Taste of Treason by April Taylor Page B

King’s and Queen’s personal pets, was punishable by death. However, Henry continued to glare at his Inquirer but Luke’s breathing eased by a few degrees. The King was indeed furious, but it was an anger more than tinged with fear, and although it might be directed at his Inquirer, Luke knew he was not the cause of it.
    “My lord of Sussex, pray make sure we are undisturbed and unheard,” the King said, his gaze still fixed on Luke.
    “Sire,” the man answered, gesturing Creswell to check the building for unwanted listeners.
    A few moments later, Luke heard the outer door close. He was alone with his monarch. He bowed again.
    “Your Majesty, how may I aid you?”
    “You are aware of the condition of our Queen and the importance of the son she carries. We are determined that nothing should affect her well-being. Has Captain Creswell told you of the outrage at the feast?”
    “Sire, he has. You think the frogs were loosed on purpose to shock the Queen? That in itself is interesting. I understand that the Queen Mother resided instead of Queen Madeleine. That being the case, did they either not know that the Queen was resting, or not care?”
    Henry paced up and down once more, pounding his clenched fist into the palm of his other hand.
    “Why would you assume I know the answer to that? Elucidation of these problems is part of your remit, Master Apothecary. The decision for Madeleine to rest was only lately made and not widely known. My mother thinks this incident was perpetrated by those who threaten the peace of the kingdom as well as our domestic harmony.”
    The fact that the King used his wife’s given name was further confirmation of his anxiety. Luke took a deep breath. His next words would either calm the King or make his anger explode.
    “And this follows close upon the murder of the girl found in Her Grace’s apartments,” Luke said.
    The King swung round to face him.
    “You believe the two are connected?”
    “I do not know, Sire, but if there is a plot to threaten the Queen’s health, it would be a logical deduction.”
    Henry resumed his pacing.
    “We must have a son. I do not want to suffer as my dearest father did for want of an heir.”
    Luke looked at this most powerful of men. Approaching his seventeenth birthday, Henry IX already stood as tall as Great Harry. The continuance of the Tudor line was outside his sphere of control. Bitter medicine for a man accustomed to his every whim being satisfied. However, it was well-known that he had inherited Anne Boleyn’s quick mind and sharp intellect. Above all Henry was a practical man. He would have taken every step to safeguard his Queen.
    “What conclusions have you drawn thus far in your investigation, Master Ballard?”
    “Sire, I will not deceive you. I have not yet discovered enough information to make deductions or conclusions.”
    “Then you had best make haste. My beloved mother thinks there may be a threat from the Spanish against the recent treaty with France. Mayhap you could begin with that and see where it leads. Or must we rule our country single-handed, sorting out every difficulty that presents itself?”
    Luke shivered at the implication of that sentence ground out between gritted teeth.
    “Your Majesty, I would willingly give my life to ensure the safety of you and your family, but even I cannot make bricks without straw.”
    Henry stopped pacing and stood in a pose reminiscent of his father, fists clenched on hips, his eyes narrowed.
    “What would you have us do, Apothecary? Sit and whimper in fear whilst some unknown miscreant threatens our house? Or run like a whipped dog in the hope that this peril does not follow?”
    Henry’s already furious expression darkened further as his voice rose. Luke dropped to his knees, his stomach lurching in panic. Henry’s rages were quite as formidable as those of his father, and though Luke had a sneaking suspicion that he used them carefully, it was unwise to underestimate Great