‘The other aspect of the mission is to discover who stole the manuscript from here. It has to be someone with access to the Queen’s chamber. You will have to be sworn in as an assistant on the Queen’s Learned Council, as of this afternoon. You will be given a new robe with the Queen’s badge sewn into it; wear the robe when you are making enquiries within the palace. Wear your ordinary robe when you are looking into the Greening murder – there you should not be visibly connected to the Queen.’

‘Very well.’

Lord Parr nodded approvingly. Cranmer glanced at me, then quickly away; a look of pity, I thought, or perhaps doubt.

Lord Parr continued, ‘So far as investigations at the palace are concerned, you are known to have worked for the Queen on legal cases before. The story we will put around is that a valuable jewel, a ring bequeathed to her by her stepdaughter, has been stolen from the Queen’s coffer. Just to be sure, I have taken the ring and have it in safekeeping. It is worth a great deal. The Queen’s closeness to Margaret Neville, too, is well known; everyone will understand her eagerness that it be found. You will have authority to question servants in the Queen’s household about who might have gained access to that coffer. As it happens, some time ago a pageboy stole a jewel from one of the Queen’s ladies and after an investigation was caught. At the Queen’s insistence he was pardoned, because of his youth. People will remember that.’ He looked at me. ‘I would conduct the investigation myself, but for someone of my seniority to be seen taking this on personally would cause surprise. And in this place an outsider can often see things more clearly.’ He sighed. ‘The world of the court is an incestuous one. I am happier on my estates, I confess, but my duty lies here now.’

‘I am known as an enemy to certain on the King’s Council.’ I spoke hesitantly. ‘The Duke of Norfolk; above all, Richard Rich. And I once angered the King himself.’

Cranmer said, ‘Those are old matters, Matthew. And your investigations will be confined to the Queen’s household. If you uncover anything that seems to go wider, tell us and we will deal with it. I will not be returning to Canterbury until this is settled.’

‘Forgive me, my Lord Archbishop,’ I said, ‘but word may still get to Norfolk or Rich. You spoke of spies reporting what Gardiner said to you from the King’s Privy Chamber . . .’

‘Sympathizers,’ Cranmer replied reprovingly, ‘not spies.’

‘But may there not be those within the Queen’s household who sympathize with the opponents of reform? The very fact the manuscript was stolen suggests as much.’