Belaset's Daughter - By Feona J Hamilton Page 0,23

sigh as she remembered where she was.

"Good morning, Judith," said Brunetta. "My husband, full of the new day’s energy, wishes to know if you are ready to continue your travels?"

"I am and I must," answered Judith, firmly. "I shall collect my horse and leave you within the hour. Your help will not go unrewarded King Henry must be told as soon as possible."

"You must eat first," said Brunetta. "And Isaac has some plan, which he has worked out, involving all of us leaving together. Come, get dressed and join us for a meal, while we listen to his ideas."

"No, no!" protested Judith. "You’ve done enough I can’t expect you to be more involved than you are. There will be dangers on the road possibly more ambushes, if Earl Simon’s men have somehow learned of my whereabouts..."

"Isaac is a stubborn man, and a clever one," interrupted Brunetta. "Listen to what he says, before you refuse our aid."

"I’ll listen," said Judith. "But I will not necessarily agree."

Brunetta laughed.

"This will be an interesting meal, I can tell!" she said. "Two obstinate people discussing what is best for one of them and that one a woman!"

Judith smiled, but there was a determined gleam in her eye.

"If you can tell me where my clothes might be," she said. "I’ll dress and join you in a few minutes."

Brunetta smiled and opened the door.

"I’ll send Dulcetta to you with your clothes," she promised. She left the room and Judith sat in bed, puzzling over what she could say to dissuade these kind people from putting themselves in such needless peril by travelling with her. She would travel more slowly in a group perhaps she could make the extreme urgency of her mission plain and convince them that they would hinder rather than help her. Or would it be better to start BOSON BOOKS

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Belaset’s Daughter

out with them and then try to leave them behind later? A sudden thought struck her: had she mistaken deceit for kindness? Was Isaac Hanuchin keeping her safe because he had already sent a message himself to Earl Simon? She shook herself and pushed the thought away. Why should any Jew be on de Montfort’s side? The idea was too ludicrous to conemplate.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a timid knock on the door and the entrance of Dulcetta. Over her arms there lay Judith’s clothes, all carefully cleaned. Judith got out of the bed and stretched out her hands to take the clothes from her, but the little maidservant shook her head and held fast.

"My lady wishes me to help you dress," she explained shyly, giving the little bob that Judith had seen before.

"Do you know how to dress someone in men’s clothes?" said Judith, repressing a smile.

The maid thought for a moment.

"It cannot be too different," she said. "Here is a tunic, like a short robe but these puzzle me."

She held up the hose.

"They go on first see!" said Judith, taking them from her and sitting down to draw them on. She stood up again and took the tunic from Dulcetta.

"Now the tunic and I am dressed!" she said.

Under Dulcetta’s wondering gaze, she crossed the room and splashed water on her face and hands. Its coldness swept away any remaining sleepiness and she dried herself on a rough cloth, feeling invigorated and fully restored.

She reached the parlour in which they had sat the night before just as another servant brought in a platter of bread and some thin red wine. Isaac and Brunetta were already there, seated at their ease at the table. Brunetta rose and crossed the room, to greet her with a warm hug, then led her to the table, and a chair on Isaac’s left. Judith stood beside it and returned Isaac’s smile as he rose. He bowed his head and recited the grace before meals and the two women murmured their amens before sitting again and beginning to eat.

They ate in silence for a minute or two, then Isaac cleared his throat.

"I have arranged for the horses to be hitched to the wagon and all to be made ready," he said. "We will all go together on a trip to the coast. The Baie de la Somme is the nearest place from which you may cross La Manche."

Judith opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand and continued.

"You think it would be better if you were alone," he said. "But think how far would you get on your own, in strange country, and with no idea