Lady of the English - By Elizabeth Chadwick Page 0,158
think she was mad, but then bowed and went to give the order.
As servants returned from turfing out the contents from various coffers and garderobes, Matilda studied their finds.
“The undyed blankets can be made into mantles by cutting a head hole,” she said. “These sheets will make good hoods.” Matilda and her women set to with a will while the escape plans were discussed. She chose Alexander de Bohun, Hugh Plucknett, and two other strong knights to accompany her, together with Ralph le Robeur who was one of her messengers. He had been born in Oxford, knew the roads and pathways well, and would see them safely to Wallingford.
“We should go by way of Abingdon,” he said. “That’s about six miles all told. We can stop at the priory to warm ourselves and borrow horses.”
Matilda agreed with him. She knew Abbot Ingulph well.
He would succour them in the name of God. With each stitch she took, her determination solidified. Better to die of cold and exhaustion than yield.
She gave orders to relax the food rationing and told the cooks to boil up full portions for everyone, and to broach the last barrels of wine. As the dim winter afternoon darkened into dusk, everyone sat down to make a feast of the last of the stockfish, onions, and barley, augmented with plenty of pepper from the spice cupboard to add increased heat. Matilda was not hungry, but forced down her portion, knowing this was her last 392
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meal before she went out into the biting cold. She tried not to think about what was to come, but her mind was locked on to a treadmill and she kept returning to the same place time and again. There was a postern door she could go out of, but it attracted too much scrutiny from Stephen’s guards. The more dangerous way physically, but which held much less chance of being seen, involved climbing down from the window of the domestic chambers by rope.
Her women dressed her in men’s woollen hose and three layers of gowns. One of the garrison donated his spare gambeson to her because of its stuffed, quilted warmth. Her ankle boots were lined with unwashed sheepskins, and the outers were slathered in rancid goose grease to try and water-proof them. Once clad in their white sheets and blankets the travellers resembled shapeless, living mounds of snow. One of the knights carried a stout rope, another a lantern, although it would be kept unlit so close to Oxford. Besides, there would be cold blue snowlight by which to navigate.
“It is snowing again,” said Ralph le Robeur as he and Hugh Plucknett secured a stout rope around the central mullion of the window arch.
Matilda peered out at the white flakes dancing in the dark blue. “The better to hide us,” she said, but inside she was quaking with terror. I am going to die, kept running through her head. “In God’s name, let us be about our business,” she said harshly.
Ralph dropped the rope out of the window and slithered after it like an eel over a weir. He made it look so easy. Hand over hand down the knots. Fluid filled her mouth. Alexander de Bohun followed, more bulky and less agile than the messenger. His sword chape scraped on the sill with a loud rasp and she could hear him panting with effort. She began to shake her head, to say no, she could not do this thing; but still her feet carried her forwards and Hugh lifted her up. “Hold 393
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tightly,” he said. “Let yourself down slowly and they will catch you. Have courage.” She felt the gritty stone beneath her feet and the fierce grip of the rope under her hands. The bite of the wind. The frozen air burning in her nostrils. The soft white touch of snow on her face like the wing feathers of a plucked angel. Inside she was screaming in terror, but her jaws were locked and the sound stayed in her chest and throat as a solid ball of pain. She closed her eyes, committed her soul to God, and started down the wall, hand over hand, legs sliding down the rope. Dear Christ, dear Holy Virgin. Her arms burned with the effort of holding on and bearing her weight as she swung in the blackness.
Suddenly hands gripped her thighs and steadied her, and for a brief moment she was clasped breast to