Edward Marston - The Devil's Apprentice

‘Have you come to take a peep through my telescope?’ he said, patting it gently.

‘No, Sir Michael. I need your advice.’

‘Then my advice is to come up here at night when the stars are out. I’ll show you how to read them. The portents for Westfield’s Men are excellent.’

Nicholas had doubts on that score but he suppressed them. Instead, he glanced at Taylard who was hovering meaningfully in the background. He did not wish to have a private discussion with Sir Michael while the steward was present.

‘I’d value a word alone with you, Sir Michael,’ he said pointedly.

‘Feel free to speak in front of Romball. I’ve no secrets from him.’

Nicholas was firm. ‘But I have, I’m afraid.’

‘Then I won’t intrude,’ said Taylard politely. ‘I’ve more than enough work to keep me occupied elsewhere. The visit of Westfield’s Men has placed extra burdens on us all.’ He gave a faint nod. ‘Please excuse me.’

Nicholas waited until the steward had shut the door behind him before he spoke.

‘What I have to say is strictly confidential, Sir Michael,’ he warned.

‘Of course, dear fellow, of course.’

‘There are two things I need to raise with you, neither particularly pleasant.’

‘Dear me!’ said Sir Michael. ‘I hope you have no complaints.’

‘None at all.’

‘I told Romball that Westfield’s Men were to have everything they wanted.’

‘And we have done,’ said Nicholas gratefully.

‘The one thing we could not legislate for was that unfortunate business during The Insatiate Duke . I know that it ruined the final moments of the play and I offer my apologies. We had no idea that Robert Partridge would be struck down by a heart attack.’

‘I’m not certain that he was, Sir Michael.’

‘No?’

‘It’s the first matter I wanted to discuss,’ said Nicholas. ‘You may remember telling us that your first impression was that the victim had not died from natural causes at all. You spoke of poison.’

‘Too hastily. Doctor Winche overruled me.’

‘Then perhaps he spoke too hastily as well.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘The case interested us, Sir Michael. It’s not every day that someone drops down dead during one of our performances. Master Firethorn and I decided to pay our respects to the victim. I hope that you don’t think it presumptuous of us,’ said Nicholas, ‘but we entered your chapel without asking permission.’

‘It’s always open to my guests.’

Nicholas told him what they had found in the mortuary, explaining his own familiarity with death by poisoning and calling into question the doctor’s diagnosis.

Sir Michael was shocked. ‘Doctor Winche is an experienced physician.’

‘Everyone makes mistakes.’

‘Well, yes, I know. It’s what I did when I first saw the body.’

‘Your opinion is supported by my own, Sir Michael.’

‘Then why do we differ from Doctor Winche?’

‘Who knows?’ replied Nicholas. ‘Perhaps we are both in error. All I ask is that you take a closer look at the victim with me now.’

‘But that’s impossible, my friend.’

‘I merely wish to point out the signs that I detected.’

‘You’re too late,’ said Sir Michael. ‘The body of Robert Partridge was removed from here first thing this morning. He lives in the parish of St Margaret’s. Since the church is big enough to have its own mortuary, that’s where he’s been taken. Doctor Winche was here to supervise the transfer of the cadaver.’

‘I see.’

‘He takes his duties very seriously, Master Bracewell.’

Nicholas was not sure that the man’s duties involved the removal of a dead body from one mortuary to another but he said nothing. Sir Michael’s faith in Doctor Winche was clearly unshaken. The whole subject needed to be postponed.

‘What’s the other matter you have to raise with me?’ asked Sir Michael.

‘It concerns this,’ said Nicholas, opening the palm of his hand to disclose the musket ball. ‘It was fired at me earlier today.’

Sir Michael was startled. ‘By whom?’

‘I wish I knew.’

‘Where did the shot occur?’

‘A few miles away. In the middle of the forest.’

‘May I see it?’

‘Please do, Sir Michael,’ said Nicholas, passing it to him. ‘There can’t be too many people in this part of the county who possess a musket. You have several in your arsenal and are clearly an expert on firearms.’

‘They’ve always fascinated me.’

‘When I was at sea, I was trained in the use of a musket so I know how unreliable they are. Even over short distances, aim is sometimes difficult.’

‘That fact may have been your salvation, sir,’ said Sir Michael, holding the musket ball to his eye to study it. ‘This would have killed you outright.’ He looked across at Nicholas. ‘What were you doing in the forest?’

‘Returning from Oakwood House.’

‘You had business with Clement Enderby?’

‘Yes,’ said Nicholas, careful not to divulge the full details. ‘Davy Stratton went across there this morning to visit Master Enderby’s children who are old friends of his. When the lad was late returning, I went in search of him but Davy had already come back to Silvermere by another route so my journey was in vain.’

‘And almost fatal.’

‘So it seems.’

‘How did you find Clement Enderby?’

‘In good spirits, Sir Michael, and looking forward to the performance of Henry the Fifth tomorrow. He was delighted that you invited him to Silvermere. He spoke very well of someone who used to be in service here.’

‘Oh? Who was that?’

‘A young woman called Kate, I believe.’

‘Ah, yes,’ said Sir Michael. ‘Katherine Gowan. We were sorry to lose her. My wife, especially. But the girl upset Romball in some way and she had to go. I never interfere in disputes between my steward and his staff. That would be foolish.’ He handed the musket ball back to Nicholas. ‘My eyes are not what they were, Master Bracewell. Look closely. Do you see any marks upon it?’

‘What sort of marks, Sir Michael?’

‘Three dots in the form of a triangle.’

‘I can see one, I think,’ said Nicholas, peering at the ball. ‘And there’s a trace of a second. If there was a third, it was scraped away when the ball hit the tree.’ He licked a finger and rubbed. ‘There are certainly two dots. I can see the second clearly now.’

‘As I suspected.’

‘Do you know what sort of musket fired it?’

‘Only too well,’ admitted Sir Michael, tugging nervously at his beard. ‘That musket ball was made here in one of my own moulds. We mark all ammunition with three dots when the molten iron starts to harden.’ He took a deep breath. ‘I regret to tell you that you came close to being killed by one of my own muskets.’

‘Who has access to them?’

‘Nobody but myself. As you saw, they’re kept under lock and key.’

‘Somebody must have got into your arsenal.’

Sir Michael paled. ‘They didn’t need to, Master Bracewell. I’ve just remembered. I lent a musket and some ammunition to a friend when he was overrun with rabbits. He borrowed the weapon to control their numbers.’

‘And who was this friend, Sir Michael?’

‘I hesitate to say his name.’

‘Why?’ pressed Nicholas. ‘Who was it?’

‘Jerome Stratton.’

Nicholas Bracewell used the journey to Holly Lodge to discuss the implications of his discovery. His nagging suspicion about Jerome Stratton had been confirmed. Riding beside him, Owen Elias was difficult to shift from his original opinion.

‘I still think that Reginald Orr is involved somehow,’ he asserted.