Aside from Heaven
Chapter 4T
Catch the wind and sail upon her waters
April 1338
Life returned to an uneasy normalness; meaning everything and everyone acted as if everything was normal and knowing it wasn't. William was uneasy, because he knew the ax would fall, but the question was when. Summer passed to fall, the fall gave a great harvest, winter was bleak and cold, William passing much time staring out the great leaded windows, spring arriving with the rain.
His worry bore fruit in the middle of the night-
Why? Why do messengers bearing ill news, come in the middle of the night? Do they not keep daylight hours?
-when hooves, running feet about the home, and his spy within The Tower, Adam deGlasson arrived, sweating and spooked, riding hard in the night.
"He is sending Hubert Artes with several armed men." William met Adam in the foyer of his keep. "It is his intention to bring Lady FitzGisborne and your daughters with you to The Tower to force your compliance to come immediately."
"How far behind-"
"Thirty minutes, at best! I've barely stayed ahead! Thank Jesu I realized there was activity in the King's chamber and I was able to hear in the servant's passage!"
Hubert was Edward's personal messenger, one with the reputation of a strong arm, a bad temper, and forcing his will on unwilling subjects. That he was bringing armed men with him, caused the Wolf of Nottingham to reason that Edward expected his knight to be unwilling and to produce him bruised and tied if necessary. William turned to the knight beside him. "Sydde, rouse Rosella, the nursemaid and have her awaken Lady FitzGisborne. She is to pack and have the girls ready to flee in ten minutes. Tell her do not take much; someone will bring more provisions and clothing in a few days. Bring her down the servants stairs to the kitchen and then hie them to Ripley's. There is a cottage in the gardens that will suffice for now. Hurry!" As the man turned, he grabbed his arm. "Take Adam's horse with you. They will look in the stable for any warning I have had and a sweaty horse will give it away." He waited until the guard ran up the stairs, before turning his head to his agent. "Any thought about what has the king up in arms?"
"From what I could hear through the servant's passage, he received a missive about a relative in Europe and he wishes for you to confirm it."
Ah. Old Ned.
Vivienne was most put out. Phillipa was fussy that evening; the babe was teething and biting. Sibilla had fought going to bed; both girls had just fallen asleep. There were raised voices from the upper chambers and William was hard pressed not to go up the stairs and bellow his way around his women. Instead, he met them coming down to the kitchens. He pulled Vivienne into a quick embrace.
"The king is in a fury and will be demanding my presence shortly. It is his intention to bring you and the little ones to The Tower as hostages to force my hand." Vivienne gasped at that. "I will not have it. You are to go to Ripley's and stay there. I will send Adam with you to explain why I do not have time to write a note. The Mother Superior knows him and will understand."
I hope
"William-"
He pulled her close and hugged her tight, willing himself to remember her scent and the feel of her. "I will be back. It might be a week, it might be a few months. But I will be back and when I return," he nodded to the nurse and knight, carrying his sleeping daughters out the back door towards the stables, "I will plant another one of those in your belly!" He kissed her hard and then pointed her towards the door. "I will return! I will send word when I can! I promise! Leave. Now. I do not want the king's men to find you here."
He turned back to Adam. "In the morning, as soon as you've received word I have been taken, go to Hugh and have him send a man to Fulks. Satan's Balls, go as soon as you have settled Vivienne and the girls! Tell him I will need a man sent to Dover to wait for my arrival. We will need a quick, private boat that will out run the king, if necessary. A smuggler would be perfect. I will pay very well, not only for passage, but for his silence, so have him give you a small bag of coins, none of them large that will attract attention. I will need a man on the docks of the Thames in London, ready to leave the moment I arrive and I will need a man waiting for me when I arrive in Calais and I will need a messenger sent to Gui. Send Robert deGlasson. Tell him to prepare for word of my arrival n Calais and to have Ned ready to move. Tell him to threaten to kill him if he balks."
"My lord," the man's face drained of blood. "Do you not wish the man to be alive?"
"Oh, I know Ned." William's smile was evil and reminiscent of an ancestor everyone thought long dead. "He will do anything to live."
Adam nodded. "I am to go with the Lady Vivienne, explain to the Mother Superior that she and the children are in hiding, go to Hugh and have him send for Fulks to tell him what has happened, and then arrange for a man and a boat on the Thames in London, a man and a smuggler in Dover, send a man to await your arrival in Calais, and send my father to your cousin in Aigues-Mortes to prepare Edward to move. And then I return to my post in the back halls of The Tower."
William turned to the man. The Black Knight remembered the gangly boy kneeling before him, years ago, pledging his life to him. Now, his hairline was beginning to recede and William noticed some grey in his crown. "Would you like to come home when this is over?"
Adam's breath hitched. "Oh, my lordship, yes. My wife and I tire of court!"
William nodded. "So it will be. You will return to Nottingham with me, I promise." He patted him on the shoulder. "You have been a faithful servant. I will make sure you are compensated and rewarded well." He wagged a finger. "You might hate me before this is over."
With that, he sent the man out the back door and then went back upstairs to wait on the arrival of a soon to be disappointed messenger.
~~~...~~~
Edward looked about the room, as William was unceremoniously plopped down in a chair, most ungently. "Just Lord William? Surely, you brought his...lady...and children with him?"
"He says," Hubert sounded as if he had a cold. For not the first time, he checked to make sure Lord William hadn't broken his nose, when he raised his fist to the insolent man. One of his own men was still cradling his arm, where more than likely, the old lord had broken it. Really, who would have thought a man of Lord William's age could still fight like a young one? Hubert wished the man had put up more of a fight about coming to London, so he could have had an excuse to have beaten him properly. "He says, he and his lady wife had an argument and she left with the girls. He does not know where she is or when or if she will return."
Edward blinked. "Really, William? You defied me to stay with her."
"She's married to me, my liege. I am not an easy man." He shrugged elegantly. "She will calm down eventually and come home." He stood up, jerking away from restraining hands, and poured himself a glass of wine. "She will spend money where ever it is she has gone and parade about in her new garments and jewelry and I will allow it."
Edward snorted. Phillipa was a known spend-thrift and Edward could deny her nothing. "'Tis unfortunate. I wish for you to go on a trip that will keep you occupied for a few months and I had hoped my man would bring your lover-"
"Wife."
"-and children here and she could keep Phillipa company. You would know they were safe and Phillipa wanted to meet her little namesake."
Aha. So that was the excuse you were going to use, Edward. You're too easy to read.
"All you had to do was ask." He nodded at Hubert and his men-at-arms. "Never before have you or your father felt the need to send common thugs to fetch me." Both Hubert and his men drew up angrily at the insult. "A messenger and a sealed missive has always sufficed."
"Sire!"
"The king waved his messenger away. "Leave us and take your man to my healer."
"Sire, he broke my man's arm!"
"No doubt because he attempted to strong arm Lord FitzGisborne. Did he give you a difficult time in coming?"
Hubert was sullen. "No."
William snorted at that. No, he hadn't given them a difficult time, but he made sure the trip took longer than anticipated. He wanted to give Adam time to run his errands and beat them back to London.
"Then you should not have upset Lord William." He stepped forward and whispered theatrically. "He could have killed all four of you and no one would have been the wiser."
Hubert stared angrily over the king's shoulder at the Lord of FitzGisborne, who gave him an evil smirk. With a growl, the man turned on his heel and motioning to his own men, stormed from the room.
Both watched as the door slammed.
"I could have easily killed two of them without anyone knowing. Sadly, I believe you would have missed all four." William made a moue. "Even I am not that good."
Edward's chuckle started low, before exploding in hysterical laughter. It took a moment for him to calm himself. "Please tell me she isn't alone."
"Oh no, she took several of my retainers with her." William sounded rather happy about the entire event. Of course, it was a lie...
Edward stared at his man for a moment. "You caught wind Hubert was coming and you sent them away."
William rolled his eyes. "Sire, if you were in my shoes, what would you have done?"
The king barked in laughter. "I would have sent them away!" Quickly, his tone changed and his voice dropped. "I suppose you are wondering why I had you brought here." He reached for William's empty goblet and filled it, William watching very closely to make sure it wasn't drugged. He himself had drugged Hubert and his men's wine late in the night when they arrived at his home. During their forced slumber, he had gotten much done, preparing messages and sending them to his sons and his wife. He also managed to get a bit of sleep himself.
"The thought occurred to me."
Edward pulled up a chair and sat across from his and sat down facing him. "I have been named Vicar of the Holy Roman Empire."
"Congratulations." William raised his glass in salute.
"I will be traveling to Koblenz in September to be officially installed."
William's smile was almost comical. "Will you be taking the Queen and your family?"
Edward shook his head. "No. I might take my daughter Joan, but I have a request of you."
William steeled his smile. He knew what was coming.
"It has occurred to me I have taken your word since the day I asked you to rescue my father that you did so and hied him away safely. I have received no proof, save for the occasional letter and missive that may or may not be my father's handwriting."
"I have no reason to lie to you. Have I not been your faithful servant?"
Edward's face was stone. "It would seem so." He set his goblet down and rose. He went to a portrait on the wall, setting it aside to reveal a hidden safe. He twisted the top of one of his rings, inserting the raised tab into the safe before opening it, revealing several rolled scrolls. William suspected every letter his father had written to him, along with the letters he received from his wife before their marriage, lay hidden in the safe. He removed one from the stack, tipping the door almost closed and returned to his seat. "I received this last summer." He handed it to William.
William took it and read through it quickly. He read it a second time. "My lord, this man says your father is alive. Obviously I am not lying!" He scowled, a deep furrow showing between his eyebrows. "Who is he?"
"Manuel Fieschi. He is a papal notary."
"And?"
"In light of this missive from a member of the Pope's court, I would like for you to arrange a meeting between myself and my father."
William shook his head, deep in thought. Truth was, he suspected the king would request such a meeting, regardless of the difficulties and danger of the situation. He told Edward such.
"I have thought about this long and hard, William. You were my father's wolf, his assassin. Yes, I know that is what you were. I know the Despencers were terrified of you, as are a number of older nobles of my court. I have been warned repeated, as recently as when you were here last, that you are one to be dealt with carefully, or killed. Preferably, killed.
"But you were kind to me, kind to a child. You did a child a favor you had every right to refuse." Edward sank into his chair and stared at the floor. "I have been unkind to you, when we last were together. I am being unkind to you now! I am sorry, however I have one more favor to ask of you and I will do anything to ensure you grant me this request you could easily deny me. Please arrange that I see my father one last time while I am in Koblenz. If you do, I will recognize your marriage to Lady Vivienne and give you our blessing." The smile was wan. "We have missed you, your wise counsel, and we would welcome you back to court."
William sat in his chair with a plop. Of everything, he did not expect this. Not that he cared, as far as he and the Church were concerned, he and Vivienne were married. And he hated court! But...
William had seen Adam lurking in the shadows when he had been brought in so urgently that morning. He knew Adam was already preparing a swift exit to France.
"I am tired, my liege," he admitted freely. "The journey here was not pleasant," Edward was nodding, "and as I am not as young as I used to be, I need rest. Please leave me to it and in the morning, I will begin to make the arrangements I need to make."
"I will have a servant take you to a room, so you may rest. Shall I have them bring food?"
William shook his head. Truth was, he had no intention of sleeping if the king left no guard within the room. If Adam was waiting for him and arrangements were made, he could sleep on the boat. He would simply have to sneak out of the palace.
And that was what servants passages were for.
~~~...~~~
The flight from The Tower had been too easy. No one expected William to walk in one door and out the other as soon as the sun sank beneath the skyline of London. No one expected him to bypass the stables and no one expected him to be dressed as a lowly servant coming from the kitchens! No one followed them down the Thames, no one followed them in their quick travels to Dover; the smuggler waiting them was French and had no intention of speaking to anyone once unmarked gold crossed his palms.
Adamus Boneventure, the Sheriff of Nottingham, arrived a day after William did in Calais.
"Really?" William didn't know if he should be angry or amused.
"Why should you have all the fun?" Adamus sat in a chair with his unbooted feet propped up on the bed. "Imagine my shock when thugs dressed in the king's colors, rode by Nottingham Castle with my best friend in their custody! Of course I went to Hugh to see what mischief you had gotten into! Lucky for you, your son trusts me and told me the entire sordid story! Yes, I know about Old Edward! Damn man, why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?"
"Keeping him alive allowed me to hold something over Edward's head." William snorted. "Remind me to kill my son when I return home."
"No, you will not! I was threatened on the pain of death!" The Sheriff rubbed his throat. "I like my head on my head!" The man continued on, not allowing anyone else a chance to interject. "I have kept your secrets for many years; I will keep this one! Your lady wife is furious and terrified for you! I hope you don't mind, but we removed her from Mellisande's old cottage at Ripleys and escorted her to Fulks's home in Harridston. All of the FitzGisborne women are there, and my wife has most likely arrived there herself by now. I dare say no one will attempt to accost them! Your eldest daughter could teach my men-at-arms new curse words! She called me a cod-sucking mudpuddle when I attempted to pick her up! I wonder who taught her that?"
William shrugged, completely unabashed. Heh! That would teach the man to pick up strange and evil children!
The three men rode east for a day, settling in a small town with a decent inn, good food, and spent two days resting and recovering from their mad trip. Eventually, they made their way to Koblenz, where William found a home in a quiet and well-to-do neighborhood between the rivers to rent. It was easy to watch and defend, no additional ways out, which made William's skin crawl, but they had to consider his soon-to-arrive guest. A maid and cook were hired and Adam was sent to Aigues-Mortes with orders to have Edward brought to them, under a heavy and watchful guard. Another retainer, who came with Adamus, was sent back to Hugh with a light-hearted message of a great hunting party attended by Adamus and Gui, along with other friends. They would be returning to Nottinghamshire at harvest and to not worry. They were to attend the installation of Edward's new title within the Holy Roman Empire. They explored the town, cased the places Edward would stay when he arrived from England, where he would be expected to be seen and places they could hide Ned and stage a private meeting where they could speak in peace and that William and Gui's men could guard without much interference or be distracted.
It was now early July and they waited.
Tbc
Free and easy, life begins to flow
Sorry about the delay. Covid sucks and kicked my ass