‘I left you money. Did you spend it all on Maman? And did you not think to explore outside? There are hens, eggs, fish, ducks and berries. There is a wealth of edible greenery.’
Luke coughed, spitting soup and phlegm. ‘You think I know how to catch hens? fish? And, anyway, the eggs ran out. I ate some berries but then they were gone too. The house echoed and I was alone and frightened, and I don’t know what’s hemlock and what’s salad. You never taught me those things.’
Andrew refilled the cup from the basin he had brought up and regarded his brother. The dark bruises beneath Luke’s eyes were sunken and the cheeks yellowed. ‘You will take another cupful,’ Andrew said. ‘Then you will sleep. In the morning I’ll buy food and cook you a more solid breakfast, I’ll bathe you and change the bedding. But first I must go out again.’ Luke started up, as Andrew pushed him back. ‘Don’t be frightened child. I promise to return within a few hours, and you’ll be dreaming safe and warm before then. But I have my own life, and my own duties, and there is other urgent business on my mind, other matters that need my attention, and one young woman in particular who concerns me. I will not sacrifice every moment of my life to watch over you, Luke, and you must accept this.’
‘Then leave me to die.’
‘Don’t tempt me, child.’ Again Andrew held the cup to Luke’s lips. ‘Now drink. A little faster this time. You’ll feel a great deal better tomorrow.’
As Luke slept, Andrew placed a chamber pot beside the bed, plumped up the pillows, put the basin of remaining soup on the table, closed the attic door very quietly and ran down the stairs.
Outside the stars had claimed the sky. Across the depths of chilly black, the sparkle winked a million tiny flickering torches beyond the moon’s haloed aura. It was not the best time to go visiting, but Andrew again pulled his cape around his shoulders and began to trudge towards the distant tanneries. As the stink of the treated hides increased, the tannery tenements loomed. Andrew strode between the tenters and stretched leathers, barrows of stiffened skins still thick with blood, and the tubs of lime and urine ready for the scrubbing. Scraps of hide, left to putrefy, were piled for the glue-pots. Avoiding the main square, Andrew entered one of the lop-sided tenements. Quickly completing his business, he left again, walked on into the clustered village beyond and half an hour later and arrived at a tiny farm beyond the tanneries, where the stench lingered but was refreshed by the smells of well-spread manure and animals still ruminating in their squashed barns. Andrew heard the children’s voices before he recognised their small eager faces. Felicia Spiers turned as she heard him call, smiled widely in surprise and hurried towards him across the cabbage field.
Luke had been awake for some hours by the time Andrew returned to Cobham Hall.
‘Your fever has gone,’ Andrew said, his palm to his brother’s forehead. ‘I sympathise, but I warn you, Luke, I’ll not be held hostage to your needs forever. Very soon someone else will arrive, who will help feed and care for you.’
Luke sat up in a hurry and winced. ‘Don’t say things like that, it isn’t fair. Where are you going? And who’s coming?’
Andrew stopped at the doorway, looking back over his shoulder. ‘Ralph is returning with Elizabeth, probably tonight. You never liked them, but they’ll help care for you in return for their board. More welcome perhaps, Felicia Spiers and her family will be back here tomorrow. She’ll be better able to look after you than I can.’
Luke glowered. ‘I want you,’ he said.
Andrew shook his head. ‘Don’t be petulant, Luke. I’m perfectly well aware that you dislike me as much as the others, and no doubt Felicia’s kitchen skills are considerably better than my own. Certainly she’s more experienced with nursing fractious young men, and has greater patience with the sick and needy. Nor am I leaving entirely, but I’ve no intention of playing the trusty companion at your bedside.’
Luke pouted. ‘I don’t want some woman’s sticky fingers on me.’
Andrew shook his head, ‘I came here last evening expecting to stay only moments since I had no reason to believe you sick. I had other important reasons for coming, and someone else entirely on my mind. Indeed, it was Tyballis Blessop I’d hoped to meet up with. I assume you didn’t see her yesterday?’ and
‘Of course I didn’t, or she’d have stayed and been kind,’ Luke sniffed. ‘So, has she run away from you, then? Were you horrid to her, just like you are to me?’
Andrew’s mouth twitched slightly. ‘As it happens,’ he said, ‘I make a habit of being particularly nice to Mistress Blessop. But she is not always – wise. And she faces dangers you cannot comprehend, child. Indeed, I believe she is perfectly safe at present, and have no reason to believe otherwise. But I like to be sure. I hope to be back here tonight, once I’m more confident of her whereabouts.’
Having crossed back into the city, he went directly to Crosby’s annexe. But Tyballis had not returned and had sent no word. Andrew therefore controlled his rising doubts, and spoke at some length with Casper Wallop. Mistress Blessop, he explained, had now been absent for longer than seemed easily understandable. He further explained in some detail what was now essential both for the duke’s business, being imperative for the safety of the entire country, and for the well-being of Mistress Blessop, which was paramount in his thoughts, should she be in any danger. He then changed his clothes with care, took some wine which was meant to calm his doubts, but did not, issued Casper with further orders and quickly left the building in the direction of Whistle Alley.
The old Blessop House was empty and the door boarded. Andrew investigated briefly but clearly Tyballis was not there and had not recently been there. He strode quickly on and next visited the local sheriff’s chambers, where he asked a great many questions and made several curt and specific demands. It was while he was there that Constable Webb entered.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Tyballis glared at the man standing over her. ‘I haven’t the faintest idea who you are, and I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about. You must be remarkably stupid if you think someone like me could possibly know anything at all about the Lord Protector’s personal business. Now, if you’d kindly get out of my way, I wish to go home.’
‘My dear lady,’ frowned her interrogator. ‘Deny what you will, but we have full knowledge of who you are and an even better idea of what you’ve been doing. And I’m afraid there’s no question of permitting you to leave here until we have the answers we need. In the meantime, rest assured you will be treated with the greatest respect. But what happens eventually depends entirely on your cooperation.’
‘You are clearly mad,’ said Tyballis. She sat on the narrow chair, hands clasped meekly in her lap, and stared up at the nameless man who addressed her. She wore simple clothes and not the finery from the Crosby garderobe, but her insistence that she was Widow Blessop, resident of Portsoken Ward and nothing more, was clearly not believed.
Over the man’s shoulder and through the window, Tyballis saw the sedge and grasses of open fields where Londoners grazed their sheep, brought their goats and ponies to feed on common land, and gathered wild herbs for the cook pot. But the day had already slouched towards a late summer evening and the fields had emptied. Tyballis sighed.
The house where she had been brought was unknown to her. She had not been able to see anything on her arrival since she had been unconscious at the time. When she had set off from Crosby’s some hours previously, she had intended only to take the air. Both Andrew and Casper had left much earlier but despite their obvious urgency and the hidden difficulties of the current political situation now bubbling beneath the calm, Andrew had given her nothing whatsoever to do that morning.