Heartstone

'Your friend Captain Leacon's archers were due to go on the Great Harry, but I spoke to West and arranged for them to go with him on the Mary Rose instead. So he can keep an eye on Emma Curteys for me. Then I came back here to see if you would follow her. She matters nothing to me, of course, she never did. Those corner boys I set to attack you failed to make themselves clear. For which they were punished.' His icy eyes stared into mine. 'The case you were meant to drop was not Hugh Curteys'. It was the other one my agent, Master Mylling of the Court of Wards, told me you had been enquiring about.'

'Ellen Fettiplace,' I said heavily. 'That is your connection to West. It was you with him at Rolfswood nineteen years ago.'

Rich leaned back in his chair again. His face was impassive now. 'So you know.'

'When I realized you had no connection to the Curteys case, I knew it had to be that.'

'Who else knows?' he asked abruptly.

'Barak,' I lied. 'And I have sent him back to London.'

Rich sat, considering. Then a voice called from outside, 'Sir?'

A spasm of annoyance crossed Rich's face. 'Come in, Colin,' he said heavily.

The door opened and a large, heavy-faced young man, the letters RR emblazoned on his tunic, entered with a taper. Rich gestured to the sconce, and the servant lit the candles, illuminating the tent with yellow light. 'What news?' Rich asked.

'The French have gone.'

'The soldiers will stay on board tonight?'

'Yes, sir. They must be ready to engage the French at first light if need be. Sir, a messenger came. The Privy Council is meeting in the King's tent in an hour.'

'God's death,' Rich snapped, 'why didn't you tell me immediately you came in?'

The man reddened. 'I—'

'Messages from the Privy Council must be conveyed at once—how many times have I told you? Get out,' Rich snapped. 'But stay near enough to hear if I ring my bell for you.'

'Yes sir.' He bowed and left. Rich shook his head. 'Peel is a dolt,' he said, 'but it can be useful sometimes to have people around who understand little, and who fear you.' He composed his features into that superior, contemptuous smile again. I saw it cost him an effort.

'Now, Brother Shardlake, let me tell you what I propose. A letter from me to Philip West will get you on the Mary Rose. Then you can tell your friend Leacon that the boy he recruited today is a girl, and bring her back. My servant will get a boat to row you there and back. In return, you will say nothing to anybody about what happened at Rolfswood nineteen years ago. It is Philip West, by the way, who has been paying Ellen Fettiplace's fees at the Bedlam all these years.'

'I guessed that.'

'You can take over responsibility for payment yourself if you like, I don't care.'

'You have left her safe all this time? If she had ever talked about the rape—'

'She never knew my name. And West has always threatened to tell the whole story if anything happened to her.' Rich's eye twitched again and he blinked angrily. 'Well, Brother Shardlake, what do you say? There will likely be a battle tomorrow, next day at the latest.'

'I need to know the whole story,' I answered steadily. I needed time to think, too.

'Do we really have to go into that?' he snapped impatiently.

'I do,' I answered. 'West's mother told me of the letter he carried from the King to Anne Boleyn that day.'

'He told me she had. Stupid old mare.'

'And I want to know what happened at that foundry.' I needed to know if Ellen had played any part in the deaths of her father and Gratwyck.

Rich's eyes narrowed.

'You must have been near thirty then,' I said. 'Much older than West. From what he said it was only a junior official that accompanied him.'

'I was junior then. Despite my striving, despite my attempts to get the patronage of Thomas More, I had advanced only to a lowly position working for the King's chamberlain.' He smiled, an odd smile. 'Do you believe in fortune, Master Shardlake? Fate?'

'No.'

'I like to gamble. The world is like the cards. You wait for a run of luck, then when you have it you use your skill to increase it. What happened with that letter began the run of luck that has led me on to the Privy Council.'

'How did you know what it contained?'