All great men of the highest order and Andressa politely greeted each man, showing her well-trained manners. She recognized a few of them from earlier in the day, when she’d come the first time, but the rest were new. She was formally introduced, once again, to William Marshal, and he stood up from his chair to greet her.
“My lady,” he said, looking her over closely. “Now that we have formally met, I would like to thank you for the information you have provided to us. I do not know if you realize it, but you have provided key information to a dilemma we have been faced with.”
Andressa nodded. “Sir Maxton told me,” she said. “He said that you knew someone was going to try to assassinate King John.”
“And you have provided us with the answer to that mystery.”
Andressa drew in a deep breath. “But there is more now,” she said, looking between William and Maxton. “That is why I came back. That man who tried to kill me… he is a friend of the Mother Abbess.”
Maxton took her by the shoulders and guided her over to the fire, away from the chill of the room. “He is,” he answered. “It is complicated to explain who he is, but…”
“I know who he is,” she said, interrupting him. “He came from the Lateran Palace to deliver our Holy Father’s command to the Mother Abbess personally. I saw him at St. Blitha the day he brought the message. I told you of seeing him. He is the Scotsman.”
Maxton nodded. “His name is Alasdair Baird Douglas and he can no longer harm you. We saw to that.”
Andressa looked at him with some relief. “Did you lock him away?”
“We killed him. Don’t you remember?”
She really didn’t. Andressa didn’t remember much after the Scotsman grabbed her around the throat. Shaking her head, she looked to the men standing around her. “I am sorry that I do not,” she said. “I remember that he grabbed me… and not much else. But I thank you for saving my life, all of you.”
Christopher was standing the closest to her. As a man with a wife and several children, including two daughters who were verging on womanhood, he knew how to handle a woman. He could see how frightened and exhausted she was, so he had his brother grab a chair and he pulled it up for her, sitting her down next to the fire. He also asked his brother to send a servant for food for the lady, including a warmed drink. As David headed out of the solar, calling for a servant, Christopher smiled politely at Andressa.
“My lady, you have saved us more trial and trouble than you can possibly imagine,” he said. “And it was Maxton who mostly did away with your attacker, so he is the one to thank. We simply cleaned up his mess when he was finished. Now, you said you had more to tell us. Would you please tell us what more there is?”
Andressa found herself looking up at the very big, very blond earl who sported a neatly trimmed beard over his jaw. Behind him, his brother was returning to the group and she could see the family resemblance. They all seemed to be crowding in around her, which made her a little nervous, but she knew they were no threat to her. They had saved her life. Therefore, she wanted to be cooperative.
“I know how the nuns are going to kill the king,” she said, looking between Christopher and Maxton at this point. “Sister Petronilla told me how to do it. She stripped leaves from a foxglove plant and told me to crush them and put them into the king’s wine. She also told me to take the root from the dwale plant and mash it, and to put that in as well as juice from the berries. They intend to poison the king and I am in charge of the wine.”
The men looked at each other. “Neat and uncomplicated,” Maxton said as he looked at Christopher over Andressa’s head. “And completely untraceable. The man would be dead before we could do anything about it.”
Christopher nodded. “Indeed,” he said, scratching thoughtfully at his beard. “Quite clever of them. What do you have planned, then?”
Maxton’s attention returned to Andressa. “You said you know the layout of the abbey,” he said. “Can you draw it out for us?”
Andressa nodded eagerly. “I can,” she said. “If you bring me a pen and parchment, I can draw out where this will take place.”
William sent one of his servants on the run for parchment and quill, which he kept in a smaller solar next to his bedchamber. While the man was gone, Andressa went to the hearth, where there was a solid layer of ashes on the stone, and picked up the fire poker. Kneeling down, she began to sketch out the footprint of the abbey.
“The abbey is laid out like so,” she said, sketching out a rudimentary rectangle with a long, oblong shape at one end. “This is the chapel. That is where Communion will take place for the feast day. The Bishop of Essex will be conducting the mass.”
She glanced up as she spoke, looking at a host of nodding heads. She continued. “He always performs the mass on feast day,” she went on. “That was something that was ordained long ago, long before the command for the king’s death ever came from our Holy Father.”
“Essex,” Maxton grunted as he looked at the others. “The vile beast himself will be giving Communion.”
“He will,” Andressa said as she sketched. “But he does not know of the plot against the king. I am sure the Mother Abbess would not tell him, given he is a confidante of the king. He is simply there to give Communion and nothing more.”
A floor plan was beginning to take shape in the ashes, one with chambers and buildings, and the men watched with interest.
“Is the king’s Communion wine poisoned?” Maxton asked.
She nodded. “All of it,” she said. “He will be given the same wine at Communion as he is at the feast. And this… this is where the feast will take place. This is the Mother Abbess’ private solar.”
She was indicating a large room that was next to the chapel. Maxton crouched down beside her, pointing to the drawing.
“So this is the chamber,” he muttered. “Where are the entry points of this complex?”
Andressa pointed. “The main entry to the cloister, the postern gate, and then two doors leading from the church into the dormitories and cloister,” she said. “Once Communion is completed, they will move from the church through one of the two doors into the cloister. My guess is that it will be the door that leads out to the gardens. The Mother Abbess is very proud of her garden and she will want to show it to the king.”
“The garden where the plants grow that will kill him,” William muttered. “She will be parading him past his fate.”
It was the truth. Maxton continued to focus on her map. “Christopher,” he said, indicating all of the external access points. “We must have men on these entry points. I would suggest putting MacRohan on one of them. The man shouldn’t be in a position where he has to speak with anyone, but we may very well need his sword. I fear that if they hear his Irish accent, they might be suspicious. John wouldn’t have any Irish soldiers.”
Christopher nodded, looking over at Bric, who understood that logic. “Come and look at this map,” he said, having the man move up beside him. “See the main entry? You and du Reims take it. That way, you’re both guarding the main entry and Dash can do any speaking if need be. If there is trouble, the entry has direct access to the Mother Abbess’ solar – and you can come running.”
Both Bric and Dashiell were looking at the map, nodding as they understood their positions.
“Someone will have to unlock the entry door from the inside,” Bric said. “I can only imagine it is heavily barred.”
Christopher nodded. “I will make sure someone unlocks it,” he said. “You and Dash make sure it remains unlocked.”
The two young knights nodded, eager and ready to participate in this great plan. They were hungry and talented, eager to gain the experience, eager to serve their king. Once those two were set, Christopher looked at Maxton.
“You realize that David and I cannot join the ranks of John’s men,” he said. “John and I have a long history. The man knows me on sight. Forbes, too – he has seen Gart. We cannot pretend to be part of his guar
d. We can, however, show up for Communion, as worshippers.”
Maxton saw his point. “Then you should,” he said. “That will put you three inside with the king and fully prepared to defend and protect the man.”
At that point, Sean moved up between Christopher and David. “I will be with the king and his personal guard,” he said, pointing to the layout of the church. “I will take my brother, Cullen, and Alexander with me in the personal guard. We shall stay close to John.”
Maxton nodded. “And that leaves me, Kress, and Achilles to dress as royal men-at-arms,” he said. “We’ll have more freedom to move about if we’re part of the lesser contingent.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
There was some satisfaction to those plans, now knowing what their roles were and what the general plan was. But Maxton wasn’t finished yet. He looked at Andressa.
“You mentioned that the Mother Abbess will have assistance with this assassination,” he said.
She nodded. “Sister Dymphna, Sister Agnes, and Sister Petronilla.”
Maxton sighed. “We will need help identifying them, Andressa. As much as I do not like the thought of you returning to St. Blitha to be part of this operation, the truth is that we need you. You will have to point the assassin nuns out to us so we can watch out for them and arrest them.”
She looked a bit frightened by that, fearful that such an action might give her away to those deadly nuns, but she didn’t say so. She knew that Maxton realized the danger and would not have asked her to do such a thing if it wasn’t absolutely necessary; he’d said himself that he didn’t like the thought of her returning to St. Blitha yet again, and she’d known his reluctance to let her return all along. From the beginning, he’d been trying to keep her from returning, as if she meant something to him. More and more, she was wondering…
… was it possible that the man really did care about her?
“I will do what you need me to do,” she said after a pause. “I will be in the kitchens and also bringing the Communion wine, so I will be moving about with some freedom.”
Maxton could see her nervousness. “We will have men posted all around the complex, as you heard,” he said. “Look at these faces; know them well. You can tell any one of them who the sisters are and they will spread the word. We are all there to help you, Andressa. And we will not let anything happen to you, I swear it.”
That was something of a relief to hear him say that, even though she had already known it. They’d proven it. This task, which could have been so utterly terrifying, was made far easier knowing that these men would protect her at all costs.
“I know,” she said, smiling timidly. “It is just that this… I have never been involved in anything like this. It is quite frightening. How do you do this on a regular basis? You must have nerves of steel.”
That brought laughter from the group. With a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye, Maxton reached out and clasped her hand.
“It takes practice, believe me,” he said. “You will do fine. Know that we are all there to help you and protect you, so simply complete your duties as normal and everything will work out as it should. In fact, we must discuss what will take place at the feast so we know when to act. What can you tell us about the schedule for the day?”
Andressa knew this; she’d been part of the feast day for the past four years. “In the past, the king has arrived later in the morning and the mass begins. The bells will call the faithful to Sext, the midday prayers, and the bishop will perform mass. At the conclusion, he will perform the act of Communion for the worshippers.”
“And the king is to have his own special wine,” Maxton clarified.
She nodded. “Aye,” she said. “Of course, the king would demand his own wine as it is, so this is nothing new. It will be my task to ensure the king receives the poisoned wine, only I will make sure he does not. But the sisters will think otherwise.”
Maxton was still holding on to her hand; he squeezed it. “Good girl,” he murmured. “Then what?”
Andressa was having difficulty focusing on his question because his hand, so big and warm, was holding on to hers. Her heart was beating firmly against her rib cage, thrilled by his touch.
“Then the king, the bishop, and the Mother Abbess will retire to her private solar for the feast,” she said. “It will only be for special guests, this feast. The Mother Abbess has never opened the feast to all those at St. Blitha, so they will dine in her solar.”
“Maxton,” William said. He’d been listening to everything and a thought had just occurred to him. “How do you intend to catch the nuns in the act? As it is, they are guiltless women until you can prove they tried to poison the king. How do you intend to do that?”
It was an excellent question and everyone looked to Maxton for the answer. He glanced up at his friends, seeing their curiosity, before finally looking at William.
“Simple,” he said. “You will be attending this mass, will you not?”
William nodded. “Much like the de Lohr brothers and Gart, the king knows me on sight, also. I will be attending the mass along with them.”
“And I will assume you will be attending the feast.”
“I’ve not been invited, but I’m sure I can find my way to the table.”
Maxton released Andressa’s hand and stood up, facing William. “Then that final step will be up to you,” he said. “It is you who will ask the Mother Abbess to drink from the king’s wine. If she refuses, it will be because she does not want to drink poisoned wine. She will be the only one, along with her cohorts, who know it is poisoned and when she refuses to drink it, you will ask her why. Press her. As far as I am concerned, a refusal is as good as a confession.”
William liked that answer. In the end, he would be the one arresting the king’s assassins and look like a hero. Anything that brought him glory in the end was well received.
“Excellent,” he said. “And Lothar shall know it is I who foiled his plot. Perfect. And you will be nearby to arrest the other nuns?”
“When Andressa points them out, we will move on them as soon as you move on the Mother Abbess.”
“Wait,” Andressa spoke up before they became too excited over the idea that the nuns wouldn’t resist their arrest. “The Mother Abbess has a staff that she carries with her, always. As I told Maxton, it has a blade at the end of it, a very big blade, and she is not afraid to use it. You must treat her as you would treat any other killer – she would show no hesitation in using her blade against you.”
William smiled faintly at her concern. “My lady, I have been a knight longer than you have been alive,” he said. “I believe I can defend myself against your Mother Abbess. Besides, Sean and Kevin and Cullen will be in the solar with me because they will be accompanying the king. They can assist me in apprehending the Mother Abbess. But where will her minions be?”
Andressa shook her head. “That is something I do not know,” she said honestly. “I will have to locate them and point them out to your men. Last year, they joined the Mother Abbess for the feast, but the year before, they did not. Therefore, I do not know if they plan to join the feast this year.”
William considered that. “Then we must have eyes on them at all times,” he said. “But let me make this clear, young woman – you are to have no involvement in apprehending these women. I am perfectly happy to use you as a spy, but not as a martyr. You will go about your duties as usual. You will help my men identify the nuns involved in this plot, and nothing more. Is that clear?”
Andressa nodded solemnly. “It is, my lord,” she said. “And I am grateful.”
William grinned at her. “You are doing quite enough, and it is we who are grateful,” he said. “In fact, I told Maxton that you would be rewarded when this is all over. Has he told you that?”
Andressa shook her head. “Nay, my lord,” she said, looking to Maxton in surprise. “A reward?”
Maxton could see that she was puzzled by the thought. He ended
up crouching down beside her again. “You are helping us save the country,” he said softly. “Without you, we would still be fumbling around in the dark, trying to figure this all out. Don’t you understand? You have made everything possible and you deserve as great a reward as we can give you.”
A reward. Andressa had never even considered such a thing and, even now, she simply couldn’t comprehend what he was saying.
“I…I do not even know what I would ask for,” she said. “I do not do this to be rewarded.”
Maxton smiled. “That is why we are eager to reward you,” he said. “You are doing this because it is the right thing to do, not because you will gain something from it. Is there anything you can think of? Anything at all.”
She considered his question very carefully. “Would… would a new pair of shoes be too much?”
William chuckled and Maxton did, too, at her sweet and simple request. “You would not want something more?” he asked. “Say the word and I shall ride to Chalford Hill Castle, remove your aunt, and restore your inheritance. The Marshal shall supply the army and no man, or woman, can stand against it.”
Her eyes widened. “You… you would do that?”
“Aye, I would do that. For what you have done, every man in this room would do that.”
She stared at him a moment longer before tears began to fill her eyes. “It is too much,” she whispered. “That is far too much to ask.”
“Nonsense,” William said firmly. “If that is what you wish, consider it done. When the Mother Abbess has been arrested, you will have seen your last day at that abbey. Won’t she, Maxton?”
Maxton had a smile playing on his lips. “I would say so,” he replied, feeling the least bit self-conscious because he suspected what most in the room were thinking – there was more than simple chivalry involved in his declaration. “The day after the feast, I will muster an army and ride to Gloucester. Your aunt will be arrested for stealing your inheritance and you may assume your rightful place as the heiress to the Culverhay fortune.”
Nunnery Brides: A Medieval Romance Collection Page 91