Susanna Gregory - The Piccadilly Plot

Chaloner walked inside, dodging around six footmen who were struggling to carry an enormous painting of a Turkish bordello. It had been used for the play that had been performed there recently, but it was too large to hide with ceremonial cloths — and was hardly a suitable backdrop for diplomatic ceremonies — so the King had ordered it removed. Judging by the strained expressions on the men’s faces, this was easier said than done.

‘The blue ones, man!’ Buckingham was shouting to another minion, who had been charged with hanging flags. ‘We keep the red for the Russians, and today’s visitor is Swedish.’

‘I shall ensure the ambassador does not take umbrage,’ drawled Lady Castlemaine. ‘ I can think of something that will make him feel welcome.’

Chaloner glanced at her once, and then looked again because he could not quite believe what he had seen. She had donned a flimsy shift that did nothing to conceal her elegant curves, and had adopted a posture to show them to their best advantage. He was not the only one whose attention had been snagged: virtually every other man was staring, too.

‘She was wearing a gown over that when she first arrived,’ said Kipps, making no effort to disguise his admiration. ‘But she gave it to the Queen, who said she was cold.’

Chaloner looked to where he pointed, and saw Katherine standing forlornly to one side. The robe was too long, and trailed rather ridiculously on the floor. Hannah, who was with her, beckoned Chaloner over.

‘I see someone caught your eye,’ she said frostily.

‘She caught Hyde’s, too.’ Chaloner gestured to where the Earl’s son was hurrying towards the Lady, divesting himself of his coat as he went.

‘What is he doing?’ asked Hannah, amused. ‘Does he intend to ravage her? The King will not appreciate that. Not in front of all these witnesses.’

They watched Hyde drape the garment around the Lady’s shoulders. Irritated, she shrugged it off, but the King happened to glance around at that moment, and was patently furious to see his mistress sharing herself with the world. He surged towards her and had it buttoned around her in a trice. He muttered something to Hyde, who flushed with pleasure.

‘Hyde will be even more unbearable now,’ said Hannah in disgust. ‘Smug little b-’

‘Why all the fuss?’ asked Chaloner quickly, looking around at the chaos. The Queen was within earshot, and he did not think she would approve of a lady-in-waiting calling her secretary names. ‘The Swedish ambassador’s reception has been planned for weeks. I read about it in The Newes .’

‘Yes, but no one reminded the Court, and it was only remembered this morning,’ explained Hannah. ‘So the King roused everyone out to make ready in time. The Queen and I have been asked to make sure all the paintings are hung straight. I am sorry I did not come home last night, by the way. I was at Brodrick’s soirée until dawn.’

‘I missed you,’ lied Chaloner, not bothering to mention that he had not been home either.

‘Brodrick had invited a lot of Adventurers,’ said Hannah disapprovingly. ‘They do nothing but party these days — they are having another one tomorrow, on Royal Katherine . O’Brien is going, too. He is flattered by the invitation, but it will not induce him to join — Kitty is too strongly opposed to slavery. But here comes the Queen. Be nice to her, Tom: she is in low spirits today.’

‘Meneses has abandoned me,’ said Katherine bitterly in Portuguese. ‘Hannah said his interest would last only as long as he thought I had money to give him, and it seems she was right. I should have listened to her.’

‘But Meneses is here, ma’am,’ said Chaloner, puzzled. ‘I saw him when I came in.’

‘Yes, but he has shifted his affections to Kitty O’Brien. Of course, he will make no headway there, because her heart belongs to Joseph Williamson. Breaking sacred wedding vows seems to be the way of this horrible Court.’

Chaloner was not sure what to say, given that the King was nearby, laughing heartily with his paramour. He was, however, aware that such remarks were dangerous for both of them, even when spoken in a language that few, if any, courtiers would understand.

‘Please, ma’am. Someone might hear-’

‘Why should I not say what I think?’ she flashed, tears sparkling in her eyes. ‘People accuse me of undermining the English throne by refusing to produce a baby. So why should I not speak treason, since people believe it of me anyway?’

‘Who believes it of you?’ asked Chaloner gently. Hannah was glaring at him, assuming he had introduced whatever subject was upsetting her mistress.

‘Everyone!’ whispered Katherine miserably. ‘Someone went into my favourite purse yesterday, and left me a terrible letter. It said the murder I had commissioned will occur tomorrow. I have commissioned no murder, but who will believe me when I deny it?’

‘Burn it,’ said Chaloner urgently. ‘As soon as possible. And make sure nothing remains, not even ashes. Do you have any idea who might have put it there?’

‘I do not think my ladies-in-waiting would stoop so low, not even Castlemaine. And the only men to have set foot in my apartments recently are my husband, Hyde and Meneses.’

‘Meneses,’ said Chaloner, a solution snapping into his mind. ‘And now he shuns you?’

Katherine bit her lip, and he saw he had been overly blunt. ‘I suppose Meneses might have done it,’ she admitted unhappily. ‘Revenge, because I cannot repay his friendship with gold and titles.’

More tears glittered, but Chaloner was spared the need to make some comforting remark by the unlikely figure of Dugdale, who approached with a patently false smile. He bowed elegantly to the Queen and turned to Chaloner. The grin stayed in place, but his eyes were hot with anger.

‘How dare you approach the Queen,’ he said. He spoke mildly, to disguise the hostility in his words. ‘If you wish to speak to royalty, you request an audience through me . The protocol is perfectly clear on this point.’

‘Thomas is being told he cannot talk to you,’ explained Hannah icily, when the Queen turned questioningly to her. She shot Dugdale a glare of dislike, not a woman to stand by while her husband was being unjustly attacked. ‘In future, he must ask this gentleman first.’

‘It is protocol, ma’am,’ reiterated Dugdale defensively. ‘And he has no right to break it.’

‘Does that mean he must request your permission to talk to his wife, too?’ asked Hannah archly. ‘Because that it what he was doing when you stormed over and interrupted us. There are protocols about that, too — and you have just broken them. Now go away, before I complain to Clarendon about your shabby manners.’

Dugdale stared at her in astonishment, but Hannah glowered at him until he bowed to the Queen and left, muttering under his breath that the Earl wanted to see Chaloner at once. Chaloner grinned, delighted to see him put so firmly in his place.

‘Vile man!’ exclaimed Hannah, watching him go. ‘He makes my skin crawl.’

Chaloner left her blackening Dugdale’s name to a Queen who barely understood, and went to see what the Earl wanted. Dugdale intercepted him, his face dark with anger.

‘And do not address her in that foreign tongue, either,’ he snarled. ‘The King issued express orders that she is to be spoken to only in English or French. How dare you defy him!’

‘I did not know,’ said Chaloner, supposing he should not be surprised. No monarch would want a wife who gabbled away to people in a language he did not understand.

‘Well, you do now,’ snapped Dugdale. ‘And if you do it again, I will tell him, and it will bring you more trouble than you can possibly imagine.’