The dock swarmed with people, but to my great astonishment, not a single red coat could be seen amongst them. I looked back and forth, frantic to have my plan in motion while Nora remained preoccupied with her mother and the trunks.
“Ballocks!” I cursed under my breath, realizing too late that I should have gone straight to the customs house rather than running off into the street. Now if I didn’t act fast, my actions would be misconstrued for an escape attempt, with the Goodwins as unwitting conspirators.
In near panic, I started to turn toward the river to retrace my steps, when the crowds thinned in front of me, and I caught a glimpse of red. Spinning back around, two soldiers came into view on the opposite side of the street, leaning against the wall of what looked to be a tavern. They were deep in conversation, each holding a pint of cider. From their casual demeanor, neither man appeared to be on official business. But for my purposes, one red coat was the same as another, and these two offered the most direct route to mend my previous error.
Squaring my shoulders, I attempted to step forward when a hand caught my arm, pulling me back onto my heels.
“There he is,” Nora said excitedly, pointing down the street with her free hand.
Blasted! I had lost my opportunity. Somehow, I would have to slip away and get across the street. “There’s who?” I asked, keeping my eyes locked on the soldiers.
“Why Henry, of course. Look, he’s standing next to that black and gold carriage.” Nora raised a hand and waved.
I turned in time to see Henry wave back. My heart skipped and for several long seconds I forgot how to draw breath. He was there, a little more than a stone’s throw away, waiting for me. Nora pinched my arm just as my vision began to grow dim. “Breathe, Selah,” she said. “You’ll not be fainting on the street and making a spectacle of yourself.”
Her pinch did the trick and cold air rushed into my lungs.
“You had me so worried,” Nora laughed, “believing the king had sent for us. An ill omen, indeed, to be summoned like that, I thought surely our first night was to be spent in some dank dungeon. But it was Henry all along, using his uncle’s name to get you to shore all the more quickly.”
A few more breaths restored my vision, along with my senses, allowing the truth to flow over me. Henry had sent the boat out to the Callisto, not the king. Despite James’s earlier taunts, I wasn’t about to be arrested and dragged off to the Tower. I stood in place, gazing at Henry as happiness filled me from head to toe.
“Can you walk,” Nora asked, “or shall I call for assistance? I’m sure one of these fellows could make room for you in their fish carts. The smell might be a bit off-putting when you’re done, though I’m sure Henry won’t mind.”
“I would run if there weren’t so many people in the way.”
Nora linked her arm in mine. “Better we walk, lest Henry think you’ve become a love-sick puppy in his absence. Which you have, of course, but it’s best to keep him guessing.”
We started off together, Nora leading the way and keeping me at a respectable pace whenever I tried to speed up. The crowds faded into a blur as I focused on Henry. His face was all I could see, the serious expression and beautiful eyes watching my every step.
A girl stepped directly in front of my path. Oblivious to my immediate surroundings, I would have trampled over her if Nora hadn’t stopped me at the last moment. A frigid gust of air pushed aside my cloak and I shivered.
“A penny to spare?” the girl asked, peering up into my face.
She stood so close I could see the light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose beneath a thick layer of grime. She looked at me, studying my face with pale blue eyes that seemed out of place on a girl of about twelve years. A faded black kerchief covered all but a few strands of her silvery blonde hair. A dismal homespun shawl of the same faded black draped her thin shoulders.
I shivered again, unable to keep the chill at bay. “Pardon me, what did you want?”
Nora retrieved her moneybag from the folds of her cloak. “The girl needs a penny,” she said, handing over two coins instead. “Poor thing looks on death’s doorstep. Bring one penny to your mother and use the other to buy yourself a hot meal.”
The girl smiled at Nora and stepped aside. She brushed against me as we passed by, her small fingers groping beneath my sleeve. I barely had time to register the intrusion when she reached the top of my glove line, and a deadly cold bit into the unprotected skin. We gasped in near unison, and she released my arm, wide-eyed, from what had just happened. Rubbing her hands together, she ran off into the crowd.
“Have you changed your mind?” Nora asked, turning to look at me. With our arms still linked she stood half a step ahead of me.