'Thank you.' She sat, fixing me with her keen blue eyes. They had a watchful quality. I noticed how clear and healthy her skin was.

'I think the Devil works in the world through men's evil, their greed and cruelty and ambition, rather than possessing them and driving them stark mad.'

I nodded. 'I think so too, Alice. I have seen enough of the qualities you mention in the courts. Not just among the accused either. And the people who possessed them were all too sane.' Lord Cromwell's face suddenly appeared in my mind's eye with startling vividness. I blinked.

Alice nodded sadly. 'Such evil is everywhere. Sometimes it seems to me the wish for money and power can turn men into roaring lions, seeking what they might devour.'

'Well put. But where can a young maid have encountered such evil?' I asked gently. 'Here, perhaps?'

'I observe the world, I think upon things.' She shrugged. 'More than is proper in a woman, perhaps.'

'No, no. God allowed reason to women as well as men.'

She smiled wryly. 'You would not find many here to agree with you, sir.'

I took another swig of the potion. I felt it warming and relaxing my tired muscles. 'This is good. Master Poer was telling me you are skilled in the healing arts.'

'Thank you. As I told him, my mother was a wise woman.' Her face darkened a moment. 'Some in the town associate such work with the dark arts, but she merely gathered knowledge. She had it from her mother, who had it from her mother in turn. The apothecary often sought her advice.'

'And you became an apothecary's assistant.'

'Yes. He taught me much. But he died and I came back home.'

'To lose your house.'

She set her lips. 'Yes, the tenancy expired on my mother's death. The landlord demolished the house and enclosed our bit of land for sheep.'

'I am sorry. These enclosures ruin the countryside. It is a matter of concern to Lord Cromwell.'

She looked at me curiously. 'Do you know him? Lord Cromwell?'

I nodded. 'Yes. I have served him a long time, in one way and another.'

She gave me a long, deeply curious look, then dropped her gaze and sat silent, her hands in her lap. Work-roughened hands, but still shapely.

'You came here after your mother died?' I asked her.

She raised her head. 'Yes. Brother Guy is a good man, sir. I – I hope you will not think badly of him for his strange looks, sir. Some do.'

I shook my head. 'I must look deeper than that, if I am to be any good as an investigator. Though I confess I had a shock when I first saw him.'

She gave a sudden laugh, a flash of white even teeth. 'So did I, sir. I thought it was a face carved in wood, come to life. It was weeks before I came to see him as a man like others. He has taught me a great deal.'

'Perhaps one day you will be able to put that knowledge to use yourself. I know in London there are women apothecaries. But they are mostly widows, and doubtless you will marry.'

She shrugged. 'Maybe one day.'

'Mark said you had a swain who died. I am sorry.'

'Yes,' she said slowly. The watchful look was back in her eyes. 'Master Poer seems to have told you much about me.'

'We – well, we need to learn all we can of all who live here, as you must realize.' I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

She stood up again and walked over to the window. When she turned her shoulders were tensed and she seemed to have come to a decision.

'Sir, if I were to give you some information, would you keep it in confidence? I need my position here-'

'Yes, Alice, you have my word.'

'Brother Edwig's clerks, they said that they had brought all the current account books, at your request.'

'That is so.'

'But they have not brought all, sir. They have not brought the account book Commissioner Singleton had the day he died.'

'How do you know?'

'Because all the books they carried are brown. The one the commissioner was studying had a blue cover.'

'Had it indeed? How do you know this?'

She hesitated. 'You will keep it to yourself that I told you?'

'Yes, I promise. I would like you to trust me, Alice.'

She took a deep breath. 'On the afternoon of Commissioner Singleton's death I had been into town to buy some supplies. On the way back I passed the bursar's young assistant, Brother Athelstan, and the commissioner standing outside the counting-house door.'

'Brother Athelstan?'

'Yes. Commissioner Singleton was holding a large blue book in his hands, shouting at Athelstan. He did not bother to lower his voice as I passed.' She gave a sardonic little smile. 'After all, I am only a woman servant.'

'And he said?'

'"He thought he'd keep this from me, hidden in his drawer?" I remember his words. Brother Athelstan stuttered something about his having no right to ferret about the bursar's private room while he was away, and the commissioner replied he had the right to go everywhere, and the book put a fresh light on the year's accounts.'

'What did Brother Athelstan say to that?'

'Nothing. He was in a great fright, he looked like a dog thrown from a window. Commissioner Singleton said he was going to make a study of the book, then he stalked off. I remember the triumphant look on his face. Brother Athelstan just stood there some moments. Then he saw me. He gave me a glare, then went inside and banged the door shut.'

'And you heard nothing more about this?'

'No, sir. Night was just falling when this happened, and the next I heard the commissioner was dead.'

'Thank you, Alice,' I said. 'That could be very helpful.' I paused, studying her carefully. 'By the way, Master Poer told me you have had some trouble with the prior.'

The bold look came back to her face. 'In my early days here he sought to take advantage of my position. It is not a problem now.'

I nodded. 'You speak straight, Alice, I admire that. Please, if you think of anything that may help my enquiries, come to me. If you need protection, I will give it. I will follow up this missing book, but I will take care not to mention that you have spoken to me.'

'Thank you, sir. And now, with your pardon, I should assist Brother Guy.'

'That is a grim job for a maid.'

She shrugged. 'It is part of my duties, and I am used to dead flesh. My mother used to lay out people who died in the town.'

'You have more stomach than I, Alice.'

'Yes, my life has left me few gentle qualities,' she said with sudden bitterness.

'I did not mean that.' I raised a hand in protest. As I did so my arm brushed against my cup, almost knocking it over. But Alice, who had walked back to the table and stood opposite me, reached swiftly across and grasped it, setting it upright again.

'Thank you. By heaven, you have a quick hand.'

'Brother Guy is forever dropping things in the infirmary. And now, sir, with your leave I must go.'

'Of course. And thank you for telling me about the bursar.' I smiled. 'I know a king's commissioner can be an intimidating figure.'

'No, sir. You are different.' She looked at me seriously a moment, then quickly turned and left the room.

I nursed my potion, which slowly warmed my vitals. The thought that Alice appeared to trust me also sent probing fingers of warmth through me. If I had met her in another context, and if she had not been a servant-

I thought on her last words. How was I 'different'? I supposed what she had seen of Singleton had led her to think all commissioners were hectoring bullies, but had I sensed something more in her words? I could not imagine she felt attracted to me in the way I realized I was to her. I realized too that I had revealed that Mark had repeated all she told him. That might undermine her trust in him; a thought that I was alarmed to realize gave me a twitch of pleasure. I frowned, for jealousy is one of the deadly sins, and turned my mind to what she had said about the account book. That sounded a promising line of enquiry.