I shook my head. If the truth be told I did not know whether or not Christ’s body and blood were present in the Mass, and now did not much care. But to bring ordinary people to such a state of fear was evil.

He continued quietly, ‘When Parliament passed the act dissolving the chantries at the end of last year, our vicar thought the tide was turning his way and said some – well, I suppose, some careless things.’ He looked at me with his clear blue eyes. ‘He was questioned, and members of the congregation watched.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Has anyone asked you about me?’

‘Nobody. I have heard nothing, apart from Isabel Slanning’s rantings.’

He nodded. ‘I am sorry to ask, but my wife is anxious. Ah – ’ His voice became suddenly cheerful. ‘Here she is. Now you will learn what a fine cook Ethelreda is.’

I HAD EATEN BETTER MEALS; the capon was a little overdone, the vegetables mushy, but I made sure to praise the food to Ethelreda. Coleswyn and I tried to keep the conversation light, but his wife was preoccupied, smiling bravely at our jests about life at the Inns of Court, only picking at her food.

Coleswyn said, ‘You have been a Serjeant at Law for some time. Perhaps you will be awarded a judgeship soon. It is the next step.’

‘I have made too many enemies along the way for that, I think. And I have never been sufficiently conformist – in religion or aught else.’

‘Would you like to be a judge? I think you would be a fair one.’

‘No. I would either let people off or sentence them too severely. And seriously, I would not welcome having to waste time on all the flummery and ceremonial.’

‘Some would give their right hands for a judgeship.’

I smiled. ‘What is it the psalm says? “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher. All is vanity.”’

‘And so it is,’ Ethelreda said quietly.

Outside, the light began to fade. The noises from the street lessened as curfew approached; through the open shutters I heard the lost dog whine as it wandered up and down the street.

‘This is the finest summer in some years,’ I observed. ‘Warm, but not too hot.’

‘And just enough rain to keep the crops from drying out,’ Coleswyn agreed. ‘Remember the hailstorms last year? And all the men taken from work in the fields when we thought the French about to invade?’

‘All too well.’

‘Do you think this peace will last?’

‘They are making much of it.’