Susanna Gregory - The Piccadilly Plot

‘Chaloner fainted,’ he said in conclusion. ‘And I was obliged to carry him from the house with one hand, while fighting off Vere with the other.’

‘Really?’ asked Lester coolly. ‘Because I saw you racing away to save your own skin, leaving him to the mercy of-’

‘You are mistaken,’ interrupted Hyde curtly. He turned to Williamson. ‘My only regret is not forcing Oliver to tell me the name of the man whose orders he was following.’

‘And now Oliver is dead,’ said Lester flatly. ‘Killed by Chaloner with a sledgehammer. Was that before or after Chaloner passed out, by the way? Or did he do it while he was insensible?’

‘Unfortunately, Vere and his cronies will be minions,’ said Williamson, while Hyde glowered at Lester. ‘I doubt they have been trusted with the name of the man who paid their wages, although I shall certainly ask. But what will the Earl do about it, Hyde? Destroy these spyholes?’

‘They are of no use to his enemies now, because I know about them,’ Hyde declared. ‘And as from today, so will he: I shall tell him exactly what happened. But I think the situation can be turned to his advantage. He can use them to monitor his guests.’

He shot Chaloner a glance that warned him not to reiterate his earlier remarks about the Earl not entertaining the kind of person who warranted being put under surveillance.

‘Well, he has paid for them by inadvertently providing the necessary materials,’ sighed Williamson. ‘So they are his to deploy as he sees fit.’

While Lester proceeded to interrogate Hyde, tying the younger man in knots over his lies and inconsistencies, Williamson turned to Chaloner and spoke in a low voice.

‘I am not a fool, Chaloner — I know who unravelled this mess. So why do you sit back and let Hyde take the credit?’

‘I do not care about him. I am more worried about the plans of Fitzgerald’s master.’

‘Then you had better tell me everything you have learned. Thurloe confided some of it, but there is a great deal I still do not understand, and we need to work together if we are to thwart these villains. Neither of us can do it alone.’

It was not easy to forget his dislike of the Spymaster and share his findings, but Chaloner knew he had no choice. When he had finished, Williamson was sombre.

‘There was an accident at White Hall after you left.’ Chaloner regarded him in alarm. ‘What kind of accident?’

‘The fatal kind — Meneses was trampled by a horse. No one knows how it happened, although there is some suggestion that he may have been borrowing it to go for a ride.’

Chaloner closed his eyes. Who had killed Meneses as he had tried to escape? The Piccadilly Company for his betrayal? Or the Adventurers, because he was no longer useful?

He dragged his thoughts back to the problems they would face the following day — or rather, that day, because although he had no idea of the time, he sensed it was long after midnight, and approaching the hour when he was supposed to meet Thurloe. He had not anticipated that confronting the brick-thieves would transpire to be such a deadly business, or so time-consuming.

‘From the start, I have considered the plot to kill Pratt as a bluff,’ he said. ‘That the real aim was to damage the Queen. But now I am not so sure. I think someone might actually do it.’

‘I shall arrest Pratt, then,’ said Williamson promptly. ‘They cannot kill him if he is in custody.’

Chaloner nodded approvingly. It was as good a way as any to prevent the architect from being used to harm Her Majesty. ‘Meanwhile, Jane will dock at three o’clock in the afternoon, almost certainly carrying a valuable cargo hidden beneath gravel. The Adventurers have hired men to attack and burn her, and the Piccadilly Company will resist.’

‘They will,’ agreed Williamson. ‘And the resulting mêlée could be very bloody.’

‘And finally, Leighton has arranged for his Adventurers to enjoy some sort of nautical feast aboard Royal Katherine at dusk. I have an awful feeling that a large gathering of opponents may be too great a temptation for the Piccadilly Company …’

Williamson regarded him in horror. ‘You think that is the nature of the atrocity Fitzgerald has planned? But the Adventurers comprise some of the wealthiest and most influential men in the country — members of the Privy Council, of Parliament, and of the royal family! If anything were to happen to them en masse … well, there would be chaos!’

‘I do not think the Piccadilly Company will care. They are more interested in the fact that it will leave a massive void in African trade — one they will be eager to fill.’

Williamson was silent for a moment. ‘Then our duties are obvious. First, we shall confine Pratt until he is no longer in danger. Second, troops must be sent to Woolwich, to ensure no member of the Piccadilly Company goes anywhere near Katherine . And third, someone must prevent Jane from docking at Queenhithe: she cannot be attacked if she is not there.’

‘No,’ argued Chaloner. ‘The best way to defend the Adventurers is to cancel their feast. Contact Leighton and tell him to-’

‘Impossible,’ interrupted Williamson shortly. ‘There have been threats against the Court ever since the King reclaimed his throne, and he refuses to defer to them — the Adventurers will never postpone their feast. If I suggest it, I will likely be arrested myself.’

Chaloner sighed irritably, but suspected the King was right — he and his government would never get anything done if they allowed lunatic plots to dictate their actions.

‘How many men do you have?’ he asked.

‘Not enough, especially now Doines has gone after those damned brick-thieves. Still, it cannot be helped. I shall send the rest to Woolwich, because protecting the Adventurers is paramount. Swaddell can take charge until I arrive.’

‘Why him? What will you be doing?’

‘Locating Pratt. Meanwhile, perhaps you will manage Queenhithe. Go now, though, because ships are notorious for not arriving on schedule. You will doubtless have a tedious time of it, but so will I — when he came to warn me about the brick-thieves, Pratt mentioned going out for the night. I have no idea where to start looking for him.’

‘Try the gentleman’s club on Hercules’ Pillars Alley.’

Williamson smiled. ‘Thank you. Perhaps working with you will not be as grim as I feared.’

Chaloner was grudgingly impressed when he saw Williamson swing into action, forced to admit that he was not as incompetent as he had always imagined. The Spymaster dispatched his men to Woolwich with cool efficiency — half in boats and half in coaches, lest one form of transport should prove problematic.

When they were safely on their way, ears ringing with impassioned imprecations not to waste a single second, Chaloner started to walk towards Queenhithe. He had not taken many steps before Hyde grabbed his arm. He was released abruptly when the expression on his face indicated that while he might have lost most of his weapons and been shot, he was still not someone to manhandle.

‘Contradict me at your peril,’ Hyde hissed, trying to sound menacing. ‘My father will not appreciate you calling me a liar, and neither will I.’

‘Is that so?’ said Chaloner shortly.

Seeing intimidation was not going to work, Hyde tried another tack. ‘If you will not consider my feelings, then think of him. His enemies will use my … my errors to harm him, and if he comes to grief, you will be unemployed. It is better for you if you tell the story as I have constructed it.’

‘Very well,’ said Chaloner. He started to walk away, but Hyde stood in front of him.

‘Do I have your word? Now Oliver is dead, you are the only one who can argue with my version of events — no one will listen to Vere and his helpmeets.’