but did not draw in the reins.
‘Lord Rutland!’ she cried, louder this time.
A moment later, a gloved hand pulled back the heavy curtain and the earl’s gaunt face peered out into the gloom. He gave a sharp rap on the roof of the carriage and it came to such an abrupt halt that the coachman lurched forward. He directed another dark look at Frances before climbing down to open the door for his master.
‘Lady Frances?’
‘Do not be alarmed, my lord. I will explain. But we must make haste – please,’ she said, gesturing that she would join him in the carriage. He made room for her at once, but before she climbed in she called up to the coachman: ‘Please, wait here for a few moments.’ Scowling, he peered over the side of the coach towards his master, who looked briefly at Frances, then nodded.
Frances glanced across at the small form swaddled in furs on the seat opposite. His face was turned towards the back of the carriage and she could just see a few wisps of fair hair beneath his velvet cap. He looked so fragile, so vulnerable that her breath caught in her throat. She turned back to his father.
‘The Countess of Buckingham knows you are bringing your son to London,’ she said shortly. ‘Lady Katherine let it slip – please, don’t be angry,’ she added quickly. ‘The poor girl has berated herself enough already. Buckingham has appointed one of his grooms to look out for you – I saw him on my way here. It is too dangerous to take your son to the palace now. The King has agreed that Dr Lambe should treat him and you can ill afford to cause offence by refusing.’
At this, the fury went out of Lord Rutland’s eyes.
‘We shall go to my mother’s house at Whitefriars,’ Frances went on. ‘I can attend to your son there and return to Whitehall every evening, in case my absence attracts notice. I will tell Katherine to keep to your chambers as much as possible during the day, so that people will assume I am with her. She can tell the Countess that you have delayed your departure from Belvoir because the roads are impassable.’
Lord Rutland did not reply but eyed her steadily.
‘We cannot hope to conceal your presence here in London for long,’ she continued, ‘but, God willing, I will have time enough to ease your son’s suffering.’ She looked back at the boy, his frail body jolting as the carriage rumbled along the Strand.
Suddenly Lord Rutland reached across and lowered the window. ‘Take us to Whitefriars,’ he called to the coachman.
CHAPTER 36
27 January
Frances gazed at the small hand that lay in hers. The skin was so pale as to be almost translucent, and the spidery blue veins showed clearly beneath it. A large fire roared in the grate, but the warmth did not seem to permeate the boy’s frail body, which was almost as cold to the touch now as when his father had carried him in from the carriage the evening before.
‘You should get some sleep, my dear.’
Frances smiled at Lord Rutland, who was seated on the opposite side of his son’s bed. The dark shadows under his eyes told of a restless night for him, too, though Frances had made her mother’s lodgings as comfortable as she could.
‘I will warm some more broth first,’ she said, turning back to the boy. ‘He may take a little more, now that he is settled.’
She was careful to keep her tone light, but she knew that Lord Rutland also feared a recurrence of what had happened before. At first his son had seemed to swallow the thin stew easily, but after a few spoonfuls he had begun to splutter and choke, then vomited. Frances had been concerned to see black bile but had said nothing. His father would have noticed it too.
A light tapping on the door made them both jump. Frances waited, straining her ears. Three more knocks, then silence. That was the signal. Exhaling with relief, she padded out of the chamber, taking care to close the door, just in case.
It was all she could do not to throw herself into Thomas’s arms when she saw him on the threshold. He smiled down at her with the easy humour she had grown to love so dearly. But as he embraced her she saw his eyes were alight with apprehension.
‘I have brought everything you asked for,’ he said. Frances took the small