Two men lay silent on the beds. Philip Coleswyn got up at once. He was in his robe; the shirt collar above his doublet untied, his normally neat brown hair and beard untidy. Edward Cotterstoke turned to look at me but did not rise. At the inspection of the painting I had marked his resemblance to his sister, not only physically but in his haughty, angry manner. Today, though, he looked frightened, and more than that, haunted. He was dressed only in his shirt and hose. From those protuberant blue eyes, so like Isabel’s, he regarded me with a lost, hopeless stare. Behind me the door slammed shut and a key turned.

Philip said, ‘Dear Heaven, Matthew! I heard you were being brought in. Isabel Slanning must have done this – ’

‘What have they told you?’

‘Only that we are to appear before the Privy Council tomorrow, on heresy charges. I was taken by the constable at dawn, as was Master Cotterstoke.’

‘So was I. It makes no sense. I am no heretic.’

Philip sat on the bed, wiping his brow. ‘I know. Yet I – ’ he lowered his voice – ‘I have had reason to fear. But I have been careful not to speak heresy in public. Edward, too.’

‘And your vicar? Has he spoken carelessly?’

‘Not to my knowledge. If he had, surely he would have been arrested, too.’

I nodded at the sense of this. ‘The only thing that connects the three of us is that wretched case.’

Edward, from his bed, spoke softly. ‘Isabel has undone us all.’ Then to my surprise he curled up his legs and lay hunched on the bed, like a child. It was a strange thing to see in a grown man.

Philip shook his head. ‘I fear you have been caught up in this because of suspicions against me and Edward.’

‘But Isabel’s conspiracy charge is ridiculous, easily disproved! Surely we would not be hauled before the council on Isabel’s word alone. Unless,’ I took a deep breath, ‘unless her complaint is being used by someone else, someone who wishes to see me undone.’

Philip frowned. ‘Who?’

‘I do not know. But Philip, I have been involved, perhaps against my better judgement, in matters of state. I could have enemies on the Privy Council. But friends, too, powerful friends. Why would I be attacked now?’ My mind was in a whirl. Could this be the moment after all when whoever was the holder of the Lamentation had decided to expose it? And question me about the hunt to find it? I had never spoken with the Queen or Lord Parr about what we would do with the Lamentation should we recover it; but I knew Lord Parr would almost certainly have the book destroyed. To ensure the King never saw it.