Lady of the English - By Elizabeth Chadwick Page 0,149

otherwise she would have fallen.

The castle of Ludgershall belonged to her marshal, and its constable, like its lord, was efficient, and swiftly provided them with food and succour.

“You should lie down, sister,” Reynald said anxiously.

“No!” she said with vehemence. She could not be found lacking. To be a queen and rule men, she had to prove she was as strong as they were.

“At least put your feet up,” Brian urged, gesturing to the padded bench and footstool the servants had brought. “It is no disgrace to rest.” He stooped to plump the cushions himself and she caught the acrid scent of his sweat and saw the dark circles under his eyes. In the dull candlelight, his features were almost cadaverous.

“I must be strong.” Her throat constricted on the words.

“Tomorrow, yes,” Brian said, “but there is nothing you can do for the moment save rest. You have to know when to delegate.” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, and then tucked it under the blanket. “I will return in a moment.” 369

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She watched him leave the room. He was right that each person had their duties, but she should be giving the orders, and by not doing so, she felt a failure. Something was troubling Brian. She could sense it in him, although he was trying to hide it. It was as indelible as those ink stains on his fingers, but more difficult to interpret. And she was tired, so tired.

ttt

Brian climbed to the wall walk with Reynald and the constable and stared into the late dusk. He sought signs of pursuit: camp fires that might speak of an enemy drawing in on them, or torches and lanterns borne by night travellers, but there was nothing, and no sound to be heard beyond the walls but the bleating of sheep and the sough of the wind through the grasses of the Downs.

“We should never have come to Winchester,” Reynald said bitterly. “The bishop lured us into a trap. He wanted us to advance and be destroyed. He besieged the castle to draw us there and then set the fires himself so that he could escape and at the same time signal to the queen.”

“It is easy to be wise after the event,” Brian said.

“But why should he turn his allegiance now?” Reynald asked in bewilderment. “Surely his quarrel with my sister could have been mended.”

“He did it because Waleran de Meulan has yielded to us and gone to Normandy, so at one fell swoop an influence and an enemy is gone from the other court. With Stephen in prison, he can take over and rule England on Maheut’s behalf. Maheut will forget his transgressions and lean on him because of his skills. He has the knack of making expedience look like the common good.” Brian strained his eyes in the darkness and turned to Ludgershall’s constable. “You should post lookouts at every window with two people to a window, one an observer, one a back-up.”

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“Sire, it shall be done.” The knight bowed, and after a hesitation added, “You have no news of my lord FitzGilbert?” Brian shook his head. “No, but he must have succeeded in holding off D’Ypres at Wherwell because we were not caught on the road.”

“There is no sign of my lord though.”

“He would not come here. He would draw the enemy away from the empress, not towards her.” Brian did not add, “If he still lives,” but the unspoken words hung in the air.

“And what of Robert and Miles?” Reynald asked, his eyes straining in the darkness. “They should have been here by now.

And my uncle of Scotland.”

“There are many reasons why they might be delayed,” Brian said, for his own reassurance as much as Reynald’s. “They may have split up because it would be unwise to bring a large number of men here. Ludgershall does not have the same defensive capabilities as Devizes or Oxford. While there are but a few of us divided in many directions, it keeps the enemy guessing and chasing hither and yon.” It also meant they were scattered and ineffectual, but Reynald must know it.

The young man chewed his lip. “The horses will be in no condition to ride on to Devizes tomorrow.”

“We have little choice. The marshal has a few stabled here we can use, but we dare not stay. Ludgershall is not strong enough to hold against Stephen’s wife and D’Ypres.” He bunched his fists on