“But what if they weren’t? What if the letters never arrived because they’d been intercepted?”

“By the Raven,” Walsingham said.

“Yes.”

He stood there, silent.

“I really think—”

The spymaster raised a hand. “Your logic is sound. I agree.”

I slumped in relief. I hadn’t realized just how badly I’d needed to be believed.

“There is another incident,” Walsingham said, “of which you are unaware. The attack on His Majesty was not the only event of yesterday.”

He finally turned away from the flowers. “Late last night,” he said, “while the party continued at Berkshire House, the vault in the secret passage was robbed.”

“What?” That didn’t make sense. “Sally didn’t say she collected the guards from underground.”

“She didn’t. Those soldiers died at their post. We found them shot in the back, with crossbow bolts.”

I was stunned. “How could this happen?”

“From what I’ve been able to gather,” Walsingham said, “I believe someone at the party went down to the cellar and opened the secret entrance. This had to be planned—for when the King’s Men confronted the intruder, they were shot from behind.

“The conspirators must have entered from Saint James’s Park. Crossbows were used, I suspect, so there would be no noise of gunshots. The locks were then picked, and the jewelry looted, carried back out through the park. I imagine the ringleader even returned to the party.

“Covenanters would not have split their forces to attack the king and rob him at the same time. This was the work of someone else: a man who knew the ambush would take place, but cared nothing for its outcome. All he wanted was the money.”

“The Raven,” I whispered.

“Combined with the personal knowledge of you, and the letters you were sent? It is the only reasonable conclusion.”

Now it all made sense. The Raven had been working with the Covenanters all along. He’d sent me the letters, knowing I’d think they were from the Templars, so I’d follow the clues, expose the plot against the king, and help get Charles out of the palace so he could be ambushed.

But as the Raven had used me, so had he used the Covenanters. Their struggle didn’t mean anything to him. Instead, he’d exploited the fact that most of the King’s Men were away so he could rob the secret treasury.

And at the same time, he’d somehow discovered who was in the London chapter of the Knights Templar. He’d lured Domhnall Ardrey to the Banqueting House so I would see him and think him an enemy. Then he’d planted the fake letter in Ardrey’s desk to pin the blame on the baron, before blowing up their chapter house, killing them all.

Revenge on me, for stealing his treasure in Paris. Revenge on the Templars. And he’d made himself richer in the process. How he must be laughing at me.

“What do we do now?” I said miserably.

“All we can,” Walsingham said. “You investigate at your end. I shall investigate at mine. If you need assistance, let me know. I will do the same.”