"'Er 'ighness lives, Captain. I will look after 'er."
The final release of responsibility turned off something in his head and he pitched gently down into the dark.
The boats heaved to, lashed together, until dawn. William slept most of that time. The boatswain woke him, with the present of a small beer.
"What a rat-party. I hate night operations," said William. "How bad are our losses?"
"No deaths," said the boatswain. "Reilly got a bad cut but it's clean so he will probably make it. The gentleman has a bump on the head. The lady is still sleeping. She is breathing naturally as far as I can tell. Walsingham's man is keeping an eye on her and he is right careful of who goes near."
"Good," said William.
He finished his beer in one go and went to find Lucy. She slept on the upper deck. Gwilym sat by her, whittling a piece of wood with his knife and watching. They had lain her in cloaks the night before, to keep her warm. William squatted by her. "Lady Dennys, Lucy, can you hear me?"
Her eyes snapped open and she stretched like a cat. "Indeed, Captain, thanks to you. Methinks you saved my life. I will never forget how you came for me."
So, thought William, they were back to "captain" and "lady" already. The intimacy of Lucy and William forged by the water was a fading dream but he had made progress. He was forgiven for his earlier transgression. He had found the answer to the question of how a soldier impresses a woman who can outfight him. Easy, you save her life at great risk to your own. How clever of him to arrange it, he thought ruefully.
"Your demonic friend had something to do with it as well," he said, modestly.
She smiled at him. "That's not what Lilith says. She says that you saved all of us, Captain. Truly, I can see why other men think so highly of you."
Lucy stretched out her hand and William hastened to kiss it.
The pinnace pitched in the swell as it made its way out to sea with the fishing boat in tow. There was a small canvas-covered cabin at the back where the captain could enjoy some privacy and protection from the elements. William held court there with Simon and Lucy. Gwilym was positioned three feet behind her. After her swimming scare, he refused to let her out of grabbing distance.
"Well, Master Tunstall, let's see if it was worth the lady risking her life, not to mention mine," said William.
Simon opened the leather bag. Inside, was a package carefully wrapped in oiled cloth. He slit open the cloth and removed a pack of papers.
"Have any survived?" asked William.
"The papers are soggy. The outer ones are ruined as the ink has run." Simon carefully peeled the papers back to split them up and allow then to dry out. "The inner ones have survived. They seem to be lists of troops."
Simon studied them. "They are an assessment of the trained bands around London and East Anglia. Troop locations, numbers, and how fast they might be deployed."
He picked up another document and handed it over to William. "What do you make of that, Captain?"
"It's a list of current ship dispositions around London and the south coast of England, with notes on how quickly they could be made ready for sea." William indicated an entry with his forefinger. "The Swallow is listed as docked in London itself. The information is right up to date."
"You are a military man, Captain," said Simon. "Why would someone want such information?"
William shrugged. "It is always useful to know the whereabouts of potential enemies, in case they are massing forces against you."
"Or in case you wish to mass forces against them?" Simon asked.
"Such information would certainly be useful to Palma if he intended to invade southern England but that is hardly a realistic possibility," said William.
"No, he would never sail enough troops past the sea dogs to defeat the militia," said Simon. "Unless, the government of England was already in disarray and fallen into factional fighting. The Duke of Palma might then land enough Spanish troops to decide the issue in King Philip's favour."
Simon continued to peel off and lay out papers to dry as they talked. One in particular caught his eye. "This is a letter to the Duke of Palma. I will read it out. 'Knowing that Elizabeth is an heretic and a bastard and hence no true prince.' "
"Her Majesty will love that," said Lucy.
" 'I am resolved to replace her by a sovereign more fitting in the eyes of God. I refer to Mary Queen of Scots who is of legitimate birth and so has the best right to the throne. I, myself, also have a legitimate claim and will marry Mary to cement it. Thus will petticoat government end and the march of this monstrous regiment of women be reversed. Then will I cleanse England of heresy and restore the true religion.' "
"And the burnings will start again, just like in Bloody Mary's reign," said William. "Just as it is described in Foxe's Book of Martyrs."
" 'I will tolerate no piracy and put down the nest of vipers in the west,' " Simon read out loud. He looked at William. "I think he means you."
"The Hawkins family is high on Spain's list of enemies," said William, not without a degree of satisfaction.
" 'Just two tercios of veteran troops should stabilise my rule until I have disposed of the last heretic leader who might impede me.' " Simon paused in his reading.
"Two tercios? Two regiments of Spanish infantry will muster at least two thousand men, more probably four thousand. What is Elizabeth supposed to be doing while all this is going on? Just sitting around moping, waiting to be deposed? She will loose the sea dogs and those tercios will be sleeping with the fishes." William said. "Rows of Spanish troops lined up in little wooden barges to cross the North Sea. Why, man, it will be like playing skittles with culverins."
"Elizabeth won't be able to loose anyone if she's dead," said Simon. "Listen to the rest of the letter. 'The first blow will be to remove the bastard Queen. Her death will paralyse all resistance as the heretics squabble amongst themselves over her replacement.' "
"Is this wicked letter signed?" asked Lucy.
Simon squinted at the signature. "The Earl of Oxford."
He got to his feet and paced up and down thinking. "We must get this to Sir Francis immediately. He will want total secrecy. If they find out we have captured the despatch boat they might strike early. No one will have seen us take it in the dark but if we sail it up the Thames in broad daylight then the secret is out. Captain, you must sink the boat here out at sea. Let Oxford think it was lost accidentally to Neptune."
"There is the matter of the prize money," said William. "I can't cozen the crew out of their share."
"The secret service will buy the boat at market rates. Now sink it," urged Simon.
"And its crew?" William asked, with an edge in his voice.
"The same. They must disappear as if they had never been," said Simon, coldly.
"You want us to slit their throats and dump them overboard?" asked William.
"Yes," said Simon.
William stood up and dragged Simon to his feet. He pulled him out onto the deck where the despatch boat crew were tied. He put a dagger in Simon's hand and pulled back the head of a sitting man to expose his throat. "You do it then, Master Tunstall. You kill the first two or three and my men will follow your example."
"They worked to save my life last night," said Lucy. "And that of Captain Hawkins."
"That we did," said the blond traitor. "Mercy lady. Show us mercy."
Simon threw down the knife. "I don't like it either but what would you have me do? Risk losing England to save the lives of a few traitors. Their mouths must be stopped."
"Mayhap there is another way," said William. "We could transfer them at night to the hold of the Swallow and keep them hidden there until the plot is foiled."
"Yes, noble lord," said the blond man. "We would be as mice in your ship's hold."
"You understand," said Simon, "if there is a single incident then my order to the captain will be enforced."
"Yes, Lord," said the man.
"Very well then," said Simon, re
lief evident in his voice.
William gave orders to scuttle the captured boat. Then he took Simon to one side. "Master Tunstall, last night when Lady Dennys and I were in the water, things were a little perilous and she was confused. She mentioned an Anne Hewet who fell off London Bridge. In her mind, there seemed relevance in the story for our situation. Could you explain?"
Simon's face went blank. "Maybe you should ask Lucy what the story meant to her, Captain."
"I can see that you are hiding something, Simon. Out with it."
"Anne Hewet was a girl who fell off London Bridge into the Thames. She was rescued by a Master Osborne, an apprentice to her father, who dived in after her at some risk of his own life. Her father gave Anne to Osborne with a huge dowry in recognition that he had saved her."
"So that was what she meant. She said that Osborne had caught Anne and never let her go." William's face lit up.
Simon shook his head. "I know what you are thinking, Captain. You think she might draw some parallel that would favour your suit but you could be quite wrong. Did she say anything else?"
William thought carefully. "When I asked who Anne was, she replied, nobody important, just a prize. Then she said, but mayhap they loved each other. What did she mean?"
Simon sighed. "I told Lucy that story as a light diversion. I thought it would amuse her but it seemed to heavy her mood, instead. After I had finished, she asked me whether they loved each other. I did not understand her at the time. Later, I gave her reaction some thought. As men, we see it as a charmingly romantic tale of a brave man who wins a bride and a fortune. But look at it from her viewpoint. Anne was given away as a reward, apparently no different from the bag of gold that accompanied her. Ask yourself if Anne favoured this Master Osborne. Was he pleasing to her eye? Did his wit amuse her? Maybe Lady Dennys would like to be wooed by a man more interested in herself, than in her name and fortune. Just a thought."
"What are you two talking about?" asked Lucy, suspiciously.
"Master Tunstall was telling me the story of Anne Hewet and London Bridge," said William.
"What made you bring that up?" asked Lucy, in surprise.
"You mentioned it last night," said William. "I wanted to hear the full tale before I answered your question."
Lucy's hand went to her mouth. William recognised that as a sure sign that she was uncertain. "What question?"
"As to whether they loved each other. Osborne was her father's apprentice so he must have known her well. No man jumps into the water in the vague hope of a reward, Lady Dennys. He throws himself in to save something too dear to lose. So he certainly loved her. I think she may also have loved him; had he not saved her? So, to answer your question, milady—yes! I think they loved each other." William walked off whistling, stopping only to berate some poor seamen for slackness.
Act 17
The Earl of Oxford's Country Seat
Walsingham chaired the meeting, as always. This time Lucy had a place at the table. Gwilym eased the chair under her as she sat. "Now you won't 'ave to strain to 'ear, 'ighness," he whispered in her ear.
She grinned at him before playing the great lady. "Thank you, my man."
"Masterly, Captain, masterly," said Walsingham. "This is the most important haul of despatches that I have seen in, well, in a long time."
"Indeed, sir. May I take it my execution is further postponed?" said William, boldly.
"After reading this, Captain," Walsingham waved Oxford's letter, "I think you can assume that your demise is cancelled. I have been after Oxford for years but I never had the evidence, you see. You can't just arrest an earl and put him to the question, even if he is a treacherous bastard. Now I have him in my hand." Walsingham's eyes gleamed.
"We should really thank your niece, Lady Dennys," said William.
'Oh no, Lilith,' thought Lucy. 'He will think to please my uncle by telling how he pulled me from the water. Uncle will be furious that I disobeyed him."
Walsingham glanced sharply at him. "Lucy did not involve herself in the capture, did she?"
"Certainly not," said William, honestly. "Lady Dennys did not go near the enemy vessel before it was secure. She was entirely dutiful but her night vision is extraordinary. She just guided us straight to the target. We could not have succeeded without her."
'He is more subtle than he looks,' thought Lilith.
Lucy smiled at William in gratitude.
"The most worrying issue is the threat to the Queen's life. I have increased her security of course, put in food tasters and my own men around her chambers. She has taken to sleeping with a small sword under her pillow."
William laughed. "Blood, she has more balls than any other prince in Europe. The first assassin into her chamber will be pricked, mark me."
"Her Majesty is most difficult. She will promenade among her subjects. She insists that her greatest protection is their love, and to love her they have to see her." Walsingham sighed.
"She is not completely wrong," said Simon. "Politically speaking, I mean. Remember what happened when Queen Mary consigned Princess Elizabeth to the Tower. Londoners lined the Thames to shower her boat with flowers. That focused a few minds, I'll warrant."
"Politically, possibly she is right but it creates a security nightmare. Just one man with one of the new pistols, that is all it takes," Walsingham said. "No, we can't risk another assassination attempt. The Secret Service must strike first. Fortunately, Oxford is out of favour at court so this letter is enough evidence for me to act."
"Oh! What has the Earl done to annoy Her Majesty," asked William, who was not in touch with court gossip.
Walsingham laughed. "He has seduced Ann Vavasour, one of the Queen's maids of honour. Ann gave birth secretly in the royal chambers set aside for the maids. You can imagine how the childless Virgin Queen reacted to that when it came out! It seems that I have need for you once again, Captain. Oxford is at his country house in Essex, with his cronies. All the plotters together in one place, where I can take them." Walsingham stretched his hand out and closed his fingers. "I could use the Earl of Pembroke's men but I want a quiet operation. Do you understand, Captain?"
"Yes, sir," said William.
The Earl of Pembroke controlled a substantial military force and he could be relied upon to put down rebellion with brutal and ruthless energy. Pembroke had served her sister, Mary, so Elizabeth had been a little hesitant when Lord Burghley had recommended him for her Privy Council. However, as Burghley pointed out, Pembroke was an English nationalist. He was disinterested in the finer points of politics or religious doctrine but was completely loyal to the legitimate ruler. The one thing he couldn't arrange was a quiet operation. Pembroke would go after Oxford with a troop of heavy cavalry. He would burn the house, put everyone in it to the sword and probably ravage the surrounding county for good measure.
"What about Lady Oxford, Burghley's daughter?" Simon said.
"Oxford has her exiled safely out of the way in one of his more inaccessible houses in Somerset. She would have been an obstacle to his marriage to the Queen of Scots, that stupid wretched woman. Before Mary of Scotland arrived in the land, it was Elizabeth's proud boast that she had never executed anybody for political or religious reasons. An eminently sensible policy as it created no resentment or martyrs for the Catholic cause. Within a year of Mary's arrival, we had a full-scale Catholic revolt in the northern counties. Before Mary, Spain was an ally and Philip interceded for us to calm the Vatican. Since the '69 revolt, the Vatican has declared Elizabeth a heretic and our relations with Spain have soured into a cold war. Mary has to go. The Queen is reluctant but one day I will build such a weight of evidence of Mary's treachery that the Queen will be able to haver no longer."
"I still don't see how Oxford could have divorced his wife to marry a Catholic monarch and become a Catholic king. The hypocrisy would choke even the Vatican." Simon tried to drag Walsingham back from one of his favourite hobbyhorses—the need to eliminate Mary Queen of Scots.
/>
"Hmm, by the easiest way possible, Tunstall. Until death us do part, remember. No doubt the unfortunate Lady Oxford would have fallen down the stairs and broken her neck at an appropriate moment. It wouldn't be the first time," said Walsingham, dryly. He was referring to the scandal that had engulfed Leicester, whose sick wife had taken a lethal tumble at just such a convenient moment, when Leicester was courting the Queen.
Walsingham gave a wintry smile. "The status of a widow is vastly preferable to that of a convicted traitor's wife. I believe Lord Burghley could restrain his sorrow if his son-in-law failed to survive your attack. And the Hawkins family would have a powerful patron. You understand me, Captain?"
"Yes, sir. I will confer with my officers and plan an assault. I assume the Earl's house will be defended?"
"There will be servants there, certainly," said Walsingham. "And Oxford's cronies will be armed."
"You are all forgetting something," said Lucy.
"And what would that be, child?" said Walsingham.
"You are forgetting the Black Queen, Isabella."
"Go on, Lucy," said Walsingham, indulgently.
"Lilith envisages a problem with your plan," said Lucy, diffidently.
"I had forgot that there was a fifth person at this meeting," said Walsingham. "And what error does Lilith find in my arrangements?"
"Lilith does not think like us, Uncle. She is like a vast conjuring engine that can foretell possible futures," said Lucy.
"Like the mathematics used for astrology," said Walsingham, with interest.
"Yes," said Lucy. "She can cast many astrological charts all with slightly different starting points. She calls them mathematical models. She can make quite accurate predictions of the likelihood of events when she has conjured enough of these models. Let me show you."
Lucy fetched Walsingham's chessboard. She placed it on the table and stacked the pieces to one side. "In this chess game between the Secret Services, we start with the kings. The white king, that's you Uncle, and the black king, Oxford." Lucy placed both on the board.
"De Mendoza tried a fool's mate by using pawns to eliminate the white king." Lucy lined three black pawns up in front of the white king. "These are the bandits that attacked you on the road to Nonsuch, but the white knight and bishop, Gwilym and Master Tunstall respectively, took the pawns."
Lucy's Blade Page 30
