Page 57 of The Uprising
Her mind was playing tricks on her again. They were both bound to the Crown and George wouldn’t risk their lives in such a cavalier manner. Even so, she was concerned that his lack of communication meant the rebels had taken him hostage.
Surely, they wouldn’t dare harm him when he was at Pontefract Castle by invitation of his friend, Lord Darcy, and by order of the king.
Who knew what desperate men might do to procure their means? The very future of England depended on what the rebels did next.
After some time of being caught up in her anxious thoughts, she managed to snap back to the present and noticed the rain had stopped and the day had considerably brightened. Pale rays of sunshine reflected in the muddy puddles as the horse’s hooves sped along the track. The hour was still early, and so far, she hadn’t seen a soul on the road which was good news. The fewer people she met, the less chance of raising suspicion. Her stomach rumbled, and her throat was parched from the exertion of riding at a breakneck pace, so she reined the palfrey in, slowed to a stop, and fumbled around in her saddlebag until her fingers closed over a portion of hard bread. As she chewed, she resolved to keep riding for as long and as fast as she and the horse could bear, without taking a break. Her plan was to make it to Madame Alicia’s tavern on the outskirts of York, where she would rest for the night before continuing on to Willow Manor. Madame Alicia, as she was known, had proven herself a formidable ally in the past, and Cara trusted her with her life even though she knew she would doubtless be for the rebels.
Cara would need her wits about her and all the energy she could muster if she was to find a way to rescue George without endangering both of them by double-crossing the king or provoking the rebels.
Rose Cottage, York - Present day
Cara entered the kitchen, removed her gardening gloves, and washed her hands.
‘Good session?’ asked George.
‘I enjoy it once I get stuck in,’ she said. ‘It’s a bit hot and sticky out there today, though.’
‘Yes, it looks like there might a storm on the horizon. By the way, I need to travel to Richmond tomorrow. Would you like to come along? We could stay over for the night and drive back the next day.’
‘As in Richmond, London?’
‘Yes. I thought it would be nice to have a wander around. Fancy it?’
‘Absolutely! It’ll be lovely to have a change of scene.’
‘Splendid! That’s settled then. I’ll need a couple of hours to meet someone—a business associate. You’re welcome to join us, or I thought you might want to pop into town.’
‘That’s okay—it’s perfect timing. The National Archives are nearby, in Kew, and I’ve been toying with the idea of visiting for a while.’
George turned to Cara, eyebrow raised. ‘Oh?’
‘I have a special pass; I used to go there frequently to do research.’
‘Are you looking for anything in particular?’
‘I want to see what I can find out about the key players in the Pilgrimage of Grace.’
George frowned. ‘I thought we agreed we wouldn’t poke about in the past because we don’t want to know what happens in the future. It could influence the actions we take, and we risk rewriting the timelines.’
‘I know we agreed, but I’ve been reconsidering. I wouldn’t go there without discussing it with you first. But we have a dangerous situation.’
‘You mean at Pontefract Castle?’ he said.
‘Exactly. I’m on my way to York, but what if I’m overreaching and doing the wrong thing? The queen was shocked by my leaving, so I don’t know whether Tudorville Cara would have dared take such bold action.’
George sat down at the kitchen table and listened as Cara explained her thought process.
When she paused, he said, ‘So, I take it you mean if you discover in the archives that we will live a long life then we may be best not interfering and just allowing events to unfold?’
‘Yes, pretty much. Perhaps I shouldn’t try to rescue you after all? I’m on my way to York, and I’m counting on my memory updating or I won’t get the archive information in time anyway.’
‘I see. Well, breaking me out of Pontefract Castle from under the noses of the rebels sounds dangerous, so I won’t argue against you having second thoughts. You’re impossible when you get a crazy idea in your head. I don’t imagine I could stop you.’
Cara chuckled. ‘I won’t be alone. I plan to get Eddie’s help,’ she said, pulling some cups out of the cupboard and resting them on the counter. ‘Tea?’
George nodded. ‘What if you discover something terrible at the archives?’
‘We’ll just have to deal with it and decide what to do from there. I’d rather know what we’re up against before we go looking for you.’
