By Treason We Perish by A.J. MacKenzie

Author:A.J. MacKenzie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Limited
Published: 2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

They could not confront Gonville directly, Stanton agreed; he had both Burghersh and the king as his patrons and his claim to have a writ under the privy seal had probably been true, no matter how that seal might have been obtained. ‘How shall we deal with him?’ Stanton asked.

‘When I saw Gonville at Burstwick, he was full of bluster,’ Merrivale said, ‘but he was also nervous. He must know we have arrived in Antwerp, but not necessarily why. Let’s wait and see how he responds.’

They dined that afternoon with the rest of the queen’s household. Bishop Burghersh, a red-faced balding man in black, sat at the head table in earnest conversation with the queen herself. Gonville was on the far side of the hall with some of the queen’s clerks, dressed all in black too with a close-fitting cap on his head. He did not look at Merrivale, or acknowledge his presence.

The dinner was good; Queen Philippa liked her food and employed fine cooks. Roast duck with garlic and ginger sauce, beef with a green sauce sharpened with verjuice, stuffed chicken, wafers with jelly and candied quinces were accompanied by a German wine which Stanton pronounced to be pleasant if a little lacking in fire.

After dinner there was music, viols and rebec and shawm warbling their way through Lescurel’s ‘Douce amour, confortez moi’, and Alice Bedingfield came down to speak to them. ‘Gonville handles the transactions between the banks and our gallant allies,’ she said. ‘He tells the banks how much to disburse and when, and in what currencies.’

Stanton looked puzzled. ‘Anyone can do that. Why did Burghersh request Gonville’s services in particular?’

‘Unless there is something more that we don’t know about,’ said Merrivale.

Alice looked across the room at Gonville. ‘What are you going to do?’ she asked, lowering her voice.

‘Wait for him to make a mistake,’ Merrivale said quietly.

She looked sceptical. ‘Waiting for the other side to make the first move? That doesn’t sound very much like you, Simon.’

‘Circumstances are forcing me to learn patience.’

The same could not be said of Gonville. Now he was watching Merrivale, his pale face quiet, his long fingers twisting around the stem of his wine goblet. Merrivale met his gaze and held it for a few seconds before looking deliberately away. Rising to his feet, he bowed to the queen and walked out of the hall into the antechamber, where he stood looking through the open door at the rain falling in the courtyard. Perhaps a minute passed before Gonville came out to join him.

‘What are you doing here?’ the clerk demanded.

‘I am on the king’s business,’ Merrivale said.

‘The king no longer employs you.’

‘Send word to Cambrai if you doubt me.’

Gonville took a step closer. ‘I insist on knowing why you are here.’

‘Why really did you and Robert Denton abduct me back in June? I’m angry about that, by the way. The rest of my party were attacked and one of them was killed. Thanks to you, I wasn’t there to defend them.

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