‘Sir Walter will have you flogged if you let his guests’ horses burn to death!’ I shouted. I could see the indecision in the guard’s face. There was a crash of falling timber in the distance and a dull red glow in the sky. I turned and ran back towards the stables and to my relief I could hear the guard’s feet pounding behind me.
As the grooms ran to the well to help the stable hands draw water, I turned and slipped back into the stables. The horses were restless, pulling at their halters and whinnying with fright at the noise and the stench of smoke. I could smell them sweating with fear.
‘Get them all out safely, Tom,’ I pleaded. ‘If the fire should spread.’
‘I will,’ he promised.
I spoke a soothing word to Arianna. Tom threw me into the saddle and squeezed my uninjured hand. ‘Go, Eleanor,’ he urged. I clung to his hand for a moment, looking down into his familiar face dimly lit by the remaining lantern. ‘Go,’ he repeated. I released his hand and gestured to Mother to follow me. We headed towards the gatehouse. Nobody noticed us go, their attention fully occupied by the fire.
Once we were over the drawbridge, I urged Arianna into a brisker walk and she stepped out obediently up the steep hill, Beau following close behind.
‘Are you well enough, Mother?’ I asked anxiously, turning in my saddle. I had had no thoughts to spare for her for the last many minutes.
‘Yes,’ she answered breathlessly, clutching her horse’s mane. ‘But I fear I cannot go far.’
‘Then let us at least go swiftly,’ I said. As the horses reached the brow of the hill, I urged Arianna into a canter. It was almost dark now, but I could hear Beau keeping pace beside us. Both horses were fresh and covered the ground swiftly.
The evening air was clear and cool after the warmth of the day. I felt exhilarated. I had done it. We were free. I wanted to smile at Mother and rejoice in our escape, but even as I turned towards her, my ears caught an ominous sound. A thunderous drumming, some distance behind. Hoof beats. We were being pursued.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Mother had heard the horses too. We looked fearfully at one another.
‘We must gallop!’ I said, urging Arianna on.
‘It’s not safe, in the dark,’ my mother moaned in fear.
‘It’s not safe to be caught either,’ I replied. Our horses were willing to brave the dark, and stretched their legs into a gallop. The sound of pursuit faded behind us. How could Sir Walter have discovered our flight so quickly? He must have been in the stables within minutes of us leaving.
Several miles further on, I slowed Arianna to a trot, and then a walk, leading the way off the road and into a wood. We paused, while I listened to the sounds of pursuit. We waited, holding our breath, praying they would not notice we had left the road. The horses passed by us, continuing on the road towards Bath and London. Mother sobbed with mingled fear and relief. She was swaying in the saddle. ‘Eleanor,’ she whispered. ‘I cannot … ’
I thought quickly. Sir Walter would soon realize what had happened and turn back to look for us. We could not outride him all the way to London. Even alone, I doubted I could do it. Neither could we hide. Sir Walter knew the land around Farleigh as well as I did. And he might have dogs with him. That thought gave me a sharp spur of fright. There was only one option that I could think of.
‘Mama, do you think you could ride as far as the priory?’ I asked. ‘Dr Horde will shelter us, I’m sure of it.’
‘Yes, I could manage that. But he’s a friend of Sir Walter’s, Eleanor!’
‘Yes, I know. And of Cromwell’s. But he will not hand us over. He is good man, a man of God. Come!’
I led Mother through the woods, glad of my familiarity with the paths in this gloom. Even so, twigs snagged in our hair and snatched at our clothes as we pushed our way through the trees. I heard Mother cry out softly as a small branch that I had not been able to hold out of her way whipped her face. We crossed a field and emerged into a narrow lane that led through a small hamlet. Our passing set all the dogs barking.
‘Who goes there?’ cried a rough man’s voice.
‘A friend!’ I replied, and heard him grunt in dissatisfaction at my words, but I wasn’t about to give him my name. We drew away from the houses and could see the priory lights glimmering in the distance. ‘Look, Mother!’ I said, keeping my voice low. ‘We’re nearly there. Let us be swift.’
Arianna pricked up her ears and quickened her pace at the sound of my voice. It seemed she was enjoying this nocturnal outing. But then she paused, laying her ears back again. I listened intently. At first I could hear nothing. My ears were not as sharp as Arianna’s. A few moments later, however, I heard the unmistakable sound of hounds baying.
‘They’ve tracked us!’ I cried. All caution was thrown to the winds. We broke into a crazy gallop. What matter noise, when there are hounds following your scent? I was afraid for the horses, galloping like this in the dark, but I was even more afraid of the dogs and men behind us. A hedge loomed suddenly before us, and Arianna almost sat on her haunches to stop, crashing into the branches, snorting with fright. I hunted frantically along the hedge for the gate I knew must be here somewhere. Having wasted precious minutes finding it, I fumbled with the wooden latch, knowing it was useless asking Mother to jump a gate. As we passed through, I banged it shut behind us, hoping it might slow our pursuers. Then we were flying through the darkness towards the lights of the priory. But the dogs were very close now. One, ahead of the rest, was already snapping at Arianna’s heels. I felt rather than saw Arianna kick out at the dog. There was a sudden yelp of pain, and then it was no longer there. I patted Arianna, surprised. She was trained to ride to hounds. But it seemed she knew as well as I did that we were the hunted, not the hunters, tonight.
At long last the iron gates of the priory appeared before us. But when I leaned down to open them, they were already locked for the night. Desperately, I tugged on the rope, and heard the bell pealing inside the building.
‘Help!’ I shouted. ‘Help us, please!’
A brother appeared, and made his unhurried way towards us across the courtyard. His robes swept the ground as he walked and his face was hidden in his cowl. As he reached us, he put it back and peered at us.
‘Who asks for admission so late?’ he asked calmly.
‘For the love of God, let us in,’ I begged. ‘Here are the Lady Elizabeth Hungerford and her daughter Eleanor, and we are pursued with dogs, though we’ve done no wrong! We are in danger of our lives.’
I could hear the horses crashing through the undergrowth behind us. I could even hear a voice, raised in a curse, in the distance. The monk blinked at me in surprise, but made no move to unlock the gate.
‘We are friends of Doctor Horde,’ I said in desperation. ‘I request sanctuary.’ I had said the right thing. The monk produced a key, fitting it into the lock. I could now hear the panting of the hounds as they raced through the darkness behind us. As soon as the key clicked in the lock, I threw my weight against the gates, pushing them open and obliging the monk to step smartly out of the way. The leading dog appeared out of the darkness behind us. At the sight of us, he flung back his head and howled. There were answering barks behind him, and as we led our horses quickly through the gates, I heard the triumphant shouts of the men too. I flung myself out of the saddle and shut and locked the gates. One dog tried to dart through as I banged them shut, but lost his nerve at the last minute and fell back.
I turned the key and removed it, and began leading the horses to the stable. Mother was still mounted on Beau, clinging weakly to the pommel of the saddle.
‘Can we stable our horses?’ I addressed the monk.
‘Madam, you still have the key to the gates,’ he protested, bemused.
I pretended not to have heard him.
‘Would you please send for Doctor Horde?’ I asked. ‘And tell him I desire urgent speech with him? And whatever you do, please don’t open the gates to anyone else, especially not to Si
r Walter.’
‘Doctor Horde is at evening prayer,’ said the monk indignantly. ‘He is not to be disturbed. And he would be most annoyed if I were to deny entry to Sir Walter, who is a friend and benefactor of the priory.’
‘In that case, it is certainly better that I retain this key until I have had speech with him,’ I said, surprised at my own boldness. A shout at the gate diverted the brother’s attention from me.
‘Halloo there!’ called my father’s voice. ‘Gate!’ The monk hesitated. After standing indecisively before me for several minutes, he finally turned back to the gate. I led Arianna and Beau to the stables, praying the brother had not a second key.
When I helped Mother to dismount, she could barely stand upright. I put an arm around her waist. A groom appeared, tousle-haired and heavy-eyed.
‘Asleep?’ I asked him scornfully. ‘At this hour?’
‘No,’ he retorted unconvincingly.
‘See our horses rubbed down and watered,’ I requested him. ‘We are expecting to stay the night.’
‘Wot, two ladies? ’ere?’ he asked rudely. ‘I don’t fink so.’
I ignored him and supported Mother through a side door into the priory itself. There we found a bench, onto which she sank down gratefully, overcome with exhaustion. I thought how long she had stayed in one room, with no activity or exercise of any kind and realized how strenuous and frightening this evening must have been for her.
It took about ten minutes for the prior to arrive, by which time I was fretting with anxiety and impatience, wondering every minute what my father was saying at the gates.
Dr Horde entered.
‘What is this I hear, Eleanor?’ he asked, and then he saw my mother. ‘Gracious Heaven, Lady Elizabeth!’
He fell back in shock, looking as though he had seen a ghost.
‘We desperately need your help,’ I began. But at that moment the monk from the gate hurried into the room. He bowed hastily to the prior and spoke his name breathlessly.
‘Brother William,’ said Dr Horde. ‘You interrupt.’
As he spoke the sound of raised voices from the front gate reached us. Dr Horde looked bewildered. ‘What is going on? Do we admit some guests, and leave others to call at our gates in vain?’ Brother William looked embarrassed.
‘No, indeed, Doctor,’ he replied. ‘But you see … ’ and he gestured helplessly towards me.
‘I took the key,’ I explained. ‘After the brother let us in. Please let me explain. We are being pursued. Our lives are in danger.’
Dr Horde’s bewilderment turned to astonishment. ‘But, Mistress Eleanor, who is chasing you at this hour of the night?’
‘Sir Walter,’ I said.
The prior paled, and his expression became grave. I hurried to explain: ‘Mother has been imprisoned for four years. She is not mad, as Sir Walter pretends. We need your help.’
Mother spoke in her soft voice: ‘Doctor Horde, I know my husband is your friend. But I swear to you, I was not ill when he imprisoned me in that tower. I have only been ill since as a result of the treatment I have received at his hands.’
‘But that would be monstrous,’ Dr Horde exclaimed, grasping the back of a chair. ‘There must be some mistake … ’ He stood there for a moment, apparently lost in thought, and then he seemed to come to a decision. ‘The key, please, Eleanor,’ he said firmly, holding out his hand. I looked beseechingly at him, but he did not relent. I thought he looked at me with kindness, not like a man who was about to betray me, so I gave him the key. Dr Horde turned to Brother William. I held my breath, waiting to see what he would do.
‘Please ask Sir Walter to have patience a few moments,’ he said. ‘Apologize to him from me and assure him he will have my full attention as soon as possible.’ I noticed that he kept the key, and I sighed with relief.
‘Now, my lady,’ said the prior, turning back to my mother. ‘Tell me, if you please.’
My mother related her tale of imprisonment and poisoning. It was a fearful one. There were details even I had not known. She told how on some days, before I began to send her food, she had even had to drink her own urine to survive. Then there were references to the chaplain that I did not completely understand, but I understood he had caused Mother great suffering.
The prior’s face grew graver and graver as he listened, and when she had done, a look of great sadness, even grief, came over him. There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the fire in the grate.
‘Oh, Eleanor!’ he sighed at length. ‘Why did you not come to me four years ago? In those days, I was a man of standing and influence. Now, I fear … ’ He paused, as though lost in thought.
‘I tried,’ I told him. ‘I came here, but you were away. Sir Walter discovered I had been here and punished me. I did not dare try again.’
The prior looked sad.
‘This is a difficult and dangerous situation,’ he said at last. ‘Far more so than you realize.’ He sighed heavily, and I waited for him to continue. ‘I pity you, Lady Elizabeth, from the bottom of my heart. I am certain God will reward your sufferings. I will help you. I promise you.’
‘Surely you are not going to turn us away?’ Mother asked fearfully. Dr Horde looked at her and his face softened, though the sadness remained.
‘How changed you are, my lady,’ he said, looking into her eyes. I could see he was deeply moved. ‘It is not in me to turn you away at this time of need. But understand this. My position here is precarious. Houses of God like this one are being shut down all over England. Their wealth is robbed, and goes to fill the king’s coffers, their brethren disbanded. At Henton, we continue to survive purely as a result of the friendship I enjoyed in happier days with Sir Walter and Lord Cromwell. Do you understand me? If I keep you here, if I anger them, I will lose that protection. It may be a few weeks, or even a month, but then this monastery will be torn apart, as countless others have been before us.’ He looked sadly around the room. ‘So many years’ devotion and service, and we are come to this,’ he sighed.
I squirmed, racked with guilt. How could we possibly stay here and bring such trouble upon him? But the alternative was also dreadful to contemplate. How could we calmly give ourselves up to my father? I was distressed at the choice. Dr Horde must have seen some of this in my face, for he smiled faintly at me. ‘Do not blame yourself unduly, my child. The end would have come sooner or later in any case. I am telling you so that you know that I cannot shelter you for long. You will not be safe here. You can, of course, resume your journey at any time, but meanwhile I will use my influence on your behalf—write letters and so on.’
I nodded my understanding. ‘You are very kind. I am truly sorry to bring such trouble upon you,’ I told him. ‘We were heading for London, but they came after us so soon … I have managed so badly.’
The prior straightened his shoulders. ‘I must speak to Sir Walter,’ he said. ‘Brother Thomas will see that you are given comfortable quarters for the night.’ So saying, he bowed and left us.
We were shown to a small but comfortable guest apartment at the back of the building, in which a fire had recently been lit. A bowl of hot broth was brought for each of us, which we drank gratefully. A jug of water was then brought for washing, and the monks withdrew for the night. I bathed Mother’s hands and face and combed her hair, and she sighed with pleasure.
‘It is so good to see you again, Eleanor,’ she said, her voice hoarse with weariness. ‘But I am so unused to so much excitement and exertion.’
‘Sleep,’ I told her. ‘I will wake you when it’s time to leave.’
Mother was quietly asleep within minutes. I, on the other hand, could find no rest at all. All was quiet both inside and outside the priory, so I assumed that Dr Horde had persuaded Sir Walter to return home without us. I paced the room, angry with myself for failing to get us properly away. I waited for the dawn in a fever of impatience to resume our journey. It was folly to be lingering here, but I knew Mother had to rest.
Long before first light, I heard the peal of the bell once more and a shout outside the gates:
‘Open the gates! Lord Cromwell demands admittance in the name of the king.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I flung open the door of our chamber. No one was in sight, but I could hear the brothers moving about and the sound of agitated voices. I ran along the passageway to a window that overlooked the front gate. There were a large number of mounted men beyond it, all of them armed with swords and spears. A few carried crossbows.
We had left it too late to make our escape. I cursed myself for not setting out when it was quiet last night.
As I watched, Dr Horde himself crossed the courtyard, flanked by two of his brethren. He held himself very upright and walked with measured, unhurried steps. But I remembered what he had told us the night before, and I felt afraid. Not only was he unable to keep us safe, he might be about to lose his priory. And it was my fault. I felt dreadful for him—for all the good monks here. What would become of them?
I suddenly thought there might be a back way out of the priory. That Mother and I might get safe away and all may yet be right. I ran back to our room and roused Mother. She was heavy with sleep and struggled to waken.
‘Get up, Mother! Cromwell is here. Outside the gates. We need to try and escape.’
I pulled my cloak around me as I spoke. Mother looked as though she could not take in what I was saying. She looked dreadfully ill in the early morning light, with deep shadows, like purple bruises, under her eyes. When she rose from her bed, she was stiff and sore from yesterday’s short ride. She sank back down onto the bed, tears shining in her eyes.
‘I cannot do it, Eleanor,’ she said shakily. ‘We will have to submit. And yet I would rather die than return to Farleigh.’
‘No!’ I cried. ‘I need you. I am also afraid to be dragged back to Farleigh. Do you really think I will go unpunished for helping you escape?’
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