Page 73 of The Armor of Light

Then he heard the sound of another handle being turned and another door being opened. Mrs Tolliver had gone into the room across the landing. That door closed, then there was a soft tap and Kate’s voice said quietly: ‘All clear.’

Spade opened the door for Arabella. ‘You go first,’ he said.

She left without a word.

Kate looked down at the lock and said: ‘I’d better get a key for that.’

He knew she would keep his secret. He had kept hers for years. He remembered walking into her bedroom, when they were adolescents, and seeing her kissing her girlfriend’s breasts. He had left hastily, but they had talked later, and she had told him that she loved women, not men, but no one must know. He had promised not to tell, and he never had.

Now she looked hard at him and said: ‘Be careful, for goodness’ sake.’

He smiled. ‘I’ve said that to you many times. But we take risks for love.’

‘It’s not the same. No one suspects two women. They think you can’t have sex without a cock. But you’re a single man and she’s the bishop’s wife: if they find out they’ll crucify you.’

They would not literally crucify him, of course, but they could make it impossible for him to do business in Kingsbridge. ‘We’ve never done anything!’ he said. ‘Well, one kiss.’

‘But you’re going to do more, aren’t you?’

‘Well...’

She shook her head in despair. ‘We’re two of a kind, you and I.’

They went down the stairs together. Spade left by the back door and crossed the courtyard to his own quarters.

He needed to talk to Alf Nash. It might be revealing to see whether the man’s reactions betrayed any signs of guilt. At this time of day Alf would be at his dairy. Spade put on his hat and coat, picked up his milk jug, and went out again.

Alf was alone in the shop, counting money from his morning round. He was chubby-faced and healthy-looking, as he should be with all that butter and cheese to eat. Spade put his jug on the counter.

Alf dipped a measuring jug into a bucket of milk. Spade waited until he was concentrating on pouring from his jug into Spade’s, then said: ‘Did you hear they arrested Jeremiah?’ He watched Alf’s face closely as he waited for the answer.

Alf spoke in a firm voice without hesitation. ‘I heard it a dozen times on my round. Everyone’s talking about it.’ He finished pouring and said: ‘A penny, please, Spade.’ His expression was impassive, but he did not meet Spade’s eye.

Spade handed over a coin.

He thought Alf was guilty, but he wanted to be more sure, and suddenly he thought of a way. He leant over the counter and spoke confidentially. ‘They found only one pamphlet, the original from London.’

‘So I hear.’

‘Fortunately, Jeremiah finished printing the copies yesterday and stashed them in my warehouse.’ This was a lie.

Alf looked directly at him for the first time. ‘In your warehouse? That was clever.’

Alf believed the lie, Spade thought with satisfaction. ‘We’ve outwitted that swine Hornbeam,’ he said. Then he elaborated on the lie. ‘We’ll have all the copies we need for our meeting.’

‘Excellent news,’ Alf said, but his tone was emotionless and Spade was sure he was acting.

Spade picked up his jug and went to the door. He had one more thing to say. He turned back. ‘Don’t tell anyone what I just said, will you.’

‘Of course not,’ said Alf.

‘Don’t even discuss it with other committee members. Walls have ears.’

‘My lips are sealed,’ said Alf.

*

In the hour before noon a crowd gathered in the market square for the flogging, despite the rain. Goods were laid out on the stalls and the Bell tavern was open, but people did not have much money to spend. Nevertheless the square became packed, except for a space around the whipping post, which people shunned as if it might be contaminated and they feared infection.