‘My lady, I await your instruction. Everything is ready and we can take our leave immediately,’ the steward whispered.
‘Very good, Gilbert—and, yes, we must leave directly. I will go to Brunhilde’s chamber to change.’
‘Where shall I meet you, Lady Eleanor?’
‘Outside the entrance to the undercroft. It grows dark and there will be no one there at this time. Go in haste and please take care, Gilbert.’
‘I will, my lady. See you shortly.’
Eleanor watched her steward leave, then turned on her heel and strode towards the far corner of the wide circular inner bailey, her heart beating fast, reflecting on what she had to achieve this evening before embarking on the journey south with Hugh tomorrow.
She rushed into Brunhilde’s chamber in a disused private solar and set about getting ready. She was glad that she had been able to gift this chamber to her, and another to Gilbert, to show both of them how much they had meant to her when her family had perished. It was the least she could do for her old faithful friends, who had always been more like family to her than servants.
Brunhilde’s chamber was close to the kitchens and the entrance to the undercroft where she would soon meet Gilbert.
Taking off the garments of Lady Eleanor Tallany, she changed into the plain clothing of a castle servant, so that she could pass unnoticed from her maid’s solar to the arranged rendezvous with Gilbert. From there, they would continue outside the castle and beyond, to make the necessary arrangements with the outlaws before she left tomorrow. All this had to be done with breathtaking expediency, so that she would not be missed later by Hugh.
Ah, Hugh...
Her husband was seldom far from her thoughts. She loved spending time with him and, if she was honest with herself, couldn’t wait until the evenings, when they would be alone in the privacy of their solar; playing chess, sharing conversation, laughter and sensuous intimacies. These last few days and nights had been a blissful revelation to her.
She stared blankly at the hearth and warmed her hands near the flames. Yet the ominous words about trust and betrayal that Hugh had uttered on that first night of shared intimacy troubled her greatly. His words tumbled around her head constantly, making her even more determined that he should never find out about her involvement with the outlaws.
She couldn’t bear to think of the consequences—for him to think badly of her and, even worse, for him to believe that yet another woman had hurt him. She cared about him, and enjoyed all the vivid moments they shared. Her feelings had undergone a huge change. Not that she was in love with him...
Besides, Hugh didn’t believe in that.
Eleanor sighed as she pulled a plain grey tunic over her head. Not that she did either.
Brunhilde scuttled into the room, her kirtle rustling in the rushes of the floor, wringing her hands together.
‘Is everything well?’ Eleanor frowned.
‘Yes, my lady. Gilbert is ready and waiting for you. But I wanted to say that it’s not too late to change your mind about leaving the castle. It’s too dangerous to go and come back without getting caught. Please, Lady Eleanor, listen to my warnings.’
Eleanor grasped the older woman’s shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly. ‘I hear your concerns, but I have to make sure that everything is settled with the outlaws. I cannot have a situation similar to when the others were caught.’ She put her hand up to silence Brunhilde, knowing she had more to say. ‘At least Osbert and Godwin are still alive and treated fairly, thanks to Hugh. Come, help me with this cloak, Brunhilde. I must be away.’
Eleanor dragged on a long grey cloak and wrapped it around her as her old maid fiddled with the clasp at the front.
‘Very well—then I will just say that I think you are the bravest person I know, even though I fret over you,’ the old woman said, her eyes filling with tears.
‘Oh, Hildy, I will be fine. I promise.’
‘I will pray to the Blessed Mary to keep you safe.’ Brunhilde crossed herself and turned her rosary beads nervously.
Eleanor kissed her wet cheek and smiled softly. ‘Please don’t worry about me—besides, Gilbert will be with me. Now, don’t forget that if my husband should seek me here you must tell him that he has missed me. But I doubt you’ll need to.’
‘Yes, my lady, as you wish.’
Eleanor pulled the wide hood of the dark cloak over her head, so that once outside she’d be hard to recognise. ‘Good—now I really must be away. Wish me luck.’
‘You are, as always, in my prayers. Godspeed, my lady. I won’t be able to rest until I know you’re back safe and sound.’
Eleanor nodded, giving her hand a squeeze before turning around and walking out of the chamber.
It was going to be a long night, and she would need all the prayers she could get.
Chapter Eleven
Hugh had been aimlessly strolling around the inner bailey since taking his leave of Will, deep in thought about the coming days. It had grown dark as he had absently reached the furthest corner, and he was about to turn back when a movement caught his eye. It was perhaps an animal, or the rustling of leaves from the old oak tree just outside the castle wall. But, no... The patter of feet and the sound of swathes of material flapping in the breeze put him on guard.
A person...?
But who would be roaming this part of the castle at this hour?
His suspicions raised, he moved stealthily and quietly towards the shifting shape, trying to glimpse the figure without alarming it. It was probably nothing—some hapless drunk taking the wrong turn after leaving the tavern in the village keep—but it would be prudent to be certain.
With Le Renard, his outlaws, and the possibility of a traitor here within the Tallany Castle walls, he needed to be careful, and alert to any unusual
