The door opened and several de Neville soldiers entered with her trunks. She had brought nine altogether and they piled the trunks in the small cottage, barely leaving room to walk about it. The men bowed out respectfully, and on their heels came a woman bearing a tray of food. Avalyn paid little attention to the woman as she entered the cottage, closed the door, and set the tray down on the small, wobbly table.
“My lady?” the serving wench hissed at her.
Hands held out over the fire, Avalyn turned to the woman, wondering why she was whispering. The wench was covered with a thin dirty cloak that had obscured most of her body, including her hair, but now gazing into the woman’s brown eyes,a flicker of recognition filled Avalyn. She had seen that face somewhere before.
The wench stepped towards her. “My lady, do you remember me? My name is Thel. I live in the barracks at The Tower. You borrowed my gown when your clothes were wet after Brogan found you in the river.”
Avalyn’s eyes opened wide with shock. Deeply puzzled, she moved towards the woman. “Of course I remember you,” she said, looking the woman up and down to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “What on earth are you doing here? How did you…?”
Thel cut her off gently. “There is no time, my lady. Brogan is here and has sent me to contact you.”
“Brogan?” Avalyn gasped, hand to her throat. “But… he cannot be here. I told him to wait for me to send word!”
Thel was sure the fat, red-haired man was going to return any moment and hastened to deliver her message. “I do not know of such things, my lady,” she said quickly, quietly. “But St. Alban and Brogan are following you to Merseyside. They brought Aggie and Noe and I along to help. They think we can get closer to you than they can. St. Alban suggests you tell your betrothed that you have acquired us as your maids. That way, we can carry messages between you and Brogan.”
It was uncomplicated and brilliant. Avalyn stared at Thel a long moment and tears sprang to her eyes. She put her hand over her mouth as if to hold back the smile, press down the sobs. She blinked rapidly, chasing the tears away that threatened and feeling foolish that she hadn’t thought of something so wonderfully simple.
“Whose plan is this?” she asked in a strangled whisper.
Thel could see the emotion in the lady’s eyes; a fine lady as she wanted to be someday. “St. Alban’s, my lady,” she said softly. “He wants to help.”
“Of course he does,” Avalyn whispered. She was so elated that her head was buzzing. But she was also concerned. “How did you come to bring my meal? Surely you did not simply walk into the inn and go to work?”
Thel shook her head. “It took both Aggie and I to ambush the serving wench as she left the inn to bring your food.” When Avalyn cocked her head in confusion, Thel hastily explained. “We followed your party from The Tower when you left this morning. Aggie and me followed your lord into the inn and heard him order a room and a meal for you. So we hid outside and waited for the serving wench, knocking her on the head and stealing both the tray and cloak. I was to deliver my message.”
Avalyn listened with growing concern. “Inglesbatch knows St. Alban and Brogan on sight,” she said. “They must be very careful to stay out of sight until I can tell William that they are tracking us.”
“St. Alban is a good knight, my lady,” Thel said. “He will not let anything happen to any of us.”
Avalyn didn’t know what to say. People she hardly knew were risking their lives so that she and Brogan could stay in communication. It was touching beyond words. But the responsibility of it was also terrifying.
“Where is Brogan?” she asked softly.
“He has one of the cottages a few doors down.”
Avalyn’s eyes flew open. “Is he mad?” she hissed. “If he is discovered, they’ll kill him.”
Thel shook her head. “This I also said, my lady. But Brogan says that your betrothed does not know him on sight, so he feels little fear.”
Avalyn was taut with apprehension, with excitement. To know Brogan was so close made her head spin. But she was not so muddled that she did not realize the situation Thel had putherself in. She put her hands on the woman’s arm and turned her for the door.
“Go,” she insisted with quiet urgency. “But be here before dawn to tend me for the day’s journey. For now, return to Brogan and tell him that you have delivered the message. Tell him… tell him to wait until everyone has gone to bed before attempting to come to me. And tell him…”
There was a sharp rap at the door. Avalyn froze, her golden eyes moving to the door as if she could possibly see through it. Thel, verging on panic, kept her composure admirably as she looked to the lady for instructions. Avalyn could feel the woman’s terror. With a deep breath, Avalyn held out her hand to Thel to indicate for the woman to calm. There was nothing strange about a serving wench delivering a meal and they would act accordingly.
“Come,” Avalyn said steadily.
The door opened and Charles poked his head in. Thel turned back to the tray, pretending to busy herself with it.
“I see your meal has arrived,” Charles said. There was hope in his voice. “Will there be anything else, my lady?”
“Nay,” Avalyn shook her head, putting on a good front that nothing was amiss. “Were you able to find a room?”
Charles grinned sheepishly. “I threw Inglesbatch and St. John out of their cottage. I will be next door should you need me.”
Avalyn tried not to look concerned. “Where will William sleep? I do not want him far from me.”
A flicker of emotion passed across Charles’ face; Avalyn couldn’t tell what it was, but it looked like resentment. “He will camp with the men on the outskirts of town,” he said. “If you need protection, I shall provide it. I shall not be far.”
