A Murder too Soon Read online

  She looked at me, then at Blount. ‘I am most grateful to you, Master Jack. How can I repay you?’

  I was tempted to inquire how full was her money chest, but just then I was too weary to bother. ‘Lady, your thanks is all I need. I wanted to see justice done, and prevent the perversion of justice by seeing Lady Anne and Sir Henry suffer. There is already enough suffering in the kingdom.’

  ‘Then go, and take my blessings with you.’

  I hesitated. ‘There is one question, if I may?’

  She graciously inclined her head. ‘I think I owe you enough to justify a response, Master Blackjack.’

  ‘It is this. Harvey told me that he found the seal and told the men-at-arms they might discover it. How was it that they did not succeed?’

  She smiled then, a great smile of delight. ‘I and my ladies knew it would be found, so when I went to the chapel while they hunted, I took the seal with me and concealed it.’

  ‘Where?’

  ‘In the little stoup of Holy water by the door. I felt that if it were guarded in Holy Water, it could not incriminate me. And, you see, I was right!’

  EPILOGUE

  It was two days later that I jogged along from Woodstock to take the London road. Master Blount was with me, and his two companions, but they were all who accompanied us. Harvey was to remain at Woodstock, accused of murder, and would soon be visited by the Justices of Gaol Delivery. After that, I felt his life expectancy would reduce rapidly.

  ‘So you mean to say that you did not, after all, murder Lady Margery?’ Blount said again.

  ‘It was too soon for me. I was still studying her and the palace to see how best to do so,’ I said loftily.

  Will, behind me, snorted. I chose to ignore his rudeness.

  ‘So why did Harvey kill Lady Margery? He could simply have robbed her.’

  ‘And have the fact that she had been robbed made so plain at the outset? It was easier to leave her death as a mystery, and hope that it would confuse matters still more. Besides, once the discovery of the forged letter came into the open, it was safe to think that the murder would become irrelevant. The Queen would not care who had killed Margery, were she to learn that her half-sister had tried to kill her.’

  Will grunted. ‘That makes sense. Once Harvey had planted the idea of a plot against her rule, she would naturally forget about some gentlewoman’s death.’

  ‘What will happen to young Gilbert?’ I asked.

  Blount shrugged. ‘I believe that the Percy clan have asked for him to be returned to them. No doubt they will look after the boy.’

  ‘And Sir Walter?’

  ‘He’ll disappear. Join a minor lord, or travel to Europe to seek a war. The sooner he leaves the kingdom, the happier I’ll be.’

  ‘Squire George is the man I feel most sorry for,’ I said. ‘He made the mistake of falling in love, marrying without permission, and now he’s lost everything.’

  ‘He’ll cope,’ Blount said unfeelingly. ‘He’s young. He’ll find another woman and make a new life.’

  His lack of sympathy grated on me, but for now I could shrug it off. Falkes was in a gaol at Woodstock still, and would be unlikely to be released for a while. By the time he was freed, it was likely that his little empire in London would have been taken over by a business rival, which meant I was unlikely to have to worry about him. Meanwhile, Jen would be without a protector. That meant I could hope for some more horizontal coursing without fear. Blount had that very morning handed me a heavy purse to join the ones that Sir Thomas and the Princess had given me.

  ‘A high-born lady wanted you to know that she appreciated your help,’ he said.

  It still lay against my belly, under my shirt – a pleasantly weighty purse that went well with the other that she had given me earlier, and the one Sir Thomas had given me. So it was a battered, bruised, but contented Jack who rode back towards town.

  I gave little thought to my surroundings as we entered a town on our second day’s ride. It was familiar, but I thought little of it. We entered an inn, gave our mounts to the grooms, and entered in time to ask for some food. After our repast, I heard the sound of raucous pleasure in a back room. Wandering out to seek the source, my purses rattling happily, I found a game of dice in full flow.

  I have always enjoyed dice. Barging my way through the yokels and tatterdemalions who were ringing the game, I stood and peered down. It was loud, and these fools were easy prey for a fellow from London.

  But I didn’t like the way that a man at the other side of the room suddenly stared. He looked horribly familiar, somehow. Then the game ceased and there was a sharp silence. I felt men drawing near behind me, and two men before me drew knives.

  ‘Hey! You’re the man sold us that good luck potion!’

  ‘Shit!’ I said, and took to my heels.