Lady Honor guided Mayor Hollyes to a place next to the Vaughan boy, then sat herself almost opposite me. The boy’s eyes followed her anxiously.
‘Now,’ Lady Honor said to the company, ‘the wine and our first confection.’ She clapped her hands and the servants, who had been waiting still as stocks, bustled into action. Wine was set before the guests, in delicate Venetian glasses finely engraved with coloured patterns. I turned mine over in my hands, admiring it, then the horn sounded again and a swan made of white sugar, nestling in a huge platter of sweet custard, was brought in. The assembly clapped and the duke barked with laughter. ‘All the Thames swans belong to the king, Lady Honor! Had you permission to take this one?’ Everyone laughed sycophantically and reached out with their knives to cut into the magnificent confection. Lady Honor sat composedly, yet her eyes followed everything that went on in the room. I admired her skills as a hostess, wondering when I would get the chance to question her.
‘Are you a lawyer, like Serjeant Marchamount?’ the woman next to me asked.
‘I am. Master Matthew Shardlake, at your command.’
‘I am Lady Mirfyn,’ she replied grandly. ‘My husband is treasurer of the Mercers’ Guild this year.’
‘I do some business with the Guildhall, though I have not had the honour of meeting Sir Michael.’
‘They say at the guild, you have some other business now.’ She eyed me severely with little blue eyes that stood out sharply in her painted face. ‘The disgraceful business of the Wentworth girl.’
‘I am defending her, yes.’
She went on staring at me. ‘Sir Edwin is devastated by what happened to his son. He deplores that his wicked niece should be allowed to delay justice. My husband and I know him well,’ she added, as though that were the last possible word on the matter.
‘She is entitled to a defence.’ I noticed the duke had turned to Marchamount and was talking to him earnestly, ignoring the Vaughan boy, who sat staring down the table, quite at sea. Thank God the duke had showed no sign of recognizing me.
‘She’s entitled to hang!’ Lady Mirfyn would not let go. ‘No wonder the City is crawling with impertinent masterless beggars when justice is seen to be evaded so! Edwin doted on that boy,’ she added fiercely.
‘I know it is hard on Sir Edwin and his daughters,’ I said mildly, hoping the woman would not go on like this all evening.
‘His daughters are good girls, but they cannot take the place of a son. He had laid all his hopes on the boy.’
‘But he has taught his girls to read scripture, has he not?’ I decided I might as well make the best of things: this opinionated woman knew the family, she might let something interesting drop.
Lady Mirfyn shrugged. ‘Edwin has advanced ideas. I don’t think it serves girls to teach them religion - their husbands won’t like arguing ideas with them, will they?’
‘Some might.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘I never even learned to write, and I’m glad to be able to leave such things to my husband. I’m sure that’s what Sabine and Avice would prefer too, good well-mannered girls that they are. Poor Ralph was a mischievous child, but that is to be expected in boys.’
‘Was he indeed?’ I asked.
‘They said his misbehaviour helped drive his mother to her early grave.’ She gave me a sharp look, suddenly realizing she had said too much. ‘That doesn’t excuse his vile murder, though.’
‘No, indeed. It does not.’ I was going to add that I believed the real murderer could still be at large, but Lady Mirfyn took my words for agreement, nodded with satisfaction and looked at Lady Honor.
‘Our hostess is a learned woman,’ she said with a note of disapproval. ‘But I suppose she has the status of a widow and may live independently if she chooses. It is not a fate I would wish for.’
I heard a loud whisper from Norfolk to Marchamount. ‘I’ll not take the boy up unless she agrees.’ I lowered my head, trying to catch the serjeant’s reply, but he spoke softly. ‘Damn it,’ the duke hissed, ‘she’ll do as I command.’
‘I fear she won’t.’ I heard Marchamount this time.
‘God’s death, I’ll not be defied by a woman. Tell her I’ll do nothing for the boy unless I get what I want. She’s skating on thin ice.’ I saw the duke take a long swig from his glass, then stare at Lady Honor. He was red-faced now and I remembered it was said he was often drunk and could turn brutal then.