Chapter Five #3
He began to caress the fingers in his warm palm. “I want you to listen very carefully to me. But know this before I begin; I do not lie, and I would certainly never lie to you. What I am about to tell you is total truth and you will accept it as such.”
“Without question.”
He took a deep breath, wondering where to begin. “I did not mean anything I said tonight. We are indeed going to be married, as planned. But I had to do what I did for a very good reason.”
She visibly relaxed. But there was bewilderment coupled with the relief. “I do not understand. Why would you…?”
He put up a hand so silence her. “It would seem that somewhere in the past few years, your uncle has become loyal to Henry Tudor. I do not know how, when or why, but my brother was witness to a very interesting exchange between your manservant and your maid this afternoon. Many things were said. Many treacherous things.”
Her eyes widened. “Jezebel? And Strode? What kinds of things?”
“Evidently, your maid is spying on you,” he told her.
“She reports back to your manservant about what is going on between you and me. She reported to your manservant this afternoon that you and I were to be married at Vespers, whereupon your manservant told her that he must give the information to the Whitewell army so that they would know to attack when the church bells rang.”
Alixandrea was beyond surprised. “Attack whom?”
“Wellesbourne, I would assume.”
She stared at him. Then, she slowly shook her head. “Your brother must be mistaken,” she said softly. “I have known Strode and Jezebel for many years. They are faithful and loyal servants.”
“Aye, but to whom? To you? Or to your uncle? Alixandrea, if your uncle has influenced them, it is no reflection upon you. But it is clear that he is using you for some seditious purpose. What was originally proposed as an alliance now appears to be meant for infiltration. If what my brother heard is correct, and I have no reason to mistrust him, then your uncle means to destroy Wellesbourne.”
Her mouth was hanging open in shock. She was staring at him so intensely that he wasn’t even sure if she understood him. But after a small eternity, she closed her mouth and her eyes. It was almost as if she could not bear to look at him any longer.
“You are certain of this?” she whispered.
“As certain as I can be without discussing it with your servants first-hand.”
“What are you going to do?”
He sighed. Most fighting men were able to remove their emotion from decisions.
Matthew had never been able to do that. Although he had perfect judgment and always went with his instincts, still, there were times when his emotions could cause doubt.
He’d lived all of his life with the fact that he was an emotional man.
“I will do nothing.”
She looked at him. “Nothing?”
He shook his head slowly. “For the moment. I will get to the heart of this subversion in my own time and in my own way. A perfect example was tonight; I told you the things I did so that your maid would go running back to your manservant and report to him. And that’s exactly what she did.”
“How do you know?”
“She left your room very shortly after I did, did she not?”
“She said she was going to get me ale.”
“I can say with a great degree of certainty that she is not in the kitchens right now.”
Alixandrea suddenly understood. She was sickened “She is with Strode?”
He nodded slowly. “Undoubtedly telling him that the wedding has been cancelled.”
The revelations were nearly too much take. Alixandrea suddenly smacked the arm of the chair with an open palm.
“She is spying on me,” she hissed. “How could she do this? I thought she loved me.”
“Who is to say why people do what they do? But now that you know, you must be very guarded with her. What she knows, your manservant knows. And what he knows gets to the army and, more than likely, your uncle and whomever he is allied with. And because you are to be my wife, you will be privy to valuable information. I have the confidence of the king. Your uncle and his allies are more than likely counting on this to serve their cause.”
She was ill with the realization. He made it sound very logical and she could not deny that Jezebel’s behavior, at times, could make her believe this. Suddenly, many things made sense.
“When I was young, when my uncle and your father were in discussions for the marriage contract, I remember there was a man who came to Whitewell often.” She thought back to that time, hazed by the years gone by.
“He was short, with silver hair and pocked skin, and my uncle seemed to cower to him. It was very strange. Although my uncle called him John Law, I heard them talking privately once and my uncle called him Sutton. I did not think anything of it at the time, but now it seems to make sense. They used to discuss politics and marriage endlessly. After the marriage contract was brokered, I never saw the man again.”
Matthew listened to her closely. His expression never changed. “If your recollection is true, then your uncle has been involved with Tudor much longer than I suspected.”
“Why? Do you recognize the man I described?”
“Possibly. Sir John Sutton is a very close ally of Jasper Tudor. He is married to a daughter of Lord Clifford, also another Lancastrian supporter. Did he also walk with a limp?”
“He did.”
“Then it was indeed John Sutton.”
Alixandrea gazed at him, a sense of overwhelming guilt sweeping her. “Then it seems that I have brought something dark and rebellious into the House of Wellesbourne. No wonder my uncle was so eager to marry me into this household.”
His smiled returned and he patted her soft hand. “Had I known what prize I would be acquiring, I would have been equally as eager.”
She looked surprised. “Why would you say that? I have brought doom to your family. You should send me home right away.”
“Are you mad? It would give your uncle the right and opportunity to wage war against me. Besides, I have no intention of sending you anywhere. You belong to me and I intend to keep you.”
“Are you mad?” she softly snapped back. “Do you not understand that something horrible has followed me here? I will not be the cause of your downfall, Matthew. I would rather die.”
He was genuinely touched. He did not know why he should believe her, but he did. Reaching out, he gently touched her cheek.
“Trust me when I tell you that I will not fall,” he said softly.
He did not tell her of Strode’s specific instructions to kill The White Lord; he thought that might be too much information for one night.
“You and I will be married and I will deal with this insurrection from within my ranks. Wellesbourne soldiers are loyal to the core. Four hundred Whitewell men cannot contend with a thousand Wellesbourne men.”
“But what about Jezebel and Strode?”
“I am not nearly as concerned with Strode as I am with your maid. She hears all, sees all. Say only what I tell you to say in front of her and nothing else. You must detach yourself from her. Perhaps if I were to position Caroline in such a way that she would act as your lady in waiting, we can displace your maid so that she will be ineffective. As for your manservant, I will deal with him appropriately.”
“How?”
“When the time is right.”
He seemed decisive and calm about the situation. His manner eased her tremendously. Above all of the bewilderment of the disclosures, Alixandrea realized one thing; she was very glad they were still to be married.
“Thank you for… well, thank you for clarifying things,” she smiled weakly. “When you came in earlier to announce that we would not be wed, I will admit that I was disappointed. I am so glad that it was not the truth.”
His features softened. “I am truly sorry to have caused you any sorrow. But it was necessary.”
“I see that now.”
“I am simply sorry that you seem to be a pawn in something that should not involve you.”
“I have faith that you will guide me through it.”
He kissed her, then. He could not help it. He knew it was not proper and that he needed to get out of the chamber before the maid returned, but he was very glad that things were well again between them. Before the kiss became too heated and he lost control, he pulled himself away.
“Come along, now. My father and brother are waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
He held a hand out to her, pulling her to her feet. “Us, of course. There can be no marriage without a bride and groom.”
Her eyebrows rose. “We are still to be married tonight?”
He led her to the door. “My father and brother brought the priest back from Stratford this afternoon. I’d hate for the man to have come all this way for nothing.”
“But what about my servants?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
The light of excitement began to gleam in her eye. “Of course.”
His smile returned and he took a moment to study her closely. His gaze moved over her face, memorizing every curve, every line. He would do it every night until he could close his eyes and envision her perfectly, this woman he would be married to. He still found it unbelievable.
“I am afraid that I do not have the luxury of infinite time this night,” he said quietly.
“Because of the situation, I will more than likely be up all night watching Whitewell’s army for signs of insurrection.
But have no doubt that this wedding will indeed take place and our time to come to know each other, as husband and wife, will indeed come. ”
Alixandrea’s response was to return his smile.
She frankly had no quick answer; anything she could think of sounded too na?ve or too embarrassing.
It was a surprise conclusion to an evening that had been full of surprises.
With Mark, Caroline and Adam Wellesbourne as witness in Adam’s smelly, cluttered bower, The White Lord of Wellesbourne became husband to the Lady Alixandrea Terrington St. Ave Wellesbourne.
His wife sat up all night, watching him on the ramparts from her small chamber window.
*