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Chapters (56)
  1. Chapter One
  2. Chapter Two
  3. Chapter Three
  4. Chapter Four
  5. Chapter Five
  6. Chapter Six
  7. Chapter Seven
  8. Chapter Eight
  9. Chapter Nine
  10. Chapter Ten
  11. Chapter Eleven
  12. Chapter Twelve
  13. Chapter Thirteen
  14. Chapter Fourteen
  15. Chapter Fifteen
  16. Chapter Sixteen
  17. Chapter Seventeen
  18. Chapter Eighteen
  19. Chapter Nineteen
  20. Chapter Twenty
  21. Chapter Twenty-one
  22. Chapter Twenty-two
  23. Chapter Twenty-three
  24. Chapter Twenty-four
  25. Chapter Twenty-five
  26. Chapter Twenty-six
  27. Chapter Twenty-seven
  28. Chapter Twenty-eight
  29. Chapter Twenty-nine
  30. Chapter Thirty
  31. Chapter Thirty-one
  32. Chapter Thirty-two
  33. Chapter Thirty-three
  34. Chapter Thirty-four
  35. Chapter Thirty-five
  36. Chapter Thirty-six
  37. Chapter Thirty-seven
  38. Chapter Thirty-eight
  39. Chapter Thirty-nine
  40. Chapter Forty
  41. Chapter Forty-one
  42. Chapter Forty-two
  43. Chapter Forty-three
  44. Chapter Forty-four
  45. Chapter Forty-five
  46. Chapter Forty-six
  47. Chapter Forty-seven
  48. Chapter Forty-eight
  49. Chapter Forty-nine
  50. Chapter Fifty
  51. Chapter Fifty-one
  52. Chapter Fifty-two
  53. Chapter Fifty-three
  54. Epilogue
  55. A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  56. H ISTORICAL N OTE

Lord Paget looked between us, then inclined his head. ‘Yes. I think it is. Mistress Slanning, you are a vicious and vexatious creature. You have wasted our time.’ Isabel gasped, fighting now to control her emotions. Paget turned to us. ‘Gentlemen, we will discuss this a little further between ourselves. All of you wait outside until council business is finished.’ He made a signal to the guards and we were led away.

WE WERE RETURNED to the room where we had waited before. As soon as the door was closed I spoke to Philip in heartfelt tones. ‘Well done, and thank you. You answered well.’

He replied sorrowfully, ‘One must speak more with the wisdom of the serpent than the innocence of the dove, where matters of faith are concerned. Jesus Christ said so.’ He looked at me. ‘Do you think we will be released now?’

‘I have every hope. Isabel made a fool of herself. We are lucky I have friends on the council, and Rich has his own reasons not to see me brought down. Paget, too, seemed won over to our side.’

‘Yes.’ He frowned. ‘Gardiner and Wriothesley would have taken the chance to examine us further about our beliefs, which for me at least would have been – a concern.’

Edward had sat down on the windowsill, his back to the magnificent view of the river, and put his head in his hands. I said to him, ‘You did well too, sir.’

He looked up. It was as though all the energy had drained from him once more; he seemed again the exhausted, tormented figure of the day before. He spoke quietly, ‘You told me I must stand firm, lest they use these allegations to build a case against the Queen’s friends. But now it is over– the other matter remains: what Isabel and I did.’ He looked at Philip. ‘And I know I must pay.’

Before Philip could answer, the door opened. Richard Rich entered. He looked at Philip and Edward, who stood hastily. ‘You two,’ he snapped, ‘outside. Wait in the corridor with the guards. I want to talk to Shardlake.’

Philip and Edward did as he ordered. Rich pushed the door shut and turned to me. His face wore a strange expression, half-admiring, half-angry. ‘Well, Master Shardlake, you got out of that one. With my help. It was a strange thing to give it, sitting between Wriothesley and Gardiner, who, knowing our history, thought I would be glad to see you burned.’ He laughed mirthlessly. ‘A strange feeling.’

I looked back at him. He deserved no thanks, for like Dyrick he had sought only to protect his own skin. I kept my voice low. ‘Who wanted that matter brought before the Council, Sir Richard? Normally such a silly accusation would surely not have gone there? And why? Was it to do with the Queen? Gardiner said—’