Lady in Waiting. Anne Herries

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СКАЧАТЬ they will offer you and the young lady shelter and refreshment while their servants assist yours to clear the road.’

      ‘Sir, I shall be delighted to accept your friends’ hospitality, for I declare I am weary of standing here and turning chill.’ Lady Stamford turned to Catherine, beckoning her to follow as Sir Nicholas offered to lead the way. ‘Come along, my dear.’

      Catherine hesitated, feeling oddly reluctant to go with him. She had recognised their rescuer as being the gentleman she had noticed at the inn. He had been in the midst of the rowdy element and laughing as heartily at the discomfiture of the poor players as the rest.

      ‘You do not know him, Aunt,’ she whispered, darting a glance of disapproval at Sir Nicholas’s back. ‘He might be anyone—a villain set to trap unwary travellers. Might it not be better to wait for the baggage coach, which cannot now be long behind us?’

      ‘Nonsense!’ Lady Stamford frowned at her. ‘Sir Nicholas is clearly a gentleman and you should be grateful he came this way and chanced upon us, for in another ten minutes we should have been caught in a downpour.’

      As a steady drizzle had begun to fall, Catherine was unable to contradict her aunt, though she continued to feel doubtful until the house was reached. For who knew what kind of a man he was or where they might find themselves lodged for the night?

      The house was, however, as Sir Nicholas had stated, but a short distance down the road, and proved to be a simple but sturdily built country home of good proportions. One long building had a sloping thatched roof, and ivy growing up its walls; it made no pretension of grandeur but was the home of a gentleman of some substance, glass windows having replaced the older shutters which were still in evidence but permanently nailed back.

      They were welcomed at the front porch by an apple-cheeked housekeeper, who drew them in and clucked over their misfortune, promising to send Jed and Seth with the farm horses to sort the matter out.

      ‘For them fine carriage horses will be frettin’ themselves to a lather by now and nobody be better with horses than our Seth. He’ll see you right and tight, milady—and Seth can mend that pole of yours in a trice.’

      ‘I’ll take our guests into the parlour, Jessie,’ Sir Nicholas said. ‘Will you send in some wine and biscuits in a moment?’

      ‘Aye, that I shall, Master Nicholas. The mistress be always pleased with company.’

      ‘Ladies—this way.’ Sir Nicholas waved them through the rather narrow hall into a large and comfortable parlour. The wooden floor had been recently swept with sweet herbs that cast a delicate fragrance. The main wall had been hung with a fine carpet, and there was a court cupboard at one end set with burnished pewter. An elbow chair was placed to either side of the fireplace, which had a good blaze to welcome them, and there was a Gothic oak settle that looked as if it might have come from a monastery at the time of their dissolution. Stuffed cushions, embroidered possibly by the lady of the house, had been placed against the carved back. Clearly the mistress of this home was accustomed to being indulged, for there were several precious items that showed that her husband had used his wealth to bring pleasure and comfort to his wife.

      ‘Ah, Sister Sarah Middleton,’ Sir Nicholas said, and held out his hands as a young and comely woman came flying towards him. ‘I find you well, I hope?’

      ‘Nick, my darling! At last you come,’ Sarah Middleton cried. ‘I have been expecting you two days and more.’ She turned sparkling dark eyes on Lady Stamford and Catherine. ‘But who have you brought to see me? You said nothing of guests, you wicked one.’

      Her scolding tone was belied by an affectionate smile as she hung on to his arm. She was a pretty, plump woman of perhaps twenty, with soft dark hair that streamed from beneath a cap of fetching lace.

      ‘You must not scold your brother,’ Lady Stamford said, going forward to greet her. ‘For he found us stranded on the road after our carriage unfortunately broke down and took pity on us, which was exceedingly kind of him. I hope we do not trespass on your hospitality too much, ma’am?’

      Sarah’s face glowed as she replied, ‘No, indeed, ma’am, for it is just what I should do myself and Nick knows it. He was perfectly right to bring you here and only just in time.’ The rattle of rain against the small panes of grey glass at the windows was quite fierce. ‘You must not think of leaving this night. Jessie can easily put a hot brick in the best guest room and Nick can spend the night in the nursery.’

      ‘Where my nephew will ensure that I sleep not at all,’ her brother replied. ‘I thank you for your attention to my comfort, Sister, but you are perfectly right to offer shelter to these ladies, and I shall be happy to give up my room for their sakes.’

      His grey eyes seemed to dance with wicked laughter for a moment as they rested on Catherine. Unwilling to be charmed so easily by a man she suspected of being a rogue, she gave him a cold look and saw the sparkle die from his eyes, which became rather serious and thoughtful.

      Catherine’s attention was drawn away by Sarah Middleton, who was insisting that Lady Stamford take the place of honour in the chair to the right of the fire. Rather than take the lady’s own chair, Catherine went to the settle and sat on its hard seat. She was grateful for the cushions at her back after hours of wearisome travel and longed for the familiarity and comfort of her own bedchamber.

      Lady Stamford and Mistress Middleton were talking easily to one another. The introductions made and refreshments brought by the smiling Jessie, they passed on to the topics of the day.

      ‘You may depend that Her blessed Majesty will never be properly secure while the Catholic impostor lives,’ Sarah declared. ‘They do say that wicked plotter Norfolk would marry Mary of Scots if he could, and there is even talk that he planned to have our Queen murdered…’ She looked at her brother appealingly. ‘Have you heard aught of this, Nick?’

      ‘There is much talk,’ Sir Nicholas said. ‘And everything is not yet clear, but fear not, Sarah, while Her Majesty has men like William Cecil about her such plots will always fail. Besides, the Queen likes not to hear criticism of Norfolk and for the moment he escapes the punishment he deserves. I should not let the gossip disturb you, Sister, for I dare say it will all come to nothing in the end.’

      ‘You always make me feel so much better,’ Sarah said and gave a little shiver. ‘I should not want to see another Catholic Queen on the throne of England.’

      ‘Forgive my impetuous sister if she offends.’ Sir Nicholas shot her a warning look. ‘Our family has reason to distrust such a regime, for my father suffered many setbacks and fines while Mary reigned, and was lucky to escape being burned as a heretic—but there are Catholic men I claim as friends.’

      ‘Oh, you need not fear to offend,’ Lady Stamford assured him. ‘Queen Mary of England burned my first husband’s elder brother as a heretic. To see our glorious Elizabeth replaced by a woman brought up amongst the Catholic French would go against all I have been taught to believe. I have heard she is a vain, flighty creature and would cause nothing but harm if she ever came to power. Besides, when I was young I was lady in waiting to Anne Boleyn— God rest her soul! In my eyes her daughter Elizabeth is our true queen and shall always be so; though others may deny her I shall remain loyal.’

      ‘Amen to that,’ Sir Nicholas said. ‘For myself I would see no other than Gloriana on the throne.’ His eyes flicked towards Catherine, sitting silently on the settle. ‘What say you, Mistress Moor?’

      ‘I can only echo your sentiments, sir. I am persuaded you СКАЧАТЬ