"No, I don't," Mag said honestly. "There's something about him I don't trust, and ye shouldn't trust him either. Yer grandda had lands right enough, but he never had gold the way Master Cavan implies. I don't know what his game is, m'lady, but I'd thank him for his time, and have nothing further to do with him!"

Aidan dressed in the very best gown she had brought with her, a black silk dress with a delicately embroidered underskirt done in a simple gold thread design. The neckline on the gown was more than modest and heavily trimmed in lace as were the wrists of the garment. The dark color against Aidan's fair skin gave her a fragile appearance, particularly as her lovely hair was partly hidden beneath a delicately sheer lawn cap. She was every inch the helpless gentlewoman.

The Greenwood barge returned from carrying her cousin into the city, and now the bargemen rowed their mistress back up the river to where the Tower of London stood soaring forbiddingly against the early-evening sky. She was landed at the Water Gate, her vessel to await her return. Aidan and Mag climbed the stairs leading into the Tower, following behind a somber-faced guardsman. To her complete surprise, for Cavan had given the impression that he was a most inaccessible man, the governor of the Tower was more than happy to grant her an interview, even at this late hour.

"But I had been given to understand that ye lived near Worcester, Lady Bliss," he said by way of greeting.

"Under the circ.u.mstances, Sir John, I thought it best I come to London, even though I am with child," she replied softly.

"My dear madame," the governor said distressed, "please to be seated," and he ushered her himself to a chair. "Ye want to see yer husband, of course?"

"Yes," she said.

"That will be no problem at all, my lady, but first will ye take a gla.s.s of wine with me? Ye must be exhausted from yer travels."

Aidan nodded politely. There was no necessity to tell the governor that she had been here for three days already. "I would be most grateful for the refreshment," she said sweetly, her heart beating joyously at the knowledge that she could see Conn.

The governor's serving man offered her a goblet, and she sipped delicately at the delicious liquid while Sir John rea.s.sured her, much to her surprise, and to her relief, that he was certain her husband's incarceration was but a temporary thing, and that she would soon have him home again. Then she realized that the kindly man was but making a clumsy attempt to comfort her which she thought rather dear of him. Finally she was able to take her leave of Sir John, and she and Mag were led up a winding flight of stairs and down a corridor to a door which the warder on guard unlocked, and opened wide.

"Conn!" She flew into the room and into his surprised arms.

"Aidan!" His arms locked about her, and he kissed her with a gentle pa.s.sion. "Sweeting, what are ye doing here?"

"How could I remain at Pearroc Royal without ye, Conn? It was too far, and I feared for ye! Yer birthday was yesterday. I had hoped for a better day for ye." She lowered her voice. "I have been in touch with my cousin Cavan, and 'twas he who told me of yer plight, and how grave the situation is. I wanted to go to the queen, but he advised against it. He also advised against my pet.i.tioning Sir John, but after he left I took the barge and came to the Tower, and Sir John was ever so nice."

"He is a decent man considering his job," said Conn quietly, but his mind was busily digesting what she had said about her cousin. "How is it, sweeting, that ye spoke to Cavan?"

"I sent to the Swan for Mag said she was certain he hadn't left London yet.

"And he hadn't, had he?" mused Conn. "Interesting." Then coming to himself he said, "Just what did Cavan tell ye, Aidan?"

"That three men had accused ye of being involved in a plot to kill the queen, but I told him such a thing was impossible!" she said.

He hugged her hard. "Thank ye for yer trust, my love. Now try to remember what else Cavan said to ye."

"He said ye could have become involved in the plot while ye were still at court. He said ... he s-said that ye could I-lose yer h-head! Oh, Conn! Tell me that it cannot happen!" She clung to him trembling.

d.a.m.nation! he thought. Wasn't Cavan FitzGerald the busy and informed one? Conn considered the delightful possibility of beating him senseless when this was all over. For now, however, he had to rea.s.sure his pregnant wife. Gently he set her back from him, and tipping her face upward looked down into her eyes. "Aidan, I want ye to believe me when I tell ye that I am in no danger whatsoever of losing my head. More than that I cannot say to ye now. Do ye understand me?"

She gained strength from his very presence, and now as his words penetrated her brain she realized exactly what he was telling her.

"It is possible," he continued on confirming her thoughts, "that yer cousin Cavan is involved in this scheme. Ask me no more, however, sweeting. I cannot tell ye."

"But how will they catch him?" she persisted.

He put his hand over her mouth. "Aidan!" he said warningly, and when she nodded resigned he removed it. "Now listen, my love, I don't want ye to see Cavan again if ye can help it. I want ye to go back to Greenwood, and tomorrow morning yer to go home. Do ye understand me? Yer to go home! I don't think I've ever given ye an order in all the time we've been married, but this is an order. Go home!"

Her heart felt much lighter at the secret knowledge that he was going to be safe, and she smiled relieved at him saying meekly, "Yes, my lord."

"Indeed, madame, and I have never heard ye sound so biddable before," he teased her, kissing her again quickly upon the mouth. "Oh, my sweet wife, how very much I want ye, and how very much I have missed ye!"

"I thought," she answered him, "that I was lonely before, but only since we have been parted, my darling Conn, have I really learned what loneliness is all about. I don't ever want to be separated from ye again!"

His strong arms enfolded her once again. "We won't be, sweeting. I promise ye!" He kissed her tenderly this time, and then putting her from him said, "Now leave me, Aidan, take care of our child, and remember what I have told ye."

"I'm not afraid any longer, Conn," she said. "Mag and I will leave for Pearroc Royal in the morning, I promise."

And while Aidan and Conn had been having their small reunion Mag and Cluny had squabbled happily in a corner, delighted to see one another though neither would have admitted it. Now as Aidan called to her tiring woman Cluny said impulsively, "Ye be careful, Mistress Mag, for when we gets home I'll need ye to quarrel with."

Mag flushed, but recovering snapped at him, "Yer an old fool, Master Cluny, but take care of yerself. Ye need watching over far more than I do."

Conn smiled at the two, and addressed Mag quietly. "I've told Aidan that she is to avoid seeing FitzGerald again, and that yer to both return home tomorrow morning. Ye'll see to it?"

"Aye, my lord, I will, and that is good news. M'lady will not listen to me."

"But she will listen to me, won't ye, Aidan?"

"Yes, my lord," came the dutiful reply, and Aidan curtsied to her husband.

He laughed. "Then be off with ye both, and a safe journey home!"

The two women followed the guardsman back to the governor's apartment for Aidan wanted to thank Sir John for his kindness. Arriving she was surprised to find William Cecil, Lord Burghley. He arose from his chair, and ushered her to a comfortable seat before sitting back down again himself.

"Ye have seen yer husband, madame ?"

"Thanks to Sir John," said Aidan smiling at the governor of the Tower. "Thank ye, sir. My mind is much eased having seen Conn."

Lord Burghley nodded. "Would ye like to help yer husband, Lady Bliss?"

"Of course!" Aidan cried.

William Cecil nodded. "We do not," he said, "believe for a moment that yer husband is part or a plot to a.s.sa.s.sinate her majesty, but someone has gone to the trouble of making it appear so. It is a clumsy effort at best, madame, but there ye have it. It is very possible that the man who calls himself Cavan FitzGerald may be involved, and that his motive is to sec ye widowed so he may marry ye. That is the simplest of it. It may be, however, that there is more. We need to flush out any accomplices should Master FitzGerald have them, and in that we need yer help."

"How?" said Aidan.

"If Master FitzGerald is after yer wealth then the news ye will have nothing should yer husband be convicted of this alleged crime will send him on his way quick enough. If there is more, then he will linger on in London. Knowing which way the wind is blowing will enable us to decide the true seriousness of this business.

"I want ye to go to yer cousin tonight, and tell him ye have just been informed that yer estates and all the wealth that they entail are about to be confiscated by the crown. Perhaps ye should even ask him to intercede with yer grandfather for ye. Tell him that ye received yer information from the Countess of Lincoln, but that she said she can be of no more help to ye under the circ.u.mstances. If it is yer gold that Master FitzGerald is after, then he'll be gone before the morning's light."

"And ye will release my husband then?"

"Aye."

"But what if it is not, my lord?"

"Then Lord Bliss must remain here until we can find out just who is actually behind this plot. I'm sure ye understand, Lady Bliss."

Aidan nodded. "Aye, I do, and of course I will aid ye, my lord. I am more than anxious to prove our loyalty to the queen. I shall go directly to the Swan from here."

Mag coughed discreetly from her place by the door.

Aidan smiled. "What is it, Mag?" she asked.

"Forgive me, m'lady, but ye did promise my lord that ye would have nothing further to do with Master FitzGerald, and that ye would go home tomorrow. Yer not forgetting that now, are ye?"

"No, Mag, and we will go home tomorrow, but this is such a very little thing to do, and perhaps it will clear this matter up so that when we go home tomorrow, my lord and Cluny will be with us. Ye would like that too, wouldn't ye?"

"But ye promised my lord ye wouldn't bother with that man, m'lady!" Mag insisted.

"Conn didn't say I couldn't see Cavan FitzGerald, Mag. He simply said to avoid him until we left if possible," Aidan reasoned. "Ye've heard Lord Burghley, Mag. This whole thing may have been concocted by my cousin merely for the purpose of gaining my wealth. What a terrible man he must be! He would sacrifice Conn's life merely to gain my riches! Would ye have him go unpunished?"

Mag sighed. "Of course not," she said, "but if he is so lacking in scruples that he would allow my lord to be killed, what might he not do to ye, my chick?"

William Cecil nodded slightly. The servant was very wise. "I would not send yer mistress into any danger, Mrs. Mag," he said. "She need only in feminine fashion go weeping to her relative to confide this new disaster, and to seek his comfort. Confiscating a traitor's wealth is often done. It will not seem unusual or suspicious to Master FitzGerald, but if all he is after is yer lady's riches, he will bolt fast enough, and the mystery will be solved."

"And if he does will ye let him away with it?" demanded the tiring woman boldly.

"No," said Lord Burghley, "we will not. He will be quickly caught, and imprisoned for fraud, and attempted murder. He'll not see his homeland soon again, I promise ye."

"Ye go home, and pack for us, Mag," Aidan instructed the servant. "I will go by coach to the Swan, and be home before ye even miss me."

"What coach?" demanded Mag. "We came by barge. Ye'll not hire a public coach, m'lady!"

"I will send her in my own coach," said Lord Burghley. "It is a plain vehicle for I do not like to be recognized in the streets. It will wait for yer mistress, and then conduct her home safely. Sir John will give me the loan of his barge for my own trip home."

Satisfied by those arrangements Mag left her mistress, and Lord Burghley conducted young Lady Bliss to his coach where he bid her farewell.

"Do not," he warned her, "attempt to elicit any information from Master FitzGerald whatsoever. Simply play yer part, and then depart, Lady Bliss. If the man is not a fool, then he is dangerous, and I would not like anything to happen to ye."

"I am not a fool," said Aidan quietly. "I will take great care not to arouse his suspicions, m'lord. I have far more to lose. I am with child, ye know?"

"I did not," came the reply, "and now I fear perhaps I should not have asked ye to do this."

"Nonsense, my lord! 'Tis no great thing." Aidan smiled, and then climbing into the coach she waved him good-bye as it moved from the Tower courtyard, and out into the evening streets. Aidan chuckled to herself at Mag's boldness in questioning Lord Burghley so fiercely, but he had not been in the least offended by the servant. Instead he had calmed her fears, and answered her questions without fuss. He was a consummate politician, thought Aidan, and she understood why the queen valued him. so highly. He had understood Mag's concern for her because of his own concern for his mistress, Elizabeth Tudor. Loyalty was something Lord Burghley both understood and valued highly.

They arrived at the Swan, a large comfortable commercial inn located on a respectable street near the river, and alighting the coach without a backward glance, Aidan entered into the building. She was immediately greeted by the landlord for it was the dinner hour, and the Swan's dining room was well known.

"May I help ye, madame?"

"I am Lady Bliss," said Aidan. "I seek my cousin, Master FitzGerald."

"Of course, m'lady. Yer cousin, and his friend, Monsieur Michel, have rooms here on the main floor, in the rear." He reached out to grab at a boy hurrying by. "Bob! Take Lady Bliss to her cousin's rooms. That'll be Master FitzGerald, the Irishman."

"Aye, Da!" Bob gave Aidan a friendly grin. "Right this way, m'lady," and he led her back down to the end of a hallway to a door. Knocking sharply he barely awaited for the permission to enter before he was throwing open the door to permit Aidan pa.s.sage.

Cavan FitzGerald, and another man had been sitting before the small fireplace drinking. Both men were casually dressed, without doublets, their shirts open. They leapt to their feet as Aidan came into the room.

"Ohh, Cavan!" she cried, and throwing herself at him she began to sob. " 'Tis terrible, Cavan! Oh, 'tis just terrible!" and her shoulders shook with the force of her weeping.

With a surprised wiggle of his eyebrows Bob pulled the door closed behind him, and Cavan FitzGerald put his arms about Aidan saying, "Dearest little Aidan, what is it? What has distressed ye so?"

"Wine," she sobbed convincingly. "I must have some wine!"

Cavan nodded to Miguel de Guaras who filled a small goblet, and handed it to him. "Here, Aidan, my sweet," Cavan said soothingly as he seated her in a chair. "Now tell me what is troubling ye."

Aidan sipped slowly at the ruby liquid, half-closing her eyes as she quickly surveyed the room. It wasn't very big, but along with the fireplace was a window that looked out on the back courtyard of the inn. Besides the door to the hallway there was another door through which she could see a bedchamber. There was only a table, two chairs, and a wooden settle by the fireplace in this room. The wine was not the best vintage, and it slid down her throat, burning slightly, and causing her to cough. She caught her breath, and looked up at the two men through her wet eyelashes. "Ohhhh, Cavan!" she cried again.

"Is it Conn?" he said trying to keep the eagerness from his voice.

"Partly," she allowed. "Ohhh, Cavan!"

"What is it, Aidan? What is troubling ye?" he demanded, trying to keep the impatience from his voice.

"I had a message from my cousin the Countess of Lincoln," Aidan said dramatically, and then she began to sob again.

"And?" he coaxed her.

"Because of what Conn has done our estates and our wealth are to be forfeit to the crown! I will be penniless, Cavan! Penniless!"

He looked stunned.

"Ye must help me," she continued. She had seen his face, and knew t hen that Lord Burghley had been correct.

Ye b.a.s.t.a.r.d, she thought angrily, but then she spoke again. "Ye must help me, Cavan. I will have nothing. Where can I go? What shall I do? Will ye speak to my grandfather for me? Perhaps he will allow me to live with him in Ireland." Then she put her face in her hands, and began to cry again.

"What of yer husband?" It was the other man who spoke.

Curious, thought Aidan, but she answered nonetheless, "He will be condemned to be hung, drawn, and quartered unless the queen shows him mercy, and allows him to be beheaded. My cousin the countess says, however, that the queen is very angry. My cousin says she can no longer help me because of Conn. Oh, Cavan! What am I to do? Ye'll help me, won't ye: But Cavan wasn't even looking at her at this point. He turned to Miguel de Guaras. "Did ye antic.i.p.ate this, de Guaras? When ye offered me my cousin's wealth to help ye, did ye antic.i.p.ate that that wealth would be forfeit to England's rapacious ruler? Did ye?"

Aidan sat very still, suddenly very aware that there was more involved here, and just a little frightened that she had perhaps stumbled into something far more serious than she realized. She had to get out of this place before more was said. Before they became aware that she even suspected anything.

"Oh, Cavan," she said, "I am so unhappy! Will ye escort me back to Greenwood? My coach is waiting outside."

He whirled on her, and for the first time she saw that he was jowly, and that his mouth was narrow to the point of meanness. "Shut up, Aidan!" he snapped at her.

"Ye cannot talk to me like that," she cried, leaping to her feet. "I shall go home this minute! I was mad to come to ye for help!"

"Sit down, madonna," said Miguel de Guaras. "I do not think it wise that ye go anywhere at this time."

Aidan drew herself up to her full height, and the Spaniard's eyes flicked over her admiringly. "How dare ye?" she said coldly. "Stand aside, sir, and let me pa.s.s or I shall scream this inn down!" Her fear was growing with every breath she took, but she hid it well.

"Sit down!" Cavan snarled, and he shoved her none too gently back into the chair. Then he turned to de Guaras. "Tell me what is in this for me, de Guaras? If Aidan's estates and monies are confiscated then why should I marry her? She has nothing to give me. I didn't aid Spain out of the charity of my heart, or because I believe that the Holy Mother Church should be restored to England. I don't give a d.a.m.n one way or another. I helped ye to gain this woman and her wealth. Now I find she is to have no wealth! What good is she to me? Tell me that?"

"Be calm, amigo," said Miguel de Guaras. "Our plot has been successful. Lord Bliss faces execution and his brothers will be next. Retribution will fall upon his sister Lady de Marisco. The O'Malley thorns will be removed from the paw of Spain, and King Philip will show ye his grat.i.tude, I promise ye. There was always the possibility that this could happen. It is not uncommon for convicted traitors to have their properties confiscated."

"I don't recall ye mentioning it though," said Cavan bitterly.

Miguel de Guaras shrugged. "An oversight, but ye need have no fears. We will leave tonight for Spain, amigo, and once there my king will reward ye suitably."