“Do you want me to accompany Lady Isabel?” Ingram asked. “It might be hard for you to get away if the queen is determined to keep you here.”
Isabel had been looking from one to the other as they spoke. She thought about objecting to Ingram’s suggestion, but instead held her breath, waiting for Chetwynd’s answer.
“Thank you for your offer, Ingram, but I have no intention of being separated from Isabel again. We’ll leave together. If you and Jerome stay behind, you can pretend ignorance of our flight and keep your eyes open for further developments.”
Ingram nodded. “Jerome will want to go with you.”
“Convince him we need him here.”
“Where will you go?”
“Home, Ingram. Aquis is located between here and Aachen, and we can reach it quickly. Only my most trusted friends know its location. When you feel it’s safe for you and Jerome to get away, you can seek out Lord Justin and bring him to Aquis. When we are all together and have more information, we can make further plans.”
“Are you sure you won’t need Jerome? It’s not as close as you make it sound.”
“Two people leaving the convent will be less conspicuous than three. You and Jerome can make your presence known and be a distraction. No one will think anything is amiss if Isabel and I don’t appear for the evening meal. We are newly married and about to be separated. If we do this right, no one will know we are gone until morning and we’ll be at my manor by then.”
Hearing that Chetwynd had no intention of leaving her behind, Isabel was glad she had kept her silence. She spoke up for the first time. “What about Marianna? She’ll want to come with me.”
Chetwynd put his arm around her shoulders. “As with Jerome, it’s better if she stays here. We need to move quickly and travel as far as possible before we are missed. Ingram can cover our disappearance for a longer time if Marianna stays here. He will see that nothing happens to her and will bring her with him. Will you trust me in this?”
Although concerned about her maid’s reaction to being left behind, Isabel nodded, and Chetwynd gave a sigh of relief before he turned back to Ingram.
“One more thing. I’ll write a letter for the queen, telling her that upon much consideration I decided it would be best not to wait until morning to seek help from Justin, and to speed delivery of her message, I must leave immediately with Isabel. I’ll point out we must keep our departure a secret to protect the queen from any spies in her party, adding that we can make better time alone, and stressing our desire to serve her quickly. Words to that effect.”
“I’m sure you can make it sound sincere. I almost believe you,” Ingram said with a smile.
“You can delay discovering the letter in my belongings as long as possible. That way when she finds we’re gone, she’ll think we’re on our way to Aachen.”
Isabel’s eyes widened as he spoke of the letter. “Will the queen believe you?” she asked.
Chetwynd shrugged. “I doubt it very much. But she’ll pretend she does to save face.”
“I hope you’re right. How do we get away without being seen?” Isabel asked.
“We’ll leave while everyone is at chapel.”
As Isabel listened to the two men work out the details, she appreciated how well they worked together.
“Shouldn’t we talk to Gilda, Chetwynd?” Isabel asked. “We can enlist her help to ensure that those we leave behind are safe?”
Both men turned to her, and Chetwynd grinned as he embraced her. “Good idea, Isabel. Bring Gilda here immediately, Ingram. We don’t have much time.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
BY THE TIME GILDA AND MARIANNA rushed into the bedchamber, Isabel had tossed together a few necessities for their journey, and Chetwynd had written a letter for the queen. The anxious expressions on the faces of the two women made it clear they knew something was amiss.
“Ingram said you wished to see us,” Gilda said.
Marianna caught sight of the small bag Isabel had packed. “Are we going somewhere, my lady?” she asked.
Isabel took her maid’s hand and drew her to the bench to sit beside her. “Something’s happened, Marianna. The queen wants me to go to Aachen tomorrow morning with some of her guards as escorts. I’m supposed to contact Justin for her, and she wants Chetwynd to stay here. In order to stay together, we decided to leave this evening before anyone can discover we are gone.”
“I can be ready in minutes, my lady,” Marianna assured her.
Isabel looked up at Chetwynd, wondering if he’d changed his mind. He knelt in front of Marianna so he could look into her face.
“We need you to stay here, Marianna,” he said.
Marianna opened her mouth to respond, but Chetwynd continued before she could speak. “Isabel may be in danger, and I must get her away as soon as possible. I need your help. In order to fool people into thinking we are staying in my room, I’d like you to ask that food be prepared for our supper. Pretend we are closeted for the night.”
Marianna’s eyes were wide as she looked from one to the other. “Are you going to Aachen, my lord?”
Chetwynd paused only a minute before trusting Mariana with the information. “I’m taking Isabel to my manor. It’s not far away, and few people know its location. Ingram will bring you there as soon as it is safe.”
“Is it really necessary that I stay behind?”
When Chetwynd nodded, Marianna sighed. Then before he could say another word, she said, “The cooks love to spread tales. I’ll tell them you are surprising Isabel with a private supper, and no one is to disturb you.”
Chetwynd grinned. “Excellent. Thank you.”
Marianna turned to Isabel. “I trust Lord Chetwynd knows best, my lady.” When tears appeared in Isabel’s eyes, she added, “He will take good care of you.”
Gilda, who had been watching the exchange, spoke up. “What
