Andrew Swanston - The King's Return

‘Time will tell.’

Charles was waiting for Thomas. ‘Has the thieving wretch confessed yet,’ he asked as soon as Thomas walked in, ‘or is he going to the rack?’

‘That has been mentioned. And no, he has not yet confessed. Joseph thought a night of contemplation might change his mind.’

‘And what do you think?’

‘The man who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.’

‘Sounds like that Frenchman again.’

‘It is. And he’s invariably right. Stoner’s guilty of something. We just have to find out what. The woman knows nothing. I expect she’ll be released tomorrow.’

‘Anything on Morland?’

‘Nothing yet. How is Madeleine?’

‘Sleeping like an infant.’

‘I’ll look in before I retire. It’s back to the Tower in the morning. Good night, Charles.’

‘Good night, Thomas. Make the bastard sing and we’ll feel better about losing our money.’

The procedure at the Tower was unchanged. A yeoman warder escorted Thomas to the White Tower where Joseph was waiting.

‘Good morning, Thomas. I thought we would speak to Stoner first. The warder is fetching him.’

After a night in the Tower with thoughts of the rack to occupy his mind, Chandle Stoner looked a great deal less confident. His eyes were red, his skin flushed and his beard unattended to. His clothes had been slept in and, Thomas noted, wrinkling his sensitive nose, he smelt of sweat and fear. Joseph must have seen such transformations before. The rack was a powerful persuader.

‘Did you sleep well, Stoner?’ he asked cheerfully. ‘The rooms are really quite comfortable, are they not? People forget that the Tower was built as a palace, not a prison.’ Joseph sat with his good eye towards Stoner.

Stoner ignored the questions. ‘I have a proposition to make.’

‘Have you now?’ Williamson sounded unsurprised. ‘And what might that be?’

‘In return for telling you what I know of the matters discussed yesterday, safe passage to Denmark.’

‘Indeed. And why would I not simply put the rack to work and achieve the same result?’

‘I might die before you learn anything.’

‘It does happen, admittedly. What do you think, Thomas?’

If this man had stolen the Carringtons’ money, been party to four murders and had Madeleine taken to Dartford, Thomas thought he should be hanged without further ado. However, that would not lead them to Aurum and Argentum. ‘Perhaps we should give the prisoner the opportunity to prove his good faith by telling us about Quicksilver. He does not know what information we already have, and if he lies, we shall know at once. If he tells the truth, we might decide to accept his proposal.’

Williamson looked approvingly at Thomas, who had guessed that it was just the sort of deception he might have suggested himself. They knew next to nothing about Quicksilver, but then Joseph had no authority to use the rack. ‘I agree,’ he said. ‘Begin by telling us everything you know about Quicksilver, Stoner. Then we’ll see.’

Stoner was trapped and he knew it. The only way to save his skin was to do as they wished. ‘Very well. Quicksilver was the name of a fictitious mining enterprise. It purported to mine for precious metals and stones in the New World. I raised money from investors in the business.’

‘What happened to the money?’ Joseph’s questions gave Stoner no time for thought.

‘Some was paid back to investors in order to create the impression of a successful venture and to encourage more investment.’

‘And the rest?’

‘Most of it was sent to Holland.’

‘Most of it?’

‘I kept a small percentage as my fee.’

‘Why did you not keep all of it? Why send it to Holland?’

‘I have – had – an arrangement.’

‘What arrangement?’

‘That I would be fully compensated in due course.’

‘And you believed this arrangement would be honoured?’

‘I did.’

Joseph changed tack. ‘Was Quicksilver also known to some as Argent Vive?’

Thomas saw the look of surprise on Stoner’s face. That was a question he had not expected. ‘I believe it was by some.’

‘Such as Sir Montford Babb?’

‘Yes.’ Stoner squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. ‘I have told you what I know of Quicksilver. Before answering more questions, I need your agreement to my proposal.’

‘And if we don’t give it?’

‘You would risk learning nothing more.’

Thomas thought Joseph was about to accept the offer. He was wrong.

‘We will think about your proposal, Stoner. You will be quite safe here until we have decided what to do.’

‘I am willing to speak now.’

‘We, however, are not willing to listen. Warder, take him back to his room and keep a close watch on him. No privileges.’

The warder wrenched Stoner to his feet and led him away.

‘Why the delay, Joseph?’ asked Thomas.

‘I suspect he was planning to tell us only enough to save his own skin. A second day of contemplation might change his mind. We’ll have another talk with his whore first.’

When the warder brought her in, Molly looked as dishevelled as Stoner had. Red hair a tangled mess, face streaked with dirt and torn dress slipping off her shoulders. Not as Henrietta would have wished for her customers.

‘I’ve remembered something,’ she croaked before she had even been asked a question. ‘’E ’ad visitors.’

‘You’ve already told us that.’

‘I looked out of the window and saw one leaving. Big arse ’e had.’

‘Anything else?’

‘No. ’E was wearing a long coat. Big arse is what I remember. And I over’eard names. Odd names, sounded like Or Rum and some other Rum. And another name. Norland or Morland, it was.’

Joseph and Thomas were on their feet. ‘Are you sure of this?’ demanded Joseph.

‘Course I’m sure. You going to let me go now?’

‘If you are telling the truth, you will be released. If not …’ Joseph turned to the warder. ‘Take her back. Good food and wine.’

Molly screeched at them. ‘I don’t want no fucking food. I want to get out of ’ere.’ She was dragged away struggling and spitting, and cursing them for the shittin’ bastards that they were.

‘To the Post Office for me, Thomas,’ said Joseph. ‘I shall have Morland brought here and then go to Whitehall. Morland and Stoner can both spend the afternoon contemplating their future. Shall we talk to them this evening?’

It was a relief to get out of the Tower and back to Piccadilly. Just the thought of the miserable souls delivered by barge to the Traitors’ Gate, knowing that their next appointment would be with the executioner, was enough to make Thomas’s skin crawl. Two queens of England had been among them.

Madeleine was sitting with Mary and Charles. ‘What news do you bring from the Tower?’ asked Charles. ‘Has Stoner confessed yet?’

‘To Quicksilver, he has. It was a fraud. No mine ever existed.’

‘I am a fool.’

‘Enough of that, Charles,’ said Mary sharply. ‘It’s over and done with. Has he confessed to anything else?’

‘Not yet. Joseph is giving him time to consider his position. And Morland has been arrested.’

‘Is there proof of his guilt?’ asked Madeleine.

‘Not proof, but a suggestion.’ Thomas told them about Molly. ‘I am to return this evening.’

‘Must you, Thomas? It is such a dreadful place.’

‘It is. I would much rather stay here, but Joseph has asked me to assist in the questioning.’

‘Could you not have refused?’

‘That would have been churlish. We might have Morland and Stoner, but the Dutchman is still at large. Not to mention the Alchemist, whoever he is.’