‘I was warned your table talk could be controversial.’ I leaned across to her. ‘Lady Honor, I must talk with you—’
Her face was suddenly wary. ‘In the courtyard,’ she said quietly, ‘afterwards.’
Everyone jumped as a crack of thunder sounded from outside. A draught of cool air swept through the room. People murmured with relief and someone said, ‘Is this the rain at last?’
Lady Honor took the words as her cue and stood up with an air of relief. ‘It is a little early, but perhaps you should leave now, get on the road before the rain starts.’
People got up, brushing the backs of their robes and skirts where they had stuck to the benches. Everyone bowed as the duke rose to his feet, stumbling slightly. He bowed curtly to his hostess and strode unsteadily from the room.
As the guests went to take their farewell of Lady Honor I hung back. I saw Marchamount bend close to her and speak intently. As at Lincoln’s Inn, her reply did not seem to satisfy him; he was frowning slightly as he turned away. As he passed me he paused and raised his eyebrows.
‘Be careful, Shardlake,’ he said. ‘I could have had the duke as a friend for you, but you seem to court his disapproval. If the times change, that could have consequences.’ He gave me a cold nod, then left the chamber.
Consequences, I thought: if Norfolk supplanted Cromwell there would be grim consequences for all but the papists. And if I could not find Greek Fire the king would be in a rage. Was that what whoever was behind this wanted, a papist victory? Or only profit?
I made my way downstairs and stood outside in the courtyard by the door. There was another rumble of thunder, closer now. The evening air seemed to sing with the tension of it. No one else came out that way; I guessed they were taking a direct route to the stables. I wondered what it was that Norfolk wanted so much to get from Lady Honor. Something Marchamount knew about.
There was a touch at my elbow. I jumped and turned round. Lady Honor stood beside me. Her strong, square face had a hectic look, as well it might after the evening’s events.
‘I am sorry, Master Shardlake, I startled you.’
I bowed. ‘Not at all, Lady Honor.’
She sighed heavily. ‘That was a disaster. I have never seen the duke in such bad humour, I am sorry for the trouble he caused you.’ She shook her head. ‘It was my fault.’
‘Was it? Why?’
‘I should have got the servants to watch his glass,’ she said. She took a deep breath, then looked at me directly. ‘Well, you have some questions for me. Serjeant Marchamount has told me what happened to the Gristwoods,’ she added quietly.
‘He is a friend, the serjeant?’
‘A friend, ay,’ she said quickly. ‘I am afraid there is little I can tell you. Like Serjeant Marchamount I was only a messenger. I took a package to Lord Cromwell for the serjeant, passed a message that the contents would be of great interest to him. It was after one of my banquets, in circumstances rather like this.’ She smiled wryly. ‘That was all; further messages went via Lincoln’s Inn. I never even met Gristwood.’
Something about her speech was too pat. And now I was close to her, I realized with a shock that the scent she wore was the same musky odour the Greek Fire papers had had about them.
‘Did you know what the package was?’ I asked.
‘Papers relating to the old secret of Greek Fire. Serjeant Marchamount told me. I suppose he shouldn’t have done but he does like impressing me.’ She laughed nervously.
‘How long did you have the papers?’
‘A few days.’
‘And you looked at them?’
She paused and took a deep breath, her bosom rising.
‘I know you did,’ I said gently. I did not want to hear her lie.
She gave me a startled look. ‘How?’
‘Because that alluring scent you wear was on them. A faint trace - I could not place it till just now.’
She bit her lip. ‘I fear I have a woman’s curiosity in full share, Master Shardlake. Yes, I read them. I resealed the package afterwards.’
‘Did you understand them?’
‘All except the alchemy books. I understood enough to make me wish I’d left them alone.’ She looked at me directly then. ‘It was wrong, I know. But as I told you I am as curious as a cat.’ She shook her head. ‘But I know, too, when something is better left alone.’
‘This means that you are the only person who handled those papers to open them. Unless Marchamount did.’
‘Gabriel is too careful to do that.’
But he knew this was about Greek Fire. Had he told Norfolk? Was Norfolk pressing Lady Honor to tell him more? I felt my guts tighten at the thought Norfolk himself might be involved. Was that why he had remembered me?
‘Did you think the papers actually held the secret of Greek Fire?’ I asked her.
She hesitated, then looked me in the eye. ‘It seemed to me perhaps they did. The account of the old soldier was very clear. And those papers were old, they weren’t some forgery.’
‘One was torn.’