Page 77 of By the Sword
‘Jonathan was here?’ Giles’ gaze flicked to Howell and Ellen.
‘Yes but long gone. Where are you hurt?’ she asked
He indicated his right leg and rubbed the knee. ‘My horse died under me, halfway here. I didn’t get my foot free of the stirrup fast enough and seem to have done something to my knee. It hurts like hell and it’s devilish inconvenient.’
Ellen knelt beside him. ‘That knee is badly swollen. Ye’ll have to come to the house,’ she said. ‘There’s naught I can do for ’ee here.’
‘Is it safe?’ he asked.
Kate nodded. ‘For the moment. The soldiers came today, but they left without posting any watch on the house. I’m afraid they will be back, though. Price is in a vile mood.’
Giles studied her face for a moment. ‘I’m sorry, Kate. I didn’t know where else to go. I’ll not stay to be a danger to you. Just patch me up and send me on my way,’ he said.
He groaned as Jacob Howell hauled him to his feet, supporting his weight.
‘What news of the King?’ he asked between gritted teeth. ‘Did he get away?’
‘Yes,’ Kate said, judging it wiser not to enter into a conversation about the King’s whereabouts.
Giles closed his eyes. ‘Thank God they got him away safely,’ he said with heartfelt relief. ‘How’s Nell?’
‘She’ll be better for knowing you’re alive,’ Kate replied. ‘Now let’s get you back to the house. Can you manage, Jacob?’
Jacob Howell grunted and they made slow, painful progress back to the house. After the visitors of the last twenty-four hours, one more hungry, exhausted, filthy soldier made no difference to Ellen. Back at the house, she installed Giles in a chair by the fire in the kitchen with his injured leg propped up in front of him.
He grumbled and swore as Ellen examined the knee. When she had finished she stood up and looked from Kate to Giles with a shake of her head.
‘That knee’s not taking you anywhere for a while, my lord.’ She turned to Kate. ‘What are we to do with him, mistress?’
Kate shook her head. ‘Let’s start by giving him some food and I’ll fetch his wife to hold his hand while you do what you need to do.’
Nell cried out and fell on her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
Giles gently disengaged her. ‘Time for reunions later, Nell.’
While Ellen poulticed and bound his knee, Giles recounted the details of the battle, pausing only when he got to the retreat through Sidbury Gate. There he stumbled in his narrative, running a hand over his eyes. He looked spent, drained of all his liveliness and humour.
‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I can’t go on.’
‘Was it so awful?’ Nell asked.
He put his hands over his face and said, ‘Nell, it was a slaughter.’
Nell grimaced and closed her eyes.
Kate laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘You’re tired, Giles. I think we’ve heard enough.’
Nell looked up at Kate. ‘We’ll have to hide him. The soldiers will be back again. Price and that Major Prescott have already made that much clear.’
‘Prescott?’ Giles stiffened, all exhaustion gone from his face. ‘Prescott was here?’
‘Do you know him?’ Nell asked.
Giles’ eyes met Kate’s and flickered away. Kate caught the meaning. Giles not only knew Prescott, he knew the danger he posed, but there would be time to press Giles later. For now, they had the problem of concealing one crippled Royalist from the prying eyes of Cromwell’s men.
‘We’ll have to put you in one of the priest holes,’ Kate said.
Beneath the grime, Giles paled. ‘I’d rather hand myself over now,’ he said. ‘Jonathan locked me in one of those rat holes when I was eight years old and I cannot abide small spaces since.’
