Free Georgette Heyer by Royal Escape Page A

a proud woman all her life to remember this day.'
      'If she live to remember it!' muttered Mrs Penderel
    over her cooking-pan. She glanced over her shoulder at the shoes Yates was holding, and said grudgingly: 'If they irk his honour, put a bit of white paper in them, and I warrant he shall go the easier for it.'
      By the time this advice had been followed, and the shoes squeezed again on to the King's feet, a supper of bacon and eggs was ready. The King commanded Richard to sit down with him at the table, and to share the meal, himself falling to with a gusto that made Nan open her eyes still wider.
      'Poor Will Jones!' she said commiseratingly. 'Are you so hungry?'
      'Yea, I have a very good stomach,' the King replied.
      'I warrant you!' said his hostess, under her breath, watching the next day's provisions for her family disap pear into his mouth.
      When he had eaten and drunk, the King asked Richard to tell him more of the household for which he was bound, and, learning that Mr Wolfe was a Royalist, with sons who had all of them been engaged in the late Civil Wars, professed himself very well satisfied to entrust his person to his care. But, to their dismay, he would not permit either of the two other brothers, or Francis Yates, to go along with him to Madeley, saying that it was unnecessary, and would place their lives in needless jeopardy. They were quite taken aback, having meant to go with him as a bodyguard, but though he thanked them, they saw that he was obstinate in his resolve to take only Richard with him.
      It was Yates who bethought himself of a possible need, and asked the King if he had money in his pockets.
      'Money?' the King repeated. 'Yes – why, no! I had only gold pieces, and gave them to my servants.'
      'If your Majesty would be pleased to accept of what I have, you are very welcome,' Yates said, pulling his purse out of the breast of his doublet. 'It was in my mind you had not as much as a groat upon you, seeing as Richard said you bestowed it all away, so I made bold to bring what I have.'
      He shook his purse out into his cupped hand, and carefully spread a number of silver coins upon the table. His savings amounted to thirty shillings, which he seemed quite content the King should pocket. When the King took only ten of them, bidding him put the rest up, and keep it safe, he coloured, and said: 'I would like best your gracious Majesty would take it. It is very little.'
      'I think it is more than was ever offered me before, since it is your all,' the King said. 'I am poor in thanks, friend, but I shall not forget.'
      Richard, who had drawn back the shutters a little way to look out, closed them again, saying that it was now dark enough for them to venture forth. The King bestowed Francis Yates's money in his pocket, and replied that he was ready to go; but before he started, Humphrey, who had left the kitchen some few minutes earlier, came back into it, with a stout old dame leaning on his arm, and peering eagerly about her out of a pair of shrewd, bright eyes.
      'Where is he?' she demanded. 'Let me but look upon him once, and bless myself to think of my sons being so singled out!'
      'It's our mother, sir,' Richard explained. 'She is an honest woman your honour may be pleased to trust. Mother, here is the King.'
      She stood for an instant, holding on to Humphrey's arm, and gazing with a slowly dawning smile of delight upon the King's tall figure. His shorn head almost touched the oak beam under which he stood. Dame Penderel let go Humphrey's arm to cast up both hands. 'Eh, the great fine lad that he is!' she exclaimed. 'He'll be as big as my Will, every inch! Eh, my liege, it's the happy day that sees your Majesty in my house! Let an old woman look into your face, master, for I once saw your royal father, of blessed memory, and I shall die a happy woman to have seen your fair face beside!'
      A laugh sprang to the King's lips. He said: 'With all my