Bruce sat up swiftly. Without a word, he flung back the curtains and got out of bed. Amber followed him, picking up her dressing-gown and putting it on. Already Bruce was at the window, his shirt in his hand as he leaned out and shouted across the courtyard.

“Hey! What’s happened? Have the Dutch landed?”

“They’ve taken Sheerness! We’re invaded!”

The drum rolled again and bells had begun to ring from church towers; a coach roared through the streets and just afterward a single horseman went careening by. Bruce swung the window closed and began to get into his breeches.

“Holy Jesus! They’ll be here next—we haven’t got a thing to stop them!”

Amber was beginning to cry with distracted terror and a sense of utter helplessness. Outside, the drums were beating more and more wildly, filling the night with a wild terrifying rhythm full of calamity and fear, and people had begun to shout from their windows and to run down into the street. Nan was hammering at their door, begging to be admitted.

“Come in!” shouted Amber. She turned to Bruce. “What are you going to do? Where are you going?” She felt cold and shaking inside and her teeth chattered, though the night was a warm one. Nan entered, carrying a candle, and hurried to light several others. As the room sprang into light some of Amber’s terror disappeared.

“I’m going to Sheerness!”

Bruce stood knotting his neck-cravat; he told Nan to bring him a pair of boots from his own room. Amber picked up his vest and coat and held them as he jammed his arms into the sleeves.

“Oh, Bruce! Don’t go! They probably have thousands of men! You’d be killed! Bruce! You can’t go!” She grabbed hold of his arm, as though she could force him to stay with her.

He jerked his arm free, went on buttoning his coat and vest and then pulled on the calf-high silver-spurred boots which Nan had brought. He buckled on the sword and Nan gave him his hat and cloak.

“Take the children and leave London,” he said to her, cramming his hat onto his head. “Get out of here as fast as you can!”

Nan went to answer a pounding at the anteroom door and Almsbury and Emily rushed in, the Earl fully dressed, his wife in her night-gown and robe. “Bruce! The Dutch have landed! I’ve got horses saddled in the courtyard!”

“But you can’t go, Bruce! Oh, Almsbury! He can’t go—I’m scared!”

Almsbury gave her a disgusted scowl. “For Christ’s sake, Amber! The country’s invaded!” The two men walked swiftly out of the room, all three women at their heels.

The hall-way was full of servants running up and down distractedly in their night-dress; some of the women were crying; all of them were babbling excitedly. Just as they got outside Amber’s door Lady Stanhope arrived in a breathless rush. A night-cap covered her hair but paper-curlers showed beneath it and there were chicken-skin gloves on her hands; all her flesh quivered hysterically. She grabbed at Bruce as at salvation.

“Oh, Lord Carlton! Thank God you’re here! We’re invaded! Oh, what shall I do? What shall I do?”

Bruce answered her shortly, shaking off the hand that had seized his arm, and he and Almsbury started down the staircase. “I suggest that you leave London, madame. Come with me, Amber. I want to talk to you.”

The men hurried down, the heels of their boots clattering on the stairs, and Amber ran along beside him. The first shock of fright was over but the drums, the bells, the screams and shouts heightened her sense of impending disaster. He can’t go! she thought. He can’t go! But he was going.

“Lady Almsbury is leaving right away for Barberry Hill. All the plans have been ready for weeks—take Susanna and Bruce and go with her. If anything happens to me I’ll send you a message.” She opened her mouth to protest at that, but he ignored her and went on, talking rapidly. “If I should be killed, will you promise me to write to my wife?”

By now they had reached the courtyard where two horses were saddled and waiting for them, stamping and snorting with nervous impatience. Torches blazed; there were servants and stable-boys everywhere; black-and-white coach dogs circled about, barking. The drums pounded in their ears, seemed to echo in the beat of their hearts and the pulsing of their blood. Almsbury mounted instantly but Bruce stopped, his hands on the bridle, and looked down into her face.

“Promise me, Amber.”

She nodded her head, her throat choking. Her hands reached out to grab at his coat. “I promise, Bruce. But don’t let anything happen! Don’t get hurt!”

“I don’t think I will.”

He bent his head and one arm went about her. His mouth touched hers briefly. Then he had swung onto the horse’s back and the two men were galloping out of the courtyard. Just as they rode through the gate he turned and gave her a wave of his hand. With a sudden sobbing cry Amber started forward, one arm outstretched, but they had disappeared into the darkness; she heard the thudding of the horses’ hoofs, growing fainter.

The house was in a turmoil. Some of the servants were carrying out pieces of furniture and dumping them into the courtyard, then rushing back for more. Several of the women were wailing and crying, wringing their hands helplessly. Others, now dressed and with bundles over their backs, fled into the streets with no thought but to get away. Amber lifted her skirts and hurried up the stairs, knocking into first one and then another, almost blind with her tears. She ran down to the nursery.

The doors stood wide open and inside were twelve or fifteen frantic women, running this way and that, tugging and hauling at the children and babies to get them dressed. Emily stood cool and self-possessed, telling them what to do and helping them herself. Little Bruce, who was already fully dressed, caught sight of Amber and ran to her immediately. She dropped to her knees, crying, and caught him against her, more for her own comfort than his. He did not, in fact, seem to need or want any.

“Don’t cry, Mother. Those damned Dutchmen will never get here! Not with Father gone to fight ’em!”

But Susanna was shrieking at the top of her lungs, kicking at the nurse who was trying to dress her, her plump little hands held over her ears to shut out the hammering of the drums. And now, bouncing about on the table where she had been put, she caught sight of her mother and brother together and gave a resentful howl of protest.

“Mo-ther!”

Amber got up and went to her, little Bruce staying close at her side as though to protect her. “Sweetheart, you must let Harmon dress you. There’s nothing to cry about. Look—I’m not.” She widened her eyes at Susanna but the rims were red and her lids swollen. Susanna flung her arms about her and howled louder than ever. At last Amber gave her an impatient little shake. “Susanna!” Susanna’s head jerked back and she looked at Amber in astonishment, her pink mouth open. “Stop this bellow-weathering! No one’s going to hurt you! Get into your clothes, now. You’re going for a ride.”

“Don’t want to go for a ride! It’s dark!”

Amber turned away. “Never mind! You’re going anyway. Get into your clothes or I’ll spank you!”

She left Susanna and crossed the nursery to where Lady Almsbury was busy with her own four children; she was kneeling beside her six-year-old son, tying his lace cravat for him. “Emily—I’m not going with you.”

Lady Almsbury looked up at her in astonishment and then got to her feet. “You’re not going! Oh, Amber, but you must! What if the Dutch or the French get here!”

“They’re not here now and I’m not going into the country where I wouldn’t be able to hear from Bruce no matter what happens. If he gets hurt he’ll need me.”

“But he told you to go.”

“I don’t care if he did. I’m not going. But I want Bruce and Susanna to go—will you take them with you? And Nan, too?”

“Of course I will, my dear. But I do think it’s dangerous for you to stay. He wanted you to go—they had often discussed it and made the plans in case of an attack—”

“I’ll be safe enough here. If they come I’ll go to Whitehall. They won’t dare attack the Palace. I’ll take care of your things here—let me have the key to the strong-room and I’ll move the valuables down there.”

At that moment Nan came running into the room. “My God, I’ve looked everywhere for you! Come, quick, and get into your clothes! They’re all but upon us—I heard the guns!” Her gown was twisted, her hair not combed and she wore no stockings; she grabbed Amber’s hand and started to pull her away.

The two women walked out into the crowded noisy confused hall-way, and Amber had almost to shout to make herself heard. “I’m not going, Nan. But you can if you want to—I just asked—”

Nan gasped. As far as she was concerned the French army was disembarking at that moment and the Dutch navy lay anchored in the Pool. “Oh, mam! You can’t! You can’t stay here! They’ll put everyone they see to the sword! They’ll rip up your belly and gouge out your eyes and—”

“Holy Mother of God! Isn’t this the most horrifying thing that ever happened?” It was Lady Stanhope, now dressed—though obviously with much haste—followed by two women servants loaded down with bulging sacks and boxes. “I’m leaving for Ridgeway this instant! I knew I should never have left the country! This terrible city—something always happening to it! Where’s Gerry?”

“I don’t know. Go ahead, Nan—Lady Almsbury’s leaving in a few minutes.” She turned back to her mother-in-law. “I haven’t seen him lately.”

“You haven’t seen him! But my God! Where is he then? He told me he spent every night with you!” Suddenly her eyes grew bright and hard and she narrowed them to give Amber a close shrewd look. “And by the way—wasn’t Lord Carlton coming out of your apartments just now?”