Leacon looked at me seriously. Always when we had met before he had been open and friendly, but now I sensed something wary, almost hostile, in his manner.
‘One of my men reported there had been some trouble outside Broderick’s cell,’ he said. ‘Between you and gaoler Radwinter.’
‘Ah,’ I said. ‘That.’
‘I should report it to Sir William Maleverer. But my man said that Radwinter provoked you.’
‘Yes, sergeant, he did. But I should not have let him.’
‘I will say nothing for now. I do not want trouble with Radwinter, and Sir William has enough to occupy him. But I must have your assurance nothing like that will happen again.’
‘It will not.’
He nodded.
‘How does Broderick fare? I should have visited him today.’
‘The same.’ He gave me another measured look, then made a little bow and went off to rejoin his men. I went back to Tamasin and Barak.
‘What was that about?’ Barak asked.
‘My fight with Radwinter. He says he won’t report me if I don’t let Radwinter provoke me again. Well, I have other things to think on now.’
We walked Tamasin back to King’s Manor. All was dark and silent; a gold half-angel ensured Tamasin was admitted by the guards. Barak and I walked back to the lodging house. I went to bed, but it was long before I slept.
SUNDAY MORNING dawned fine. I was dressing in my cubicle when Barak knocked at my door.
‘That cook’s outside, Master Goodrich.’
I finished dressing hurriedly and stepped out. He was standing by the door.
‘How is your son?’ I asked.
‘Better, sir, but he’s a nasty gash on his head. I’ve told him not to work again today.’
‘Thank God it was no worse.’
‘True. But, sir…’
He looked at me. I wondered if he was going to ask for money, and slipped my hand to my purse. The cook shook his head.
‘I only wanted to ask – who would do such a thing? Is my boy safe?’
‘I am sure he is, Master Goodrich. The person who struck your boy down was after me. Rest assured, we will find who is responsible.’
‘It ought to be reported, sir. With the King himself here…’ He cast a look of mingled awe and fear in the direction of King’s Manor.
‘Leave it with me. And my good wishes to your boy.’
I watched as the cook walked off towards the camp. Barak joined me. ‘Is he all right?’
‘Ay. Come, let us get some breakfast.’
We began walking to the refectory. Outside, among the animal pens, I saw that one pair of bears’ cages was being taken to pieces by some workmen under the bearward’s supervision. I stopped and looked.
‘He killed six dogs before the King and was left standing,’ the bearward said to me. ‘But then he died most honourably.’ He gave a satisfied smile. The other cage was still occupied; the surviving bear was awake, lying curled up in a corner on the floor, its back to us. The creature shifted its position and gave a low, whimpering groan. Its coat was slashed and stiff with blood in several places.
‘Will that one fight again?’ Barak asked.
He studied the bear professionally. ‘Ay, he’s fit for another bout. They’re strong brutes.’
I walked away, suppressing a shudder.
IN THE REFECTORY we ate in silence, among courtiers and servants breakfasting before church. I thought of the day before. Those quiet hours in Wrenne’s library seemed far off now.
‘I don’t like leaving Tamasin alone at the manor,’ Barak said at length. ‘It worries me.’
‘I believe this way is best, Jack, we mustn’t act precipitately.’
He shook his head. ‘I can’t think straight after last night. Are you going to church? They’re doing Mass in shifts at St Olave’s.’
‘No. I can’t face it.’
‘I don’t want to sit cooped up here all day.’
‘I know somewhere we can sit and watch what goes on.’ I led him to the bench where Tamasin and I had talked two nights before. Crowds of people were going in to the first service at St Olave’s. The whole atmosphere at St Mary’s had changed now the King was here: people moved and talked quietly, sedately.
A little group of courtiers appeared, and I recognized some of the young men who had been at the camp two nights before. Dereham was among them; he flicked me a contemptuous glare as he passed. Culpeper, I saw, was not with the group.
‘I wonder where the King and Queen will be hearing Mass,’ Barak said.
‘Privately at King’s Manor, I should think.’
‘For security? Keeping safe from the Yorkers?’
‘Maybe.’ I sighed. ‘I don’t wonder they rebelled.’
Barak looked at me askance. ‘You’re not turning papist, are you?’
‘No. I mean, the way they’ve been treated for years. Like second-rate Englishmen.’ I saw Master Craike passing with a group of richly robed officials, and raised a hand in a wave. He hesitated, then came over to us.
‘Are you going into church, Master Shardlake?’
‘Perhaps a later service.’
He smiled. ‘We have just been up the belltower. Priests are holding open-air Masses all over the camp, ’tis quite a spectacle. Well, I must go, or I shall be late.’ He bowed and hurried off.
‘That man has an uneasy air for all his pleasant words,’ Barak observed.
‘Ay, he does.’
‘We should find out what goes on at this tavern I saw him at.’
I nodded. ‘Ay. Let’s do that. There’s something Tamasin might find out, too.’
He looked at me askance. ‘I’ll not have her in danger.’
emong
‘It might be useful if we could find out Master Culpeper’s antecedents. Who his friends and family are. Does he have northern connections, I wonder.’
‘I’ll see.’ He frowned. ‘I feel responsible for Tamasin. Involving her in this.’
I nodded. It was the first time Barak had ever seemed really to care for a girl. ‘I fear she is involved anyhow.’
‘I pray this may all be a mare’s nest and Oldroyd’s words meant something different.’ He put his hand inside his shirt, fingering his father’s old mezuzah. ‘If this is about an affair between these two, do you think Maleverer and the King’s men even suspect it?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Is the King impotent, I wonder?’ Barak pondered. ‘All know he has been ill with his leg for years.’
‘God knows.’
‘Perhaps his seed is thin and weak, old and ill as he is, while Culpeper’s flows thick and strong.’
I shuddered slightly. ‘I’d rather not think too much on that.’
‘Talking of illness, how is old Wrenne?’
‘Not good. He was in bed, though he insists he’ll be fit to hear the petitions tomorrow. I said I would go and see him again today. Come with me, at least his house is a place of safety.’
‘All right. Here. Look who is coming now.’
Latecomers were still heading for the church, and among them I saw Jennet Marlin, walking with a couple of ladies I did not recognize.
‘Where’s Tammy?’ Barak asked anxiously. ‘Mistress Marlin likes to keep her round her.’ He bit his lip. ‘Could you ask her? My rank forbids it.’
I stood up and bowed. Mistress Marlin, in a grey damask dress, the tails of an old-fashioned box hood streaming behind her head, signalled to the other ladies to walk on. She halted and, to my surprise, smiled at me a little nervously.
‘Master Shardlake. Are you on your way to church?’
‘Ah – no. But I wondered if I might trouble you with a query. Mistress Reedbourne is not with you?’
‘No. She is a little ill and has kept to her room.’ She gave that uncertain smile again, then took a deep breath. ‘I spoke harshly to you the other night, sir,’ she said. ‘I wish to apologize. Only, Tamasin has been a good companion to me. But –’ she looked at Barak – ‘I think perhaps she and your man do care for each other, and one should not stand in the way of love, should one?’
‘No,’ I said, a little taken aback. This was a change of mind indeed, yet not that dissimilar from my own. Perhaps Tamasin had appealed to her too, charmed her, for all that Mistress Marlin did not seem a woman susceptible to charm. She looked at me seriously with her large brown eyes. ‘I spoke bitterly to you, sir, only because my own fiancé is unjustly in the Tower.’