Heartstone

'We have won only the right to investigate,' I cautioned.

'But you will find the truth, I know. These people who gather wardships. Men without conscience who flatter themselves with heaping riches upon riches, honours upon honours, forgetting God—'

'Indeed.' I looked at the court door, wondering why Paulet had called Dyrick back. Bess came up to me. She was pale. 'May I sit down?' she asked.

'Of course. Come.'

I sat her down on the bench. 'So Michael has obtained his wish,' she said quietly. 'An enquiry.'

'Be sure I shall question everyone in Hampshire closely.' I glanced at Barak, who was leaning against the wall, looking thoughtful. Next to him Feaveryear swept his lock of lank hair from his forehead. He still looked pleased at the prospect of the journey.

Bess sighed heavily. 'Thank you for all you have done, sir.' She looked at me. Then she reached round to the back of her neck and unclipped something. She opened her hand and showed me a small, beautifully worked gold crucifix. She laid it on the bench between us. I looked at the delicately crafted figure. There was even a tiny crown of thorns.

Bess spoke quietly. 'This was found with Michael when he died. It was Emma's, given her by her grandmother. The child wore it in the old woman's memory. After Emma died and Michael was dismissed he asked Mistress Hobbey if he could have some remembrance of Emma. She gave him that, with an impatient gesture, Michael said. He kept it with him always. Would you take it, and give it to the boy Hugh? I am sure Michael would wish him to have it now.'

'I will, of course,' I said. I picked it up.

'I pray you get the poor boy out of the hands of that wicked family.' Bess sighed. 'You know, in the weeks before he died my son had taken up his archery again. I think if he had lived he would have gone to the militia.'

'Did he fear being called up?'

She frowned. 'No, sir, he wanted to play his part in repelling the French. He was a good and honourable man.'

Reverend Broughton touched her arm. 'Come, good madam, I would be out of this place. May I accompany you home?' Bess allowed Broughton to lead her away. In the doorway she turned briefly, smiled at Barak and me and was gone.

* * *

THE COURT DOOR opened, and Dyrick strode towards me. He looked in a cold fume.

'Well, Master Shardlake, it seems we must go to Hampshire.'

'It does.'

'Are you up to such a journey?' he asked with a hint of a sneer.

'Once I rode to York on a case.'

'I was hoping to spend these next weeks with my wife and children. I have two girls and a boy; during the law term I do not see nearly enough of them. Now I must tell them I have to disappear to Hampshire.'

'We will not be long away. Three or four days there and three or four back if we make haste, a few days in between.'

'You have no family, I think, sir? It is easier for you.' Dyrick leaned close to me and spoke quietly, fierce eyes on mine. 'I know why Sir William has done this. Normally he would throw such a tissue of unsubstantiated allegations out at once.'

'Perhaps he wished to do justice.'

'Just now he told me that Mistress Calfhill was for many years the servant of Lady Latimer, as she then was.'

'Even the servant of a Queen may seek justice, I think.'

'This is not justice. It is pestering, persecution.'

'Everyone in Hampshire will get a fair hearing.'

'Sir William told me that while the Queen may press for an investigation she cannot determine the outcome. The help she can give you stops here.' His voice rasped like a file.

I met his angry stare. 'We should consider the practicalities of our journey,' I said.

'I want to leave as soon as we can. The sooner we start, the sooner we return. And it will take more than three or four days to get there. The roads will be muddy after the storms, and there will be soldiers and supply carts on the roads south.'

I caught Barak's eye. 'I agree. What about the day after tomorrow?'

Dyrick looked surprised by my ready agreement. I continued, 'I suggest we take a boat as far as Kingston, that would be the quickest way, then hire strong riding horses so we can make the journey as fast as possible.'

'Very well. I will send Feaveryear down today to hire the horses.' He turned to the clerk. 'Can you do that?'

'Yes, sir.'

'That sounds sensible,' I said. 'But horses will be difficult to hire just now. There will be much demand for them.'

'Then we must pay above the normal rate.'

I hesitated. If we found nothing all those costs would be paid by Bess. Or, rather, by the Queen. But my horse Genesis was only used to short rides and this would be a long one. I had ridden him to York four years before, but that was by slow stages and he was younger then. I nodded agreement.

'Will you bring a bodyservant as well as your clerk?' Dyrick asked.

'Probably.' I was thinking about the man Warner had promised me.

'I will not. Feaveryear can do my fetching and carrying. We should travel as light as we can to make speed. I must send a letter by a fast rider to Master Hobbey, so at least he has some advance warning of this nonsense. I suggest we meet in Kingston on Wednesday. As early as possible—I will send you a note.'

'We agree on the practicalities, then,' I said, trying to lighten the discussion. After all, I would be stuck with Dyrick for well over a week.

He leaned in close again. 'Be assured, you will find nothing. And when we come before the court next month I will make you regret this nonsense. That is, unless the French land and we find ourselves cut off in a battle zone.' He sighed deeply, then looked at me. 'You could still pull out. Go after your client and advise her she will be bankrupted, which she will. Unless I find evidence the case is being maintained by the Queen, in which case Mistress Calfhill could find herself in prison.'

I met his gaze. I knew he was bluffing, he would never dare bring the Queen into this. He gave me a final vicious look and turned away. 'Come on, you,' he said to Feaveryear.

Barak and I were left alone in the vestibule. 'Now,' I said, 'come. There are things we must discuss.'

Chapter Eleven

I TOOK BARAK to a tavern. 'That was a clever idea,' he said, 'getting my name on the order. But will it override Goodryke's orders?' The hand that held his mug was trembling slightly.

'Yes. It is an order of the court, instructing you personally to accompany me. Sir William Paulet has more power than any whiffler. Go back to Wards this afternoon and fetch the signed order, then take it round to Carver at the Guildhall. He can show it to Goodryke. And the day after tomorrow we will be gone.'

'Goodryke will know what you've done.'

'He won't be able to do anything about it. Paulet himself will be gone to Portsmouth and the clerks at Wards won't be interested.' I smiled bitterly. 'There's no money in it.'

'Did the idea just come to you in court?'

'Yes. Thank God Dyrick did not object.' I looked serious. 'I know I didn't want you to come, but it seems the only way to keep you safe. I'll tell Warner I don't need a clerk now, though a stout bodyservant would still be useful.'

Barak looked at me. 'Tamasin knows nothing about the attack on you, that warning from those apprentices.'

'Then don't tell her. I'm less worried for my own safety than I was. Dyrick knows I have the Queen's patronage, and I have no doubt he will tell Hobbey when he writes. If the danger came from them, they're not going to risk trouble from that quarter. Though I am less and less sure they set those boys on me. Dyrick is a nasty piece of work, but I don't think he'd do something that could cause him trouble at the Bar.'