D. Wilson - The Traitor’s Mark

‘He seems very confident,’ I said, when Morice and I were alone.

He smiled ruefully. ‘Yes, I’ve had to listen to him all the way from Croydon. However, he is good. He knows the law and he can use it.’

‘That l ean believe. I’m glad you found out about this Brooke rogue so quickly.’

‘I was lucky. Christopher Barker the herald knows him quite well. His land at Wanstead borders one of the Brooke manors. He was able to provide much information about the family history.’

‘But not, I imagine, about Brooke’s more nefarious activities.’

‘No, but it was not difficult to make the necessary connections. By the way, I must apologise for some of the things I said on Saturday.’

‘You had every reason to be angry. I’m only glad we have discovered the right person now. Presumably you will be arresting him immediately.’

‘I’m afraid it’s not that simple. We would have to convince a King’s Bench jury.’

‘But we have proof – Holbein’s notes.’

‘Brooke will deny them and he will be supported by his extremely powerful accomplices. They will know we can’t produce the artist to back up his testimony.’

‘Surely the law is not so stupid!’ I stood up and paced across to the window. ‘It cannot be that all we have been through was in vain.’

‘No, we still have the advantage of surprise. Brooke doesn’t know we’ve discovered him.’

‘So what is the plan?’

‘I haven’t worked that out yet.’

‘Well, we don’t have much time. Brooke’s ruffians are increasingly active.’ I told Morice about the latest attacks. ‘They’re obviously seizing men they can frighten into giving false testimony against the archbishop. If they can bring him down they’ll have achieved their objective.’

‘I know. And they will also have the support of his grace’s enemies in Canterbury. The anti-Cranmer faction among the senior clergy is becoming more confident. You can sense it. They don’t have the respect for his grace that they should have and they’re beginning to be more open with their criticisms. Germain Gardiner’s visits have become more frequent and he always brings letters from his uncle, the bishop. We have tried to intercept this correspondence, so far without success.’

I returned to the table and stood, staring down at Morice. ‘Then ’tis becoming a race,’ I suggested, ‘between those intent on discrediting the archbishop and those determined to expose his grace’s enemies. Success will go to those who can present to the king a case that persuades him to take action.’

‘His majesty has complete trust in his grace.’ Morice seemed remarkably placid.

‘His majesty had complete trust in Thomas Cromwell,’ I said.

*

When James returned I prepared to take my leave.

‘Dr Legh wants you to stay,’ he said. ‘He says we need to pool our knowledge if we are to draw up a comprehensive list of potential troublemakers.’

‘I am loyal to the archbishop,’ I said, ‘and I grant that we must do all we can to protect him from subtle schemers and violent foes. Yet I like not this making of lists, dividing all our neighbours into sheep and goats. A man may be uneasy about some of the changes being made in Church and state without being guilty of treason.’

Morice nodded. ‘In normal times I would agree with you, Thomas, but these are not normal times. You have seen for yourself the violence of those who oppose us. We are, as his grace has pointed out to you, at war. In war it does not pay to yield a single yard of ground to the enemy. Therefore we have to fight force with force and subtlety with subtlety.’

‘In the name of the Gospel?’

Morice sighed. ‘Even in the name of the Gospel.’

A heavy step on the stair warned of Legh’s approach. He came in and lowered himself on to a chair, which creaked as he did so. ‘Right, to business, to business. Sir James we will require paper, pens and ink.’

When these had been supplied, he allocated them to each of us seated round the table.

‘We will need two lists,’ he said, ‘one for clergy and one for the leaders of shire society. Please write down the names of everyone who, in your opinion, merits investigation. Be sure not to omit anyone. If you are in doubt set down the name. My questioning will determine who is innocent and who guilty.’

When we had written down all the names that we could think of, we compared notes and Ralph Morice drew up a master list. It comprised more than twenty parish clergy, gentlemen and townsmen. Legh ran his eyes over the list approvingly. ‘This largely agrees with the catalogue of villainy we have already produced,’ he said. ‘But there are a few more here. Tomorrow I will send for them also. We will make an early start on Saturday. Master Treviot, I look forward to seeing you then.’

Thus dismissed, I made my way home, saddened by the dividing walls now appearing in our rural society but saddened much more by the fact that events were manoeuvring me into the role of informant against county neighbours I had known for years.

During my absence Francis Stumgood had arrived. I explained that he would have two more members in his class. ‘I know not what schooling they have had until now,’ I said, ‘but they are intelligent boys and, I think, apt to learn. The elder, Carl, seems mature for his age. His brother is more excitable, energetic, restless. He may need harder discipline. But I counsel you to be easy on them until you have got to know them. These last days have been very hard for them.’

‘I will, Master.’ He ran a hand over his thinning hair. ‘As for young Master Raphael, I must first discover what he has remembered – or, perhaps, forgotten – since we last met.’

‘I’m afraid you may need to give me a taste of the birch on that account. I have been much away and not kept Raffy at his studies. Anyway, let’s go and find them.’

The children were in the hall with Adie playing ninepins. An ‘alley’ had been set up by laying benches on their sides. Within this space the rushes had been cleared to make a smooth surface for the wooden balls to roll on. Adie was helping Annie when her turn came. Together they rolled the ball from halfway along the course. The boys, as usual, were locked in noisy competition. Lizzie sat watching and feeding her baby.

I went over to the players to introduce the teacher. ‘This is Master Stumgood. He will be giving lessons to you boys from now on. You will go to him every morning at seven o’clock and study until noon.’

The three reluctant pupils pulled long faces.

The tutor responded with a frown. ‘You must start to be men. That means learning the wisdom written down for us by all the best and wisest men who have lived. You are not infants any more. Infants have nurses. Young men have teachers who can open their minds.’

I saw the shadow fall across Adie’s face and hastened to introduce her. ‘This is Mistress Imray. She is guardian to Carl and Henry. She fills the gap left by their parents – and she does so admirably.’ I hoped that my words reassured Adie but sadness remained written across her features. Little Henry went over to her and held her hand. He turned and stuck out his tongue at Sturngood. Dear God, I thought, I have enough conflicts to deal with. I don’t need another war in my own household.

The following morning I looked in briefly on the chamber on the top floor that had been set aside as a schoolroom. Everything seemed in order. The boys were seated on their stools, heads bent over hornbooks. Stumgood was moving between them, checking their work and commenting on their progress. I thought I would suggest later that he did not need to be constantly tapping his leg with his birch.

I went in search of Adie and found her in her accustomed kitchen corner, sitting alone and doing nothing. ‘Will you walk with me?’ I asked. ‘’Tis a fine morning.’