Gregory House - The Cardinal's Angels

That damned annoying smile of hers continued. If anything it acquired a heavy tinge of smirk. “You had your head against it at the Steelyard. Those barrels behind you bore the Cardinal’s seal and my friend Albrecht owns the Halstall of Bremen .”

“What!” The revelation had him spluttering. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Mistress Black just laughed and shook her head. “What use would it have been other than a distraction? We couldn’t have done anything with it before solving the riddle of the letters anyway.”

Ned just sat there on the coffer chest in the morning sunlight shaking his head. All this time and he had been inches away from a fortune. But he had to ruefully admit that Margaret Black was probably in the right. No matter how much it was, with a warrant for murder and treason hanging over them, it would have been of little use. But he did perk up at the sudden prospect of being very, very rich.

He supposed this must have been pretty transparent for Mistress Black once more shook her head. “I wouldn’t get any ambitious ideas about the gold. I had to tell Lady Anne about it and she has placed a few restrictions on its use. Otherwise she will inform the King of its existence.”

That was a bit of a crimp to Ned’s spiralling ambitions. Damn!

“Oh by the way I am to be its executor and I report its use to her at the Epiphany feast every year.”

That was perhaps worse news. With Mistress Margaret Black as Lady Anne’s agent, the chance of escaping the cramped quarters of the Inn of Court for palatial magnificence vanished. He must have looked really woeful for Meg let out a very mirthful chuckle, and gave him a playful thump. “Don’t look so downhearted. Lady Anne said each member of the company could have twenty pounds worth every year and a share of any profits if we accept her patronage. By the way Robert has already agreed and Roger will.”

Ned had to smile. What else could he do? They were still alive, unhung, cleared of murder and treason, and in the space of a week had gained the protection of two of the rising powers at the court and the enough money annually to live like the gentry. Even so the daemon at his shoulder muttered that they’d be earning every penny of that in times to come. He appeared to be accepted as part of a very select company.

Ned poured the small ale into a couple of pewter cups and offered her one. “I give a toast to friendship and the Companie of the Cardinal’s Angels. May we all prosper!”

The answering smile this received was extremely pleasing. Maybe the future held more promise than he could imagine, as his daemon and angel had whispered.