Page 82 of A Column of Fire

‘And there’s one other thing you have to do,’ Ned went on. ‘Watch what Earl Swithin and Sir Reginald are up to. Send a fast messenger to me at Hatfield as soon as they do anything unusual, such as stockpiling weapons. Early information is the key.’

Dan said nothing. Ned stared at him, waiting for a reply, hoping for assent. At last Dan said: ‘I’ll think about what you’ve said.’ Then he walked away.

Ned was frustrated. He had felt confident that Dan would be eager to revenge the killing of his father by leading a Kingsbridge militia to fight for Elizabeth, and he had assured Sir William Cecil of it. Perhaps he had been overconfident.

Discouraged, Ned made his way back across the square, heading for where his mother stood. Halfway there he found himself facing Rollo Fitzgerald, who said: ‘What news of the queen?’

It was on everyone’s minds, of course.

Ned said: ‘She is gravely ill.’

‘There are rumours that Elizabeth intends to permit Protestantism if she becomes queen.’ Rollo made it sound like an accusation.

‘Rumours, indeed?’ Ned had no intention of getting into that kind of discussion. He moved to step around Rollo.

But Rollo blocked his way. ‘Or even that she wants to turn England to heresy, as her father did.’ Rollo lifted his chin aggressively. ‘Is it true?’

‘Who told you that?’

‘Consider this,’ said Rollo, who could ignore a question as effortlessly as Ned. ‘If she tries it, who will oppose her? Rome, of course.’

‘Indeed,’ said Ned. ‘The Pope’s policy on Protestants is extermination.’

Rollo put his hands on his hips and leaned forward belligerently. The stance was familiar to Ned from their schooldays: this was Rollo playing the bully. ‘She will also be opposed by the king of Spain, who is the richest and most powerful man in the world.’

‘Perhaps.’ The position of Spain was not that simple, but there was certainly some danger that King Felipe would try to undermine Elizabeth.

‘And the king of France, probably the second most powerful.’

‘Hmm.’ That, too, was a real danger.

‘Not to mention the king of Portugal and the queen of Scots.’

Ned was pretending to be indifferent to this argument, but Rollo was dismayingly right. Almost all Europe was going to turn on Elizabeth if she did what Ned knew perfectly well she intended to do. He had known all this, but Rollo’s summation was hammering the points home with chilling effect.

Rollo went on: ‘And who would support her? The king of Sweden and the queen of Navarre.’ Navarre was a small kingdom between Spain and France.

‘You paint a dramatic picture.’

Rollo came uncomfortably close. He was tall, and loomed threateningly over Ned. ‘She would be very foolish indeed to quarrel with so many powerful men.’

Ned said: ‘Take a step back, Rollo. If you don’t, I promise you, I will pick you up with both hands and throw you.’

Rollo looked uncertain.

Ned put a hand on Rollo’s shoulder, in a gesture that might have been friendly, and said: ‘I won’t tell you twice.’

Rollo pushed Ned’s hand off his shoulder, but then he turned away.

‘That’s how Elizabeth and I deal with bullies,’ said Ned.

There was a fanfare of trumpets, and the bride appeared.

Ned caught his breath. She looked wonderful. Her dress was a pale sky-blue with a dark blue underskirt. It had a high collar that stood up dramatically behind like a fan, framing her curly hair. Her jewelled headdress had a plume at an angle.

Ned heard a group of girls nearby murmur approval. Glancing at their faces, he saw mainly envy. It occurred to him that Margery had hooked the man they all wanted. Bart must be the most eligible bachelor in the county. They thought she had won first prize. How wrong they were.

Sir Reginald walked beside her, looking proud in a doublet of gorgeous red silk embroidered with gold thread, and Ned thought angrily:He paid for all this with my mother’s money.