Chapter 50

"Blasted rain", grumbled the driver, as he drove the carriage to the front of the castle to retrieve his passengers. Although he did have the luxury of a canopy over his head, he was still drenched from the downpour that had gone on almost the whole day. Edward and Robert had been in the London Castle for most of the day meeting with Prince John and his advisors. Elizabeth awaited them in the dry, but damp interior of the cart. She had been successful in her shopping and was anxious to arrive home. As the gentlemen entered the carriage, they were a bit wet with water dripping off their hats as they removed them from their heads.

"Good evening, Mary Katherine", greeted Edward as they entered.

"Sorry, my dear", said Robert as he excused himself and his companion for the wetness.

"Tis all right, darling", she said sweetly as she accepted a kiss on her cheek from her wet husband. "From the looks of you both, it has been a long day."

Sighing, Edward nodded and simply stated, "Indeed."

Robert added, "With King Richard preparing to leave for the Holy Land, Prince John has been given reign in his absence."

"That is to be expected" reasoned his wife.

Edward piped back in with, "Yes, but the changes he will make. I believe it will be a long, difficult reign."

"How do you mean?"

"Taxes. They will be going up. Prince John says that the extra money will be helping to fund the crusade. Funds will be sent to the King. Also, along with this, everyone will have to begin sacrificing portions of their grain and any other food sources to send to the soldiers. There will be no one not expected to participate."

"Well, I can certainly see the need to support the effort. However, this will place a hardship on some of the villages."

"As sheriff, I will be expected to enforce the collections of the taxes and food. Anyone who resists will be punished."

"Oh, dear."

"When will this all begin?"

"We have been ordered to keep everything as is until Richard leaves for the Holy Land. We will then receive a decree from the prince to make the proclamation. We aren't even to speak of it at all to anyone. So, please, Mary Katherine, if you do not mind…….it would be best for all if we do not speak of this."

Before she was able to answer, the wheels on the cart hit some large bumps and roughly shuffled the three passengers inside. Edward moved the curtain and stuck his head out to window to see what was going on. "Rodney, is everything all right?" he asked the driver.

"I'm afraid all this rain has made the roadway very bumpy, Sir. Some rocks have fallen and it is a very unstable road. Very muddy and slick, Sir."

"I see. We will brace ourselves better", he responded as he stuck his back inside and closed the curtain. "It may be a bumpy ride home" he snickered.

The ride continued as the rain fell. The thunder roared and lightning bolted across the sky. The three riders were trying to rest through the noisy storm. If there had been anywhere to stop until the storm settled, they would have. But, as it was, they were not near any towns. They would just have to weather it out until they arrived home.

All of a sudden, the carriage bolted and they were all awakened. They could feel the wheels slipping in the wet mud and barely made out the driver trying to calm the horses. The wheels seemed to not be moving in a straight line, but as if there was no one controlling their direction. The carriage began to pitch to the left and then it felt out of control. Elizabeth screamed as the wheels slid out of control and the small coach careened off the roadway and fell down a steep embankment. It did not stop until it crashed on the ground below. Afterwards, all that could be heard was the crashing thunder heading off in the distance.