Dennis turned from the window. “I mean exactly what I said. There will be no long wait for our plans to come to pass. What will happen at Wellesbourne will happen with deliberate purpose to coincide with Henry’s imminent arrival.”
Although Howard had been hearing rumors about this for quite some time, it was the first confirmation he had received. It was what every Tudor ally had been waiting for. “Henry is finally coming? When?”
“Soon,” la Londe said vaguely. Howard Terrington was not someone he wanted to divulge everything to, at least not all at once. “Within the month we will unleash our army inside the walls of Wellesbourne and effectively cripple a great deal of the king’s support. By the time Henry reaches England’s shores, Richard’s strength will be compromised. This is exact as Lord Sutton had intended, Howard. Bring down Wellesbourne and you cut off Richard’s right hand.”
“And weaken his resistance.”
“Exactly. But there is more,mon ami.”
“What more is there?”
“Wiltshire and Pembroke are moving their armies to Shrewsbury. So are several other nobles. And do you know why?”
“Nay.”
La Londe lifted an eyebrow. “Because it is the midsection of the country. Occupy it, fill it, create a noose around it and effectively cut off the north from the south. Separate Richard from his allies. And then the noose shall tighten as Henry arrives with his army of French and Teutonic mercenaries to assume his rightful place.”
Howard could only think of what he would gain once Henry took the throne. “So it comes,” he muttered, more to himself than to la Londe. “We’ve waited so long that I can hardly believe it. And to know that my niece will play a part in it…”
“As I said, her marriage to Wellesbourne could not have come at a better time,” la Londe reiterated. “You should be congratulated. Your niece will accomplish what hordes of men could not. The fall of the White Lord of Wellesbourne will be a great feat.”
It was why Howard had married her off in the first place. He could see that his place of respect with Henry Tudor would be assured. “Do not forget that, as the widow of Wellesbourne, she will be a very wealthy woman and much desirable as a reward to a worthy ally.”
La Londe looked at him as if he was daft. “Why do you think I am here?” he said. “Never imagine that I have maintained my contact with you all of these years simply because I enjoy your company. I want something from you, Terrington.”
Howard was astute enough to understand the implication. There could be no other choice. “You want my niece?”
La Londe nodded slowly, his pale-colored eyes narrowed and glittering. He was a terrifying man at times. “I have met the Lady Alixandrea. She is quite a prize. With Wellesbourne’s wealth, she will be more than adequate compensation for my loyalties.”
As much as Howard was fairly indifferent to his niece, he wasn’t at all sure he wanted to see her wed to la Londe. But the man had indeed risked himself to support Henry Tudor’s cause and had earned such compensation. In fact, it was only through such adequate recompense that la Londe sold his powerful loyalties.
“Fair enough,” he said. He drained the last of his wine. “But we must veer back to the subject at hand; if Henry’s arrival is asimminent as you say, then we must waste no time. The wheels must be put in motion.”
“But the wheels are already in motion,” la Londe barely let him finish before he was responding. “There are two purposes at heart,mon ami. Not only must we destroy the infrastructure of Wellesbourne, but in capturing the castle we must draw Richard’s troops away from Henry’s arrival. While some of the York allies are concentrated on regaining Wellesbourne, Henry will land in England and meet with potentially less resistance.”
“My men will create a diversion.”
“Precisely. And they must hold that diversion until Henry arrives.”
“When will we know?”
“I would expect word to arrive within the next week. It is nearly June; Henry has been gathering strength for some time now. He plans to be on the throne by September.”
Howard’s cup was empty. He rose from his chair and collected the fine cut glass decanter that had been imported all the way from the Holy Land. The blood-red liquid swirled as he poured himself another measure and then a cup for la Londe. He offered the man the chalice.
“A toast,” he said. “To plans well received and well executed.”
La Londe lifted his cup. “To a prize worth having.”
Howard drank deeply. He’d made a deal with the Devil and was very well aware of it.
*
The kirtle wasa pale yellow and the sleeveless surcoat a deeper, richer gold. Unlike most women of fashion who wore a plackart from shoulder to chest as a sort of bib, Alixandrea’s breasts were too full for such a thing so she had taken to wearing a whale bone corset instead. It wasn’t unheard of in courtly fashionand supported her far more adequately. The problem was that Jezebel laced her into the thing as if she were tying up a pig to the spit. The more Alixandrea grunted, the harder Jezebel pulled until she was satisfied that the stays were correct and the lacings in the rear were properly tied and left to trail. As a whole, Alixandrea already presented a lovely picture.
But there was more. Jezebel rolled fresh hose up each leg made of kersey, which was a lamb’s wool blend, and fastened them with yellow ribbon. Then the slippers went on, made from damask and finely embroidered. Finally, it was time to tackle the hair, which the little maid did so quite ably.
She had become adept at the art of her mistresses hair and in little time, Alixandrea had a single thick braid draped over one shoulder into which a dozen yellow ribbons had been interwoven. Two golden hairpins in the shape of butterflies were placed strategically on her head, and the ends of the long kirtle sleeves were fixed with decorative weights to keep them properly draped. She wore no jewelry this night; she did not need any. By the time Jezebel was finished with her mistress, she was indeed a presentable sight.
