quest.’
‘Thomasyn Jade,’ Lady Trevail said, emphasising every syllable. ‘Wasn’t she the—’
‘Yes, Lucia, she was the poor young girl who was subjected to such horrible torments by those egregious priests. The things they did to her were beyond hideous.’ Lady Susan turned to Shakespeare. ‘But pray tell me, why are you looking for her now? Do you believe her alive? To speak true, I feared that, in her insanity, she had run away with intent to destroy herself.’
‘I regret I have no idea whether she is alive or dead.’
‘But why are you looking for her, Mr Shakespeare?’ Lady Trevail said. ‘What interest can Sir Robert’s chief intelligencer have in her?’
‘I cannot say. Did you meet the girl, Lady Trevail?’
‘Indeed, I did. And felt deeply for the poor thing.’
His eyes scanned the assembled ladies. ‘Do any of you know where she might have gone?’
‘I had believed her to come from Buckinghamshire, Sir George Peckham’s seat,’ Lady Susan said. ‘For that was where these rituals took place. But, Mr Shakespeare, this is most unusual and mysterious. Can you not give us a little notion of the reason for this strange visit?’
‘No, my lady.’
‘But it is clearly important to you and Sir Robert.’
‘Indeed, it is.’
The countess sighed. ‘I have thought about her often and would dearly love to discover what became of her. Mr Shakespeare, I shall do all I can to help.’
‘We will all do what we can,’ Lady Trevail said, to approving glances and nods from the Countess of Cumberland and Emilia Lanier. Only the girl by the fire, Beatrice, did not respond, nor even seem interested.
Shakespeare bowed again. ‘Thank you. In which case, Lady Susan, I would be grateful to hear all that you remember of her. Whom she met, whom she talked with.’
‘She was not well, physically or in the mind. I offered her sanctuary, for she needed a safe and loving home to recover from her torments.’
A maidservant came in with a tray bearing wine and a goblet for Shakespeare. He took it with gratitude and sipped the wine, which was sweet and smooth.
‘She was with us a week,’ Lady Susan continued. ‘I did not have her brought here as a servant, but as a pupil, just as I educated my friend Mistress Lanier here in her youth.’ She nodded towards Emilia. ‘It is the correct way, Mr Shakespeare. Girls need education as much as boys. Is not Elizabeth herself among the greatest scholars in the land?’
‘Indeed, my lady, I do not need convincing. My own daughters are taught to a high degree.’
‘Thomasyn had endured a great ordeal. But after four or five days, I truly believed that she was settling here and becoming more tranquil and serene. I thought she would fit very well into our household and that we would make a fine young lady of her, for she had wit enough.’
‘But something happened?’
The countess gave a sad smile. She was remarkably well kept for her forty years and there was kindness in her eyes. Shakespeare wondered why Thomasyn Jade had wanted to leave such a welcoming home.
‘No, nothing happened. Not that I know of, anyway.’
‘She disappeared on a day very like today, Mr Shakespeare,’ Lady Trevail said. ‘We were all here as usual, talking of poetry and music. Of course most of the talk in those days was of the Babington horrors and the exorcisms. Also the likely fate of Mary Stuart and the possibility of invasion. On any other day, that would have been our bill of fare, but we had too much sensibility to discuss treason and horror in front of the girl. The last thing she wished to hear was talk of executions and conspiracy.’
‘How did she seem?’
‘Agitated,’ Lady Susan said. ‘Greatly agitated. She asked to be excused from our presence, hurried from this very room and was gone. That was the last anyone saw of her. No one witnessed her leaving the house. She did not even go to her room to collect her few belongings.’
‘None of the servants
‘Thomasyn Jade,’ Lady Trevail said, emphasising every syllable. ‘Wasn’t she the—’
‘Yes, Lucia, she was the poor young girl who was subjected to such horrible torments by those egregious priests. The things they did to her were beyond hideous.’ Lady Susan turned to Shakespeare. ‘But pray tell me, why are you looking for her now? Do you believe her alive? To speak true, I feared that, in her insanity, she had run away with intent to destroy herself.’
‘I regret I have no idea whether she is alive or dead.’
‘But why are you looking for her, Mr Shakespeare?’ Lady Trevail said. ‘What interest can Sir Robert’s chief intelligencer have in her?’
‘I cannot say. Did you meet the girl, Lady Trevail?’
‘Indeed, I did. And felt deeply for the poor thing.’
His eyes scanned the assembled ladies. ‘Do any of you know where she might have gone?’
‘I had believed her to come from Buckinghamshire, Sir George Peckham’s seat,’ Lady Susan said. ‘For that was where these rituals took place. But, Mr Shakespeare, this is most unusual and mysterious. Can you not give us a little notion of the reason for this strange visit?’
‘No, my lady.’
‘But it is clearly important to you and Sir Robert.’
‘Indeed, it is.’
The countess sighed. ‘I have thought about her often and would dearly love to discover what became of her. Mr Shakespeare, I shall do all I can to help.’
‘We will all do what we can,’ Lady Trevail said, to approving glances and nods from the Countess of Cumberland and Emilia Lanier. Only the girl by the fire, Beatrice, did not respond, nor even seem interested.
Shakespeare bowed again. ‘Thank you. In which case, Lady Susan, I would be grateful to hear all that you remember of her. Whom she met, whom she talked with.’
‘She was not well, physically or in the mind. I offered her sanctuary, for she needed a safe and loving home to recover from her torments.’
A maidservant came in with a tray bearing wine and a goblet for Shakespeare. He took it with gratitude and sipped the wine, which was sweet and smooth.
‘She was with us a week,’ Lady Susan continued. ‘I did not have her brought here as a servant, but as a pupil, just as I educated my friend Mistress Lanier here in her youth.’ She nodded towards Emilia. ‘It is the correct way, Mr Shakespeare. Girls need education as much as boys. Is not Elizabeth herself among the greatest scholars in the land?’
‘Indeed, my lady, I do not need convincing. My own daughters are taught to a high degree.’
‘Thomasyn had endured a great ordeal. But after four or five days, I truly believed that she was settling here and becoming more tranquil and serene. I thought she would fit very well into our household and that we would make a fine young lady of her, for she had wit enough.’
‘But something happened?’
The countess gave a sad smile. She was remarkably well kept for her forty years and there was kindness in her eyes. Shakespeare wondered why Thomasyn Jade had wanted to leave such a welcoming home.
‘No, nothing happened. Not that I know of, anyway.’
‘She disappeared on a day very like today, Mr Shakespeare,’ Lady Trevail said. ‘We were all here as usual, talking of poetry and music. Of course most of the talk in those days was of the Babington horrors and the exorcisms. Also the likely fate of Mary Stuart and the possibility of invasion. On any other day, that would have been our bill of fare, but we had too much sensibility to discuss treason and horror in front of the girl. The last thing she wished to hear was talk of executions and conspiracy.’
‘How did she seem?’
‘Agitated,’ Lady Susan said. ‘Greatly agitated. She asked to be excused from our presence, hurried from this very room and was gone. That was the last anyone saw of her. No one witnessed her leaving the house. She did not even go to her room to collect her few belongings.’
‘None of the servants
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