The Traitor’s Mark (37 page)

‘I'm afraid he's already thought of that,' Morice explained. ‘I have had three long sessions with him and he is not prepared to trust us. He says, “When you've got your man, what is to stop you going back on your word and delivering me to the hangman?” What he is asking is that he accompanies us when we go to arrest Brooke and that, as soon as he has pointed Brooke out to us, we let him go.'

‘In that case,' I said, ‘you should wash your hands of him. I've been close enough to this rogue to recognise the smell of trickery.'

In the silence that followed there was much exchanging of glances round the table. Eventually, Cranmer said, ‘Master Treviot, thank you for your help. We are much indebted to you.' I was dismissed.

I had no chance for a private word with Bart before dinner, which we again took in the hall. Then, as soon as we rose from the table, I saw Morice leave his place at the archbishop's side and stride down the hall towards us. Outside in the courtyard he shook my hand.

‘Thank you, Thomas. Your contribution was invaluable.'

‘Did you manage to reach a decision?' I asked. ‘There seemed to be a marked difference of opinion among you.'

‘Yes. It wasn't easy, but I think we got there in the end. I need to explain it to you.' He glanced meaningfully at Bart and only continued after I had sent him to fetch the horses. ‘There are two things I must tell you. The first is that, after much debate, and not without some reluctance, we have resolved to accept Walden's offer to lead us to Brooke.'

‘You know my opinion on that.'

‘Indeed, but the court party has a different perspective. Hertford and Denny were adamant that we must grasp every opportunity to lay our hands on Brooke.'

‘Then I wish you every success. What was the other thing you had to tell me?'

‘That is more difficult, and I hope you will not take it amiss. Believe me, I did stress – very strongly – that you had already done much more than we had a right to expect of you.'

I stared at his care-furrowed face. ‘I imagine I'm not going to like this.'

He nodded. ‘I fear not. It was just that you have had such close dealings with Black Harry.'

‘Go on.'

‘They're asking you to come with us when we go to apprehend Brooke in case he tries any more trickery.'

‘Asking?' I said.

Morice avoided my gaze. ‘You know what I mean.'

‘And when will this take place?'

‘That is yet to be determined. Now the decision has been made I must go back for more talks with the prisoner.'

‘God's blood! What have we come to when high policy is made by one of the foulest villains ever to be lodged in an English jail?'

‘Nevertheless ...' Morice shrugged. ‘I am told to request you to remain at Hemmings while we complete our plans. When the time comes we will despatch a fast courier to summon you.'

‘Well, I will not be at Hemmings for a couple of days,' I said brusquely. ‘I have a vital engagement elsewhere.'

As soon as Bart reappeared with the horses I bade Morice a brief farewell, mounted and led the way down the long drive.

When we turned on to the highway, Bart said, ‘Master Thomas, we are going the wrong way. This is the London road.'

I unfastened my purse and took from it Black Harry's confession. Without a word, I handed it to him to read.

Chapter 29

Bart must have read the brief confession three or four times. So intent was he that he was almost unseated when his horse stumbled in a pothole. At last he held the paper to his lips and kissed it.

‘Where did this come from?' he asked.

‘Friends in high places.'

‘Thank you, Master Thomas, thank you. I don't know how you did it, but thank you.'

‘You'd better give it to me for safe keeping,' I said. ‘Did Lizzie not say anything about how I might come by it?'

He returned the confession, with a last, lingering look. ‘Lizzie? No. What does she know of it?'

‘Nothing,' I lied, as I carefully folded it and replaced it in my purse. ‘I simply mentioned that I was going to try to get
Black Harry to write this without any more delay. I told her not to raise your hopes, just in case.'

‘Is that why we're heading for London?' he asked.

‘I thought you'd want to deliver this to the magistrate without delay.'

‘Most certainly.' Bart uttered a long sigh. ‘No more hiding!'

‘It's been a long time. I'm delighted it's all over.'

‘Not quite
all
over, is it, Master Thomas?'

‘What do you mean?'

‘Well, that meeting back there at the palace. All those important people. There's something big in the air, isn't there?'

‘I'm not in a position to say. I've been sworn to secrecy.'

‘Ah, then it
is
something big. Everyone I spoke to was guessing about it; Some reckoned they knew what was afoot.'

‘Oh, and what did these well-informed experts say?'

‘There's much talk of plots and conspiracies.'

‘What sort of plots and conspiracies?'

‘Some say the pope and the Emperor want to drag England into war with France and some of the king's council want a league with the Lutheran princes to prevent it. There's murmuring about a revolt of the bishops against religious change. I even heard someone claim he had it on good authority that the Earl of Hertford was planning to
depose the king and take over the government in the name of Prince Edward, his nephew.'

‘Well,' I responded, ‘I'm happy to tell you that you can ignore all those alarming ideas. They say more about common fears and anxieties than about the real state of political affairs.'

‘But there must be some reason for all these bishops and councillors and courtiers meeting in secret well away from the royal court.'

‘There are certainly matters of concern that some of his majesty's closest advisers want to discuss.'

‘Why weren't the Duke of Norfolk and the Bishop of Winchester at the meeting? Is there a plot against them?'

I laughed. ‘Oh, Bart, you do love intrigues! Cranmer is an archbishop, not an arch-rebel. And if such revolutionary ideas were being discussed at Croydon Palace, I certainly would not have been invited to share in them.'

Bart was obviously not convinced. ‘Well,' he said, ‘something's going on – or, if it isn't, people think it is, and that's just as bad.'

With that I could not disagree.

We rode straight through the City to Aldgate and asked our way to the house of James Corridge, the magistrate.

‘'Ere, I know you! Stop! Hold, I say!' We had almost reached our destination, when a bulky figure lurched out of a doorway and stood in our path. Constable Pett.

‘You've led me a merry dance, Bart Miller. Come now to
give yourself up, have you?' He took hold of the bridle of Bart's horse.

‘Unhand my mare,' Bart shouted, ‘or you'll feel my whipstock across your face.'

Pett leered up at him, ‘Oh, no, my fine fellow. You'll not get out of my clutches a second time.'

Bart raised his crop and I said hurriedly, ‘If I were you, I'd do as he says. We are peacefully on our way to the coroner's house with a confession.'

Pett released his grip. ‘Brought him to his senses have you, Master? Well, it's not before time. Hand me the confession.'

‘Get out of the way, oaf,' I said. ‘Our business is with Master Corridge and no one else.'

Pett grunted. ‘Follow me, then, but if there's any trickery ...'

I spurred my gelding into a trot and the fat constable had to run to keep up. When we reached the house he knocked loudly as Bart and I dismounted. To the servant who opened the door he said, ‘Tell your master I've brought in the murderer, Miller.'

The magistrate received us in the small room he used as his office. ‘Master Treviot, I'm right glad to see you again. Is it true what the constable says; have you brought your man to confess the crime of murder?'

‘I very much doubt whether Constable Pett can ever be relied on to speak the truth,' I said. ‘Here is a document
that will explain all.' I handed him Black Harry's confession.

Corridge read it with raised eyebrows. ‘This certainly changes things, Master Treviot. May I ask how you came by this confession?'

‘It was written in the Archbishop of Canterbury's jail and passed on to me by his grace himself. The assassin now awaits his trial for several crimes in the court of King's Bench, which, as I'm sure you know, will be in session at St Albans in a couple of weeks' time.'

‘Then the matter is out of my hands,' Corridge said, ‘and I'm not sorry for it.'

Pett thrust himself forward. ‘What's all this, then? What knavery is here, Master Corridge?'

The magistrate scowled at him. ‘Only the knavery you bring with you! Had you done your job and set up the hue and cry when the crime was committed we might have apprehended the real murderer long since.'

‘Aye,' I added, ‘and prevented other killings, too.' To Corridge I said, ‘'Tis not for me to tell you your business but in my opinion your ward is ill served by this bragging tosspot. I have evidence that he abuses his office. If you choose to look into his conduct I will happily fell you what I know.'

Pett mumbled and muttered his protest but no one was listening.

Corridge said, ‘I am obliged to you, Master Treviot. I have
purposed for some time to set in hand just such an investigation. If I need any information I will certainly call upon you.'

‘Please do. Now, before I go, may I ask you to make a copy of this confession for your records? We will need to keep the original in case it is required in a higher court.'

‘Of course. I will do it myself. Unfortunately, I have recently lost my clerk to the pestilence.'

When he had written a duplicate and I had endorsed it, Bart and I took our leave. As we closed the door behind us, we heard the sound of angry raised voices within.

We spent the night at Goldsmith's Row and set off back to Hemmings the next morning.

A heartening sight met us as we entered the hall. Lizzie was seated by the fire busily knitting and Adie squatted close by, sewing a patch on one of the children's items of clothing. But what was a relief to see was that the women were chatting and laughing together.

‘What is amusing you two?' I asked as I warmed my hands at the heat from the burning logs.

‘Women talk,' Lizzie replied. ‘You're excluded.'

‘That's a pity,' I said. ‘We have news that might be of interest to you.'

‘Really? And what's that?'

‘Bart has something to show you.'

Without a word, Lizzie's husband handed her Black
Harry's confession. She read it through quickly, then jumped up from her stool, letting wool and needles fall to the floor. She threw her arms round Bart and the two hugged ecstatically.

After several moments Lizzie disentangled herself. ‘Come upstairs and tell me all about it and I'll give you a better welcome,' she said to her husband.

When they had left I took my place on Lizzie's stool.

‘What was all that about?' Adie asked.

I explained how Morice had extracted a confession from Black Harry.

‘What marvellous news,' she responded. ‘It is good to see them so happy.'

‘And 'tis good to hear you laughing,' I said. ‘How are you now?'

Immediately, the old pensive look returned. ‘I thank you, Master Thomas. I think I am as well as I can be.'

‘A strange answer. Come walk with me and explain it more fully.'

We linked arms and I led her out on to the lawn.

‘I should not loiter long,' she said. ‘The boys will be back from their lessons soon.'

‘Then they will have to wait. I want to assure myself that you are fully recovered and that we shall have no more jumping into streams.'

She lowered her head. ‘I've caused everyone a lot of trouble.'

‘No trouble that we have not gladly accepted.'

‘You are all so good to me. I haven't known such care since ...'

‘Since your parents died?'

She nodded.

‘We've all known loss – mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives, close friends. Why, even Ned – or perhaps I should say, especially Ned – has known heartbreak.' I told her briefly about Ned and Jed and their close relationship. ‘The poor man lost, first of all, his secure and meaningful life in the abbey, then the one person who meant everything to him. But, when you look at him, do you see a picture of brooding sadness?'

‘No.'

‘No. That's because he looks forward. He once told me that life is like a book with many chapters. As one closes, another opens. We are, of course, free to simply turn back the pages, trying to relive the earlier chapters, but the new ones have their own delights and fascinations and we should start on them fearlessly.'

We were approaching the bridge. Adie's steps became slower but I urged her forward. ‘I found that a very hard lesson to learn. When my Jane died I had no interest in turning the pages of my life. I could not think that I would find anything written there that could be of interest to me. For over a year I cared not whether I lived or died.'

‘What happened to change you?'

‘Someone else turned the page for me. But that's a long story.'

We had reached the bridge and I deliberately stopped. As we leaned against the parapet, I said, ‘This is solemn talk. Tell me what you and Lizzie were laughing about when Bart and I arrived.'

‘I was asking her about her earlier life.'

‘In the brothel?'

‘Yes. She has so many funny stories to tell about it. I imagined it must have been a terrible time but she didn't let it affect her. She's an amazing woman.'

‘Life in the Stews was hard. It still is for women locked into that existence. Fortunately for Lizzie, Bart came along and she found ...'