Page 61 of Traitors Gate

He knocked on the door, and entered to find ‘the old man’reading the Sunday papers. As he looked up, William waited for a moment before saying, ‘I need your advice on a personal matter.’

‘Of course, dear boy,’ replied Julian, putting down his paper. He gave his son a smile and said, ‘The clock is ticking.’ William didn’t laugh.

‘My friend and colleague, Ross Hogan, has got himself into a spot of trouble with a woman.’

‘Hardly a new experience, I would have thought.’

‘Agreed,’ said William, ‘except this time he could end up in prison and there isn’t a lot I can do to help.’

‘Details,’ demanded Julian, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes as he always did when considering a new case.

‘He’s been accused of trying to influence a member of the jury during a case at which he was giving evidence on behalf of the Crown.’

‘A serious offence,’ said Julian, ‘and as a serving officer, if he were found guilty, the judge wouldn’t be lenient, and neither should they be.’ Julian’s eyes remained firmly closed before he added, ‘A young woman, no doubt?’

‘Middle-aged. But Ross is adamant they only met once and he never slept with her.’

‘But the witness claims otherwise?’

‘Yes, and she’s made a written statement claiming the casual affair began before the trial ended, and worse, he tried to influence her the night before the verdict was reached.’

‘A woman scorned, perhaps? In which case it will all depend on the dates and who the jury believe.’

‘I would normally agree with you, Father, but on this occasion I don’t think it’s quite as simple as that. I read her statement and believe it could only have been written by a leading criminal QC.’

‘There’s nothing unusual about that,’ said Julian. ‘After all, that’s how we make a living.’

‘I understand that,’ said William, ‘but it turns out the QC in question is none other than Mr Booth Watson.’

Sir Julian’s eyes opened, alert and suddenly more interested. He was about to offer an opinion when Jojo came rushing into the room, grabbed him by the arm and said, ‘Granny needs you to do the carving.’

‘It seems Granny isn’t the only one,’ said Sir Julian, as Jojo took his hand and led him out of the study and into the dining room. She handed him the carving knife.

• • •

‘In 1671,’ began Artemisia once everyone had settled, a couple of weeks later. ‘Colonel Thomas Blood visited the Tower of London disguised as a clergyman. He was accompanied by an actress pretending to be his wife, while his real wife was in Lincolnshire, unaware of what he was up to.

‘At that time, you could visit the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewels if you paid a Mr Talbot Edwards, the jewel keeper, one penny. So Colonel Blood handed over the entrance fee to Mr Edwards, who dutifully showed him the Crown Jewels, but Blood’s sole interest was finding out how well the Jewel House was guarded, which he quickly discovered was poor.’

‘We’ve got to come up with a better word than poor,’ interrupted Peter.

‘A few days later, Colonel Blood returned to the Tower,’ continued Artemisia, ‘with the sole purpose of deceiving Mr Edwards into believing they could be friends despite the difference in their station. On this occasion, his wife, the actress,pretended to fall ill, and Edwards’s wife took her up to their rooms in the Martin Tower so she could rest. But this was only a ploy to get Edwards alone,’ said Peter, looking up.

William and Beth said nothing.

‘A few days later, Blood returned to the Tower, this time with a pair of white gloves, a thank-you gift for Mrs Edwards for her kindness, which was all part of his plan.’

‘We can’t be sure,’ continued Peter, taking over from his sister, ‘how many more times Blood visited the Tower to cement the friendship with Edwards and his wife, before he carried out his plan.’

‘We shouldn’t use the same word twice,’ said Artemisia. She crossed out the word ‘plan’ and was replacing it with ‘crime’ when the doorbell rang.

Jojo jumped up, rushed out of the room and opened the front door to see her father standing on the doorstep. ‘We’re in the middle of Arte and Peter telling us all about Colonel Blood and how he stole the Crown Jewels! But you’re just in time for the next bit,’ she said as she grabbed her father by the hand and led him through to the kitchen.

Once Beth had poured Ross a drink and Artemisia was satisfied they were all paying attention, she cleared her throat and carried on.

‘A few days later, Blood returned to the Tower, but on this occasion, he was accompanied by his nephew, George. Blood had already suggested to Edwards over a drink in his rooms that his nephew, who had an income of over two hundred pounds a year, might be an eligible …’ – she tried to pronounce the word three times – ‘husband for their unmarried daughter.’

‘We also know,’ said Peter, once again taking over, ‘that Blood’s nephew presented Edwards with a pair of silver-mounted pistols to cement the agreement. Edwards fell forthis deception and invited Blood and his nephew George to supper in his rooms at the top of the Martin Tower.’

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