Marigold Chain (34 page)

‘
Yes.
He’s at Sandwich and looks like staying there a while
longer.’

‘
Then we
must hope Captain Vine changes that. Unless we’re very unlucky,
he’ll send the bill to Simon – who will then need to visit the
Naval Office.’

‘
You’re
sure,’ asked Matt, ‘this it’s meant for Simon?’

‘
Quite
sure,’ said Mr Deveril smoothly. ‘The second instruction refers to
Isabella van Beverweed who is not only Dutch but married to Lord
Arlington. As we know, Simon has failed to discredit his lordship
in other ways and so has presumably decided to try doing so through
his lady.’ He paused. ‘Also, we have the not unimportant question
of why that paper was put in my pocket.’

‘
Well?’

‘
A
fortuitous coincidence. Their arrangements and information were,
for once, poor – and presumably I was where Simon was expected to
be. Someone hailed me loudly by name and the obvious mistake
occurred. Truly,’ finished Alex pleasantly, ‘God works in a
mysterious way. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to
do.’

*

Some three
hours later, having furnished Matt with an artfully contrived
forgery, then shaved, bathed and changed his clothes, Mr Deveril
stowed the original carefully in his pocket and set off for Mr
Beckwith’s lodgings in King Street. Giles greeted him civilly but
without warmth and then waited to be given the reason for his
visit.

‘
I want
you to come with me to Goring House,’ said Alex, without preamble.
‘I have a certain matter concerning our mutual endeavours to lay
before Lord Arlington and it will save time if you’re
there.’

‘
What
matter?’ asked Giles, unimpressed and irritated by Mr Deveril’s
abrasive manner.

‘
Come and
you’ll find out. It won’t take long.’

The dark grey
eyes examined him impersonally.

‘
You look
somewhat the worse for wear.’

His mouth
curling at the understatement and his hand on the door-latch, Alex
said, ‘You know me … never a dull moment.’

Their journey
to Goring House, situated on the edge of St James’ Park at the far
end of the Mall, was accomplished in a short time and in total
silence. Even when they stood in an antechamber waiting for the
Secretary of State to receive them, they neither spoke nor looked
at each other but maintained an air of studied relaxation. And then
they were called in.

In his late
forties, Henry Bennet, first Baron Arlington, was distinguished
from his fellows in two respects; the scar on his nose gained
twenty years ago in a skirmish at Andover and the extreme formality
of manner acquired during an exile spent at the court of Madrid.
Both were in evidence as he rose from his desk and bowed
slightly.

‘
Good
morning, gentlemen. Please be seated. My assistant informs me that
your business is urgent and so I have agreed to see you. However, I
am expected at Whitehall within the hour so I would be obliged if
you will come directly to the point.’

‘
The
point,’ said Mr Deveril, ‘is that, at the request of Prince Rupert,
Mr Beckwith and I have spent five months trying to discover and
identify a traitor within the Naval service. We are now, I hope, in
a position to do so – subject to your lordship’s approval and a
small amount of official help.’

There was a
long silence while Arlington looked at them narrowly. Then he said,
‘And why was I not told of His Highness’ suspicions before?’

‘
Because
suspicions are all they were,’ replied Alex. ‘Our orders were to
furnish both the Prince and yourself with proof.’

‘
Which
you now have?’

‘
Yes.’
Rising, Mr Deveril produced two folded sheets of paper and handed
one to his lordship. ‘This bill of lading came into my possession
yesterday. As you can see, it contains more than is at first
apparent and is, in fact, the means by which our man receives his
orders and relays his information. A simple device – but it
works.’

‘
And the
message? I presume you have decoded it?’

Alex nodded
and, without speaking, passed over the second sheet.

Arlington read
it twice, a frown mantling his brow. Then, looking up, ‘If you are
aware of the significance of the second of these instructions, I
would be glad to know it.’

‘
Yes. I
thought you might.’

Giles, who had
possessed himself in patience up to this point, rose and crossed to
where his lordship sat.

‘
May I?’
he asked coolly, extending his hand. ‘Mr Deveril likes surprises
and I know as little of this as you do, my lord.’

Arlington
passed the papers over, his eyes fixed on Alex. ‘Well?’

Alex sat down
again. ‘You are right in believing that it refers to your wife. The
person for whom the message is intended presumably has some plan to
discredit you through her. Indeed, he has already tried something
of the sort which resulted in the unsuccessful accusation you faced
last month.’

‘
How do
you know the two are connected?’ asked Giles sharply.

‘
Because
the gentleman in question holds detailed reports on both Lord
Arlington and Sir William Coventry.’

‘
How do
you know?’ It was Giles again.

His lordship
stood up. ‘I assume you came by this information in an unorthodox
manner that you would prefer not to disclose,’ he said shrewdly.
‘But the little I have seen of you, Mr Deveril, leads me to suspect
that – having found these files – you then read them. Am I
right?’

Alex smiled.
‘Quite right, my lord. But you know as well as I that they
contained nothing remotely treasonous … and, for the rest, you may
depend on my discretion.’

‘
I am
obliged to you,’ said Arlington sardonically. ‘And would have been
more so if you had seen fit to warn me. However. There remains only
one question to be asked. The gentleman’s name.’

There was a
pause while Mr Deveril surveyed them with an air of chilly
amusement.

‘
I’m
afraid,’ he said gently, ‘that I don’t propose to tell
you.’

‘
You what?
’ snapped Arlington, startled out of
his usual punctiliousness. ‘Why not?’

‘
Because
I prefer to give you the man himself –
in
flagrante
, as it were.’

‘
I might
have known,’ said Mr Beckwith acidly, ‘that you’d find a way of
turning this into a drama. You’re enjoying it, aren’t
you?’

‘
Yes. I
am.’ Temper flared briefly and then was gone. ‘I’m also, if you can
believe it, trying to ensure there can be no mistakes – and no need
for further proof.’

‘
That is
all very well,’ said Arlington, ‘but there are other
considerations. If your traitor is in a position to fulfil the
requirements on that paper, he holds a post of some responsibility.
You must realise that it is my official duty to determine the
political implications of publicly arresting such a
man.’

‘
I do
realise it,’ replied Alex, ‘but in this case I think you will find
that your problems lie less with the man himself, than in the
doubtful light his actions will cast on his innocent patron. And
that, Sir Henry, is your affair not mine. What I require right now
is a little help from yourself to enable me to complete the
necessary arrangements.’

His lordship
sat down again. ‘Since you are perfectly aware that I need this
person caught as quickly as possible, you may be sure of my
complete attention.’

‘
Thank
you.’ Alex paused. ‘Very well. I’ve traced a copy of this bill of
lading – complete with additions – and by now it will be in the
hands of the same Captain Vine who mistakenly allowed it to stray
into mine. We can only trust that he doesn’t notice the difference.
His movements are being watched and, when he sends a message to his
principal, I’ll know.’

‘
This
man, Vine,’ interrupted Arlington. ‘I want him as well.’

‘
Naturally – and you’ll have him once he’s performed his
function. But he’s just the carrier-pigeon. First we have to make
sure of the vulture.’

‘
Go on,’
said Giles. ‘So the vulture receives his orders and tries to fulfil
them.’ He stopped and gave a brief, humourless laugh. ‘Of course.
The Naval Office.’

‘
Exactly,’ agreed Alex. ‘The Naval Office – where our friend
will go quite openly, expecting to be given the information he asks
for. Only this time he won’t get it. And that, Lord Arlington, is
where you come in. Can you secure the relevant files and ensure
that Pepys and his staff tell all comers that they’ve been locked
away on the King’s command and can only be seen with his
permission?’

His lordship
nodded slowly. ‘Yes. But I don’t see - - ‘

‘
You
will,’ smiled Mr Deveril. ‘We’re going to make it impossible for
our man to get what he wants legitimately and thus force him to try
other methods. So long as he believes the documents are still there
but inaccessible to him, he’ll have no choice but to break into the
Office to take them. And when he does, we’ll be
waiting.’

‘
We?’
queried Mr Beckwith.

The blue eyes
filled with restrained exasperation.

‘
I am
not,’ said Alex, ‘inviting spectators, if that’s what you think.
You can come, or not – just as you please. Lord Arlington’s
presence, on the other hand, is vital. Because, from this point on,
I want all proceedings blessed with official sanction.’

Lord Arlington
nodded approvingly but Giles wasn’t satisfied. ‘Why?’

The
exasperation was no long restrained and, in one smooth movement,
Alex was on his feet. ‘Because I don’t want to have gone to all
this trouble for nothing and will expect some recognition. Why
else?’

*

Within the
space of three hours, Mr Deveril received word that Matt had
successfully accomplished his mission and was currently travelling
south-east out of London in discreet pursuit of Samuel Vine. He
would, so his message said, advise Mr Deveril further in due
course.

It was at this
stage that Alex discovered the flaw in his arrangements for he now
had nothing to do but sit at home and wait for news. And with time
on his hands, he did little but indulge in bitter recollections
that were totally unrelated to the task ahead. Instead, it was his
own voice that came back to taunt him with an eight-month catalogue
of mistakes; the stupid jibes and pointless remarks he’d doubtless
thought so clever; the off-hand way he’d given her that bloody
trinket she now wore as if it were some sort of talisman; and worst
of all, his callous, flippant reaction when she’d volunteered to
undergo what had to be the most horrible of physical intrusions in
order to secure the thrice-damned annulment. All of these things
and more, all said without care or thought, to the girl he had been
falling in love with; and all of them waiting now, like snares to
trap him.

She wasn’t
stupid, his Marigold, and she knew too well what he was. Try to woo
her now with all the arts one possessed but had never thought
necessary to practise with her and she would see through them. So
one was left with no alternative but simply to declare oneself,
which – after all that had gone before – would sound either fatuous
or highly improbable. And even if, by some miracle, she believed
it, what had he ever done to deserve more than tolerance or mild
liking? Neither of which was enough. For his love wasn’t mild and
she would not stay if she couldn’t return it. Nor, in truth, would
he want her to.

He tried to
tell himself that thinking was pointless since he couldn’t do
anything about it yet. Afterwards, when he could tell her that
Danny was avenged – that was the time to speak. But he found, for
the first time in his life, that he could not help himself. The
house was empty when she was not in it and, when she was, he
avoided her.

He felt lost.
And when he tried to find relief in reading, even the poetry
betrayed him. For it was too late; the damage was done and
spreading, mockingly, through the words of Suckling’s verses.

“
Out upon it, I have loved three whole days
together;

And am like to
love three more, if it prove fair weather.”

And then, at
the end of his three days, came the message he had been waiting
for.

~ * * * ~

‘
You look
ill,’ said Mr Lewis, by way of greeting.

‘
I’ve
felt better,’ agreed Alex, shrugging. ‘I take it you’ve come to
tell me that Simon is on his way?’

‘
Aye.’
Matt sat down, irritably noting the signs of fatigue and strain on
Mr Deveril’s face. ‘You need to calm down. You’re living on your
nerves and, by the look of you, they won’t stand much
more.’

Surprisingly,
Alex neither denied it nor grew impatient.

‘
Possibly. But they’ll serve a few days more – long enough,
anyway.’

‘
What is
it?’ asked Matthew bluntly. ‘The job?’

‘
No.
Leave it, Matt. I’m not about to fall apart. Tell me about
Simon.’

Mr Lewis
snorted but knew better than to enquire further. He said, ‘I
trailed Vine to Sandwich and, when he set off back, I left my lad
to keep an eye on him. Cousin Simon started out this morning – but
he’s coming by coach so he won’t be here before tomorrow. I passed
him on the road.’