“Very well,” Will said, rising to his feet. “The guards have all my pennies, but if I start losing shillings, they’ll be in a drinking mood to be sure.”
I stepped to Will and held him close. “And we will see you in Hereford.”
Martha and Will locked eyes, and the pain of their impending separation filled the small room.
“I will see you soon,” Will said. “I promise.”
Martha nodded, and we started up the stairs. When we reached the main room, I announced my plans to send over a feast worthy of the Lord Mayor himself, and the guards cheered heartily.
“Your nephew is a welcome guest indeed,” cried out one guard, clapping Will on the back. I regretted the trouble the guards would suffer for allowing Will to escape—Joseph’s wrath would be tremendous indeed—but we had few options.
Martha and I had not yet reached the door when a pounding echoed through the room.
“God’s blood, is someone trying to break in to the prison?” one of the guards shouted as he crossed to the door. “What is it? What is it?”
As soon as he pulled back the bar, the door burst open and half a dozen members of the Town Watch charged into the room. At least two had been with the squad who took Will from my house, and they still bore the marks of that skirmish. The one Will had battered the worst crossed the room and drove the butt of his musket into Will’s stomach. Will crumpled to the floor without a sound. I cried out in shock, and Martha hurled herself at Will’s assailant, ready to do battle. Another of the watchmen, this one bearing scratches across his face, lashed out with his fist, striking Martha on the side of her head. She joined Will on the floor.
“Sergeant, what is the meaning of this?” I shouted. “By what right do you act in such a lawless fashion?”
“By order of the Lord Mayor. And before you ask, yes, we have a warrant to take your nephew.” His voice dripped with disdain. As Will struggled for breath, two of the soldiers rolled him onto his stomach and bound his hands behind him. Martha rolled onto her back and struggled to rise, but the same soldier who had struck her placed his boot on her chest. She looked at me, her eyes begging me to act. My mind raced for some way to turn the situation to our favor, for I knew that if they took Will we’d have a devil of a time getting him back.
“Good work, sergeant,” a voice called out. I turned to find Mark Preston standing in the doorway. A smile crossed his lupine features when he saw me.
“There you are, my lady,” he said. He did not bother to bow. “Mr. Hodgson wondered where you had gone when you left the Castle in such a hurry. He hoped you might stay to hear the witch’s sentencing. She is to be hanged, of course.”
“Where are you taking him?” I demanded.
“Mr. Hodgson has made room for his brother in the Ouse Bridge gaol, and he has even arranged for a special guard. We think he will be more secure there.”
My heart sank. I knew that Joseph could not have discovered our plan to sneak Will out of the city, but he had foiled it all the same.
Preston saw the look on my face, and his smile widened. “Why so sad, my lady?” he asked. “Surely one cell is as good as another. Or have we interrupted some sort of scheme?”
I said nothing.
“In any event, it does not matter what you planned,” Preston continued. “Mr. Hodgson will have his trial. And then his hanging. Bring him along!”
Chapter 17
Martha fought back her tears as we hurried home. The wind had risen while we were inside, rendering useless any words of comfort that might have occurred to me. We needed time and peace in order to think of a way to save Will. Unfortunately, we had neither. By the time we slammed the front door behind us, Martha had transformed her anguish into fury.
“That son of a whore kept us at the Castle so he could summon soldiers to move Will,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’ll kill him myself. And that half-handed monster leading the soldiers, I’ll kill him, too.”
I looked closely at her face to see if she spoke in earnest or merely anger. I knew all too well that when Martha made such a threat I should take her seriously.
“If you did such a thing, you and Will would simply be hanged from the same gallows,” I said. “We will find another way.”
“What way?” Martha asked.
I could see the despair in her eyes, and I longed to take her in my arms as I would Elizabeth, and my daughter Birdy before her. I wanted to tell her that I would keep her safe from all harm. But while Elizabeth might still believe such lies, Martha had seen too much of the world to be so easily gulled.
Martha started up the stairs toward her chamber but stopped and turned to face me. “This is what I meant when I said you had too much faith in the law. Now that we cannot so easily manage Will’s escape, you will spend the night finding some way to free him by proving his innocence in court. But the truth is that the law is a blind whore. She comes when powerful men call, and then lies back while they use her as they see fit. And if you cannot see this, Will is going to hang.” With that, she turned and disappeared up the stairs.