But what was I to say? As the local representative of the king’s justice he had solemn responsibilities. When alleged violations of the law were reported to him he was bound to investigate them. I knew and respected James as a man of impeccable honesty and one not swayed by offers of bribes or by favouritism. If I were to persuade him not to proceed further with the case against Ned and Jed, I would have to make an unassailable case. As I jogged southwards beneath the bare-limbed trees I went over in my mind what little I knew about John and Hugh Incent and their interest in me and my friends. And, suddenly, I understood. Like sunlight breaking through clouds, my hazy recollections became hard-edged and vivid. Facts fell into place.
Chapter 30
I did not need to travel all the way to Hadbourne to find James Dewey. I came up with him a mile from his house and we journeyed on together. His welcome was warm, as I had known it would be.
‘Thomas, well met!’ His weatherbeaten countryman’s face glowed with a wide smile. ‘I hear you’ve been over to the Netherlands.’
‘Aye, on business for Lord Cromwell.’
James’ thick eyebrows rose in surprise. ‘Moving in high circles, eh? Better than the business you were doing with Bishop Stokesley, by all I hear.’
‘Ill news rides a swift horse.’
He laughed. ‘You know our locals. They know everything about us and what they don’t know becomes the subject of vivid imagining.’
‘Like the behaviour of my guests at Hemmings?’
He looked at me gravely. ‘I’m sorry for it, Thomas. But, a plaint being laid, I had no choice. I would to God that you had been present. That canting priest might not have been so bold.’
‘What do you know about Hugh Incent, the Everards’ chaplain?’ I asked.
‘Well, as you are aware, the Everards are no lovers of the king’s new policies and they supported Queen Catherine over the divorce. Their priest is of the same colour, but a deeper hue. You remember that mad Barton woman folk called the Nun of Kent who went about uttering supposed prophecies against His Majesty? Well, Incent was one of her mentors. He was lucky not to end up with her at Tyburn a couple of years back. The experience doesn’t seem to have chastened him. He’s a pious troublemaker, always on the lookout for people to haul before the ecclesiastical court on heresy charges. This business of your friends would have ended up being heard by the archbishop if buggery hadn’t been taken out of the Church’s hands and made a common law offence in thirty-three.’
‘Have there been any prosecutions under this statute?’
‘Not that I’m aware of. It served its purpose in His Majesty’s closure of religious houses. Several abbots and abbesses surrendered to prevent their perverted behaviour being exposed.’
‘Yes.’ I thought of Ned and Jed.
‘What will happen to my friends?’
‘I will examine them and if I decide there is a case to answer I’ll refer them to the next assize sessions.’
‘And what if Incent can produce no evidence?’
‘Oh, I’ve no doubt he’ll suborn some witness prepared to support his accusations by lying under oath. His sort are practised at perverting the course of justice.’
‘Exitus acta probat,’ I muttered to myself.
‘What was that?’ James asked. But we had now arrived at Hadbourne and I made no answer as we dismounted.
I declined my old friend’s invitation to stay to supper but he insisted on offering me refreshment before I returned and it was as we sat with hot, spiced ale and cakes before a blazing fire in his hall that I said, ‘All this is aimed at me. Will you help me put a stop to it?’
Again James’ bushy brows rose gesturing surprise but he asked no questions. ‘I will certainly listen to whatever you have to tell me.’
I gave him an abbreviated account of recent events and particularly what I was now convinced was John Incent’s involvement in the attack at Hampstead.
When I had finished, James sat back in his chair, frowning. ‘In my days at Gray’s Inn,’ he said quietly, ‘we would have called that a circumstantial case. Attempted murder is a serious charge. As I understand it, the only witness is this servant girl of yours.’
‘Yes,’ I acknowledged, ‘and at the moment even she does not appreciate exactly what she knows. But I’ve thought this situation through dozens of times and I can see no other explanation.’
‘Very well,’ James responded. ‘Go over the essential details again and we’ll see if I reach the same conclusion.’
I laid out the facts in order. ‘Point one: on the afternoon of Monday 20 November I rode out to Hampstead. The only person who knew of my destination was John Fink, my journeyman. Point two: John was a man with a grievance against me.’
‘That’s conjecture,’ James protested.
‘No, he admitted almost as much in the letter he sent when I was in prison.’
‘Proceed.’
‘Point three: as soon as I was gone to Hampstead he summoned a priest to come to the house — secretly. This priest was seen by a kitchen girl. She thought he had come to hear John’s confession.’
‘A reasonable assumption.’
‘Yes, but it misled her.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well — and this is my point four — the girl said John welcomed his visitor with the words, “I’m innocent.”’
‘So?’
‘If John had been about to confess his sins, he would hardly start by denying guilt. What she really heard was not the word “innocent” but “Incent”.’
‘Mere speculation.’ James frowned. ‘If anyone produced that as evidence in my court…’
‘Ah, but wait,’ I said eagerly, warming to my story. ‘She described the visitor to me. Like his brother, John Incent has red hair. There are not many such among London’s priests. Anyway, it would be easy enough to have her identify John’s visitor.’
James looked dubious. ‘A sceptical judge might suspect that you had paid your servant to say what you wanted.’
I continued. ‘Point five: later that same day someone lay in wait for me on Hampstead Heath and tried to kill me. Point six: when that attempt failed, John Incent went to the bishop to lay heresy charges against me. Once again, his attempt was unsuccessful. But the Incents didn’t give up, even when they knew my household was under Cromwell’s protection. As soon as the coast was clear, Hugh came to you with tales about Ned and Jed. This unscrupulous pair of priests are determined to blacken my name and discredit me. Now why do you think their persecution is so relentless?’
‘You believe it’s because you are enquiring into Robert Packington’s murder?’
‘I’m sure of it.’
James shook his head. ‘Your suspicions may be correct but they’d not add up to much in a court of law. In any case, if you decide to proceed against John Incent for the attempt on your life, he will “claim his clergy” and have the case heard by the bishop — and we both know what the outcome of that will be.’
‘All that is absolutely true,’ I said, ‘but it is not my intention to lay charges.’
‘What, then?’ James asked with a puzzled frown.
‘Bluff.’
‘I don’t unders — ’
I interrupted, eager to convince my old friend of the plan I had concocted while riding from Hemmings. ‘I want to give Sir Hugh a taste of his own bitter medicine. Why do his threats have such an impact on the local clergy and people?’
‘They know he has the power of the Church behind him.’
‘Exactly. So what I propose is that we threaten him with the power of the king.’
‘But you don’t have His Majesty’s backing.’
‘I have the backing of Lord Cromwell and that is the next best thing. If I go to Incent and confront him with what I know…’