‘He might not be here long,’ said Lowther pointedly. Dodd didn’t reply because in his present mood he might have said something he would regret later. And Janet would have his guts if he lost his place before he had his investment back. Which on current showing might be well into the next century, assuming he lived that long.
‘Keep an eye on him for me, will you Henry?’ Lowther said, the firelight catching his pale prominent eyes and the broken veins on his cheeks and nose. To complete the effect, he made a face which might, if practised, have counted for a smile one day.
‘Ay sir,’ said Dodd woodenly.
‘Good lad.’ Lowther clapped him on the shoulder and headed purposefully across the room to the fire, threading between benches and trestle tables.
Dodd hurried out the door. At the dark foot of the stairs outside, he looked about him impatiently.
‘Where have you put it then?’ Dodd asked, thinking longingly of his bed.
Archie Give-it-Them coughed and the others looked sheepishly at each other. Dodd sighed again.
‘Well?’ he said.
‘We tried, Sergeant,’ said Bangtail Graham, ‘but the new Deputy had a man on the door already and he wouldna let us in, but.’
There was a long moment of silence. Dodd thought of the thirty good English pounds he had given for the sergeant’s post, which was a loan from Janet’s father as an investment, and decided that if he lost his place he would ride to Berwick and take ship for the Low Countries.
‘Good night,’ he said, turned on his heel and walked off to the stables to think.
SUNDAY, 18TH JUNE, NIGHT
Carey saw his sister up the stairs to the Warden’s bedchamber, and she leant on his arm smiling and chattering so happily that he knew how hard it had been for her. Goodwife Biltock was pulling a warming pan out of the great bed.
‘God’s sake, this weather, June, who could believe it...’ she was muttering as she turned and saw him. ‘Oh now,’ she flustered, dropping a curtsey, ‘well, Robin, what a sight...’
Carey crossed the floor in three strides and picked her up to give her a smacking kiss on the cheek. She cuffed his ear.
‘Put me down, bad child, put me...’
Carey put her down and handed her his handkerchief, while Philadelphia smiled and brought her to the stool by the fire until she could collect herself.
Carey was pouring her wine from the flagon on the plate chest, since women’s tears had always had him come out in a sweat. He brought it to her and squatted down beside her.
‘So it’s true Scrope offered you the deputyship,’ she said at last. ‘I never thought...’
‘...I could drag myself away from London?’ Carey made a wry face. ‘Nothing easier when I could feast my eyes on you Goodwife...’
‘Pfff, get away, Robin, your tongue’s been worn too smooth at Court. Well you’re a sight for sore eyes and no mistake and I see you can find a clean handkerchief now which is more than I could say for you once. Will you stay do you think?’
Carey coughed. ‘I don’t know, Goodwife, it depends.’
‘You take care for that Lowther fellow...’
‘Nurse...’ warned Philadelphia.
‘I speak as I find, I’m sure. Where are you lying, Robin, is it warm and dry?’
‘Nowhere better in the castle, it’s in the Queen Mary Tower.’
‘Hah, warm and dry, I doubt. They use the place as a store-room...’
‘Do they?’ said Carey, straightfaced.
‘Oh they do, flour mostly, and I’ll be struck dumb with amazement if the lummocks even thought to air the place, let alone light a fire, I’ll go and...’
‘No need, Nurse,’ said Carey, ‘I’ve a man in there already, and my own body servant will be seeing after making it comfortable, you’re not to trouble yourself.’
‘Well, have you eaten?’
‘I had a bit with the men in the...’
‘Oh in the Lord’s name, old bread and last year’s cheese, and the beer brewed by idiots, I’ll go and fetch something out of my lord’s kitchen, you stay there, Robin, and dry your hose...’
‘Would you have it sent up to my chamber, Nurse. I’ll be going to bed soon.’
Goodwife Biltock opened her mouth to argue, then smiled. ‘There’ll be enough for your servants too,’ she said. ‘Be sure you eat your share, I know you. Good night, Robin.’ She reached over and ruffled his hair, heaved herself up and bustled out, rump swinging beneath a let out gown of Philadelphia’s. She looked very fine in green velvet, though worn and of an old style. But then the Goodwife had always liked to look well, even when she was nursing Carey babies.
‘Didn’t you tell her?’ Carey asked as he took her place on the stool.
‘No one was sure you were coming until your messenger arrived this morning while we were all in church. I made Scrope send Carleton out. And I didn’t want to disappoint her in case the Queen called you back before you got here.’
Philadelphia brought up the other stool and settled down facing him.
‘Be very careful of Lowther, Robin, he’s the reason...’
‘...why I’m here. So I gathered.’
