A Queen's Spy, - [best books under 200 pages .txt] 📗

five horses, two pigs, and of fodder for the feeding of stock.

“But this is…” her voice trailed off as she looked up and stared with instant recognition into the slate grey eyes under the hood. Fitzwarren! There was a moment’s silence before she continued, stepping back from him. “Yes, you are right, there has been an error. It will take me but a moment to calculate this right, and I will send you back with a note for your master. Come, follow me and bring that bill with you,” Kate said, and led him from the kitchen, and the watchful eyes of Frederick and Alice, into her temporary office. Once behind the closed door Richard pushed the hood back from his head and bowed, smiling, at Kate.

“Elizabeth told me you’d visited her,” Kate said roughly.

“Only with the best intentions,” Richard said. “You still cannot trust me—can you, Kate? Do you still blame me?”

“No, it was not your blame to take, Richard. I knew the truth of it as soon as you were gone,” Kate said, appraising the figure before her. “Well, Elizabeth was wrong,” she said stepping back from him.

“Yes, she did say that she thought I breathed no more,” Richard said.

“No, not that; she said you’d not changed. Well, I don’t know whose eyes she looked through, but you’re not the young rogue I remember,” Kate said.

“I can assure you, Kate, I am more of a rogue than ever.” Richard reached forward to catch her hand, and smiling, lifted it to his lips. Kate blushed.

She turned quickly from him and made pretence of putting the unneeded account back amongst her papers. Her composure recovered, she faced him again. “So what brings you here this time?” she enquired, moving to settle herself back in the chair she had occupied before Alice disturbed her needlework.

“News for your mistress, and…” Richard paused. “…I wanted to see if you still held me in such low regard.”

“News first, then we’ll discuss my feelings toward you,” Kate said quickly.

Richard settled himself easily on the edge of Kate’s desk. “Mary rejects Courtenay, and instead turns to Spain and Philip. It is expected that a proposal will be received from that quarter soon. The marriage will need to be approved by Parliament, and there are many who think that they will not allow it. The Council, anxious to secure an heir, however, has not rejected Courtenay and are considering him as a suitable match for Elizabeth. He remains Gardiner’s favourite, which stands him in good stead. There is movement afoot to unearth again the evidence collected against Anne Boleyn, and use it now to question Elizabeth’s legitimacy. It is the same as before; there is nothing new. Renard, the Spanish ambassador, is hoping to possess the evidence to force Mary’s hand, but it seems he has an interesting adversary in Gardiner, who wishes to use the papers to persuade Elizabeth into the match with Courtenay. Also, Elizabeth is attracting Mary’s disfavour. It appears she failed to attend Mass again and the Queen questions her belief in the faith.” Richard delivered his news efficiently and watched with some satisfaction as Kate regarded him with a new expression on her face.

“I told her to be careful. She only needs to make a show to keep Mary happy. I did not know she’d done it again. Her actions are so foolish; sometimes I wonder at the girl’s sense,” Kate said angrily.

“It’s probably a small matter, but one close to Mary’s heart,” Richard agreed.

“I will talk to her. Is that all?” Kate enquired.

“I have no other news, but when I do, I will most assuredly bring it to you,” Richard said, and paused before continuing. “So Kate, do you still dislike me so?”

“Ah, Richard, no—I suppose not. When they told me it was you who attacked Elizabeth in the garden that day and tore her dress, I was a willing victim of their words, too ready to believe. I didn’t know it was Seymour.” Kate regarded him in silence, an apology in her eyes if not on her lips. “Elizabeth didn’t confide in me for months and then, of course, it was too late, and the poor girl had to face the knowledge that everyone knew.”

“That was not your fault, Kate,” Richard took her hand gently and held it between his own.

“Elizabeth has placed her trust in you, so I shall do the same,” Kate said seriously.

Richard returned her smile and, lowering himself from the desk, took her hands and raised her from her seat. “Now,” he said, pulling her close, “about that note you were going to write for my master.”

Kate pulled away, blushing again. Taking up a pen she wrote a few words on a scrap of paper and handed it to him. “Now get you from my rooms and stop being such a rascal.”

Richard pulled his hood up again and bowed before Kate led him back to the kitchen and saw him from the house.

She returned to her room, passing Elizabeth’s door. On a whim, Kate turned back and opened it. Her mistress was reading by the fire and looked up.

“What is it, Kate?” she enquired.

“I just thought you’d like to know that I’ve had a visitor,” Kate crowed, laughing. She made a rapid exit, closing the door with a slam as Elizabeth rose to pursue her.

 

†

 

Nancy was Hal’s sister in law, and she worked in Derby’s household. Hal was hoping that there might be a chance that she could set them back on the trail of Richard Fitzwarren.

“And what would you be doing here, you no good bleeding thief? I told you last time I saw you that if we met again it would be too soon.” Nancy scowled at him. “It was a bad thing you did, Hal Mercer, when you stole your poor mother’s belongings that should have gone to my David, her eldest son.”

“Oh come on Nance, that was years ago.” What she said though was true, Hal had spirited away most of his mother’s meagre possessions when she died before his brother’s wife could lay claim to them.

“Time doesn’t make it right!” Nancy replied angrily.

“Ah now, Nance woman, don’t be so…” Hal tried.

“I’ll be what I bloody like! You’re not coming through my door. Anyway, he’s out.” Nancy referred to his brother, Will.

“I don’t want Will. I’ve come to see you,” Hal said, leaning against the doorway, which was blocked by the wide woman his brother had wed.

“Now why would that be, eh? If it’s money you can take your tail and be off.” Nancy’s white fists were balled on her wide hips.

“It’s money, Nancy, aye,” Hal grinned, and held out his hand with four coins in it. Nancy looked from him to the money suspiciously.

“These are yours; I won’t tell Will either. I want to know where a friend of mine is, that’s all.” Hal told her who he was looking for, his name, and what he looked like. He mentioned the de Bernay’s as well. Nancy, much to Hal’s annoyance, told him to come back in a week.

When he returned he was disappointed. Nancy stowed the coins under her apron, but all she told him was that Fitzwarren had been at Framlingham. From there he had come to London, but where she did not know. One of Derby’s grooms had remembered a fight at Framlingham or some such incident.

Finally though, a week later, Hal did have a stroke of luck. One man, now resident at his master’s new house at Chapel Street, had wasted no time in finding Hal and informing him where he could find the man he sought.

 

 

Chapter Eighteen

Late October

 

†

 

The Thomas Wyatt who came to Richard’s house in London was a very different man from the one he had spoke to earlier in the year. When they had discussed Northumberland’s plan to secure the throne, Wyatt had been Mary’s man, more from a dislike of Northumberland than from loyalty to Henry’s daughter. Now this had changed.

Wyatt was a man who had fought for England in the Italian wars, and later played a prominent role in the siege of Boulogne; he had little intention of standing by and watching Mary hand his country to Spain. His view of the situation was very simple: if Mary married Phillip then all control would pass to him and his Spanish courtiers. It would be a surrender by marriage. Parliament would have no power, all the decisions made would be Spanish ones, and the ruling elite would be switched to favour the new King.

If Richard was surprised by the visit he did not show it, instead he led the way towards the room he had adopted as his own towards the back of the house.

Wyatt peeled the leather gloves from his hands and slapped them down nosily on the desk in font of him, ignoring the seat Richard had gestured towards. “You know why I’m here?”

Richard shook his head slowly.

“Damn it man! This Spanish match. It’s been confirmed today that the wedding will go ahead. I don’t think any of us thought it would actually ever happen.” Wyatt paced across the room, clearly agitated.

Richard paused for a moment before seating himself on the opposite side of the desk, watching as Wyatt stalked back across the room towards him.

“Do you realise what will happen? Do you?” Wyatt questioned, coming to stand before Richard.

“There are a few possibilities. However, it is often hard to know the future, especially without the services of a good oracle,” Richard replied dryly.

“This is serious,” Wyatt reprimanded. “Parliament is up in arms, I’ve just come from Somer’s house where we’ve been holding a meeting. There seems little we can do to stop it.”

“So why are you here?” Richard asked patiently.

Wyatt fastened a hard stare upon the other man. “Information can flow both ways. You’ve ears and eyes at Mary’s court, we need to know how this marriage will play out politically – we want to know if she intends to make this Spanish husband a King. It’s an abomination. Trust a woman to put herself before her subjects and her country.”

“Maybe you should have backed Northumberland?” Richard pointed out unhelpfully.

Wyatt rounded on him. “That, sir, is not amusing.”

“It wasn’t meant to be,” Richard replied, rising, his hands on the edge of the desk.

“I need to know where your loyalty lies?” Wyatt had come to stand facing Richard, he was watching him closely.

“My loyalty?” Richard repeated slowly.

“There is a division, and I’d like to know on which side you stand. If any,” Wyatt said. Richard recognised his words were carefully chosen ones, the conversation was moving towards treason and Wyatt would rather not have his words quickly reported back to Richard’s employer, Derby. Opposition to the Spanish match was one thing, but opposition to the current monarch was quite another.

“Are you questioning my integrity as well?” Richard replied.

“You backed Northumberland, and when the tide turned, so did you,” Wyatt pointed out.

“Shall we agree then that a degree of expediency guides my loyalty?” Richard said.

“Just expediency?” Wyatt questioned.

“Alright, expedience and profit,” Richard provided, letting Wyatt clearly know that his loyalty had a merchantable quality.

Wyatt nodded, is seemed to satisfy him sufficiently to place the next question, “Once you stood for Elizabeth. Do you still?”

Richard’s eyes narrowed, his