‘Then all is well,’ I answered smoothly. It was interesting that she had changed her story. ‘We have no interest in gossip, all three of us wish only to return to London as quickly as possible and forget all about this tiresome Progress.’

‘Then you will say nothing?’ Lady Rochford said, a touch of her old imperiousness returning. ‘Say nothing and all will be well, I promise you.’

‘That is our intention,’ Barak replied, and Tamasin nodded.

Lady Rochford looked at our serious faces. ‘Just as well,’ she said, her voice taking on a bullying tone again. ‘After all, one might ask what you young people were doing abroad at past one in the morning. You, Mistress Reedbourne, should have been long abed. Mistress Marlin is too lax with you. I could easily have you both dismissed from the King’s service, remember that.’

‘She will,’ I said. ‘By the way, my lady, does Mistress Marlin know anything of what happened last night?’

Lady Rochford laughed incredulously. ‘That sour prig? Of course not. No one else knows, or will know.’

‘Then as you say, all will be well. Though I should tell you, as a lawyer, that I must take precautions.’

Lady Rochford looked scared again. ‘What do you mean? You said you had told nobody!’

‘We have not. But certain writings may be left, should I die suddenly.’

‘No! You must not do that. If they came to light – you fool, do you think I would harm you? Think! Even if the Queen would permit that, which she would not, do you think I would want to draw attention to any of you?’ She paused, then her voice rose to a shout. ‘I want you quiet, quiet!’ Her body began to tremble slightly.

‘My lady, unless you are quieter yourself the guard will know your business; he is probably listening at the door as it is.’

She put a hand to her mouth. ‘Yes,’ she said distractedly. ‘Yes.’ She looked at the door then back at me, so frightened I felt sorry for the beldame.

‘Quiet we shall be,’ I said.

Lady Rochford gave me a hard look. ‘It seems I must trust you.’

‘Then we will take our leave.’ I waited to see if she had more to say, but she only nodded, though she looked at me savagely. Barak and I bowed, Tamasin curtsied, and we left the room.

I glanced at the guard outside, who stood poker-faced. But we said no more till we were clear of the pavilions, in the open space between them and the manor. Then I leaned against a cart and wiped my brow with my handkerchief.

‘Thank you, sir,’ Tamasin said. ‘But for you I would have collapsed with fear.’

‘Ay,’ Barak added. ‘That was well done. You kept your composure.’

‘Years of dealing with bad-tempered judges teaches you that. But it wasn’t easy. Jesu, my heart is thumping now.’ I felt a little giddy.

‘Are you all right, sir?’ Tamasin asked. ‘You are very pale.’

‘Give me a moment.’ I sighed and shook my head. ‘These days I feel as though I were adrift in a boat in a storm, wave after wave crashing over me as the wind drives me God knows where.’

‘Hopefully soon we will be on a real boat,’ Barak said. ‘And away from here.’

‘Ay. By God, Lady Rochford is terrified of what we might say. Is there something between the Queen and Culpeper? Or is she afraid for her own position?’

‘Jesu knows,’ Tamasin said. ‘All I know is that the servants say there is bad blood between Culpeper and Francis Dereham.’

‘Yes, Dereham,’ I said thoughtfully. ‘Another old friend of the Queen’s.’

‘Are Culpeper and the Queen and Lady Rochford all mad?’ Barak asked.

‘Lady Rochford seems – well, not quite normal. And Culpeper seemed a wantwit.’

‘A lecherous preening creature.’ Tamasin shuddered and I remembered Barak saying he had tried subjecting her to his attentions. ‘And Queen Catherine is a giddy girl,’ she added. ‘But not so giddy surely that she would lie with Culpeper.’

‘What now?’ Barak asked me. ‘Do we keep quiet, or tell Maleverer?’

‘We keep quiet. I do not think Lady Rochford can be involved with the stolen papers, or even know what they are.’

‘I asked some questions of the servants,’ Tamasin said, ‘about Culpeper’s background. He has been at the court four years. He returns to his family home occasionally. It is in Goudhurst, in Kent.’

‘Thank you, Tamasin.’ I spoke neutrally, but this was interesting news.

‘I must go now. Mistress Marlin will be wondering where I am.’ She curtsied and walked away, steadily enough.

‘She did well,’ I said to Barak.

‘Ay. Though all this has upset her. Do you know what she said yesterday? She said if only she could find who her father was, if he was a high official, he could protect us. I told her even if he was you can’t go higher than the King. She loses her sense over that topic.’

I nodded. ‘And as we have said, it could be anyone. It was interesting what she said about Culpeper being from Kent. I wonder if Goudhurst is near to Blaybourne village, whether someone called Blaybourne has links to the rebels.’

‘ ’Tis far from Kent to York,’ Barak said. He looked behind me. ‘But here comes one who has made that journey.’

I turned. Sergeant Leacon was walking rapidly towards us, his face set. ‘God’s death,’ I muttered. ‘What now?’

The sergeant came up and saluted. As at the refectory, his manner was cold, formal. ‘I have been looking everywhere for you, Master Shardlake,’ he said. ‘Sir William Maleverer wants you right away. He is with Sir Edward Broderick, at his cell.’

‘Broderick?’ In the press of events since last night I had forgotten him.

‘There has been another attempt on his life.’

Chapter Twenty-five

TELLING BARAK to wait for me at the lodging house, I followed Leacon as he marched rapidly into the complex of monastic buildings. ‘What happened?’ I asked.

The young sergeant did not break his stride. ‘Radwinter took one of the exercise breaks Sir William allows him. He had just watched the prisoner eat. Ten minutes later the soldiers guarding Broderick heard a retching sound and found him lying on the floor, gasping and vomiting. The man who found him called me and I ordered some beer and salt fetched. I mixed them and forced him to drink, then sent a man to fetch Dr Jibson. He is there now, with Sir William. Sir William is in no good temper.’

‘You did well.’

He did not reply; again I sensed that for some reason Sergeant Leacon had become hostile to me. We walked down the corridor, our footsteps ringing on the stone flags. The door of Broderick’s cell was open. It was crowded, although like the cell at the castle it was now filled with the stink of vomit. Two soldiers were holding Broderick in a sitting position on the bed. He seemed half conscious. One of the soldiers held his jaw open while Dr Jibson poured a flagon of liquid down his throat. Radwinter stood looking on, his eyes full of fury; and something else. Puzzlement? Maleverer stood next to him, arms folded, frowning mightily. He turned to me angrily.

‘Where have you been?’ he snapped.

‘I – I have been at Master Wrenne’s, Sir William.’

‘Come outside. No, you stay there,’ he barked at Radwinter as he made to follow. He led me back out of the cell. He folded his arms again and looked at me.

‘It’s happened again,’ he said.

‘Poison?’

‘Radwinter oversaw the preparation of his food in the King’s kitchen as usual today, brought it here and watched Broderick eat. Ten minutes later Broderick is writhing on the floor. Radwinter swears his food could not have been interfered with. He prepared it himself. Sergeant Leacon bears out what Radwinter says. And in that case -’ he set his lips hard – ‘I cannot see how anyone but Radwinter can have poisoned him.’

‘But if he did, Sir William, why incriminate himself so obviously?’

‘I don’t know,’ he replied in angry perplexity.