He nodded curtly and stepped aside. I entered a room with rushes on the floor, the only furniture a trestle table bearing a large sconce of candles, with stools around. A rickety staircase led to the upper floor. On one of the stools sat Nicholas, his hands bound behind him and a gag in his mouth. He had a black eye, crusted blood on the gag and in his matted red hair. Behind him stood another young man; tall, in gentlemanly clothing – a good green doublet, with embroidery at the sleeves and neck of his shirt. He had keen, foxy features and a neatly trimmed fair beard. The outer half of his left ear was missing; at some point it had been sliced clean off, leaving only shiny scar tissue. He held a sword to Nicholas’s throat; the boy stared at me with frantic eyes.

The man who had let me in closed the door. ‘No sign of anyone else, Gower?’ his companion with the damaged ear asked in cultivated tones.

‘No, Master Stice. And he’s watching above.’ He cocked his head towards the staircase.

The other man nodded, his sword still held to Nicholas’s throat. I thought, they’ve let me know both their names; that doesn’t bode well for us. Stice looked at me then; his grey eyes were cool, appraising. He took the sword slowly away from Nicholas’s throat and smiled.

‘So, Master Shardlake, you came. We didn’t think you would, but our master disagreed. He says you have courage and loyalty both.’

Gower stepped over, looking at me with his angry eyes. ‘Perhaps you like the boy, eh, hunchback? Someone like you won’t have much luck with women. Would have thought you could have done better than this beanpole, though.’

‘Leave him alone, Gower,’ Stice snapped impatiently. ‘We’ve business to conduct, no time for jests.’

I looked at Stice contemptuously. ‘What have you done to Nicholas?’

‘We had to knock him out to get him here. And he wasn’t very cooperative when he woke up. Gower had to give him a lesson in manners.’

‘I have come as you asked. Release him.’

Stice nodded. ‘You can have him, though Leonard here would have relished preparing his head to send you.’ He glanced at Gower. ‘Full of funny ideas is Leonard. He thinks you’re a sodomite.’ I would not have dared to mock the man like that, but he took it from Stice, who reached behind Nicholas and untied the gag, then used his sword to slice through his bonds. Gower went and stood beside Nicholas, hand held meaningfully on his knife, as the boy pulled the gag from his mouth. Eventually he spoke in a dry, hoarse voice. ‘I’m so sorry, sir.’

‘It is my fault,’ I said quietly. ‘I led you into danger.’