“Does this mean I won’t…?” Tom bit his lip.

“Go on. Ask.”

“Er… could I still train with Sir William Leech?”

“That monster? Odd’s fish. I think I still have the bruises he gave me when I was your age.” The king looked amused. “What do you say, gentlemen? Should I permit it?”

“My apprentice,” Walsingham said softly, “does appear to find himself in places he shouldn’t. A well-trained guard would be prudent.”

Lord Ashcombe shrugged. “If Your Majesty wills it.”

“My Majesty does. Go on, Thomas, rest. All is well.”

Tom bowed and left. They watched him limp away.

“What an extraordinary young man,” Charles said, wistful. “Come, friends. Let’s drink the night away.”

Lord Ashcombe and Charles turned to leave. Time for me to sneak out of here, too.

Walsingham stopped us all. “With your permission, sire, I’ll join you in a moment. There is a matter I must attend to.”

“Oh? Very well. Hurry, then.”

The king left with Lord Ashcombe. Walsingham waited until they’d disappeared. Then he spoke. It was the first time I’d ever heard him raise his voice above a murmur.

“Loyalty like that is so rare.” His words carried through the garden. “Don’t you think?”

I froze.

The spymaster waited, his back to me.

Finally, sheepishly, I stood. “Yes, my lord.”

He turned and looked up. “I dislike speaking this way.”

I went downstairs, burning red. “Sorry, my lord.”

“For what?” Walsingham said.

“Well… for spying on you. And His Majesty.”

“That’s your job.”

“I thought it was to spy on other people.”

He shrugged. “Do as you need. If there is trouble, I will sort it out.”

The man continued to surprise me. But there was something else I was sorry for. Something that left me deeply ashamed.

“I failed you,” I said.

“How?”

“The king was nearly killed because of me. I was duped.”

“So were we all. As I told you before, your job is to keep us informed. The decision—the responsibility—is ours.”

“But—”

“Your efforts to accept blame are tedious,” the spymaster said, and that was the end of that. “On to other matters. I have examined Ardrey’s corpse. I agree with your conclusion. He was bound at the time of the explosion. So we may be certain: A traitor still walks among us.”

“What about the groom who tried to stop me?” I said.

“He confesses to being a Covenanter. He denies knowledge of other conspirators. He claims instructions came only by letter.”

“Do you believe him?”

“He was questioned most vigorously. Could he withstand such pressure?” Walsingham shrugged. “There are men who can. I think, however, he is not one of them. I consider his statements credible. He is a traitor, but not the traitor.”

“Do you know who that is?” I said.

“No. Do you?”

That took me aback a little. “In the palace? I’m sorry, my lord, I don’t know enough people here to say.”

“It appears none of us do. I like these flowers.”