Free The Sempster's Tale by Margaret Frazer Page A

be among other people? King Henry VI had come to the throne at nine months old, had been king now for nearly twenty-eight years, ruling in his own right for the last fourteen of those, but the great hope that he would reign as his father, famed Henry V, had reigned had faded over the years as he let too much of his power slide away to a few favored lords.
     
    Mainly the duke of Suffolk.
     
    Unfortunately, Suffolk’s willingness to power had not been matched by ability to wield it to anyone’s good but his own and that of his near followers. Even before this present uprising, the government had been foundering, deep in debt and with a war in France that Suffolk had seemed determined to lose and a French queen—of Suffolk’s choosing— who had yet to birth an heir to the throne. And now Suffolk was dead, and neither King Henry nor any of the nobles around him had taken up his place and power. As the slack handling of the rebels all too clearly showed.
     
    But Dame Juliana’s only worry about it all—said when she and Frevisse were alone in the cloister walk the next morning while St. Helen’s nuns held their daily chapter meeting—was that Master Naylor would insist they leave. “Simply because he’s afraid of trouble that isn’t going to happen,” she complained.
     
    Frevisse made a wordless sound that meant nothing, unable to say that, whatever Master Naylor might want, they had to stay until Alice’s business was done.
     
    ‘It would be shame, too, to leave without seeing more of London than we have,“ Dame Juliana sighed.
     
    Frevisse sharpened to that and instantly encouraged, “Why not, while I see to this matter of the vestments, see what you can of London?” Making it easier for her to meet alone with this Mistress Blakhall. “I doubt the Tower, the Thames, or St. Paul’s have changed over-much since I saw them years ago. Let me see to the vestments while you see more of London, before Master Naylor decides we should be away.”
     
    ‘We can’t go out without each other,“ Dame Juliana said doubtfully.
     
    ‘There are surely nuns here would go with us both.“ And when the time came, a St. Helen’s nun would likely be easier to leave aside than Dame Juliana would be. Planning rapidly how to work the day to her own ends, she added, ”I’ll take Master Naylor with me. That way he won’t be grumbling at you about everything.“ And because he would be less trouble to her than young Dickon, overeager to know everything ”Dickon can go with you, along with another nun and some nunnery servant to be your guide and keep all well. Yes?“
     
    ‘Yes,“ Dame Juliana agreed happily.
     
    St. Helen’s prioress, when asked, agreed to it all as readily, saying, “Dame Ursula can accompany you, Dame Juliana. A day’s long walking will do her good. For you, Dame Frevisse, I think Dame Clemens will best satisfy. She has family near St. Paul’s. She’ll know the way to Kerie Lane and then can visit them while you see to your business.”
     
    Even Master Naylor made no great objection to their plan, and when all the morning Offices and midday dinner were done, Dame Juliana set out one way with Dame Ursula and Dickon and an older servingman, while Frevisse went her way with Dame Clemens and Master Naylor. Merry at the chance to visit her family, Dame Clemens led them toward St. Paul’s, slanting from Bishopsgate by way of Broad Street to the Stocks Market and across to Poultry and along it into Cheapside, talking happily the while. Frevisse tried to match her good humour at least outwardly and ignore Master Naylor stalking silent behind them. They were not yet to St. Paul’s when Dame Clemens said, “Here’s Gutheron’s Lane,” and turned rightward into a street not even a fourth so wide as Cheapside. The sky instantly lessened to a narrow band of blue between the houses overhanging the street with their out-thrust upper floors. In rainy weather they would give shelter to anyone walking