She paused once again, perhaps wondering how far she could go. I nodded for her to continue.
“In the past you have been guided by what is lawful rather than what is right. Most often I cannot call this a fault, for I’d see ravishers hanged as soon as you would. But at times you love the law too much. It is the law that whips an unwedded mother, but exacts no such price from the man who fathered the child. There is no justice in this, but you have seen it done and thought it right. I could not help wondering if you would ever oppose the law in so open a fashion. If you help Will escape, you will become an outlaw.”
By the time Martha finished speaking we had drawn to a stop. I took her hands and looked her in the eye. “We live in a world turned upside down,” I said. “Parliament has its foot on his Majesty’s neck, and the true worship of God has been overthrown by plain men and their sermons. Worse, the law has become a weapon for the strong to destroy the weak.”
“It has always been thus with the law. You simply closed your eyes to the truth.”
“No,” I replied. “The times have changed, and we must change as well. We have no choice but to pluck Will from his prison and see him out of the city. I will not let him hang for a murder he did not commit.”
“Perhaps that is where we part ways,” Martha said. “I would not let him hang for a murder he did commit.”
* * *
Martha and I ate a small dinner of bread and cheese as we talked through our scheme to free Will. The guards at Peter’s Prison were so loose, it would not take us long, and once he escaped, he’d simply have to find his way out of the city. It seemed absurdly easy.
We reached Peter’s Prison, and Martha pounded on the door. A few moments later, one of the jailors opened it and gestured for us to enter.
“Come in, come in, before the wind does,” he urged us.
Inside we found Will, his jailors, and two other prisoners sitting at a table playing at cards. If the coins before them were any measure, he jailors seemed to be doing very well for themselves. I counted this a good decision on Will’s part.
“Martha, Aunt Bridget!” Will smiled when we entered the room. “You’ve rescued me from these conjurors. I’ve no idea how they do it.” The jailors laughed, enjoying their success at gambling and the profits it brought.
“Might I have a word with my nephew?” I asked. “I will return him to his game shortly.”
“So long as he brings his pennies, keep him as long as you want,” cried one of the jailors as he waved us toward Will’s cell. Will helped himself to a lantern and led the way down the stairs. The cell was no less cold than it had been on our previous visit, and I praised God that if all went according to plan Will soon would be free.
“You must escape and flee the city,” Martha whispered as soon as the door shut behind us.
Will looked at us in shock. “What? What has happened? Surely things haven’t become so dire so quickly!”
“I’m afraid they have,” I said. “They intend to try you for Mr. Breary’s murder as soon as the witch-trials are done.”
Will half sat, half fell onto his pallet, his eyes suddenly wide with fear. “They said they would wait until the next Assizes. I thought we had more time. Until March.”
“So did we,” I replied. “But we were wrong, and we must act immediately.”
Will’s eyes flicked between Martha and me. I had never seen him so frightened.
“They’d not rush me to court if they intended a fair trial,” Will said. “If I am tried, I’ll surely be hanged.”
“That is why you must escape,” I said. “That you are here rather than the Castle is a stroke of luck. We’ve already seen that your guards are less attentive than they should be.”
Will nodded. “If we supply them with sack, they’ll drink themselves into a stupor. I could simply walk out the door.”
“Precisely,” I said. “I’ll send them capons, a roast beef, and enough wine to set them spinning for days. Once they are asleep, come to my stable. I’ll leave a bag of clothes and money for you there. Take one of my horses, go south to Micklegate Bar, and leave as soon as they open the gate in the morning. Your guards will still be asleep and will not have raised hue and cry. In the cold, you can cover your face and nobody will think it strange. Then it’s on to Hereford. You will be safe there.”
Will exhaled, and the mist of his breath rose slowly toward the cell’s low ceiling. “And you will join me there?” he asked.
“As soon as we can,” Martha replied.
“Moving a household takes more time,” I said. “But we will come.”