James stood transfixed in the room. A black dog bigger than any he had ever seen snarled and moved towards him.
‘Down, Caesar,’ his uncle called, and the dog froze and sat immediately, contenting himself with glaring at James, his pointed ears spiked to attention to let James know he was still under full scrutiny.
‘Once he gets to know you, he’ll be sweetness itself,’ his uncle said in a treacly voice.
Black, poison treacle, James thought, as he stared at him. He hadn’t seen his uncle since that day in the cathedral and he looked as evil now as he did then – hollow-cheeked, black-eyed, an eternal smile about his lips, the smile that was a signal of triumph past and future more than an expression of any pleasure. He sat at his ease in the Purcells’ small parlour, which his presence and bright rich finery had the effect of shrinking further. John Purcell was standing, as was Nancy, and Sylvia took up a position beside James and put her hand on his elbow as if to give him strength to face the demon, whose smile now flashed into a full grin.
‘Don’t they teach you any manners in the Bluecoat School, James?’ he asked mildly. ‘I have always heard such good reports of that institution. I hope I have not been mistaken.’
‘I’m sure James is just overcome with surprise,’ Nancy said. ‘He can’t have expected to see you here.’
‘Not see his own uncle, his own flesh and blood?’ Always the perceptible sneer in the voice.
‘His own flesh and blood that abandoned him and made out he was dead,’ John said. He didn’t look in any way cowed by the grand figure in his parlour.
For his part, Richard Lovett, the man who called himself Lord Dunmain, wasn’t in the least troubled by the butcher’s observation.
‘His father indeed has much to answer for,’ he said. ‘But who can be his brother’s keeper? I myself have always thought of James with the greatest fondness.’
‘Strange way of showing it,’ Purcell said.
‘What do you want?’ James asked at last. ‘Am I to be resurrected?’
His uncle considered this, or pretended to. ‘Ah, you haven’t lost your wits. I’m greatly relieved to hear it. But no, I don’t think resurrection is quite the word. You were never buried in my mind, or in my heart.’
No, but you wanted me dead or captured at the very least, James thought.
‘But I had no idea where you were or indeed if you were alive,’ his uncle continued. ‘Only one of my assistants chanced to hear of a young man near Smithfield who claimed to be a relative.’
‘I claimed no such thing,’ James said.
‘No, well, perhaps not exactly.’ His uncle rolled his palm on the silver top of his cane. ‘You claimed to be Lord Dunmain, which is one way of indicating a relationship, I suppose.’
James said nothing, and nobody else spoke either.
‘You can imagine my joy at discovering that my long-lost nephew was so near, and so well looked after, if I may say so.’ He inclined his head fractionally and extended a gloved palm in the direction of the Purcells.
‘James has made his home here,’ Nancy said. She spoke like a woman who had no intention of allowing those circumstances to be altered.
‘Of course he has,’ his uncle said. ‘Your kindness does you much honour, ma’am, and it is my own turn, now that I have found him again, to assume the burden of this poor boy’s care.’
James felt Sylvia’s grip on his arm tighten. ‘No,’ she said. ‘This is where James belongs. Isn’t it, Mother?’
Nancy nodded. ‘We think of the boy as one of our own,’ she said.
A faint trace of irritation showed itself at the corner of Dunmain’s smile. ‘Yes, of course you do, and he must continue to be a frequent visitor. All the same he must take up his rightful place in society.’ His uncle looked around, his eyes narrowing and his nose wrinkling. ‘Unless you mean to be a butcher, James?’
‘I mean to be what I am already,’ James said, ‘Lord Dunmain.’
‘Ah, indeed, the complications of family life …’ His uncle sighed, but seemed reluctant to elaborate further.
‘These are details,’ he said finally, ‘matters to be resolved in the fullness of time and with the help of the lawyers. Your father, James, did not leave an orderly estate. Why don’t you come with me now, and we can discuss these matters further?’
There was a sudden commotion at the door. Purcell went to investigate. James heard shouting and then a man entered the room whom James recognised immediately as one of his uncle’s thugs, the same one who had chased and almost caught him in the coopers’ yard. He was followed by Purcell, his face red with anger.
‘Who is this man who pushes me out of the way in my own house?’
‘You must forgive Grady,’ Dunmain said. ‘He suffers sometimes from an excess of zeal.’
‘What’s he doing here?’ James asked.
The thug was staring at him, his eyes blazing with recognition.
‘How shall I put it?’ Dunmain asked. ‘He’s here to ensure an orderly resolution of our discussion.’
‘Are you threatening me?’ Purcell said. He was at the very limit of his self-control, James could see.
Dunmain smiled.
His smiles are like knife-thrusts, James thought, but they’re also the smiles of a man who will never have to rely on his own strength. The dog was climbing up the thug’s legs, demanding attention, and the thug patted him, one black animal to another.
James felt he couldn’t put the Purcells in any more danger. ‘I’ll go with you, if that’s what you want.’
‘Excellent,’ his uncle said. ‘You won’t regret it.’
‘James is going nowhere.’
James was surprised at how absolute Purcell sounded.
Without waiting for orders from his master, Grady put his huge hand around Purcell’s throat. Purcell gagged for breath. James ran to help him and the thug paused briefly to swat James away with the back of his hand as if he were no more than a fly. James fell back on the floor. Nancy screamed. She began to pummel Grady’s back with her fists. He ignored her blows. Dunmain watched the scene with interest before calling off his thug. James noticed that Sylvia wasn’t in the room; he was relieved she didn’t have to see this.
‘Now, I think that’s settled. James, are you ready?’
James went to Purcell and Nancy. ‘I’m sorry about this,’ he said.
There was more commotion at the front door.
‘More of your thugs?’ Purcell asked Dunmain.
Dunmain looked puzzled. ‘Grady, see what’s afoot.’
The thug moved for the door, but James was surprised to see him suddenly fall back in and topple onto the floor. He was followed by several substantial men in bloodied aprons, carrying meat cleavers. Sylvia came after them. She smiled at James. The dog barked furiously and lunged at a butcher.
‘Are you the man who threatened John Purcell?’ one of the other butchers asked.
‘That’s him,’ Sylvia said.
‘A family matter,’ Dunmain said, no trace of a smile on his lips now. ‘I am merely trying to return this boy to the bosom of his family.’
‘I think we know what you have in mind for the boy,’ Purcell said. ‘No family I know brings their baboons with them on a visit.’
The baboon stirred and began to heave himself up from the floor. A butcher put a foot on his chest. ‘Take yer ease there awhile, friend,’ he said.
‘It’s alright, Grady,’ Dunmain said. ‘I think we shall adjourn our discussion.’ He stood up and smoothed his clothes, as if to remove any trace of the Purcell household from them.
‘I wish you good day, sir,’ he said to Purcell. ‘And ladies.’ He bowed with elaborate ceremony towards Sylvia and Nancy, who failed to return the honour.
‘Dear nephew,’ he said to James. ‘I hope our paths will cross again under happier circumstances.’
The butcher who had his foot on Grady released him, and the two men left the Purcells’ house with as much dignity as they could muster.
The house soon resumed its normal tranquillity. Purcell went back to the Ormond Market with the butchers and James stayed at home with Sylvia and Nancy. The doors were well bolted, and they were under strict instruction not to venture outside. Purcell had slipped a few pennies to a boy in the street to come and fetch him at once if any stranger showed himself near the house.
‘That was close,’ Sylvia murmured.
‘If it hadn’t been for your quick thinking, I’d be in his house now.’
‘Or dead,’ Sylvia blurted out.
‘Sylvia!’ Nancy was shocked.
‘Well, who knows what that monster would have done with him?’ Sylvia said. ‘He didn’t come here to rescue James, you can be sure of that.’
‘You’re going to have to be very careful,’ Nancy warned. ‘He didn’t look the kind to give up too easily.’
‘Perhaps I shouldn’t stay here,’ James said. ‘I’m afraid it will be dangerous for you.’
‘Don’t be foolish, James. This is your home, you can’t think of leaving it now.’
‘We won’t let you, will we, mother?’ Sylvia laughed, but there was anxiety in the voice too. She didn’t want to lose James.
James felt almost ashamed of their concern, as if he didn’t deserve it. But he was glad – the very last thing he wanted was to leave Phoenix Street.
After that, James didn’t move through the streets so freely. The Bluecoat School and the Ormond Market were his westerly and easterly boundaries. He didn’t dare venture any farther. Sylvia was convinced the most dangerous parts of the day were the trips to and from the school. She took to accompanying James every morning and waiting for him in the afternoon. Part of James felt he should resist her impulse to protect him and assert his independence, but the truth was that he liked to be in Sylvia’s company. He wouldn’t let her go right to the door of the school, not wanting to expose them both to the taunts of his fellows.
Sylvia went as far as the corner of Haymarket and Queen Street and then watched James make the short trip to the school. In the afternoons, she came to the same corner to wait for him. James was always glad to see her. As they walked home he would regale her with the adventures of the day and tell her what he had learned.
‘Do you think we’ll always be able to talk like this?’ he asked one day as they made their way home.
Sylvia paused a little, and glanced at him. ‘I don’t see why not,’ she said.
‘I don’t think I could bear it if we couldn’t,’ James said. He looked directly at Sylvia, and found her eyes meeting his with an intensity he hadn’t seen before.
She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. ‘That won’t happen,’ she said softly.