Macbeth's Niece

by Peg Herring

  Chapter Thirteen

  As Tessa stepped quietly into the manor, she saw Auntie Madeline standing before the fire, still as a statue, arms wrapped around herself as she stared into space. “Is anything wrong, Auntie?”

  “I sent the girls to their chambers so we could talk. He’s sending you away, isn’t he? William.” The old lady looked forlorn. Having lost Eleanor and Jeffrey, she had become very fond of Tessa, who now, she seemed to know already, would be taken from her as well.

  Suddenly ashamed of the lies she’d allowed these people to believe, Tessa shuddered.

  “He is right to do so. There is something I must tell you.”

  Auntie Madeline’s lined face took on a knowing look. “You are not the sister of my Eleanor, or even a relative,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “How did you know?” Tessa breathed.

  “Eleanor and I had no secrets from each other.”

  “Lord Brixton has found it out. Now I must leave this house and make a new life for myself.” Tessa turned, speaking mostly to herself. “I just don’t know how.”

  “Will Aidan help?”

  “He offered marriage, but I could not accept.”

  “No. Aidan is not Jeffrey.” The old lady’s eyes showed understanding. “Aidan has always been in the shadows, you see. William has power over men, Ethelbert has a goodness about him, and Jeffrey had a strength that attracted people to him. There was nothing left for Aidan but to be William’s tool, but I have never felt it fit him well. Eleanor—we—oh, but it doesn’t matter now.” Her gaze sought Tessa’s. “What about Cedric?”

  “When I tell him tomorrow, I expect he will release himself from our engagement. After that, I will get to Scotland somehow and find my uncle. He is king now, and perhaps despite my adventures he will take me back once I tell him the facts of the matter.”

  “How does a woman alone make such a voyage?”

  “I could travel as a male. I’m short enough, and I spent my youth acting like a boy, and the disguise would eliminate most dangerous situations.”

  “But the trip is long. It will take days,” Madeline protested.

  “What else can I do?”

  There was another pause as they both considered the prospect. “If you must take this chance, I have some money,” the old lady finally declared. “My father and William were much alike, and once it was clear I would not marry, my mother wanted me to be able to live on my own if necessary. She sold some of her jewelry and gave me the proceeds as a sort of emergency fund. I have kept it all these years but never had need of it here on the manor. It’s unlikely now I will ever need it. With Eleanor gone William will appreciate my presence. It saves him hiring a chatelaine.” Her plain face showed some measure of pride that she could at last earn her keep in this way. “If Cedric rejects you tomorrow, you must take what money you need for your trip home.”

  There was no use in polite refusal. They both knew it was Tessa’s only chance. Hugging Madeline’s bony shoulders, the girl felt relieved and warmed by the offer of help. “If ever I can, I will repay you.”

  “Oh, be off with you! I want nothing for it. Come, let’s find some breeches and a shirt. We must tear some rags, too, for wrappings that will hide your more feminine qualities. You must be ready in case things do not go well with Cedric.” They went up the stairs together, both more cheerful than they had been moments earlier. The old lady chuckled, “I almost hope things do not go well with Lord Acton. He isn’t worthy of a hair on your head, I say.”

  William was noticeably absent when Cedric arrived the next morning, having had a tray brought to his chamber. Tessa asked for a few moments alone in the hall, and, though curious, the girls stayed away.

  Cedric was dressed for travel in an array of decorative, but on the whole useless, accessories done in his family’s colors, argent and verte. His tunic was green trimmed with silver, and a matching cape hung nearly to the ground though the day was fine. Silver spurs and elbow-length leather gloves completed an ensemble intended to impress, but Tessa had other things on her mind.

  “Cedric,” she began when they were alone. “I must tell you something I should have told you before. Because of circumstances I shall not explain, I misrepresented myself to you and to the Brixtons. I am not related to Eleanor. I am from Scotland, that is true, and I am of the clan macFindlaech. In fact Macbeth, now king, is my uncle.”

  Cedric’s large jaw dropped with surprise, and she hurried on. “Eleanor and I thought it would be better if Sir William felt…obliged to sponsor me. Now that he knows the truth, he will contribute nothing to my wedding nor have any more to do with me.” It came out in a rush, and she wondered if she was coherent.

  Cedric’s expression, at first confused, finally cleared, and a bob of his head indicated understanding. He looked surprised, interested, and, if she was reading him correctly, calculating.

  “You are related to the king of Scotland?”

  “He is my uncle,” she repeated.

  Cedric was thoughtful, and for the first time, Tessa saw the light of intelligence in his eyes. However, that was not as heartening as it should have been, for she sensed a shrewdness that belied Cedric’s apparent shallowness. “I have heard of Macbeth as a general.”

  “He is considered a great warrior among the Scots, where warriors are plentiful.”

  “Some claim he murdered the old king.”

  “I have heard that, but the man’s own sons may have killed him, to reach the throne all the earlier.”

  Cedric went on, speaking almost to himself. “One of the sons, Malcolm, has come to England and convinced King Edward of Macbeth’s guilt. He is raising an army to take Scotland.” What had this to do with her? Cedric’s next question was telling. “He has no children, this Macbeth?”

  “Why, no, he has not.”

  “Is it possible he will have?”

  “I doubt it, but what—?”

  “Nephews?”

  Quite puzzled, Tessa answered, “None. My father was his only brother, and we are a family of six daughters.”

  Again there was a pause as Cedric stroked his chin and paced the hall a bit. Finally, he came briskly back and stood in front of Tessa. “My dear Tessie, though your confession upset Lord Brixton, it need not concern us. I have more than enough money to pay for our wedding, and I would see it through. I have admired, may I say, desired you, since our first meeting, and nothing you have revealed today changes my intention to marry you.”

  “But—”

  “Please, do not worry your lovely head over it further. I only ask that we be married without delay, which should please you well if you no longer feel welcome at Brixton. I will inform Lord Brixton as we journey, and instead of going on to London, return to Beverly to inform Mother of my changed plans. I may be able to convince William to allow you to remain here for the short time it will take to make our final preparations.”

  Cedric briskly clapped Tessa on the shoulder, his posture becoming, if possible, even more erect. “Now, my love, I must be off, so that I may return to you at the soonest possible moment.” With that Cedric kissed her hand and left, calling to a servant to hurry his master along.

  In a few moments William came down the stairs, also dressed for travel. Throwing Tessa a black look, he went out after Cedric, his poor page half-running to keep up. There was hubbub in the courtyard for a few moments and then silence. Tessa stood trying to make sense of what had happened. Was it so easy, after all her plans and worrying? She would still become Lady Acton, then, still have security and wealth, despite her lies? She replayed the scene with Cedric in her mind again. What had it meant? Auntie Madeline entered the hall rather timidly.

  “What happened, my dear? What did Cedric say?”

  “He says we shall be married as planned.”

  “That is an answer to prayer,” the old lady breathed. “I would have been quite mad with worry if you’d had to go back to Scotland alone. Cedric must love you very much.”

&nbs
p; But the word he’d used was desire, and that was much closer to Cedric’s true nature. He was much like William, concerned only with himself and what he wanted from life. Tessa felt disquiet at the thought, but what choice had she now? If Eleanor could bear this sort of life, then so must she.

  Going back to her room, she considered the purse of money and the borrowed boy’s clothing that lay rolled into a blanket. On an impulse, she stowed them at the bottom of a trunk filled with trousseau items. She would explain to Auntie Madeline about the keeping the money. The dear old lady would understand it was necessary to be prepared for anything in the next few days.

  A moment that evening did much to relieve some of the burden on Tessa’s heart. Aidan, who had not gone with William but stayed one more day to finish some business, took Tessa aside after the evening meal.

  He looked very handsome in a suit of deep burgundy that, though plain, complimented his lean build and warm skin tones. Seating her beside the window, he stood facing her and made a speech Tessa realized he must have practiced carefully.

  “Tessa, I would like to congratulate you on your wedding to Cedric, and I wish you all the happiness in the world. It seems to me, however, it would be best if I do not attend. I would not for the world bring discomfort to you on such an occasion, and therefore I ask you to understand if I return to London tomorrow morning.”

  She smiled warmly at him. “Of course, Aidan. I will miss you there, for I have come to count you as a close friend, but if you feel it’s for the best, I am content.”

  Secretly she was relieved. Aidan’s confession of love had made subsequent meetings awkward. It really was better if she did not have to go through the strain of this hasty marriage with Aidan’s dark eyes watching her every move.

  He came over and kissed her cheek softly. “You know I wish it were otherwise,” he said, “but I accept what you have chosen to do and will be ready to answer when you call on me for help—always.” With that he was gone.

  Cedric returned with the proper documents the next day. “I’m sorry you won’t have the large wedding we’d planned, Tessie, but I must tell you Lord Brixton is quite adamant that you leave his home at once. The only way we can accomplish that with honor is for the two of us to be married today, which I have arranged with a priest in York. It will be quite informal, I’m afraid, not the large wedding we had planned, but you shall of course have the company of the ladies here. Can you be ready in an hour?”

  Tessa hardly had time to think as she was shepherded away from Brixton, perhaps forever, and on to the minster at York. As they approached the church, she remembered young Rob, the boy on the boat that had brought her from Scotland, and the pride with which he had described it. Dedicated to St. Olaf, a Norwegian king, the church’s architecture showed evidence of the Vikings who had settled along England’s east coast. The pale stone shone in the sunlight as the small party entered the arched gateway of heavy stonework. They turned left into the church itself, a huge structure with thick walls topped with decorative spires and pierced with tall, gracefully arched windows.

  Tessa had invited the women of Brixton to her wedding, and they stood in a small knot in the huge sanctuary: Tessa, Mary, Cecilia, Alice, and Auntie Madeline on one side, Cedric and two of his retainers on the other. Cedric had sent the news of the wedding to his mother, who had journeyed to Dame Ballard’s house in Grimsby after Eleanor’s funeral and could not return in time. Tessa hoped she was not too angry to have been robbed of the huge wedding she had envisioned.

  After a brief ceremony Tessa was pronounced one with Cedric, Lord Acton. Auntie Madeline sniffled a bit, and the girls looked awed and confused. Were they to be happy or not? Tessa herself didn’t know the answer to that. They now knew her true identity. She had told them herself, being unwilling to lie any longer to these people she considered friends. The girls watched solemnly as the ceremony concluded. Cedric kissed her gravely, Auntie Madeline congratulated her, and no one seemed to know what came next. Finally Alice said they’d best be going, and Tessa walked with them outside, telling Cedric she wished to say goodbye to them alone.

  Outside she received hugs from all four, but the mood was not at all the happy one she’d hoped for all those months ago when she and Eleanor had imagined her wedding. Everyone tried hard to seem cheerful, but there was no true joy in this hasty pairing. Tessa was determined they shouldn’t pity her, so she tried to appear content and promised to see them when possible. As soon as they had gone she returned to the church, feeling dread rather than anticipation for her approaching wedding night.

  As she entered the coolness of the apse, her slippers made no sound, and it was thus that she overheard the end of Cedric’s conversation with his man. “So when the king dies, there will be his beloved niece, who has married an English peer and given him sons. Who better to sit on the throne of Scotland than someone who represents the interests of both English and Scotsmen? Of course Macbeth may want to settle a dowry on his beloved niece once he learns she’s alive. A grant of land would show his appreciation.” The two chuckled together at the joke.

  Tessa stopped short, calling herself all kinds of a fool. She should have realized Cedric had motives other than the desire he’d admitted to. He loved nothing, and he had all that wealth could buy him, but he still desired many things. Power was evidently one of them, and he’d seen in Tessa a chance at power—and the creation of a dynasty, it seemed. Although he was dull company for a woman, Cedric had a grasp of politics. Macbeth’s niece was to become a pawn in his ambition to control her homeland. Penniless and disgraced, she was still kinswoman to the king, and her sons would have as much right to the throne as anyone. She wondered just what Cedric and William had discussed on the road to York. Had this hasty wedding been forced upon her so she would not have time to think and perhaps change her mind?

  Suddenly the way ahead was clear to her. The mist she had wandered in since Eleanor’s death disappeared in a flash of determination. Leaving the church quickly, Tessa hurried to the carriage where Cedric’s driver had fastened her box. The man offered to help, but she dismissed him. “I need to find something…” She let the pause indicate it would be indelicate of him to see what it was she sought. The man backed away in embarrassment, turning his back as Tessa rummaged through the trunk until she found the things she wanted. When the man asked politely if there was anything he could do to help, there was no answer. She had disappeared around the side of the church.

  By the time Cedric and his men missed her, Tessa was far away, running with a small bundle of clothing and the bag of money Madeline had given her. Finally realizing that people stared, she slowed her pace and tried to control her gasping breath. A finely dressed woman tearing through the streets was sure to be remembered. She tried for a more leisurely pace, though she could not help looking behind her. Unsure of what to do, she found herself outside a small shop. Before it sat an old, old woman, so tiny that her clothes hung loosely and her head seemed too large for her body. The woman gazed blankly into space, paying no attention until Tessa spoke. “Can you tell me how far I am from the river, mistress?”

  The face swung around toward her. The woman was blind, her eyes coated with a milky film. “Not far,” the woman told her. “This is Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate, and just a bit that way—” A bony hand pointed the opposite direction Tessa had been heading. “—are the docks.”

  Tessa couldn’t resist, despite the hurry. “What did you say the street was?”

  “Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate,” the old woman repeated. “It means ‘neither one thing nor the other,’ a long name for a short street.” She chuckled at the joke, showing toothless gums. “You are young, are you not?”

  “I am,” Tessa answered, then had an idea. “My name is Tom Thomson, and my father sent me to find my uncle on the docks and bring him to our house.” If the old woman were questioned, she would report that no female had passed her resting place in the sun.

  “Well, then, Tom, be off like a good lad and
do what you were told. Boys these days do not mind their elders as they should.” Without further ado, Tessa thanked the woman and headed off in the direction indicated. That night she lay hidden in the rafters of a barn, constantly on guard, but no one came near. In fact, Cedric’s men didn’t find the fine wedding dress until two days later, lying under some straw where a cow had stepped on it and ruined it beyond repair.