Deary Terry - The Maid, the Witch and the Cruel Queen

Illustrated by Helen Flook

A & C Black London

This book is dedicated to the memory of
the tens of thousands of harmless men, women
and children who suffered horribly because of silly
superstitions about witchcraft Terry Deary

Reprinted 2008, 2010
First published 2003 by
A & C Black Publishers Ltd
36 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QY

www.acblack.com

Text copyright 2003 Terry Deary
Illustrations copyright 2003 Helen Flook

The rights of Terry Deary and Helen Flook to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

eISBN: 978-1-40811-889-4

A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems without the prior permission in writing of the publishers.

This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable. The logging and manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

Printed and bound in Great Britain
by CPI Cox & Wyman, Reading RG1 8EX.

Table of Contents

Chapter One
The Messenger in Gold and Red

I remember the day Queen Mary Tudor came to our town. It was the most fearsome, exciting and heart-stopping day of my life. Ill remember it if I live to be a hundred.

I was a serving girl at Lord Scuggates manor house a small castle, really. And I was invisible!

No, really!

I carried the food and the wine from the kitchen to the table and all the grand folk in the great hall ignored me.

They never said Please, they just held out a wine cup to be filled. They never, ever said Thanks!. It was as if I wasnt there. Invisible in my shabby black dress.

My mouth stayed shut. But my eyes could see and my ears could hear. That summer evening there was a sudden hammering on the door. Lord Scuggate looked furious.

Who dares to knock at a Scuggate door that way? he demanded.

I hurried over the rushes on the stone floor and opened the door. A young man in a coat of blood-red and gold threw his handsome head up and marched in. The hounds by the fireside growled.

Lord Scuggate of Bewcastle? the young man asked, and his voice whined like a leaking trumpet.

Who wants to know? his lordship asked. What sort of slabberdegullion are you to come barging in on Lord Scuggate and his guests?

Sir James Marley of Roughsike squeaked and tried to shake Lord Scuggates arm.

His lordship shook him off.

Ill have you stripped and whipped and dragged at the carts tail all the way to the gallows! he yelled at the messenger.

He swelled like a pigs bladder that the boys blow up to play football. His face was purple. Ill have you

No, your lordship! Sir James squawked. Look at the badge on his coat.

Shut up, man, Lord Scuggate snapped without taking his eyes off the messenger. Ill have you hanged by the neck and I dont care who your master is

Mistress, the shocked messenger mumbled.

Who your mistress is! Lord Scuggate snorted. I see by your badge you wear the sign of

He stopped. Everyone was looking at the floor. Even the dogs that chewed their bones stopped crunching.

The only sound was Lord Scuggate spluttering as if someone had stuck a needle in his pig-bladder face. the sign of er the sign of

Her Majesty Queen Mary Tudor of England, the messenger said quietly. Lord Scuggate grinned weakly showing his broken and yellow teeth. And you are very, very welcome to Bewcastle Hall, my dear young friend!

Chapter Two
The Cruel Killing Queen

The messenger had said that the queen would be passing through Bewcastle on a tour of the Scottish Borders. She would stop at Scuggate Hall for lunch the next day.

When the young man in red and gold had gone, the Bewcastle men muttered over their wine cups as the invisible maid heard their terrible talk.

Down in London, they call the queen Bloody Mary because she burns anyone who doesnt worship at a Catholic church, Sir James Marley of Roughsike said quietly.

Shed burn us if she found anyone who doesnt go to church, Father Walton of Catlowdy Church warned them.

Lord Scuggate looked at him sharply. Its your job to make sure people go to church, he said.

The priest in the velvet cloak spread his hands and smirked. My lord, it is you the queen will blame, and you the queen will burn.

Lord Scuggates blotched face turned pale. Everyone in Bewcastle goes to church Well they go at Easter and Christmas anyway, dont they?

The men brought their heads closer together.

We could get all the Bewcastle folk together and have a march through the town to the church, just as Queen Mary arrives, Father Walton said.

All carrying crosses, Sir James Marley added.