The Alchemist of Souls (Night's Masque, #1)(119)

They followed him into the great hall, along a passageway and out into a second courtyard. A marble fountain stood in the centre, its waters still as a mirror, ringed by fruit trees in tubs. Grand apartments were ranged around the other three sides. The retainer showed them through a studded door, past a marble staircase and into an antechamber lined with gilded panelling, its ceiling painted with scenes of Greek goddesses and nymphs. Enormous vases of blue and white porcelain stood on tables inlaid with marquetry of precious woods, one in each corner of the room, and coloured glass glowed like jewels in the windows, displaying the Suffolk coat of arms and their red unicorn crest. Coby stared about in open-mouthed awe. The theatre's tawdry glamour paled in comparison to the real thing.

Voices echoed down the stairs, magnified by the high ceilings and marble floors. A woman's voice, and a man's.

"… stop him, Dunfell, you know he's far too weak to be moved."

"I, Your Grace? I am but a humble servant, and do only as my lord commands."

"And what does Doctor Renardi have to say about the matter? I cannot imagine he is happy with this… adventure."

"Doctor Renardi agrees with His Grace. He says the evil airs of the city are not beneficial to my lord's condition."

"Hmph. Evil airs indeed. Tell him I will have his head if my husband dies."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Rapid footsteps descended the stairs and crossed the entrance hall, fading as their owner went out into the courtyard. A few moments later the Duchess of Suffolk swept into the room, followed by two ladies-in-waiting. Coby and Master Parrish both leapt to their feet and bowed low.

"Your Grace."

The duchess smiled graciously at them both, though Coby thought she looked tired and worried. Hardly surprising, when both she and her husband had come so close to death.

"You are the young man who helped everyone escape from the theatre," the duchess said to Master Parrish.

"Not I, Your Grace," he replied, gesturing to Coby. "That was all Hendricks' work."

"Really? And so young." She beckoned to one of her ladies, who handed over a velvet pouch. "For your pains."

Coby bowed again. "R-really, Your Grace, it was not I. Master Catlyn rescued your husband. Him and Lord Grey. I just helped the ambassador down the stairs."

"Oh. Well, perhaps you could give this to Master…"

"Catlyn."

"Indeed." She dropped the purse into Coby's palm, as if reluctant to touch an underling's flesh.

"I will," Coby replied. She forced out the words. "When I see him again."

"Splendid." The duchess gathered her skirts about her. "Come Nan, come, Jane."

She swept out of the room in a rustle of silk brocade, the ladies-in-waiting scurrying after her like lapdogs. Master Parrish let out a soft whistle.

"A formidable woman," he said.

"She's terrified," Coby said quietly.

"What?"

"She might be dressed as if for a visit to court, but she wears no makeup or jewels. And something is wrong. You heard what she said on the stairs."

"They were talking about the duke."

"Yes. And… and now I remember." Yes, that was it.

"Remember what?"

Footsteps sounded in the hall.

"I'll tell you when we're well out of here."

They were shown back out to the gatehouse where, at Master Parrish's prompting, Coby tipped the porter for his troubles. She felt rather guilty for spending Master Catlyn's money without his say-so, but it might come in useful later to have a friendly ear in the duke's household.

When they were well out of sight of Suffolk House, she seized Master Parrish's arm and dragged him into a doorway. "Yesterday, in the carriage after the fire, the duke said something to his son, and he said it was too far."

"What was too far?"

She lowered her voice, afraid they were already attracting too much attention from passers-by. "Somewhere the duke wanted to go, instead of his house in London."

"Such as…?"

"Ferrymead Park."

"Ferrymead?" Master Parrish stared at her. "But why there?"

Coby grinned in triumph. "Because that's where they've been keeping Sandy. And that's where Master Catlyn is now."

"That's – It's madness. Why would the duke abduct Mal and his brother?"

"I don't know," Coby replied. "But why else would His Grace be so anxious to travel in his wounded state, unless there was something there, something more important than his own life? And is it not a marvellous coincidence that he owns a house so close to one of the palaces, just as Ambassador Kiiren saw?"

Master Parrish shrugged. "It does look very odd, I'll grant you that. All right, let's go and find Ned. It's as good a trail to follow as any."

"Where do you think you're going?"

A shape detached itself from the shadows under the stairway and blocked his path. Ned groaned. Not him again!

"I don't have time for this," he told Baines. "I've got business to attend to."

"What sort of business?"

"None of yours."

The next thing he knew, Baines had twisted one arm up behind his back and was using his other hand to grind Ned's face into the rough-cast wall of the shop.