torn. Confused. Frightened.”
The second voice was deeper, but Luke had to strain to hear the words. He closed his eyes, the better to concentrate.
“Then you must try harder. You know the price of failure.”
The second voice adopted a pleading tone.
“It is not that simple. You must give me more time.”
“Ah,” the light voice had taken on an edge of amused malice. “Time. The plea of bunglers throughout the ages. There is no more time. Do as you have been instructed.”
Luke heard the second man begin a protest, cut off by an oath from the first.
“You may go, but I shall be watching you. Now remove yourself from my sight.”
Luke waited until all sounds of movement had ceased. He eased his head out from the safety of the hanging. The chapel was empty. Gwenette seized his arm.
“Did you hear what they said? What were they talking about?”
Luke rubbed his bearded chin.
“I have no idea, but I am sure of one thing, Gwenette. It is nothing good.”
Chapter Six
By unspoken agreement, they separated at the chapel door. Luke stood in the shadows watching Gwenette flit around the corner on her way to Queen Anne’s rooms. As soon as she vanished from view, he swung round and stole into the park, returning to his house via the Outer Green gate. His nose lifted in alarm the second he entered the shop. Joss bristled and growled.
“Who has been here?”
“I do not know, master.”
Rob’s face was pale, eyes clouded, and his hand plucked his hair into disorder. Luke checked his initial reaction to shake the boy, instead pushing him down onto the settle and examining each part of the shop.
“Been cleaning out the gallipots, lad?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“Aye, she was just standing there when I turned round. I never heard her come in.”
Luke poured a jack of small beer and pushed it into Rob’s hand.
“Drink this, gather your wits and tell me all. Start with who ‘she’ is and go on from there.”
“I do not know who she is, Master, simply that she was here.”
“What did she want?”
A frown creased the boy’s face. He seemed to talk almost to himself.
“It was as if she spoke to me without speaking. She said she had been a friend of the dead girl. I’ll warrant she had not eaten for days, poor maid.”
“A servant of the Queen, then?” Luke watched Rob, frowning at the boy’s unusual languor of speech.
“So young, so lost,” Rob continued. “Great golden eyes pleading for help. I failed her.” He lifted a troubled face to Luke. “I asked her who sent her and she said she could not remember, but my questions frightened her.”
“Did she tell you her name?”
“I must find out where she is and go to her aid.” Rob put the leather tankard on the counter and jumped to his feet. Luke put out a hand to stop him, but Rob pushed against it and the resultant struggle shocked both of them into immobility. They stared at each other, panting.
“What’s wrong with you, boy?”
“I...I cannot say. I just know I must be where she is.”
“Sit down.” Luke felt more than alarmed by Rob’s frantic insistence. The odor he had discerned when he returned to the shop had nearly dissipated. Was Rob’s strange behavior related to it? Testing his theory, Luke shut the shop door and looked at Joss, who seated herself in front of it. Slipping behind the counter, Luke grasped a jar of golden powder. He trusted Joss to hinder any effort on Rob’s part to escape.
“May I go now?” The boy’s voice was tight with anger.
“Rob, do you trust me?”
“Of course, Master.” Grudging tone, but truth nonetheless.
“Then waiting a few more moments cannot harm, can it?”
Luke shook the powder into a mortar and added a few more ingredients, mixing them until a pungent smell flooded the shop.
“Just come over here, lad and tell me if you think this smells wholesome.”
“Very well, Master, but then I must go.”
Rob bent down to sniff the contents. At once his eyes grew heavy,
The second voice was deeper, but Luke had to strain to hear the words. He closed his eyes, the better to concentrate.
“Then you must try harder. You know the price of failure.”
The second voice adopted a pleading tone.
“It is not that simple. You must give me more time.”
“Ah,” the light voice had taken on an edge of amused malice. “Time. The plea of bunglers throughout the ages. There is no more time. Do as you have been instructed.”
Luke heard the second man begin a protest, cut off by an oath from the first.
“You may go, but I shall be watching you. Now remove yourself from my sight.”
Luke waited until all sounds of movement had ceased. He eased his head out from the safety of the hanging. The chapel was empty. Gwenette seized his arm.
“Did you hear what they said? What were they talking about?”
Luke rubbed his bearded chin.
“I have no idea, but I am sure of one thing, Gwenette. It is nothing good.”
Chapter Six
By unspoken agreement, they separated at the chapel door. Luke stood in the shadows watching Gwenette flit around the corner on her way to Queen Anne’s rooms. As soon as she vanished from view, he swung round and stole into the park, returning to his house via the Outer Green gate. His nose lifted in alarm the second he entered the shop. Joss bristled and growled.
“Who has been here?”
“I do not know, master.”
Rob’s face was pale, eyes clouded, and his hand plucked his hair into disorder. Luke checked his initial reaction to shake the boy, instead pushing him down onto the settle and examining each part of the shop.
“Been cleaning out the gallipots, lad?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“Aye, she was just standing there when I turned round. I never heard her come in.”
Luke poured a jack of small beer and pushed it into Rob’s hand.
“Drink this, gather your wits and tell me all. Start with who ‘she’ is and go on from there.”
“I do not know who she is, Master, simply that she was here.”
“What did she want?”
A frown creased the boy’s face. He seemed to talk almost to himself.
“It was as if she spoke to me without speaking. She said she had been a friend of the dead girl. I’ll warrant she had not eaten for days, poor maid.”
“A servant of the Queen, then?” Luke watched Rob, frowning at the boy’s unusual languor of speech.
“So young, so lost,” Rob continued. “Great golden eyes pleading for help. I failed her.” He lifted a troubled face to Luke. “I asked her who sent her and she said she could not remember, but my questions frightened her.”
“Did she tell you her name?”
“I must find out where she is and go to her aid.” Rob put the leather tankard on the counter and jumped to his feet. Luke put out a hand to stop him, but Rob pushed against it and the resultant struggle shocked both of them into immobility. They stared at each other, panting.
“What’s wrong with you, boy?”
“I...I cannot say. I just know I must be where she is.”
“Sit down.” Luke felt more than alarmed by Rob’s frantic insistence. The odor he had discerned when he returned to the shop had nearly dissipated. Was Rob’s strange behavior related to it? Testing his theory, Luke shut the shop door and looked at Joss, who seated herself in front of it. Slipping behind the counter, Luke grasped a jar of golden powder. He trusted Joss to hinder any effort on Rob’s part to escape.
“May I go now?” The boy’s voice was tight with anger.
“Rob, do you trust me?”
“Of course, Master.” Grudging tone, but truth nonetheless.
“Then waiting a few more moments cannot harm, can it?”
Luke shook the powder into a mortar and added a few more ingredients, mixing them until a pungent smell flooded the shop.
“Just come over here, lad and tell me if you think this smells wholesome.”
“Very well, Master, but then I must go.”
Rob bent down to sniff the contents. At once his eyes grew heavy,
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