‘He is dead, my lady, shot as a deserter by a provost marshal named Pinkney, who claims to be responsible only to the Lord Lieutenant. His lordship your husband is, of course, Lord Lieutenant of this county.’
The countess was clearly shocked. Her fair skin blanched to a deathly pallor. ‘Father Lamb is dead?’
Shakespeare nodded, noting the title. He had not mentioned that the dead man was a priest. ‘He died with a plea on his lips – a plea that I should save his lordship, though he did not specify what I should save him from.’
Her hand went to her slender throat. ‘Mr Shakespeare, if you are trying to frighten me yet more, I confess you are succeeding …’
‘Would I be correct in thinking that you knew Father Lamb rather better than you have acknowledged?’
‘What are you trying to say?’
‘It has long been rumoured that my lord of Derby is of the old faith.’
Suddenly her manner changed. ‘I ask again – are you sent here to spy on my lord of Derby? Shame on you, Mr Shakespeare!’
He shook his head. ‘That is not why I am here. However, I am worried that I may have walked into something of great moment and I would be neglecting my duty if I ignored it.’
‘Tittle-tattle. Assume nothing, Mr Shakespeare,’ she said, almost spitting the words. ‘Assumptions are dangerous, as neighbour Hesketh discovered at the cost of his head.’
‘I apologise if I offended you, my lady. In fact, I am here to see Dr Dee, whom I gather is your guest, that is all, and to request your assistance in protecting him. It is feared he may be in some peril, which I shall explain to you.’
The countess’s face softened again. ‘Forgive me, Mr Shakespeare, I quite understand your concern on our behalf. But I would beg you to understand that these are trying times for our family. We are crossed at court and crossed in this county. My lord has enemies – powerful enemies – who would happily see his head on the block. Our complaints go unanswered. Even my husband’s rightful request to be honoured as Chamberlain of Chester is ignored. He is snubbed. In his place, they choose the upstart Egerton, who was once our attendant. I do sometimes think he would take on our whole life if it were in his power.’ She sighed heavily. ‘And yet that is not the worst of it, Mr Shakespeare. For that you must look to Richard Hesketh’s own brother, the attorney Thomas Hesketh, who speaks so ill of us that I doubt we have a friend left in the county. And you must know that this Thomas Hesketh is so close-coupled with Sir Thomas Heneage that a blade of grass would not pass between them.’
Shakespeare frowned. What was she intimating? Never had he heard a bad word said of Heneage. Everyone liked him. And yet there seemed to be some ill-will here. Perhaps Heneage had not been the earl’s preferred choice to succeed Walsingham as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He would delve no further. For the present.
He bowed. ‘I am sorry these days have been so hard for you.’
She waved her hand. ‘I had not meant to concern you with our worries. Please, Mr Shakespeare, tell me exactly what it is you require from me in the matter of Dr Dee. I shall do my best to provide every assistance.’
‘I would ask for your two stoutest guardsmen. Dr Dee needs a permanent escort. I am charged by Sir Robert to bring him to Kent as soon as arrangements can be made and your guardsmen will need to come away with us for protection.’
‘Is he not safe here? I would hate to think that a guest of ours was in some danger.’
‘He has knowledge that our enemies would dearly love to obtain. No disrespect is meant to you or his lordship, but it is felt by Sir Robert that he could be more easily protected elsewhere.’
‘Well, then consider it arranged. You shall have your guards, for you must know that we would do anything to help Sir Robert Cecil.’
Was there an edge of disrespect as she spoke of Cecil? An edge of fear, perhaps?
‘Thank you, my lady,’ he said. ‘And the other matter? Might I be permitted to see your husband? I will not tax him if he finds my presence troubling.’
‘I will talk with his physicians. In the meantime, I will have Cole take you to Dr Dee in his quarters. And please tell Sir Robert how eager we were to cooperate and assist in every way possible. I greatly desire to retain his love and trust, as does my husband.’
Janus Trayne lay back on the narrow bed. Walter Weld looked down at him with scorn, then cracked the side of his head with a riding crop.
Trayne recoiled from the blow, but knew better than to cry out.
‘Anyone could have seen you come here, you dog’s pizzle.’
‘No one saw me, Mr Weld, I promise you.’
Weld hit him again. ‘I should kill you here and now, Trayne. What use are you to me? You were hired to bring me the perspective glass. Instead you bring me a worthless right arm, blood-stained apparel and a tale of woe. Worse, you jeopardise everything by coming here. How do you know you weren’t followed?’
‘Please, Mr Weld, I got clean away. And I will find it. I will bring the instrument to you. I pledge it. I can find where it has been taken.’
Weld twitched his crop but did not hit Trayne again. Instead he flicked the leather tip at his wounded arm. ‘How bad is it?’
‘Bad enough. I need a little time for it to mend. Two days, three perhaps.’
‘You can hold a pistol with your left hand, can’t you?’
‘Yes, I could do that.’
‘Good. Then we shall do our work here in Lancashire, for the prize we seek has fallen into our path.’
Chapter 7
AT THE AGE of sixty-seven, John Dee was still a man of impressive bearing. His hand emerged from the wide, open sleeve of his richly embroidered artist’s gown and clasped Shakespeare’s right hand in a firm grip.
‘Mr Shakespeare, I am pleased to meet you.’
‘And I am glad to find you well, Dr Dee.’
The room was large with two leaded windows looking out across the battlements to the park and furnished with a table and stool, and a wooden crate of books. On the table Dr Dee had quills, ink, a crystal stone and a volume in which he had been writing when Cole brought in Shakespeare.
As Cole departed, Shakespeare began to explain his presence to Dr Dee and of Cecil’s fears for his safety.
Dee looked puzzled. ‘I cannot imagine anyone would wish me harm. I am but a poor sciencer. More than poor – impoverished.’
‘And a deviser of engines.’ Shakespeare lowered his voice. ‘In particular, the perspective glass.’
Dee smiled. Above his long beard, his eyes shone and creased into the handsome face of his distant youth. ‘Ah, my spying glass. So that is what this is about. Do they wish me to make another? I would require a great deal of money.’
‘No, but Sir Robert is concerned that the one you have made is in peril. You must know that it is in the keeping of a man known as the Eye. There has been an attempt on his life.’
Dee’s smile vanished. ‘By God’s heavenly angels, what happened, sir?’
Shakespeare told him of the events in Portsmouth.
‘This has made Sir Robert most anxious about your own safety. He fears that our enemies might try to abduct you or your collaborator Mr Digges and somehow attempt to coerce the secret from you.’
‘Mr Shakespeare, you do me a disservice! I would never reveal the secrets of this realm to a foreign power.’
‘I am pleased to hear that, Dr Dee. But you can surely understand why Sir Robert is concerned to look out for your welfare.’
‘Yes, Mr Shakespeare, I suppose I do. But how do you propose to protect me? Surely, I am safe here at Lathom House?’
‘I am to take you to the home of Mr Digges at Chevening in Kent. There you will be assigned to the keeping of my associate Francis Mills and his men. In the meantime, until we are there, you will have two men with you at all times. They will sleep outside your chamber and accompany you wherever you go. I will be billeted here, with you, inside this room.’