The King's Evil (37 page)

Penelope
Northcott as so overjoyed that she could not stop smiling. As she sat in the
parlour of the house in Westminster, she showered her guest with compliments
and kept asking him to repeat certain details of his story. She was distressed
that he had been wounded in pursuit of her father's killer but accepted his
assurance that it was a minor scratch even though his left arm was in a sling.
Christopher had told her a very diluted version of the truth, recounting the
events in Lincoln's Inn Fields but making no reference to the fact that Sir
Ambrose Northcott once owned the house. Indeed, he went out of his way to
supply her father with a mask of his own.

'Your
father was foolishly led astray,' he said. 'Marie

Louise
was not his mistress at all but simply a means of ensnaring him. He was the
victim of a conspiracy.'

'Why
did they have to kill him?'

'Because
he had served his purpose, Miss Northcott. And because he was in danger of
stumbling on the conspiracy.' He gave a shrug. 'In some small way, I suppose
that I am to blame.'

'You,
Mr Redmayne?'

'The
house was his undoing. Marie Louise insisted on its being built as proof of his
commitment even though she had no intention of ever living there. But the work
on the house proceeded faster than they anticipated because I urged the builder
on. That forced their hand,' he explained. 'Sir Ambrose had to be removed
before the house was completed or the situation would have been awkward.'

'He
would have expected her to move in with him.'

'When
she was, in fact, living with her husband in Paris.'

'It
is so complicated, Mr Redmayne. I do not understand.'

'Do
not vex yourself with the details,' he advised. 'All that you need to know is
that the killer and his accomplice have been arrested. They are now behind bars
and will face the sternest interrogation.'

'Thanks
to you!'

'And
to Mr Bale. Do not forget him.'

'I
would like to meet this constable one day.'

'He
is a curious fellow.'

'Mother
and I owe him a great deal.'

'So
do I, Miss Northcott,' he said with feeling. He adjusted the sling for comfort
then gazed admiringly at her. 'I am glad the business is concluded. Even if it
does mean that we shall lose you.'

'Lose
me?'

'You
will no doubt wish to return to Kent with the good news.'

'A
messenger has already done that, Mr Redmayne. I propose to stay in London for a
while to see something of the rebuilding.'

'Indeed?'
'I find the creation of a whole new city very inspiring. Mr Wren has been
commissioned to rebuild St Paul's, I hear, and dozens of new churches are to
rise up from the ashes.' She became more hesitant. 'Yet I lack a knowledgeable
guide. Someone who could take me around London and explain things to me. Mr
Redmayne,' she added softly, 'you once recommended the most excellent
accommodation to me. I wonder if I might trespass on you again?'

'As
often as you wish, Miss Northcott.'

'Could
you
suggest the name of a guide?'

Jonathan
Bale was at his most relaxed. Having dined heartily, he played with his sons in
the tiny garden then went indoors to sit with his wife in the kitchen. Sarah
was pleased at the dramatic improvement in his mood.

'Is
that why you were behaving so strangely last night?'

'Yes,
my love.'

'You
thought you were mounting guard on the King?'

'That
is what I was led to believe.'

'Why
did you not say so?'

'The
very idea made me feel sick.'

'Any
other man would have been proud of such an honour,' she argued. 'Look at Mr
Redmayne. He put his life at risk for His Majesty. He was even prepared to
impersonate him.'

'Would
he have been quite so ready to impersonate Oliver Cromwell in the same
circumstances? Not that the Lord Protector would ever go anywhere near a house
like that,' he said quickly, 'but my point holds. Mr Redmayne has his hero and
I have mine.'

'You
and Mr Redmayne are the real heroes.'

'We
caught them, Sarah. That is all that matters.'

'Both
of you survived. That is what matters to me.'

'Yes.'

'Are
you glad that it is all over?'

'Very
glad.'

'So
am I, Jonathan.' She smiled fondly. 'Though I will miss seeing Mr Redmayne. He
brought some colour to Addle Hill. We shall probably never see him again.'

'It
is of no consequence, Sarah.'

'Stop
pretending,' she scolded with a playful nudge. 'I can read your mind. Deep
down, you like Mr Redmayne. Admit it.'

'All
that I will admit is that I no longer
dislike
the man.'

'It
comes to the same thing.'

'Not
in my book.'

'I
think that you will miss him as well.'

'Yes,'
he agreed willingly. 'I will miss watching his back. I will miss all the
footwork I did at his request. I will miss standing outside a brothel in the
dark and swimming in the river at night. And I will be very glad to miss having
a pistol put to my head. Is that what you meant about him bringing colour to
Addle Hill?'

There
was a knock on the door. Jonathan tensed.

'I'll
go,' said his wife, getting up.

'If
it is Mr Redmayne, say that I am not at home.'

'I
would never lie to a gentleman like that.'

Jonathan
heard the door open. An unfamiliar voice spoke and Sarah replied. A few moments
later, she came back into the kitchen with a letter in her hand.

'This
has come for you, Jonathan.'

He
took it from her and opened it at once. His face whitened.

'What
on earth is the matter?' she asked.

'I
am bidden to the Palace,' he croaked. 'To meet the King.'

King
Charles II swept into the Drawing Room with his spaniels swirling about his
heels like the hem of a robe. When he took up a stance in front of the
fireplace, the dogs yapped and fought to lie at his ankles. He gave an
indulgent laugh at their antics.

'Such
delightful creatures! Their loyalty is a joy to me.'

He
raised his eyes to look across at his guests. They formed an incongruous trio.
Affecting nonchalance, Henry

Redmayne
wore his new vest and coat for the occasion, beaming as if he were about to
receive a knighthood and fondling his periwig with an idle hand. Christopher,
by contrast, wore plainer attire and had his wounded arm in a sling. There was
no hint of his brother's triumphalism in his manner. Stiff and grim-faced,
Jonathan Bale stood between them, visibly suffering.

'I
brought you here to thank you,' said the King with an expansive gesture. 'You
have served me well and I will not forget you.'

'It
was a privilege, Your Majesty,' said Henry with a low bow.

'I
am glad that you recognise your true king,' teased Charles. 'I am told that
last night you switched your allegiance to another one.'

'His
Serene Highness, Old Rowley.'

'Do
not labour the point.'

'An
apposite nickname, if I may say so,' continued Henry. 'Old Rowley is the most
famous stallion in the royal stud. You have rightly adopted it for yourself. In
fact—'

Charles
cut him off with a warning glare then turned his gaze upon Christopher. 'You
were wounded in my service, sir. That entitles you to a reward. What shall it
be?'

'The
only reward I seek is the knowledge that wicked men will pay for their crimes,'
said Christopher. 'Have they confessed, Your Majesty?'

'It
is taking time to draw the truth out of them but we will have it in full before
we are finished. I have skilful interrogators. In brief, sirs,' he said,
casually flicking away a spaniel which tried to mountaineer up his leg. 'The
assassin's name is James Lovett, a damnable Catholic. He was paid to murder Sir
Ambrose and to dispose of his lawyer. That left him free to concentrate on the
loftier target you see before you. Thanks to your good selves, his attempt on
my life failed.'

'Let
the rogue be hanged, drawn and quartered!' urged Henry.

'He
will be duly punished, I do assure you. James Lovett was working in harness
with Monsieur Jean-Paul Charentin, a merchant of Paris, who won the confidence
of Sir Ambrose in order to worm his way into Mrs Mandrake's house. Charentin
cleverly drew that formidable lady into the practice of espionage.' His
eyebrow arched meaningfully. 'Naked men can be very indiscreet. Female wiles
can elicit secrets which no amount of torture could extract. I have the names
of Mrs Mandrake's clients and I will be castigating each of them in turn for
their folly.'

'Do
not spare them, Your Majesty!' said Henry.

'They
include you,' warned the other, 'and I will take you to task at a later time,
Henry. No doubt you have parted with your share of Court gossip while lying
between the thighs of some harlot.'

Henry
quailed, Jonathan was shocked and Christopher smiled.

'What
of Molly herself, Your Majesty?' asked Henry tentatively.

'She
is in prison and the house has been closed down.'

'Not
for ever, I hope?'

'Control
your passions, sir. They blight your character.'

'There
remains the question of Monsieur Bastiat,' said Christopher. 'What of him, Your
Majesty? James Lovett and Jean-Paul Charentin were merely his agents. I believe
that it was Monsieur Bastiat who devised the plot to ensnare Sir Ambrose.'

'You
may well be right,' returned the other. 'We have agents of our own in Paris and
their reports have mentioned the name of Arnaud Bastiat more than once. He was
a Jesuit priest at one time but has clearly turned to a more bloody occupation.
You did well to escape his clutches when you visited Paris. What I wish to
know,' he said, picking up one of his dogs to caress it, 'is how you followed
such a tortuous trail. I would have had no idea where to start.'

'In
the cellars, Your Majesty.' 'Cellars?'

'Of
the house I designed. Sir Ambrose was murdered there. He would never have gone
into them with someone he feared might attack him. His companion, this James
Lovett, must have posed as a business partner and asked to be shown where
contraband goods would be stored.' He grimaced. 'I thought that I was creating
a fine house for Sir Ambrose and his family. Yet what I was really designing
was a hiding place for his mistress and a potential haven for smuggled goods.'

'There
will be other commissions,' Henry reassured him.

The
King turned to Jonathan, whose impassive countenance had remained unchanged
throughout.

'You
are strangely silent, Mr Bale,' he observed.

'Am
I, sir?'

'Your
Majesty!' whispered Henry in correction.

'From
what I hear,' said Charles, collecting a second dog from the floor, 'you must
take your share of the credit.'

'Indeed,
he must, Your Majesty,' interposed Christopher. 'My efforts would have come to
nought without Mr Bale. His boldness in getting aboard the
Marie Louise
provided a vital clue.'

'As
did my list of clients,' said Henry.

'Your
work has been exemplary,' said Charles, ignoring Henry and looking at the
others. 'What impressed me most was the bravery and discretion with which it
was carried out. Bravery is not uncommon. Discretion is in shorter supply, as
we have seen from the unguarded follies committed in Lincoln's Inn Fields.'

Henry
nodded. 'Your Majesty is right to close the place down.'

'Be
silent, man!'

'If
you wish, Your Majesty.'

'I
do, Henry.'

The
King replaced the two dogs on the floor then stood up again.

'Bravery
and discretion are a rare combination,' he said, 'and I value the man who shows
both. To have two such men at my command is heartening. I will look to employ
them again.'

'As
what?' gasped Jonathan.

'My
loyal servants.'

'But
I am an architect, Your Majesty,' said Christopher.

'And
I am a constable,' added Jonathan.

'Continue
in your chosen professions,' encouraged the King. 'You will not be summoned
often. From time to time, however, certain situations may arise which call for
exactly the qualities which you have displayed. I will send one of my minions
to you.' His eye alighted on Henry. 'The very person stands before me. Henry
Redmayne will be my go-between. Neither brave nor discreet himself, he can at
least carry a message efficiently.'

Henry
looked hurt. Beside him Christopher blinked and Jonathan shuddered.

'Well?'
said the King. 'I have just offered you a post as royal agents. With
appropriate remuneration, of course. Are you not pleased to be given the
opportunity to serve your king again?'

'Why,
yes, Your Majesty!' said Christopher. He nudged Jonathan in the ribs. 'We are
delighted, Mr Bale, are we not?'

'Yes,'
said Jonathan through gritted teeth. 'Your Majesty.'

A
smile of regal satisfaction spread over the King's face.

'Then
it is settled,' he said, striding towards the door with his spaniels in close
attendance. He paused to look back at the three men. 'All that you have to do
is to wait for my call.'