Free The White Lord of Wellesbourne by Kathryn Le Veque Page B

moody silence as if mulling over the chaos of his life.
Finally, he pushed himself wearily off the table.  “Nay,” he said slowly. “I
will see to Father.  Above everything that is happening here at Wellesbourne,
we need to return to London. We are needed there most of all, especially with
Somerset moving mercenaries into the middle of England. Luke and Johnny can
ready the men while the rest of us are occupied with other things.”
    “I haven’t seen Johnny yet this
morning,” Mark said.
    Matthew instinctively looked at
Luke; he generally had a better grasp of the youngest brother’s whereabouts
than anyone. Luke nodded his head, slowly.
    “I think I know where he might
be.”
    “Find him. Prepare the men to
leave.”
    The brothers disbursed, each
going about his business. There was chaos at Wellesbourne and they had to do
their best to control and channel it, for greater things lay ahead.
    More than they would ever dream.
     
    ***
     
    Alixandrea was awake at sunrise.
Though the traumatic events from the previous day should have kept her in bed
until the nooning meal, she was never one to lie around. Moreover, there was an
entire castle that she was anxious to explore, a great new world she now found
herself a part of.  She tossed the covers off and leapt from bed.
    She practically kicked Jezebel
from her palette by the door, demanding the woman rise. While she brushed her
teeth with a frayed, green hazel stick and a mixture of rose-flavored soda,
Jezebel stirred the embers in the hearth into a soft glow and then began to
throw open the capcases in search of suitable clothing. 
    Stick still in her mouth as she
continued to brush, Alixandrea rummaged through the piles that her maid had
extracted from the bags and settled on a pale blue lamb’s wool sheath with a
darker blue sleeveless surcoat. They weren’t particularly impressive, but they
were comfortable, durable and appropriate.  Whilst investigating the filthy
kitchens, halls, and other corners of the male-dominated keep, she did not want
to have to worry about mussing her fine clothing. These were functional
clothes.
    After her teeth, she washed her
face and hands in a basin of rosewater, hooting when the water was a bit too
cold for her liking. Jezebel dried her off quickly and stood her in front of
the warming fire to dress her.  The first garment on was the soft blue sheath,
fitting against her body like a glove and clinging softly to every delectable
curve. The whale bone corset was next; Jezebel tied her into the contraption so
tightly that she begged for release, just enough to breathe.  The surcoat went
over the top of that, secured at the back with a large sash that Jezebel fussed
with until she had the perfect tie.  The little maid then put her mistress’
hair in two braids this day, neat and pretty and unfussy.
    Dressing complete, she was more
than ready to face the great mysteries of Wellesbourne. Jezebel tried to stop
her from leaving the chamber unescorted, but Alixandrea would not listen. She
did not want to be a bother when she could very well find own way around. Never
once did she question her safety, which she probably should have, but her
curiosity had the better of her. Everything was new and exciting.
    Quitting the small chamber, she
entered the dark, cold stair well and descended to the third floor. She noticed
there were two additional chambers on this level; one door was closed and the
other was slightly cracked. Curious, she peeked into the barely-opened door and
caught sight of a very messy, very odorous chamber. It smelled as if something
had crawled into the room and died. The fireplace was cold and black. Nearly
out of her line of sight was the corner of a bed and she could see that
something was tied to the post. Peering closer, she noticed a foot.
    Curious, not to mention slightly
concerned, she pushed the door open a few more inches and was able to gain a
clear view of the stripped bed. A man lay upon only the ropes