'Everything is dying in this fierce weather. The crops will be bad.'

'Will they?' she asked indifferently. 'But you have not come to talk of planting, I think.'

'No. Lady Honor, I have a confession.' I cursed my awkwardness. I should not be apologizing for questioning her, it was my duty. 'I know about the Duke of Norfolk's pursuit of you,' I said bluntly. 'I needed to follow up the question you left me with on the river bank. I spoke to Marchamount.'

I half-expected anger but she only turned away and stared ahead for a moment. When she turned back to me her face wore a tired smile. 'After we spoke on the river I feared you would report me to Cromwell and I should be in trouble. Did you ask Marchamount first to save me from the earl's rough ways?'

'Perhaps.'

'You are gentle with me, more than I deserve. I felt that if the duke's insulting demands were forced out of me by Cromwell, my honour would be less besmirched. A foolish notion, perhaps.'

'I am sorry I could not save you from my knowing.'

'At least you will not gossip like most would.' She looked at me seriously. 'Will you? It is a tasty morsel, I realize.'

'You know I think too much of you for that, Lady Honor.'

She laid a hand on mine for a second, then lifted it, although I had the odd sensation it was still there. 'You are a natural gentleman.' She sighed. 'I have sent Henry back to the country. He could never make his way at court. So I have been able to reject the crude advances of that old brute with a clear conscience.'

'I did not realize you disliked the duke so.'

'He is unfit for the position he occupies. He may be the senior peer of the realm, but his lineage is not old, you know.' She smiled. 'Unlike the Vaughans.'

I took a deep breath. 'Lady Honor, I must ask – for the last time, I promise – is there anything you have not told me that could be of any possible relevance, however remote, to my search for the Gristwoods' murderers?'

She looked at me impatiently. 'Matthew, I swore that already on the Bible. If you recall, I made oath the duke had put no pressure on me about Greek Fire. And I swore true. He has never mentioned it to me and Marchamount did so only to warn me against you. As I have said, I wish my foolish curiosity had never led me to look at those papers.'

I looked into her eyes. 'I felt when Marchamount spoke about the duke and you this morning he was still keeping something back.'

She smiled again. 'If he did, it is nothing to do with me, I swear. Shall I fetch the Bible again?'

I shook my head. 'No. That is not necessary. Forgive me.'

She looked at me indulgently. 'By Our Lady, you are a courteous inquisitor.'

'Marchamount would not agree.'

'That puffed-up creature.' She looked over her wilting plants again. 'He is a rogue despite his smoothness and he would do anything to advance himself.' She gave a shudder. 'I told you I am thinking of escaping to the country, to my Lincolnshire estates. I have had enough of the City, of Marchamount and the duke and everyone.' She smiled quickly. 'Almost everyone.'

'I would miss you. Though I have also been thinking of taking a quiet house in the country.'

She looked at me in surprise. 'Would not the country bore you?'

'I come from Lichfield – my father has the freehold of a farm there. Though he is old now, even his steward is not getting any younger. The farm is hard for them to manage.' I smiled sadly. 'But I have never been fitted to be a farmer, nor wanted to be one.'

'But he would like to have his son by him in his old age?'

'I don't know.' I shrugged. 'I always felt he was ashamed of me. Yet he seems pleased to see me when I visit, which I do not do enough.'

She was silent a moment, then asked quietly, 'The Wentworth girl comes back before the judge this week, does she not?'

'On Thursday the tenth. She is very ill and may not last till then.'

'Poor Matthew. How you take the sufferings of others on yourself.' She laid her hand on mine again and this time did not move it. I turned to her and she inclined her head towards me. Then she jerked away as footsteps sounded in the yard. I turned to see Barak standing with the steward, cap in hand. The steward's face was impassive but Barak was grinning broadly.

'Come at a bad time, have I?' he asked.

Lady Honor stood, her face dark with anger. 'Matthew, do you know this fellow?'

I rose too. 'This is Jack Barak,' I said hastily. 'He is assisting me. He works for Lord Cromwell.'

'Then the earl should teach him some manners.' She rounded on him. 'How dare you burst in on us like this? Do you not know how to comport yourself in a lady's house?'

Barak reddened too, his eyes angry. 'I have a message for Master Shardlake from Lord Cromwell.'

'Have you never been told to bow to a lady? And what is the matter with your head? Do you have nits? You had better not spread them in my house.' She spoke with a harshness I had never heard from her, but Barak had been extremely discourteous.

'I am sorry, Lady Honor,' I said quickly. 'Perhaps we should withdraw.' I took a step away, then gasped as my head swam. My legs seemed suddenly heavy and I half-fell, half-sat on the bench again. Lady Honor's face was at once full of concern.

'Matthew, what is it?'

I struggled up, though my head still swam. 'I am sorry – the heat-'

'Come inside,' she said. 'You,' she snapped at Barak, 'help your master. This is your fault.'

Barak gave her a hard look but put my arm round his shoulder and helped me into the parlour, then sat me on a pile of cushions. Lady Honor waved him away. He gave her another look, but left the room.

'I am sorry. A moment's weakness-' I struggled to get up. What a fool I must look. Damn Barak, if he had not come then-

Lady Honor stepped to a cabinet. I heard her pour some liquid into a glass. She crossed and knelt beside me, smiling gently. 'I have some aqua vitae here, my apothecary prescribes it for faintness.'

'Aqua vitae?' I laughed as I took the delicate little glass she gave me.

'You have heard of it?'

'Oh, yes.' I took a cautious sip of the colourless liquid. It burned, but far less than the Polish stuff. It seemed to reawaken me. 'Thank you,' I said.

She looked at me thoughtfully. 'I think you have had much to try you, it has brought you low. Who is that creature?'

'Lord Cromwell has set him to work with me on the Greek Fire matter. He lacks grace, I fear.' I stood up, ashamed at my weakness. 'Lady Honor, I must go. If Barak has a message from the earl I must attend to it.'

'Come again soon,' she said, 'to dinner. Just the two of us. No Marchamount, no duke, no Barak.' She smiled.

'I should like that, Lady Honor.'

'Honor will do.'

We stood facing each other a moment. I was tempted to lean forward and kiss her, but I merely bowed and left the room. Outside I cursed myself for my cowardice.

Barak was standing glowering in the hall. I led the way out and we stood waiting while the horses were brought round.

'What was the message?' I asked curtly.

'He's brought the meeting forward, to eleven o'clock.'

'Was that all? It could have waited.'

'A message from the earl could have waited? I think not. What did Lady Honor tell you, by the way?'

'She confirmed the Duke of Norfolk has sought her for his mistress; she didn't want to talk about it, felt it would have been less dishonourable to her if the information was forced from her by Cromwell.'

He grunted. 'It wasted our time.'

'It was fealty to her family.'

'You are sure she knows no more?'

'She knows nothing more than what she has told me before. I am convinced of that now.'

'Rude woman,' he said.

'God's death,' I snapped, 'you are a churl. You enjoy mocking your betters, don't you? Refinement seems a crime in your eyes.'