Chapter 50
Tatscombe Hall, Wealdshire. 1517
A hideous face, lit from below by a bright light, stared out of the doorway at Andrew Starling. He was still screaming when his arms were seized and he was dragged backwards away from the door.
Caleb removed his mask.
'Argh!' shouted Chris. 'Put it back on.'
'I will if thou wilt keep thine on.'
Chris took his own mask off. 'Okay, no more jesting. Where's Sir James?'
'Here I am, my boy.'
As Sir James descended the stairs, the twins tried hard not to crack their faces. He looked like a character from an illustration in an old book of nursery rhymes. His body was almost completely covered by a linen night shirt which came to his ankles, and on his head he was wearing a long woollen night cap, the end of which hung down over one ear. To complete the picture he carried a candle.
'Has Daniel apprehended your villain?' he asked, with a twinkle in his eye, unconcerned about being seen in his sleeping attire.
Josie answered. 'Daniel has taken Mr Starling to the stable. Didn't you hear him screaming?'
'Indeed, I did, my girl. It reminded me of an occasion, not so many days past, when I received a little fright myself.'
'Oh really?' said Josie mischievously, pretending she had no idea to what Sir James was referring. 'You will have to tell us about it one day.'
Sir James chuckled. 'Thou art an imp, Mistress Josie.' He made a deep bow and swept his arm gracefully towards the parlour door. 'Pray enter, my little imps. We have much to discuss.'
Josie and Chris stepped into the house and entered the parlour, followed by Sir James and Caleb. There were two girls waiting for them there.
'Josie!' cried Elizabeth.
Sarah stepped up to Chris and gave his hand a quick squeeze. Although she said nothing, her eyes proclaimed that she was pleased to see him.
'Sarah, fetch some refreshment,' Sir James commanded.
As Sarah left the room, Lady Jane entered. Unlike her husband, she had dressed herself. 'Did all go according to plan?' she asked.
'It certainly did,' Josie told her. 'Mr Starling freaked out — I mean, he was absolutely terrified. I almost feel sorry for him. I'm quite sure he has learned his lesson. He won't want to do any more robberies.'
Chris chimed in. 'Actually, he seemed to have changed his mind before I knocked on the door. It was almost as if he had decided for himself that what he was doing was wrong.'
'No matter,' said Sir James. 'I fancy your scheme will make it doubly certain that he will change his ways.'
Sarah returned with a tray and Lady Jane bade everyone sit at the table. Josie wagged a finger at Chris.
'I know,' he mouthed at her. He had no intention of drinking more than a single cup of ale.
As they were all seated, they heard a cough in the doorway.
'Ah-ha!' chortled Sir James. 'Here is Daniel with news of our other guest.' He beckoned to his steward to come forward. 'Pray, tell us how our visitor fares.'
Daniel entered the parlour and removed his cap. 'He is in the stable, bound securely, sir.'
'And is he content?'
'Nay, sir. I fear he is far from content. He hath the look of a madman. He doth weep and howl and gnash his teeth.'
'Good man, Daniel. You have served us well this night. You may go to your bed now.'
'Aye, sir. Thank you, sir.' Daniel shuffled backwards to the doorway, replaced his cap, and headed for his bed.
It had been decided that Starling needed no guard as, even if he did manage to remove his bindings, he would have nowhere to escape to. Without Josie, he was permanently imprisoned in 1517 and, as he had been detained as soon as the door opened, had no idea whether Josie had been taken prisoner or was in league with the occupants of the house.
Sir James had been looking very pleased with himself while Daniel was giving his report. Now, it seemed as if something was troubling him. He sat with his hands spread out on the table. He looked as if he was about to speak, then clenched his fists and rubbed them nervously with his thumbs. Everyone looked at him expectantly. 'Pray eat,' he said. 'I have a strange tale to tell thee.' He sat back in his chair and gripped the arms.
'Today we were visited by a stranger. He was a black friar. Nay, he was dressed in the garb of a black friar — but I think he was not a man of the cloth.'
While he paused to take a sip of wine, Josie and Chris looked at each other — and then at Elizabeth and Sarah. The two girls lifted their eyebrows a fraction, and nodded to let the twins know that they thought the man was probably the 'ghost' that Elizabeth had seen and one of the figures which Sarah had thought to be Death and his Helpers.
'I was taken aback,' Sir James continued, 'though 'twas not the garb which astonished me so much as the man beneath. When he spoke, he reminded me of you.' He looked at Chris as he said this. 'I know not from whence he came, but I fancy it was your time — our future time. He spoke in your manner. Methought it was your father, but I was probably mistaken.'
Chris felt as if someone had struck him with a hammer. Dad, a time traveller? he wondered. No way. He gave Josie a what-do-you-think look. She shook her head. 'No,' he assured Sir James. 'It would not have been our father.'
Josie wanted to make certain. 'Did your visitor have a beard?' she asked.
Sir James shook his head. 'Nay, his face was as smooth as a baby's.'
The twins looked relieved.
'Dad has a big bushy beard — a ginger one,' Josie said.
'It was not he, then,' said Sir James. 'But I think he was of your time. He used words such as you use. Furthermore, he knew of your plans.'
Chris and Josie exchanged horrified and puzzled looks. Had they told anyone of their plans? They had told Starling that they would let Shadow know what they were doing, but there had been no opportunity to go to Puck's Dell. No, no-one other than Starling knew of their intentions. And Starling wouldn't have told anyone.
Chris rubbed his ear and screwed his eyes up. 'I'm baffled,' he said. 'No-one knew we would be coming here. How could your black friar have known?'
'What did he say?' asked Josie, frowning.
'He asked that, when you visit this night, I should give you this.' Sir James bent over the side of his chair and reached down. 'He said this would put a stop to the scoundrel's scheme.'
When Sir James pulled himself back up, he was holding a package in his hand.
Chris and Josie stared at the yellow plastic envelope which he placed on the table. It was certainly not a sixteenth-century package. It must have come from their own time.
But what did it contain?
Which scheme of Starling's would it put a stop to?
His pilfering?
But tonight's enterprise would already have achieved that aim.
What about the road?
Could the contents of the envelope somehow stop the Kingsbourne Bypass being constructed?
Josie and Chris looked at each other, their minds full of questions, the first of which was who was going to open the sealed package.