Dark Fire (53 page)

W
E PARTED COMPANY
at the Walbrook. Barak went off to send a message to Cromwell, saying to my dismay that he would call to collect me in an hour at Lady
Honor’s. We should stay together, he said, if Toky was about. I could think of no objection, though that meant I could not go to Guy’s. Barak rode off and I went on to Blue Lion
Street.

At the House of Glass a couple of servants were washing the windows with vinegar. Informed that Lady Honor was at home, I passed Genesis to a stable boy and was ushered through the house to the
inner courtyard. A servant was watering the plants set in pots round the walls. Lady Honor sat on a bench watching him. She wore a blue dress and her blonde hair was uncovered today, tied in a bun
with a silk ribbon. She smiled in welcome.

‘Matthew. This is an unexpected visit.’

I bowed. ‘I apologize for coming unannounced. But—’

‘Official business?’

‘I fear so.’

She took a deep breath. ‘Come then, sit with me. Edward, that will do for now. Finish the watering this evening.’ The man bowed and left us. Lady Honor looked over her courtyard.
‘I fear my little bushes are dying in the heat. See there, I have been trying to grow pomegranates, but my foolish servants know nothing about the care of plants, they water them at the wrong
times, too much or too little.’

‘Everything is dying in this fierce weather. The crops will be bad.’

‘Will they?’ she asked indifferently. ‘But you have not come to talk of planting, I think.’

‘No. Lady Honor, I have a confession.’ I cursed my awkwardness. I should not be apologizing for questioning her, it was my duty. ‘I know about the Duke of Norfolk’s
pursuit of you,’ I said bluntly. ‘I needed to follow up the question you left me with on the river bank. I spoke to Marchamount.’

I half-expected anger but she only turned away and stared ahead for a moment. When she turned back to me her face wore a tired smile. ‘After we spoke on the river I feared you would report
me to Cromwell and I should be in trouble. Did you ask Marchamount first to save me from the earl’s rough ways?’

‘Perhaps.’

‘You are gentle with me, more than I deserve. I felt that if the duke’s insulting demands were forced out of me by Cromwell, my honour would be less besmirched. A foolish notion,
perhaps.’

‘I am sorry I could not save you from my knowing.’

‘At least you will not gossip like most would.’ She looked at me seriously. ‘Will you? It is a tasty morsel, I realize.’

‘You know I think too much of you for that, Lady Honor.’

She laid a hand on mine for a second, then lifted it, although I had the odd sensation it was still there. ‘You are a natural gentleman.’ She sighed. ‘I have sent Henry back to
the country. He could never make his way at court. So I have been able to reject the crude advances of that old brute with a clear conscience.’

‘I did not realize you disliked the duke so.’

‘He is unfit for the position he occupies. He may be the senior peer of the realm, but his lineage is not old, you know.’ She smiled. ‘Unlike the Vaughans.’

I took a deep breath. ‘Lady Honor, I must ask – for the last time, I promise – is there anything you have not told me that could be of any possible relevance, however remote,
to my search for the Gristwoods’ murderers?’

She looked at me impatiently. ‘Matthew, I swore that already on the Bible. If you recall, I made oath the duke had put no pressure on me about Greek Fire. And I swore true. He has never
mentioned it to me and Marchamount did so only to warn me against you. As I have said, I wish my foolish curiosity had never led me to look at those papers.’

I looked into her eyes. ‘I felt when Marchamount spoke about the duke and you this morning he was still keeping something back.’

She smiled again. ‘If he did, it is nothing to do with me, I swear. Shall I fetch the Bible again?’

I shook my head. ‘No. That is not necessary. Forgive me.’

She looked at me indulgently. ‘By Our Lady, you are a courteous inquisitor.’

‘Marchamount would not agree.’

‘That puffed-up creature.’ She looked over her wilting plants again. ‘He is a rogue despite his smoothness and he would do anything to advance himself.’ She gave a
shudder. ‘I told you I am thinking of escaping to the country, to my Lincolnshire estates. I have had enough of the City, of Marchamount and the duke and everyone.’ She smiled quickly.
‘Almost everyone.’

‘I would miss you. Though I have also been thinking of taking a quiet house in the country.’

She looked at me in surprise. ‘Would not the country bore you?’

‘I come from Lichfield – my father has the freehold of a farm there. Though he is old now, even his steward is not getting any younger. The farm is hard for them to manage.’ I
smiled sadly. ‘But I have never been fitted to be a farmer, nor wanted to be one.’

‘But he would like to have his son by him in his old age?’

‘I don’t know.’ I shrugged. ‘I always felt he was ashamed of me. Yet he seems pleased to see me when I visit, which I do not do enough.’

She was silent a moment, then asked quietly, ‘The Wentworth girl comes back before the judge this week, does she not?’

‘On Thursday the tenth. She is very ill and may not last till then.’

‘Poor Matthew. How you take the sufferings of others on yourself.’ She laid her hand on mine again and this time did not move it. I turned to her and she inclined her head towards
me. Then she jerked away as footsteps sounded in the yard. I turned to see Barak standing with the steward, cap in hand. The steward’s face was impassive but Barak was grinning broadly.

‘Come at a bad time, have I?’ he asked.

Lady Honor stood, her face dark with anger. ‘Matthew, do you know this fellow?’

I rose too. ‘This is Jack Barak,’ I said hastily. ‘He is assisting me. He works for Lord Cromwell.’

‘Then the earl should teach him some manners.’ She rounded on him. ‘How dare you burst in on us like this? Do you not know how to comport yourself in a lady’s
house?’

Barak reddened too, his eyes angry. ‘I have a message for Master Shardlake from Lord Cromwell.’

‘Have you never been told to bow to a lady? And what is the matter with your head? Do you have nits? You had better not spread them in my house.’ She spoke with a harshness I had
never heard from her, but Barak had been extremely discourteous.

‘I am sorry, Lady Honor,’ I said quickly. ‘Perhaps we should withdraw.’ I took a step away, then gasped as my head swam. My legs seemed suddenly heavy and I half-fell,
half-sat on the bench again. Lady Honor’s face was at once full of concern.

‘Matthew, what is it?’

I struggled up, though my head still swam. ‘I am sorry – the heat—’

‘Come inside,’ she said. ‘You,’ she snapped at Barak, ‘help your master. This is your fault.’

Barak gave her a hard look but put my arm round his shoulder and helped me into the parlour, then sat me on a pile of cushions. Lady Honor waved him away. He gave her another look, but left the
room.

‘I am sorry. A moment’s weakness—’ I struggled to get up. What a fool I must look. Damn Barak, if he had not come then—

Lady Honor stepped to a cabinet. I heard her pour some liquid into a glass. She crossed and knelt beside me, smiling gently. ‘I have some aqua vitae here, my apothecary prescribes it for
faintness.’

‘Aqua vitae?’ I laughed as I took the delicate little glass she gave me.

‘You have heard of it?’

‘Oh, yes.’ I took a cautious sip of the colourless liquid. It burned, but far less than the Polish stuff. It seemed to reawaken me. ‘Thank you,’ I said.

She looked at me thoughtfully. ‘I think you have had much to try you, it has brought you low. Who is that creature?’

‘Lord Cromwell has set him to work with me on the Greek Fire matter. He lacks grace, I fear.’ I stood up, ashamed at my weakness. ‘Lady Honor, I must go. If Barak has a message
from the earl I must attend to it.’

‘Come again soon,’ she said, ‘to dinner. Just the two of us. No Marchamount, no duke, no Barak.’ She smiled.

‘I should like that, Lady Honor.’

‘Honor will do.’

We stood facing each other a moment. I was tempted to lean forward and kiss her, but I merely bowed and left the room. Outside I cursed myself for my cowardice.

Barak was standing glowering in the hall. I led the way out and we stood waiting while the horses were brought round.

‘What was the message?’ I asked curtly.

‘He’s brought the meeting forward, to eleven o’clock.’

‘Was that all? It could have waited.’

‘A message from the earl could have waited? I think not. What did Lady Honor tell you, by the way?’

‘She confirmed the Duke of Norfolk has sought her for his mistress; she didn’t want to talk about it, felt it would have been less dishonourable to her if the information was forced
from her by Cromwell.’

He grunted. ‘It wasted our time.’

‘It was fealty to her family.’

‘You are sure she knows no more?’

‘She knows nothing more than what she has told me before. I am convinced of that now.’

‘Rude woman,’ he said.

‘God’s death,’ I snapped, ‘you
are
a churl. You enjoy mocking your betters, don’t you? Refinement seems a crime in your eyes.’

‘She’s got haughty ways and a vile tongue,’ Barak said, ‘like all her class. People like her grow rich on the sweat of those who toil on their lands. Put her out to fend
for herself and she wouldn’t last a week.’ He smiled bitterly. ‘They use honeyed words when it suits them, but see how they address their inferiors and you divine their true
natures.’

‘Oh, you are a bitter man, Jack Barak,’ I said. ‘Your time in the gutter has soured you like an old apple. She has more care for the people around her than you do.’

‘And you?’ he asked unexpectedly. ‘Do you have a care for your servants?’

I laughed. ‘You are hardly a servant. If you were I should have put you out long ago.’

‘I did not mean me. I mean your clerk John Skelly. Has it never occurred to you why his copying is so bad, why he works with a candle?’

‘What on earth do you mean?’

‘The man is half blind.’

‘What?’

‘He can hardly see. I noticed it the first time I saw him. He’s afraid to say anything lest you put him on the street. But you didn’t notice, did you? Neither you nor your holy
friend, Brother Wheelwright.’

I stared at him, realizing that if Skelly could not see properly that would explain all his inefficiencies. ‘I – I did not think—’

‘No. He was beneath notice,’ Barak replied bitterly. He jammed his cap back on his head as a boy appeared, leading the horses. ‘Well, where to now?’ he said. ‘Did
the fine lady tell you anything new?’

‘No. Whatever Marchamount is hiding, I think perhaps it is now time to leave the earl to pressure him.’

Barak grunted. ‘You’re seeing sense at last.’

W
HEN WE REACHED HOME
I felt faint again as I dismounted. I almost fell down in the yard. I leaned against the horse, taking
deep breaths. Barak looked at me.

‘You all right?’

‘Yes,’ I replied curtly. ‘But I think I’ll lie down for a while.’

‘What about Marchamount? Shall I send word to the earl, get him brought in for questioning?’

‘Yes. But to Cromwell’s house, not the Tower. Being ordered there should be enough to make him talk and it will keep the matter privy.’

He nodded. ‘I’ll ride on to Whitehall, then. I’ll be back later. Don’t go out till I return, it may not be safe.’

I nodded and went indoors to ask Joan to get me some bread and cheese and a jug of beer. I took them up to my room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I put my hand on my brow and was relieved to
find no sign of fever. My faintness must have been due to the strain of the last two weeks, coupled with constant chasing across London in this endless, burning heat. I would not let infirmity make
a victim of me. Four more days and everything would be settled one way or another. And then – then I would see Lady Honor again, and next time I would not play the coward. All the questions
surrounding her had been answered, yet still she wanted to know me. I had felt it, more strongly than ever on the bench; she cared for me as I did for her. Curse Barak for his interruption.

My burnt arm was stinging. I removed the bandage and applied some of Guy’s oil to the red, puckered skin, shuddering as I remembered the flame licking at it.
The kiss of fire so light
and agonizing.
I bound my arm up again and lay back on the bed.

I fell asleep at once and again slept for several hours, this time without dreams. I woke to find the air mercifully cooler, long shadows stealing across the garden. My head felt clearer and I
lay thinking about what Barak had said about John Skelly, how it made sense. I had been angry with Skelly because I thought him careless, unworthy of the kindness I had shown him, while all the
time – I thought of his tired red eyes looking up at me, and shook my head.

It occurred to me that perhaps his problem could be solved with spectacles. More and more people wore them, the king himself it was said. I could buy him a pair. I nodded happily at the thought
of telling Barak that. Then I frowned. Why should I tell him anything? What did his good opinion matter to me? With luck our association would soon be over and I should have no more of his brutal
crudity or inconstant moods. I smiled at the memory of how Lady Honor had spoken to him: few people could have put Barak in his place, yet she had.

His place. My conscience assailed me again as I remembered saying that if he worked for me I would have sacked him. Yet then I should have lost a man of brains and courage, for all his
impudence, a man who had saved my life. And whom I needed to go down the Wentworths’ well tonight.

I heaved myself up and descended the stairs. I found Barak in the kitchen, washing the chain that held his mezuzah with vinegar. The little gold tablet itself lay on the kitchen table. He gave
me a sharp look; he was still angry with me.

‘Where’s Joan?’ I asked.