harold pulled on the reins, and the horses set off.
“Be gentle with Felix,” Barda called out. “He gets scared without me.”
“We’ll wait for you,” Archie said to Pip.
“Poor Felix.” Pip laughed. “He’s been through a lot.” He gave Archie the bag with the bow and arrows and raced back up the stairs. Sure enough, there was Felix on the bed. He picked him up gently.
“Don’t be afraid, Felix. I’ll take good care of you. I’m Barda’s friend,” he said with a chuckle.
Arabella flew into the room and closed the door.
“What are you —?”
“Shh,” she whispered. “They’re here.”
“Who?”
“Sir Lanford and the soldiers.”
“Where’s Archie?” Pip said, fighting the rising panic in his chest.
“He got away. I came to warn you.”
“Search the house,” Sir Lanford ordered.
“Not a stone will be left unturned.”
Pip raced to the window. “The tree. It’s our only chance,” he said.
Arabella climbed up onto the sill and reached for a limb.
“Check that room at the end of the hall,” a man bellowed.
They were coming!
Arabella stepped out onto the branch. Pip hopped up on the sill and jumped. His shoulder smashed into a thick limb. He stifled a groan and swung his body to the back of the tree and tried to keep perfectly still.
“It’s a bedroom.”
“Is someone checking the yard?”
“Aye, sir.”
Pip peeked through the leaves. Sir Lanford stood in the middle of the bedroom, a sword in his right hand. Arabella nodded at the window. Pip hadn’t had time to close it.
Would they notice?
Another man came in. Johnson!
“They do not appear to be here,” Johnson said.
Suddenly, Sir Lanford and Johnson stood rigidly at attention.
The Sheriff of Nottingham entered, followed by Sir Duncan and Aldwin.
“It strikes me as strange, Sir Duncan, that you came to beg for the lives of those peasants,” the sheriff said, “at the very moment they escaped.”
“I can assure you that is nothing but a coincidence,” Sir Duncan said. “I was at the mayor’s palace the entire time. You saw me there. In fact, we spoke.”
The sheriff snorted. “But you have taken a strange interest in their well-being — and this man’s son is the true thief. He should be punished —”
“He is a sensitive child,” Aldwin said, “and I think he has been corrupted by that criminal Robin Hood. He did not understand what he was doing.”
The sheriff grunted.
“We hate Robin Hood as much as you,” Aldwin said. “I can assure you of that.
“Do not misinterpret my request for leniency,” Sir Duncan said. “I was merely thinking of the best interests of King John and his kingdom. The people are unsettled, no doubt lied to by Robin Hood and his Merry Scoundrels. I simply believe that executing these peasants will upset the people unnecessarily. You know how unpredictable they can be.”
“Your concern is touching,” the sheriff said. “You have not always spoken so highly of our lord and sovereign master.”
“I am a loyal subject of England,” Sir Duncan said.
“Don’t you mean of King John?” the sheriff asked.
“Of course. To me they are one and the same.”
The sheriff gripped the hilt of his sword. “I suggest you do not provoke King John in the future, Sir Duncan, or you may be asked to join your friend Sir Sanford of Win-chester in the Tower of London.”
“Sir Sanford is no friend of mine,” Sir Duncan said. “May I ask why he is in the Tower?”
“He is suspected of plotting against King John in favor of that traitor, Richard the Coward,” the sheriff said.
Sir Duncan’s back stiffened.
“My lord, I can assure you we are the most loyal of subjects,” Aldwin said softly. “Sir Duncan is merely suggesting that perhaps it would be best to show some mercy in this instance, to illustrate King John’s compassion and love for his subjects.”
“His compassion, you say? Interesting,” the sheriff said. “Have you, perchance, ever met our sovereign lord, King John?”
“I have not yet had the honor,” Aldwin said. He leaned closer. “May I speak openly, my lord?”
The sheriff nodded.
“My belief is the criminal Robin Hood is to blame for all this. Who else would care to try to embarrass their lordships? Who would take such a risk to save a few worthless peasants?”
“There is perhaps something in what you say,” the sheriff said.
Pip gripped the tree tightly. To hear his father call Robin Hood a criminal was almost too much to bear. He wanted to scream, Coward! He was ashamed to have such a father, swearing loyalty to Prince John and speaking so kindly to the Sheriff of Nottingham. Sir Duncan was obviously lying. He showed no fear. But then again, he was a knight and a soldier.
“We have searched the entire property,” a man reported to Sir Lanford. “They are most definitely not here.”
Pip said a silent prayer of thanks.
“We go,” the sheriff ordered. “Double the guards at both gates. They are hiding in Bradford, and I will personally pay ten gold pieces to whoever finds them — dead or alive.” He turned to Sir Duncan. “The baron and I will be leaving for London tomorrow. I look forward to your visit to King John. You have been missed at the royal court for too long.”
“I look forward to seeing his majesty as well,” Sir Duncan said. “Unfortunately, I have pressing business at my estates. I shall have to put off the pleasure of his company a little while longer.”
“Indeed,” the sheriff said. “Do not wait too long, or his majesty will become upset.”
“I certainly hope not,” Sir Duncan said.
The sheriff whirled and left.
“I will show you out,” Sir Duncan said, Sir Lanford and Johnson close behind.
Aldwin paused in the frame of the door and stared at the window. Pip shrunk back. He walked to the window very deliberately and pulled it closed, and then turned back and left the room. Pip and Arabella waited until they were certain the sheriff and his soldiers had gone before they climbed down.
Arabella’s eyes were alive and dancing. “Did you hear? My father is alive. He’s alive! In London, and that’s where I will go.”
“He’s in the Tower of London — the most terrible prison in all of England,” Pip said. “You won’t find a tunnel under the Tower.”
“That does not matter, at least not now. I will figure out a way to set him free.” She threw her arms around Pip’s neck and then jumped for joy. “Perhaps if I speak to Prince John he will take pity on us, and then he will release my mother and we can leave this wretched kingdom.”
“We can talk about it tonight after they escape,” Pip said. “And I will also speak to my father about you coming to stay with us. You need to rest and eat and regain your strength.”
“We must hurry if we are to catch up with them,” she said. “Come.”
Pip raced to catch her. What would the future hold for her? He gave his head a shake. He’d worry about that after Merec and his family were over the wall.
e and Arabella ran as fast as they dared without drawing attention. Fortunately, the streets were mostly empty. Finally, they caught sight of Archie.
Archie looked up t
o the sky when they pulled up beside him. “I’ve said a thousand prayers. I guess one of them was heard.”
Lucy and Harold were leading the horses, Merec perched in his saddle, his back straight and his head held high. Anne rode sidesaddle on Aubrey. Barda and Fendral walked in front, hand in hand.
They looked the part, a noble family out for a stroll.
“We hid in the tree,” Pip said. “How far until the wall?”
“Not far. It’s a right turn here and then down the street to the end,” Arabella said.
Lucy gave Garrick’s reins a tug and turned right, but the horse stopped abruptly. Garrick snorted and tossed his head in the air.
“Someone’s there,” Arabella whispered.
“How do you know?” Archie said.
“I just do,” she said.
“We have to get closer. Follow my lead,” Pip said. Pip began laughing loudly. “You can’t eat five cakes. No one can.”
“I could do it with my eyes closed,” Archie said, without missing a beat.
“I bet I could eat more than the two of you,” Arabella said.
The horses pawed the ground and whinnied as three soldiers, dressed in long gray and yellow tunics and tin hel-mets with nose guards, pointed their swords at the noble family. Pip pretended a lace had come undone on his boot. He knelt to tie it up — and listened closely.
“No one is to be out on the streets tonight, by order of the Sheriff of Nottingham,” a soldier said.
“My father told me to take his friends for a tour of the town,” Lucy said. “May I take them down this street and around back to our home? The horses could use the chance to stretch their legs as well.”
“Why did the sheriff order us off the streets?” Harold said.
“Some criminals escaped from prison. Have you seen four people — a man, a woman, and their two wretched children — running about? There is a reward for their cap-ture — ten gold pieces, dead or alive.”
“We have not,” Harold said.
“I bet you that Robin Hood is here,” Pip said loudly. “I bet you he went to the mayor’s party in disguise and helped the criminals escape.”
