The Midsummer Crown by Kate Sedley Page A

window seat. ‘Look!’ he exclaimed angrily. ‘My brief is to take you back safely to London, not try to reply to a lot of foolish questions to which I’ve not been told the answers. You can make all these enquiries when you reach the castle. And good luck to you! The place is fairly seething with people, as you surmised, what with Duchess Cicely in residence with all her retinue, my lord of Gloucester with his – until he joins the duchess – and the Lovell entourage, as well. Because, of course, none of the latter can move on until this business is resolved. Moreover,’ he added gloomily, ‘the city itself is bursting at the seams what with the coronation nearly upon us and a session of Parliament in the offing. And don’t say you know, because things have got very much worse in the past four weeks since you so cravenly crept away.’
    â€˜I did not creep away,’ I retorted, nettled. ‘I told you in my letter all that I knew. If we’d met face to face, I couldn’t have added anything to it. Besides,’ I continued in a burst of honesty, ‘I had no desire to get mixed up yet again in the duke’s affairs. I’d a bellyful of that last year. I’ve a life and family of my own, in case His Grace doesn’t realize it.’
    â€˜Oh, he realizes it, all right. For one thing, you’re always moaning on about it.’ Timothy grinned nastily. ‘It’s just that you’ve made yourself so indispensable to him, that he doesn’t trust anyone else to deal with these sort of delicate situations.’
    â€˜Crap!’ I snorted, but I was flattered all the same, as my companion had known I would be.
    â€˜I suppose I can answer one of your questions,’ he admitted after a moment’s charged silence. ‘Did this Gregory Machin have any enemies in Baynard’s Castle? The simple reply is, he couldn’t possibly have done so. He wasn’t there long enough. He and young Gideon and Mistress Copley were only in residence one night before the tragedy happened.’
    â€˜Which was when?’
    â€˜Sometime late Friday night or Saturday morning as far as I know. As soon as the duke was apprised of it, and as soon as he learned from me that you were no longer in London, I was sent pelting off to this godforsaken city to bring you back again. I rode all the rest of Saturday, all day yesterday and most of today practically without stopping, except to change horses and snatch a few hours’ slumber.’ His tone was aggrieved. ‘I’m exhausted, I can tell you. I’m looking forward to a good night’s rest.’
    He smiled ingratiatingly, but I hardened my heart. I wasn’t prepared to have Elizabeth sleep with Adela and me tonight – if, that was, Adela was in a forgiving mood – so that Timothy could have her bed.
    â€˜And I’m sure you won’t be disappointed,’ I said. ‘Bristol has many excellent inns and alehouses.’ His face fell, but I went inexorably on: ‘However, don’t lie on too long in the morning. We must leave by first light if, as I want to do, we ride first to Minster Lovell.’
    â€˜M-Minster Lovell?’ spluttered Timothy. ‘Why in the Virgin’s name do you want to ride to Minster Lovell? It’s fifty miles or so north-east of here, well out of our way. It will add miles to our journey, and the duke has stipulated that we’re in London by Friday at the latest. He wants this business cleared up before the coronation.’
    â€˜All the more reason for us to start as early as possible tomorrow,’ I pointed out smugly.
    â€˜But why do you need to go there at all?’
    â€˜You said Gideon Fitzalan had been living in the Lovell household until the Duchess of Gloucester fetched him away to London last . . . Wednesday, was it?’
    â€˜Yes. They spent a night on the road, arriving in London on Thursday. But you