wouldn’t help him.”
“Let’s start with the most important thing. What does he plan to do?”
Halliwell shrugged, listless. “I don’t kn—”
Parker had him up against the wall, with a forearm to his throat, before he finished the sentence. He kept his voice even. “Now I may be willing to believe your story, but I won’t shield you if you could have told me something and the King is harmed. So I’ll ask you again, what does Pole intend to do?”
Halliwell was a big man, and a trained guard, but he did not try to fight free. His face told Parker he had given up, and for the first time since this strange episode began, Parker felt worry curl in his gut.
“I heard you.” Susanna stepped closer. “I heard you say you wouldn’t help him. And I will say that in a hearing on your behalf.”
Halliwell turned to look at her, his mouth slack with surprise. Parker’s betrothed had that effect on people.
Parker gave a small smile. He pulled his arm away, and Halliwell sagged against the wall.
There was a moment of silence.
Then Halliwell straightened, and when he lifted his gaze to Parker’s, it was calmer. “I truly don’t know what he plans, but he wanted to know how many guards the King would have, and if there was any point on the procession’s route where His Majesty would bemore vulnerable.”
“How is it he thought you would help him?” Parker could not believe Pole would approach just any Yeoman of the Guard, no matter how far down the slope of madness he’d slipped.
“My family rents land from his older brother. We’ve known each other for years. I was put forward for the guards by his brother Arthur while he was the King’s esquire of the body.” Halliwell closed his eyes. “At Geoffrey’s request, I arranged to take the advance guard duty at St. Paul’s today. To start clearing the crowds before the King arrived. I knew he meant to ask me a favor, but I did not realize . . .” He shook his head. “This all damns me further.”
“No.” Parker spoke slowly. “If my lady heard you say you would not help, despite the ties and loyalties you owe his family, then you will hear no word from me about Pole’s approach.”
Halliwell turned to look at him. Then his gaze fell on Susanna and he bowed low. “I wished you far away when you passed so near us, my lady, but now I am very grateful you did.”
“Did Pole say where he was going?” Parker noted the gates of the churchyard were getting more crowded. Tracking Pole in the streets would be almost impossible.
“No. He accused me of betraying his family, then he ran. If he still intends carrying out what he had in mind, he may have gone to Bridewell, to wait for the procession to start.”
“Why would Geoffrey Pole wish the King ill?” Susanna asked.
Parker fingered the hilt of his sword, still searching the crowd. “Pole isn’t just cousin to the King. He has another cousin—Richard de la Pole. Because of their claim on the throne, the King’s father crushed the Poles and the de la Poles from the moment he became King and made sure they stayed under his boot. Even thoughHenry has been far kinder to both families than his father ever was, Richard de la Pole’s death is the reason the King celebrates today. Perhaps, for Geoffrey, this is the last insult to his family he can stomach.”
CHAPTER TWO
It seemed a long time since Susanna made the decision to go home, to eat and warm up in the house she shared with Parker on Crooked Lane.
And she was still no further than the churchyard at St. Paul’s, although at least she’d been able to buy a pie from one of the pie sellers hawking their wares through the crowd. She bit into it, and though it was almost cold, immediately felt better as the flavors of beef and gravy filled her mouth.
Halliwell stood with her, a huge barrier at the cathedral door, his halberd firm in his hand.
He appeared far different from the man who earlier had clung, vomiting, to the cathedral walls.
“Let’s start with the most important thing. What does he plan to do?”
Halliwell shrugged, listless. “I don’t kn—”
Parker had him up against the wall, with a forearm to his throat, before he finished the sentence. He kept his voice even. “Now I may be willing to believe your story, but I won’t shield you if you could have told me something and the King is harmed. So I’ll ask you again, what does Pole intend to do?”
Halliwell was a big man, and a trained guard, but he did not try to fight free. His face told Parker he had given up, and for the first time since this strange episode began, Parker felt worry curl in his gut.
“I heard you.” Susanna stepped closer. “I heard you say you wouldn’t help him. And I will say that in a hearing on your behalf.”
Halliwell turned to look at her, his mouth slack with surprise. Parker’s betrothed had that effect on people.
Parker gave a small smile. He pulled his arm away, and Halliwell sagged against the wall.
There was a moment of silence.
Then Halliwell straightened, and when he lifted his gaze to Parker’s, it was calmer. “I truly don’t know what he plans, but he wanted to know how many guards the King would have, and if there was any point on the procession’s route where His Majesty would bemore vulnerable.”
“How is it he thought you would help him?” Parker could not believe Pole would approach just any Yeoman of the Guard, no matter how far down the slope of madness he’d slipped.
“My family rents land from his older brother. We’ve known each other for years. I was put forward for the guards by his brother Arthur while he was the King’s esquire of the body.” Halliwell closed his eyes. “At Geoffrey’s request, I arranged to take the advance guard duty at St. Paul’s today. To start clearing the crowds before the King arrived. I knew he meant to ask me a favor, but I did not realize . . .” He shook his head. “This all damns me further.”
“No.” Parker spoke slowly. “If my lady heard you say you would not help, despite the ties and loyalties you owe his family, then you will hear no word from me about Pole’s approach.”
Halliwell turned to look at him. Then his gaze fell on Susanna and he bowed low. “I wished you far away when you passed so near us, my lady, but now I am very grateful you did.”
“Did Pole say where he was going?” Parker noted the gates of the churchyard were getting more crowded. Tracking Pole in the streets would be almost impossible.
“No. He accused me of betraying his family, then he ran. If he still intends carrying out what he had in mind, he may have gone to Bridewell, to wait for the procession to start.”
“Why would Geoffrey Pole wish the King ill?” Susanna asked.
Parker fingered the hilt of his sword, still searching the crowd. “Pole isn’t just cousin to the King. He has another cousin—Richard de la Pole. Because of their claim on the throne, the King’s father crushed the Poles and the de la Poles from the moment he became King and made sure they stayed under his boot. Even thoughHenry has been far kinder to both families than his father ever was, Richard de la Pole’s death is the reason the King celebrates today. Perhaps, for Geoffrey, this is the last insult to his family he can stomach.”
CHAPTER TWO
It seemed a long time since Susanna made the decision to go home, to eat and warm up in the house she shared with Parker on Crooked Lane.
And she was still no further than the churchyard at St. Paul’s, although at least she’d been able to buy a pie from one of the pie sellers hawking their wares through the crowd. She bit into it, and though it was almost cold, immediately felt better as the flavors of beef and gravy filled her mouth.
Halliwell stood with her, a huge barrier at the cathedral door, his halberd firm in his hand.
He appeared far different from the man who earlier had clung, vomiting, to the cathedral walls.
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