Then, suddenly, she found her feet. Pushing past them, Thomasin hurried straight to the water’s edge. A boat was loading up with passengers.
“Bridewell?” she asked one of the rowers, impatient.
“No, Southbank. Try the next,” he offered.
Her mind racing, Thomasin looked around wildly for the next barge in line, only to see that it was the royal vessel, with its flags and pennants flapping in the breeze. There was no way she would find a seat there. Henry and Anne were already making their way down to the waterfront, with the guests parting to create a pathway, bowing and curtseying. She was forced to do the same as they passed her. She hurried round the back of the crowd to the further spot where the third barge was waiting to dock. It seemed to take forever for the boats to fill, and she noticed Rafe taking his place ahead of her, alongside the king and Anne. All she could think of was getting to Giles. What if he lay injured and in pain, or dying?
Thomasin was the first on the steps as the barge finally pulled close. She jumped in without waiting to be asked, seating herself close to the front, as if that could somehow make a difference. The other guests took forever to embark, wobbling and laughing, while she sat there in turmoil. Eventually, they set sail to the sound of trumpets and pipes, battling against the current. Theday would soon fade; the dinner hour was approaching, and Thomasin was due back at the queen’s side.
At last, the bulk of Bridewell became visible after the long stretch of mansion gardens, and they were within reach of the steps. Thomasin had to wait again as others disembarked, willing herself to remain calm, resisting the urge to call out and barge past them. She had left the Dudleys behind and would have to find them and apologise another time. But when she finally set foot on dry land again, she realised she had no idea where she might find Giles. Which rooms were his? Or perhaps he was being nursed elsewhere?
She ran into the courtyard, causing those around her to look at her strangely, wondering what the emergency was. By a twist of fate, the first face she recognised was that of William Hatton, who was exercising a pair of lively spaniels.
“Mr Hatton!” She hurried towards him, panting. “Please do me a kindness. Where would I find my cousin, Giles Waterson?”
“Goodness, Mistress Marwood, what is the matter?”
“I just need to find Giles. Please.”
“Come this way.” He turned round and passed through an archway, Thomasin in close pursuit, before pointing to a distant staircase. “Up there, third floor, the final door on the corridor. The men’s quarters.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
Thomasin hurried, panting, up three flights of steps to the top, where a narrow corridor was lit with torches. It was cool and quiet, with no guards, but not a place a lady such as her should be unaccompanied. She could not help herself, but ran the length of it, before hammering on the final door, hoping that Hatton’s instructions had been correct.
“Enter.”
The room was small, with merely a bed, a chest, a small table, a single window and a chair by the fire, in which Giles sat. Helooked startled at the sight of Thomasin, as she took in his loose gown and the bound foot, which rested upon a stool.
“Thomasin?”
“Giles! You are … I mean … you aren’t…?”
A smile crept over his face. “I take it you have heard about my fall. Yes, I am alive, if that is what you feared.”
“I had no idea. What happened?”
“My horse was startled in the street and threw me upon the cobbles. I have a few bruises and a twisted ankle, but it could have been far worse.”
Relief flooded through her.
“But you have been at the wedding?”
“Yes, I was. I did not know about this, or I would have come sooner. I thought… I feared…”
He held out his hand to her. “Come closer. All is well.”
She went and took his hand without thinking.
“You were worried.”
“I didn’t know what to think. I was only told that you had an accident and were carried back on a stretcher.”
“Yes, I was advised not to put weight on my foot, but Dr Butts has been, and all it requires is poultices and rest.”
“Well, I am relieved to hear it. I imagined all kinds of things.”
“Did you, Thomasin?” He was looking at her very intently with his blue-green eyes. She felt her emotions conflicting, with part of her screaming to run away. “Why do you think that was?”
