Page 80 of By the Sword
‘I know. He is the man who shot Jonathan in York. I saw him there.’
‘Do you know what lies between Jonathan and Prescott?’ Giles asked.
‘No,’ Kate said. ‘Jonathan wouldn’t tell me. Can you?’
Giles shook his head. ‘It’s not for me to tell you. All I can do is warn you that Stephen Prescott will stop at nothing to avenge himself on Jonathan. Whatever he might tell you, he is here for one reason alone and that is because he thought to snare Jonathan.’
Kate looked at Giles’ grim face, startled by the difference from the man she had first met only a few short weeks ago.
‘Why can’t you tell me?’ she demanded. ‘I’m so tired of these hints and half-truths.’
Giles grimaced. ‘Because I don’t know the whole story,’ he said.
‘Has it got anything to do with Mary?’
Giles looked startled. ‘Mary? What has he told you about Mary?’
‘I know Mary is the only woman he ever loved. I know she is dead. That is all.’
Giles looked away, and she saw the indecision on his face. He looked back at her and said quietly. ‘Her name was Mary Prescott.’
‘Prescott’s sister?’
‘His wife.’
Kate swallowed. ‘His wife?
‘I’m sorry, Kate. That’s all I can tell you. I honestly know no more. Only Jonathan and Prescott can tell you what lies between them, but perhaps you can surmise?’
Kate took a shuddering breath. Prescott’s wife…a lost love…yes, she could surmise what enmity lay between the two men.
‘I’m very glad you’re here, Giles,’ she said with heartfelt honesty.
‘I’m not good for very much, Kate.’ A ghost of his old smile crossed his ashen face.
‘You’re a friend,’ she said, ‘and more importantly a friend who understands about Stephen Prescott.’
Giles chuckled. ‘It must have come as something of a shock to him to find you, instead of Jonathan.’
She stood up to leave.
‘I’m sure it did, but he frightens me, Giles.’
Giles caught her hand. ‘You have reason to be afraid. Kate, be careful. Prescott is no fool. If he even suspects there is anything between you and Jonathan he will use that against you.’
Kate sighed heavily. ‘I will be careful, Giles. The Lord alone knows how careful I must be. Now I’ll leave you to get some rest and organise our guests’ accommodation. I would like them to be sufficiently comfortable to keep to their quarters.’
Giles released her hand and shook his head. ‘You’re a remarkable woman, Kate Ashley.’
***
As he had promised, Prescott returned in the afternoon with his men. He and his officers seemed satisfied with the arrangements she had made. So they should be, thought Kate. They were no doubt considerably better billets than they were used to.
Mindful of the part she must play, Kate asked the officers to join her for dinner. They accepted with an alacrity that surprised her and presented at the appointed time, well scrubbed and tidy. Nell had her part to play too and while they might view her papist beliefs with horror, she had a pretty face and a cheerful disposition and she knew how to play on those charms.
Prescott introduced his men: Captain Bennett, Lieutenants Fairbairn and Butters, and a young Cornet whose name Kate didn’t quite catch. Lieutenant Fairbairn said a very long-windedgrace over the cooling food, during which a few suspicious glances were directed at Nell but she ignored their curiosity.
As the soup was served Prescott shook out his napkin.
