“I will take you on your word,” Gaston replied, hoping that was enough. “Get Matthew settled and find a physic to tend his ribs. I will see him when I am finished destroying Caernarfon.”
“What about Dennis?”
Gaston’s smoky eyes took on a distant look as if he could see things the others could not. He was The Dark Knight, after all, and there were those who said he conjured. Perhaps he was conjuring now, divining the future as he would have it.
“Rest assured, his time will come when he least expects it.”
Mark did not doubt Gaston for a minute. In the mêlée the next day, Dennis la Londe met with an unfortunate accident at the hands of Gaston de Russe that rendered him forever unable to father a child.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
August 4, 1485 A.D.
London in Augustwas filled with sticky heat, day and night. Alixandrea was not sleeping well these days, miserable with humidity she was not used to. She tossed and turned so much that she kept Matthew awake, and he was miserable enough with four cracked ribs from his bout with la Londe.
Never one to be selfish, however, he was more concerned with Alixandrea’s discomfort and had taken to rubbing her back when she could not sleep in the hope that it would relax her enough to doze. The trick usually worked, but then he was left wide-awake staring at the ceiling, his mind working over the increasing movements of Henry Tudor.
He had met with the king several times a day over the past week, going over a surfeit of information that was sometimes clear, sometimes not. Even so, it all pointed to one thing; everything that Matthew had predicted seemed to be happening and the tension within Richard’s ranks was mounting.
It was early in the morning on the fourth day of August. Alixandrea had been up most of the night and was now sleeping soundly in the cool early dawn. Matthew, however, was awake, his hand still on her back where he had left it after massaging her skin for what seemed like hours. She was sticky to the touch, as the humidity from the river was heavy even in the early morning and it promised to be another sultry day.
He rose slowly, partially so as not to disturb her but also because he wasn’t able to move very quickly with his healingribs. He removed his hand from her back carefully but could not resist touching her head in an affectionate gesture. She was so beautiful when she slept.
Quietly, he found his breeches and went into the sitting room, closing the bed chamber door softly behind him. Mary Joan was already stoking the fire to warm some water for her lady’s morning toilette. Matthew sent the woman for fruit and cheese as he walked over to one of the massive lancet windows that faced into the courtyard of the Tower.
There was little activity outside at this time of the morning, mostly wild creatures scrounging for a meal. He gazed up at the blue sky, cloudless, thinking of his father. He’d not heard from him since they had left Rosehill and he wondered on his health. He was still standing at the window, gazing into the dawn, when someone knocked softly on the chamber door and, without prompting, entered.
Matthew turned around to see Gaston. He looked as if he hadn’t slept all night and Matthew sensed immediately that something was amiss.
“What is it?” he asked.
Gaston’s smoky eyes were shadowed. “Henry Tudor sailed from Harfleur two days ago,” he said. “We just intercepted a message he sent to one of his supporters asking to meet him at Shrewsbury. As you predicted, he’s expected to make landfall in Wales in a few days. Richard has ordered the army to Nottingham to anticipate his arrival.”
“When do we leave?”
“Today. And Matt… he’s riding with us.”
Matthew’s eyebrows lifted. “The king is going Nottingham?”
“Indeed. It seems that he has determined that he will take command of the forces to repel Henry. He even intends to go into battle with us.”
Matthew looked at him a long moment before letting out an agitated hiss. “This only complicates matters, Gaston. The man isnota warrior.”
“But heisthe king and by rights has command of his army.” The last exchange was strongly spoken between the two of them. Gaston finally shook his head. “We cannot stop him. He rides with us whether or not we like it.”
So it had come. The hammer had finally sounded. Matthew wasn’t surprised, but he must have looked in the direction of the bed chamber because Gaston’s next words to him were swift and quiet.
“Send her back to Wellesbourne immediately,” he said. “She must not stay here. ’Tis not safe. Norfolk was set upon this morning in the Deveraux Tower and barely escaped with his life. His wife was injured.”
Matthew cast him a long look. “Wellesbourne is not far from Nottingham. ’Twill be in the line of fire between Richard’s base and Henry’s army.”
“You have no choice. You cannot leave her here. Besides, Wellesbourne is well fortified and should not be of particular interest to Henry. Warwick to the north would be of more interest to him.”
Matthew sighed heavily, calming now that the reality of the day’s expectations were settling. Moreover, he knew that Gaston was correct, about most things. He was able to think more clearly.
“I knew this time would come,” he said softly. “My wife will be on her way to Rosehill before the morning is out. I will have my father and John take her home and stay there should the castle need defending.”
“Johnny will not want to go.”
