Page 14 of Linenfold (The Alice Chronicles #4)
‘Then there’s the sacred Obadiah! Everything he does is perfect in my parents’ eyes.
He has money and family, as though that’s enough!
They want me to marry him. It’s been going on for months and it’s like being followed around by a puppy dog.
He is convinced it will all work out, flatly refuses to take No for an answer.
So in the end I went and positively flirted with a completely unsuitable man who has no more intention of seducing me than I have of him, but my parents took fright.
Honestly, Alice, you’d think I was six years old, the fuss they made. ’
‘I suspected there was another side to it. I had a long battle with my parents over their choice which wasn’t mine.’
Juliana brandishes an imaginary sword. ‘But you battled your way through to Henry!’
‘I did.’
‘We are two battling women, Alice! We shall prevail!’
From beneath Alice’s skirts, Sam declares, ‘I’m going to battle with the others when they get here.’ He pokes out his head, wrapping her hem round his neck as he stands up. ‘I’m a lady pirate and they’ll never know it’s me. I’m going to ambush them!’
Unfortunately for Sam’s timing, the three children charge round the house at that moment. Sam bursts into a run still clutching Alice’s skirts and Juliana just manages to grab Alice before she tumbles. Philip and Olivia arrive to find Alice and Juliana clutching each other, weak with laughter.
On the way home, Alice once again keeps Cassie to a walk. Philip moves alongside, mirroring her pace. Alice asks, ‘Can you tell me, who are the two French girls? Your uncle said only that they are a weaver’s daughters and he is conducting them to London.’
‘We took them in at the Paris house. That is, Cranley did. He was there in advance of us to open up the house and prepare the servants. They’re from La Rochelle.’ He looks at her meaningfully.
‘The town that’s under siege?’
‘It was. They were defeated. There’s a Catholic garrison in the castle now.’
‘The townspeople, then, are back under the thumb of the French King. Next thing you know they’ll lose the right to worship freely.’
‘The same as here, except the other way round,’ Philip comments. ‘We Protestants oppress Catholics, the French Catholics oppress Protestants. And we both swear we are not oppressing anyone.’ He reins in his horse, indicates. ‘Is this right? I don’t recall that boarded-up house before.’
‘The lodge? Yes we’re on the right track. The lodge wasn’t visible when we passed it earlier. The fog’s lifting, I think.’
Philip looks up, smiles. ‘Yes, and this time I can actually see the shape of the sun.’
They move on and Alice prompts him. ‘About the two girls, they’re Huguenot?’
‘Oh yes. They travelled to join relations in Paris but when they got there, the relations had been arrested and the servants wouldn’t let them in. Terrified they’d be arrested too, I suppose.’
‘I hope there’s not about to be a repeat of the St Bartholomew’s massacre. My parents told me about that.’ She does not go into detail. It is said that in 1587 the streets of Paris ran with the blood of massacred Huguenots.
‘My uncle is much more knowledgeable on the matter than I am. I admit I thought the Edict of Nantes resolved the issue and granted the Huguenots rights to private worship. It was a surprise to arrive at my uncle’s house and find them in hiding there.’
‘What brought them to your uncle’s house? Why there? Why didn’t they just quietly go back home?’
Philip shakes his head. ‘They were smuggled out of La Rochelle. Things are pretty bad there and their parents feared for them. Fortunately, at their relations’ house, one of the servants whispered to them to try the Hardcastle house before they shut the door in their faces.
By the time the girls knocked on our door Cranley says they were in a piteous state, as you can imagine.
It must be nigh on three hundred miles.’
Carefully, she asks, ‘Your uncle’s secretary has extensive discretion in the household, then, to offer refuge to two strangers?’
‘To be honest, he hasn’t, and Uncle wasn’t best pleased. I think if Cranley hadn’t already taken them in, my uncle would have found somewhere else for them to go.’
‘His Lordship does not support the Huguenot cause?’
‘He supports persecuted minorities, not only Protestants. Uncle was involved in the negotiations for the marriage contract between Henrietta Maria and Charles and was instrumental in gaining a promise of forbearance towards Catholics here in England.’
‘From what I hear, Charles has since banished most of her entourage.’
‘Uncle’s particularly vexed about that,’ Philip says. ‘His Majesty gave his word.’
So much for Charles’s word that barely lasted the honeymoon . ‘And your uncle offered these two stranded ladies passage to London?’
‘By the time we arrived, they’d formed the idea of trying to get to London. Luckily for them they didn’t have to spend long in hiding. We were only in Paris a few days while Uncle transacted some business and we packed up the house and brought them back with us.’
‘Then His Lordship will not be visiting France in the future?’
‘Unlikely,’ Philip says. ‘He only took on the house when he was negotiating. Part of the Queen’s dowry is still in France, but that doesn’t require my uncle to keep the house on.
’ He peers towards Alice as she eases herself in the saddle.
‘Are you quite comfortable, mistress? Do you wish to stop for a rest?’
‘I thank you, sir, but it is only a short way now. I’d rather keep going.’ A thought occurs to her. ‘Where in London do they expect to settle?’
‘There’s a tiny community of Huguenots in Spitalfields just outside the walls. So until things calm down in France, we think that’s the best place these two can go.’
‘They’re shy girls, both of them,’ Alice says, ‘though Honorine is a little more forthcoming.’
‘Strangers in a foreign land. Louise was fearful from the start. Cranley said she wouldn’t even address him. I’ve noticed she keeps her head down all the time.’
‘And they wear that strange cap with the peak, the bongrace . Is that a Huguenot style?’ Alice asks.
Philip shrugs. ‘I’ve seen it here and there in France. I suppose hiding your face is a way of avoiding trouble.’
With a smile, Lord Hardcastle regards the quince tart Alice has just brought to table. ‘That’ll round off supper nicely,’ he says. ‘Ready for your bed already, Cranley?’ as his yawning secretary pushes away his plate.
The secretary’s head jerks up. ‘I beg Your Lordship’s pardon. I confess it has been a tiring day.’
‘Cheer up. Thanks be to God we’ll be back in London tomorrow.’
‘I shall endeavour to cultivate good cheer meanwhile, My Lord,’ the secretary responds in his ponderous way.
‘Not having some of this tart? Off you go, then. I’ve some things to discuss with Philip but we’ll make an early night as well, I suspicion.’
‘Ah, My Lord,’ the secretary says, wagging a playful finger, ‘I doubt not thou candle-wasters will still be up long after I am in the arms of Morpheus.’
Philip chuckles politely. Lord Hardcastle turns to Alice. ‘Mistress Jerrard, do you send one of the Frenchwomen to take water and a towel to Master Cranley’s chamber.’
‘No need, My Lord, I assure you!’ Master Cranley begs, round-eyed.
‘They might as well make themselves useful,’ His Lordship continues. ‘Then tell them they can both go to bed themselves. And the men to their loft if they’ve not already gone.’
‘Indeed, My Lord, and if there is naught else I can do, I shall leave you now,’ Alice says. ‘Your chambers will be warm and there are hot bricks in the beds. By your leave I should like to damp down those fires for the night.’
‘Just do Cranley’s, if you will. Philip will do mine and his.’
‘The fire is lit in the winter parlour when you are ready to remove there, My Lord.’
‘We shall. No need for the little maid to come and tend the fire. Leave us a couple of candles to find our way upstairs. And do you bring some more ale if you will.’
In the kitchen, Mollie has put the bar across the kitchen door.
So His Lordship’s men have gone out to their makeshift beds in the stable loft.
Mollie has damped down the fire and is about to salt and scour the kitchen table.
From the pot room comes the slide of trenchers being stacked and then Louise appears in the doorway.
‘Ah Louise! I am so grateful,’ Alice says, forgetting her French. ‘Thankyou for helping!’ Louise gives a shy smile, perhaps recognising thank you, or just responding to Alice’s tone, her smile.
Her own work is not yet finished. There is the kitchen and servants’ parlour floors to be swept and the house to be secured overnight.
She leans her hand on the table, a wave of fatigue making her momentarily dizzy.
It’s my own fault, she tells herself, I let Maureen go to bed as soon as the cooking was finished and sent inquisitively helpful Rose soon after.
Honorine appears at that moment from the servants’ parlour. Broom in hand, she requests Alice’s approval that the room is tout à fait propre . And is perfectly willing to take water and towel up to Master Cranley’s chamber. These two have earned their beds for the night.
At Honorine’s reappearance, Alice leads them along the dairy passage to the room at the end, its lumber pushed back against the wall and a straw mattress made up into a bed.
Once again, Louise stands with eyes lowered as Alice shows them their quarters and explains to Honorine how they can put the bar across the door.
With the house secured for the night, Alice sends Mollie to bed and carries rushlights and a final flagon of ale to the winter parlour.