The Rose Of The World Part 14

Josse grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, quite hard. 'You are not; only to we who know and love you,' he said harshly. 'And don't you ever, ever, speak of giving yourself up!'

Ninian wriggled free, wincing. 'I was only joking,' he muttered.

'Then don't,' Josse replied shortly. 'It isn't funny.'

There was a pause. 'I'm going abroad,' Ninian said.

'Aye, I know,' Josse said heavily. Then, for he was finding this unendurable, he made for the entrance and crouched down, preparing to crawl out. 'Wait here,' he said. 'Don't leave your hiding place. There will be search parties, although they're going to concentrate on the main roads to begin with. We ought to have today, at least.' He looked back at Ninian. 'I'll be back as soon as I can.' Then he hurried away.

Back at the House in the Woods, Tilly had food on the table and the household were sitting down to eat. Meggie rushed to Josse as he came into the hall, Little Helewise hard on her heels. 'Have you found him?' Meggie cried, at the same moment as Little Helewise said, 'Is he all right?'

'I have, and he is.' He smiled at them. 'You guessed, then, where I'd gone.'

'It wasn't difficult,' Meggie replied.

Helewise got up and came to take his hand. 'He is not hurt?'

Josse looked round at the circle of anxious faces. Little Helewise was pale, biting her lip. Geoffroi was frowning, as he often did when his emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

'He is unharmed and safe,' Josse said. 'Safe for now, anyway, although there is no time to waste. If we are quick, there is time, for those who wish to do so, to go and see him and see him on his way.'

Helewise squeezed his hand. He glanced at her and saw there were tears in her eyes. 'He'll be all right!' Josse said heartily, with a confidence he was far from feeling. 'He's resourceful and brave. If anyone can get away to safety, it's Ninian.'

'Where will he go?' Little Helewise asked in a whisper. She caught his eye and twisted her mouth in a brave smile.

Josse looked at her, compa.s.sion filling his heart. 'He'll have to get out of England,' he said gently. 'The king's reach is long.' He had a plan, which presently he would suggest to Ninian, but for now he thought he should keep it to himself.

'When how long will he have to stay away?' Little Helewise said.

Josse sighed. 'I don't know.' Then, overcome with helpless fury, he added bitterly, 'Until the king either forgets him or dies, I expect.'

There came the sound he had been unconsciously listening out for and dreading to hear: a horse's hooves clattering into the yard and Will's voice raised in greeting. 'Sit down, all of you,' he hissed, pushing Meggie and Helewise before him and flinging himself down into his chair. 'We're an ordinary family having breakfast. We're very worried about one of our loved ones, but we have no idea where he is or what he plans to do!' He looked round at them all. They were too pale, too anxious. 'Eat!' he said in an urgent whisper. 'Go on, eat, curse you all!'

He regretted his furious words as soon as they were out of his mouth. It was too late to apologize he could hear Will's heavy tread outside as he ushered their visitor up the steps to the hall but hurriedly he glanced at everyone round the table, begging their forgiveness with his eyes.

The door opened.

Will said, 'Sir Josse, the sheriff's here.'

Josse turned to see Gervase de Gifford walking towards him.

Gervase studied them all. Turning to Josse, he said, 'A word in private, if I may.'

Josse got to his feet and hurried over to him, taking his arm and walking with him out of the hall and back down the steps, crossing the open ground in front of the house until they were on the edge of the surrounding trees. Stopping, he turned to Gervase. 'n.o.body will hear us out here.' He studied the sheriff's grave face. 'What is it?'

'Josse, I should not be here. Certainly, I should not have come on the mission that has brought me to you.' He paused.

'You have a conflict of duty,' Josse said quietly. 'I understand.'

'Do you?' Gervase's light eyes were intent. 'I'm not sure you do. Ninian attacked the king and Olivier de Brionne, and they are saying he killed Olivier's brother. The king has given me a direct order find the madman who fought him by the chapel and bring him to justice and the penalty for disobedience will be terrible and swiftly demanded.' He pa.s.sed a hand over his face. 'My family Sabin and the children may suffer too, I cannot say.'

'You don't have to-' Josse began.

'I don't have to help you?' Gervase snapped. 'Oh, Josse, but I do. You are my oldest friend, we have endured much together and each has put his trust in the other. You saved my life, and I told you then that you had made a lifelong friend. Such things make bonds that do not fade away when trouble comes. Besides, I-' Whatever he had been about to add, he bit back.

Josse bowed his head. 'n.o.body here will say a word concerning this visit,' he muttered.

'I know,' Gervase replied. He paused, cleared his throat and then said, 'Josse, Ninian must leave England today. I can postpone a search of the forest, for we are first going to concentrate on the main roads and tracks where a fleeing man can move swiftly, but only until tomorrow. Wherever Ninian is and I don't want to know,' he added quickly as Josse opened his mouth, 'get him right away from here.'

'Aye, I will, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for a day's grace,' Josse said. 'Everything is prepared. His horse stands fed and watered and loaded in the stable, and the bag I have packed lies ready on the floor. As soon as we've said our goodbyes, Ninian will be off.'

Gervase nodded. 'Excellent.' He hesitated, eyeing Josse and then quickly looking away. 'I er, have a suggestion,' he said tentatively, 'if you would hear it?'

'I would,' Josse answered.

In that moment of desperate urgency, it struck Josse that Gervase was strangely reluctant to speak. He was about to press him this was no time to be so sensitive and tactful! when Gervase seemed to jerk himself out of his reverie.

To Josse's surprise, for there was n.o.body near, Gervase leaned close and, speaking right in his ear, whispered to him. He spoke for some moments, and Josse's eyes widened as he listened.

'I had forgotten,' Josse said when Gervase had finished. 'You did tell me, years ago, but it had slipped my mind.' Then, his eyes on Gervase, he said anxiously, 'I pray it will not come to that!'

Gervase shrugged. 'The king's reach is long,' he murmured. 'Tell Ninian he must-' He stopped. 'Tell him to bear it in mind.'

'Aye, that I will, and thank you.'

Gervase looked hurriedly away. Then, glancing up at the sun, he muttered, 'I must go.'

He had turned aside, but Josse caught his arm and held him back. He fumbled for Gervase's hand and they clasped, palm to wrist. Then Gervase hurried off back towards the house, and very soon Josse saw him emerge from the stable yard. Putting spurs to his horse, Gervase raced away.

In the end, only Little Helewise and Meggie went with Josse to say farewell. Geoffroi begged to be allowed to go, but Josse, knowing how painful it was going to be, gently forbad it. 'Stay here with me,' Helewise said softly to the boy. 'I need someone to cheer me up, and there's n.o.body like you for doing that.'

Catching Josse's eye, she said, 'Give Ninian my love. Tell him I shall keep him in my prayers and my heart until we meet again.'

They went on foot, leading Garnet. The various bundles that Josse had prepared were all now securely fastened, and Tilly had added a linen square in which she had tied some of her freshly-baked honey cakes. If love could protect Ninian, Josse reflected as they walked in silence beneath the trees, then he would leave his homeland in the best armour in the world.

Ninian was waiting for them in the little valley. The hiding place was once more concealed behind the thorn bush; Josse wondered absently how long it would be before it was used again. If it ever was . . .

He could barely cope with his sorrow. Taking refuge in being brisk and efficient, he showed Ninian what had been prepared for him and, waving aside the young man's thanks, said, 'Now, once you're safely across the narrow seas, remember that you have kin there and go-'

He had not expected Ninian's reaction. His face mottled with fury, he said, 'They are not my kin! My mother hated that terrible old man they made her marry, and I would not seek them out even if they were all that stood between me and the gallows!'

There was a gasp of horror, from Meggie or Little Helewise; Josse did not know. He realized his mistake. 'Ninian,' he said quietly, 'I do not refer to the family of Thorald de Lehon. I would never make such a suggestion to you, knowing even better than you how your mother loathed the lot of them.'

Only slightly mollified, Ninian said, 'Who, then?'

'I meant the d'Acquins,' Josse said. 'My brothers Yves, Patrice, Honore and Acelin, and their families. They are all at Acquin, and it is not very far from the coast. They will take you in and care for you.' He paused, collecting his thoughts. It was a long time since he had seen his family he did not even know if all his brothers were still alive and now, in that moment full of painful emotions, he felt another one: regret that he had not made the time to visit them. With an effort, he brushed the thought aside. Yves and the others would help Ninian; that was all that mattered now.

He realized Ninian was watching him closely. 'What is it?'

Ninian smiled. 'They are not really my kin, Josse,' he said gently. 'I'm only your adopted son, remember?'

Josse waved a hand, momentarily unable to speak. He had quite forgotten. He drew Ninian to him, taking him in his arms. Very quietly, he said, 'There is somewhere else, too.' And he told Ninian what Gervase had said.

He hugged the young man once more, then let him go. He strode away to the edge of the valley and turned his back. He heard Meggie's soft voice, speaking some urgent reminder to her half brother. Then she came to stand beside him.

For rather longer, he listened to the quiet sobbing of Little Helewise and the gentle tones of Ninian as he tried to comfort her.

Finally, she, too, came to join them.

They all turned and saw Ninian, already mounted on Garnet, one hand raised in farewell. He put his heels to Garnet's sides, and the horse went up the slope out of the valley. For a few moments they heard the thud of his hooves as Ninian kicked him first to a canter and then, as the trees thinned, to a gallop. Then the sounds faded and they heard no more.

Speed him on his way and let him find a safe haven, Josse prayed. He thought he was praying to G.o.d, but suddenly an image of Joanna flashed before his eyes. He's your boy, he reminded her, as if she needed reminding. You make sure he's all right.

There was no answer.

On either side of him, Meggie and Little Helewise each took one of his hands. Together, not speaking, they went home.

THIRTEEN.

Helewise had been praying. She wished she could go through the forest to St Edmund's Chapel, for it was a place very dear to her heart and she felt that G.o.d's presence was very close there. Something to do with its simplicity, she often thought, and also with its air of slight detachment, situated as it was above and apart from the hectic bustle of the abbey. It ought to have been locked up, of course. That was what the interdict meant to the ordinary people. They had few comforts in their hard lives, and now, just because two great men of power had squabbled like a couple of small boys each determined to have their own way, even the solace of the church's services had been taken away.

Somehow, the chapel seemed to have been overlooked. And, besides, there was no lock on its door.

She could not go there now. She had seen Josse's face as he left to say goodbye to Ninian. He would have to support Meggie and Little Helewise all the way home, and he would need some support himself by the time he got back. So she went out into the woods, following one of her favourite tracks deep beneath the trees to a private place she had discovered. An ancient oak had fallen a year or so back, and the sudden absence of its huge crown had allowed the sun into a place of darkness. The glade always appeared full of light, even on a dim day, because of the contrast to the surrounding shadowy gloom.

She knelt on the mossy ground and prayed, for Ninian and for those left behind who would miss him so much. She stayed there on her knees for some time and, when eventually she got up and returned to the house, she felt as if she had a strong, silent ally to help her face the difficult times ahead.

As she walked back along the path, something occurred to her. She stopped in surprise why on earth hadn't they thought of it before? and then carefully studied the idea. Was it right? Was it practicable? She thought it was.

Hurrying, eager now to speak to Josse, she picked up her pace and strode home.

They were back. She could hear someone sobbing: it was her granddaughter. Of all of them, this was perhaps hardest for Little Helewise, she reflected, for the child was young still, deeply in love and, until this dreadful business, had happily expected to marry the man she loved as soon as the church was permitted to perform the service. Now Ninian had gone, out of her loving arms for an indefinite time.

We must keep her occupied, Helewise thought. Misery was far worse if not distracted. Suddenly, she heard Meggie's voice, quite close. 'Come with me, young lady,' she was saying firmly. 'I have been absent from my work for far too long, and I must go over to the hut and prepare more cough syrup, for my supplies are all used up. I need another pair of hands, and yours will do admirably.'

Helewise smiled. Meggie, clearly, had had the same thought.

She stood in the doorway and watched the two young women walk across the yard and off on the path through the woods. Then she went to find Josse.

He was out in the stables. He had been grooming Alfred Will had pa.s.sed her in the yard, muttering under his breath about the master doing the man's work but now he was just standing there, a curry comb in one hand and strands of Alfred's luxuriant tail in the other. Alfred stood half asleep, languidly munching on a mouthful of hay.

She went up to Josse and, as he heard her footsteps, he turned to see who it was. The misery in his face briefly lifted. Then he said, 'He's gone,' and she thought he might break down.

'It was the only thing to do,' she said fervently. 'We have no guarantee that he would receive any trial at all, never mind a fair one, for the king is capricious and surrounded by ruthless men elbowing each other out of the way as they strive for the king's favour. Even if King John wished to act in accordance with the law, who can say that one of his close circle might not take matters into his own hands?'

'Like the king's father and Archbishop Becket,' Josse murmured.

'Exactly! This way, we are robbed of Ninian for a time, but not for ever.'

He looked down at his hands, twisting a strand of Alfred's tail this way and that. 'How can you be sure it's not for ever?' he asked.

She hesitated, mentally arranging her words. She had to convince him. Then she said, 'Josse, you said earlier that Ninian couldn't come back till the king either forgot or died. There is another alternative: find out the truth about how Hugh de Brionne died, and try to prove that, up by the chapel, Ninian acted in self-defence, having no idea that one of the men he was fighting was the king.'

Apart from the grinding of Alfred's big teeth, there was silence in the stable. She thought she had failed. She fully expected him to give a scathing reply, such as: and just how am I to work this miracle?

He didn't. He reached for her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it. Then, his voice gruff with emotion, he said, 'We have worked our way through such insurmountable obstacles before, you and I, have we not? Shall we do so once more?'

She smiled, blinking back her tears. 'I was hoping you would say that.' They stood for a moment, not speaking, and she imagined he was taking strength from her just as she was from him.

Finally, she stepped away. 'If you've quite finished with that horse's tail,' she said, making her tone brisk, 'then let us go into the hall and work out exactly what we are going to do.'

They sat opposite each other at the big table in the hall. At some time Tilly must have brought food and drink, but Helewise only noticed when she found herself absently reaching out for bread and cheese. She was concentrating deeply, and she knew Josse was too.

'So, let us go through how we see the sequence of events,' Josse finally said.

Helewise had stylus, ink and sc.r.a.ps of parchment; she had been making notes, but they were in random order, and now she prepared to make a fair copy. 'Rosamund was taken by Olivier de Brionne,' she said, writing as she spoke, 'acting according to a plan devised by his brother, Hugh, that was designed to please the king by presenting him with a young woman.' Josse made an explosive noise. 'Don't say it,' she said. 'I know. Olivier takes Rosamund with him on his horse, and they set out westwards, making for the hunting lodge on the Ashdown Forest, where Ninian and Meggie tracked them. According to Olivier, Hugh was meant to be there too, but for some reason he did not turn up. We now know that he died during the time that Olivier and Rosamund were travelling between this house and the hunting lodge.'

Josse was gazing into the distance. 'Mm.'

When he did not continue, she prompted him. 'Well?'

'I was thinking. I believed Ninian could have been involved in Hugh's death because we all knew how desperately he wanted to find Rosamund and bring her back, and he was not with any of us at the time Hugh disappeared. He had not even joined up with Meggie then.' He fell silent.

'And now? What do you believe now?'

He buried his face in his hands. 'In truth, I do not know. Ninian gave me his word that he is no murderer, and I have no doubt that he spoke the truth. However, what I fear is that he was careful in his choice of words. We know that Hugh de Brionne was in a fight, for he had bruises on his face and knuckles, indicating that he fought back. Supposing Ninian caught him, found out somehow that he was involved in the abduction of Rosamund, and demanded that Hugh tell him where she was? It seems quite logical that a fight would break out, and possible that Hugh's death was in fact an accident, caused by his falling over backwards.'

Slowly, she nodded. 'If that's how it happened, then Ninian would indeed have spoken true when he said he was no murderer,' she muttered. 'But Josse, would he not have told you if that was how it was?'

Josse removed his hands, and she saw his haggard face. 'That's the question I can't answer,' he admitted.

'Did he have marks similar to Hugh's on his knuckles?' she asked. 'I know he had no bruising to his face, or at least none that I saw.'

'I saw none either,' he agreed. 'But Ninian is very useful in a sc.r.a.p. Those years he spent as a squire in Sir Walter Asham's household served him well, and I don't reckon many men could easily land a punch on his face. I did not, however, think to look at his hands.'

It was too late now. She did not say so. Josse's mood had lifted marginally since they had set to work on the challenge of finding out the truth, and she did not want to remind him of Ninian's absence.

He was watching her. 'What now?'

She was ready for the question. She completed the note she was making and then folded her hands and said, 'I have two suggestions. We know that Hugh died while Rosamund was being taken by Olivier to the hunting lodge. I appreciate that it's unlikely, but I think we should ask her if she noticed anyone else on the road or lurking around. If Ninian is not responsible for Hugh's death, then someone else is.'

'Aye, that's sound,' he said. 'Your other suggestion?'