respectable one.’
‘I think it is. What exactly does a lady-in-waiting do?’
Again Jane laughed. ‘She waits, mostly. Waits for her majesty to call upon her services. Then she attends to her majesty’s needs, and sees that she is comfortable and content. Sometimes she is also required to attend to the queen’s spaniels.’
‘And her dwarf?’
‘Mr Hudson, thankfully, looks after himself.’
‘Thank you, madam. Was the question respectable?’
‘It was. I thought you might ask about my eyes. They are frequently asked about.’
‘I had noticed them. Most unusual, if I may say so.’
‘I’m fortunate to have been born the daughter of a squire. My father says that, had I been born to a carpenter, I would have been burned as a witch long ago. No one in Yorkshire had ever before seen eyes of different colours on the same face.’ Jane put out a hand topick a stray thread from Thomas’s coat. As she did so, she noticed Tobias Rush looking at them with interest. ‘I see Master Rush is observing us closely, Master Hill. He is a loyal friend to the king, yet he always reminds me of a raven. Black feathers, black eyes, long beak. He stands out in a crowd of peacocks.’
Thomas turned and bowed to Rush, who acknowledged him with a tip of his black hat. ‘Master Rush has been most solicitous to me. But I know what you mean. There is something unsettling about him. Do you know anything of his history?’
‘Very little, except that he’s highly regarded by the king. The queen, on the other hand, does not care for him. I did hear that he is of humble origins, and that his father was a turnkey in London. If that’s true, he’s come far.’ Jane looked over his shoulder. ‘Here is Captain Fayne. Allow me to introduce you. He too is staying in Pembroke.’ Thomas turned to see Fayne striding towards them. ‘Francis,’ she said, ‘allow me to present Master Thomas Hill, in Oxford to visit an old friend. Master Hill, this is Captain Fayne.’
‘Captain Fayne and I are acquainted, Lady Romilly,’ replied Thomas with a smile. ‘We happened to meet in the college.’
Fayne’s hooded eyes narrowed. ‘Indeed we did. A bookseller, was it not?’
‘Indeed, sir.’
‘A bookseller with a comfortable room to himself.’
‘I am fortunate in that respect.’
‘You are a bookseller, Master Hill?’ asked Jane.
‘I am, madam. I have a small shop in Romsey.’
‘I recall your mentioning Romsey.’
‘I cannot imagine what a little bookseller is doing in Oxford at such a time, Hill. Can you enlighten us?’ asked Fayne.
‘I am on the king’s business. I can say no more.’
Fayne bent his head to put his face in front of Thomas’s, and hissed, ‘Well, make haste and do the king’s business, Hill, because I want my room back.’
Thomas retreated a step, and looked enquiringly at Jane. How did she come to know this creature? Fayne sounded as if he would like nothing better than to tear Thomas into small pieces and, if they had been anywhere other than at a royal masque, he would have done so. Jane glanced to her left. ‘Master Hill, the queen is signalling. She requires my presence, and, if I’m not mistaken, yours too.’
‘Mine? Surely not.’
‘Her majesty takes a close interest in her staff and their friends. She probably wants to know who you are. Come. I shall present you.’ Together they left Fayne standing on his own. Thomas sensed dark eyes boringinto the back of his neck. Just as well the king and queen were present or he might by now have been disembowelled.
Before the queen, Jane curtseyed and Thomas bowed.
‘And who is this, Lady Romilly?’
‘Your majesty, this is Master Thomas Hill, in Oxford visiting his old tutor. We met by chance in the town.’ Thomas bowed again. The queen peered at him. She looked a formidable lady. No wonder some called her the ‘Generalissima’.
‘Master Hill. We welcome you to Oxford, now capital of England, and the seat of its lawful
‘I think it is. What exactly does a lady-in-waiting do?’
Again Jane laughed. ‘She waits, mostly. Waits for her majesty to call upon her services. Then she attends to her majesty’s needs, and sees that she is comfortable and content. Sometimes she is also required to attend to the queen’s spaniels.’
‘And her dwarf?’
‘Mr Hudson, thankfully, looks after himself.’
‘Thank you, madam. Was the question respectable?’
‘It was. I thought you might ask about my eyes. They are frequently asked about.’
‘I had noticed them. Most unusual, if I may say so.’
‘I’m fortunate to have been born the daughter of a squire. My father says that, had I been born to a carpenter, I would have been burned as a witch long ago. No one in Yorkshire had ever before seen eyes of different colours on the same face.’ Jane put out a hand topick a stray thread from Thomas’s coat. As she did so, she noticed Tobias Rush looking at them with interest. ‘I see Master Rush is observing us closely, Master Hill. He is a loyal friend to the king, yet he always reminds me of a raven. Black feathers, black eyes, long beak. He stands out in a crowd of peacocks.’
Thomas turned and bowed to Rush, who acknowledged him with a tip of his black hat. ‘Master Rush has been most solicitous to me. But I know what you mean. There is something unsettling about him. Do you know anything of his history?’
‘Very little, except that he’s highly regarded by the king. The queen, on the other hand, does not care for him. I did hear that he is of humble origins, and that his father was a turnkey in London. If that’s true, he’s come far.’ Jane looked over his shoulder. ‘Here is Captain Fayne. Allow me to introduce you. He too is staying in Pembroke.’ Thomas turned to see Fayne striding towards them. ‘Francis,’ she said, ‘allow me to present Master Thomas Hill, in Oxford to visit an old friend. Master Hill, this is Captain Fayne.’
‘Captain Fayne and I are acquainted, Lady Romilly,’ replied Thomas with a smile. ‘We happened to meet in the college.’
Fayne’s hooded eyes narrowed. ‘Indeed we did. A bookseller, was it not?’
‘Indeed, sir.’
‘A bookseller with a comfortable room to himself.’
‘I am fortunate in that respect.’
‘You are a bookseller, Master Hill?’ asked Jane.
‘I am, madam. I have a small shop in Romsey.’
‘I recall your mentioning Romsey.’
‘I cannot imagine what a little bookseller is doing in Oxford at such a time, Hill. Can you enlighten us?’ asked Fayne.
‘I am on the king’s business. I can say no more.’
Fayne bent his head to put his face in front of Thomas’s, and hissed, ‘Well, make haste and do the king’s business, Hill, because I want my room back.’
Thomas retreated a step, and looked enquiringly at Jane. How did she come to know this creature? Fayne sounded as if he would like nothing better than to tear Thomas into small pieces and, if they had been anywhere other than at a royal masque, he would have done so. Jane glanced to her left. ‘Master Hill, the queen is signalling. She requires my presence, and, if I’m not mistaken, yours too.’
‘Mine? Surely not.’
‘Her majesty takes a close interest in her staff and their friends. She probably wants to know who you are. Come. I shall present you.’ Together they left Fayne standing on his own. Thomas sensed dark eyes boringinto the back of his neck. Just as well the king and queen were present or he might by now have been disembowelled.
Before the queen, Jane curtseyed and Thomas bowed.
‘And who is this, Lady Romilly?’
‘Your majesty, this is Master Thomas Hill, in Oxford visiting his old tutor. We met by chance in the town.’ Thomas bowed again. The queen peered at him. She looked a formidable lady. No wonder some called her the ‘Generalissima’.
‘Master Hill. We welcome you to Oxford, now capital of England, and the seat of its lawful
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