patrolled the site conscientiously without being tempted in
any way either by drink or the blandishments of sleep. He kept a lonely vigil
but that did not disturb him. He was being paid well. When dawn began to break,
he strolled to the bottom of the garden and stood on a mound of earth to look
out across the river as it slowly came into view. The plash of oars told him
that a boat was passing but he could not pick it out. A glimpse of a lantern
identified another vessel. He watched with interest until the scrunch of feet
made him turn.
Someone
had come on to the site. The intruder, seen in hazy outline, was making his way
around the angle of the house. Drawing his sword, the nightwatchman hurried
back up the garden to accost the stranger. His challenge was firm and
unequivocal.
'Hold
there, sir!' he ordered. 'You are trespassing.'
'It
is I, Jem,' said Christopher. 'Put up your sword.'
'Is
it really you, Mr Redmayne?'
'The
same. Good morning.'
'Good
morning, sir.'
Jem
was a tall, muscular, ungainly young man with a face as round and
expressionless as a full moon. Suspicious by nature, he waited until he was
only yards away before he accepted that the unexpected visitor was indeed the
architect. He sheathed his sword and cocked his head to one side in curiosity.
'What
are you doing here, Mr Redmayne?' he wondered.
'I
wanted to see the house.'
'This
early?'
'There
will soon be light enough.'
'A
strange time to come calling.'
'I
am hoping to meet someone here, Jem.'
'Mr
Littlejohn and his men will not be along for an hour or more.'
'It
is Sir Ambrose whom I wish to see, however long I need to wait. He comes to the
site every day when he is in London.'
'Yes,
Mr Redmayne. He was here yesterday.'
Christopher
started. 'You saw him?'
'As
I was coming on duty, sir.'
'That
must have been well into the evening.'
'It
was.'
'Did
he say anything to you?'
'Not
a word,' said the nightwatchman. 'When I tried to speak to him, Sir Ambrose
waved me away. He just wanted to look around, I think.'
'And
what time did he leave?'
'Who
knows? I was minding my own business.'
'Do
you have no idea how long he was here?'
'None,
sir.'
'What
exactly did he do on the site?'
Jem
shook his head. 'I kept out of his way.' He could see the other's concern. 'Is
something wrong, Mr Redmayne?'
'That
is what I am trying to find out.'
'I
was only obeying orders,' said the nightwatchman defensively. 'Sir Ambrose made
it quite clear that he wanted me to ignore him. So I turned the other way. He
pays my wages, sir. I do as he wishes.'
'Yes,
yes,' said Christopher, giving him a conciliatory pat on the arm. 'You did
right. I am not criticising you. I just wish you could give me a little more
information, that is all. Any detail will be helpful.'
Jem
scratched his head vigorously. His face was blanker than ever. Eager to help,
he was quite unable to do so and his impotence annoyed him. Christopher was
about to abandon the interrogation when the other man hunched his shoulders in
apology.
'I
am sorry, Mr Redmayne.'
'You
are not to blame.'
'I
saw nothing after they went down into the cellars.'
'They?'
Christopher stepped closer to him. 'Are you telling me that Sir Ambrose was
here with someone else?'
'Yes,
sir. Another man.'
'Who
was he?'
'I
do not know, sir. I barely gave him a glance. I know my place.' He ran a tongue
over his lips. 'Sir Ambrose was hardly likely to introduce a friend of his to a
mere night- watchman. I was nothing to them.'
'Was
the man old or young? Tall or short?'
Jem
cudgelled his brain but it was a futile exercise. He was there to guard the
site, not to keep his employer under surveillance. Nothing could be dredged up
from his memory. He licked his lips again.
'He
was a man, Mr Redmayne. That is all I can tell you.'
'I
see.'
'Have
I been any help?'
'Oh,
yes,' said Christopher. 'What you have told me is invaluable. At least, I now
know where Sir Ambrose was yesterday evening.' He glanced around. 'Do you have
a
any way either by drink or the blandishments of sleep. He kept a lonely vigil
but that did not disturb him. He was being paid well. When dawn began to break,
he strolled to the bottom of the garden and stood on a mound of earth to look
out across the river as it slowly came into view. The plash of oars told him
that a boat was passing but he could not pick it out. A glimpse of a lantern
identified another vessel. He watched with interest until the scrunch of feet
made him turn.
Someone
had come on to the site. The intruder, seen in hazy outline, was making his way
around the angle of the house. Drawing his sword, the nightwatchman hurried
back up the garden to accost the stranger. His challenge was firm and
unequivocal.
'Hold
there, sir!' he ordered. 'You are trespassing.'
'It
is I, Jem,' said Christopher. 'Put up your sword.'
'Is
it really you, Mr Redmayne?'
'The
same. Good morning.'
'Good
morning, sir.'
Jem
was a tall, muscular, ungainly young man with a face as round and
expressionless as a full moon. Suspicious by nature, he waited until he was
only yards away before he accepted that the unexpected visitor was indeed the
architect. He sheathed his sword and cocked his head to one side in curiosity.
'What
are you doing here, Mr Redmayne?' he wondered.
'I
wanted to see the house.'
'This
early?'
'There
will soon be light enough.'
'A
strange time to come calling.'
'I
am hoping to meet someone here, Jem.'
'Mr
Littlejohn and his men will not be along for an hour or more.'
'It
is Sir Ambrose whom I wish to see, however long I need to wait. He comes to the
site every day when he is in London.'
'Yes,
Mr Redmayne. He was here yesterday.'
Christopher
started. 'You saw him?'
'As
I was coming on duty, sir.'
'That
must have been well into the evening.'
'It
was.'
'Did
he say anything to you?'
'Not
a word,' said the nightwatchman. 'When I tried to speak to him, Sir Ambrose
waved me away. He just wanted to look around, I think.'
'And
what time did he leave?'
'Who
knows? I was minding my own business.'
'Do
you have no idea how long he was here?'
'None,
sir.'
'What
exactly did he do on the site?'
Jem
shook his head. 'I kept out of his way.' He could see the other's concern. 'Is
something wrong, Mr Redmayne?'
'That
is what I am trying to find out.'
'I
was only obeying orders,' said the nightwatchman defensively. 'Sir Ambrose made
it quite clear that he wanted me to ignore him. So I turned the other way. He
pays my wages, sir. I do as he wishes.'
'Yes,
yes,' said Christopher, giving him a conciliatory pat on the arm. 'You did
right. I am not criticising you. I just wish you could give me a little more
information, that is all. Any detail will be helpful.'
Jem
scratched his head vigorously. His face was blanker than ever. Eager to help,
he was quite unable to do so and his impotence annoyed him. Christopher was
about to abandon the interrogation when the other man hunched his shoulders in
apology.
'I
am sorry, Mr Redmayne.'
'You
are not to blame.'
'I
saw nothing after they went down into the cellars.'
'They?'
Christopher stepped closer to him. 'Are you telling me that Sir Ambrose was
here with someone else?'
'Yes,
sir. Another man.'
'Who
was he?'
'I
do not know, sir. I barely gave him a glance. I know my place.' He ran a tongue
over his lips. 'Sir Ambrose was hardly likely to introduce a friend of his to a
mere night- watchman. I was nothing to them.'
'Was
the man old or young? Tall or short?'
Jem
cudgelled his brain but it was a futile exercise. He was there to guard the
site, not to keep his employer under surveillance. Nothing could be dredged up
from his memory. He licked his lips again.
'He
was a man, Mr Redmayne. That is all I can tell you.'
'I
see.'
'Have
I been any help?'
'Oh,
yes,' said Christopher. 'What you have told me is invaluable. At least, I now
know where Sir Ambrose was yesterday evening.' He glanced around. 'Do you have
a
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