Deception (10 page)

So Matthew was not the honest worker he claimed to be. This was getting more interesting by the minute. But I needed to be free of him so I could have a good poke round. “Thank you, Master Tibbit,” I said, waving him away. “I would like a little time to consider.”

“Of course, my lady,” Matthew answered, turning
back to the cabinet. “Now, there is also this ring, modelled in the French style… .”

As he picked up the ring, I made a desperate face at Ellie, hoping she would understand that I needed her to distract Matthew. Thankfully, she caught my meaning straight away.

“Oh, Matthew,” she cooed, “you're so clever. Show me some more of your work.”

Matthew couldn't resist. He immediately took Ellie's arm and guided her to the other end of the ware bench. “I've got some earrings 'ere that I'm making for a foreign princess,” he boasted.

I took my chance and walked around the shop, pretending to look at the designs on the wall. Then I sidled over to the door that led to the workshop.

Matthew popped up again. “Now, if you would come back to the ware bench, my lady, I can show you—”

“Matthew!” called Ellie, holding up an earring and placing it by her ear. “What do you think? Queen of the May?” She smiled at him in the way I'd seen Lady Sarah and Lady Jane smile at the young men of the Court.

Master Tibbit was obviously torn between flirting with Ellie and serving a noble client.

I nodded at him. “I would be glad if you would do me the honour of attending to Ellie,” I said solemnly.

Matthew shot back to her side and I seized the opportunity to slip through the doorway into the workshop. I could hear Ellie giggling and doing a fine job of keeping Master Tibbit's attention from me.

There were two workbenches strewn with tools, and in the corner stood a large chest. On one of the benches burned a candle and I could see that the tools had been swept aside into a rough pile, with pieces of gold and silver filigree among them. In the middle, in pride of place, was a trencher with the remains of an eel pie on it, and a half-full tankard of ale. Matthew was obviously taking advantage of Mr. Anthony's absence to do very little work. I quickly sorted through the tools on both benches, but I could find no trussels or piles such as we'd been shown at the Tower, only fine etching tools and tiny shears.

I crept to the door and listened carefully. My next move would be a bold one and I did not want to be disturbed.

“You do know how to flatter a girl,” I heard Ellie giggle. “You're making me blush!”

“And I'll make those pretty cheeks pink again if you'll come to the White Boar Inn tonight. I've got a bit of business to do first, but then I'll be all yours,” I heard Matthew saying.

I tiptoed over to the chest and eased the lid open. Then I took the candle to help me make out what was inside. Piled up at one end were wax tablets with designs on them—but none were of coins. Next to them was a stack of accounting books and some engraved table knives lying on a wooden board—and there was something underneath the board.

Trying not to make any noise, I gently lifted it out to see what was beneath. I saw a shape wrapped in linen—it looked big enough to be hiding the counterfeiters' dies! My hand trembled with excitement as I carefully unwrapped the material. I held the candle close. There inside lay two large, greasy sausages! It seemed that Master Tibbit had saved some of his lunch for later.

I put the sausages back and sighed. I could find nothing to link Mr. Anthony with coin forgery.

I returned to the shop in time to hear Matthew declare, “I've always got a purse full of money, Ellie. You'd do well to stick with me.” He was leaning close to Ellie and had his arm round her shoulders.

“Master Tibbit,” I said, making the cheeky lad jump, “I fear I need more time to consider, and must return to the palace forthwith. Come, Ellie.”

Ellie looked very relieved and immediately scampered to my side.

“Now, my lady,” said Matthew coaxingly, “what is there to consider? You won't find finer work than mine. And don't forget I offer special terms”—he gave a sly nod—“which we don't mention to Mr. Anthony.”

“I will not forget it,” I said gravely. We put on our masks and swept out.

“And remember I'll be in the White Boar tonight, Ellie,” I heard Matthew call after us as we crossed to the Ship Inn.

A few minutes later we were facing each other over a table heaving with veal pies, roasted capons, pasties, and mead. The young gentlemen had done us proud and Ellie's eyes looked as if they were about to pop! Luckily for us, the gentlemen had heard of a cockfight in the next street and begged permission to go and watch for a few minutes. I told them they were very welcome to watch such sport, so long as we didn't have to hear about it afterwards.

“Well, Ellie,” I said, “your young admirer seems to be a man of wealth.”

Ellie finished a mouthful of pie and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. “He's not my admirer,” she said. “Well,
maybe he is a bit. Pass me some of that bird. Anyway, did you find anything in the workshop?”

“Not a thing.” I sighed. “I can find no evidence to show that Mr. Anthony is the counterfeiter. However, Matthew is a different matter.”

“Why's that?” Ellie asked.

“He's not an honest worker,” I replied. “He does work without his master's knowledge and he has a purse full of money. He could have made his own dies from Mr. Anthony's coin engravings—before his master took them to the Tower—and been paid handsomely by the counterfeiter.”

“Just my luck,” laughed Ellie, “to have a villain for an admirer! How are you going to find out for sure?”

“You and I are going to spy on him tonight!” I declared. “We'll follow him to the White Boar and find out about this ‘bit of business' he was so eager to mention.”

Ellie nearly choked on a piece of capon. “What?” she spluttered. “I've never had such a day in my life!” She took a swig of mead and fanned herself with her mask. “Cor, to think of it: Lady Grace and Lady Ellie doing a bit of snooping in the dark.”

“We have to go unaccompanied, so we can't be ladies!” I said. “We'll have to think of a disguise.”

Ellie's face fell. I think she wanted to keep the fine gown on for as long as she could. “I've grown out of that gown,” I insisted, “so you can keep it.”

For a moment Ellie's eyes shone; then she shook her head. “I can't, Grace,” she said sadly. “Folk will think I've thieved it. I'll get in terrible trouble and be thrashed, for sure.”

Just then, the young gentlemen returned to accompany us back to the palace, but they were too busy boasting of their winnings at the cockfight to pay us much attention.

I noticed Ellie was walking very stiffly back to the litter, holding her skirts awkwardly. “What's wrong?” I asked when we were behind the curtains. “Are you in pain?”

“I will be later.” She grinned, lifting up her gown to reveal three pasties and half a pie! “I'm going to have a right royal belly ache!”

So tonight, after supper, I am going to slip out with Ellie to follow Matthew Tibbit. This time, both Ellie and I will be disguised as boys, and I am very excited. I'm a bit scared, too. If Matthew turns out to be involved with counterfeiters then he is likely also involved in murder!

And now the gentlemen have tired of tennis, and
Mary Shelton is suggesting that we return to our chamber, so I must stop.

Lady Sarah is talking in her sleep—or should I say flirting in her sleep? I keep hearing her say, “Fiddle-sticks, Sir Robert!” and “How witty, Lord Crispin!” Lady Jane would be jealous. Even in her dreams Lady Sarah is surrounded by young gentlemen!

I am huddled next to the fire. I have promised Olwen that I will dampen it down when I retire. I must not forget. I am so tired that I want to go straight to my bed but I must write down this night's events.

After supper this evening, the other Maids settled to play cards and I crept down to join Ellie in the starch room. This is where Ellie sleeps most nights and it is not a comfortable chamber. Mrs. Fadget spends much of the day in here, as she is the starch mistress, but thankfully there was no sign of her now.

It would not be safe for two young female servants to be out together at night, so Ellie and I got dressed up as boys. She'd “borrowed” a jerkin, hose, and breeches from the spit boy in the kitchen for me. She
wouldn't tell me where she'd found the jacket she brought me, and I didn't want to ask. The clothes were a tight fit, rather smelly and very itchy, even though I wore two shirts underneath!

Masou had plunged my riding boots into a compost heap to make them look old and tatty—and to make me smell even more, I think! My hair is still short after my last escapade as a boy on Her Majesty's business, so it looked quite appropriate under the cap that Ellie found for me. Ellie said it made me look quite the ragamuffin and I think even the Queen would not have recognized her Lady Pursuivant.

Then Ellie produced another pile of clothes and pulled them on. I held my nose. These were even smellier than mine.

“I got them from the stable lad,” she told me. “Not that he knows, of course!”

We went out into the freezing night air and hurried past the guards at the Holbein Gate. It is amazing how invisible servants are, for no one challenged us.

To begin with, I enjoyed the freedom of walking in boys' clothes. But I was tired by the time we had gone all the way through Covent Garden fields to the City and had reached Milk Street, where the White Boar Inn was. And the thin clothes of a spit boy were
no good for keeping the bitter cold out. I began to despair of ever feeling my hands again.

We pushed through the crowds at the door to the White Boar and crept in, finding ourselves a quiet corner from which to look around and observe. There was no sign of Matthew.

“Have we missed him?” Ellie whispered.

“I hope not,” I whispered back.

At that moment the door of the tavern burst open and Matthew swaggered in.

“Make way for the next Royal Engraver!” he exclaimed. Several girls ran over to him and he was soon seated at a table with a brimming tankard of ale in his hand.

“You're lucky to have my company, ladies,” he boasted in a loud voice. “Now, buy us another drink, and maybe I'll bring along a fine gold necklace tomorrow night, for the one who treats me best.”

“Don't you believe him, girls,” muttered Ellie as we crept nearer and hid behind a partition next to his table.

Matthew seemed to be drinking a great deal, but I noticed he did not put his hand in his purse once. He paid court to every girl in the tavern by promising them riches and doffing his cap—which was very fine and adorned with a beautiful peacock's feather.

After a while he took his leave and began to barge his way out.

“I didn't see him do any business there,” Ellie whispered. “Did we miss it?”

“No,” I said. “He must mean to do it elsewhere. Let's follow.”

We pushed through the busy throng, trying to keep him in our sights while darting along the shadowy streets and dodging the dung that covered the cobbles. I had never realized quite how disgusting and smelly these small City streets are. First a drunken old man bumped into us. Then someone opened a casement and threw out a bucketful of dirty water, which sent a couple of scavenging cats racing for cover and only just missed us! I am glad to be a Maid of Honour and travel everywhere by litter, or on horseback!

It was the same story in the next inn, and the next. Matthew boasted loudly as he drank more. He was able to find a pretty girl to buy him a drink at every tavern.

“I don't think Matthew is constant to you, Ellie,” I said with a grin as we pressed our noses up against the glass and peered into the Old King Lud. This tavern was heaving with people and we couldn't get inside.

“You're right, Grace,” said Ellie grumpily, watching Matthew put an arm round yet another girl. “He don't seem to be missing me! I reckon he was lying about having lots of money as well. He hasn't paid for a single drink— Look out, he's coming.”

Matthew staggered out and wobbled down a dark alley to yet another inn. When he reached the door, he lurched in and seemed to be making for some pretty girls in the corner. But his drunken legs wouldn't carry him any further and he slumped down at the nearest table.

We slipped in, and found seats by the wall close to Matthew, where there was no candlelight to betray us. I was feeling very tired and my eyes started to close.

Suddenly, Ellie nudged me awake. “Who's that?” she whispered.

A man wrapped closely in a black cloak pushed his way through the crowd and sat down at Matthew's table. I grabbed Ellie's arm in excitement. “This must be the bit of business he boasted of,” I whispered back. “Listen hard! It could be about the counterfeiting.”

“I've been searching for you all over the City!” growled the man. “You said you'd meet me tonight.”

“Well, I've been busy,” protested Matthew. “I'm going to be the best engraver in the world, y'know—”

“Don't give me all your fancy talk, Matthew Tibbit,” snapped the man in the cloak. “I knows you too well. You're just an apprentice—and not a very good one at that. Have you brought me what we agreed?”