Michael Jecks - The Templar, the Queen and Her Lover

If he was to attempt to capture and kill Mortimer, he would need men capable of fighting.

‘Sir Peter, I have a proposal for you.’

Philip and Adam walked into the bar area with feet that felt like lead.

‘There you are,’ Janin said cheerily. ‘Want some ale?’

‘He told me what you were planning,’ Ricard said sourly. ‘Are you both mad? If we couldn’t jump him all together, how in God’sname did you think you’d be able to-’

‘We weren’t going to just jump him. We were going to knock him on the head once and for all,’ Philip admitted.

‘So you were going to waylay him and stab him to death? Here in the castle with the whole of the Queen’s retinue on hand?Ingenious!’ Ricard said witheringly.

‘Trouble was, he turned up with some other bastard in tow. The two together made it impossible.’

‘How so, Philip? And you so brave!’ Janin said lightly.

‘He said someone warned them. Who knew? Only you !’ Philip snarled.

He reached across the table to grasp Janin’s shirt, but missed as Janin leaned back, and then, while Philip was still acrossthe table, Janin gripped his outstretched fist and laid the point of his little knife at Philip’s throat. ‘Don’t try to hitme, Philip. I really don’t like it.’

‘Let go of me!’

Suddenly there was a loud wail. All of them had forgotten Charlie, but now he crouched in the corner of the room, his ballforgotten as he stared at Janin and Philip with eyes full of terror.

‘Shite! You bastards cool down,’ Ricard said, and went to the lad.

Janin nodded, and held on a moment longer, his eyes fixed on Philip’s, but then he pushed the man’s hand away.

Ricard took up Charlie, cuddling him close, pressing the lad’s head into his shoulder with a face that was torn with grief.‘Are you two mad? Are you all going lunatic? What is all this, eh? We’re musicians, not brawlers in a tavern. We’re mates,aren’t we? We’re the Queen’s Men , in Christ’s name! What are you two doing? Look how little Charlie boy reacts when you do that, will you? He’s had enoughgrief, hasn’t he?’

‘It’s partly because of him,’ Philip said.

‘What are you on about?’

‘The man with Jack. It was the man from his house in London,’ Philip said with a nod towards the boy. ‘Your friend, the man who suggested we should come here with the Queen. Hewas there, with Jack. Jack is his man.’

‘We knew that. He had the mark of the bloody peacock, didn’t he?’ Ricard snapped. ‘What of it?’

‘I want to know who he is. But I want to know who told him we’d be looking to get Jack, too. Jack said his friend knew we’dbe there. So who told him, eh, Janin?’

‘Not me,’ Janin declared. ‘Did you discuss killing Jack in the street? In a tavern? Where?’

‘In the quiet. We’re not stupid!’

‘Well, I told only Ricard, no one else. Why’d we want to go to the man who got us into this mess? You must have been overheardby someone.’

‘Look, I’m sorry, I know you don’t want me to say it, but that man is responsible for Peter’s death,’ Adam said. ‘I neverliked Jack, but you wouldn’t listen to me.’

‘Oh, shut up, you prickle! You were the one who demanded that we should take him on, and don’t ballock about it now. It’syour fault he’s here!’ Janin said.

‘Me? I never-’

‘Adam, just belt up or I’ll shut you up myself,’ Ricard snapped. ‘Christ Jesus! I’ve had enough of this! You lot had bestcalm yourselves and remind yourselves who it is who pays your upkeep while we’re here. Just leave Jack alone, and we can playour music. It’s what we’re here for.’

‘But what if he’s here to try to kill the Queen?’ Adam said. ‘We know he wants to spy on her. What if it’s more serious thanthat?’

‘Oh, for God’s sake!’ Janin said. ‘What on earth makes you think that?’

‘If he killed the man last night, there’s no knowing who else he might kill,’ Adam said, wide-eyed and earnest. ‘He’s a madman,a murderer. For God’s sake, if we don’t tell her, what’ll she think if he’s caught red-handed? She’ll have us all hanged for his crimes. You want that? I certainly don’t.’

‘Then what do you propose we should do?’ Ricard demanded sourly. ‘Run away?’

‘At least try to tell her. Tell her comptroller, or someone, so we can show we did our best to warn her before the next mandies. All we have to do is say that he’s been off walking about the place when someone died. That fellow last night. Jackwasn’t in his bed when he was killed. Let’s just tell the comptroller. If he doesn’t tell the Queen, then it’s his fault,not ours.’

Baldwin and Simon returned to the castle a short while after lunch had been served, but Simon managed to find a sergeant-cookand acquire some bread and a small cheese. These he and Baldwin shared out in the court, for the day was growing warm, witha clear sky and the sun shining as though it was summer already.

‘Sir Baldwin — I am glad to see you again.’

Baldwin looked up to find himself being studied by Earl Edmund of Kent. The sight was not appealing. The Earl was not thekeenest mind in the realm, and had attempted to plot the removal of Despenser earlier in the year. In the event, the Despenserhad triumphed, as he tended to. Sir Hugh le Despenser had a sharp mind and a committed, absolute ruthlessness. It was thatfacet of his nature that made him such a dangerous foe. Earl Edmund detested him for his lackadaisical response when the formerhad been in charge of the King’s men in Guyenne the previous year, and Despenser had been responsible for support and resupply.He still blamed Despenser for the speed with which the Agenais was overrun.

He gathered his thoughts. ‘My lord earl, it is good to see you again. What makes you travel all this way?’

‘It is always good to be reminded of one’s inadequacy. I think that is why I’m here. There were messages to be given to theLord John Cromwell, and someone had to bring them. I confess, the idea of leaving England’s unhappy shores was appealing.’

‘I can understand that,’ Baldwin said. ‘It must be very difficult for you.’

‘You can have no idea! Bloody Despenser rules all now.’

Baldwin and Simon exchanged a glance. The man’s voice dripped with poison.

‘Still, I suppose the truce is holding for the time being?’ the cad asked.

‘Oh, yes. We hope it will not be too long before we can pack our belongings and set off homewards again.’

‘I hope so. The King is keen to have the embassy finished and returned to our shores. I think he is unhappy because of thecost of maintaining this mission. It is an extravagant expense, but then, I told him, the lands we’re talking about are worthmore than England. It is worth being a little extravagant to win them back.’

‘Of course.’

‘Not that the idea pleases Despenser, of course. But nothing much does.’

Baldwin said cautiously, ‘I suppose he must be careful of not over-stretching the King’s budget.’

‘More likely he’s nervous that the King will be told to hie him over here. If that happens,’ he continued, scratching at hisnose pensively, ‘Despenser will have a fit of the vapours, I think. The idea of being left alone in England with all thosenice, gentle barons whom he has insulted, denigrated and downtrodden for the last three or four years would make him anxiousas hell, I’d imagine.’

Baldwin and Simon said nothing. This was the sort of dangerous conversation that could cost a man his livelihood, family,lands, wealth and life.

The Earl sniffed absently, gazing about him. ‘My sister-in-law — is she about here somewhere? I suppose I ought to make mycompliments to her. How has she been?’