I, Coriander eBook

  ‘What did it look like?’ asked Medlar, his eyes never leaving mine.

  ‘It was silvery, like gossamer. I never saw it again.’

  ‘The shadow must be found and returned,’ said Medlar.

  ‘I do not understand. Why do you want it?’

  ‘Your mother’s shadow was the cause of much rejoicing, for a shadow that holds the glory of everlasting light is a rare shadow indeed, and one with a power so great that it can be used to do great and terrible evil. I know that the Queen is searching for it, and if she were to find it she would become all-powerful. It is now unattached and vulnerable. It has fallen into the hands of mortals who have played with it for their own gain, and in doing so have let a chink of human time into our world. You have seen proof of it in our dear King, and now in his summer palace.’

  My thoughts were in such a whirl, and there was so much I wanted to know, yet all I could think to ask was ‘Will I see my mother again?’

  ‘No,’ said Medlar gravely. ‘That cannot be. She chose to die in your world. We have no power over death there.’

  He pulled his chair near me and took my hand. ‘I must ask you to try and find the shadow.’

  ‘Me? No!’ I said, terrified. ‘I am not brave, I am not bold, I am not fearless.’

  ‘At the wedding,’ said Medlar, ‘I deliberately left you to your own devices. I wanted to find out how much of your mother is in you. You have the heart of a lion, Coriander. You are brave enough to go into the Queen’s bedchamber, bold enough to stroke a white charger, fearless enough to save a prince.’

  I sat there lost for words, trying to make sense of all that had befallen me. I still found it hard to believe that this strange land was where my mother came from. Why had she never told me about it? I wondered. Why had she chosen death rather than return here?

  Medlar said nothing as he saw the tears roll down my face. He leant down, picked up a linen-wrapped package from under his chair, and handed it to me.

  Inside it were the silver shoes.

  So many strange things had happened, and this still seemed the strangest of them all. I stared at them. I had forgotten quite how beautiful and dainty they were. I held them up to the light of the candle, where they glittered like glass.

  ‘Coriander, these shoes were made for you and you alone,’ said Medlar. ‘There is no way that they would not have found you. They were made to grow with you. Unbeknown to me, a spell was put on them. Your mother managed to undo part of it, but not all. Now you may have them back.’

  I picked them up. They were as soft and as light as swans’ feathers.

  ‘Once you put them on,’ said Medlar, ‘you will be back in the chest.’

  A hunting horn sounded. It tore at the silence outside, cutting it like a knife. We both rushed over to the window and pulled back the wooden shutters. It was dark outside; snow was still falling and the silver birch trees were outlined blue against the black background. Between them galloped the great white horse, a fox running beside him. I could see the outline of the huntsmen and their dogs.

  I knew then that Queen Rosmore had done her worst. Tycho had become a fox.

  I felt a sharp pain in my middle finger and saw that I must have pricked it on the shutters, for three drops of blood fell into the freshly fallen snow. Red rubies, I thought, on white velvet.

  A cry of ‘Tallyho!’ rang out through the landscape.

  ‘If I find the shadow, will Tycho be saved?’ I asked.

  Medlar nodded.

  I put my toes into the shoes.

  ‘Tell me one last thing before I go. What was the name of King Nablus’s daughter?’

  And he told me what my heart already knew.

  ‘Eleanor.’

  And so the third part of my tale is told, and with it another candle goes out.

  PART FOUR

  18

  The Terrible Scream

  I woke in utter darkness, curled up, unable to move. I knew myself to be back inside the chest. I could hear muffled voices and then a loud bang as the study door hit hard against the wall.

  ‘No you don’t! Out of my way, sir! This is an honourable God-fearing house. You have no right to come barging in here,’ said the unmistakable voice of Arise Fell.

  ‘If you do not let me in I shall call a constable. I have reason to believe that the body of Coriander Hobie is locked in a chest here,’ said a gruff voice I did not know.

  ‘Captain Bailey,’ said a voice I recognised as that of Master Thankless, ‘that must be the chest my apprentice talked about.’

  Then I heard a small voice that sounded like Hester’s.

  ‘It be that chest, sir, she be locked in.’

  ‘Quiet, you numskull. Keep that tongue from flapping in your head.’ This was Maud.

  ‘Open that chest immediately,’ said the gruff voice.

  ‘I shall not. It is not my chest and a preacher may not go into other men’s property unless that property is offensive to the Lord.’

  ‘I have heard that you have already got rid of many of Master Hobie’s possessions. Now, open the chest.’

  I knocked on the side of the chest with all my might. I must get out and find the shadow and save Tycho. There was no time to lose. I would have to explain all later.

  ‘I am in here,’ I shouted. ‘Let me out!’

  There was a terrible scream from Maud.

  ‘Oddsfish! She is alive!’ said Master Thankless.

  ‘Hold on, we shall have you out in a minute,’ said the gruff voice. ‘Come, Master Thankless, let us find some tools. How could any man do such a thing? Call yourself a preacher!’

  I heard the study door shut behind them.

  I could hear Maud whimpering.

  ‘Oooh, Arise, it is a ghost come back to haunt us! That girl’s bones are going to sing and we shall be done for.’

  ‘Quiet, keep your voice down, woman. Listen to me. We must keep to our story. She ran away. We thought she had gone off with Mistress Danes and drowned. Unbeknownst to us, by the use of witchcraft and devilry, she got back into the house and hid in the chest.’

  ‘How then is it locked?’ said Maud.

  ‘Because the Good Lord saw fit to lock it.’

  ‘Do you think it be her bones, Arise, that have been knocking in there?’

  ‘No, woman, I do not.’

  ‘I told you, you should have done what the lady asked while you had the chance,’ said Maud. ‘You should have tipped her body in the river and let the rats finish her off. If she was dead, we would have none of this trouble.’

  ‘Be quiet, woman,’ snapped Arise. ‘You are no help. Let me think. We must keep our wits about us.’

  ‘It is the Devil coming for us, Arise, and I can smell them gallows at Tyburn,’ said Maud. ‘You had better make those pretty words in the Bible work in our favour, for they will surely find putrid flesh and bones rotting in that chest.’

  ‘Hold your feeble tongue. Let me do the talking.’

  I heard people rush back into the room and with great urgency break open the lock and lift the lid.

  For a moment, the light was so blinding that I could not see my rescuers. The room went very quiet. I stood up but I did not get out of the chest, for I was unsure of my feet.

  Then I saw the familiar face of Master Thankless.

  ‘Oh Master Thankless, I am so glad to see you!’ I said.

  ‘I am mighty pleased that you are alive,’ said the tailor, ‘and mighty puzzled by what has been going on here. Nothing adds up, no, it does not.’

  ‘You do not know me, mistress,’ said the gruff voice, ‘but I am Captain Bailey. I sailed on one of your father’s ships. A kinder and more honourable gentleman I have yet to meet.’

  Then I remembered my father.

  ‘Do you know where he is?’ I asked.

  ‘I know he is alive, but of his whereabouts I cannot tell you,’ said Captain Bailey.

  My eyes were now used to the light and I could see that the room, by some strange mag
ic, had shrunk in size. So too had Maud, for if my eyes did not deceive me I was taller than she was. I was nearly as tall as Arise Fell and only a head shorter than the sea captain. How this could be I had no idea, though the effect of my appearance on everyone in the room was of complete disbelief. If it had not been for Hester I would have taken more note of their surprise, but the sight of her crumpled frame leaning against the wall gave me such a jolt that for a moment I was not even sure if it was she. She looked so thin and her eyes were hollow and her skin pale.

  ‘I thought they had killed you,’ sobbed Hester, ‘and I could do nothing.’

  ‘What have I told you, you half-witted girl! Quiet!’ snapped Maud, raising a hand to slap her.

  I got out of the chest. I looked at Hester and felt weighted down and tied back into this world. I knew I could not leave her like this.

  The minute Maud saw me coming towards her she moved away and tried to hide behind Arise, who held his hands out in front of him. His voice wavered as he said, ‘This is proof of witchcraft. You are surely the Devil’s child.’

  I bent down to Hester. She put her arms round my neck and said, ‘I am so sorry I could not help you sooner. May God be my witness, I truly tried.’

  Master Thankless gently helped Hester to stand. I could see it caused her pain.

  ‘I do not know what has been going on in this house,’ said Master Thankless, turning to Arise, ‘but I can tell you that the only devil in this room, sir, is yourself. Come, Miss Coriander, you and Miss Hester are not staying here a moment longer.’

  ‘I cannot, sir,’ said Hester, feebly pulling her hand away. ‘I am sorry, sir. I am sick. Best leave me here.’ And she slid down the wall and sat slumped on the floor like my old doll Beth.

  ‘Hester,’ I said, ‘what have they done to you?’

  The sea captain picked her up as if she were no heavier than a bag of feathers. He turned to Arise. ‘How can you call yourself a godly man?’

  I followed Captain Bailey and Master Thankless out into the street where a carriage stood waiting.

  When we were seated, Master Thankless looked at me with a mystified expression.

  ‘Oddsfish, I can hardly believe my eyes, Coriander,’ he said.

  ‘How did you know where to find me?’ I asked.

  ‘My apprentice Gabriel Appleby has been keeping a watch on the house, and Hester found the courage to tell him,’ said Master Thankless. ‘But I can hardly fathom what has been happening here. By all the laws of nature you should be dead.’

  He tucked a blanket about Hester and we rattled and rocked through Thames Street and up on to the bridge.

  Outside the tailor’s shop a young man was pacing up and down. All I could think was that Master Thankless had found himself another apprentice. I wondered why Gabriel was not there to meet us.

  ‘You were not too late? She is not dead?’ said the young man in much agitation as he helped Master Thankless lift Hester from the carriage.

  ‘Not yet,’ said Captain Bailey.

  ‘Go, Gabriel, fetch the doctor,’ said Master Thankless. ‘Quick, lad.’ And Gabriel ran off as if his life depended on it.

  I watched him, bewildered. When I had last seen Gabriel he was but a lad, a little older than Hester, certainly not yet a man. I am like a sailor, I said to myself, one who has returned from a distant voyage, not knowing how long I have been gone, unsure of the season, uncertain of the year. I must have been looking lost, for Master Thankless took my arm and said kindly, ‘Come, Coriander, help me get Hester inside.’

  We got Hester up the stairs where Nell, the maid, helped me undress her. We were both shocked to see the whip marks on her back, as was the doctor when he came. He feared she might not make it through the night and said angrily that he would not treat his dog in such a manner and that London was full of charlatans and crooks who hid under the disguise of righteous men, preachers and prophets.

  After the doctor had applied a poultice to Hester’s bruises and given her some medicine, we washed her and put her to bed. I sat with her, holding her hand and trying in my head to make a straight line of all that had happened.

  I must have fallen asleep for I woke with a start as if someone had shaken me. I looked round and caught a glimpse of a face reflected in the window. For a moment I thought my mother was in the room and my heart started to beat faster. I was sure I could hear her voice telling me what to do. Then I realised that the face staring back at me was mine and mine alone.

  I called for Gabriel to sit with Hester while I went downstairs, where I found Master Thankless and Captain Bailey deep in conversation.

  ‘I have seen many strange things in my life,’ the captain was saying, ‘but by the saints’ bells this is the strangest. If you ask me, there is some odd magic going on here.’

  ‘Ah, Coriander,’ said the tailor, seeing me, ‘can I be of service? ’

  ‘I wondered if you still have my mother’s remedies here.’

  ‘Yes, indeed I have. They are kept safe in the cellar.’

  ‘I believe there is one that could help Hester.’

  ‘Then let me show them to you,’ said Master Thankless, and he led me down the stairs.

  The little bottles were packed in baskets with straw and all looked very much the same.

  ‘This is a pickle and no mistake,’ said Master Thankless. ‘The bottles have no labels. There is no way of knowing what they are for, and Mistress Danes is not here to help us.’

  ‘I must look for a bottle with a purple flower in it,’ I said. ‘I do not think Hester will live unless we find it.’

  ‘I fear I have left this too late,’ said the tailor. ‘I should have gone to the house when Gabriel first told me how Hester was being treated. Well, you do one basket and I will do another. If there is such a bottle, we will find it.’

  We carefully examined each bottle but it was no use. None of them had a purple flower in it.

  I stood there at a loss. Then I thought that maybe the best thing was just to trust. I closed my eyes and picked out a bottle.

  ‘If you are wrong,’ said Master Thankless, trying to comfort me, ‘I doubt it will make any difference.’

  ‘Master!’ shouted Gabriel. ‘You should come! I think she’s going.’

  My heart was pounding as I rushed up the stairs, followed by Master Thankless.

  Hester looked deathly white and she was making awful gurgling noises as she breathed. Captain Bailey said he had heard such sounds many times before from those who were about to meet their Maker.

  Without a second thought I broke open the seal to the bottle and gently dripped the potion into her mouth, being careful not to spill a drop, just as I had seen my mother and Danes do. Then I sat holding one of Hester’s hands while Gabriel held her other.

  The moon had come to watch over her and shone in a pool of light on the bedroom floor. That night we all stayed with Hester and somewhere towards morning I remember falling asleep, to be woken by the cry of seagulls.

  Gabriel too was asleep with his head resting on her bed, and Master Thankless was dozing in a chair by the door. Captain Bailey had left. He had told us that his ship was sailing on the morning tide.

  Hester was breathing peacefully. As I let go of her hand to close the shutters she said faintly, ‘Coriander?’

  ‘Oh Hester,’ I said, seeing her eyes open, and I burst into tears. ‘You are still with us.’

  ‘Where else would I be?’ she said softly.

  Gabriel, hearing her voice, raised his head.

  ‘By the Good Lord, it is a miracle!’ And he kissed her hand and was smiling and crying all at the same time.

  As I watched Gabriel and Hester I thought indeed I must have been gone a long time, for when I left Hester did not even know Gabriel Appleby.

  Master Thankless got up. He walked over to the table on which I had placed the empty bottle. He picked it up and held it towards the light.

  ‘See, Coriander. There in it lies a purple flower.’

&n
bsp; 19

  Stitches in Time

  Up to that moment, I had tried to ignore the fact that something about me was different. However, in the slow days that followed Hester’s recovery, it dawned on me that I had been gone for all of three years, and if that were so I must now be fifteen summers old; though how such strangeness had come about I dared not ask. It was not just that my hair was longer or that I was taller, or that my old gown fitted me ill. My body too had changed. It was as if I had moved into a new house whose chambers I still felt too frightened to explore. Yet I found great comfort in the thought, for I had worked out that I had only been gone a short time in my mother’s world, and maybe I had more time than I thought to take back the shadow.

  Master Thankless said that it was beyond any rational explanation, though he was wise enough to keep this from his customers. Instead, he stitched together a story of my disappearance that held up well to the endless questioning from everyone who came into his shop. This is what he told them: I had run away from my house to try to find Mistress Danes. When that proved impossible, I had gone to Hertfordshire where I had been taken in by a good Puritan family. I worked for them for three years before returning to London to see what had become of my father. In the hope of finding him I had stolen back into the house, but on hearing Arise Fell’s voice I had hidden in the chest, and that was where I was found.

  ‘I have heard that she was locked in there for six months,’ one would say.

  ‘No, longer,’ another would reply. ‘I have been told it was at least a year.’

  Master Thankless would silence them all by saying firmly, ‘I can assure you it was but a matter of hours, if that.’

  He would give no more away, no matter how hard they pressed him. I thought Danes would be proud of her friend the tailor.

  It soon became clear that Gabriel could hardly bear to be away from Hester, and Hester, for her part, fretted if he was not around. This meant that Gabriel had little time for his work.

  ‘I am sorry, master,’ said Gabriel, looking crestfallen. ‘The trouble is that I am much fond of Hester.’