Taste of Treason (10 page)

“Friends? Which friends?”

“Corbin and Bertila Quayne have been taken for interrogation, accused of witchcraft.”

“By whom?”

“I have not yet had time to find out, but Frayner, the Hampton priest, is involved.”

Byram took a step back and Luke sensed that this was not the first time he had heard of Frayner stirring up trouble in the locality.

“I will see what I can find out, Luke, but in the meantime, your monarch needs you.”

Luke and Rob donned the velvet cloaks and matching caps before following Byram under the main west gate into the palace. The sight that met them pulled Luke up short, a hiss of distaste escaping from him.

Henry marched up and down, his eyes darting in all directions. Everyone else stood as if rooted to the spot, either watching their King or looking at the source of the disturbance. Luke was appalled. His presence was supposed to be clandestine and yet the courtyard was full of people, all looking as if they would rather be anywhere but here. Why had the King not dismissed them? Looking out from beneath the brim of his cap, Luke gazed around him. The expressions on the faces nearest to him ranged from extreme discomfort to downright horror. Hands covered mouths and some were beginning to edge backward in an effort to escape unseen even though it seemed clear to Luke that the King must have commanded all to stay. Had he thought the apothecary would want to question them? He was about to suggest to Byram that everyone disperse when his gaze was drawn to what lay close by. He darted a glance at the King whose expression, though set, had a veneer of disbelief as if his mind was unable to register what he saw. Now all was clear. The King was in shock.

On the ground, pulled out from the shadows under the arch, was the misshapen naked body of a man, head and face blackened by some horror that seemed to seethe even as Luke watched it. As he approached, a black cloud of gorged flies rose as one entity into the air. As if they were part of the same entity, everyone lifted their pomanders to their noses. Everyone, that is, apart from a small serving wench who stood apart staring down at a bloodstained dagger on the stones.

“It is you.” The words burst from Rob.

At his voice, the maid shook herself and looked round the circle of people. Her eyes saw the corpse at her feet. With a startled cry, she turned and flung herself at Rob.

Chapter Twelve

The maid’s words seemed to bring Henry from his introspection. He turned to his mother.

“Madam, will it please Your Grace to see to the Queen?”

She dropped a curtsey, and after a sidelong glance at Luke in his velvet cloak, hurried away with Gwenette at her heels. Almost against his will, Luke turned to watch them leave, only to find Gwenette gazing at him, some kind of entreaty in her eyes. Then she swung round and followed her mistress.

Henry, now all action, ordered away all save Byram, Rob and Luke. And the girl.

“Master Ballard?” he said.

Luke picked up the dagger, examined it and then bent over the body before turning to his King.

“Your Majesty, I would venture the young maid did nothing more than find this obscenity lying here. She is not capable of carrying a man to this spot.”

“And yet she is found with the dagger in her hand. How do you explain that?” Henry asked, his glance flashing to Rob, who still shielded the girl.

“May I show you, Sire?” Luke replied, beckoning Henry forward. “See the discoloration here and here? This man has been dead for some days. Look at these maggots lying in the wounds on his neck and face. They will hatch into yet more flies. Given the stench, I would say he had been stowed away in a garderobe somewhere, mayhap even the common jakes.”

“And the dagger?”

“The stain is old, dried and rusted. The maid is in deep shock. I believe she stumbled across the body and is in no way responsible for it.”

“She was friends with the dead girl, Edith Brook,” Rob said.

Luke swung round, his attention focused on his kinsman.

“How do you know this?”

Rob frowned and a look of bewilderment came into his eyes. “I am unsure, Master. It is like a dream I am unable to pin down. I do not even know her.”

“Then mayhap you have been bewitched,” a new voice said behind them.

Turning, Luke found himself face-to-face with a tall cleric, his dark eyes fixed on the dead man.

“Father Reynard,” the King said after a startled pause. “We thought you would be attending the Queen.”

Reynard bowed.

“Sire, the Queen Mother has accompanied Her Grace back to her apartments. I came to see if I could give any help or succor.”

“You could try to help this poor child,” Luke interrupted.

“Wherefore? If she is guilty of slaying the dead man by sorcery, then nothing I can do will help her.”

“And if she is innocent?”

Luke, his eyes flashing anger, felt compelled to place himself between the girl and the priest, an impulse he obeyed without questioning it. Just at this moment he was not kindly disposed to anyone of a clerical nature.

The man confronting him had power within the court. He had the ear of the Queen, and she had the ear of the King. As Privy Inquirer, he knew Henry would give him some leeway, but not at the price of his own authority.

Reynard’s eyes flashed.

“It is not up to you or me to ascertain her guilt or innocence, but the obvious suspect is, of course, this boy, the one she runs to for shelter. That they know each other is clear. Does it not then follow he must be her accomplice?” The priest seemed to pull himself up a little. A forced smile curved into a face that held little compassion.

“Your Majesty, I forget myself. I pray you pardon my words. I see your Captain of Guards is present, and I would not trespass on his duties, even if the solution appears to shout itself from the chimneys. If I may be excused, Sire, I will see if I am needed by the Queen.”

He bowed and strode away. Five pairs of eyes gazed after him until he disappeared into the black of the palace.

“We do not like that man,” the King said, almost to himself. “A foxy gentleman indeed. One who has far too much influence over our Queen.”

He turned to Byram.

“What do you suggest we do next, Captain?”

Byram coughed. “Sire, I would rate Master Ballard’s opinion over most others and, despite what the priest says, I would stake a year’s wages Rob here is as innocent as a baptized babe. When you look at the body, it is clear it has been dead for days, and equally clear the maid could not have done it.”

Henry pursed his lips, deep in thought.

“We tend to agree with you,” the King said. “However, we must factor in Father Reynard’s assertion. We must show impartiality.”

Byram bowed.

“You speak truly, Sire. I can, of course, interrogate everyone within the palace. However, I think it would be meet if we made as little fuss over this incident as possible. We can present the death as an accidental one. Mayhap this poor soul fell into the main drain and blocked the tidal flush of the river. Mayhap he was only noticed by some unknown who carried him here.”

“With what purpose?”

Luke interrupted.

“That one is easy, Sire. We are looking for a strong man, someone who will, forgive me, Sire, be covered in shit, so I would concentrate on anyone either very clean or reeking. On the other hand, it could very well be someone aware of the death of the maid Edith, who feared to be accused of two murders but who could not in all conscience leave the dead man where he found him lest the body was not discovered at all and given Christian burial.”

“And which theory do you favor, Master Ballard?”

Luke turned to look at the girl, still shaking in Rob’s arms. Joss sat in front of the pair, as if protecting them, something that made Luke’s senses prickle. There was more going on here than met the eye.

One look at Rob and he knew leaving the girl was not an option. He met Joss’s gaze, clear and steadfast. He would, as he had done numberless times before, trust his greyspring.

Aware that the King awaited his response, he bowed.

“I do not know, Your Majesty, but I think Captain Creswell is right. We present this death as an accidental one. Let us say your physicians believe he hit his head before falling into the main drain. Mayhap, one of them could find some blood on a coping-stone near the drain that would give credence to the theory. Then I think it will cause less fuss if you give out that it must have been a Good Samaritan who carried the body into the courtyard so that it would not lie undiscovered. He did not know what to do next, so left it there. Whichever decision you make, Sire, I give you my solemn word Rob is not involved in this matter. I believe nobody should mention the serving maid’s death or hint that the two deaths are connected. The most important thing is that we establish his identity. If the women could wash him and lay him in the coolness of the chapel, someone may claim him.”

“And this child? You must admit, the priest’s view has some weight.”

“With your permission, Sire, I will take both her and Rob home. She will be safe with me and under constant supervision. If she is guilty, Captain Creswell will know where to find her. The same applies to the boy. I undertake to produce either or both when required.”

Henry grunted. “And your view, Captain?”

“Already, Sire, we have drawn unwanted attention to this. If Master Ballard is correct, we will make our killer feel easier in his mind if we do not make a commotion. I will arrange for the body to be cleaned and put somewhere cooler than the chapel. The Royal Mews would serve. They are far enough away for Your Majesty to distance yourself and close enough for any who wish to look at him. As for this boy and girl, I think we may trust Luke. I will take charge of the dagger.”

Henry pursed his lips and Luke could see that he was weighing up the best course of action. He himself was not really interested in the identity of the dead man, but anxious to get the girl and Rob back to his house and begin unraveling the mystery surrounding them. He would bide his time, formulate no hasty conjecture, test the strands before weaving the rope.

Finally the King made his decision.

“There is little point in having dogs and not permitting them to bark. We agree with your course of action for the present, but we wish to be kept fully informed on all matters pertaining. Master Ballard, you may communicate with us via the captain or our mother. I warn you, have a care. If your boy is found to have a hand in this, we will have your head as well as his.”

The King strode off leaving Luke and Rob to return home. By the time they reached the safe environment of his house, their guest was shivering in earnest, teeth chattering, face ashen.

“What ails her, Luke?” Rob’s voice was more troubled than Luke had yet heard it.

“Reaction to the horror. Her wits cannot comprehend the breadth of what she has seen, so it takes her away from the reality. It is a kind of defensive action so that her mind does not give way under the strain.”

“What can we do for her?”

Luke kept his voice gentle and matter of fact.

“You said she was a friend of Edith Brook. How did you know that?”

“I was not aware I did. It came to me.”

Luke turned to look at him, disconcerted at the beginnings of fear in the lad’s face. He could guess why and how Rob knew of the connection with the dead girl, but his misremembrance spell had been hasty, driven by his fear, and evidently Rob’s memory had not been entirely obliterated with regard to this girl.

So the first question to ask was not how this child had found the latest body, but who had instructed her to come to the shop when Luke was absent. That was one strand he must tease out and identify quickly. He became aware of pressure, a physical weight compressing his chest. How was he supposed to keep everything in balance when so much was going wrong? He needed food and leisure to think, but time was not on his side.

First things first. He went into the shop and made up an energizer to give both the girl and Rob. It needed cloves and cinnamon for warmth and comfort, sack and a goodly portion of aqua vitae, as well as the golden root powder he used for strengthening. Holding his hands over the rich, tawny liquid, he waited until steam began to rise before pouring it into three goblets.

Although he had already imbibed a hefty dose of energizer in the restorative Rob had given him, it would do his concentration no harm at all to take another potion, so long as he ate soon. It would aid his concentration. Thinking on, the girl would benefit from something sweet and soothing.

Luke scooped dried apples into a bowl, adding cream and honey. Warm food would be most beneficial, so he heated this, too, before going back into the kitchen. He put the bowl in front of Rob and handed him a spoon.

“Try to get her to take this. You will have to feed her. She is in no state to help herself.”

He went back out to the shop and returned carrying the goblets. Joss had her head on the girl’s thigh and Luke smiled to see his visitor caressing the dog’s silky ears.

Rob held the spoon to the girl’s mouth, encouraging her to eat. Soon, her eyes began to lose their haunted look and her shoulders relaxed. She seemed content to allow Rob to feed her, obediently opening her mouth, like a fledgling bird. Rob kept up a smooth, quiet, cheerful commentary. When the bowl was empty, Luke handed the boy a goblet and nodded his desire that the girl should drink the contents.

When she had finished, Rob drank deep of his own dose and stared at Luke.

“What do we do now, Master?”

“I would like to know the name of my guest.” Luke sat opposite the girl, putting his hand on her now warm one. “What is your name, child?”

She opened her mouth, struggled to speak, and then in a hoarse whisper answered.

“Alys, sir. Alys Palmer.”

“Welcome to our house, Alys. Where do you live?”

“In the palace with the other maids, sir, until Edith died, then I was frightened to stay.”

“Edith looked after you,” Rob said.

Alys looked at him in gratitude.

“Aye, that she did. My mother died last year and my father married again. His new wife did not want me at home so she persuaded a cousin to present me to the Queen. In that way, my father could not object at my good fortune.”

“You came to see Rob, did you not?”

“Yes, sir, but I cannot remember why.”

Rob stirred, frowning. “I went to fetch you food, but when I came back, you had gone,” he said, slowly. “Tell me why you ran away.”

The girl frowned. It was clear to Luke that she was scouring her memory. He could feel her fear. She swallowed and began to breathe quickly.

“All I can remember is a threatening voice and darkness,” she said. “I was afraid.”

Luke leaned forward, concentrating on keeping his voice light.

“Do not fret, Alys. You are safe here with us. None can harm you. Your memories are just that, remembrances, not physical things. Tell us anything you can.”

There was a long pause whilst she struggled for breath. It was almost as if she were too frightened to allow the memories to surface. Luke saw the exact moment when her mind cleared. She started up from the table, eyes full of tears before Rob once more put his arm around her and pulled her gently back into her seat.

“After Edith died, I hid near the kitchens during the day, sometimes managing to steal a little food. I dared not go back to the Queen’s apartments in case they thought I had anything to do with Edith’s death. At night I went into the chapel. I felt safe there. That’s where the voice came to me.”

“Man or woman?” Rob asked.

“I could not tell. It said that Edith was safe and loved me and I would be given proof.”

Luke’s voice softened further.

“And were you?”

Alys gave a timid smile and put her hand inside the neck of her tunic, pulling out what had been hidden.

“Aye, sir. When I awoke in the morning, Edith’s glass beads were in my hand. They had belonged to her dead mother and she was never without them. That’s how I know the voice spoke true, sir. They could not be more precious to me than the finest diamonds. I’ve been wearing them ever since.”