Heartstone (Matthew Shardlake #5)(114)

Leacon stood up and put on his helmet and gorget. Llewellyn followed. ‘Thank you, Master Saddler,’ Leacon said stiffly. ‘Master Shardlake and I have someone to meet and then I must go back to camp. We are grateful for your help.’

Saddler raised his glass and smiled at me. ‘Goodbye, sir. Remember me to Madame Josephine.’



OUTSIDE the street seemed more crowded and noisy than ever.

‘I’ll walk to the Godshouse with you,’ Leacon said. ‘You may need my authority to get in. I don’t have to go back to camp just yet, I just had to get away from Saddler.’

‘I understand.’

‘What did you make of his story?’

‘It fits with what I know of Coldiron.’ I smiled grimly. ‘I have a hold over him now. I plan to kick him out, but keep Josephine on if she wishes to stay.’

‘How does he treat her?’

‘Badly. But she obeys every word he says. She believes herself his daughter.’

Leacon looked doubtful. ‘Then she may not want to part from him.’

I smiled wryly. ‘A meddler may make a worse muddle, eh?’

‘That he may,’ Barak agreed pointedly. Then he scratched his head fiercely. ‘I think I’ve got lice.’

I shuddered. ‘And I can feel fleas. That tavern must be full of them.’

Leacon smiled. ‘You should get your hair cut, Jack.’

‘Everyone in camp has lice,’ Llewellyn added gloomily. ‘And I’ve lost my comb.’

‘You’re not the only one,’ Leacon said. ‘I wish you men would remember to keep track of your things.’

Barak looked out over the stinking Camber. Beyond, the masts of the ships moored in the Solent were just visible. ‘The foul humours of this place will bring disease before long.’

‘Well,’ Leacon said firmly, ‘here we must stay till the French come.’ He turned to Llewellyn. ‘Would you go back to camp? Tell Sir Franklin I will return soon.’

‘Yes, sir.’

I said to Barak, ‘Go back with him, Jack, take the horses and wait for me in camp. I think it would be best if I spoke with Master West alone.’

‘All right,’ he agreed reluctantly. He and Llewellyn walked back to the tavern. Leacon and I continued down Oyster Street. Leacon said quietly, ‘Saddler was on the Scottish campaign last year, he told me about all the plate and cloth he took from Edinburgh. But he is right, soldiers have always seen spoil as the legitimate fruit of war, waited for the cry of “Havoc!” Men like Saddler though – nothing they see affects them, they have hearts like stones. Thank God I only have one or two like that under my command, like Sulyard, who insulted you. When Saddler talked about those villagers running across the fields – ’ He broke off.

‘It reminded you of the woman by the roadside in France with the dead baby?’

His blue eyes had that staring look again. ‘The strange thing is I didn’t think much of it at the time. I saw so many things. But afterwards she and that dead baby would suddenly jump into my mind’s eye. Let us change the subject,’ he said wearily. ‘It does me no good to dwell on it.’

‘What do you know of Master West? Thank you for finding him so quickly, by the way.’

‘We in the army are making it our business to find out about the ships’ officers; we may be serving under them.’ He looked at me seriously. ‘What is this about, Matthew?’

I hesitated. ‘A private matter. Legal.’

‘Well, I am told West is an experienced officer, stern but fair with those under him. When the French come he will have the hardest test of his life before him.’ Leacon looked at me. ‘Is this a question affecting his abilities as an officer? If it is, I should know.’

‘No, George, it is not.’

Leacon nodded, relieved.



WE HAD RETURNED to the open area in front of the Square Tower. We walked on to a gatehouse giving entrance to the walled Godshouse. A cart full of crates of cackling geese was going in, watched by soldiers with halberds who stood guard. Leacon walked across to them.

‘Is the meeting of ships’ officers still going on?’ he asked one.

‘Yes, sir. They’ve been in a while.’

‘This gentleman has a message for one of the officers.’

The guard looked at my lawyer’s robe. ‘Is it urgent, sir?’

‘We can wait till they are finished.’

The man nodded. ‘They’re meeting in the great chamber.’

We passed into the enclosure. Inside was a wide yard, dominated by a large Norman church surrounded by a jumble of tall buildings. At the rear of the complex what had once been a garden was now full of animals in pens – pigs, cows and sheep.

‘I’ll go across to the great chamber,’ Leacon said. ‘Leave a message that someone wants to speak to Master West after the meeting. See, there are some benches by the garden, I’ll tell the clerk you’ll wait there.’

He walked away to the largest building, and I went over to some stone benches set in the shade of the wall. I guessed they had been built for patients and visitors to rest on and look at the garden. It was not a restful place now. The cartload of geese was being unloaded, the geese hissing and cackling as they were carried into a penned-off area. Nearby some large wicker baskets had been piled up. The brightly coloured heads of fighting cocks, brought no doubt for the soldiers’ entertainment, stared out angrily.