C. Sansom - Dark Fire

'As many times as I see fit, Serjeant.' I had decided bluntness was the best way. 'May we come in?'

He set his lips but permitted us to follow him to his private room. There he sat in his thronelike chair and gave us a haughty stare. I leaned forward.

'In the boat going to Southwark, Serjeant, we spoke of a certain pressure his grace the Duke of Norfolk was putting on you, to obtain something from Lady Honor. You confirmed he wanted to obtain some of the Vaughan lands in return for furthering young Henry Vaughan to a place at the king's court.'

Marchamount sat very still. I knew at once I had struck a nerve.

'I thought you seemed evasive in the boat, so I asked Lady Honor about the matter on our walk-'

'Sir, you had no right. For a gentleman to ask-'

'Lady Honor told me the matter began with pressure from the duke over the land, but then it developed into something else. She refused to say more, but I need to know what it was.'

He smiled shrewdly. 'So you come to me, as an alternative to Cromwell putting pressure on her?'

'Never mind why. I want the whole story, Marchamount. No bluster, no evasions, just the story.'

He sat back in his chair. 'It is nothing to do with Greek Fire.'

'Then why it is so secret?'

'Because it is shameful.' He frowned, reddening. 'I had an interest in Lady Honor, a romantic interest. You know that.' He took a deep breath. 'She would not have me and I would not press a lady who rejected me.' He fingered his emerald ring, then looked me in the eye. 'But the duke would.'

'The duke ?'

He frowned. 'He does not just want her family lands in return for helping that boy. He wants Lady Honor as his mistress.'

'But, dear God, he's in his sixties.'

Marchamount shrugged. 'In some men the sap still runs into old age. The duke is one, though you would not think it to look at him. He would not approach her directly' – he laughed bitterly – 'he's too proud for that. He made me act as intermediary.'

'Poor Lady Honor.'

Marchamount shifted uncomfortably. 'It was a job I disliked, sir, but I could not gainsay the Duke of Norfolk. He said the Vaughan boy's a fool and a weakling, which is true enough, and he'd have to exert a mighty effort to get him accepted at court. He wanted a high price in return. Lady Honor knows his reputation for cruel ways with women; she's refused him time and again. But he's one of those that is only excited further by refusal.' He shifted uneasily again. 'I have had to try and persuade her. I told you, the duke is not one to be gainsaid.'

'What has Norfolk promised you in return? Help towards a knighthood perhaps?'

Marchamount set his lips. 'I want something for my family's future too. To advance one's family, that is no dishonourable thing.'

'Thirty pieces of silver would be the right reward for what you have done,' I said. Barak laughed harshly and Marchamount gave him a furious look. He glared at me, his face reddening further.

'How dare you talk to me like that! And you – you are no impartial witness. You lust after her yourself.'

'Come, Serjeant, you are losing control of yourself. So that is the whole story, is it?' I asked. 'No connection at all to Greek Fire? That is what I need to know, Marchamount.'

'I have told you before, I know nothing of that. Nothing.'

'Are you quite sure?'

The merest hesitation. 'Of course.' He ran a hand through his red hair, then began to bluster. 'You have troubled me enough with this. No gentleman-'

I stood. 'Come, Barak. I think I have an apology to make to Lady Honor.' Barak got up and made another bow to Marchamount, a mocking, exaggerated one.

The serjeant glared at me. 'You have embarrassed me, Shardlake, in front of this churl,' he said. 'I will not forget it.'

OUTSIDE IN THE courtyard, I turned to Barak. 'He's still keeping something back – I'd swear he is. But what? I'll have to talk to Lady Honor.'

'She won't be pleased you know this story. Nor at being questioned further.'

'There's no help for it. She knows my position. I'll go there now.'

'I suppose there's nothing else we can we do today. But-'

'What?' I asked impatiently.

'You should have squeezed what else he's hiding out of him. You shy at every fence,' he said in sudden irritation.

I glared at him. 'I do not shy. If I feel someone will say no more, and I've no evidence to use as a lever, I go and find the evidence. That's what I've always done and it's what I'm going to do now with Lady Honor.'

He grunted.

'What else could I do?' I raised my voice in exasperation. 'I pushed him as far as he'd go, how could I make him tell me more? How? Eh?'

'Threaten him with the earl, as you did with Bealknap.'

'And look where that led. No, I will leave him to stew in his own juice, see if Lady Honor can tell me more, then come back later. Unless you've a better idea.'

He shrugged. 'No. I haven't.'

'I'm going into chambers for a minute.'

I entered the office to find Skelly working by the light of a candle he hardly needed in the full daylight. 'Here again on Sunday, John?' I asked, hiding my irritation.

He gave me a shifty look. 'I'm behind, sir.'

I could not face looking over his scribbles. I turned to Godfrey's door. 'Master Wheelwright in?'

'Yes, sir.'

Godfrey was working quietly at his desk. 'Here on the Sabbath?' I asked. He looked at me seriously.

'God will forgive me. I want to get my cases in order. Word is I am to be disbarred if I don't apologize to the duke.' He smiled wryly. 'That will create a mighty furore. Perhaps it will make our brothers consider who it is we lawyers serve, God and the commonwealth or the Duke of Norfolk.'

'Many will ease their consciences by saying it was a matter of discourtesy, Godfrey, not religion.'

'Then they deceive themselves.'

'What will you do if you leave chambers?'

'Become a preacher.' He smiled. 'I believe that is what God is calling me to do.'

'Dangerous times may be coming.' If Cromwell falls, I thought. If I fail. If he doesn't get Greek Fire. The hideous tangle of loyalties I was caught in made me feel faint for a moment and I clutched at the edge of a chair.

'Are you all right, Matthew?'

I nodded. 'I have been working hard.'

'At least no more of your cases have gone,' he said.

'Good.' I decided to make one last attempt to make him see reason. 'Godfrey, would it not be a dreadful thing to throw over your position, the talent you have used these many years?' And yet, I thought even as I spoke the words, was that not what I too had been thinking of doing?

'Sometimes God calls us to a new life.'

'And to great tribulations.' I gave up. 'I may not be in for a few days now.'

I stepped back into the office, where Barak was talking to Skelly in a low voice. Getting gossip about me, I supposed. 'I'm going to Lady Honor's,' I said.

'I'll ride with you,' he said. 'Then I can call in at the Old Barge.'

We walked back down Chancery Lane in silence. I cursed inwardly. I had hoped Barak would leave me to go to Lady Honor's alone, for afterwards I planned to go to Guy's. But he seemed to be sticking to me today.

WE FETCHED THE HORSES and rode down to the City. Barak was still morose, saying little. As we rode under the Ludgate I noticed a patch of lighter colour in the wall where the repairs had been completed.

'The stones from the old synagogue came from there,' I said to make conversation.

Barak grunted. 'I bet the watchman had some ripe comments about Christ killers ready when you said they came from a synagogue.'

'I don't remember,' I said, though I well recalled that he had.

We rode on past St Paul's, the huge spire casting a welcome patch of shade. As we came into the sun again, Barak pulled his horse in close. 'Look round slowly,' he said. 'Don't stop the horse. By the bookstalls near St Paul's Cross.'