Witchfall by Victoria Lamb

Author:Victoria Lamb
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Juvenile Fiction, General, Juvenile Nonfiction, Language Arts
ISBN: 9781448120222
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2013-07-03T23:00:00+00:00

TWELVE

Dark of the Moon

Master John Dee himself arrived, as promised by his apprentice, on Thursday evening at dusk. He came disguised as a travelling tinker, his pony’s sides clanking with pots and pans, his cloak patched and stinking of horse droppings, and with what appeared to be a dead badger strapped to his head. Calling at the back door with samples of his wares, he was taken in that way by a fascinated Bessie, and news of his arrival carried up to the princess by Alice while he rested by the kitchen fire.

William was sent down to smuggle John Dee and his apprentice across the darkening lawns to a place where the astrologer could stay unseen at Hatfield – a rough low hut about a quarter of a mile from the house, hidden amongst trees in an abrupt dip said to be the site of an old midden, or rubbish heap. Bessie had recommended it as a hiding place, not knowing the identity of this silent tinker, but eager to help her royal mistress to conceal him. I believe the hut had been built to house goatherds, when there were still goats kept around there, but the place had been long since abandoned and left to rot.

‘I cannot allow Dee to be recognized while he is staying here,’ the princess muttered, pacing her chamber while she waited to be given the signal that all was quiet below. ‘No one would believe any meeting between us to be innocent.’

Since their meeting was far from innocent, I found this amusing. I bent my head to hide my smile though. The Lady Elizabeth had no sense of humour where her sister was concerned.

‘It is imperative that I consult with Master Dee while he is here, but we must be careful,’ she insisted, perhaps guessing my thoughts. ‘I am not sure how far we can trust the servants, though I believe old John’s two daughters are loyal to me and not the Queen. But my sister’s spies watch us even here at Hatfield. I feel their eyes on me every time I set foot outside the house.’

Once night had fallen, the Lady Elizabeth carefully wrapped herself in a hooded cloak, and went to see the astrologer.

Alice and I accompanied her through the shadowy grounds, with Alejandro as our guard and lookout. In case the house was being watched, we left by the back door and walked in darkness to the edge of the trees. Then Alejandro produced a tinderbox from under his cloak, lit the lantern for us, and we continued on into the woods.

It was the dark of the moon, when the nights are at their blackest, and the thin light of our lantern showed little but a circle of scrubground beneath our feet. My senses prickled as we came closer to Dee’s hiding place. The ground suddenly sloped away there, steep and pitted with rocks, and the princess clutched at my arm for balance. The swaying light of the lantern touched on

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