Runaway Hill Page 5

  She went on to speak mainly of Elizabeth's hopes of bearing this child, telling Drusilla she must do nought to distress her sister-in-law, and must try to help her and make Elizabeth rest as much as possible.

  *

  Sighing, Drusilla resorted to making what excuses she could to avoid Mr Blagrave's company, losing no opportunity of informing him she was not willing to agree to her brother's plans, but he seemed as impervious to direct statements as he had earlier been to hints, and she could only hope some change in the war might save her.

  In December there was some excitement in the town when it was learned that Prince Rupert, whose prowess as a cavalry leader was already well known and who was famous for his exploits abroad, as well as being, at only twenty-three, the most experienced of the Royalist commanders, was coming to Reading. Even Elizabeth, missing James severely, took an interest in the preparations being made by the Mayor to entertain the Prince to a banquet.

  'He is borrowing plate from all who are willing to lend it,' she reported. 'Mr Blagrave told me this morning, while you were out, my dear, of all the pieces his family are lending.'

  'So they are courting favour with the Royalists now, are they?' Drusilla asked scornfully. 'But a few weeks back Jacob Blagrave had nought good to say of any of them, yet now he is buying favours!'

  'The Mayor wishes to make a good display,' Elizabeth pleaded, but Drusilla merely scoffed at their pretension.

  On the day after the banquet Drusilla went out, wrapping herself against the bitter cold in a blue velvet cloak, and walked near the Abbey. She was watching, as had become her custom, the progress of the work on the fortifications when a familiar voice she had thought never to hear again spoke close to her ear. Swinging round in amazement she found Sir Randal, dressed in vastly elegant clothes, and with a dashing, curly brimmed hat on his head, smiling down at her.

  'I hoped I might have the pleasure of seeing you, Mistress Drusilla,' he said, and Drusilla's heart leaped joyfully at the sound until she sternly reminded herself of the cousin of Lord Percy, to whom Sir Randal was paying such marked attentions in Oxford.

  'I had not heard you were in Reading, Sir Randal,' she said as coolly as she was able. 'Did you accompany the Prince?'

  'I came to join him here, and arrived just in time for the Mayor's banquet last night,' he replied, frowning slightly at her coldness.

  'I trust you had an enjoyable time,' Drusilla commented. 'The fortification of Reading goes on apace, you see. Do you imagine all the money we have been forced to spend will keep out the wicked Parliamentarian soldiers?'

  'You speak as though you would be glad to see them here,' he said calmly.

  She shook her head. 'We desire no armies here,' she said bleakly. 'Did the Mayor give you the impression you were welcome?'

  'He made a fair attempt,' Sir Randal replied, 'until he realised he had made a mistake in displaying his considerable wealth! When the Prince declared all good Royalist supporters were giving their plate to the King as war contributions, he almost fainted, he turned so pale! There was nought he could do but offer his to the Prince, but it was clear it pained him enormously!'

  'He gave all the plate to the Prince?' Drusilla asked in astonishment.

  'Aye, if reluctantly, and Rupert had it carried off immediately before he could change his mind!'

  'It was not his to give!' Drusilla exclaimed. 'How dare the Prince? Oh, this is yet another example of the endless exactions we are subject to! Is it not enough to expect us to support the army, and contribute towards the King's expenses, and tax my brother three times what others have to pay simply because he went on that wretched deputation to Parliament, so he is forced to flee, leaving Elizabeth and myself at the mercy of any who choose to impose on us? Must our plate be stolen, too?'

  'Wait, I do not understand. How was it not the Mayor's? Did it belong to the town, is that it?'

  'No, though that would have been as bad. The Mayor, fool that he is, wished to impress, and so he borrowed plate from all who would lend it.'

  Sir Randal gave a shout of laughter.

  'He was asked if it was his, and said it was,' he explained. 'No matter, he must make his own excuses to the owners of it. They may consider it has been put to a good cause. What is this of your brother?'

  Drusilla explained the triple tax that had been imposed on James.

  'With the result,' she concluded bitterly, 'that whether he wished it or no he has been driven to throw in his lot with the Parliamentary army. Elizabeth is ill with worry!'

  'I am sorry. Is there aught I can do? Have soldiers been billeted on you this time?'

  Drusilla struggled hard to prevent herself from falling under the spell of his charm. The unknown Percy cousin had to be fiercely dredged from the recesses of her mind, but she succeeded, and answered curtly.

  'Thank you, but no. My sister-in-law has been more fortunate this time, and in consideration of her health the Governor placed with us one of his own men and his wife. They are very quiet and we see nought of them apart from at mealtimes.'

  'May I call on Mistress Matthews?'

  'If you wish, Sir Randal. Now I beg you to excuse me. I have lingered overlong and must return home.'

  *

  Puzzled by her aloofness, Sir Randal permitted her to depart and watched her walk quickly away, a frown in his eyes.

  Had the exactions of the King caused this change in Drusilla? He had been fully convinced when he was last in Reading that she was as attracted to him as he was to her. Did she blame him for the heavy taxation on her brother? Or for the stupid misunderstanding that had led to the Prince commandeering the plate belonging to citizens other than the Mayor? Somehow he did not think either would have been sufficient to cause such a change, and he determined to discover as soon as possible what ailed her.

  Accordingly he waited near her house on the following morning until he saw her leave, a shopping basket over her arm, and then presented himself to Elizabeth.

  'Sir Randal! I had no notion you were in Reading! Do you mean to stay long?'

  'I must return to Oxford shortly,' he replied, noting that Drusilla for some reason had not disclosed his presence. 'How is Mistress Drusilla?'

  Elizabeth gave him a sharp glance.

  'She is well, and will be sorry to have missed you. She is to marry Mr Blagrave in June, you know,' she added brightly. 'An excellent match for her, as she realises.'

  So that was it, Randal thought. Had Drusilla, unlikely as it seemed, willingly accepted this match, or was she being in some way constrained? At all events it seemed clear now why she had been so cold to him. After some further general conversation he took his leave, begging Elizabeth to give his regards to Drusilla, and planning ways in which he could contrive to meet her alone.

  He did not believe she could love Jacob Blagrave. Her manner towards the man only a few weeks previously had been anything but friendly, and he wondered what pressures had been brought to bear on Drusilla to cause her to consent to such a match, suitable though it might appear from a worldly point of view.

  *

  Drusilla had been able to compose herself and decide on her course of action when Randal waylaid her by the fortifications on the following morning. Determined not to permit him to see what she felt for him, since she was convinced he was merely amusing himself with a flirtation, she was coldly polite, and would have refused his offered company had she not been some distance from home, and clearly on her way there.

  'I understand you are to be congratulated,' he said without preamble. 'Jacob Blagrave is a fortunate man, but when I last saw you I would not have thought him the man to win your heart.'

  She glanced up at him, shaken at this direct attack, and then quickly veiled her eyes.

  'Marriage is a business,' she said calmly, 'by which men and women gain advancement for their families and themselves. Do you not agree?'

  'Oddly enough I do not. Do you?' he demanded.

  She shrugged. 'I think that any other way le
ads to disillusion and misery. Surely it is better to expect little and be satisfied with it, rather than strive for the unattainable?' she asked, unable to fully hide the bleakness of her tone.

  They were passing through the Abbey ruins, which were for the moment deserted. Randal took Drusilla's arm and pulled her round to face him, drawing her into a secluded niche between two half-broken walls.

  'My dear, you must not! You do not love the man. Why have you agreed to marry with such a one, when you are made for love? That way lies misery and disillusion. Are you being forced? Is it your parents or your brother? What hold has Blagrave over you?'

  He was gripping her arms fiercely, but Drusilla did not heed the pain. She was concentrating all her will on the effort not to tell him he was wrong, she would never marry Jacob Blagrave, she wanted to marry for love. He must not see how she felt, for it would be too humiliating to become just one more conquest that had amused the gallant Sir Randal for a few idle hours.

  'You have no right to question me!' she gasped. 'I am not being compelled in any way!'

  Suddenly Randal released her arms, only to pull her into a close embrace. Drusilla closed her eyes as his lips, hard and demanding, came down on hers, and she was crushed to him. For a few moments she revelled in the bliss of it, and her response was enough to satisfy Randal that he had not mistaken her feelings for him. Then, as Drusilla realised what was happening, she began to struggle, and he immediately released her but caught hold of her hands in one of his, and with the other forced her to turn her face up to him.

  'Can you swear you intend to marry Blagrave?' he demanded.

  'Would you have me called fickle as well as too difficult to please?' she cried wildly. 'Love – is – not in question! Oh, pray release me!'

  'Where is your brother?' he asked abruptly.

  'I do not know! Somewhere with the Parliamentary army, but we have had no news! What is it to you?'

  Randal smiled, and hugged her to him briefly.

  'Come, I will see you home.'

  They walked in silence until a few yards away from her home, Randal spoke softly to Drusilla.

  'Do not fear, I will return, my love,' he promised, and was gone.

  Chapter 4

  The next few months were agony for Drusilla. She had seen no more of Sir Randal who had departed for Oxford and she wavered between hope that his kisses and his parting promise had been more than mere flirtation, and bitter apprehension she was cruelly deceiving herself. A further letter from Mistress Rogers coupling the names of Mary Percy and Sir Randal, and declaring she had it straight from his sister that a betrothal was imminent threw her into a black despair.

  Elizabeth became more and more lethargic and absorbed in the coming baby as her pregnancy advanced, and showed interest in public events only when the occasional letter from James arrived. He had joined Sir William Waller, who in December had captured Winchester. By February, Waller had been sent to Gloucestershire, and James wrote that he had been able to make a brief visit to his parents on the way. He wrote that although the severe weather at the end of January had caused the loss of many sheep, his parents were well. They were looking forward to visiting Elizabeth with her new baby, and seeing Drusilla married, in a few months.

  The fines and assessments and building of fortifications went on, but Drusilla scarcely cared. Even when all the wool was impounded and the bales used for the defences she made but slight protest. She watched listlessly as the cannon brought from Oxford were set in position in the Market Place, Friar Street, and Broad Street, even at the top of the church tower, and did not comment when Jacob came to report that the King desired the clothiers to continue trading with London, and advised them to ask the permission of Parliament.

  In the middle of February there was some excitement at the rumours Essex was moving against the town, but it came to nought, for instead he drove the Royalists out of Henley. Then he moved towards Oxford and the citizens breathed sighs of relief, believing he had passed them by. Drusilla first heard these hopes had been premature when Meg, who was thoroughly enjoying herself with so many soldiers stationed in the town, ran in to report that one of her trooper friends had returned from a scouting party with the news Lord Essex had swung southwards again and his army was approaching Reading through Wargrave and Binfield Heath.

  'They'll march straight in, Mistress Drusilla!' she cried in fear. 'There's no good defences, Jonah says. Why, even the townsmen who joined the new regiment are deserting faster than they joined!'

  'You know well that is because they were impressed, and further, received no pay!' Drusilla said. 'Be sensible, Meg, they are not here yet!'

  'They soon will be, and then what will become of us?'

  'What should, with my brother in the Parliament's army? I pray you, Meg, not to show your fears to your mistress, for if she is frightened the worst could happen!'

  Meg, thus reminded of Elizabeth's condition, succeeded in remaining outwardly calm, and Elizabeth herself showed no fear, for she fully expected James would soon be with her if the news were true.

  *

  On Saturday, April the fifteenth, the people of Reading found themselves facing that for which the Royalists had been preparing all winter when Lord Essex and his men finally appeared before the town.

  Jacob Blagrave, having been busy during the winter in forwarding himself in the eyes of the Royalists, was in a quandary. He dared support neither side without positive guidance as to the outcome of the struggle, and in consequence was peevish and fretful when he made a visit to Drusilla.

  'I cannot think it wise of Sir Arthur to have refused to send out the women and children,' he complained. 'Lord Essex offered him the opportunity, but he refused. It would have meant more stocks of food for the defenders,' he added, 'and I fear that if the siege lasts more than a few weeks we shall grow very short of food!'

  'How terrible for you,' Drusilla said scornfully. 'I collect there would have been ample food for the women and children, supplied by the generosity of Lord Essex to his enemies, had we been pushed out of the town defenceless? Where would we have found shelter? In the army tents down in the river meadows? Or in Caversham Church? I believe there is still some of it standing after Lord Essex attacked it!'

  'You choose to jest!' Jacob said angrily, 'but apart from lack of food, there will soon be a lack of powder! It is useless resisting! It will only make the reprisals greater when they do get in!'

  'Not for those who show they are only too ready to welcome whoever is victorious!' Drusilla said acidly, and to her relief Jacob soon went away, saying he wished to see whether there were more besiegers to the north-east, for as yet he had news of only one regiment encamped there.

  'A pity he does not take the opportunity to flee then!' Drusilla commented.

  *

  Throughout the winter Jacob had blithely assumed he and Drusilla were firmly betrothed, and although, with James being away, she had been spared the embarrassment of having to deny a definite announcement, she found the news was generally known, and her angry denials of it were regarded either as girlish confusion, or by the more charitable, as useless attempts to maintain some propriety while her brother was not on hand to make the conventional communication.

  She had ceased to argue with Jacob, contenting herself with repeated refusals to discuss the matter, since she would never consent. He was immune to this treatment, and Drusilla bore his complacency as well as she could, sometimes thinking that it would in reality be easier to give up the struggle and permit her family to dispose of her as they chose. A small inner voice always made itself heard, though, with the question of what would then happen if Sir Randal returned, as he had promised, and though she tried to suppress the hope she never succeeded in totally killing it.

  Sunday and Monday passed, with no real attack by the besiegers. It was reported they were gathering more troops about the town, but they did no more than fire desultorily on the defenders, so that the townsfolk summoned up the courage to go to
the ramparts and gaze over them at the novel sight of cannon in the meadows pointing at them, and beyond these strings of white tents fringing the river.

  Meg, stealing away from the house early on Tuesday morning on the pretence of shopping, came running back in tremendous excitement a few minutes later.

  'Mistress Drusilla!' she gasped, finding her in the kitchen. 'Come and see! Do come!'

  'What in the world is it?'

  'Barges, Mistress, that have come up the river during the night, right past the soldiers, and brought us more powder, they say!'

  'Come right past? How is that?'

  'I cannot tell, but do let us go and discover what we can!'

  Knowing Elizabeth was resting, Drusilla gave Joan and the cook swift instructions as she untied her apron and swiftly smoothed her hair, then shook out the skirt of the green and white striped gown she was wearing. Bidding them not to leave the house, she ran with Meg to where an excited crowd of citizens had gathered to greet these daring Royalists, who had conveyed the barges from Sonning right under the noses of the Parliamentarians and into the centre of the town. Many musketeers had also come to augment the defending forces, and they brought the news that the King would soon be marching to the relief of Reading.

  Drusilla was listening to an account of this, gazing wonderingly at the barges, when she gasped with shock. On the last barge a familiar figure was talking with a small group of men and the Governor, Sir Arthur Aston. As she watched, scarcely able to believe her eyes, Sir Randal turned, saw her, and waved his hand in greeting. He speedily concluded his conversation with the others and walked across to Drusilla.

  'I have duties to attend to now, but I will come to you later,' he said swiftly, and with a bow was gone.

  In a dream Drusilla walked home, and was able to concentrate on nothing for the rest of the day. Her thoughts were in a turmoil. Had Sir Randal's arrival been mere coincidence, or had he deliberately come into the threatened town because of her? Did he wish just to carry on an agreeable flirtation, or were his feelings for her deeper than that? To voluntarily enter a besieged town seemed somewhat extreme if his motive was nought but flirtation, and yet, as a soldier, he might have been simply obeying orders, and his appearance be in no way connected with her. For whole minutes at a time she permitted herself to hope, then chided herself with being unrealistic. As the day wore on and he did not appear she began to wonder if she had imagined the whole, until at suppertime there was a knock on the door, and her heart began to beat wildly.